Biolite's Build

[Biolite]

Hey all,

I’ve been on here for many years, enjoyed all the threads and advice from people, but never really had anything to show off myself. I’ve had this car for 20 years now and finally getting around to what I want to do with it. Some may think I’ve gone off the deep end with this, but oh well – I’ll get it sorted out.

I’ve always wanted slightly more power in this thing and have gone back and forth between a S52 swap and turbo. Several years ago I came across Gizmo’s thread on bfc where he used the M47d20 crank to build a stroker motor and then saw that these were popping up on m42club.com as well. So I kept my eye out and picked up a M47 crank for a good price a few years ago. I then started amassing other parts based off of builds that have been done to create my own.

This is the plan so far:
M44 block, bored to 86mm
M47 crank (88mm stroke)
S50B30 euro pistons cut down to gain the same TDC height as the M44 pistons
Honda GSR rods
M42 head
Expecting a static compression of 11:1

Back in September I decided to do a clutch change (original as far as I know) and got under the car and it was just a mess of grease and dirt on the transmission and engine. This combined with a cooling leak I had been struggling with for the past couple years, I decided it was time. Here are some shots on what has been going on so far.

[vee030]

Very cool! I look forward to seeing your progress.

I certainly wouldn’t say that pulling the engine on a car you’ve owned for 20 years to do a rebuild is “going off the deep end” at all.

[Biolite]

Thanks, man. I’ll try to keep it updated for your enjoyment. Right now I have the crank out for some machine work to make everything fit, and then the bottom assembly being balanced. The pistons are also being cut down slightly. The block has been cleaned, bored, and honed. I also gave it a fresh coat of ceramic paint.

While waiting for parts and also trying to make decisions I’ve been going through and cleaning everything up. My original tunnel covered was sagging on the driveshaft, so it was removed and I cleaned the area up real well and installed some DEI Tunnel Mat/Shield.

I also picked up a refurbished M42 head from Autohead Performance and have been assembling that bit by bit.

[Biolite]

And the fresh head.

My near term plan is to get this running off the stock ECU and then later bring in a MegaSquirt with a custom tune for it.

My cooling system has needed to be rebuilt, so I am thinking of going with the Mishimoto 6 cylinder aluminum radiator and an expansion tank. I have heard it can be done with a couple extra hoses and mounts, but haven't actually seen anyone post an explanation of it. Looking at the differences on RealOEM, it seems completely feasible.

[J!m]

To install the stock E36 radiator, you need to change one of the bottom plastic mounts. Hoses will probably have to be generic to get it to line up but mounting the core is easy.

[Biolite]

Right on, thanks for the info, J!m. I'll make sure to pick one up the next time I do a parts order.

[J!m]

Order new top clips too. They always break…