Is there really only 1 M10 thread worth posting in ?

[jeffnhiscars]

my 318 with myself(180lbs) mostly stripped interior and no ps/ac and full tank weighed 2200lbs.

Have you upgraded your suspension or tweaked your engine ?

[Jaxx_]

Have you upgraded your suspension or tweaked your engine ?

spec e30 suspension(bilsteins and H&R races), rear sway bar from an IS. Megasquirt with direct coil control and 30lb/hr injectors. The engine is effectively bone stock.

[jeffnhiscars]

Megasquirt with direct coil control and 30lb/hr injectors. The engine is effectively bone stock.

Ive always been under the belief that there wasnt much you could do with the L Jetronic. What engine performance changes did you get from that ?

[Jaxx_]

Ive always been under the belief that there wasnt much you could do with the L Jetronic. What engine performance changes did you get from that ?

up top, didn't feel much. down low and the driveability area, it helped a lot. dynoed at 90whp/93ftlbs.

The power delivery is smoother as well, instead of the very noticeable effect of vac-advance timing coming in from 3k to 4k. It pulls like a 1.8L should, instead of feeling like it's bogging.

[thebutterson]

I couldn't live with it so started with a 5 speed swap, 8 lb aluminum flywheel, headers & a cat delete. Transformational....I think I now have more WHP than my VW bus did.

You should start a thread with all your e30 mods and pictures. Sounds like a great car. We need more project threads.

[Jean]

I raced mine in SCCA SM with the stock/tired M10B18 for a full season, car was on coils/camber plates and rt615s on basketweaves... it was a MOMENTUM car but m10 just SUCKS for trying to get any power out of it unless you boost it.

There was nothing left to get out of the m10, and when I had a spare m10 rebuilt head to install on it I found the block was cracked in 3 or 4 places. And that was that.

[jeffnhiscars]

up top, didn't feel much. down low and the driveability area, it helped a lot. dynoed at 90whp/93ftlbs.

The power delivery is smoother as well, instead of the very noticeable effect of vac-advance timing coming in from 3k to 4k. It pulls like a 1.8L should, instead of feeling like it's bogging.

The euros have so much respect for small engines. I drove the Autoroute in France in my brothers Ford Ka with a 1.4 turbo and is just wailed, not to mention what they do on the track with diesels under 2L.

Did you spend much and how much work (and fiddling) was it ?

You should start a thread with all your e30 mods and pictures. Sounds like a great car. We need more project threads.

Believe it or not, its as much fun as my 911 was only I dont have to worry about doing a 540 in it (which I did in my Porsche) or spending $300 on an oil change. I think about a thread but there isnt anything Ive done that hasnt been documented elsewhere in bits and pieces (some by me). Then Id have to stop buying new projects long enough to upload my pics somewhere.

I raced mine in SCCA SM with the stock/tired M10B18 for a full season, car was on coils/camber plates and rt615s on basketweaves... it was a MOMENTUM car but m10 just SUCKS for trying to get any power out of it unless you boost it.

There was nothing left to get out of the m10, and when I had a spare m10 rebuilt head to install on it I found the block was cracked in 3 or 4 places. And that was that.

The only boosted car I have ever driven that the lag didnt scare the crap out of me was the twin turbo 3.5...ok and a Porsche Turbo which scared the crap out of me for different reasons.

Plus it does completely change the character of the car for off track use. I dropped my valve clearance to .008 and that made such a huge difference in top end (I actually had one) that Im thinking to get a spare head to use my new die grinder on.

Any feedback on a built M10 head would be cool.

[Jaxx_]

The euros have so much respect for small engines. I drove the Autoroute in France in my brothers Ford Ka with a 1.4 turbo and is just wailed, not to mention what they do on the track with diesels under 2L.

Did you spend much and how much work (and fiddling) was it ?

I probably spent around $1000 on everything when it was all said and done, including the little knick-knacks, widgets, and doohickeys. The cost that I would count would probably be around $700-$800, though. There are costs on top of the ecu: wideband, injectors, harness, coil and sensors, etc.

I've probably spent close to 100hrs (maybe more) on the whole megasquirt system, including the entire harness, clutch switch for launch control, direct coil control, modifying the ecu, tuning, and other things that go along with replacing the entire engine management. Surprisingly, it is super robust, and has never not started if everything was hooked up properly. Even after my MS board had been submerged in water, it got me 5 miles to work. Hey, it refused to start on the way home but I dried off the board with my t-shirt and drove it home no problem.

[jeffnhiscars]

I probably spent around $1000 on everything when it was all said and done, including the little knick-knacks, widgets, and doohickeys. The cost that I would count would probably be around $700-$800, though. There are costs on top of the ecu: wideband, injectors, harness, coil and sensors, etc.

I've probably spent close to 100hrs (maybe more) on the whole megasquirt system, including the entire harness, clutch switch for launch control, direct coil control, modifying the ecu, tuning, and other things that go along with replacing the entire engine management. Surprisingly, it is super robust, and has never not started if everything was hooked up properly. Even after my MS board had been submerged in water, it got me 5 miles to work. Hey, it refused to start on the way home but I dried off the board with my t-shirt and drove it home no problem.

That sound like a HUGE PITA (not to mention $$) for not so much gain. I did a lot of changes at once so my opinion is not very scientific (is it ever ?) but the one that Im sure made the biggest difference was the 8lb flywheel from JB Racing. True it does not add HP but it removed a ton of inertia from our go cart equivalent engines. It winds UP and of course it winds down when you back off the gas so it will effect how you shift.

At the same time I did the Headers, full Ansa Sport w cat delete & a K&N.

All told this was $1300 well spent siince "it breath & it spins" which was the goal.

You are not that far away. Wanna go a few laps for a beer

[visionaut]

I also really dig the M10 - it's so configurable, and well-engineered. Simple, solid and easy to work on. They made 'em for more than 20 years, so parts (stock and aftermarket) are readily available. I like that they can take on so many different personalities depending how you set 'em up - mild to wild.

Tom

[SA E30]

I placed a call to Amazon yesterday and the girl I spoke to was in Johannesburg as well.

How is yours so different ? Is it the cost of parts in S Africa ?

Well the parts are kinda hard to find. I've been looking for 2.0lt pieces for a while now and they hard to find.

My car is a boosted m10, with 5 lug, 245 17 tyres, tubular suspension, big sways, 4 piston AP brakes on 330mm disks, stand alone...

So at the end of the day with all those said and done. It doesn't have much in commmon with most guys m10 e30's.

My engine isn't all that strong (or won't be as I'm just waiting on my clutch and flywheel to fit it), but my plans are for a strong m10, as my head is well sorted just my bottom end is just a stock rebuild with oversize pistons.

[Jaxx_]

That sound like a HUGE PITA (not to mention $$) for not so much gain. I did a lot of changes at once so my opinion is not very scientific (is it ever ?) but the one that Im sure made the biggest difference was the 8lb flywheel from JB Racing. True it does not add HP but it removed a ton of inertia from our go cart equivalent engines. It winds UP and of course it winds down when you back off the gas so it will effect how you shift.

At the same time I did the Headers, full Ansa Sport w cat delete & a K&N.

All told this was $1300 well spent siince "it breath & it spins" which was the goal.

You are not that far away. Wanna go a few laps for a beer

The goal wasn't to make huge power on a stock motor. Eventually it will be boosted until it pops, and then an M20 swap for spec e30. I'm leaving for a year in Germany on the 5th of september, but come out to the NCE30 Group's meet in greensboro on saturday, the 1st. I'll be out there with the e30, and I'll have it all setup for autox that night.

[thebutterson]

At the same time I did the Headers, full Ansa Sport w cat delete & a K&N.

Specs and source of the headers and exhaust?

I really want to find a 4-2-1 header but it's almost like finding tits on a fish. I've also considered buying a stock m42/m44 header and an m10 header flange and having it custom adapted. I swear I found a thread like that on 2002faq a while ago, but can't find it now.

I was also looking at the IE 4-1 stepped header, but heard the 2002 stuff hangs a bit low on e30's.

[jeffnhiscars]

...come out to the NCE30 Group's meet in greensboro on saturday, the 1st. I'll be out there with the e30, and I'll have it all setup for autox that night.

Sounds like fun but my 318i was t-boned and still needs body work. Drives better than ever, but just isnt pretty or suitable for night driving.

Specs and source of the headers and exhaust?

The header was from BavAuto and is NLA from them but there is a current group buy thread I think in here. I wanted them fore ages but they were only available for a manual which is part of what prompted that swap. The exhaust is just a vanilla Ansa Sport with an Ansa centre pipe...so header, centre pipe, sport muffler. It sounds great to me but I do realize at a drive thru that its rather noisy and begs for a resonator to civilize it.

I also really dig the M10 - it's so configurable, and well-engineered. Simple, solid and easy to work on. They made 'em for more than 20 years, so parts (stock and aftermarket) are readily available. I like that they can take on so many different personalities depending how you set 'em up - mild to wild.

Tom

Tell us about life with the webers. I saw a set for sale yesterday $950...wait !!..175 NA HP ?

[thebutterson]

Did some looking around. The "bavauto" reproduction header group buy is closed with rumors of starting a new one. The deal was $490 for a 4-1 header with 1 3/8" primaries with a 2" outlet at the collector.

There is also a company called Paeco that makes a 4-2-1 header for the 320i that may fit. They have 1 3/8" primaries, 1.5" secondaries, and a 2" outlet. They want $320 plus $28 shipping with a 4-6 week build time.

Also, I thought I'd post a link to Ken Danielson's page on header building.

http://www.kengineering.info/headers.html