The *OFFICIAL* 2010 California Caravan Thread.

[Justin B]

Hands mixed up in getting the swap mechanically done. The blown up m20 is still sitting in it, my m52 is stripped down about to get the cams and head pulled to swap cams, and port it to gasket size at the edge, same with my obd2 manifolds. Theres a lot of work on different parts of the car that need to be done to finish it fast. Ill try to call on some local help but its a little hard right now without a phone. It finally died, and I certainly dont have enough money to get another when I cant afford the chip I need to run it right. Bah, chin up. I might be pulling some honest all-nighters. The shop space where this will be taking place is in Novato BMK area about 400 feet away from where I work.

[Matt-B]

Ill be driving up with you guys. But meeting in Kalama along the way. Ill contact Danny as to not confuse people.

[Justin B]

I need the single vanos tool set though like right now bad =/ I might have an unlikely source for that but I needed it like a week ago. shit.

[clavinZERO]

what do you need help with?

+1

[Justin B]

Sorry about the thread jack first off, just seems like an appropriate place without a dedicated thread. Whether or not Ill make the caravan...lol.

Specifically, sort of a check list of what I need to do though:


Get car in shop
Get M52 + associated obd1 parts gathered in one place
Remove m20+transmission then separate.
Remove drive shaft, do I flip the CSB around? Gotta look...
Remove booster and install my 944 one
Remove e30 steering rack, install 95 m3 rack with PS delete block.
Rebuild shifter
Modify e30 shifter rod and transmission mount
Finish porting obd2 manifolds and port head lightly to gasket size, and drill + tap for the extra sender. while waiting for cams and tools. Meanwhile, build the rest of the motor up-oil pick up, pan, all new gaskets that I have access to, I think I may just leave the original front timing case on and use my TMS shunt adapter instead of the m50 piece, less disassembly. Button the motor back together with all the m50 donor parts and s50 cams, (del PS and AC for now) install.
Figure a way to mount the ECU acceptably, its an e34 harness
I dont trust my radiators cooling ability probably caked with a film of oil inside, not sure what ill use yet.
I have a permacool 12" flex fan that I could rig up, that and the stock e30 electric? no engine fan. How should I wire that up? Ive got the cooler water temp switch thing.
Exhaust, ill have obd2 manifolds, but ill need to patch something together for the trip, cant use anything stock of my e30, its just total shit. Patch something together with scrap probably then rebuild it when I get back for emissions this year (reg is due this month).

[Danny]

We can do it.

Petaluma isnt far gimme a saturday night after 7 and i'll be there.

[hoveringuy]

I'm thinking that the California Caravan is as much an event as the E30 Picnic!

[Justin B]

Danny, PM me your number. Otherwise if you're really down to come help me with this after 7 saturday I'll be there. Ill probably make it an all nighter anyway and sunday work. Are you busy sunday or what? Im looking to have a small army of friends over to bang this out. Ill PM you the address where we'll be at.

[Justin B]

I am about to put this motherfucker on a rack and pull his limbs off. He told me yesterday he didnt finish the lease because he fell asleep. Today he told me he didnt (he told me he would last night) because hes got to ship this stuff out hes working on. Tonight. For sure? I told him I am seriously out of time with the stuff I want to do so I can go on my only damn vacation weekend. Seriously out of time, the only solid time frame I know of is I should be getting the vanos cam tools monday or tuesday (shit?). Still no word on an s50 cam that I want which is irritating. How fast can a complete swap go down including building the motor back up with obd1 parts? Yikes. Ill be threading the needle.

[Justin B]

OK, slightly better news tonight.

ITS ON!

Its 10:00 and im about to leave in a bit to go back down and start pulling my car apart. Tonight, I want to have the engine at least loose in the bay ready to pluck with the tranny.

I may be able to post tomorrow from my work's wireless. PM me if you want to know where the shop is if ya wanna stop by. Its in Novato though.

[clavinZERO]

Better. Closer. Warmer.

[Danny]

I'll be there tmrw, but not with the E30, with my baby truck.

[Justin B]

Cool. Current status is, m20 is finally out. Stock rack is out. I need to mount my e36 rack, spacers for the sub (head bolt washers?) and washers/bolts for the linkage. Align. Exhaust on head is ported to gasket size, obd2 manifolds are being ported, i need to build my m52 up with all the obd1 parts and any new gaskets I can get at along the way. A big hurdle for me will be to get the wiring harness (its an e34 harness) all routed and plugged in right. Once its built, and on the engine hoist I guess Ill put on my ltw flywheel and new stock sachs kit, bust off the tranny output shaft seal and redo those, rebuild my shifter, and get my x5 lever bent similarly to the stock e30 one. Modify the transmission selector rod and support bracket for the 10* rotation. Rig up radiator (after flushing out oily gunk) and fans to run off the cooler switch. I removed all the AC shit in the engine bay. AC fan though on all the time/on the low temp switch of the t-stat switch, and my permacool wired in through my AC switch? Build exhaust. Get two wheels fixed. Hopefully get my instrument cluster working, along with maybe functional e36 window switches, or some rigged way to raise and lower all my windows (one or two of my switches broke...).

Unfortunately no internet there, but I basically have both motors' parts strewn about in an area that I need help with piecing the obd1 one properly together with. Do you have a tap and die set, particularly so I can just put the obd1 coolant sensor in the TB warm up hole? I've read that's been done, I just havent taken it out to know what the two threads are. What it is, and what it needs to be...

plenty to do.

[Danny]

Sorry I didn't make it down there, my E30 was giving me shit : (

[Danny]

Still waiting for Clay to give me a call before I post the final meetup time.