I have an E 30.

[Nader393]

I admire your work and progress here! Way to go, man!

Thanks, buddy.

This is a good time to stop and take stock of the project. Here's a picture, and the latest spec sheet:



1991 BMW 325i, manual transmission, Alpine White II, black sport interior

(Originally automatic, tan interior)




Engine:

NA Stroker: M20 ETA block bored to 85mm by C&D Engine Performance

Pistons: 85mm Mahle Powerpak

Rods: S52, balanced

Crank: M52B28 with Metric Mechanics pulley spacer

Fasteners: ARP head studs, ARP main bearing studs, ARP connecting rod bolts

Head: Myster-E (now Bimmerheads) 885 Supersport head, shaved 0.040”, with dual pattern cam (280/274)

Compression ratio: 10.5:1 (calculated)

Cam pulley: Homemade, adjustable, titanium

Chip: E.A.T. Ultrachip (A.K.A.: MarkD) model: E30 173.6k9-9117 for 91 octane, 6900 rpm, 19 lb. injectors

Stock air intake box with K&N filter

Ireland Engineering heavy duty red spark plug wires

Bosch Type II 19lb fuel injectors

Malpassi adjustable fuel pressure regulator

New stock fuel pump

Racing Dynamics headers

Magnaflow 2:1 exhaust, no catalytic converter




Transmission:

5 Speed manual transmission swap

JBR aluminum flywheel; 8 lbs.

Stock clutch

Z3 short shifter

UUC shifter rod with new delrin bushings

4.10 rear differential




Chassis:

’95 e36 M3 steering rack

Ireland Engineering stainless steel strut brace, painted white

Ireland Engineering urethane steering coupler

Ground Control springs 400/650 lbs

Ground Control adjustable camber plates

Koni struts

Treehouse Racing solid control arm bushings

r134a A/C full retrofit (currently inoperative, compressor removed)




Cosmetic modifications:

Full glass-out repaint in Alpine White II in ’14, not perfect

OEM “Shadow line” black trim

Euro headlight surrounds

Stainless braided brake lines

15x7” Euro basket weave BBS wheels

BMW Motorsport aluminum door handles

Front spoiler lip

Reupholstered black leather sport seats and interior

Ski pass-through bag

Fresh powder coat on calipers and strut housings

Original “Premium Sound” radio

OBC fully functional

M-tech 1 steering wheel

M-tech 1 rear spoiler

Euro Hella smiley+crosshair smoked headlights with LED low beam bulbs, LED “city” lights

Wind Splits hood spoilers







Current issues:

Side mirrors inoperable

AC inoperable, needs O-rings and compressor

Black sunroof panel

Cruise control inoperable

Fuel gauge needs to be tapped after starting

Stereo volume knob abrupt

Driver seat back cracked

Headlight warning indicator illuminated on OBC when turned on

Door handles faded




Old engine:

2.7L stroker engine, ETA block, SETA pistons, stock 885 head

Schrick 284 camshaft, heavy duty rockers

Miller Performance PSIK MAF conversion with possibly faulty chip (91 octane, no cats, 19lb injectors)

Black wrinkle intake manifold

White powder coat valve cover by Renewed Finishes

[mike.bmw]

Love this thread! The car looks great. Thanks for continuing to share.

[Nader393]

Love this thread! The car looks great. Thanks for continuing to share.

My pleasure. Usually. I'm sad to report that it's pinging under hard load. Only found out since it was running well enough to drive hard. So now I'm upset. And not too surprised. My calculated CR is 10.5:1, jacked up because the head was shaved a full 1mm, or "40 thou" in machinist speak. That's how it was when I bought it. So with the high comp pistons and aftermarket sport chip that advances ignition timing, I have detonation. I was worried this might be an issue while building it, but took a chance, and lost. Not gonna drive it in this condition.

My options now are:
A. Replace MarkD chip with stock chip for less ignition advance. Not guaranteed to fix detonation. Cost $20.
B. Replace head gasket with a Cometic MLS .120" thick to lower the compression back to 10:1 or less. Cost $300, and hassle of top end redo.
C. Replace head with unshaved spare. Have one laying around. Opportunity to have it built up. Cost $0-1500 and waiting on shop, and hassle of top end redo.
D. Run 100 octane AV-gas from local airport. Cost $4.75/gallon, and recurring hassle.
E. DNO. The "do nothing option." Park it. Cost $0, and ever present anger/depression.

I rarely ask for advice, but I'm tired of thinking about this. What say you?

**edit**
I went ahead and ordered a stock chip, from Moldova. If that doesn't do it, I'll get a few 5 gallon cans of AV-gas to buy time until I restore enough psychic energy to resume wrenching on the car. Will report back in a few weeks with results.

[2mAn]

My options now are:

D. Run 100 octane AV-gas from local airport. Cost $4.75/gallon, and recurring hassle.

I rarely ask for advice, but I'm tired of thinking about this. What say you?

Try option D, but I think with your setup you will need a custom chip burned by someone who knows what they're doing, but likely need a better ECU to make adaptations to the mods you've done.

[Northern]

A bandaid for now might be to run an octane booster like VP Octanium or Boostane Professional

Can you still get 2.05mm O/S gaskets for M20s? ( I see Ajusa brand ones on rockauto, hopefully elring/goetze branded ones available from somewhere else) Might be enough of a drop, and saves you the headache of an MLS

[rzerob]

I am sorry to hear man. Speaking the obvious, that really sucks. I always lose when I go for the long shot or the hail mary, always. But I still go for it. That is part of the game. You take chances and you lose sometime. With as much time and money you have into it, my suggestion is to park it and take a break until after the new year. By then you could have the other head ready to go.

[twright]

Have you considered water injection? It might fix your problem.

Here's one system: https://sportcompactwarehouse.com/sn...gsID=p1369592&

There are other ones available.

[Nader393]

I got the stock chip from Moldova. It's an small Eastern European country between Romania and Ukraine.




A Moldovian there sells BMW ECU programs and chips on eBay. So I got a stock chip from him for about $20. A few weeks later, I received it. Just installed it, and dayum!, it fixed the pinging. That MarkD/E.A.T. chip that I was using must have pushed the ignition timing beyond what the compression ratio could handle. So now with the stock program, the car is running well. I don't know if the stock chip cares that there is a bigger cam, bigger pistons, and bigger injectors. I'm surely leaving power on the table without formal tuning. Here is a pic of the Moldovian chip swapped in.





While waiting on the Moldovian chip, I took a spare head from my basement back to the machine shop. This head was the one that came on the car's original engine (faux Metric Mechanic 2.9 that turned out to be a poorly assembled stock engine). I was impressed with how this machine shop did the bottom end boring and assembly, and am now a returning customer. Figured I've gone this far and should just go all the way and have an excellent engine from top to bottom. Which now means that I've spent another $600 or so on new Schrick valve springs and Supertech valves. After all this, I might as well go with a Megasquirt PnP for live dyno tuning. That might be a Spring/Summer project. I have to turn my attention to my vintage motorcycle and car racing projects before race season begins.

[Northern]

Did you have any info on AFR? maybe it was just lean?
Seems like >10.0:1 on the M20 is hit or miss with pinging anyway, but if you're going to be switching to a standalone soon, there's no reason to not install a wideband O2 setup beforehand and get some info?

[Northern]

Also,

Speaking of cheap tools (and hypocrisy), check out how I lower property values in my fancy neighborhood. Everything is there; Harbor Freight hoist, blue tarp, plywood, dead lawn, rusty 4X4... only things missing are cinder blocks under the car instead of the fancy lift. Anyhoo, neighbors can thank me later when their pleasantly-lower-than-expected property tax bills are due.

Christ, I've never been called out like this before on r3v.

[Nader393]

Did you have any info on AFR? maybe it was just lean?
Seems like >10.0:1 on the M20 is hit or miss with pinging anyway, but if you're going to be switching to a standalone soon, there's no reason to not install a wideband O2 setup beforehand and get some info?

I do, in fact, have an Innovate LM-2 wideband AFR meter. Since I dialed in copious fuel on the adjustable fuel pressure regulator, the engine is running pig-rich. Usually getting between 10.5 (low RPM cruising) to 12.5 (higher RPM, under load).






Fuel economy? Bwahahahahah!!!!




Anyway, the car is continuing to run well well, thanks to the stock chip. I'm trying to decide if I want to keep this current 280/274 Bimmerhead cam when I get the new head done, or put the Schrick 284 cam in it from the other 2.7 SETA stroker sitting in my shed. OTOH, this current shaved head with the high compression might put the Schrick 284 to better use on whatever engine uses it. The Schrick didn't have great low and midrange power on that other relatively underdeveloped SETA stroker. I'm feeling a combination of "option paralysis" and "paralysis by analysis."

Eff this! These are stupid first-world problems for a nobody building up an obsolete, mildly interesting old commuter car. If I were a better husband, I'd spend some of this mental energy on romancing my wife. If I were a better dad, I'd be spending this time on my kids. I think that's my answer. I'm going to forget about this stuff for a while. At least until the new head is ready. Besides, I have an old motorcycle in my living room that needs my attention, and the cat is giving me dirty looks to button up this mess. Then, it'll be family time. Yeah, that's it. :

[Nader393]

It's been a minute. I finally decided to start the hassle of swapping out the excessively shaved head that was giving me too much compression (to the point of detonation). Last winter, I had a stock head rebuilt and ported by a reliable machine shop, using fresh Supertech valves and Schrick performance springs. Big delay in getting the valves because of supply chain problems during the pandemic.




While disassembling the top end, I pulled the disconnected the throttle body and discovered this. Anyone see the problem?



Anyone?





























Closer look:





WTF is wrong with people? Who would do this? I now have enough spare parts, that I can't track down where this throttle body came from. Three potential sources. Disappointing. Adding insult to injury, the hole is shittily drilled unround. Morons. And why didn't I notice this when I reassembled the new engine? Who knows WTF this did with my idle and tuning issues? Maybe I'm totally off-base, and just exposed a tuning secret that unleashes 20 more HP at idle. Never mind that there are already set screws to adjust throttle the plate opening for the same effect...

[e30austin]

holy shit. that is quite impressive. i have a feeling that may have something to do with your random detonation issues... how disheartening. glad to hear you are sticking with it.

[moatilliatta]

Counsidense? I think not. Illuminati confirmed.

[Nader393]

When watching Tom Cruise's version of "War of the Worlds" in the mid-Oughts, I remember the scenes in his house where he was building an engine in his kitchen. I thought to myself, that if I were single, I'd totally do that, too.



Turns out, it's a Ford V-8, probably for the hero car in the movie, an old Shelby GT350



Recalling this got me thinking about how this isn't the first time a Ford V8 is featured in a post-apocalyptic setting. Remember Will Smith's Shelby GT500 in "I Am Legend?"


Or how about a young Mel Gibson in Mad Max with his Ford Falcon, last of the V8 Interceptors?



Well, I also have a Ford V8 in the household (diesel Powerstroke), but it's staying in my truck, not coming into the house like in War of the Worlds. But with this slowly unfolding apocalypse, I CAN, and WILL build engines in my house like Tom Cruise's character did, regardless of my marital status. Behold: Three heads enter, but only one will leave! (kids, remember, don't be like me)