Subframe spacers?

[BimmerScreamer]

I see, said the blind man. I'm looking at the VAC ITB setup on mine, but if a set of S62 bodies came my way, I think I'd have to jump on them. I'd be interested to see more of how you're tackling this endeavor...

Garey

that's exactly what i was thinking but a offer to good to pass up showed up for me, so hey why not. I also like to keep things OE when I can, not that VAC isnt top notch

[bmwmech1]

nothing to special, they are S62 throttle bodies. They are not a straight bolt on but the ports line up so that's the crucial part. I have not yet figured out how I will bolt them down, its not that high on the priority list right now. Probably will be something of a clap down style since the throttle use twice as many bolts as the plastic manifold

I see, said the blind man. I'm looking at the VAC ITB setup on mine, but if a set of S62 bodies came my way, I think I'd have to jump on them. I'd be interested to see more of how you're tackling this endeavor...

Garey

[BimmerScreamer]

nothing to special, they are S62 throttle bodies. They are not a straight bolt on but the ports line up so that's the crucial part. I have not yet figured out how I will bolt them down, its not that high on the priority list right now. Probably will be something of a clap down style since the throttle use twice as many bolts as the plastic manifold

[bmwmech1]

very good points made here but Im sticking with my spacers, I have a little more to think about on top of my motor then most other people,





(spacers are not installed at the time of this photo)

So, quit being so cryptic, lol... more info on the ITB setup you're running. I want to go this route, as well...

Garey

[BimmerScreamer]

very good points made here but Im sticking with my spacers, I have a little more to think about on top of my motor then most other people,





(spacers are not installed at the time of this photo)

[dirty30]

Informative thread is informative. Thanks for the feedback guys!

[bmwmech1]

I'm not telling him to not use spacers, I'm just making the point that if you don't need them, why add them? The exhaust is a pain in the ass either way, there is only one strut tower brace that fits with the spacers, but you can make your own that fits without them (you have to make half the swap anyways, why not). And you say bumpsteer is minimally affected, but you think that 20mm down 4' in front of the pinion is important? It comes out to like 1 or 2 degrees, which you can almost make up by mounting the transmission as high as it will go. 20mm down suspension-wise is almost the same as a 1" drop, which is quite a bit if you already have a reasonable sized drop and WILL increase bumpsteer.

Once again, I'm not saying DO THIS ONLY, I'm just stating facts about the other way to do it. I'm of the "if its not broke, dont fix it" mindset, and while the spacers may be the best way to do it, there is nothing wrong with not using them.

The one problem I have had is it wears the guibo slightly quicker. But, I have 20,000 miles on my swap and it's just starting to crack, so I can deal with it. That's 20k of abuse too.

I don't disagree... enough said about the pro's and cons. 20K since you did your swap? That's impressive, especially since you say you didn't drive it lightly. I'm jealous... I wish I could have driven mine even just 20 miles at this point, Lol! It'll be great to get it done, but it's been a long haul to this point...

Garey

[E30SPDFRK]

I'm not telling him to not use spacers, I'm just making the point that if you don't need them, why add them? The exhaust is a pain in the ass either way, there is only one strut tower brace that fits with the spacers, but you can make your own that fits without them (you have to make half the swap anyways, why not). And you say bumpsteer is minimally affected, but you think that 20mm down 4' in front of the pinion is important? It comes out to like 1 or 2 degrees, which you can almost make up by mounting the transmission as high as it will go. 20mm down suspension-wise is almost the same as a 1" drop, which is quite a bit if you already have a reasonable sized drop and WILL increase bumpsteer.

Once again, I'm not saying DO THIS ONLY, I'm just stating facts about the other way to do it. I'm of the "if its not broke, dont fix it" mindset, and while the spacers may be the best way to do it, there is nothing wrong with not using them.

The one problem I have had is it wears the guibo slightly quicker. But, I have 20,000 miles on my swap and it's just starting to crack, so I can deal with it. That's 20k of abuse too.

[bmwmech1]

I put my m60 in with out spacers. i didnt have a problem...... but then i took the motor out because i wanted to do some more work on the motor. hehehehe

I agree with spdfrk, that it can most definitely be done without them. Since my build is basically from the ground up and I have the resources to make them, I milled some and I'll use them, unless I come up with a reason not to. Like I said previously, we'll see...

What kind of "more work on the motor. hehehehe"?

Garey

[Paukert11]

I put my m60 in with out spacers. i didnt have a problem...... but then i took the motor out because i wanted to do some more work on the motor. hehehehe

[bmwmech1]

It also decreases ground clearance in comparison to the body, increases bumpsteer, and makes the steering rack harder to connect. The pinion angle doesn't matter, the driveshaft and guibo still work fine even with the increased angle. Pretty much the only benifit is being able to use the e34 coolant bottle on the firewall.

I don't know how thick of a spacer you're imagining, but the ones I milled are only 20mm thick... bump steer is minimally affected, pinion angle does matter if you like doing things the right way and ground clearance is minimally affected, unless you're already in the weeds. The benefits are better exhaust/firewall/tunnel clearance on the passenger side manifold, better hood clearance, more strut tower to top of engine clearance for a straight tower bar and the ability to use the correct coolant reservoir in the designed location. So there are a few more benefits than just the coolant reservoir. Plus it's his car... if he wants to run the spacers, who are we to say no, right?

Garey

[E30SPDFRK]

It also decreases ground clearance in comparison to the body, increases bumpsteer, and makes the steering rack harder to connect. The pinion angle doesn't matter, the driveshaft and guibo still work fine even with the increased angle. Pretty much the only benifit is being able to use the e34 coolant bottle on the firewall.

[bmwmech1]

They arent needed, the motor fits fine without them.

True, it does, but it helps lessen the pinion angle and the added space doesn't hurt under hood. I've already mocked up everything last fall when I made the engine mounts. I made the spacers a few months ago, but have not put the motor back in the car yet to see what difference the spacers make. We'll see...

Garey

[E30SPDFRK]

They arent needed, the motor fits fine without them.

[bmwmech1]

Because the body of the car was raised by the spacer thickness.

When I mocked everything up last fall, I hadn't made the spacers yet, so I curious to see how they affect everything...

Garey