E30 Touring Turbo

[stanhayward]

Yesterday I welded coilover perches and M3 end link tabs on the struts, painted them and assembled the coilovers. After the last photo I also installed new Meyle front hubs / bearings.






I'm going to get some tires mounted up soon so I can finally set her back down on the ground again. I have a big move coming up so progress may slow, but I'm trying to get the car rolling before the end of the month so I can trailer it with me. Stay tuned!!

[stanhayward]

Hey guys, another small update. Covid has slowed down shipping on a few key parts I'm waiting on, and I had to put a little work and money into my 1984 Volvo 244.



But, in the meantime I've still made some progress on the Touring. I reinforced the front and rear subframes and the trailing arms, and added a rear camber/toe kit. Garagistic rear subframe and trailing arm bushings are installed now, as are diff studs and new FAG wheel bearings.

[stanhayward]

Good to see I'm not the only one with a very long running project....
Pro tip it will make it 300% nicer to work on if you pressure wash the engine bay with a degreaser attachment, just wrap the wiring up and be careful, no more dirty hands.

Yup it's been a long battle...

Here is some parts porn while you wait for a real update! The exhaust manifold and one of the wastegates are with my welder friend for the flange swap, but once I get them back the manifold and turbine housing will also be going for ceramic coating. Also just received new rocker shafts and Ireland camber plates.

[econti]

Good to see I'm not the only one with a very long running project....
Pro tip it will make it 300% nicer to work on if you pressure wash the engine bay with a degreaser attachment, just wrap the wiring up and be careful, no more dirty hands.

[stanhayward]

So for those of you who aren’t aware of the old build attempt, I used up all the money I had for this car on new suspension, IE Wilwood brake front and rear brake kits and full exhaust, and a set of 3-piece Rotiform ROCs with KAMotors flares (I’m the black Touring on his site haha). By the time I decided to do the turbo setup I was on a pretty tight budget, and because I was young and dumb I wasted a bunch of money on stupid shit that I have since sold.


So back in the day, the one turbo item I spent a lot on and still have is a tubular twin-scroll manifold (from member F34R on here if that’s still his screen name). At the time, I had a Tial F38 two-bolt wastegate, so I had it made with a flange for that and one for a v-band MV-S gate. I bought a Borg Warner S200 with a 1.22 a/r T4 housing after toying with a couple different turbo options. I was going to use a turbo chip, RRFPR, and 440cc injectors to control it, and the engine was entirely untouched other than a head gasket and Metric Blue head bolts (yeah that’s how long ago this was haha).


Since then, I have decided that the H&R springs and improperly sized tires it had weren't enough, and have grown and learned a lot. I regret getting such a nice car to learn with, but I'm glad I kept it and now have the chance to right any of the wrongs I made. Probably the only things I’m reusing are the turbo manifold, IE big brake kits and the Rotiforms. The current list of anything that’s not a factory replacement part is down below:

• M52tu rods
• Enem Z45 cam
• PPF Stage 2 valve springs, retainers
• Ireland Engineering stainless valves, guides, keepers
• ARP head studs
• Cooper cut-ring head gasket
• Ireland Engineering aluminum radiator, silicone coolant hoses, oil pan baffle
• Spal 16” fan
• E24 635csi engine mounts
• Divided T4 exhaust manifold, will get ceramic coated
• Borg Warner 0.83 a/r divided T4 turbine housing from AGP, will also get ceramic coated (yes just the housing, sold the old S256SX turbo)
• Twin Tial MV-S 38mm wastegates, 50mm Q BOV
• Turbo oil feed and drain lines
• Megasquirt PNP ECU
• Walbro 255 inline pump
• Garagistic pedal bushings, clutch stop, subframe and adjustable trailing arm bushings, ABS sensor plugs, diff stud and chassis reinforcement kit
• PPF billet flywheel
• UUC organic clutch and sway bars
• Automatic E21 transmission mounts
• 3.25 3-clutch factory LSD
• Condor Speed Shop diff bushing
• Ireland Engineering front & rear coilover hardware, urethane rear spring pads
• M3 style end link brackets
• H&R Race 8” X 2.5” I.D. X 325# front springs
• H&R Race 160mm X 60mm I.D x 390# rear springs
• Koni Yellow struts and shocks
• E46 aluminum control arms
• SLR caster-adjustable control arm bushings
• Rebuilt E46 steering rack w/ Garagistic rack swap kit
• Ireland Engineering 310mm front and rear brake kits w/ Wilwood Dynapro 6 piston front and 4 piston rear calipers, and braided hoses
• The 16x8 / 16x9 ET0 4x100 Rotiform ROCs mentioned
• 225/45r16 Falken FK452 front tires

Things I have already ordered but aren’t here yet:

• DIY Autotune coil IGN-6, electronic boost control solenoid, GM IAT sensor and Innovate LC-2 wideband
• Painless fuel pump relay kit for the second pump
• KMS forged rocker arms
• New rocker shafts
• Ireland Engineering race camber plates

Things I still need to order:

• Injectors
• Gauges
• Intercooler
• Borg Warner S257SX-E supercore
• Front sway bar end links
• 245/45r16 Toyo T1R rear tires
• A couple other finishing touches, fittings, W-H-Y

[stanhayward]

Well well well… I don’t suppose anyone’s been holding their breath, but this car is not dead. I was in high school the last time I was working on this car, but I went away for university, dropped out, got a job, another job, moved again, and have now finally ended up back where I can work on my cars. I was young and dumb the last time round, so lots of this is going back and un-cutting corners. I hope you all can look past some prior mistakes and like the new and improved version of my Turbo Touring! My 750iL that I recently posted about on here is on hold for the meantime, but it’ll probably be moving along slowly soon.


I’m still sticking with the M20 of course, but the block is currently stripped completely bare. I’ll be using a stock B25 crank and pistons, although the pistons will have both ceramic top and moly skirt coatings done locally. I bought M52tu rods (much lighter and stronger than M20 stuff), a bunch of new OE hardware, gaskets, bearings, rings, freeze plugs, oil pump, water pump, Gates timing belt kit, ARP head studs, Cooper cut-ring head gasket, and then some great goodies from Pure Performance Factory in Sweden and Ireland Engineering for the head. I bought an Enem Z45 turbo cam, PPF “stage 2” valve springs & retainers, KMS forged rocker arms, and Ireland bronze guides, stainless standard-sized valves, and all other factory head rebuild parts.


I’m at the point where this week I will be taking the block and head to a machine shop to have the rotating assembly balanced, block cleaned, honed and decked, and a multi-angle valve job.


I’ll put a list in another post down below of everything that’s happening, but for now here’s a pic of the car as it is. Very dusty! But you can see some of the parts around it / on top of it, and the 750 waiting in the background.



Stay tuned for more updates!

[CorvallisBMW]

Damn, that's a late storm

[stanhayward]

So unfortunately didn't make it to the meet in this car, but the engine went in and is firmly mounted now on Condor solid engine and trans mounts (will do the diff when I install my 3-clutch 3.25LSD).

I didn't have time to wire the fuel pump last weekend or plumb the intercooler, but I've changed my mind on the intercooler setup anyway. To maintain a full front valance and to keep with my desire of this being 100% reversible, I have decided to get 2 smaller sidemounts that I can place in front of the front wheels behind the valance and connect them with piping on the engine side of the valance (if it'll fit).

I also got my 0.83ar housing for the Borg Warner turbo (I have the Garrett mounted in all the photos) so can get that installed. I have a big test next week - I'm taking some night school right now - so won't be able to work as much as I'd like this weekend, but hopefully I can at least get the engine plumbed and the electronics plugged back in.

Here are some pics:









And just for fun, here's a photo of Edmonton, Alberta (where I live) on May 5th... Yes, May 5th as in 3 days ago. Worst weather of any city in the world It was 19*C (70F?) the day before and 10*C (50F?) the day after but we have a surprise snowfall of 4" in May...

[CorvallisBMW]

The turbo setup looks great, can't wait to see it in the car.

[stanhayward]

For anyone watching, this thread is still going but has been very slow lately. I am now really trying to pick it up to catch the first big meet next Saturday so will be working late nights to try to get something together.

As far as updates with no pictures: I properly deleted the power steering with a Garagistic delete, installed a new shifter support bracket/shift carrier because I broke it taking the motor out I do, however, have a photo of my engine all dolled up and ready to go back in ;)



And a photo of some of my other E30s and my first exhaust that I made for the silver car (and the POS exhaust that was on the car. I should've taken a photo of some of the welds, they were pathetic!):

[stanhayward]

Exciting news :)







I found a Borg Warner S256 locally! This is the turbo I'd wanted from the start but getting one to Canada is about $1200 CAD and I couldn't justify it, but I got this with 500km and zero shaft play for $550! Couldn't resist it. Real updates coming soon I know I've been slacking...

[stanhayward]

Hey not too much got done this weekend as I was helping my brother with his van, but I rotated the turbo and put it in situ because it looks awesome ;)








And put in the oil sandwich adapter and a new Mobil 1 filter

[Gunner_1886]

Looking forward to future progress, nice to see a Touring project!

[stanhayward]

Okay finally some tangible progress... Today I got a bunch done. I replaced the timing belt with a Gates Racing one:



Then I replaced the clutch with the UUC organic full-face clutch and pressure plate:





New Sachs TOB:


And decided to use a set of new Metric Blues I had. This may get some hate... But I'd like to try them and maybe build a new stroker motor with the head studs I have. I torqued them to 65 ft-lbs in 10lb increments until the final 5lb increment. Here's a photo of them installed:


I also transferred the fuel rail to the new intake manifold and used a gasket scraper and Scotchbrite to get rid of the old gaskets on the intake and the valve cover.

So what's left... I am waiting on exhaust manifold gaskets, I need to make gaskets for the turbo compressor inlet and outlet, I need some misc. bolts, I need a small torque wrench because mine broke , I need some gasket sealer, and then the piping I need to fabricate the exhaust as well as the intercooler piping and bracketry. I already have a CX Racing intercooler that's something like 25x12x3" or so. And properly delete the PS. The list is getting shorter!

[stanhayward]

That guy was my motivation to check those out. He was using a 1.22 a/r turbine housing on it so I was stoked for a 0.83 a/r. I'm going to try out this Garrett but I don't think it's going to go that well. If you can spool a 56mm 1.22a/r turbo that well a 60mm with a 1.15 is worth a shot in my opinion. I'll be sure to report back on it. I've already done the oil pan that would have been a smart idea though. Thanks for your input ak-!