E30 Mtech 1 323 Birthday.

[Jacko 2157]

Just looked at the paperwork on the BC's

Front and rear springs rates are 6kg/mm (336 lb/in)

Hows this compare to yours APT?

Edited December 8, 2010 by Jacko

[Jacko 2157]

Shes rollllling

Engine goes in tommorrow, sort out the wiring, make a new gearbox crossmember and start fabricating the exhaust. Then turn the key and see what happens

[Jacko 2157]

Forgot the camera again, but shes looking more and more like a drivable car. Take pics tommorrow

Got the engine in, had to grind a rib on the M50 block to clear the huge early E30 starter. Getting the engine in wasnt too much of a nightmare, its tight on the firewall side though.

Got the gearbox crossmember modded and bolted in, think I might have to do something about the shifter console, its all on the piss.

Whiteline front bar is in. What a bitch. They are about 10mm too short I think, the bushes ride up hard in the radius's and make installation a total mare. In fact the rear bar looks too narrow as well. Its all in though, hopefully the bushes are up to the job. Added to the fact the kit came with half the bolts AWOL, im not that impressed. Gonna email whiteline as the fit is really sh*t, and could be way better. They are however EPICALLY stiff. Serious go-kart stuff.

Lowered the front end, got some cool stance going on, the sway bars are so stiff that undoing the tophat on one strut is pointless as the swaybar doesnt allow it too drop. Makes it very entertaining when adjusting the ride height.

[Jacko 2157]

Anyone else swapped an M50/260 into an early E30?

Im looking at my pressed steel shifter console and the wacky angle its on, and im not liking it, im also scratching my head working out how to fix it. Its distorting the rear mount something chronic.

Google aint helping

[polley 916]

The steel shifter console really is a bitch to try and make work. In the end I think I used longer bolts and a bunch of washers to space it out and twist it around so it was usable. It wasnt pretty and the gearshifter wasnt centered but it was drivable. Even a non modified FL shifter is worlds better, (and easier to modify) if your gearbox has the mounts for it.

[Jacko 2157]

I think mine predates the mounts for the alloy console, not 100% on that though.

Can you tell from this ?

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

I might have to get my grind/weld on

[polley 916]

It dosent have the mount. Get your grind / weld on

[Jacko 2157]

Pics -

First couple are of the wank angle of the whiteline bars. Its like they copied the factory bars dimensions, but didnt take in the fact that thicker bars makes the distance between the bends smaller. On the rear it shows up as the sway links on an angle (as the ends line up directly with the centre of the U lugs on the arms) Could be fixed by fabricating some L mounts and bolting them to the arms.

Engine in pics, Tig'ed on some studs to the lower strap of the radiator (think its a E36 328 one) so it mounts like the factory e30 one.

^ Wanky console angle, needs bashing.

Edited December 11, 2010 by Jacko

[polley 916]

Looking pretty sweet, should go well.

What engine mounts are you using? And how much space do you have between your sump and steering rack? Looking at the distance between the booster and the manifold, it looks like it sitting quite high?

Edit: Nvm, you have a different booster.

Edited December 11, 2010 by polley

[Jacko 2157]

E24/28 M5/6 mounts, Yup using renault clio booster, fits shweet and from what ive read actually improves braking on an E30. Also has the one way valve mounted on the booster, so looks cleaner too

Theres roughly 15-20mm room between the rack/crossmember.

Gearbox mounts are late E21 ones, they are a bit beefier than the stock ones. Bigger stud on them too so had to open up gearbox and cross member holes, but no biggy.

Had a go at hooking up the heater hoses this arvo, got the top one on (from the "spider" hose) but the lower one doesnt have a hope of fitting on. I bought an M50 E36 lower hose and its totally wrong. Wondering if the M20 one fits? Whats everyone use? its a tight little space and I keep getting kinks however I work the E36 hose (even when cut down)

Edited December 11, 2010 by Jacko

[polley 916]

I think I used e34 m20 mounts, I dont have my car here but I think it sits lower than that.

I think I just used the m20 hose that went from the back of the head to the heatercore.

[Jacko 2157]

Whatya rekon about welding a bracket into the tunnel to attach the console in the perfect spot, so its no longer mounted to the gear box?

I assume its mounted to the box to stop the engine moving around popping it out of gear, but I wonder if its really necessary?

Edited December 11, 2010 by Jacko

[polley 916]

Isnt it AKG or someone who sells the shifters that are mounted to the car itself? I think hybrid has one in his car.

[Jacko 2157]

Had a think about it and...

In the end I think I used longer bolts and a bunch of washers to space it out and twist it around so it was usable. It wasnt pretty and the gearshifter wasnt centered but it was drivable.

^ Did this. Can get 5th, but one wouldnt want it any more on the turps! Can live with it.

Started fabricating the exhaust, rear set of primaries are done, they look pretty friggin sexy, wrapping around the steering flexjoint. However I dropped the steering universal joint doofa out for ease of fabrication, and found that the rubber plate in the centre is toast. The one bushy thing I forgot to buy. DOH! Itll probably have to wait till later.

Finally got an alternator bolt couriered out, pity it didnt fit, too short. Went on a mission to steel master (onehunga) and they hooked me up. M10x150 FTW.

M20 heater hose is the one for the back of the head to the lower heater core fitting, it fits perfect. Sure I read E36 on the interwebs, but it dont have a hope of fitting.

Got the radiator in, dunno how everyone says you can get a 16" fan in the front. I just got a 14" fan in, but I have the factory forward baffle too.

Finish wiring and exhaust tommorrow, turn the key wednesday

[Forrest 35]

If I was you I would try one of these for the steering flexi joint

http://store.nexternal.com/shared/StoreFro...Count2=39451241

Fark can't hotlink it, go to E30 -> performance parts -> sus. + steering then click on the urethane steering coupling at the bottom of the page $20.00

Atleast guinea pig it for me and find out what it's like, cheap too.

It's on my 'to do list'

Edited December 13, 2010 by Brams

[Jacko 2157]

Sweet, mate has one in his cosworth, was perving at it today wondering if it'd fit in the E30 (he was bragging about how much cooler his car is with its red coupler...egg) Good too know you can get em for E30, ill order one after christmas.

Liking these too - https://store.nexternal.com/ireland/images/...ustableendl.jpg

Edited December 13, 2010 by Jacko

[Jacko 2157]

Is anyone able to tell me which pin & plug (blue/white) on the instrument cluster is road speed?

All my kingdom for a 85 323 wiring diagram I tells ya.

Oh, and where can I get vacuum line for the booster?, aparently it actually has too be specific brake booster vacuum lines for the cert.

Edited December 14, 2010 by Jacko

[polley 916]

Yeah it has to be brake line or it will collapse under vacuum. Will have a look at my diagrams now and find which wire it is.

[Jacko 2157]

Cheers man, Legend. Thanks for the help, its the last wire left!

Edited December 14, 2010 by Jacko

[polley 916]

Its pin 12, brown wire with red stripe. Not sure if it is the blue or white plug, just check both plugs for that colour wire on pin 12. It is a pulsed ground. This is the speed input wire from the diff.

[Jacko 2157]

Beauty, that'll do it, thanks.

[Jacko 2157]

Turned the key....

Started first pop!

Sounded like a 300,000km mitzy engine for about 2 minutes, was slightly worried! But once she got oil flowing again its nice and quiet. Those lifters havent seen oil pressure in a long time!

Nothings leaking, no particularly weirdness noted. Stoked as!

Sounds F-ing tough too, very happy with the exhaust note

Got a few things to sort out engine wise, aint got no temperature gauge, and the oil level doesnt seem to be working. I dumped near 6L into it, and its below the bottom notch of the dipstick, thinking maybe the engine oil of a seriously drained engine is more than the service capacity (5.75L?) and the warning light may actually be working correctly.

Meh, Easy sh*t. It works!

[APT 195]

Good sh*t man!

[Jacko 2157]

^ That exactly what I said when it started.

Even hooking up the battery for the first time had me a tad worried! Once I had turned all the wipers/indicators/hazards/fan etc off that my a**hole mates had turned on when I wasnt watching and flicked the key all the head scratching/running around was worth it

Obviously got the exhaust finished (6-2-1 headers to 2.5", coby in the middle and one of those DTM style mufflers on the tail), driveshaft back in and the wiring finished.

Now needs interior, brakes, and a clutch, big coolant bleed and a serious wheel alignment its on the piss so much it feel like the handbrake is on when pushing it around. Have to wait till next week, off to seattle tommorrow.

[thorburn 121]

Congrats. Looking forward to seeing this thing running