The m54b30 E30 build (NL)

[maxpostma]

Hello everybody!


The setup:
Engine: m54b30 (e39)
Engine mouts: e28 535i
Trans: 330ci 5 speed, or 320z
Trans mounts: E21 mount with custom aluminium cups
Clutch and flywheel: M20 lightened flywheel with custom pressure plate
Cardan shaft: e36 328i
Differential: e36 323ti compact
Suspension: VMaxx coilovers
Brakes: 325i disc brakes all around with a Renault Clio brake booster
Steering: e46 steering


A quick introduction:
My name is Max, I'm a Dutch student (in Mechanical engineering) and just about a 1.5 years ago I decided that I needed to buy an E30.
(skip the first couple of pictures if you just want to see the swap)
This is (going to be) a budget build so keep that in mind. Not everything will be done the proper way, but it will be done to the best of my abillilties.

I bought an automatic e39 530i and began to buy all the nessecary parts
Like the stupidly expensive oil pa(i)n:
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e46 steering from the local junkyard (for quicker steering)
Out with the old:
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In with the new(ish):
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While I was doing all this work might as well make it steer decently:
rear subframe plates to adjust camber and toe:

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Welded the plates into the subframe, also added some reïnforcement plates to both the rear and front subframe:
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And ofcourse, a smitch of paint (smitch? sounds weird, probably the wrong word)
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And some more paint...
It's an E36 323ti compact differential (Does anybody know if you have to use the e30 or the original flanches??)
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And with everything installed the rest of the car looks like shit..
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More paint stuff:
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all assembled:
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A Cio brake booster (painted in wrinkle black :) notice a theme?)
needed to fit a spacer in the master cilinder and had to relocate the part that connects to the brake pedal rod:
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And then... it was time:

Out with the old, in with the new:
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Okay, first it needed a little cleaning before the "new" was allowed in the engine bay:

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Probably wasn't this clean in quite a while:

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And there it is, looks way better then the old m20 did:
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Still have lots of updates I'ill post later on..

[dadsbmw]

Why is it that whenever I see posts from enthusiasts in Scandinavian (I guess technically the Netherlands aren't a part of Scandinavia, but close enough) countries it always goes, "I'm just a poor student with a small project I'm starting on" and it turns out they have giant garages with lifts and rotisseries and flatbeds to transport their shells around?

Excited to see more!

[R3VM3UP]

Nice work, looks very clean! I'm doing an S54 swap but I like the idea of the aluminum M54.

Do you have a part number for the clio brake booster? I'd be interested in the dimensions and any modifications needed to make it fit.

[maxpostma]

Why is it that whenever I see posts from enthusiasts in Scandinavian (I guess technically the Netherlands aren't a part of Scandinavia, but close enough) countries it always goes, "I'm just a poor student with a small project I'm starting on" and it turns out they have giant garages with lifts and rotisseries and flatbeds to transport their shells around?

Excited to see more!

Not sure if a compliment of an insult :)
But indeed,I'm very fortunate that my dad shares my hobby and also helps me quite a lot. The warehouse and everything is mostly for his enterprise (being a neon sign technician.

[maxpostma]

Nice work, looks very clean! I'm doing an S54 swap but I like the idea of the aluminum M54.

Do you have a part number for the clio brake booster? I'd be interested in the dimensions and any modifications needed to make it fit.

It's a Clio brake booster (from 2001 with plastic wings). I believe it's quite a common swap.
needed to fit a spacer in the master cilinder (about 22mm) and had to relocate the part that connects to the brake pedal rod.

I will measure the dimensions next sunday :D

[95///M3]

That wrinkle finish may not seal overly well to the master.

[Julien]

Why is it that whenever I see posts from enthusiasts in Scandinavian (I guess technically the Netherlands aren't a part of Scandinavia, but close enough) countries it always goes, "I'm just a poor student with a small project I'm starting on" and it turns out they have giant garages with lifts and rotisseries and flatbeds to transport their shells around?

Excited to see more!

and Belgium is in Germany ;)


OP - Looking nice!

[maxpostma]

and Belgium is in Germany ;)


OP - Looking nice!

Pretty much what I was thinking :) And thank you :thankyou:

[maxpostma]

That wrinkle finish may not seal overly well to the master.

Yeah I realised that too when I installed it, sanded it all down to bear metal and resprayed it with some ordinary black paint. (Only the part that touches the master)

[maxpostma]

It's a Clio brake booster (from 2001 with plastic wings). I believe it's quite a common swap.
needed to fit a spacer in the master cilinder (about 22mm) and had to relocate the part that connects to the brake pedal rod.

I will measure the dimensions next sunday :D

Here's a photo of the Clio booster installed, lots of clearance as you can see:
6

It's about 6cm T H I C C and it has a diameter of 23cm. (devide by 2,54 for the potato unit)

[maxpostma]

Update:

This is mostly stuff I did over the past few weeks, bit busy with school/work at this moment, never the less some nice stuff has happened.

My father drives an E39 528i, which is basicly the same engine and gearbox combination as I'm using.
Drives really nicely but I hate the slow throttle response.

This resulted in my decision to use the m20 flywheel.
Had my old m20 clutch lightened, balanced and leveled. I also had the pressureplate strengthened:

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Was really bummed when I saw this: (thought that the starter ring cracked, luckily it was just the original weld)

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Made some engine spacers at school(to increase ground clearence) and soms gearbox cups to decrease driveline movement:
spacers

The flywheel and engine spacer all installed and looking great:
vliegwiel

While I was in there I replaced the rear main seal, wasn't really necessary because it didn't leak. But still it's nice knowing it's fresh:
Luckily the old one looked grose
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My girlfriend bought us some tickets so we could see a car show in Rotterdam. Some really cool cars:
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Would love to own a rx7 at some point:
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Really want to have an interior like this some day in future:

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Also had a custom power steering line made by a local hydraulic part supplier, because the original e30 or e39 didn't look like it would work nicely/easily.
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Looks a lot cleaner than the original one that loops strangly around the steering rack:
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Also sold some old shit for a pretty penny :), so I can buy other car stuff.. it never stops (cryemoji):
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We (my dad and I) also went and worked on the rear side of the car, and installed the trailing arms and new handbrake cables. Ofcourse the wheel bearings were shot on the second hand axle, so that's another thing I can add to the list :(
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Freshened up the rear axles a bit:
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Also tried to install the gearbox, but the enginemount spacers that I made were to tall, this resulted in an engine that made contact with the firewall.
A little trim was needed:

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Test fitted with no spacer, and everthing seems to fit just fine luckily:
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Well that's about it, hoping to install the newly trimmed spacers this week, along with the brakes, cardan shaft and the rear drive shafts.

After that the water en oil lines and of course the wiring...

[maxpostma]

I'm currently busy with fitting the engine in the right position and fitting driveshaft (from a e36 328i) but I'm finding that it's about 12mm too long (or (12/25,4)inch).
Am I the only one having this problem? And is there another solution except for moving the engine more forward or cutting a piece of?

[dude8383]

Which engine arms are you using? Can you post a photo?

[maxpostma]

Which engine arms are you using? Can you post a photo?

You can see them in the first picture of the thread, They're just your ordinary e36 m50 engine arms.

[dude8383]

LOL wow sorry that is literally the first photo. Can you measure the driveshaft for us and report back?

I have an E36 M3 shaft in stock that I can compare it to.