My 84' 318i that I bought for $800 in 2014
First let me start with, I will need time to find/ take pictures that I can post on this site due to most pictures are high quality an are "to big" to post.
Ok so I needed a car quick in 2014 since the one I had recently broke a timing belt an bent valves (not a bmw). So my buddy comes to me saying he had a 84' bmw 318i he would sell me for $800. I was excited I loved E30s and BMWs so I asked what was everything he knew about it. He told me the "only" issues was a erratic Idle surge, and a "ticking noise" coming from the top half of the engine. I agreed an the deal was done. The idle was a easy fix just $20 on ebay for a idle control module, boom done. For the noise I checked valve lash an found it to be out of spec so I adjusted and re-checked engine operation. Noise did get better but was still present. So I did a full engine tare down an found chain was stretched and the intake valves just started to touch the pistons. So was pretty unhappy with the situation but I realized it was only $800 so I can put some money into a rebuild and it wouldn't put me overboard with a price tag. Or so I thought at the time.
I also had 84' chevy Camaro z28 H.O at the time as well, that a person (I thought was a buddy of mine) said he would buy the car from me for 3k. Which is what I paid, it was a little over priced but at the time I had horrible luck with cars an really needed one. So I sold it to him and he never paid the last $1000 he owed me. So I took the 2k and put it into the top end. Sent it out to Cali to "Top End Performance" for a port N polish, 3 angle valve job, bigger valves, mild cam grind, 4-1 Long tube headers. Got it back a month or so later. The bottom end at the time I just left alone. The pistons weren't cracked or anything just marked slightly. So at this time, I cleaned up any sharp edges the marks had and put the top end back on it. Then I purchased a pre-assembled Megasquirt Ms2 with the v3.57 board, with the 4' pre-assembled harness. Once that was in my possession I started the long painful process of creating a new engine harness from scratch. I am not the most patient person so when this part came along I slowly lost interest and focus on the car.
So one day after about a month of not doing any wiring to the car I decided to buy a motorcycle to help ease my mind and I what I thought would help me get back into the car. Well turns out I was wrong lol. I bought my first motorcycle in 2015 which was a 2005 Harley Davidson Sportster 1200(cc), which ended up leading to me buying another motorcycle about 6 months later. So then I purchased a 2013 Harley Davidson Switchback with a 103 cubic inch engine (1690cc), I drank allot back then so then I got really drunk one night while out riding an I wrecked an totaled the second bike I bought. So that took my mindset to a more realistic level an I realized I needed to get back on my car and not worry about motorcycles as much. That thinking only lasted another 3 months lol (didn't work on the car any still). After those 3 months I said to myself that I am able to buy another motorcycle and still do car work. So I went out and purchased my 3rd motorcycle a 2014 Harley Davidson Softail Deluxe CVO 110 (1800cc). So once that purchase was made it was all motorcycle parts and thoughts an $$ from 2016 till 2020. So sadly the car just sat with no attention and love from me or anyone for YEARS N YEARS (sad face emoji)
Once covid hit in 2020 it slowed down my riding and motorcycle passion, 1 because I pretty much bought almost everything i wanted for my 2 motorcycles I still own. An second because since I wasn't riding as much as had time to stare at the car. An in 2020 I worked for a piece of shit person that when I quit he smashed the front windshield of the car and tried to break into it. So that pissed me off so much especially the facts that the cops knew who did it but didn't care/ or do anything about it, Cuz there wasn't video footage. Even thought It was on that piece of shits property. So seeing my car that I haven't worked on in years being smashed up made me put ALL my focus and energy into it.
So I decided to "hit it" hard. Since I knew the pistons were marked I was a little concerned about it but I wanted to get the wiring done to be at least able to test everything. So little re-cap so far, started the wiring in 2015 and never touched it again till 2020. After about a month of me working a few hours a night after work. I was finally done with the wiring. It didn't look smooth or clean kinda just wires everywhere but it was all connected.
Once the wiring was done I went on the lookout for a semi factory tune that someone out here on R3v could help me and give to me so the first time I turned the key it didn't go bang and destroy itself. I was lucky enough to find 3 people that had tunes. Non of them had spent the money I did on the engine they were all factory built just had a Megasquirt added. That didn't bother me though because no matter who's tunes I got I would have to tweak it to make it mine. I also went out and bought a high volume in-line fuel pump, an some new E36 M20 fuel injectors. I wasn't planning on boosting the car at this time yet since I didn't know if it would run again or not. But with asking people about tunes What I found kind funny is everyone I asked was very confused on how I was going to get the "crank signal" for the ms2 (even "professional technicians and businesses"). I would explain with "the same way they did it in 1984". Almost no one understood what that meant. Everyone is so stuck on a sensor near/ next to the crankshaft they forgot or never knew that it used to just come from the distributor dizzy. ( manufacturers left this alone later because they realized once the timing chain was stretched enough the dizzy would never get correct timing due to the valve timing being off) So I just gave up trying to explain and left it alone when people kept asking me.
So I got the tunes, combined a few of them and set up the ms2 to just understand a simple AC sign wave that the distributor dizzy produces. Then I felt like I could see what happened when I turned the key. But before I turned the key, I did a final check/ inspection. Turned the engine over by hand, made sure no fuel leaks, did a spark test using the ms2 to simulate a crank signal to make the coil fire. Once all that checked out I did a compression test. I was really impressed and excited when I found out that all cylinders are ~20 psi higher then factory. So I know the head work is really doing its job. So with all that information checked I went for it. It tried to Start it but the ignition timing was off. So I adjusted on the ms2, tried again and it stumbled an died, so closer but ignition timing still off. So another adjustment and bingo!!! It ran, I didn't let it run long since I didn't have the custom exhaust I built finished yet.
So once I knew it ran, All types of ideas came rushing threw my mind. This is when knowing the pistons were marked really started to bug me. I knew it was running at a higher compression an I was nervous. I didn't want the $$ I put into the top end be destroyed by a slight lack/mis-trust in judgment in the integrity of the pistons. Boom, decision done buying new forged pistons (didn't want to go used factory). Next thought, well since I'm getting pistons, it won't take much more to turbo the M10. That's when I said FK it, TURBO GOES PSST!!! So in 2021 I went full send an spared no expense. New 9:1 custom forged turbo pistons with side skirts coated, new crank and rod bearings, A.R.P Head studs and main studs. New water cooled dual ball bearing T3. Greddy electronic turbo controller, turbo manifold, new 650cc injectors, aftermarket universal air-air intercooler (only thing I went cheaper on, since it was going to be a full custom build). Since going turbo I wanted better control over ignition timing so I out with the original idea of using factory ignition setup, went with the I.E under-sized crank pulley with tooth wheel and sensor, an bought a 4 tower M.S.D coil pack. ........more to come, to be continued!!
Ok so I needed a car quick in 2014 since the one I had recently broke a timing belt an bent valves (not a bmw). So my buddy comes to me saying he had a 84' bmw 318i he would sell me for $800. I was excited I loved E30s and BMWs so I asked what was everything he knew about it. He told me the "only" issues was a erratic Idle surge, and a "ticking noise" coming from the top half of the engine. I agreed an the deal was done. The idle was a easy fix just $20 on ebay for a idle control module, boom done. For the noise I checked valve lash an found it to be out of spec so I adjusted and re-checked engine operation. Noise did get better but was still present. So I did a full engine tare down an found chain was stretched and the intake valves just started to touch the pistons. So was pretty unhappy with the situation but I realized it was only $800 so I can put some money into a rebuild and it wouldn't put me overboard with a price tag. Or so I thought at the time.
I also had 84' chevy Camaro z28 H.O at the time as well, that a person (I thought was a buddy of mine) said he would buy the car from me for 3k. Which is what I paid, it was a little over priced but at the time I had horrible luck with cars an really needed one. So I sold it to him and he never paid the last $1000 he owed me. So I took the 2k and put it into the top end. Sent it out to Cali to "Top End Performance" for a port N polish, 3 angle valve job, bigger valves, mild cam grind, 4-1 Long tube headers. Got it back a month or so later. The bottom end at the time I just left alone. The pistons weren't cracked or anything just marked slightly. So at this time, I cleaned up any sharp edges the marks had and put the top end back on it. Then I purchased a pre-assembled Megasquirt Ms2 with the v3.57 board, with the 4' pre-assembled harness. Once that was in my possession I started the long painful process of creating a new engine harness from scratch. I am not the most patient person so when this part came along I slowly lost interest and focus on the car.
So one day after about a month of not doing any wiring to the car I decided to buy a motorcycle to help ease my mind and I what I thought would help me get back into the car. Well turns out I was wrong lol. I bought my first motorcycle in 2015 which was a 2005 Harley Davidson Sportster 1200(cc), which ended up leading to me buying another motorcycle about 6 months later. So then I purchased a 2013 Harley Davidson Switchback with a 103 cubic inch engine (1690cc), I drank allot back then so then I got really drunk one night while out riding an I wrecked an totaled the second bike I bought. So that took my mindset to a more realistic level an I realized I needed to get back on my car and not worry about motorcycles as much. That thinking only lasted another 3 months lol (didn't work on the car any still). After those 3 months I said to myself that I am able to buy another motorcycle and still do car work. So I went out and purchased my 3rd motorcycle a 2014 Harley Davidson Softail Deluxe CVO 110 (1800cc). So once that purchase was made it was all motorcycle parts and thoughts an $$ from 2016 till 2020. So sadly the car just sat with no attention and love from me or anyone for YEARS N YEARS (sad face emoji)
Once covid hit in 2020 it slowed down my riding and motorcycle passion, 1 because I pretty much bought almost everything i wanted for my 2 motorcycles I still own. An second because since I wasn't riding as much as had time to stare at the car. An in 2020 I worked for a piece of shit person that when I quit he smashed the front windshield of the car and tried to break into it. So that pissed me off so much especially the facts that the cops knew who did it but didn't care/ or do anything about it, Cuz there wasn't video footage. Even thought It was on that piece of shits property. So seeing my car that I haven't worked on in years being smashed up made me put ALL my focus and energy into it.
So I decided to "hit it" hard. Since I knew the pistons were marked I was a little concerned about it but I wanted to get the wiring done to be at least able to test everything. So little re-cap so far, started the wiring in 2015 and never touched it again till 2020. After about a month of me working a few hours a night after work. I was finally done with the wiring. It didn't look smooth or clean kinda just wires everywhere but it was all connected.
Once the wiring was done I went on the lookout for a semi factory tune that someone out here on R3v could help me and give to me so the first time I turned the key it didn't go bang and destroy itself. I was lucky enough to find 3 people that had tunes. Non of them had spent the money I did on the engine they were all factory built just had a Megasquirt added. That didn't bother me though because no matter who's tunes I got I would have to tweak it to make it mine. I also went out and bought a high volume in-line fuel pump, an some new E36 M20 fuel injectors. I wasn't planning on boosting the car at this time yet since I didn't know if it would run again or not. But with asking people about tunes What I found kind funny is everyone I asked was very confused on how I was going to get the "crank signal" for the ms2 (even "professional technicians and businesses"). I would explain with "the same way they did it in 1984". Almost no one understood what that meant. Everyone is so stuck on a sensor near/ next to the crankshaft they forgot or never knew that it used to just come from the distributor dizzy. ( manufacturers left this alone later because they realized once the timing chain was stretched enough the dizzy would never get correct timing due to the valve timing being off) So I just gave up trying to explain and left it alone when people kept asking me.
So I got the tunes, combined a few of them and set up the ms2 to just understand a simple AC sign wave that the distributor dizzy produces. Then I felt like I could see what happened when I turned the key. But before I turned the key, I did a final check/ inspection. Turned the engine over by hand, made sure no fuel leaks, did a spark test using the ms2 to simulate a crank signal to make the coil fire. Once all that checked out I did a compression test. I was really impressed and excited when I found out that all cylinders are ~20 psi higher then factory. So I know the head work is really doing its job. So with all that information checked I went for it. It tried to Start it but the ignition timing was off. So I adjusted on the ms2, tried again and it stumbled an died, so closer but ignition timing still off. So another adjustment and bingo!!! It ran, I didn't let it run long since I didn't have the custom exhaust I built finished yet.
So once I knew it ran, All types of ideas came rushing threw my mind. This is when knowing the pistons were marked really started to bug me. I knew it was running at a higher compression an I was nervous. I didn't want the $$ I put into the top end be destroyed by a slight lack/mis-trust in judgment in the integrity of the pistons. Boom, decision done buying new forged pistons (didn't want to go used factory). Next thought, well since I'm getting pistons, it won't take much more to turbo the M10. That's when I said FK it, TURBO GOES PSST!!! So in 2021 I went full send an spared no expense. New 9:1 custom forged turbo pistons with side skirts coated, new crank and rod bearings, A.R.P Head studs and main studs. New water cooled dual ball bearing T3. Greddy electronic turbo controller, turbo manifold, new 650cc injectors, aftermarket universal air-air intercooler (only thing I went cheaper on, since it was going to be a full custom build). Since going turbo I wanted better control over ignition timing so I out with the original idea of using factory ignition setup, went with the I.E under-sized crank pulley with tooth wheel and sensor, an bought a 4 tower M.S.D coil pack. ........more to come, to be continued!!
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