Project Just the Tip: E30 M30B34/5 VNT Turbo Vert

[CorvallisBMW]

Nice score on the diff! 3.46 may still be a little short for turbo m30 powwaaaa but you can always start in 2nd :)

[HappyPuppy]

Actually BearMW, I have been considering making some sort of removable cage for it--I figured if I tied the rear seat belt buckle mounts to the front seat belt retractor guide on top of the window sill, down to a few welded attachment points near the rear seat lower section clips, and over to the convertible top latches, I would have a pretty solid setup.

What do you think? Would that even have a chance of being track legal?

Braking Update

I measured as best I could, and took the plunge--the pilot holes for the front caliper are now drilled, and I bought some 6061 round stock to TIG on as spacers.

As for the rear setup, it appears to be finished...now comes the plumbing and wiring ;)

Suspension Update

Speaking of taking plunges...

I finally got up the nerve to cut off the strut tubes, and I have set everything up for welding the lower coilover tubes on:

As for the rear, it's pretty much a bolt-in affair...so here's a shot of the rear assembly, detailing the poly bushings and swingarm adjusters:


Driveline Update

My trip to Pull-A-Part yielded another surprise: a e23 Differential!

These jokers all came with a 3.46 ratio and LSD, which will make 1st gear useful again, and give me a satisfactory cruising RPM. It's funny actually--almost all the driveline has been sourced from an E23 735i, minus the M30B35 head :p

[Bearmw]

I may not have been the first to say this but this thing is going to need a cage. Badass.

[HappyPuppy]

Braking Update (Part 2)

The parking brake has been a sticking point for some time, but I finally figured out a solution:

It fits the Hyundai Tucson, Sonata, Elantra, and Kia Sportage--and more importantly, is the right size for the inside of the Impulse rotors! It did require some modification though...

However, it came together beautifully after that


Speaking of coming together, I made a template for the front brake bracket:

Then cut it out of another chunk of aluminum...

I need to make some 11mm tall spacers, TIG them on, and drill them for the caliper.

The rear brackets are pretty much done as well...

[HappyPuppy]

Thank you everyone for the kind words!

The project got delayed once again--I had to put a rush job on completing this in time for the holidays:

It started out with me just updating my karaoke rig...then the drugs began to take hold For anyone interested in knowing more, follow the link:

https://www.youtube.com/embed/kFgWfU-IAfg

Anyways...

Bodywork Update

The body was safely returned to its jackstands--it was far more exciting than it probably should have been, involving a cherry picker, brake rotors used as balancing weights, and a very brave fiancé. Once on the ground, it got the bondo work finshed up, and several more coats of primer.

Sand, clean, paint, repeat for effect...and finally time for the fun part!

The boat paint went on great! Real easy to spray, no issues with runs or sags--even when my gun was messing up ;)

It gets the bonehead bodyman seal of approval!

Braking Update (Part 1)

Remember those two round chunks of aluminum?

\
After some time on the lathe, they have become much more part-like :D They are almost done, just have to get the bottom of the inside radiused a bit better, so it lays flat.

[stonea]

Fantastic Thread!!!

[Vincer325ei]

Definitely looking forward to seeing this through. Especially the garrett gt3782va. Planning on using this on a nvm50.

[HappyPuppy]

Apologies for the long break! I had some other projects that had to get done, so this got put on the back burner for a while.

But no longer...

Bodywork Update

After spending an inordinate amount of time drying, the primer coat was finally there to stay. We lightly sanded it with 400-grit, wiped it down with acetone, then a tack rag.

Finally it's time to paint! The results so far?




It was incredible! Applying the ceramic coating on the cylinder head was my first crack at using an HVLP gun, so I don't have much experience--but all I did was set the pressure to 30ish, open up the air knob, and start backing out the mix knob until I got a fine mist.

It was super easy, and it came out amazingly shiny--especially considering we didn't spend much time getting the surface perfectly smooth. It's very forgiving, and I never was able to get it to run or sag.

Also, that's one coat...I was thinking about skipping a second coat, but my brother convinced me it was worth it, at least from a sealing/rustproofing perspective.

Engine Update

After several attempts to get the correctly sized valve guides from Ireland, they finally came through, so the machine shop work can continue :D Oddly enough, they don't seem terribly concerned about me sending them back...weird

[Tino-m30b35]

Great stuff Buddy!

[CorvallisBMW]

Wow, you're coating crazy! :P

I'll be interested to see if you can tell any difference with the low-friction coatings. I know the exhaust stuff is fantastic for reducing underhood temps.

[HappyPuppy]

What type(s) of Cerakote are you using, and where?

I'll break it down :)

Head

• C-110HQ Dry film lubricant on cam journals, valve stems, and spring pads
• V-136Q Piston Coat (oven cure) on combustion chamber, intake and exhaust ports

Pistons

• C-110HQ Dry film lubricant on piston skirt and underside
• V-136Q Piston Coat (oven cure) on piston top

Exhaust Manifold

• W-209Q InsulKote (oven cure) on inside and mating surfaces
• W-400Q Glacier Chrome (oven cure) on outside

Turbocharger

• V-171Q Turbine Coat (oven cure) on turbine housing, vanes, and impeller
• C-110HQ Dry film lubricant on impeller shaft and unison ring
• W-400Q Glacier Chrome (oven cure) on outside of turbine and compressor housings

That's what I've figured out so far...though I'm open to any suggestions. Near as i can tell, no one's ever coated the turbine impeller before, but it's a common practice on the impellers of jet aircraft. I figure I'll coat them, then send them off to get rebalanced.


Two words of caution though:

• The M30 head will not fit in a standard oven--it's about 2 inches too narrow. Either buy/build an oven that fits, or take a jack and push the walls out a bit ;D
• Do not buy anything other than the tester sizes! I bought either pints or quarts, and both are ridiculously too much for this project. According to Cerakote, these chemicals only have a shelf life of 1 year

Since I bought too much, I'm actually debating on coating all kinds of stuff--block, intake manifold, transmission parts, etc. Also, if any of you guys live near Chattanooga and want to coat some stuff, let's talk!


Anyways, on to the updates!


Braking Update


Finally got a few shots of the finished calipers.

If you really look close, you can see a few blemishes, but I'm happ with them :)


I finally got in some time with the lathe, and got the front hub adapters roughed in. My brother will be finishing them off for me, since he has access to more precise equipment.


I will be uploading the CAD file once we're finished, in case anyone wants to replicate this.

Engine Update


The coating has begun! I got the "piston coat" on the head and ports...

...cooked it in the oven at 300, then went back and did the the dry film lubricant on the cam journals and spring perches.

After burnishing them with #0000 steel wool, they feel really smooth--which is a big relief after sandblasting them!


Next, I did the same thing to the valves...

They look really cool...I just hope they work good, too

[CorvallisBMW]

What type(s) of Cerakote are you using, and where?

[HappyPuppy]

Bodywork Update

The filler primer showed up from Summit, and I got to try my hand at using an HVLP gun :???: I have to say, it was not difficult to get it to spray--but to spray correctly, that took some fiddling. The Harbor Freight guns are cheap, but they have a lot of adjustability, and dialing it in is crucial for a good spray pattern.

Fortunately for me, I was doing the trunk, interior, and engine compartment, so I could have my learning experiences on more forgiving areas. The result?

Not too bad, for my first go at it ;)

I am waiting for the primer coat to fully dry, then it's time to break out the boat paint!

Engine Update

I had a bunch of stuff finally show up!

The rods got here, and went immediately off to the machine shop to be thoroughly inspected. I'll post the results here when they come back, in case anyone else wants to try out CX Racing's rods.

Most of the Cerakote stuff showed up, so I finally did a gut check, and got to work prepping the cylinder head :crazy: I taped up everything I didn't want sand blasted, then put it in my blast cabinet.

The combustion chambers were terrifying enough, but blasting the cam journals was so much more! I really do hope this stuff does what it's supposed to...


Braking Update

I finally inspected the calipers thoroughly: no signs of damage, no torn boots :) Cracked open the Caliper Paint Kit, cleaned the crap out of them, and started brushing on the coats.

After three coats, they are looking stellar!

[HappyPuppy]

Bodywork Update

After finishing up the last of the stripping job--which ended up including the windshield frame--I wiped down the whole thing with MEK, then gave it two coats of etching primer. Unfortunately, the rotisserie frame kept me from getting some spots as well as I wanted to, but I will get them later, when the car is back on the ground.

NOTE: To anyone using Rustoleum Etching Primer, two words of warning.

• Let it sit for a week after you shoot a couple coats. The can may say 2-3 hours, but it's pretty delicate at that point.
• Do not use MEK after you put it on, because it will take it right back off! Use Mineral Spirits to clean it between and after coats.

Rain kept me from doing terribly much--didn't want to risk getting moisture into the paint :| I managed to get one coat of filler primer on each rear quarter, and that was about it.

Instead, I spent time sanding the interior, and getting it ready for paintwork. So many nooks and crannies!


Braking Update

My rear rotors showed up, and they immediately went under the knife. I shaved the hub bore from 57mm to 62mm, gave them a 45-degree back cut, and...

It fits, and clears the backing plate with no problems! That leaves only one issue: I have to find out if the 160mmx25mm parking brake shoes will stretch enough to accommodate the 170mm inside diameter of the hat, or if I get to search for something that will--which so far has been as appealing as

Engine Update

I think I'm beginning to lose my already tenuous grip on reality...

If this piston (and its six friends) look a bit strange to you, don't feel bad--they were made for a Mitsubishi 3000GT!

"What had happened was" I was at work, very late in the night, researching the pros and cons of forged pistons for my build. I was told earlier in the night from the MaxSil rep that while plenty of people use their pistons in turbo M30s, they do not recommend more than 14psi of boost, and any detonation will screw the pooch. I was pretty disheartened by that: I was already a bit nervous about blowing $500 on pistons anyway, so the $900-$1300 on custom forged pistons was more like:


Forget midichlorians or the Q continuum, desperation is quite possibly the most powerful force in the universe. I looked to the internet for answers--and eventually, I came up with two plans :? I decided on either using the H22 Prelude forged rods, and running either the Mitsubishi 3000GT or Ford 4.0 XR6 pistons, or the S38 rods, and using most of a set of Ford 5.0 Coyote V8 pistons. What sealed the deal was THIS

At $200, I just couldn't pass it up :D Considering forged H22 rods are about $200 or so as well, I could just about squeak this out for the price of the MaxSil set! I did the calculations over and over again, then ran them by my brother, just to be sure. I've reprinted them below, just for reference:

ENGINE DATA

Deck Height 217.5mm 8.563"
Stroke 86mm
Bore 92mm


PISTON/ROD RELATIONSHIP

M30
Total Rod/Piston Length 174.85mm
Total Stroke Length 217.85mm

CXRacing/3000GT Hybrid
Total Rod/Piston Length 174.25mm
Total Stroke Length 217.25mm

S38/3000GT Hybrid
Total Rod/Piston Length 175.75mm
Total Stroke Length 218.75mm


ROD DATA

M30
Rod Big End Bore 52mm 2.047"
Rod Big End Width 24mm 0.940"
Rod Length 135mm 5.315"

S38
Big End Bore 52mm 2.047"
Big End Width 24mm 0.940"
Length 144mm 5.670"
Small End Bore 22mm 0.866"
Small End Width 24mm 0.940"
H22
Big End Bore 51mm 2.008"
Big End Width 23.75mm 0.935"
Length 143mm 5.630"
Small End Bore 22mm 0.866"
Small End Width 23.75mm 0.935" CXRacing "S38"
Big End Bore 52mm 2.047"
Big End Width 24mm 0.940"
Length 142.5mm
Small End Bore 22mm 0.866"
Small End Width 24mm 0.940"



PISTON DATA
M30B34

Compression (Pin) Height 39.85mm 1.569"
Diameter 92.00mm 3.622"
Pin Offset 1.016mm 0.040"
Pin Diameter 22.0mm 0.866"
Total Piston Length 73.85mm 2.907"

Wiseco 3000GT (Mistake)

Compression (Pin) Height 31.75mm 1.250"
Diameter 94.0003mm 3.7008"
Pin Offset 1.016mm 0.040"
Pin Diameter 22.0mm 0.866"

Ford 5.8 Supercharged (Shelby GT500)

Compression (Pin) Height 31.04mm 1.222"
Diameter 93.4974mm 3.681"
Pin Diameter 22.0mm 0.866"

Ford 5.0 Coyote V8

Compression (Pin) Height 30.99mm 1.22"
Diameter 92.1766mm 3.629"
Pin Diameter 22.0mm 0.866"

Ford 4.0 XR6

Compression (Pin) Height 30.89mm 1.21"
Diameter 92.286mm 3.633"
Pin Diameter 22.0mm 0.866"

While the math checked out, the labor did not--I called my machine shop that morning, and asked them about boring out the cylinders to 94mm, and the big end of the connecting rods to 52mm. He quoted me $160 for the cylinders (not bad), though he was perturbed by the amount I wanted taken out of the block. The rods were a different story--I started to zone out after the words "several hundred dollars" was bandied about (probably due to shock). Dismayed, I took the the interwebs again, and found an intriguing solution: the CX Racing "S38" rods. They had the same dimensions as the actual S38 rod, barring one crucial one: the length was 142.5mm--not the 144mm and actual S38 rod is. I had found my answer!

[ThatOneEuroE30]

This is epic