Operation: Weapons Grade

[hybrid 1043]

Update:

Next on the list was the intake plenium clearance. The heater pipes were in the road.

Brendon took around an inch off the pipes. to fit the new samco heater pipes. Yes .. bloody samco heater pipes. lol

Out the come. Tissue paper to stop my pet hate of coolant all over the carpet

Needed to shorten the pipes. And I wanted to test out my new dremel tool:) 33,000rpm cutting tools rule.

Test fit the hoses, had to sort out the gromet to fit the hoses. More dremel action. No photos on this, but I needed a face mask as it was like doing a burn out in rays workshop .. the smoke that came off it was insane.

Inside fitment

finished position .. will clamp it up when everything is put together

Next is the oil cooler and headers mock up. Also a shed load of parts inbound from BMW

[Nobimmer 694]

Sweeeeet! Good to see you got it all done. Came out pretty damn tidy too!

[E30-323ti 66]

More dremel action. No photos on this, but I needed a face mask as it was like doing a burn out in rays workshop .. the smoke that came off it was insane.

LMAO that would be 'cause the best tool to use is a wet knife/blade.

[bravo 35]

I might be wrong, but the sway bar will hit the headers as the suspension compresses over bumps if it has the same or similar geometry as a stock one.

[hybrid 1043]

LMAO that would be 'cause the best tool to use is a wet knife/blade.

Haha nah, you have to remember the rubber is 20+ years old and would split. using the mini rotational sander you can slowly route it out too size and check clearences each time for a perfect fit and surface without over shooting the mark.

I might be wrong, but the sway bar will hit the headers as the suspension compresses over bumps if it has the same or similar geometry as a stock one.

yes you're correct, the welder is coming up and we will probably chop after the collector and weld on some new pipe. Either that or you can dent where the sway bar is. More on all that next week

[OLLIE 26]

you pick up the steering coupling ok josh?

[hybrid 1043]

Not yet thanks ollie. I will pop up tomorrow and grab it... very busy week unfortunitly for me

[hybrid 1043]

Sorry for the lack of updates .. We have actually been working on the car just doing a lot of prep work and setting up for the new modified headers.

Quite a bit of cutting on the #6 pipe and re shaping. While keeping it eqaul length and no sharp angles was no mean feat. A friend of the missus has done all the welding work, having gone solo after spending his time working on some big budget race car projects in his time .. and his tig welding workmanship shows. Great to have some one like him on board.

4 areas of concern

1 #6 hits the firewall

2 Rear pipe collector touched the Sway Bar

3 #6 fowled the steering colum

4 Post collector long pipes need to be modified to hug the body better while retaining the correct length to the mid muffler as not to effect torque.

With out further ado.

Test fitting the new modified pipes.

Top view.

Underneath.

Shortened and reflanged to provide a more liner path. O2 sensors to be retapped into new secondary pipes.

Tig welded factory flanges .. super stoked on the job done so far.

Welded to factory outlet flanges.

This is before we installed the steering rack back in to check. you can see the lack of clearance we have to play with.. but we will get there

Now the steering doesn't quite clear the number 6 just yet .. so a little rework is going to be needed .. however we will have something later this week hopefully

[hybrid 1043]

This arrived yesterday all the way from the U S of A .. 7 week wait but well worth it.

[kerry 10]

jellos , whats one worth bud

[Guest Ari Gold]

Josh, are you going to flow test the modified headers?

[hybrid 1043]

$1033 incl GST and incl Delivery to door.

from here

http://fortyone.co.nz/parts/show/225/Fluid...20Radiator.html

Great to deal with, just have to allow for manufacture to make it up.

[kerry 10]

daaaaam $$$$$ good on ya though , at least you know its going to do the job

[hybrid 1043]

Josh, are you going to flow test the modified headers?

No because attention to length and secondary pipe length has been keep to factory spec. The only difference is the o2 sensors will run slight further down from the collectors. Sensors are the preheated type so getting up to operating temprature isnt a problem.

[hybrid 1043]

daaaaam $$$$$ good on ya though , at least you know its going to do the job

yeah ... was feeling rich before xmas lol

We reckon about 2 weeks and we will be firing it up ... Im discussing custom stainless TIG welded dual pipes .. to keep the s50b32's signature sound. Im just doing a little research into the 'X pipe' arrangement and what distance from the secondaries we should keep it. Also having a sh*t of a time finding decent mufflers in this country!

I really want it to sound 'piffy' and not droney or too crackley.

[Braeden320 0]

Nice work on the welding, Bloody Tidy

[kerry 10]

from what i can gather the x pipe is important with resonance and flow so would be a good idea to keep it, my exhaust resonates alot from not keeping it factory spec ,i have a bullet in the center also which im going to put on backwards to help with that, also from what ive found the x pipe should be about half way through your tans and then collect about the end of your front chassis rail, just my 2c

Edited February 10, 2010 by kerry

[hybrid 1043]

from what i can gather the x pipe is important with resonance and flow so would be a good idea to keep it, my exhaust resonates alot from not keeping it factory spec ,i have a bullet in the center also which im going to put on backwards to help with the that, also from what ive found the x pipe should be about half way through your tans and then collect about the end of your front chassis rail, just my 2c

Cheers! .. It's been a fun ride researching the crap out of everything .. Brendon has done even more than me on other topics of the car. I actually wonder sometimes how so of the overseas guys get themselves into such a mess. I mean its all on the net .. and some other person has done it before you and posted it. Just need to follow the yellow brick road and try and do it better

[kerry 10]

i love projects , keeps the mind busy and at the same time happy , keep up the good work

[Andre3000 55]

I really want it to sound 'piffy' and not droney or too crackley.

i got my remus from woolfe mufflers on dominion road. i recommend

[dubman 39]

i got my remus from woolfe mufflers on dominion road. i recommend

+1. woofle muffler's are real friendly, and has been around for a long time.

[CamB 48]

Just need to follow the yellow brick road and try and do it better

I think the problem is usually when people do "cheaper" rather than "better". I accept that as a general concept (not everyone is made of money), but not when you're going down the path with a $8k engine.

[hybrid 1043]

+1. woofle muffler's are real friendly, and has been around for a long time.

Will give them a phone to check but they stopped doing remus some time ago. Also remus dont so a s50 3.2 euro muffler. They do 2 x m-coupe ones but not looking at this point to do qaud exhaust .. (I am mildy temped however it will require some major surgeryto the tec1 bumper .. which might drive the panel budget up quite a bit.

I think the problem is usually when people do "cheaper" rather than "better". I accept that as a general concept (not everyone is made of money), but not when you're going down the path with a $8k engine.

Yeah very true. TBH the whole thing has costed around the same as what you would spend on a excellent condition road legal m3. Why its taken a long time.

[Nobimmer 694]

sh*t your progress is awesome. Good stuff bro.

[hybrid 1043]

No photos this time ... Still playing paddy cake with the headers vs steering rack input shaft vs steering coupling vs sway bar. Its pretty got darn complicated so we are shipping the car down the the welders workshop for him to complete.

While it's down there it will be getting a custom twin 2 1/4 inch mandrel bend stainless exhaust system to be welded up. Complete with X Pipe. Still sussing the muffler out .. but we are looking around two weeks for a test fire

A LOT of parts in bound from germany .. hopefully some of the last orders ... I feel sorry for Gary @ JC. My email to him today went something like this.

"Hey mate, Sorry to f**k up your friday afternoon .... "

erm .. Oh and I managed to drop the brake booster into be painted.

That and I curbed my right rear Works wheel on the e46 yesterday .... most of the way around ...

It will be off to Arrow wheels on moday to be sorted out. Its only curb rash .. but it broke my 2 1/2 year record of not stuffing them.

Oh and a massive thanks to Ashkan for the lend of the gearbox cross member while mines on back order. cheers dude, without it we could complete the headers next week.