M30 swap for my Olive Drab Vert!

[RagtopE30]

I don't think so but I will be checking on Sunday for sure. I do know that my three spoke sport wheel on the vert needs new leather and the Mtech feels thicker which is nice. Plus it has three horn buttons and really who doesn't like having a horn button on every spoke so you can honk your horn like an idiot while auto crossing!!??!?!?!

[marshallnoise]

Are they any smaller in diameter than the stocker?

[RagtopE30]

I spent a couple hours today continuing to removing paint and seam sealer on the drivers side of the engine bay. THIS IS TAKING FOR EVER!



Then I drove to the closest Pick-a-part in hopes of finding a coolant reservoir or any other goodies and I found a replacement steering wheel! Tri-color badge has been ordered. The leather is in great shape!

[RagtopE30]

Because I want the reservoir to be the highest point in the cooling system and I already shaved the mounting brackets for the stock piece. I had planned on using the built in tank on the 318i radiator. But all said and done the firewall mounted reservoir will look fitting with the m30.

And thank you for the pictures. I will be using them as references as I get into final assembly.

[CorvallisBMW]

Small bump. I ordered the e28 535i radiator and coolant fan switch today. I was going to use the e36 318i radiator with built in reservoir but it is on the small side and after all this $ I don't want to lose an engine to overheating. Now I have to find a firewall mounted reservoir.

Why do you need a firewall mounted reservoir? The stock m20b25 reservoir plugs right in.

[RagtopE30]

Thank you. I will hopefully make some progress tomorrow. We finally got some snow so tomorrow depends on if I can get to my shop or not!

[marshallnoise]

Just so you don't get the impression that no one is looking, I am. Great build and the Olive Drab is just tits.

[RagtopE30]

Small bump. I ordered the e28 535i radiator and coolant fan switch today. I was going to use the e36 318i radiator with built in reservoir but it is on the small side and after all this $ I don't want to lose an engine to overheating. Now I have to find a firewall mounted reservoir.

[RagtopE30]

I will also say that I was very disappointed at what I found under the seam sealer. I knew there was surface rust on the non sealed areas but what was under the seam sealer was terrifying! On the top surface of the passenger side frame rail, where it meets the body under the battery tray, the sealer did a better job of holding onto moisture and battery acid and actually made the rust worse. I killed it and fixed what had to be fixed but just a heads up. If you have surface rust in that same spot beware of what you are not seeing under the sealer, especially in convertibles or older m10 cars with the front mounted battery.

[RagtopE30]

This rabbit hole is really really deep!

Seriously, today I found myself contemplating smoothing out my inner fenders. As in, welding in metal to close up the extra holes and removing the indentions that are randomly placed in the engine bay.

Luckily just as I was about to cut the first piece of metal to delete the AC evaporator hole I stopped myself. I realized that I must have not ventilated my work space adequately because I WAS FREAKIN HIGH! So I have reached a happy medium in my engine bay clean up. I am going to smooth out a few places where the grinder got over zealous and then make every thing from the strut towers and forward as pretty as possible without any more fabrication and then final paint. I am going to go with the Toyota FJ olive drab gloss finish, what do you think?

Progress today:
I finished up the seam sealer and paint removal on the passenger side and half the firewall. I then applied several coats of primer. Looks good to me


Then I started on the Drivers side.


Tomorrow I will remove the booster and move everything else as far out of the way as possible and continue. Then I will go back and spread the filler to get it ready for final paint.

[RagtopE30]

Yeah your right. I guess the smaller KKK turbo will find its way onto the e21 once the e30 is on the road..

[Good & Tight]

I wonder which one I should use?

Um, the one on the right of course...!!

[george graves]

sub'ed

[RagtopE30]

I wonder which one I should use?



Back on track. I removed everything I installed and started the engine bay clean up process. Ideally I will have it painted and the engine reinstalled before school starts back on Jan 13th.

[navytapaul]

well that's one way of putting that in there...