14 years - 1991 325ix, Stroker/5-Speed (N52 swap?)

[nando]

Jute91 posted a bunch of google docs, one was the instructions for rebuilding the diffs. :-)

[Zaun]

Omg... looking forward to more on this!

[nando]

Stalled on the hardware side of things so no updates. Need about $500 more to get my oil pan fabbed lol.

Working on software since thats free. Have some ideas to delete EWS but its never that easy..

[Zaun]

Are you having someone fab your oil pan or is the about 500 more worth of hardware waffleswaffleswaffles you to fab it up?

Sorry if I missed it earlier...going to go back through the thread when I get a chance.

[nando]

I'll have a shop do it. Its not feasible for me to.

[Zaun]

Awesome! I'm trying to decide what I am going to do with my ix. Bought it because it was a pretty clean body before realizing my stroker out of my 84 will not drop in without some modification. Now I am trying to decide swap stroker or swap something else entirely and newer lol. Really looking forward to more!

[nando]

I wouldn't recommend a swap. lol. But I'm too far down the rabbit hole.

[nando]

This isn't much of an update, but more to say "Hi and I'm still working on it". so while I hoard cash to try and fund oil pan fabrication (and also bust my ass working on my house instead of cars), I've been working on the software.

I'm balls deep in PPC disassembly trying to find the routine for EWS - I now know the RAM address of the bytes that turn off ignition and injection, but PPC disassembly is not easy. on MSS54 it was as simple as looking for the reference to the byte you were interested in, but on PPC, the instructions are fixed to 32 bits - so if the address of a byte or word doesn't fit into a 32 bit instruction, it's often stored in a register first (basically a temporary variable), and then that register with the stored address is used as a reference to load or store the actual byte..

So even though I know the address of the specific byte that will force the engine to run without EWS - I have no idea in the huge amount of code where it's doing the comparison/branch that I need to disable. But, at least I'm getting generally closer to a solution, as I understand far more what I'm actually looking for, even if I don't know what it looks like yet.

Also, ultrasonic parts cleaners are friggin' awesome. my father in law bought one at HF and let me test it out. I just grabbed some random bolts and the grungiest parts I could find and threw them in with a solution of simple green & water for 5 minutes. Everything I put in there came out looking brand new - I've gotta get me one of these things! I was worried about cleaning some of the build on parts of the head, but now I know I can just toss them in there for a few minutes and they'll come out spotless. That means I only need to replace worn parts, and not spend a week scrubbing everything by hand.

Finally, I don't know if it's my 330i tune getting better and better, or if the M20 is getting slower and slower - but when I first got the 330i, there didn't seem to be that much difference between them. the E30 was faster at low speeds, and the 330i was faster at high speeds (naturally, it has more power and longer gears, but is way heavier). Now it seems like the E30 is just way slower in general - high speeds or not. It's still enjoyable to drive but it just feels off, and reinforces that I need to finish this project. Instead of being 210bhp, it feels more like 150bhp. :|

[Kershaw]

I was looking at the ultrasonic washer but I didn't know if it was worth it or not, good to know. Thanks.

I know what you mean about that difference though. After not driving the ix for a few months, and only driving the e36 (intake and chip, ~200hp), getting in the ix was a disappointment. It just felt like a dog. I had the same thought. I need to get that turbo kit installed.

[nando]

yeah, it's definitely worth purchasing - I think he bought it on sale with the 20% off coupon so it was like $60 or $70. It has some flaws but they are pretty minor - I should post up a review or something.

The funny thing is the last couple years the E30 has sat in the garage during the winter and I've taken it out once in a while. I don't think it's just that it was always like this to begin with - it doesn't seem to run like it used to. I have put like 80k miles on it and some of them have been beating it to holy hell, so I wouldn't be surprised if my compression and leakdown numbers weren't great, plus any number of other things that could be wearing out.

[ForcedFirebird]

I am on my 4th or so ultrasonic cleaner from them. The plastic tends to get brittle with degreasers, and make sure your fingers are dry before touching the buttons, or they will zonk out from the water leaking around the edges of the panel. I put a piece of clear packaging tape over the last panel, seems to be helping.

[nando]

Good to know, I'll make that suggestion. It does say not to use any degreasers in them although I see how it could work better - also I probably won't use it as much as you do with your shop :p

[ForcedFirebird]

No, they are used and abused lol. Get the 2yr unlimited warranty and they will replace it every 2yr. The cashier actually told me to just back over it with my truck 1yr 11mos and get a new one haha.

[Northern]

(and also bust my ass working on my house instead of cars)

I know this feeling.


Re: ultrasonic cleaners, we have one at work, but I think it is used almost exclusively to clean out tail rotor driveshaft bearings (unsealed ~6"dia ball bearing.) They usually give them a wipe down with mineral spirits and fire them in. Change the fluid after the first few hours and then let it run overnight. The next morning, the water is black from all the carbon (Exhaust deposits) so it seems to work well.

[2002tiiguy]

ill agree ultrasonic cleaners are awesome, i have the bigger harbor freight one and im seriously considering buying a countertop industrial unit, works great on caliper brackets that pads wont slide in lol