cameras ready prepare to flash

[s14brent]

Coming along very nicely!

I don't know if that brake reservoir is going to work with the intake boot. I ended up using a remote mounted 2002 reservoir on the side of the engine bay. It also has the extra nipple for the clutch line. You'll also need the two 90's, grommets, and brake fluid hoses to the nipples if you go this route. They can be bought fairly cheap:

Also any reason you are going with a puller instead of a pusher fan? Are you saving AC? If you are removing AC you can turn the puller into a pusher by switching the leads. This will give you some more room up front for activities. I did this about two and half years ago without any issues.

Keep up the solid work!

Thanks for the link! I will be trying to lay the harness in place soon. I'll probably end up installing the driveshaft next. I'll lay out the engine harness shortly and mock up the intake manifold/intake and go from there. I need to try to use what I have vs throwing more money at it right now. If I need to trim the boot, that is no issue. I also have to decide if I want to run the 750il brake master cylinder and install the fc bbk.

I am indeed keeping ac. I will have both pusher (ac) and puller (rad). The 16" spal will be constant. AC will be switched like oem. Vegas is too damn hot to not have working ac.

I also seemed to have lost my 325' transmission crossbrace, I'm thinking I sold it with my m20 a while ago. Luckily I just picked up a replacement here from a local.
I ordered up a new e36 expansion tank hose to cut up for the reservoir and make a section to connect the waterpump hardline to core. Also got oem sway bar bushings to pair with the garagistic spacer.

[ian e30 318is]

Thanks for the link! I will be trying to lay the harness in place soon. I'll probably end up installing the driveshaft next. I'll lay out the engine harness shortly and mock up the intake manifold/intake and go from there. I need to try to use what I have vs throwing more money at it right now. If I need to trim the boot, that is no issue. I also have to decide if I want to run the 750il brake master cylinder and install the fc bbk.

I am indeed keeping ac. I will have both pusher (ac) and puller (rad). The 16" spal will be constant. AC will be switched like oem. Vegas is too damn hot to not have working ac.

I also seemed to have lost my 325' transmission crossbrace, I'm thinking I sold it with my m20 a while ago. Luckily I just picked up a replacement here from a local.
I ordered up a new e36 expansion tank hose to cut up for the reservoir and make a section to connect the waterpump hardline to core. Also got oem sway bar bushings to pair with the garagistic spacer.

Awesome man! Sounds like you have it all planned out in your head. Can't wait to see it running.

[s14brent]

Turns out the coolers did not work in that configuration. I ended up having to hack up the valance for clearance. The PS cooler got 90 degree brass fittings for clearance.


Changed out the Powerflex bushing for a bmw oem pair. The powerflex bushings were not really suggested with the sway bar mount spacer.



Sourced the proper e30 transmission mount. I accidentally gave mine away when I sold my m20.



Driveshaft/CSB bolted right up



I ended up getting an VPD oil cooler cap. I wanted it due to the baffle design vs others available.




I ended up cutting off the waterpump stud for clearance. There's just no other way to run an ac aux fan and radiator fan.



I cut half the oil cooler lines.





Decided to trim the headlight grille's for better air flow.



mocked up the gauges. The (p)leather was lifting on the right side and i had a bit of an issue with the self-adhesive spray.



A local with a s52 swapped coupe sold me his 2.5" exhaust, I decided to pick it up to save time making my own. I can't imagine trying to tack weld the piping under the car on jackstands in any hotter weather than it already is. I'll will however weld on my 2.5" vibrant muffler and using the piping. The piping has an area notched for subframe clearance which I really liked vs hanging low. piping will be cleaned up before installing.



I also got the bmw sunshade from him :D



I won't be able to get much work put in until mid-end of month due to work schedule unfortunately. Feels good to have made so much progress the past month!

[s14brent]

Started to tackle the wiring last week. I had to get a new c101 bracket and get some longer hardware to mount the 318 cover stuff. I kind of want to play with the idea of making a sheet metal cover for the blower motor. it would give me almost 1/4" more clearance for the cover.



started pulling back all the plugs and figuring out which plug is what...not fun



i had this really long 2-pin plug i could not identify. It's brown/white-blue. I made a check list of what I had already. it's not evap, iat, reverse, and it's a standalone wire in the rats nest under the intake manifold. I even went to a junkyard to pull a part a 95 (same year harness as mine) and it didn't have this.



After everything was where it was supposed to be....I installed tuner 24# injectors into the rail/manifold.

started to plumb the intake vacuum system. a lot of shiny hose clamps and hose were used. I ended up using my obd2 ICV. Turns out it doesnt matter, and my obd2 one was in way better shape.



made a simple L bracket to hold the dipstick.

First start up attempt was shortly after this....only to find...i had a bad - reman starter. It would spin but wouldn't engage the flywheel 90% of the time.



I also had a pinch in my oil cooler. Ordered a B&M core, should be here Monday. Not too happy about that. I changed the oil filter cap back to stock and fired her back up.

Fuel Rail and intake manifold came back off......got a reman bosch which was threaded vs the one that previously had some 16mm nuts on the starter side.



buttoned back up - no covers yet.

Should have more progress next week!!

[DREWHALL]

Awesome!

[s14brent]

^ Thanks man!

Not much progress this past week. I got new fog lamp plugs from a local who got them from bav auto.







did a bunch of soldering. The e36 a/c compressor plug, temp switch, fan temp switch. Repurposed two of the plugs. The original ac setup had 2 pressure switches. The one that doesn't get used I decided to use for the fan temp since it is just two spades and a nice protective boot. the pressure switch wiring that ends up being used (e36 plug need to be soldered on) originally had a perfect connector for my spal fan which will be wired up when my derale fan controller arrives.





I also picked up an oem fog light switch to use as my "fan override" mainly mid summer or track days.



I also forgot to put on the firewall grommet for the wiring harness, so I did that - was not fun.



I ended up having headlight clearance issues with the location I mounted the derale oil thermostat. Ended up using a second 90 degree -10an to fix the issue. Also replaced the oil cooler with the b&m unit. The trucool/b&m are identical down to the "made in mexico" stamp location. -meh...
Wish i went with a straight -10 from the oil cooler to a 180 degree fitting, but that's an $50+ i'd rather keep and just live with it the way it is.




I picked up two of those headlight-intake velocity stacks, both with different ID. I decided the larger one was the one I liked and jb welded it in place.




I ordered a 45 degree aluminum 3.5" piping, 3.5" silicone coupler, t-bolt clamps and a 3.5" aem filter. When the box got delivered, the piping instantly got measured up and chopped.



sitting in place (not tightened down) - oil cooler cap installed in background-



kind of a dark photo, but here's how it will look in that corner



I also decided to get rid of the condor mounts. I went with AKG poly instead.



side by side



Wasn't a fan of this design



pass side installed.



Pretty happy right now, car is finally coming along!! update soon i hope!

[Rob Daman]

very nice progress.

[iwantspeed]

nice work

really liking the progress

[s14brent]

very nice progress.

Thanks! I'm getting the itch to drive it already!

nice work

really liking the progress

Thanks! I'm a fan of that rollbar you got in your car! I want to do something similar in the future.

------------------------------------------------
I started the car earlier today, the motor holds idle so well. It definitely brings a huge smile on my face.
I've been working on all the tedious wiring bs now, like I didn't really have a working horn. well I did, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't supposed to sound like....well....dying. Mounted some hella supertones in the stock location.



wedged the relays in the coolant overflow mount, works for now. horns are....hella loud



Loomed up the relay 12v, puller fan +/-, water temp and oil temp wires. (forgot about oil pressure damnit)



Decided to try out a Derale adjustable fan controller. A lot better than the "always on" or switch controlled 100% of the time idea.



While running wires I decided I was going to get rid of the cracked up rubber coating on the heater core cover. I noticed I needed to trim down a few of the studs on there anyways and I could save almost a 1/4" of space back there to mount the wiring harness cover. I sprayed some etching primer on it, and will throw a coat of black on there, contemplating an extra roll of dei gold tape just for this!!



I got a 318 dme bracket a while back, I didn't like the way it "should" mount. ended up mounting it upside down for now.



The next logical thing to do was do the r134a expansion valve that I've been dreading. -Turns out the previous owner must have changed the switch out at one point. I wish there was a part # on the damn thing. I have a feeling I would have been fine using it.



Not a single marking on the one that was already on the car. This part of the conversion makes the whole thing unappealing to me. I can't wait to feel some cold air blowing through the vents!!



you can't see my middle finger in frame on this one.



all buttoned back up. - threw some heat shrink on the accy wires i ran through. most of them are for gauge sensors and electric fan override.



I pretty much have to finish up all the wiring before I can move on. Can't wait for this part to be over! But I'm trying to do a good job keeping it clean. I was thinking I might keep an eye out for a decent radio/head unit (with aux) while i'm there, maybe just move my nakamichi cd400 into this car.
I ordered a UUC front 22mm sway bar. My garagistic spacers are for oem sway bars, but I'll see if they'll be salvageable. I also ordered a stock e36 power steering reservoir mount (mounts onto engine mount arm), Usually I'd go grab it at the junkyard, but I haven't had time to make it out. I'd like that intake side to be a little less busy for now.
-hopefully some solid updates soon.

[CorvallisBMW]

Ugh I know your pain, the expansion valve and evap core are two of the worst interior jobs. Nice work though!

[iwantspeed]

Thanks! I'm a fan of that rollbar you got in your car! I want to do something similar in the future.

thanks
the Person who made that is local. Once you are ready i can help you make the arrangements.
nice work on flipping the dme less tension on those wires.

I have the same horns and really like them.

[s14brent]

thanks
the Person who made that is local. Once you are ready i can help you make the arrangements.
nice work on flipping the dme less tension on those wires.

I have the same horns and really like them.

Actually I recognized the name of the guy who built your cage. He welded up the ground controls and installed the skid plate on this car for the previous owner.

http://www.speedhunters.com/2011/07/car_life_gt_gt_the_road_to_seattle_pt_1/

[iwantspeed]

Yep that's the same guy John Hik.

So he should totally do the cage ;)

[jpod999]

John's skidplate is amazing, it has saved my car countless times. He has a 24v version too, you can probably email him and get the parts for it.

[s14brent]

John's skidplate is amazing, it has saved my car countless times. He has a 24v version too, you can probably email him and get the parts for it.

that was me after reading your comment LOL. I thought the m20 skidplate would have worked with the s52, ran out and test fitted >>> definitely not. DAMNIT! Sent an email out to john.....bye bye money