M52 Swapped E30 Build - SPANNER RASH

[SPANNER RASH]

Hi zoona, really glad you're enjoying the E30 build series. Ah apologies if it wasn't clear enough in the vid, yep the E90 rear hubs press directly into the E30 standard disc brake rear wheel bearing on the trailing arms.

I believe there a discrepancy on some very early E30's where the centre bore of the bearing is smaller. But that's unlikely unless your car is an 83/84.
If this is the case you can get the e90 hubs turned down to suit at any machine shop.

Hope that helps!

[SPANNER RASH]

I got handy with the borescope and decided to do a bit of a strip down on the M52B28 engine that's destined for the E30 build. We're getting rather close to chucking this motor into its new home, but I needed to gain some confidence on whether it'll run or not.

I've been debating whether to bite the bullet and do a full and complete rebuild of this 24v engine for a while, but now we're close to the point of being able to fit it, I'd rather find out its a good engine and run with it to get the E30 as a going concern ASAP.

After whipping the rocker cover and the sump off, I had a good look over the cams, bottom end, intake and exhaust valves, and even down into the cylinders at the top of the pistons. My conclusion is that while varnished and oil-stained, the M52 is actually looking remarkably good and healthy for an engine of this age and probable mileage. Even the plugs seem to point to it running well before it was pulled.

My plan now is to replace consumables and wear items such as the water pump and various seals with new, then give this engine a good cosmetic overhaul so it doesn't look out of place in my recently painted engine bay. Let's hope it runs as well as I think it will.

If you're a bit of an engine buff and have seen anything of note in this video, please do pipe up and let me know. I'm far from an expert when it comes to engines!

[zoona]

Hi zoona, really glad you're enjoying the E30 build series. Ah apologies if it wasn't clear enough in the vid, yep the E90 rear hubs press directly into the E30 standard disc brake rear wheel bearing on the trailing arms.

I believe there a discrepancy on some very early E30's where the centre bore of the bearing is smaller. But that's unlikely unless your car is an 83/84.
If this is the case you can get the e90 hubs turned down to suit at any machine shop.

Hope that helps!

Thanks very much for that... I have another question...

When you fitted the rear spring adjusters, did you have to modify them? Mine dont fit, and the driftworks web page is quite vague about needing to modify them.

Did you just drill a bloody big hole in the middle so the lump on the trailing arm fits into it?

[zoona]

Thanks very much for that... I have another question...

When you fitted the rear spring adjusters, did you have to modify them? Mine dont fit, and the driftworks web page is quite vague about needing to modify them.

Did you just drill a bloody big hole in the middle so the lump on the trailing arm fits into it?

ah... now i've put the spring pad on, and with the use of a big rubber mallet it all seems to sit nicely - is that waht you found?

[SPANNER RASH]

ah... now i've put the spring pad on, and with the use of a big rubber mallet it all seems to sit nicely - is that waht you found?

Hey zoona, no modification needed for me, I used the rubber spring pad and they pushed on and sit pretty securely now. A big bolt was supplied with them which I couldn't understand. But I determined it was surplus to requirements in this application.

[SPANNER RASH]

I gave some serious attention to the M52B28 engine that's destined for the E30 build and produced an extremely satisfying video of the process:

I'm really happy with how it came out, a relief considering the amount of effort I put into getting that block clean before painting it! The engine enamel is my new favourite non-2k paint, an amazingly tough paint that's really easy to get glossy results with.

It's a shame I've found a little bit of light scoring on the bores, but I'm still confident the engine will run great and it won't have any real effect. I'll keep my eye on that in the future though, if it uses oil I guess I'll know!

Either way, it's about ready to fit into the E30's engine bay!

[zoona]

Hey zoona, no modification needed for me, I used the rubber spring pad and they pushed on and sit pretty securely now. A big bolt was supplied with them which I couldn't understand. But I determined it was surplus to requirements in this application.

After i stopped panicing and actually used the parts i had - had the same experience.

Loving the videos... very, very useful.

[SPANNER RASH]

Haha nice, glad it worked out for you! Sometimes you just need to step away from it for a short while and come back with fresh eyes. Cheers!

[SPANNER RASH]

Hey guys, another E30 update went live today, this time covering the various options for gearboxes, clutches and flywheels when doing a 24v engine swap.

In the process I got my new gearbox fitted, I went for a 318is g240 box largely to simplify my search for a prop shaft. But also because the ZF 5-speed boxes are now fetching silly money and so are the diffs you need to make them usable.

Despite the ZF box being superior, I think I'll be quite happy with the g240, and if I stay NA, which I intend to, I suspect it's highly unlikely the gearbox will blow up. I've never heard of one blowing up with an NA 24v swap, even with the 6-pot torque.

The differentials however are another matter, I suspect the 4.27 small case diff I am using will make the car feel ridiculously aggressive down a twisty road, but unbearable cruising at 70mph on the motorway. And the small case 168 size diffs are known for blowing up under 6-pot torque. We'll have to see how it feels in practice, but I expect to be shopping for a new diff very soon after getting this car on the road.

Regardless of that, I've tried to make the video as informative as possible and share everything I'd learned about the potential combinations of clutch, flywheel, gearbox, prop shaft (driveshaft) and diff when doing a 24v swap on an E30. Hopefully, all my facts are correct but please do chime in if I've got something wrong. Knowledge is power.

With my 318is gearbox fitted up along with my lightened M20 clutch and flywheel, the engine is now swinging from the crane like a big fish waiting to get fitted in the bay. That comes next!!

[jsta1109]

I've used the same G240 combination with an M52 and it was fine, survived many track days and auto-x type events without any issues. I did secure a ZF before prices went silly and I was lucky finding an S2.93, having used this back to back with a G240 and 3.73 it really didn't make much difference to the actual driving experience. Spend the money on a good LSD and ratio.

[SPANNER RASH]

I've used the same G240 combination with an M52 and it was fine, survived many track days and auto-x type events without any issues. I did secure a ZF before prices went silly and I was lucky finding an S2.93, having used this back to back with a G240 and 3.73 it really didn't make much difference to the actual driving experience. Spend the money on a good LSD and ratio.

Nice sounds like you got the ideal combo in the end with the ZF box. Glad to hear the g240 with the right diff worked well even for track days though. I've not heard of many people blowing a g240 up without doing something silly so seems they're more durable than you'd expect.
I'm sure I'll be on the lookout for an LSD ratio in the 3's very soon after the car is on the road. Values of them have gone absolutely insane recently though which is unfortunate!

[SPANNER RASH]

Pleased to share a big E30 project milestone today, the M52B28 motor is now fitted in its new home!

I started out by rounding off things which I knew would be much easier while the engine was suspended from a hoist, such as sticking on the starter motor, clutch slave cylinder and E36 engine arms. I didn't want to be kicking myself grovelling around on the floor trying to do these later.

With those on, I test fitted my Condor Speed Shop M5X motor mounts to ensure they would line up nicely with the E30's subframe (which was previously reinforced with a plate kit). These mounts are solid and seem to be really high quality. I reckon it's worth getting them imported from the US, but let's see how they stand the test of time.

Once the old man and I had the car positioned for a straight shot with the engine, I whipped off the removable front core support and to be quite honest, it was really easy to wheel the M52 forward into its mounting position. Potentially the least fiddly engine installation ever, and far easier than it was taking the original M40 out. We didn't even damage anything!

Hopefully, I won't have to remove this front support often, but if I ever need the engine back out it won't be such a big deal. Well apart from all of the surrounding parts that will be mounted in the future...

I'm super happy with the result and the hard work put in up to this point is feeling well worth it. Let's hope the project continues like this. I think I will be looking at the wiring next which is pretty intimidating for me. But in theory I should be able to splice it. Stay tuned for that one!

[zoona]

How low is your car with the HSDs on it?
Mine is rubbing like a bastard on full lock at low speed - even at the full suspension height...

It looks like you have got a larger gap from the tyre to the arch than i have...

[SPANNER RASH]

How low is your car with the HSDs on it?
Mine is rubbing like a bastard on full lock at low speed - even at the full suspension height...

It looks like you have got a larger gap from the tyre to the arch than i have...

Oh dear, sounds like you might have slammed it. To be fair I'm not sure with mine yet, it's not at its final height settings or anything like that, no point in setting it yet. When the car is on the road I will spend time getting it dialled in. Haven't even got the front wings on currently!

Are you running the same E38 wheels and 215 section tyres?

[zoona]

Oh dear, sounds like you might have slammed it. To be fair I'm not sure with mine yet, it's not at its final height settings or anything like that, no point in setting it yet. When the car is on the road I will spend time getting it dialled in. Haven't even got the front wings on currently!

Are you running the same E38 wheels and 215 section tyres?

I wasnt sure how far ahead of your videos you were... I've been able to raise the rear up enough to not be somebody who scrapes the frame rails along the ground while playing terrible music... But the fronts are REALLY low...
I'll get back into the gargae so I can stare at it for a bit longer today.

(yes, exactly the same setup as you. Tyres are a bit more stretched than I would normally like, but wanted to stay as narrow as I could until I had seen how it sat. Glad i did now...)