M30 progress - UPDATE 3

[george graves]

We ran in to a little sang the with the automatic ecu - and ran out of time.

The motor mounts were a pain in the ass to build. And it's preaty tight in there (the m30 take up ALL the engine bay front to back)...

All that's left to do is figure out the electrical and drive shaft/shift linkage and I'll be back on the road!

[bmwannabe]

is it just me, or does that manifold not look like it will clear the hood?

[bimmerlover]

I think it's just you..
The hood is closed in that one picture.

The M30 fills up that space very nicely :-)
Nice progress.

[Rob]

fuck that is tight as hell.

[OldUser1]

Awesome. I want to check it out in person.

-Kenyon

[hamann318is]

Whoa, that is like seriously tight, but awesome. :up:

[kylebes1]

I know a guy that has the m30 in his 325es, the first time i looked under the hood I was like DAMN where can loose wrenchs in there?

I hope you plan to use a pusher oin front of that radiator, don't think the m30 is as good at cooling itself as the m50 and its varients are.

[Digitalwave]

I know a guy that has the m30 in his 325es, the first time i looked under the hood I was like DAMN where can loose wrenchs in there?

I hope you plan to use a pusher oin front of that radiator, don't think the m30 is as good at cooling itself as the m50 and its varients are.

Proof read your posts before you hit Submit, please.

George, it looks awesome. I am also curious what you are doing in the cooling department though. Looks like about 1" between the engine and the radiator :)

[kylebes1]

I know a guy that has the m30 in his 325es; the first time i looked under the hood I was like DAMN where can loose wrenchs in there?

I hope you plan to use a pusher in front of that radiator, don't think the m30 is as good at cooling itself as the m50 and its varients are

there .

[Digitalwave]

I know a guy that has the m30 in his 325es; the first time i looked under the hood I was like DAMN where can loose wrenchs in there?

I hope you plan to use a pusher in front of that radiator, don't think the m30 is as good at cooling itself as the m50 and its varients are

there .

I still don't understand what you are saying. What does "can loose wrenchs in there?" mean?

[randomtask37]

thats a big mutha fuckin motor in a tiny engine bay.

that motor dwarfs the car.

[LowR3V'in]

Can I get a ride in it when complete? :shock:

[kylebes1]

Lemme take my foot out of my mout right quick.

Should have typed lose; when I used to work on my car with the m10 I would always leave a wrench or something in the engine compartment that I should hve put back in the tool box. I was just saying there is very, very little extra room with the bulk of an m30 under the hood.

[george graves]

Hehe - yes, you should see where the back of the cylinder head sits - it's like it in the glovebox! it's a tight fit front to back - but actually a lot of room on the intake side (with no afm on that side, or airbox) - you CAN fit a turbo on the baby if you are cleaver enough!

Yea, I am running a electric fan on the front of the radiator - I diched the AC (live in Santa barbara CA - it's good weather here most all of the time)

Poping the hood off is a trip - I've only showen it to a few people - and it always gets a "dammmmmm!" That a f-ing m30 in a e30!

There will be about 3/4" from the dist cap to the radiator clearence, most m30 swaps have the motor further forward than what I have - but a little clearencing of the firewall is all that need to help heep the balance of the car and shove the bitch back into the engine compartment.

I am using a e30 m3 drive shaft that has been shortened a few inches, and rebalanced and rebuilt - ($400 OUCH!!!!)

Heater hoses are a pain in the butt and nothing is where it is suspose to be...

Electrical is what is holding us up right now, I might try to make the m20 harness fit the m30 (crazy I know - but I'm out of cash and need to get this monster on the road)

The car is otherwise stock - should be a nice sleeper for a while

I won't kid you guys, the m30 does add a bit of weight to the front, but a CF hood(down the road) and ditching the AC will take care of most of the weight issue)

Furture plans are the usual - suspention, wheels, iS lip, stero, ect...the m30 is going to remain stock for now - I could see some head work in the furture, or maby a super charger - although m30's are such strong motors that NOS is a tempting idea.

Yea, I should be taking a road trip this winter from So Cal to Seattle...I'd be glad to show it off.



I be sure to post again when I've got it on the road (and maby some 0-60 times)

[Digitalwave]

Interesting. I would have figured you would have tackled stuff like suspension and brakes before you put the engine in, for safety's sake.

How much weight do you realistically think it added? Because a CF hood only drops about 30 lbs off the front.