Eta-to-M50: Build thread

[shiboujin]

Man someone be trollin...

[YAN-3]

noice, congrats man.

[Jand3rson]

Just got my Optima back from charging, Andrew used their newer charger to bring it back to life, and it fires right up! Glad I don't have to buy a new battery!

[LJ851]

^ thats nice, you have to win sometimes!

[samiam3356]

The Picnic, of course!

Just made the appointment to have the exhaust done on Friday, they're going to do V-Bands at the headers to make it removable if I ever need to drop it, and mount the rest up with new hangers.

Those are tities! Have them on mine at the same spot.

[dirty30]

smoky burnouts yet?

[CorvallisBMW]

Just made the appointment to have the exhaust done on Friday, they're going to do V-Bands at the headers to make it removable if I ever need to drop it, and mount the rest up with new hangers.

FUCK! Why didn't I think of that? my m30 exhaust is 1 piece from the downpipes to the muffler :(

[Huff]

I'm going to be doing a 24v swap on my 4 door and will be referencing this thread for sure. You’ve done great work and I’m SO glad to see it alive!

[shiboujin]

Yoshi dislikes Vbands. To each their own tho.

[Jand3rson]

Yoshi dislikes Vbands. To each their own tho.

What do you recommend, just welded all the way back? I mean, I don't anticipate having to drop the exhaust very often, and even if I did, it can always just be cut and re-welded. And it would only be one piece back to where the S50 midpipes meet the rest of the S50 exhaust section.

[LJ851]

Put as few joints as possible that allow reasonably easy exhaust system removal, cause it will be coming off. Less places to leak + more clearance and cheaper. Exhaust removal by cutting for service operations is not acceptable.

[shiboujin]

So you're doing dual pipe? That'll make Vbands fun to place. I'd do a single pipe and a regular 3 or 4 bolt flange. Vbands work in a very narrow band of conditions. The exhaust must be low on movement/external forces. IE your exhaust will need to be hung such that with the rest of the exhaust out of the car, it should still sit close to it's normal position.

Vbands tend to leak due to getting hit a bunch, warping, over tightening the clamps, and many other reasons. Technically Vbands don't require gaskets, but you can still buy them for a reason. Things will need to line up 100% and your installation needs to be 100% or it will leak.

Personally, I don't mind replacing gaskets every time I mess with my exhaust. and if the flange warps a bit over time or with initial welding, just tighten that bitch down some more. Vbands work great IFF they are fabricated properly, installed properly, and nothing ever majorly contacts the pipes. To me, it's too much work.

[Jand3rson]

I'm using ebay headers to OEM OBDI S50 midpipes and exhaust all the way back so yes, it will be dual pipe.

Again, this also isn't the car's permanent exhaust system. I got all the M3 exhaust stuff for cheap, so it was the temporary solution to get the car running asap on the cheap.

[shiboujin]

if it's temp, then just weld all that shit together :) who cares if it leaks or anything. cut it off when you're done with it.

[LJ851]

if it's temp, then just weld all that shit together :) who cares if it leaks or anything. cut it off when you're done with it.

+1 , forgot it was a temp system.