A Chad

Hi Team, I've been lurking on here for a while but never committed to writing up a project summary for my Beamer, so here it goes. I picked up my 1993 E34 back in 2015 for the grand sum of $3000 with north of 250,000Km on the clock. It was not running very well, it leaked all kinds of colors and the clutch was poked as was the suspension. The positive points were that it had a manual transmission and an M52B28 fitted instead of the original M50B25. Thanks mainly to the color, the car quickly earned the nickname 'Ronin' after the Dunkelblau M5 'getaway car' that features in the movie of the same name. This Ronin however was not getaway ready, but I think I've rectified that deficiency. The first job was to fix the tired clutch, which I sorted by going to an E30 race series favorite carbon-kevlar unit. I matched the new clutch with a single mass flywheel from a 318i E30 and this combo is still going strong today. To rectify the driveline challenges in the car I have replaced the tired G240 E30 transmission with a G220 E46 unit. This also required the change from a 3.92 differential to a 3.19 ratio unit which results in 2,700Rpm @ 100Kph which feels ideal. After the gearbox swap I put some effort into the shifter connection which required some modification to work with the newer gearbox. I have gone with a Turner Motorsport shift bush kit and an Ruf adjustable short shifter. Topped off with a leather Msport knob & boot it feels incredible to row through the box. Regarding the tired suspension, this received a full refresh as did the steering linkages. I went with Bilstein HD shock absorbers and H&R sport springs which seems to be a good combo for decent stiffness whilst retaining relative comfort. Now that the driveline is sound and the suspension is sorted, it's time for some power. As it sat, the power delivery was very 'lumpy' with holes in the torque band and lost torque. I fitted the larger M50 intake manifold and matched it up with a set of M3 injectors, I then fitted one of those trick LINK ECU E36 G4X computers. Luckily the 93' E34 525i ECU is identical to the 325i E36 which made the LINK ECU a direct plug in job. After a dyno tune I've ended up with a claimed 234Hp and 300Nm, which is a healthy step up from the original output and more than enough to really enjoy hustling the car. Most importantly the power delivery is now beautifully linear and plenty of torque is available from 2,500RPM, so the larger intake manifold has not hurt the bottom end appreciably. I am also impressed with the car's performance considering it is still breathing through a decat M50 exhaust and manifold from the original engine configuration, perhaps something to look at in future. After the engine tuning I decided to finally get the whole thing engineering certified, which it passed with flying colours. The latest round of modifications have been purely aesthetic. I have made up some BMW dealer plate surrounds, fitted some EU spec yellow high beam tints and installed clear indicator lenses. I have also recently fitted some staggered Hartge 17"wheels (reproductions I believe), wrapped with 235 wide rubber in the front and 255 wide rubber in the back. This has been a very worthwhile modification, as the original 225/55 R16 rear tires, even with Bridgestone RE003 rubber made first and second gear difficult to utilize fully without breaking loose. I can now get off the line and give full power in dry conditions without loss of traction, which is very rewarding. Interior wise I have kept the car quite basic. It has full black leather seats robbed from a 540i which are in excellent condition, the dashboard is crack free and the AC blows cold after replacing a few aged components and re-gassing the system. Thanks to all the weight lost from the front end due to the combination of an all alloy engine and manual gearbox, turn in is brisk and the car changes direction with ease and feels very precise on windy roads. It does feel more like a comfortable 3 series than a 5 series when I compare it to E34s that I've driven with either six or eight cylinder power. The modifications that have been made to the 2.8L engine have resulted in enough power to really make the car scoot when needed, but not so much so that I can't enjoy revving it through the gears without losing my license. In all a pretty tidy package and I still enjoy owning 'Ronin' 8 years down the line.. I hope this wasn't too long a read...

So, As of yesterday my M52B28 powered BMW is running one of the Link G4X ECUs. It was dyno and road tuned and is currently running quite well. Plenty of torque in the low RPM range (pulls strong from 2000RPM) and a nice linear power delivery to redline. You might ask, "what do you want from us then?"... Well, take a look at the dyno printout below, specifically the comparison between the two curves, one curve is with VANOS engaged, one is with VANOS turned off. What we are looking at here is a significant reduction in power and torque with VANOS ON! I have my theories, please provide yours if you don't mind. - Could be that the intake cam is an aftermarket item? -Could it be that the intake cam has been set to be advanced even with VANOS off by previous owner? [Strange as I would expect to lose a great deal of low end torque if this is the case) FYI: VANOS unit was recently reconditioned and it is clearly engaging as we are seeing SOME sort of response on the dyno curve. Operation was also checked at time of reconditioning. The intake cam does not align with the cam lockout tool when the engine is at TDC.

'Dunkelblau' straight navy blue with no metallic or flake.

Well... It looks very 'used ' in these photos. it is booked in for a full paint job though, so very soon it will be a real looker.

PM sent.

I'm looking for a G240 gearbox only. I need a spare so that I can rebuild the one currently in my vehicle, so no other 'conversion' parts required, just the gearbox.

Hi all, I've been kicking around NZ euro car clubs for over a decade, so many older members here might remember me. I'm not known for owning Beamers in particular, I've had almost everything else though, including a foray into american muscle. I did however meet my wife through a shared love of the blue and white oval (she was an e30 fan girl when we first met, I had an Opel), my present project is potentially going to become an heirloom for our son... If I build it right that is. So, on to the current project. It is a 93' e34 that I purchased originally as a pile of parts, since then it has become effectively a tractor, being the only vehicle in the fleet with a tow bar. It's been with us for over 6 years now and through sheer competence and exemplary reliability, the old girl has earned a place in the family. So.... it's time for some TLC, and this old e34 is going to need a birthday.