M52 Swapped E30 Build - SPANNER RASH

[zoona]

Sounds like I might run into some trouble when I've got the car back together then! Maybe a little roll of the arches might make all the difference. Most people run 205's for this set-up, but they just look too stretched to me.

Drifworks have said I can reduce the thread overlap from 60mm to 20mm, so going to see how that goes.
I'll let you know what happens...

[SPANNER RASH]

I finally bit the bullet and got stuck into wiring my M52 swapped E30. I was really intimidated by this job, wiring is something I'm rather inexperienced with, and it always seems very daunting.

However, I got busy with it, did plenty of research and I think a first start is beginning to look very likely!

My first problem was finding a reliable pinout table for both the E30 and the E36 M52 so I could map the wires together knowing what each one does. Irritatingly I couldn't find a table which perfectly agreed with what I physically had before me.
I've concluded that the wiring can vary quite a bit depending on model, market, year, and spec of each car. I ended up bringing together as many tables as I could and cross-referencing them to make my own table, based on what I had. I've included the table in the video if anyone wants to pause it and use it for themselves.

Once I'd reached a point of confidence on this, I opted to use the chop and splice method as opposed to making my own adapter (bulky) or doing a proper repin job on a C101 plug with the right tools (fiddly). I was planning to do old-school soldering, however the old man's solder sleeve connectors, which he now swears by, made my life much easier and appear to be just as strong.

I set about chopping the X20 plug from the E36 harness, and chopping the C101 plug from the engine side of the E30 harness, and splicing it onto the M52 loom. It took a bit of time, but generally went quite smoothly, apart from the fiasco with the two green wires (you'll have to let me know if you have any ideas on that!).

When all was said and done, the car surprised me by turning on the key, which I was genuinely not expecting it to do. It's looking very promising that the car will start up when the time comes!

[SPANNER RASH]

Congrats on getting the engine in.

I'm sure they'll be fine but if you find the condor mounts too harsh I personally run E46 M3 mounts upside down with the locating tabs removed. I've found them much less prone to sag and much stiffer than the usual E28 combination without adding any noticeable NVH.

Wiring is quite simple really, I would highly recommend buying the correct c101 pins and an appropriate de-pin (FalkMFG) and crimp tool and wire in a C101 properly.

You can disassemble the ECU connector which makes slipping it through the firewall a breeze and Haltech stock a firewall grommet that fits the e30 really well if your stock one is damaged.

Remove all the plastics from the E36 harness (if it was an auto harness you can strip all the auto wires out) and with some careful placement it should all fit inside the E30 318i harness cover, add an M3 firewall trim panel.

Hopefully you are using an MS41 ECU, removing EWS is very simple and everything you could possibly need to do it is documented here https://sites.google.com/site/openms41/home.

Now that is interesting, I hadn't heard of anyone using E46 M3 mounts before, I had no idea it was possible or Might have tried to go that way. The Condor mounts seem quality, but very stiff. Hopefully it doesn't rattle my teeth too much. Only time will tell.

I've just done the wiring job, I was considering doing the whole repin route, but ended up splicing in, which seems to have worked well so far, and avoiding the bulk of an adapter. Pretty sure mine is an auto harness so I will certainly spend some time tidying it all up and removing that stuff. I really want it to look neat and OE under the bonnet.

Ahh that looks like an amazing resource re the MS41 ECU, haven't seen that before! I've got two MS41 ECU's currently. One which is non-index which I believe to be uneditable but original to my M52 engine, and another which is index that someone has already removed EWS and loaded a map onto which closely matches my setup. No doubt I will want to play with it in the future so thanks for sharing that.

[SPANNER RASH]

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...)

Sounds like I might run into some trouble when I've got the car back together then! Maybe a little roll of the arches might make all the difference. Most people run 205's for this set-up, but they just look too stretched to me.

[jsta1109]

Congrats on getting the engine in.

I'm sure they'll be fine but if you find the condor mounts too harsh I personally run E46 M3 mounts upside down with the locating tabs removed. I've found them much less prone to sag and much stiffer than the usual E28 combination without adding any noticeable NVH.

Wiring is quite simple really, I would highly recommend buying the correct c101 pins and an appropriate de-pin (FalkMFG) and crimp tool and wire in a C101 properly.

You can disassemble the ECU connector which makes slipping it through the firewall a breeze and Haltech stock a firewall grommet that fits the e30 really well if your stock one is damaged.

Remove all the plastics from the E36 harness (if it was an auto harness you can strip all the auto wires out) and with some careful placement it should all fit inside the E30 318i harness cover, add an M3 firewall trim panel.

Hopefully you are using an MS41 ECU, removing EWS is very simple and everything you could possibly need to do it is documented here https://sites.google.com/site/openms41/home.

[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...)

[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]

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]

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!

[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!

[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]

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!!

[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!

[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]

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!