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Old 04-04-2012, 04:53 AM   #16
cnaville210
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Default Small Update 4-3-2012

So I've been very busy with school, having Dynamics and Diff Eq. II exams this week, and a Thermodynamics one next week, but I managed to make a little bit of progress.

I unbolted the sub-frame and headers from the motor, and will begin removing the wiring harness next. All the accessories need to be pulled and the transmission needs to be unbolted. I'm waiting to get my engine stand back from a friend who is using it for his 2.3-16 Merc motor before I can paint the S52.

I also installed the M3 steering wheel, which is awesome! Slightly smaller diameter and much better hand positions. Plus a clean look as well(minus the torn thread ).

Lastly, I did some "behind the scenes" garage organization so that I can easily pull my shifter kart trailer out of the garage for when I need to work on the car, making things MUCH easier.

Here are the pictures of what I've done so far.











More to come after tomorrow, since I have till Friday to procrastinate for my Thermo exam and work on the car!
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Old 04-04-2012, 06:14 AM   #17
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Good to see you decided to use the steering wheel. Kudos.

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Old 04-04-2012, 06:53 AM   #18
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Yea that thing really WAS black! Unimog powerr. My dad and I restored it bottom to top. Good painting lesson! Really showed me just how much longer the prep takes than the painting. It really is worth the time and effort to do it right though.
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Old 04-08-2012, 07:24 AM   #19
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The cluster does bolt right in. But if you want the mpg gauge to work, you will need to do some wiring. The ti does not have the wire to the cluster for the MPG gauge.
The center console is the same on both cars, stick or auto. My ti was a 96 auto converted to a 5-speed. The M3 tranny bolted right up.
I dropped my M3 engine the same way you did yours. And I installed it complete with the transmission, the front subframe, steering rack, struts etc as a unit from the bottom of the ti. I would HIGHLY recommend as an alternative to a cherry picker and an instillation from the bottom. In fact, the last 5 engines I removed from various BMWs, I did this way.
One more thing. I installed my driveshaft from the M3 into the ti COMPLETE. No mix and match. No mods. The only time you need to mod the driveshaft is if you use the ti tranny which is shorter. The coupe, sedan and ti have the same wheelbase. I used a mid-case E28 rear diff on a M roadster rear subframe.
My local dealer would not touch my car to do the EWS. I am looking at alternatives. Maybe the EWS delete may be my best option. I need to contact AA for details.
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96 318ti (S52), 97 318ti, 95 318ti, 69 2002 (M20), 74 2002tii, 76 530i (3.3), 79 323i, 81 528i, 90 325i, 91 318is, 97 Z3, 2002 330i, 2002 R1150RT.
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Old 04-09-2012, 06:39 PM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Pierre View Post
The cluster does bolt right in. But if you want the mpg gauge to work, you will need to do some wiring. The ti does not have the wire to the cluster for the MPG gauge.
The center console is the same on both cars, stick or auto. My ti was a 96 auto converted to a 5-speed. The M3 tranny bolted right up.
I dropped my M3 engine the same way you did yours. And I installed it complete with the transmission, the front subframe, steering rack, struts etc as a unit from the bottom of the ti. I would HIGHLY recommend as an alternative to a cherry picker and an instillation from the bottom. In fact, the last 5 engines I removed from various BMWs, I did this way.
One more thing. I installed my driveshaft from the M3 into the ti COMPLETE. No mix and match. No mods. The only time you need to mod the driveshaft is if you use the ti tranny which is shorter. The coupe, sedan and ti have the same wheelbase. I used a mid-case E28 rear diff on a M roadster rear subframe.
My local dealer would not touch my car to do the EWS. I am looking at alternatives. Maybe the EWS delete may be my best option. I need to contact AA for details.
Thanks for the info! I'm glad the M3 driveshaft will work as a whole. What is the difference between the Z3 and ti rear subframe?

As for the mpg gauge, I will be eventually running the wires to make it work. I will probably be driving with the stock ti gauge for a while, since I sold the m3 one -_-. It will be entertaining at least to see the motor rev to "10k" rpm.
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Old 04-09-2012, 07:04 PM   #21
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Default subframe differences

I layed both subframes next to each other. Boy, what a difference. The M roadster subframe is more substantial. It's beefier, the mounts to the body are stronger, the control arms are significantly stronger, the rear hubs are larger, the half-shafts are bigger and the M brakes are huge.
Ideally, you should use an M roadster diff too. I was not so lucky to find one, at least not at a reasonable price. I am using an E28 LSD from a 535is with 3.25 ratio. It bolted right in and the driveshaft hooked up to it with no problem. I did have to use output flanges from an E30. They sanpped right in and bolted right up to the M roadster half-shafts.
I do not know if that holds true with the regular Z3 with regards to size differences with the ti subframe.
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96 318ti (S52), 97 318ti, 95 318ti, 69 2002 (M20), 74 2002tii, 76 530i (3.3), 79 323i, 81 528i, 90 325i, 91 318is, 97 Z3, 2002 330i, 2002 R1150RT.
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Old 04-13-2012, 07:10 PM   #22
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Pierre:
Wow awesome man, thank you. I wasn't positive on what diff/axle combo to use, nor the drive-shaft, but now I am. I will be trying to find a diff with regular e30 axles if I can. I read that I will be able to keep the outer section of the half-shafts from the ti, so that I can preserve the wheel speed sensors, but I may just end up switching over to the m-roadster sub-frame and hubs just for the bad-ass-ness of it. And so I can use the M3 rear brakes and have slotted rotors on all 4 corners.

Do you by any chance know the purposes of the 3 round plugs by the fuse box? The S52 harness has all three of them, while the ti chassis has only two, and an empty hole where the center one should go. I was thinking it was for the OBC or something? I have the wiring diagrams in the Bentley, so worst case I can look there, but if you know off the top of your head that'd be great.

How hard would it be to wire in the OBC on the ti? Is the chassis harness pre-wired for it? If it's the round center plug then definitely not.

On battery relocation did you modify the tool compartment with the stock battery box, or decide to go with a smaller motorcycle battery in the side pocket? The weather here in TX isn't ever very harsh, so cold starts shouldn't be a problem. I do possess the skill to cut a hole in the floor and re-weld and paint in a nice battery perch though, so that is an entirely feasible option.

Any noticeable unwanted rear brake bias when hitting the brakes during a weight transfer into a turn? I've read that the m rear brakes are too much for the 318ti, but maybe with the M3 fronts, it wouldn't be?

As far as the AC goes, did you have any trouble matching up parts or anything? I plan on pretty much running a complete M3 front end set up, firewall forward, and ditching almost all of the parts off the ti, including the ABS module and brake distributor thing, since the ti's are corroded all over.

Thanks for your time reading this.
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Old 04-14-2012, 06:48 AM   #23
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I suggest you get the swap manual from Jim Leach on this board. It's definitely worth the expense in saved time and aggravation.
The plugs by the fuse box is waht connects your engine harness to the body harness. The top part go to the engine and DME. They come with the S52 harness.
The third plug in most cases is for the Utomatic transmission. Some manual transmission cars have 3 plugs also. My M3 donor 5-speed had 3 plugs. It is at this plug that you need to run a wire to your cluster to make you mpg gauge work. Again, the manual describes the details of that procedure.
I have yet to get the car running. I am at the final stages. (EWS DME alignment.) I deleted my tool box and placed the battery in the battery box bolted to the floor of the toolbox floor.
My suspension is somewhat of a hodge podge, but until I get the car running, I won't invest into any componenets. The front was transplanted from the M3, complete. Bilstein Sport, Schnitzer sway bars and springs. My rear is currently stock ti since the M3 rear does not transfer. I am focusing on getting the mechanicals working and the car running before I deal with suspension and brakes, and eventually, the cosmetics
The AC transfers over complete. ABS modules, brake hydraulics at the master cylinder are different. They don't transfer over.
I hope this helps.
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96 318ti (S52), 97 318ti, 95 318ti, 69 2002 (M20), 74 2002tii, 76 530i (3.3), 79 323i, 81 528i, 90 325i, 91 318is, 97 Z3, 2002 330i, 2002 R1150RT.
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Old 04-23-2012, 06:33 PM   #24
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Pierre View Post
I suggest you get the swap manual from Jim Leach on this board. It's definitely worth the expense in saved time and aggravation.
The plugs by the fuse box is waht connects your engine harness to the body harness. The top part go to the engine and DME. They come with the S52 harness.
The third plug in most cases is for the Utomatic transmission. Some manual transmission cars have 3 plugs also. My M3 donor 5-speed had 3 plugs. It is at this plug that you need to run a wire to your cluster to make you mpg gauge work. Again, the manual describes the details of that procedure.
I have yet to get the car running. I am at the final stages. (EWS DME alignment.) I deleted my tool box and placed the battery in the battery box bolted to the floor of the toolbox floor.
My suspension is somewhat of a hodge podge, but until I get the car running, I won't invest into any componenets. The front was transplanted from the M3, complete. Bilstein Sport, Schnitzer sway bars and springs. My rear is currently stock ti since the M3 rear does not transfer. I am focusing on getting the mechanicals working and the car running before I deal with suspension and brakes, and eventually, the cosmetics
The AC transfers over complete. ABS modules, brake hydraulics at the master cylinder are different. They don't transfer over.
I hope this helps.
Thanks. I probably won't be getting the manual, since I started the project as somewhat of a learning experience, and all of the info is available online after some searching. Plus, being a Mech. Eng. student, it is kind of my duty to attempt it with no extra guidance . As for the middle plug, I don't think it's for an auto since both cars are manuals. Looking at it, it only has a few wires plugged through it, and based on what you said about the MPG gauge, it is most likely for the OBC, which came in the M3 but not the ti. I finished stripping the M3 completely this last weekend, and I think I will attempt to switch over as much stuff as possible to remove some rusty components.

As for the rear suspension, I've decided to stick with the ti rear for now, at least until I tear the subframe

I will be ordering a rear diff soon, hoping to get a 3.25 to maintain as close to M3 gearing as possible. Plus, with that gearing, my buddy's 318is S52 with shrick cams rips from 2nd gear launches all day.



Any way, to all who are interested, here is some updates on the progress. I have been incredibly busy with the semester coming to a close, but I am still attempting to keep at it.

Finished stripping the M3, literally stripped out now. More so than I was even planning on getting it. I took everything down to the e-brake cables out. Now I am just waiting for my friend to be available to pick the chassis up.

I repaired the engine harness, it had some shoddy wiring jobs.

I took the wheels off of the front and rear brakes, and began cleaning the front sub-frame assembly for re-installation.

About to order lots n' lots of parts.

Been spending a lot of time organizing the garage so that I can actually walk through it. The M3 should have been picked up last week, but my friend has proven to be unreliable in picking it up.

I want to take some videos of the 318ti 0-60mph, 0-100-0mph, and some nice donuts and others for a before and after comparison of performance, so expect that after the finished product.


Pics and more progress to come soon.

Last edited by cnaville210; 04-23-2012 at 06:34 PM. Reason: Punctuation
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Old 07-06-2012, 12:29 AM   #25
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Well guys, I apolagize for not updating! I have been so busy with everything that I just didn't have time to update the thread! I did finish the car for the most part though. Only thing left to do is an exhaust and figure out what's up with my tune! Here is the write up though, enjoy!

Engine was detached from the trans, and clutch was removed. I found that the old clutch was toast, literally mm's from being into the rivets. The flywheel was pretty well burnt as well.


Took the valve cover off and pulled the oil pan, pointlessly locktited the oil pump nut(Only a problem on S50's), as well as squirted huge amounts of oil all over the timing chain, cams, valves, etc.


Installed the 24Lb/hr injectors on the harness, as well as fixed up all of the shoddy wiring that was on it.


Pre-assembled the intake manifold so I could see how it went back together


Replaced the clutch and flywheel with a single mass chrome-moly flywheel and a hub-sprung kevlar clutch to reduce gear chatter:




I then installed the trans back on the motor, and began assembling the accessories and wiring harness. It all went pretty smoothly. I used an expensive beer's cork to seal the intake boot's hole:


One thing that is almost always neglected with the M50 manifold swap is the dipstick tube mount. Of course of OBDII cars, this causes all sorts of problems, since the dipstick tube needs to be sealed in the oil pan so that the crank case can generate a vacuum for the CCVV. Here is what I did to fix it, simply bent a little piece of sheet metal in an L, and used some left over OEM bolts to bolt her up:



Mounted the engine to the clean subframe, did a last check of all connections, mounted the oil cooler, and the motor was ready for mounting!


I put the S52 out in my drive way, and pulled the ti into the garage to begin surgery.

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Old 07-06-2012, 12:29 AM   #26
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First thing on the list was the battery relocation:

Stock box


Pulling the passenger side interior out. I was amazed how much thinner the ti carpet is than the M3 one.


Pulled the little compartment out of the right side of the trunk to find some studs that I had to cut off. Primer FTW



I measured the amount of absolute clearance I had in the trunk, and sourced out a Mazda Miata battery. It fits perfectly snug, though I still need to fab up a tie down for safety if the car ever rolls over.


There is a plate on the firewall waiting to be punched out. (Actually there are two. This one is easier to get to.)


Hammered it out to get this result:


Test fitting the battery. I used an existing hole in the body of the car to mount the ground. I ground the paint off of both sides to insure proper contact.


Finished up the rear, to get this result:


Next I needed to mount power distributor, this took some work, since I needed to fab some brackets:


Painted and mounted, If you do it this way, watch for the sheet metal screw poking into the wheel well, I cut mine off for additional safety.


Next up was the M44 removal.

Check out the underside of the engine mount:


ECU pulled, it was dirty inside of there


Bumper removed:


Front end almost fully pulled:


Pulling the radiator and ridiculously huge plastic fan shroud

Last edited by cnaville210; 07-06-2012 at 01:32 AM.
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Old 07-06-2012, 12:30 AM   #27
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Condenser and radiator pulled:


Spot weld removal via regular drill bit and some chisels/punches:



Had trouble removing this brake line, so i modified a hard-line wrench to fit better:




Took off the rusty cross member that goes near the CSB


Front end of the car fully pulled off


Ridiculously broken engine mount:


Struts unbolted:


Anddd the motor was removed!



Comparison:


Chopped off the stock mount for the PS reservoir.


Found lots of rust on my fenders!


Brake comparison:



Next, I pulled the stock small-case diff:
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Old 07-06-2012, 12:31 AM   #28
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Found out something interesting about the radiator mounts.. The ti uses one m3 mount, and one longer one. The m3 uses two identical short ones on both sides:


I then went about muscling everything into the car. This was a challenge, since I didn't want to hang the sub-frame assembly from the engine mounts like we originally planned, since we now knew they were not connected with solid steel anywhere within the mount.


This is the clearance behind the firewall. Connecting the heater hose with the intake manifold on the motor was near impossible.


The shorty headers didn't clear a heat shield that covers the control arm bushing, so we just jammed her on there anyway. The result worked to get the motor in, but had some consequences:



Here is the shifter poking victoriously into the car:


The car fired right up first time!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmUkg5UyOU4

Shot of under the rear with the diff pulled.


Replaced the brake lines with SS ones:


Diff came in the mail. Couldn't wait to buy some E30 axles to mount it up. I ended up getting a 2001 M-Coupe 3.23 LSD.




Bled the radiator, hooked up the AC, and mounted everything else so the motor could run with coolant flowing through it. The fan powers on perfectly, since it is plugged into the ti's radiator plug.


Put the rest of the front end on, and mounted all of the M3 plastics:

Last edited by cnaville210; 07-06-2012 at 01:30 AM. Reason: Wrong pic
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Old 07-06-2012, 12:31 AM   #29
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After bleeding the clutch, I realized that even though it was disengaging properly and at the right height. It plain felt like crap. So I did some digging, and threw myself and a friend into another 5am project!

First thing I did was recall smacking myself in the face with the M3's brake pedal when the assembly was out of the car. The thing has a spring mounted on the pedal that has an "Over-the-center" type of actuation. In other words, before the pedal starts pressing against the clutch's springs, the driver is fighting against the pedal return spring. However, at the point where the clutch spring starts also fighting the driver, the pedal spring goes over it's center and starts extending again. This gives the effect of assisting the driver in pressing the clutch in the rest of the way, it also makes for an extremely snappy clutch feel and an all around better driving experience.

Ti clutch pedal in the car:


Since the pedal was the same as the M3, I was hoping for the ability to just swap the spring over, unfortunately, that wasn't the case... The carrier itself is slightly different...

So off came the carrier, which was way way easier said than done. Those master cylinder bolts took longer to remove than the whole M44!

M3 Clutch pedal's super spring:


Look right where the super spring is supposed to sit in the carrier. The ti carrier is simply flat where there is supposed to be an indention!


After another couple hours, we got the m3 carrier in, and boy what a difference! I recommend to anyone doing a swap to get an M3 pedal set up.

Next up was to swap in the 1990 325i axles I bought remanufactured from O'Reilly. This was the hardest part of the ENTIRE SWAP!

Rusted hub nuts made for a tough removal, even with a 450 ftLb impact wrench.


Comparison of the axles. I found that I didn't have the right hardware, since the Ti diff uses smaller bolts to hold the axles to it. I used the reverse Torx bolts off of the M3 large case and they worked perfectly.


The passenger axle took a little more work than the driver's to get out.


After trying to get the axles in twice. We succeeded only in pounding on them until they were flush with the nut's machined surface. Not far enough in to start any threads, so we pulled em out and filed down every single spline, then threw them in a deep freezer for 45 minutes.


Eventually, we decided to bust out the sledge. With one person holding against the hub to prevent the suspension from absorbing the impact, as well as holding the end of a 2x4 in place on the flange, another person holding everything together, and using his foot to position the other end of the board as parallel to the axle as possible, and me swinging a 12Lb sledge hammer over 40 times, we got the axle in far enough to start the threads. Then, using the impact wrench to constantly provide angular wacks at the same time as me slamming the drive flange, we got the axles all the way in and torqued em to 250Nm. What a job...
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Old 07-06-2012, 12:32 AM   #30
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Next up, we mounted the diff and bolted everything up.


Put the remaining plastics on and put a new air filter on.


The headers were some how bent, causing the midpipe to veer off into the side of the gas tank. With the lack of an acetylene torch, we ground an angle into the midpipe's flange so the it would go parallel to the sides of the car.


Put the wheels on and drove her out of my garage!


Next I took it for a bath and a mini photo shoot:








I then began to slowly rip on it harder and harder. When nothing broke, I started dailying it. The first thing I noticed was some MAJOR misfiring, which didn't get better as the ECU "calibrated."

Here is a video of me running a stock 95 M3, during the first pull, you can hear the motor mis-firing all the way up till right before I shift. The next pull, it only misfires at the beginning of each gear and the car pulls hard the rest of the way.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIMMqaPhRN4

After scanning the codes, I found one about an intake air temp sensor. Researched and found out it was hidden underneath what I though was a homemade cork of sorts. So that's where the extra plug went!

Pulled the old sensor out to find this:


Pulled the IAT sensor off the M44 intake and plugged it in.



Right off the bat, the car idled smoother and I got excited. Took it out, and no cigar, it still misfired.
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