10 years ago I broke a rocker arm on my e30. I ended up getting a new head and mounting it, but never completed the project. It sat in storage (being destroyed by rats), then moved with me across the US, sitting on a trailer the last few years.
Finally over the last few months the project re-gained traction. I researched around, tried and failed with megasquirt, then landed on a speeduino based EFI system.
Rats had eaten some of the harness over the last decade, so I ended up testing every line and used some of the E30 harness and installed some fresh wiring through the firewall.
The engine was full of acorns and Rat droppings, I had to blow out inside the cylinder wells using an air compressor as the car sat without an exhaust manifold.
I replaced the crankshaft seal water pump and timing belt. I was able to gently feel for contact of the valve and piston and align the cam and crank, rotating dozens of times to ensure everything was in the proper position.
Parts list:
Rebuilt Head
Metal headgasket
ARP Head studs
33lb Bosch Brown Injectors (wired in pairs firing 1&5, 6&2, 3&4)
Td05-20g Turbo built in wastegate
524td turbo manifold
Speeduino Ecu
DSM 1G BOV (not yet installed)
Intercooler that was given to me years ago.
misc 2.5" piping cut to fit.
GM IAT
On/OFF ICV Idle valve
Brake booster vacuum simplification
ICV delete
e32 (Auto Trans) TPS 13631708605
VW VR6 Coilpack - still need to figure out the logic on this, if I Should set going low or high in MS, if it has built in igniters and if I need 12v or 5V or ground to each bank
Coilpack wired up to speeduino ignition channels in 3 banks 16,35,24
8mm spark plug wires
2 Oil coolers. One before turbo and the other to replace the stock cooler. (the bottom radiator support was bent out of shape by a tow truck driver)
Oil Pressure gauge
Aluminum Radiator
2 8" DC 12v Fans,
New belts
Water Pump,
New Crankshaft seal
Many AN and NPT fittings
88+ Coolant Reservoir
New hoses,
Fuel canister delete
Simplified coolant lines and removal of heater core bypass valve (new heater core planned)
New fuel filter
Lambda oxygen sensor
JAW Wideband controller
Oxygen sensor extension harness
Planned:
All new suspension bushings
Springs shocks
16x8 0 offset rims
New paintjob fix dents rust and rat damage
New wiring for fuel injectors with 8 pin plug (includes wiring for coolant sensor
New water pump timing belt and seals.
The floor is covered in rat poop :( I'm going to have to rip it out. ( And clean up the rats nest of wires!)
2nd oil cooler and Intercooler
Oil pan cleaning, new gasket and turbo return line install, new crankshaft seals
Fitting Turbo, wiring injectors lines to new 8 pin harness
So far I've got TPS, Coolant (uncalibrated), IAT, and Crankshaft sensors wired up and working.
Today could put me back where I started though. I have all the spark plugs out, and have been cranking the engine to test the crankshaft sensor being read by the speeduino ECU.
Today while jumping the starter the timing belt skipped teeth and the starter stopped being able to crank. I came to the realization that the piston and valve were touching. Yikes!
I noticed a tear in the timing belt and sure enough the engine was out of alignment! There was no play on the tensioner when I tightened it down, or when I took the cover off to inspect.
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