MLM

Hey all, I have jus test driven an E30 1989 318i as a potential car for the GF. On the test drive I noted a few things: 1) The rev counter, fuel usage and mileometer was not going and there was a bit of tape covering the service lights. Is this a major or could this be a fuse which runs this all blown somewhere. The owner was surprised as this was apparently working previously 2) The engine also had a ticking from the rocker cover. Is this an adjustment thing or wear and tear? The car had 188,000kays on the clock with a full service history and a rust free body. however i dont want to buy a bunch of problems electrically or mechanically. Also any other advice on what to look for on this model would be great.

Thanks Glenn, The least time on the dyno the better for figuring these things out. The throttle body abd the plenum butt up against one another with a rubber sleeve joining the two with hose clamps. I had intended to take a number of set lengths for quick swap overs for which I could plot the results in excel and interpolate intermediate lengths. I do like the sliding arangement idea though would make infinately variable adjustments possible. The factory adjustable cam gears are a bonus! When it comes to final setup and tune i may find a bit more power here.

Thanks for your help guys, I will give this a go and see the results.

If i have understood you propperly. This is the theory I am running with so that I can run the engine to investigate runner length etc. I wont pick up any power until its tuned propperly. Ignoring the fact its ITB, from the ecu point of view it effectivly has an increased throttle diameter. Therefore for a given throttle position the mass air flow would (potentially) be greater, hopefully within the ecu's parameters. The engine should run safely if not at its optimum untill its tuned.

Awesome, Thanks Glenn. This is whats happening http://www.bimmersport.co.nz/forums/index....showtopic=28044 The advice I have so far is to put the ITB's on with a standard map so it can be run on the dyno to determine correct runner length. By increasing length in 50mm increments for example I can see how the engine responds. This then allow me to design a plenum and runners to suit the engine. Theoretically I would need ~430mm runners to achive usable power. However there is nothing like real world testing. While the itb's will be running with a standard map for this process the ecu should see a mass airflow at a certain rpm and temp and throttle position and allocate fuel and spark to match. However seeing as i have no O2 sensor it will will not correct itself if it is wrong. At this point im just figuring a plan of attack. Also this is only temporary for testing before a appropriate map is sorted.

Hi Guys, I have some mods i would like to do to my car which will potentially slightly alter air fuel ratios. Normally (i assume) this difference would be taken in to account by the ecu via the O2 sensor. Ie by sensing a rich/lean condition and adjust within its parameters. Thing is i dont appear to have an O2 sensor. There is none in the exhaust, the plug under the car has a blanking cap and the relay is blank also. Car is a '92 e36 318IS So my questions are: Is this correct. Did some e36 318is cars not have O2 sensors. If so does any one know why? (e30s have them right? therfore its a backward step in terms of ecu control) Is it possible its previously modified with a O2 delete, again any ideas why? If i dont have an O2 sensor how does the ecu know whats going on air fuel wise. Does it just run off a dumb map where TPS and MAF set fuel rates. Any help or insight much appreciated

They are 17"

Sorry to dig up an old thread but nothing completes a project thread like on the car pics.. Red "Time Attack" dosnt show very well here. Probably due to camera phone. Close ups

That ISO standard, does not guarantee a quality component it just ensures quality control processes are adhered to in the manufacture. Ie If is crap part due to design or materials it will be consistently crap. Are there other automotive standards to look for? I have seen TUV, DOT approved etc

SC is a well known mod for ~200Hp with lotsa torque. How close does the output line up over the lower half of the manifold. Could you sit the outlet over the lower half with the pulley in line? or extend the pulley out to suit?

Depending on how carried away i get, and of course bugdet, im am only planning to chip the stock ecu at this point. It would be nice to get rid of the air flow meter though with a link or similar.

Had a wee bit of a look to see how things may fit together today. But first here is the chopped and welded end of the plenum chamber. Im pretty sure its not factory and not particularly impressive from a flow point of view. But then the general design of the plenum is not that great anyway due to packaging constraints. It appears there are a set of water valves on the fire wall which feed the heater unit behind will be in the way. So thats why the plenum has been modded... They dont look to difficult to relocate if need be. Valve block inside yellow box Also on the "I wonder if thats ok/good enough" list is the brake booster vacuum feed from behind a single TB. Is this sufficient? would a vacuum log fed from all four runners be better? Again easy enough to do.

There are pics about somewhere but not since I put my refurbed wheels on so I wil get some updated ones up.. Yep was, Im the 3rd owner so the plenum chamber is a bit molested however i have ideas for a new, possibly carbon one if i can do it for the right price.

This is my first major project i have undertaken on my car. By starting a thread im hoping it will be a good way to document my progress for myself and others. For a while I have looked at tuning my M42 engine. Im not chasing outright numbers but rather the fun and learning which comes from messing about with engines. As part of this I happened to come across a set of Dbilas throttle bodies for a good price and therefore the start of the project. But for now this arrived yesterday. Making themselfs feel at home. More pics as progress is made.

I have pics of an M3 with red and black pics (leather and suede vader seats) BMWCAR magazine November 2008. If thats what you are after i will scan then at work and send them to you.

Im currently going throught the learnig curve of havng parts sent privatly from denmark. There has been a bit of toing and froing with customs and i am expecting to get hit for duty. This may be due to it being from a private seller making customs more wary. On the other hand i have bought from Turner motorsport and had parts in my hand in a few days with customs having opened the package to check. It all seems a bit hit and miss. However if plan for customs to take their cut there wont be any surprises. The best source of info is the customs website.

Yeah it is pricey unfortunatly, cant remember the cost. We bought a small tin and was impressed with the area we managed to cover.

+1 POR 15 is good stuff. I have used it on a cobra chassis before and worked very well. The finish is very hard and would wear well, can be brushed on. I think it bonds chemically with the metal as it says on the tin that it light surface rust is ok to paint over which saves any priming and cleaning. Check first though could be wrong on the last bit.

Hmm let me see. (fires up Solidworks)

Your car would be fine. Only reqirements are warrent and rego. Most cars were road cars with the exception of us and a few others.

Ah fame at last!

Great Discussion. Hope you dont mind me putting in an attempt at an explanation, I hope to learn somthing. The reason for the 4 electrodes (in my mind) is to aid the burn of fuel in the chamber or more specifically how the flame front proresses through the chamber. The spark is not a momentary flash but has a duration which as it ignites fuel (air/petrol mix) would be disrupted by the incoming charge and exiting burnt fuel as it progresses through the head and in the flame front in the chanber. 4 Electrodes provides greater chance of complete ignition (the spark always takes the path of least resistance) at the required moment in a way which the flame front can progress in a predictable most efficient manor. This is my thoughts. Is that a reasonable explanation?

If i read that correctly you are right on both counts. The brake is released when the clutch is let out. If the signal was interupted via a swith they would stay on until the secondary switch closed/opened. This could be done with an adjustable timer maybe. Dropping the clutch with a set of wheels locked would put alot of load on the gearbox and diff.

The kit in the link is to stop you rolling backward or forward on the start line and wont control whether your wheels spin or not. A lauch control which limits the power to the wheels via ignition cut may be more useful for getting off the line without lots of wheel spin. Depends what your looking for, a way to control wheel spin or a way to stop rolling at the start line or maybe both. I have seen luanch control which Heath is talking about as a little box you can add which does the job without an aftermarket ecu.

I just did my RC's. Check the thread out if you havnt already. $400 per rim is an huge amount of dollars! Are they worth $1600 + initial purchase price of th rim to you? I went the more expencive options and spent ~$300 all up. Powder coat may be a cheaper option in satin black. If you are a hands on kinda person you could save some $$ with some elbow grease.