Das Beast: My E30 track / street build

[dvallis]

These just arrived back from the coating shop today. Will be going on the car this weekend. Looks so much damn better than the rusty lump. More importantly, it sends more heat out the exhaust pipe than into the engine bay.

Before



After

Ceramic coated M20 turbo header and turbo exhaust port

[dvallis]

More interesting bits happening. We're getting the throttle into shape.

Needed to build this widget: custom throttle cable mounting bracket for the throttle body.



Does a great job. Very solid with all the right angles and fit against the throttle body. We tuned the accelerator pedal stop and cleared some linkage interference in the cockpit. Getting a full 3" throw on the accelerator from idle to WOT.

Still need to finish off the cable securing assembly but Rob found a piece for that in his endless supply boxes. Packrat rules. :devil:

[dvallis]

Finally finished the throttle cable assembly



Throttle and clutch pedal stops installed and adjusted



Charge piping installed with proper t-bolt clamps



Started looking at the water cooling hoses. We need some custom runs due to the over size double pass radiator. Will also be deleting the coolant overflow tank. It's only used in the E30 due to a sealed radiator. This whole lot will end up a lot cleaner.

[parkerbink]

Getting closer! Great work!

[LJ851]

Will also be deleting the coolant overflow tank. It's only used in the E30 due to a sealed radiator. This whole lot will end up a lot cleaner.

Thats not true. If you want your radiator to stay full of coolant, you will have to put an expansion tank in the system. You can run without one but you will have to create one in the radiator by running the coolant level an inch or so below full. The coolant will expand and contract.

[dvallis]

Thanks for the input. The guy building this car with me is 60's vintage Hot Rodder. They ran without expansion tanks. Just vented the rad overflow port to the ground with a piece of hose. Means you have to check the coolant as part of your pre-flight check, which is admittedly a minor pain in the ass. I might figure out a custom solution as the engine bay evolves.

We need a bit of radiator math. M20B25 has a coolant capacity of 10.5L. The stock radiator is pretty skinny. I'm guessing it has a capacity of 2L. (Will check it tomorrow) The new radiator is a dual row double pass, so let's assume it has 2X the capacity of stock. That would mean 12.5L total for the new system.

This article says a coolant expansion tank needs to be ~18% of total volume, so 2L should do fine.

[LJ851]

Thanks for the input. The guy building this car with me is 60's vintage Hot Rodder. They ran without expansion tanks. Just vented the rad overflow port to the ground with a piece of hose. Means you have to check the coolant as part of your pre-flight check, which is admittedly a minor pain in the ass. I might figure out a custom solution as the engine bay evolves.

Yes, i have run several street cars that way over the years. The coolant heats up, expands and pukes on the ground creating (basically) an expansion tank in the radiator. You can fill the rad every time you drive and it will do the same, most racing organizations frown on coolant escaping or even the potential of it happening.

[dvallis]

Good point. Hosing down track with coolant is definitely bad racing etiquette. Don't want to be Meatball Flag bait. Back to Google for a custom tank.

[dvallis]

By the way, John or Lorin can you school me expansion tank requirements with my setup? Fill cap is on top of the radiator, so I think we can get away with a sealed expansion tank at any height somewhere in the bay. As long as I am connected to the rad overflow on tank top and water pump inlet from the tank bottom, correct?

[LJ851]

By the way, John or Lorin can you school me expansion tank requirements with my setup? Fill cap is on top of the radiator, so I think we can get away with a sealed expansion tank at any height somewhere in the bay. As long as I am connected to the rad overflow on tank top and water pump inlet from the tank bottom, correct?

I assume you are using a pressure cap on the radiator which means you will typically need a vented "puke" tank.

Generally a sealed expansion tank (like stock E30) is used when the pressure cap in on the tank, not the radiator.

Puke tanks don't need to be very large to do the job, what does the rule book say about your type of radiator setup?

[dvallis]

Back to some big bits today.

Got the waste gate back on the exhaust header. I like the titanium ceramic finish.



Turbo header installed. It was a real pain. Not a lot of room to turn wrenches between those tubes. We abandoned my fancy heat shield. Head studs were not long enough and was compromising torque on the header nuts. No problem. We'll re-invent it.



There is zero clearance on the turbo manifold flange upper bolts. We were able to find one short enough that it would fit in the right hole and still engage all the threads. Had to manufacture a stud for the left side and use a nut on it. Ugh.



Test fitting the air box, charge piping and turbo. Took some adjustments but worked out fine.

[Elysian]

:eeek: Looking awesome as usual.

[ForcedFirebird]

Lorin is 100% correct. The e30 radiator is lower than the hoses, so even the guys running m42 radiators have issues with spitting coolant. In old hot rods (wher I also cane from **ahem Firebird lol), the radiator with a cap on top of a radiator would be the highest point.

You can have a cap lower than the hoses that releases to an expansion so that when coolant contracts, it sucks the water back in (think like my Chevy Express van), but in all honesty, you are creating more work for yourself by not only putting a cap in the radiator, but still having some sort of expansion. Just use an expansion with a pressure cap that is the highest point in the system - much like stock, easy peasy.

Even a little guy like this pic...

https://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showpost.php?p=4908253&postcount=2

Granted, your down pipe will be in that area, but gives you an idea how a little $50 tank with pressure cap can make your life simple (or make one if you have access to a TIG).

[dvallis]

I decided to use this guy. Moroso 63773. It's a 1L tank, 6" x 4" x 3". I like the sight tube for fluid level. Bottom port is 1/2-NPT, side port 3/8-NPT. Got hose barbs for both to make connections with the original pump inlet and new radiator expansion port.



Once I move the hose on the left out of the way, this tank will rivet on the right side of the air box. Fits perfectly.



Next post will be a coolant hose extravaganza. LoL

[dvallis]

Since it's going to be "all cooling all the time" for a while, thought I'd re-post this cooling system diagram from ages ago. Makes more sense to me than the Bentleys or anything else I found.