Panici's '87 325is E30 - Boosted In Bronze

[Panici]

Love your car and the write up! I'm going to do the X3 Booster soon. On my e83 booster it looks like the rod inside the booster is shorter than the e30 one, did you have that issue or does it still work?

Thank you!

You removed the extra "spacer" piece from the back of your booster like pictured above?
I ended up cutting and welding my rod to shorten it after I removed this spacer.


I initially modified the pin attachment point width when I first swapped the engine, but didn't shorten the rod at that time.

[808ETA]

The other small project was shortening the rod for the X3 brake booster. I removed the silver plate from the back of the booster, so it should fit a bit nicer in the engine bay.
I didn't know this was removable when I installed the booster originally, as then I wouldn't have had to slot the mounting holes on the firewall. No matter, I made some patch pieces for the slotted holes and welded them up (X3 booster has only two mounting studs).

I shortened the rod on the booster a little extra to lower the brake pedal, which should make heel-toe downshifting easier.
Don't mind the blob of weld, I didn't bother cleaning it up (I had the wire speed a bit high). Worry not, the 240v welder was cranked up to full power and there was plenty of penetration

Love your car and the write up! I'm going to do the X3 Booster soon. On my e83 booster it looks like the rod inside the booster is shorter than the e30 one, did you have that issue or does it still work?

[raymang]

Startecs from the new run actually don’t look bad! Any issues only noticeable in-person?

[Panici]

Spring 2024 Prep - Part 1

Fleet Update:
Happy to report I finished the fuel tank swap on the Miata over the winter, which is now back on the road for the season. It was extremely stressful working beside the freshly painted E30. Actually considering a four-post lift just to get the E30 up and out of the way when working on other cars.
Did a full fuel system refresh on the Ducati, and replaced the front brake master cyl.
E36 M3 is on the road now as well.

-------------------------

Finally some space and time to work on the E30.

Started by fabricating a custom support bar for the front valance and airdam. Things are pretty tight under there with the big front mount intercooler. Used a bit of scrap steel and part of a motorcycle handlebar, with a rivnut into the rad support.

Swapped out the clutch slave with the larger 23mm unit. Bench bled this with the slave out of the trans. Pedal feels okay but haven't driven the car yet to test.
Finally reinstalled the 5mm front wheel spacers while the front end was in the air.
Edit: Later installed the 20mm rear wheel spacers as well (not pictured in the photos of this post)


Pushed the easy button and reluctantly shelled out the cash for a set of the new-run Startec taillights, after they came up for sale locally. Have the parts on-hand to make another DIY set, but haven't made the time to do it.

Good comparison shot on the ground: stock top left, stock with spray tint bottom left, DIY Startec top right, new-run Startec bottom right.
They are darker then the vintage startec lights, but perhaps 30+ years of UV makes all the originals lighter.

Car is also SO DUSTY sitting since the fall, so just try to ignore that for the time being until the hose is set up for the spring. Have been ordering new car wash supplies to properly care for the Ceramic Coat as well.

[Panici]

December 2023 Sitrep


Managed to squeeze way too much into the garage for the winter season. Two cars, three motorcycles, and two spare engines.
Just enough room to walk sideways between the two cars.


I finally got the larger clutch slave cyl in the mail this week, had to order from schmiedmann. Would have been expensive either way.
The local BMW dealer wanted proof of ownership for an E39 M5 RHD to order the 21522282056 slave.
Excited that this should give me a better clutch pedal then the on/off that I've had for the past two years.

Also, got my hands on some interior bits like the front tweeters, seatbelt bolt cover, and door handle trim from a local gent.

Other jobs on the E30 To-Do list:

• Move wideband grounds & 0.1uF 50v ceramic cap between wideband signal wire & ground (close to ECU)
• Verify EVAP purge valve operation RPM<4000 and TPS<1
• BOV spring to be properly sized.
• Intake manifold removed, additional vacuum/boost sources to be installed, various tee's removed.
• Doors:
  • Tighten key lock (Driver's side)
  • Replace vapor barrier
  • Sound deadening
  • Tweeter install
• Radio install under dash?
• Move exhaust hanger from rear subframe (necessary?)
• Finish front airdam support fabrication
• Install front airdam foglight delete panels
• Remove turbo and trim corner for clearance to wheel well.
• Install replacement sunroof motor
• Change fuel rail fittings on front, install longer hose for strain relief to FPR.

But first, Miata needs a gas tank, and you have to drop the rear subframe to get it down. Might as well refresh while I'm there.
Still waiting on surgery, so I'm going to try a slow & steady approach all winter long and test my luck.





In other news (you may have seen on my other thread) I finally bought one of my realistic dream cars!
1999 E36 M3
It's in decent shape, but obviously isn't perfect.
Not sure how far from stock I want to go with this one, but that's To Be Continued in the spring time.

[Panici]

Got two, first is a '94 600ss that I did a resto on, currently halfway through an injected Monster 900 swap. Other is a '93 build 888 superbike. It's a bit ratty now after being stolen and recovered, but fast as shit for its age. Once the little bike is finished I'll pull the big one apart. I find they are a very good companion for an E30, simple and easy to work on but very fun and devastatingly fast in the right hands (not that mine are)

To me the 90s Ducati is an acquired taste visually. Squared off headlights give them a unique shape IMO. The more I see them, the more I like them.

Even my FI Monster feels very raw by modern standards, which is exactly what I like about old cars & bikes.
The torque of the big V-Twin feels opposite to my revvy R6 engine.

I can imagine the older carbed bikes have even more character!

[econti]

Haha yep. 2000 Monster 900ie.
What is your Ducati?

Rode mine for just under 1000km since buying early august. I put new timing belts on and had some new tires mounted.


It's actually all taken apart as of last weekend for a fuel system refresh. 😂
Suspect leaking fuel injectors, as oil level is going up magically. Also making the garage stink like gas.

Got two, first is a '94 600ss that I did a resto on, currently halfway through an injected Monster 900 swap. Other is a '93 build 888 superbike. It's a bit ratty now after being stolen and recovered, but fast as shit for its age. Once the little bike is finished I'll pull the big one apart. I find they are a very good companion for an E30, simple and easy to work on but very fun and devastatingly fast in the right hands (not that mine are)

[Panici]

A fellow Ducati owner. My condolences. 900?

Haha yep. 2000 Monster 900ie.
What is your Ducati?

Rode mine for just under 1000km since buying early august. I put new timing belts on and had some new tires mounted.


It's actually all taken apart as of last weekend for a fuel system refresh. 😂
Suspect leaking fuel injectors, as oil level is going up magically. Also making the garage stink like gas.

[econti]

A fellow Ducati owner. My condolences. 900?

[Panici]

No updates since last post.
More pictures, some with AI processing.

[Panici]

July 2023 Update

Have been driving the car just about once a week.
Back on the R6 as well for some light street riding, which is a huge win all things considered. I recently installed a blue tail section from eBay and further modified the exhaust system.


The E30 has a vibration in the front end around 100km/h (60mph). Worse under braking, but still present when driving normally at that speed.

I have a new set of four tires on-hand (205/55R15 Yokohama Advan Fleva V701) which will be my first step towards resolving the issue. May not happen this season, so tires are tucked away in the basement until I am able.

I have reassembled the trunk which was apart for additional sound deadening installation.

I installed a manual boost controller (Turbosmart Boost Tee TS-0101-1102).
A little fine dremel work and it's tucked nicely between the intake runners. I'll flip that mounting nut/bolt over next time I have the intake manifold apart.

I went for one test run on the weekend. Due to the ball-and-spring design, the MBC alters the boost curve a bit. I have it turned all the way down to start.

So far I can hear it keeping the gates closed longer, which results in the occasional overshoot to 7psi (when getting into the throttle quickly while the engine is spinning above the boost threshold).

The rest of the curve averages 5-6psi, tapering off towards the top end. I'll get some screenshots next weekend.

I do have a MAC valve on-hand for more sophisticated boost control in the future.
It would be nice to tailor the boost curve for the whole rev range, could get a pretty flat torque curve by feeding in more boost above the normal torque peak. Could also do boost-by-gear.

That said, there is something about turning a mechanical knob to control boost that I enjoy. From a psychological standpoint, this requires a physical deliberate action to make changes (more tangible then keys on a laptop).
Hopefully that is a deterrent to "turning it up" too much and risking the engine in the future.

[Panici]

I remember the first time my friend Mitch showed me his custom launch control in his turbo'ed 318. I thought it was the coolest thing ever. Temporarily set r3vlimiter to 3,500 rpm and then type 7k in the appropriate field. As soon as he dropped the clutch I'd mash the Enter button to get us back up to 7k. So much fun.

Haha that is certainly one way to do it! 😆

On my car I hijacked the ebrake switch, so I just have to pull it up one click and launch control is activated. Turns off automatically with wheel speed after I drop the clutch.

I also repurposed the dash light for the ebrake, in addition to the check engine light. Have both configured in the standalone ECU to indicate knock sensing/timing pull, AFR safety, and coolant overtemp.

[MR E30 325is]

Sorry to hear about the injury Panici. Hope all goes well.

I remember the first time my friend Mitch showed me his custom launch control in his turbo'ed 318. I thought it was the coolest thing ever. Temporarily set r3vlimiter to 3,500 rpm and then type 7k in the appropriate field. As soon as he dropped the clutch I'd mash the Enter button to get us back up to 7k. So much fun.

[Panici]

Very sorry to hear man, while that is a blow to the self-esteem, like you said, now is the time to heal and get checked out so you can do what you enjoy after you're sure you have healed.
Gotta look out for number one (your physical and mental health) first.

Thanks. Yeah this is a double-wammy, because wrenching is a big mental health thing for me.
I have parts piled up for multiple projects on various cars and can't physically do anything. 😑

because you can't enjoy the toys when you're compromised... take care of yourself, dude!

Bikes are out of the question for now. (Maybe if I had cruiser-style instead of sportbikes I would have a chance?)
I have been taking it really easy to not make things worse. I was able to get credit for next year on all the preordered track events, which was lucky. New sets of tires should be fine if I store them somewhere warm and dark.

On the bright side, I can at least drive the E30 now without pain.
I did go for a nice drive on Saturday, and got a little tuning in as well.

Speaking of which ...

I tested the 2-Step launch control for the first time with the turbo setup.
Builds 3psi @ 3000rpm set on "Random Progressive" with -3° timing (same settings as when it was N/A). Still have the green Tial 4.35psi springs in the wastegates so I thought that was a decent result.

I didn't get to WOT as it started to pop and bang, so it may have built more boost.
I'm trying to keep this turbo alive for the long-term so need to experiment building boost with less aggressive 2-step settings.

Also, since I have my knock sensing dialed-in, I sprinkled in some timing after peak torque to try and flatten out the power delivery. Nothing crazy, think I added an additional 1.5deg at most. Will see if I can feel a difference next weekend.

I haven't been able to find many boosted M52 timing maps online, but from what I can tell I'm still quite conservative.

[DEV0 E30]

Very sorry to hear man, while that is a blow to the self-esteem, like you said, now is the time to heal and get checked out so you can do what you enjoy after you're sure you have healed.

Gotta look out for number one (your physical and mental health) first.