butters 318i project, S54door...

[agent]

Such a clean, well modded E30. A true example of OE+.

This. Great car.

[AwakenNoMore]

Only thing its missing now is a 330i badge for the back :P

[butters]

Only thing its missing now is a 330i badge for the back :P

I honestly may go for that. I kept the 318i on the trunk, just because it is so clean. But I've always been big on the de-badge look, this is the first car where I have not immediately done it.

Here's an update from Diego aka e30_dad:



He is on r3v, user Mendi3.

[butters]

My strut housings have been modified and I should have them back tomorrow. Took 1" out and added a small brace plate for good measure. Sorry for the blurry photos, I'll get better shots when everything is assembled.

[butters]

Rather than drop $500 on an anti-roll bar setup from the likes of Bimmerworld etc, and then have to deal with fabrication or run the risk of breaking things, I like to think I put that money into the coilovers.

Still wanting to updgrade and obviously get fresh bushings, I learned about the OE+ options - a cabrio 21mm front bar and an iX/M3/touring 14.5mm rear bar (vs. stock at 20mm and 12mm respectively). I was able to source them on pretty short notice from part-outs.

I'll get side-by-side comparisons though it isn't very obvious to the naked eye. I'm still happy though, my original bars are getting flaky with surface rust and the links were pretty well shot.

Here's a comparison of the used cabrio bushings that came with the bar vs. new. I can see why squeezing them back in is a tough job.



I read that softening them in boiling water for 5-10 minutes helps, I'll probably do that and then hope that vice grips can help with the rest.

[2mAn]

I remember this car at the dyno day. you and I were joking whos car would put down less whp. thats because I thought you still had the M42 under the hood... I WON!!

[butters]

^Hah yes you did.

Well the coilover job turned into a nightmare. I was really hoping to have the car for a wedding I'm attending this weekend, and that won't be happening. I guess it's better than not having the car for H2O had I been able to plan that trip.

I got the struts back post-weld and there is play not only of the sleeve around the struts (in all directions - rubber bands must not be substantial) but of the shock insert inside the housing up/down. If the spring wins against the shock in transition from bump to droop and back - which it will, this is the purpose of a damper - the slack will be taken up and I'll hear noises. I cannot stand for that and I won't risk putting everything back together only to have to do it again.

[butters]

Turns out the rubber bands were in the wrong spot (on the strut, rather than the housing lol) so that is corrected. I'm going to re-make the spacers because the gap is significant enough... looks like I'll need 2.25-2.5" or so in total.

Got the 14.5mm rear sway in. Here's a shot to compare visually:



I'm really looking forward to feeling the difference.

[butters]

Got the car put back together in time to drive it from NEPA to the Philly burbs on Friday.

Strut bar in:



A shot underneath while on the rack:



Found a Firestone that was open until 7 and got me aligned right away, while I hung around and observed.



Still need to dial in the height a bit, I'll bring the front down a tad and the rear up a tad I think. No bottoming out as it is though, just rubs the fender liner somewhat when turning to near lock.

The results:



I went for a little toe-in to reduce the chance of dartiness on the highway.

The ride is great, not bone-shattering at all, very firm but with compliance. It's not very bouncy on the highway, but there is of course more bounce with these heavy springs. I have the front shocks set where GC put them, a couple clicks from full stiff iirc, with the rears about 1/4-turn from full stiff (75% stiff or more, I recall there being 2.5 turns total).

Happily, the 65mph vibration is gone and I was able to CRUISE down the highway nicely. Working cruise control put a shit-eating grin on my face, man that is satisfying. The cruise really works great too, I wasn't sure how the throttle actuation would feel but it works just as well as my '02 Jetta which is to say, perfectly. No major surging, holds speed smoothly, and 476 through the Poconos is plenty hilly up and down to put it through the paces. Clutch kill barely needs a tap of the pedal, brake kill works as it should.

I had my ear out for any and all noises.. going 100 miles at 71 mph (per GPS, 75 indicated on cluster) is an interesting feeling after personally turning a wrench on nearly every component that this car puts its force into. All seemed quiet, but I do feel harshness/vibration as I go over 75-80 indicated which is disappointing. I used to remark at how good it felt tracking down the road at 130mph on the steelies, so I am beginning to suspect the Kopis for a balance issue. I'll have to check them before the next trip. I also plan on inspecting everything in the driveline.

[DRTSRFR]

1/4 off of stiff is pretty firm for the rear.

Try 3/4 off of firm in front and 1 turn off firm in the rear. Then adjust to your liking.

Remember, make small adjustments, like 5 minutes at a time if you're looking at the face of a clock. 1/4 turn is a big jump on Konis.

Mark

[butters]

No pictures yet, but I also was able to pop in the Parker Performance oil distribution block and get the pressure & temp gauges going. I have to re-check it, because the PSI readout seemed backwards - went to 80 at warm idle and decreased with revs. If it is indeed backwards, pressure seems to be well in spec while driving.

I was really curious to baseline the oil temperature, as I have everything needed to retrofit an M20 oil cooler (hose, S54 housing, VAC adapter, AN-10 fittings, and the cooler with mounts and 325i valence duct).

Ambient temps were in the 60s and 70s, but I never saw the oil go above 200F. It hovered around 180, maybe 190 on the long drives. This is with M42 radiator, and Rotella 5w-40. I will keep all the cooler parts until I hit the track and/or next summer.

[butters]

1/4 off of stiff is pretty firm for the rear.

Try 3/4 off of firm in front and 1 turn off firm in the rear. Then adjust to your liking.

Remember, make small adjustments, like 5 minutes at a time if you're looking at the face of a clock. 1/4 turn is a big jump on Konis.

Mark

Happy to see you in my thread! 3/4 turn or 3-4 clicks (or maybe that's the same)? I didn't touch the front yet but I recall that it has discrete clicks vs. the rear's continuous turning. I'll be able to study the effects on my many weekend road trips. I imagine softer rebound will allow the wheels to droop quicker following compression due to dips, and lessen the sudden drop as the wheels bump back to steady state (bounce).

[butters]

I realized that I haven't updated in awhile. Hibernation took it's toll, polar vortex and whatnot meant I stayed out of the garage. The E30 is still staying inside on a battery tender.


Since the fall I picked up a set of Apex ARC-8 wheels and tires, still looking for a buyer for the Kopi wheels and tires. They did balance out just fine, and I found the culprit for the roughness I felt...

Pardon the cropped iPhone pics:



I went under the car many times in late fall.

I realized that what I felt was an exhaust vibration. Initially I suspected this area:



But upon further inspection...



the angle and position of the O2 sensor allowed it to make contact with the body after settling from several thermal cycles I suppose. The sensor was touching at rest. In the photo the exhaust is dropped but you can see the mark from vibrating against the tunnel.
I found a local welder and the bung was capped, and a second one added in better position. The car feels amazing and smooth.
My fab guy also made a much needed bracket for the cruise actuator and brake fluid reservoir.




I want to make the S50 feel better at idle so I pulled the trigger on a few items that came up in the classifieds. Bav Auto ignition coils, TRM 93 octane chip for light flywheel (idle bump) along with 540 MAF, refurbished pink injectors and a silicone intake elbow. Still need to find an intake solution and install that with the chip and injectors. I think the idle bump may help out - I do not have a light flywheel.



I also rolled the front fenders:

[Gregs///M]

I honestly may go for that. I kept the 318i on the trunk, just because it is so clean. But I've always been big on the de-badge look, this is the first car where I have not immediately done it.

Here's an update from Diego aka e30_dad:



He is on r3v, user Mendi3.

Damn, would you like us to redo your cluster for you? Those red needles look like a 5 year old painted them. Check out our cluster work! R3v members get discounts. Hate to see such a poorly done rebuild in such a nice car with so much effort put into it.

[butters]

Damn, would you like us to redo your cluster for you? Those red needles look like a 5 year old painted them. Check out our cluster work! R3v members get discounts. Hate to see such a poorly done rebuild in such a nice car with so much effort put into it.

How can I go about checking out your work? PM me a cost for doing the needles, I may consider it.

You might want to reconsider your tactics; insulting something that is in my car is a little off-putting.