M50 Turbo Winter Project

[SirMaxximus]

Decided it was finally time to dedicate a thread to my project.

Update Season 2 of this build starts on page 6

BACKSTORY: I picked up my e30 about 3 years ago. It had been swapped w an M50tub25 by the previous owner, however the owner couldn't get it worked out right, had intermittent misfires along with several other issues. I bought it from him dirt cheap mostly for rust free body and figured if I could save the motor it would just be extra! I spent the next year or so slowly working it out and fixing a lot of his mistakes. By last year most of the kinks had been worked out and it became an extremely reliable summer fun car. I had always planned on boosting it but could never really put aside the funds. I decided about 5 months ago I was gonna make it happen, I started tossing money at it each month with the goal to start the build this winter. I live in MN so it stays in the garage all winter anyways!

Here's what she looks like before putting away:




SPECS:
Body: 87 325es
Motor: M50tub25
Trans: G250 (we'll see how long it lasts)

BOOST PARTS:
Garrett 57 trim t3/t4 hyrbid turbo .63 A/R
RSI (GoodNtight) t3 manifold
Megasquirt pro PNP
Wyntonm Ebay Wastegate + BOV
CXRacing 18x12x3 intercooler
ARP Headstuds
Bosch EV1 42lb injectors
Inovate LC-2 Wideband
Hallman Manual Boost Controller

CURRENT PLAN:
about 10psi on stock headgasket with ARPs. hoping around 300whp.. see how that does me for the spring/summer and maybe thicker headgasket next year for more boost!

So before putting it away for the winter I swapped out the 3.46LSD I had for an 2.93LSD. the 3.46 was really fun but I think it would be too short for boost!





Remember to bring your pup with you into the garage!


What do you guys think of this fan...... I know its close... I know most people run an electric... I'm open to any suggestions on a cheap one!? or has anyone tried to get away with the standard fan clutch... I shaved the fins slightly so they wouldnt hit the radiator.. so far no issues 2 years and some aggressive driving later.




Mission 1: Tap oil drain into timing cover.

Goodbye front bumper + radiator and intake manifold




Decided to use a drill bit to hold to the flywheel in place.


Well that worked.....


After some serious struggle... finally got that harmonic balancer bolt out!




Brought the timing cover to work and cleaned it up, replaced crank seal and tapped a fitting for the oil drain!







Also stripped the exhaust so I could test fit things





Okay screw test fitting I'm gonna wrap this manifold and just put it on

first time wrapping a manifold. It went pretty good I think but I would do a few things different next time. namely wrapping upward so that the stainless straps are less noticable.. oh well





yup... its gonna be tight.. thats for sure



I'm not quite sure how I'm gonna fit a downpipe here.


Barely clears


My dog doesn't think it'l work


maybe this adapter is too long... I dont think there will be room for a vband clamp... might try to shorten this up... or find a shorter 5 bolt to vband adapter



meanwhile a few weeks earlier I made cardboard cut outs of various intercooler sizes... I know people have mounted 24x12x3 intercoolers... but I wanted to route the pipping under the headlights and I wasnt sure.. It looks too tight to me.



I settled on an 18x12x3 to make sure I could fit under the headlights.. made some quick brackets. mounted it up.





ECU came last week too!... feeling very broke!



Meanwhile. this week my daily broke... not what I wanted to be spending money on. but spent a hunk of the weekend fixing my e91 wagon. If anyone has to fix the crankcase vent on these, its integrated into the valve cover and pays 5.6 hours on alldata.... also it kinda sucks





In other news I ordered some VDO gauges from egauges.com back in september... I've called and emailed them numerous times and now they are saying the gauges I ordered aren't even being produced anymore.. I cancelled my order and got a refund being very frustrated... So I'm on the lookout for some "CHEAP" gauges.. I want a vacuum/boost gauge and an Oil pressure gauge that match and look decent, I dont need anything special, but they have to match, any suggestions are appreciated... I found some decent bosch ones but it was a "mechanical" oil pressure gauge and I have no interest in running a pressurized oil line into my dash, that just sounds stupid to me.... I picked up a pod holder down in the stock ash tray location. I also already have an AFR gauge and a one of those Voltmeters that fit in the e30 dash they sell here on the forums.

Thats most of what I have for now. I'll start updating with more photo's each week! Early January I have a buddy coming up with his welder to help me do some exhaust and fab work! hopefully get a downpipe worked out that weekend!

[mitchlikesbikes]

looks nice! i'm m50/6spd swapping mine right now but hope to do a similar turbo build next winter. i am running nice OEM looking vdo gauges in my car. i have voltage, oil pressure, and oil temp ones. i got the gauges and senders from summit for a decent price but i'm not sure if they make a matching boost gauge.

what are you doing for a turbo feed line?


you should definitely go electric fan. here is a link to the markert motorworks electric fan how to. i am doing a standalone setup like is posted at the bottom with a separate relay and everything because i don't trust my stock fan wiring. for a turbo car i wouldn't cheap out on a fan. i am running a derale i already had that is like 1800cfm, but you should run at least 2000cfm or better for a turbo application. summit produces their own that have good reviews, they are basically SPAL knock offs but cheaper.

https://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=210783&t=210783

[SirMaxximus]

looks nice! i'm m50/6spd swapping mine right now but hope to do a similar turbo build next winter. i am running nice OEM looking vdo gauges in my car. i have voltage, oil pressure, and oil temp ones. i got the gauges and senders from summit for a decent price but i'm not sure if they make a matching boost gauge.

what are you doing for a turbo feed line?


you should definitely go electric fan. here is a link to the markert motorworks electric fan how to. i am doing a standalone setup like is posted at the bottom with a separate relay and everything because i don't trust my stock fan wiring. for a turbo car i wouldn't cheap out on a fan. i am running a derale i already had that is like 1800cfm, but you should run at least 2000cfm or better for a turbo application. summit produces their own that have good reviews, they are basically SPAL knock offs but cheaper.

https://www.r3vlimited.com/board/sho...10783&t=210783

Awesome I'll check out summit for pricing.. I like the VDO vision series but after a sender and whatnot it ends up being like $90 for a really basic oil pressure gauge... I'm probably just getting to the frugal part of my purchasing now that I'm starting to run out of parts to buy! Maybe I'lll look into the summit brand fan's then! I love the idea of a SPAL knock off! haha

heres a link to the oil feed line I bought. Its already made to the right size for 24v motor top mount style. feeding it off the back of the oil housing.

https://rallyroad.net/collections/forced-induction/products/turbooilfeedline

also if you have a vanos motor. heres a link to an adapter that will keep your vanos oil feed line in place and add another fitting for your feed line

https://rallyroad.net/collections/forced-induction/products/vanosbanjooilsupplyfitting

Thats how I'm planning on running it!

[mitchlikesbikes]

Awesome I'll check out summit for pricing.. I like the VDO vision series but after a sender and whatnot it ends up being like $90 for a really basic oil pressure gauge... I'm probably just getting to the frugal part of my purchasing now that I'm starting to run out of parts to buy! Maybe I'lll look into the summit brand fan's then! I love the idea of a SPAL knock off! haha

heres a link to the oil feed line I bought. Its already made to the right size for 24v motor top mount style. feeding it off the back of the oil housing.

https://rallyroad.net/collections/forced-induction/products/turbooilfeedline

also if you have a vanos motor. heres a link to an adapter that will keep your vanos oil feed line in place and add another fitting for your feed line

https://rallyroad.net/collections/forced-induction/products/vanosbanjooilsupplyfitting

Thats how I'm planning on running it!

that's a cool setup for a turbo feed. i'll have to bookmark those for future use haha. i am using an adapter block that attaches where the oil pressure sensor is so i was curious if you were doing the same. you could definitely use one for your gauges if you don't have a plan for those senders yet.

[SirMaxximus]

that's a cool setup for a turbo feed. i'll have to bookmark those for future use haha. i am using an adapter block that attaches where the oil pressure sensor is so i was curious if you were doing the same. you could definitely use one for your gauges if you don't have a plan for those senders yet.

Yea I have a little adapter already worked out for that.. basically a really small oil distribution block. but it has all the spots I'll need covered. I'm sure you could use that same AN-4 line and attach it to your adapter block.. It fits nice on the M50 and has just enough slack so I'm sure you could reach if needed.

[SirMaxximus]

Pic of random parts piled up. not all my parts going in. but a hunk of them



Installed the ARP head studs yesterday! Did it the ghetto way (one at a time) without removing the head, chain or gasket. hopefully keep my head in one place under some boost!

[ak-]

Yay another boost build.

Wyntonm Ebay Wastegate

So little story on this brand - Lots of good reviews and such, I had 3 friends using them successfully on their builds so I bought a 44mm one for my M20.
I blew the diaphragm on it not once, but twice when I ordered another one thinking it was a fluke. So now they're cool <$100 desk paper weights. I bought a TiAL after that's served me well for years and is doing great even today.
My point is be careful and try to do things right the first time. Make absolutely sure you enable the boost cut off parameter on Megasquirt so you don't feed your engine 50psi if the diaphragm decides to let go on yours too.

Also, not sure if you want to go through wrapping the manifold again, but you're encouraged to dump the wrap into water before applying for a nice tight fit.

sub'd

[mitchlikesbikes]

your thread got me curious as to the VDO boost gauge, and it looks like VDO does make a nice OEM+ looking analog boost gauge called the "cockpit" series. that's what style my gauges are and i love them.

i will stay tuned to see the results with your "Ghetto way" of installing the ARPs as my engine had them installed the same way and i plan to boost it soonish. hopefully yours holds up great and gives me some confidence in the stock gasket at reasonable power levels!

[KIRIEIW]

Meanwhile. this week my daily broke... not what I wanted to be spending money on. but spent a hunk of the weekend fixing my e91 wagon. If anyone has to fix the crankcase vent on these, its integrated into the valve cover and pays 5.6 hours on alldata.... also it kinda sucks

Jeez, 5.6 fru that's some gravy man! BMW pays us 3.2 to replace the valve cover/ gasket on a N52 e9x, and that includes installing the part and the test drive afterwords to make sure you did the job right. Nice job on the build so far.

[SirMaxximus]

Jeez, 5.6 fru that's some gravy man! BMW pays us 3.2 to replace the valve cover/ gasket on a N52 e9x, and that includes installing the part and the test drive afterwords to make sure you did the job right. Nice job on the build so far.

yea Mate it wasn't too hard, definitely annoying and more time consuming than I expected tho. I was surprised at that number as well...

So little story on this brand - Lots of good reviews and such, I had 3 friends using them successfully on their builds so I bought a 44mm one for my M20.
I blew the diaphragm on it not once, but twice when I ordered another one thinking it was a fluke. So now they're cool <$100 desk paper weights. I bought a TiAL after that's served me well for years and is doing great even today.
My point is be careful and try to do things right the first time. Make absolutely sure you enable the boost cut off parameter on Megasquirt so you don't feed your engine 50psi if the diaphragm decides to let go on yours too.

Also, not sure if you want to go through wrapping the manifold again, but you're encouraged to dump the wrap into water before applying for a nice tight fit.

sub'd

Yea I had read some good experiences as well but was pretty unsure still with an ebay wastegate... If I have any issues with it whatsoever I wont cheap out next time for sure, at that price point I figured it was worth the try.

i will stay tuned to see the results with your "Ghetto way" of installing the ARPs as my engine had them installed the same way and i plan to boost it soonish. hopefully yours holds up great and gives me some confidence in the stock gasket at reasonable power levels!

I've seen people have pretty good success with it at sub 10psi boost levels. We will see for sure!

[paynemw]

i will stay tuned to see the results with your "Ghetto way" of installing the ARPs as my engine had them installed the same way and i plan to boost it soonish. hopefully yours holds up great and gives me some confidence in the stock gasket at reasonable power levels!

This is definitely ghetto.

As far as OEM BMW head gaskets... they're the best. There's a reason why the BMW ones are more expensive than others.

[SirMaxximus]

Found a 16" SPAL on craigslist for $60 today!! That'l do!

[jeenyus]

https://podi.ca/

I really like these gauges. You probably will too.

I'm curious if you want to give me some insight on the e91? I'm really wanting to purchase one. I'd be changing from a B6 A4 3.0 V6 to the e91. I've been holding off for a manual. What are some pros and cons you see with it being your daily driver? How is the storage on them? Feels like it might be slightly small.

[SirMaxximus]

https://podi.ca/

I really like these gauges. You probably will too.

I'm curious if you want to give me some insight on the e91? I'm really wanting to purchase one. I'd be changing from a B6 A4 3.0 V6 to the e91. I've been holding off for a manual. What are some pros and cons you see with it being your daily driver? How is the storage on them? Feels like it might be slightly small.

#1 I like podi gauges too but don't wanna spend that much at the moment. I'd love to upgrade to one of those podi vent gauges at some point in the future.

#2 I'm sorry to hear that your suffering in that 3.0 A4. I'd say the e91 is about the same size as a B6 A4 wagon. Its not huge but I constantly use it for hiking and trips and can stuff an amazing amount of gear in the back as well as my dog sometimes. I was also looking for a 6 speed version. I ended up flying about 4 states away to get mine and driving it home. Try surfing e90post forums, they have a bunch of e91 guys that are constantly surfing and posting available e91's...

Otherwise its an extremely reliable and tough car, mines almost at 170k and it drives and feels like a brand new car still. The real key is finding one thats been maintained well... As with any BMW, the oil pan gasket will eventually leak, oil filter housing gasket and valve cover gaskets are common. The intake and exhaust cam solenoids are common (take them out and clean them occasionally when your doing an oil change, this prevents the issue and they are right up front and easy to get to)... I've thoroughly enjoyed mine, its an absolute joy to drive. One of its main downsides I see with it as my daily is its sometimes a bit too smart for its own good. Just stupid things like electronic oil dipstick, ect. If you do get one tho, look for one with the sports seats, possibly the best seats I've ever sat in! All in all, It's not the quickest thing around, but extremely fun to drive still, and she's an absolute looker.

[jeenyus]

Thank you so much for the reply! Really good information. I'll have to fly somewhere to buy mine. Hopefully CA to avoid the rust buckets in my surrounding states. I'll keep you posted! Thanks again!