NOR-CAL General Chat.

[mtech325]

Ah yes, Dom had the borbets and crazy rear fender flares. Spencer's car was/is the e30 that I always admired the best. Back when you could go to a baye30.net meet at tanforan lol. Boy has time has gone by...

[jpod999]

Ah yes, Dom had the borbets and crazy rear fender flares. Spencer's car was/is the e30 that I always admired the best. Back when you could go to a baye30.net meet at tanforan lol. Boy has time has gone by...

I miss those meets!

[decay]

Dom's still a mod over on e3t but haven't heard from him in a few years.

[oliver.r]

is that meet happening tomorrow?

[Steven]

about as incorrectly as it gets while still being recognizable ;)

I have a lift and a vacuum bleeder, but neither is in SF.

Where are you then? Do you mind if I use?

me zain branden farzad stephen herb are all in a fb chat group.

Y am I not invited to this schlong party?

I didn't go MIA. Steven why am I in your contacts?

for sexting, duh

^ no but I think you have me some advice when I was doing the s50 swap. Or something like that. I've had your number for years.

I has a vacuum bleeder.

Best way to do it is to fill it from the bottom(slave) using pressure. Air goes up in liquid so even a vacuum bleeder may not work.

Yeah that was the plan. I've read about it I just don't have one

[Danny]

for sexting, duh

how's it going, danny?

True.

It's going really well. New job is keeping me super fucking busy. I think I have like 30 hours of overtime clocked this pay period. It's all good though because I love it. How are you?

no but I think you have me some advice when I was doing the s50 swap. Or something like that. I've had your number for years.

That's fair.

[dhithim]

Who has BAR'd an S54 swap?

This^

David does

Does he have a build thread?

Awesome, thanks.

Any E30's? I know the fuel system is an issue, that's my main concern

I am curious as most BAR'd DIY or advice comes from the S50/52 side.

[Bimmerman325i]

This^

Does he have a build thread?

I am curious as most BAR'd DIY or advice comes from the S50/52 side.

Yup, my thread's here: http://www.m3forum.net/m3forum/showthread.php?t=541944

Since my car was OBD1 originally there should be a lot of transfer over to E30s for the wiring and evap systems (see: functionality and interconnect block diagrams in my thread)

Physical mounting and hose routing will be different, but for engine/subframe/brake booster there is information on this board. For evap hoses, you're probably going to have to just DIY that, but the fundamentals aren't any different to an E36 OBD1 system.

Realoem shows the late model E30 system has the same core components as the E36 OBD1 (tank, expansion tank in/out/charcoal feed, charcoal canister), so....should be pretty easy to make S54 obd2 evap work with some creative hose routing and charcoal canister placement (needs to be in same area as E46 canister, per referee, so...trunk/spare tire well).

The one thing I didn't have that you will need is a CAN interpreter board for a functional check engine light. I didn't need it because I lucked out and found a CAN-based instrument cluster, but since E30s and most E36s don't have that option, gpeterson (r3v, bimmerforums, m3forum) sells the CAN interface boards for E30/E36s. Will get you CEL and AC functionality, probably more.

[dhithim]

Yup, my thread's here: http://www.m3forum.net/m3forum/showthread.php?t=541944

Since my car was OBD1 originally there should be a lot of transfer over to E30s for the wiring and evap systems (see: functionality and interconnect block diagrams in my thread)

Physical mounting and hose routing will be different, but for engine/subframe/brake booster there is information on this board. For evap hoses, you're probably going to have to just DIY that, but the fundamentals aren't any different to an E36 OBD1 system.

Realoem shows the late model E30 system has the same core components as the E36 OBD1 (tank, expansion tank in/out/charcoal feed, charcoal canister), so....should be pretty easy to make S54 obd2 evap work with some creative hose routing and charcoal canister placement (needs to be in same area as E46 canister, per referee, so...trunk/spare tire well).

The one thing I didn't have that you will need is a CAN interpreter board for a functional check engine light. I didn't need it because I lucked out and found a CAN-based instrument cluster, but since E30s and most E36s don't have that option, gpeterson (r3v, bimmerforums, m3forum) sells the CAN interface boards for E30/E36s. Will get you CEL and AC functionality, probably more.

Thanks for the info!

[Bimmerman325i]

No problem, let me know if you have any questions!

[dhithim]

No problem, let me know if you have any questions!

This looks like it might be an issue for the e30? Looks super close on an e36.

[dhithim]

Wow your build thread is awesome! Amazing that all those people helped you out and passed first try!

[Bimmerman325i]

Thanks! I did a lot (~4yrs) of research ahead of time, compiling part numbers, scouring forums for what people had attempted (and for what didn't work), BAR, and on part compatibility. That, combined with the help of very experienced and awesome friends, was critical to the success of the swap. This swap has very much been a community effort. I wrote the thread hoping that the next person won't have to experiment and research for years like I did, and that hopefully the BAR process would be demystified and made somewhat more transparent. I do wish I had taken better pictures, but....camera phones and greasy hands can only do so much.

The header to chassis clearance is very close on an E36 with the stock US headers. I would be extremely surprised if you won't have to hammer/cut for clearance on an E30.

Euro headers/cats will fit without clearancing, but unless you have a total newbie ref, it won't pass that way.

[CarsonE30]

Why the hell was I E30-less for so damn long? I think I had forgotten what a solid iS felt like and now I'm ruined again. The M3 is back in the garage and the E30 is on daily duty. On average, how long would it take 2 guys to do a manual swap?

[Bimmerman325i]

Why the hell was I E30-less for so damn long? I think I had forgotten what a solid iS felt like and now I'm ruined again. The M3 is back in the garage and the E30 is on daily duty. On average, how long would it take 2 guys to do a manual swap?

figure a weekend if you haven't done it before. One day if you have or are motivated and have all the parts ahead of time.