In Progress : AC Schnitzer S3.5 Convertible (FOR SALE!! FOR SALE!!)

[getouth]

Nice..... I'll be watching!

[TimeMachinE30]

Nice..... I'll be watching!

And helping with parts? ;)

[TimeMachinE30]

OK. Few updates. I am always thinking of this build. My obligations and duties keep them cerebral. Little bit of time today brings me here. The start of a teardown..



The M20 is coming out. The senior is going in.

I was hoping to get my paws on the M20 3.0L stroker for sale at this time. I like the authenticity of it all.. ACS never did a swap like this.. they built the M20 up to a 2.7 with or without a cat. The other tuners did put in the bigger motors. This is a chance for me to make things right.

Very little information on the ACS motors as I search. Luckily, I was able to locate a copy of the pricing sheet for motor work from 1990.



The prices astound me. I can see why not many of these motors are around. Once I have seen the M30 built ACS from an S5. It sold for about 3500 euro.

I do not plan to build this M30. The hope is to just get this thing swapped. Changes in life and work may prohibit me from keeping this thing off the road too long as once planned.

This is my first time tackling a job of this size. I have reached out for a hoist locally.
Many have responded. It is a matter of just picking one of them up and shuffling it here. The plan is to start in the bay, disconnect all I need to. Work my way underneath the car. I will pull the driveline as one. I am reading the forums on the subject, trying to do it in my head before I start with my hands.

[e30m3s54turbo]

Did I read right that you are going m30?

[TimeMachinE30]

Yes. M30.

What do you think Raul? :popcorn:

[e30m3s54turbo]

Yes. M30.

What do you think Raul? :popcorn:

I love m30 power!!!! I have owned Alpina e30 B6 2.8, e21 B6 2.8 and other Alpina e21 345i. Very fun cars to drive. I'm very happy with my Hartge H35-24 m3 clone. Even if it is not a m30. It's based off the m30.

Go for it!!!!

[TimeMachinE30]

Can't wait to follow along with your build. Hopefully I'll be able to see it in person through the process since I'm fairly local.

When it is time to pull the motor, may assemble a small E30 meet at my place.


Your experience is requested and would be great to have.

[phenryiv1]

The plan is to start in the bay, disconnect all I need to. Work my way underneath the car. I will pull the driveline as one. I am reading the forums on the subject, trying to do it in my head before I start with my hands.

Don't forget to disconnect the oil pan ground strap, brake booster, and the clutch line. I have forgotten them before.

Also, the charcoal canister on the driver's side frame rail can be a pain to work around.

I found that disconnecting the exhaust at the manifold-to-downpipe was the easiest way to do it. I then loosened the trans crossbrace and allowed the exhaust to droop and pulled the engine up and out.

Be prepared to remove the hood and I also put crappy 14" wheels/tires on the front and released all of the air to lower the nose a bit.

Start at post 109 here: http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/show...=257210&page=8

The re-install was several pages later. This was an M20B27 to M20B25 swap but the removal will be identical.

[TimeMachinE30]

The nose down will be a challenge. I hope it is not a make or break. The car is nose in. My garage and then driveway to a greater degree are at an incline. If I cannot lower the nose directly, I will at least jack it up at the rear.

Hood is off. Bottlecaps on.

Thank you for the advice!

[phenryiv1]

The nose down will be a challenge. I hope it is not a make or break. The car is nose in. My garage and then driveway to a greater degree are at an incline. If I cannot lower the nose directly, I will at least jack it up at the rear.

Hood is off. Bottlecaps on.

Thank you for the advice!

If you let the air out of the tires on the bottlecaps it will help if you leave the transmission in place and remove the engine/trans as a unit. Had I just pulled the motor alone it would have easily cleared the upper rad support but having the trans still attached made it a very "tall" assembly, even with a load leveller.

All in all it is not difficult. I did it with 1 person. Install was cake with 2 helpers.

A few months later I helped someone in Frederick pull their SuperEta motor in similar fashion but his was on jackstands and we could not lower the front. It still worked but it took 2 people - 1 operated the hoist while the other tilted the trans up and swung it clear.

[TimeMachinE30]

Lot of progress today.

AC bits under the hood are gone. The compressor went to a good home. The other parts will make their way to the scrap recycle bin.

Pulled DME and associated wiring through firewall.

Removed oil cooler.

Exhaust manifold/downpipe are the original 14mm nuts. They are soaking in PB Blaster.

Still need to read over Frank's M30 guide about heater core plumbing as I want to keep heat for the cool notes with the top down.

Looks like this weekend I hope to pull it.

[Ether-D]

Exhaust manifold/downpipe are the original 14mm nuts. They are soaking in PB Blaster.

Use like 16" of extensions on your ratchet and get at them from below. Good luck.

[Reichart12]

When it is time to pull the motor, may assemble a small E30 meet at my place.


Your experience is requested and would be great to have.

Im no expert by any means but if you need extra hands and Im around I might be able to cruise on over.

[TimeMachinE30]

This is happening much faster than I expected. I plan by the end of the week to have the vert back on the road. The driveline will be back in. I need to tackle the rear bumper issue; I will revisit phenry's threads.

I bought a rebuilt G260 from DriveGear Racing . It should ship tomorrow. I plan to do a review of the whole transaction and road test. I can use my old clutch slave cylinder, yes?

The exhaust is dropped. The drive shaft is disconnected from the trans. The drive shaft at the diff is toasty and needs some time soaking in PB Blaster. Too tight to get an impact in there. Any advice?

I will be redoing some of the fuel system with miscellaneous hoses, clamps and fuel filter I bought some time ago.

The tunnel heat shields will all be cleaned up and painted. I am trying to make everything better than it was.

If some parts I post up later sell, I will get a reinforced subframe from Garagistic.

Picking up an engine hoist and load leveler tomorrow. With that, the drive line should be pulled by tomorrow night.

[e30m3s54turbo]

Looking forward for the up date pics.

Good that you are going to have your reinforced subframe.