Blew up my m20 rod bearing on track and about to put a M52TUB28. Going to be using your videos even more. Already used your gas/petrol tank video from this car when I swapped my rusty late model tank with an early model because I already had one. Keep up the great work and thank you for the videos. Love your car.
Sorry to hear you blew up the M20, but great excuse for an engine swap! Glad the vids are proving useful for you, you'll love the 24v engine when it's all hooked up.
We all go through it man. Remember, unless we're just lucky like that, we can't test BEFORE we install mods. I had some lowering springs and more aggressive shocks and while it was fine on smooth roads, anything bumpy was not pleasant. I went to a different, slightly higher spring and better shocks and now all is well. If you want a track focused vehicle leave it as it, but if you're going use mostly on the road, definitely soften it up some.
Very true Dean, I could never have known it'd be so harsh without finding out for myself. I am still hoping a switch of spring rate on my coils will improve things. I still want it to be firm, but not crash on my local roads! Cheers 😃
I have the same exact 5 lug set up but I used oem rubber top hats on all the shocks and ditched Coilovers. This will help preserve the shock towers. Much more daily friendly like that. Oem rubber motor and trans mount should help tone everything down too. Everything else is polysubframe/diff and teflon rtab. Try e30 h&r race with e36 m3 bilsteins b8.
Interesting, thanks for sharing those suggestions. I hadn't really thought about the engine mounts being an issue but I could see the potential for them to be. I'm hoping to try some softer springs on the HSD Monopros first, but if all else fails I probably will return to a more OE type setup. I suspect that's far more friendly. Cheers!
I’d say put some sound denting in the doors and the the flooring Maybe a less aggressive exhaust setup Less aggressive springs A/C and a radio 3.73-3.91 diff I really think would suit what your looking for All these things make the biggest difference!
Absolutely, but I am hoping to live without AC. I think it's possible in the UK with this type of car (not in my daily though). 😄 More sound deadening is a good suggestion too, I will give that some more thought. I didn't put much in originally. Some more couldn't hurt!
Getting some deja vu from this video! Scorpion exhausts are known for their tinniness. Consider a custom single pipe system, would be lighter and wouldn't cost you the earth if you sold the scorpion to offset the cost. Would be a cool DIY video if you're up for the challenge! Also ditch polyurethyane bushings on anything that's part of the driveline as it'll be transmitting a load of noise and vibration into the cabin, try E34 M50 engine mounts (cheap and they work great). Fine tuning the driving experience is a big part of a build like this and it'll be satisfying when you get it right. Good luck!
Cheers! Yeah I can't say I had much experience with Scorpion, but it was one of the more readily available systems that was going to work with my build. I am hoping not to have to get rid of it to tone it down, but I am now expecting to need it modifying which is a shame. Apparently common that the mid box packing blows out which is a shame. We will see if we can dial it back somehow. I'm definitely steering away from polybushings on anything transmission related, but I am running the Condor poly engine mounts which might not be helping matters. The noise the car makes certainly sound more exhaust related though with the resonating. Thanks for the tip on the E34 mounts that's something I'll look into. We will get there! Cheers! 😃
my mini r53 sounds absolutely amazing, its inline 4 with a jcw exhaust(had milltech on my old one) but they have a flex right after the headers, allowing for some engine movement aswell.
looking forward to see the series continue, have you thought about putting some type of sound deadening on the car? I'm sure others would love more videos. here to stay & learn along with you.
Cheers, we're glad to have you. I think some more sound deadening would definitely help, I am planning to revisit that, as my current deadening solution is sparse to say the least. Lots of people have recommended adding deadening to the doors specifically so I will make sure to do that too. Plenty more to come with this car, I'm not gonna give up on it.
@@SPANNERRASH I’m definitely sticking around, lots of good information! Gotta appreciate the bonding between you and the old man 😂 sick editing skills too!
What a great shot and sound clip on the opening acceleration. I’ve always felt that those tall ratios really wake up straight 6 essential sound. It is so mean and race car! But I find 4.10 behind an m20 too much for real daily use. I can’t imagine 4.27 with a zf and 300 lb of torque. Like you said, after you live with it for a while and listen to your subconscious finding reasons NOT to drive the car you have your answer.
Yes exactly, I want to want to drive the car. 😆 I think a longer diff will make a huge difference, I have already picked one up. Excited to see if I am right.
@@SPANNERRASH what ratio did you end up using? I don’t know how much freeway travel you do but if your cruise control works and you have a tall diff ratio you look forward to long roadtrips!
Hi, if you look at M3 exhausts you'll see a "hook" mounted on the pipes with a metal encased rubber donut which they use to damp the resonance. You could add that cheaply and tune it my moving the hook/donut up and down the pipes using jubilee clips until you hit the sweet spot. Then you could weld it on.
Thats a very interesting idea, you think where its mounted might change the resonance? I will look into that. I am changing the exhaust mounts to the OEM style 325i ones as unfortunately one of my new stainless mounts around the muffler has split already. Such a shame. There is a mount which connects the exhaust to the rear subframe with a rubber ring already though. Cheers!
I have seen this method on a number of BMW exhausts. It's a very simple way of adding a damper to kill unwanted resonance through coupling mass at specific points. Worth a shot I think.
As I age, every e30 I build becomes less “Race car”. Lots of soft rubber, a/c refurbing and softer suspension and thicker sidewalls on my current build. Reading cruise control of course, too. 5:20
I feel your pain. I own 3 BMW's and 2 of them are projects. 2002 540i 6mt and a 2010 E60 535i Msport FBO.. I have done a few upgrades over the years that fdidnt pan out and took away from the Driving experience. It's def a game of give and take and take some more. Exhaust mods are one of the hardest because I appreciate a nice sounding car, but too much droning isnt fun for me.
Nice, yeah it often ends up being a bad move messing with the exhaust. With this one though I was kind of limited to aftermarket parts as there is no standard setup for a swapped E30. Hopefully I can get it toned down and to a nice level I can endure. Cheers!
My former e30 with m52b28 had bilstein b8 with h&r sport springs. Together with h&r sway bars and all around oem rubber mounts.. Especially subframe mounts. Like u said in the video.. U want this car for b-roads...enjoy the steering and the cornering. The setup I had.. Still felt like a go-kart.. But drove silky smooth on the road. Also what I did.. Was losing the m50 manifold. Yes u get 20hp more.. And Rev higher. But I lost the torque feel from the car... That was why I chose the m52 in the first place.. The torque is so nice... Being able to push U out of corners when driving. Also the sound was amazing with the m52 manifold. And as I'm now in the same process of building an e30 with 318is gearbox.. I'm aiming for the 3.73lsd 188 diff.. Wich I think would be the perfect setup for the car Maybe this helps U abit.. Everyone ofc got their own taste of how their car should be
Sounds like you built a well-balanced E30 there. I guess I got carried away with some of the decisions I made, but ultimately I still want the car to feel sharp and alive. But I definitely don't want it to be crashy and give me a headache. If I can get it closer to what you describe I will be much happier. I am someone who loves to rev high, so the M50 manifold and 7k RPM red line really works for me. As I mentioned in the video, it feels like a junior S54 which I adore. Each to their own though, the torque trade-off obviously didn't suit your preferences. Yeah, I was considering holding out for a 3.73 diff just to keep that edge, but unfortunately, they are even rarer and more expensive than the 3.64. I have secured a 3.64 already so I will report back on how it feels. Most people seem to say its the ideal compromise. Cheers!
I know exactly how you feel. My first car project was an 80’s Camaro Z28. I went way too hard with it. LS Swap, loud exhaust, stuff suspension, etc. in the end I ruined its drivability and I hated it. My m54 swap e30 build now I’m intentionally going the other direction. Rubber bushings, softer springs, 2-3 mufflers on the exhaust. It’s really easy to go too far on a project. You’ll get it, but might need to take a few steps backward.
Haha absolutely, it's just too easy to get carried away with the performance mods and spoil the usability of a car. At least now I am clear about toning it down a bit, hopefully it won't be too costly to make the changes I need to. You live and learn!
same with me. i finished my build today for my e30 daily with m44. m44 itself is okay. not as powerfull as m52/m54 but gets the job done. iam glad i got the perfect diff ratio so i can cruise easily. the exhaust is not too loud. and iam 100% grateful that i use extra sound insulation on the bottom of my car. the bushing and engine mount are all rubber. the only thing i 100% dispise for my daily is that. its abit too low for comfort and a bit harsh. i use bilstein b6 and h&r sport springs (not race). contemplating getting a coilover that i could change the spring rate. everyone says that coilover is hard. you prob should swap the springs with more comfort oriented ones. that say. thats the only thing i despise on my e30
Sounds like a nice build, the M44 is a fun engine, I enjoy the one in our compact. I would be surprised if switching to coilovers is softer than the suspension setup you're describing. Even with softer springs. I am hoping softer springs for mine will make a good difference though!
Haha yeah I am sure the person who put that in the map never intended for it to sound clangy like this. I honestly thought the exhaust dropped off at first and was bouncing on the road. 😆 I think the whole tune has not agreed with this exhaust. I am going to get that map changed and see what impact it has on the sound of the car. After that I think I'll know how much attention the exhaust needs.
Thanks Alex! Yeah it is, and it's currently attached only with zip ties. 😆 It's pretty destroyed, it came with the car but I don't think it was from this car. But I decided to stick it on as I think it works with this build-in-progress rat-look. 😃
I'm wondering if you are experiencing large amounts of bump steer with the suspension having been lowered significantly. There are bump steer adjustable tie rods you can get which should help with this. Looking forward to seeing how this car develops!
Interesting question, I imagine the symptoms of bump steer is the car wanting to change direction on you when the suspension compresses. To be honest I am not sure I am getting a lot of that. The car feels very sharp to steering inputs thanks to the Z3 rack, that takes some getting used to versus my E46, but it certainly feels much more alive. I have not had the car professionally aligned yet so I am keeping an open mind to how it might feel when it is. For an eye-ball alignment it drives surprisingly straight though so far. I will keep an eye out for bump-steer now you've mentioned it. Thanks for enlightening me on the tie rods to solve too.
On my first M52 build amost 20 years ago I had an M20B25 Scorpion with the center box removed (it rattled like a bi*ch on my 325i, so I deleted the center box ) It wasn't overly loud with just the rear box and when you drove it hard it came alive. Definitely wasnt uncomfortable on the ears for long journeys. I've always loved Bilstien B12 kits on my e30s. Comfortable and you can press on when you want to. My second M52 swap had Kw coil overs and stuck like the proverbial to a blanket. That car also had modified headers and a full BTB system. It sounded awesome. What gearbox are you using? I'd go for a taller diff if you're using the M52 box, something like a 3.25:1 ratio. It's good to see an e30 thats well built. Keep up the good work 👍
Thanks Andy! Interesting you say that the M52 with no centre box wasn't too loud sounding. Ironically maybe that centre box is actually doing more harm than good. I think a longer diff will be a huge improvement, part of why it feels so loud to me is probably cruising at too high RPMs. I'm using an E30 318is gearbox and currently with a 4.27 small case diff. But I've now secured a 3.64 medium case LSD which I'm excited to fit. That alone should be a huge improvement. Cheers!
Great to see the E30. I have a whole cupboard full of parts waiting to be swapped on my touring. How much of an impact do you think the poly bushes have on the whole ride harshness? I've chosen to go all rubber on mine, along with the B8 shocks/H&R springs. Expecting some stiffness but fearing it might be too harsh in the end.
Sounds like yours will be a much more pleasant balance. Honestly I'm not sure yet how much impact the polybushings are having. I think the struts are so stiff that I am not even noticing the bushings. 😆
My Touring is very similar, but with Bilstein b4s and not the Sports along with H&R sports (soft dampers, medium hard springs); sucks up terrible roads. The 3.15 diff is much comfier but still gives epic pulls. Your ride height is much lower too. (We've chatted on RV3). Also, I retrofit cruise control which gets rid of all of the stress on the A roads.
Cheers Ben, sounds like your touring is much more suited to daily driving duties, sounds almost luxurious compared to what I've managed to put together. Hopefully I can tone the car down, I still want it to feel alive, but not so harsh! Cruise control retrofit sounds interesting, I bet that's made the car far more practical. Did it take much to do it? With it still being a cable throttle on the M52 I imagined that would be quite fiddly to make work.
Try another coil over whit 2 ore 3 springs on the damper. one long spring will always be stiff. but those who have 2 have first a soft and then get harder.
Interesting suggestion, I suppose it makes the springs variable rate to iron out all of the finer textures of the road. If I end up needing to change entirely, I will beat that in mind. Cheers!
Sounds like it would feel a lot more comfortable than mine does. I'm looking for something half way between what I've got and what a standard E30 would handle like ideally.
Haha! I do think a flexi could help things a lot. But it might be the packing in the mid box is blown. I guess we will do a process of elimination to sort it. Cheers
Slap a M54B30 crankshaft knife edge and balance the crank, Bigger pistons (Wiseco pistons 84.5mm) Port & gasflow the head, bigger throttle body, upgrade injectors, high pressure fuel pump and ethenol mix with that setup it will reach + - 260HP and over 300nm of torque the S54 will have a hard time catching it 💪😂
Haha sounds like a fairly extreme upgrade to the M52 but I suspect that would feel ballistic in an E30 chassis. It probably still wouldn't have the induction roar of the ITBs on the S54 though... That's a very special engine.
@@SPANNERRASH Most M50 swapped E30's are 3.0 Strokers in South Africa, I had a M50 with M52B28 crank, bigger cams, skimmed head for higher compression & gasflowed head it was pushing 225 horse power, I sold it and now I'm owing a FN2 Type R Honda 🤘😈
Nice, yeah you need a longer ratio with the ZF box. I'm using the 318is gearbox, I've now picked up a 3.64 LSD which I'm excited to fit. Hopefully that makes a world of difference to how busy the car feels.
I'm not actually sure on that one actually. There are no markings on it. I think it's just a fake Momo or similar. Came on the car along with the OMP wheel.
Hi, I’m essentially doing this same build and admittedly have basically been using your videos and e30wiki to do it. I’ve bought a 3.15 lsd from a Z3m. Do you think that would be too strong a ratio?
Nice, the vids should help you with what to expect then. Hopefully you can avoid having to do so much trial and error as a result. 😄 If you're using the 318is gearbox that sounds like it will be a little long, although it would certainly work. I've sourced myself a 3.64 and worried that will be a touch long, but people seem to say its the perfect compromise. I guess we will find out soon enough! There are calculators on line which will help you determine your RPM at a given speed with different final drive ratios. That should help!
I’m pretty sure I have bought the pre facelift 325i gearbox. I have a 1986 320i, and initially was only doing a manual swap so bought a manual swap kit. However I be simply couldn’t reach the bolts at the top of the gearbox without taking the engine out. And if an m20b20 was coming out I figured I may aswell put something better in
Would you still recommend using poly bushings? I’m planning on using 75sha bushings in the rear subframe, rear trailing arms and the front control arms and i’m worried it will make the car too harsh.
It's quite hard to say at the moment, but I feel as though the crashiness is more in the stiff suspension than anything. If I can change the springs to softer ones I think it will become more apparent whether the bushings have a big impact. If it's a road car, you can't go wrong with fresh OE rubber bushings though. As time goes on, this is something I appreciate more and more. 😆
I have the same exhaust on my m30 swapped car and I'm surprised how different our experiences are, it makes a really wonderful deep throaty sound on the m30, no uncomfortable drone or resonance to report either very different engine to the m52 though mind. I wonder if the higher compression of the m52 has anything to do with it not playing nicely with the exhaust and causing the drone/resonance, same for the pots and pans noises, this is purely speculation though as I'm as far from being an expert on the topic as can be lol hope you are able to remedy it with those flex pipes
Ahh really, you are also using the Scorpion 325i system mounted to an uninterrupted manifold? Does the sound in my video not match your M30 at all? I would definitely expect them to sound a bit different, but I'm surprised it's not at least quite similar. I have a feeling my main issue is more with the map currently. I am 95% sure that explains the pots and pans at least. I might change the map before I do anything drastic with he exhaust.
@@SPANNERRASH Full scorpion system with very minor modification to make the m30 downpipes fit the 325i ones. At least in the video it sounds very different, I think a lot if just them being different engines to be fair. I'm also on rubber engine and gearbox mounts too so I wonder if that accounts for much in terms of drone. Theres an onboard driving video of a 320i touring with a scorpion system on here that sounds fairly spot on to what the exhaust sounds like on the m30 swap if you wanted a good reference for how it sounds on the 12v engines Will be interesting to see if the map makes a difference!
Get a 6 speed gearbox like gs6-37bz thats not that pricey. But that maybe is not enough? And you would have to shorten prop shaft and build a new shifter and extend the pilotbearing 😅 I have a 3.46 diff and 1:1 gearbox and I do about 215km/h and thats enough but Im annoyed with the high rpm cruising at 120km/h on the highway. (Max in Sweden.)
I've just looked that gearbox up, it's from an E60? I didn't know that was possible, does it just bolt up, or do you need an adapter for it? I am in pretty deep with the combination of parts I have, I think switching the diff is the easiest option by far. Good to know if it ever fails there are alternative combos though. Good news is I have located a 3.64 limited slip diff already, this in theory should sort my RPM issues out. Cheers!
The brakes feel great so far strong and nice to modulate, although I haven't done anything too extreme to really stress them yet. Are you talking about the proportioning valve that's a little cylinder thing in the engine bay? I still have that in place. I may experiment with removing it in the future. Not totally sure on that.
This is something I worry about myself, taking the modifications too far where it may become not enjoyable under normal circumstances. For me, road noise is a big one I am aiming to keep down, have you looked at improving the sound deadening in the interior?
Yeah, I have the tendency to get carried away sometimes, and I probably have with this one. Now I am driving the car it's clear to me that I need to tone it back to find the ideal balance. I'm definitely considering going back in to add more sound deadening. People say the door skins are a big source of noise so that couldn't hurt!
Hey Graham, I get asked that a lot. Sadly I don't know where you can buy them, I got it used a while back. It's branded Shevron though if that helps! I've seen a few of them around, maybe you can keep your eye on FB marketplace or ebay.
Probably true, but these aren't the cheapest of the cheap. The build quality actually seems excellent, I just think they have turned out to be a more track-focused part which doesn't really fit in with the roads I am using the car on. I am still hoping a reduction in spring rate will make all the difference. We will see!
How's it going from 🇿🇦? Love the Beemer, noticed the restraint you having, here we have our's either wedged/lowered for traction and better cornering...also because everyone, I mean everyone from teens to gf's to wives, get in any E30 and hoonigan it. It's part of the identity of the vehicle and the way car culture is I guess. Long story short, sort the traction set up you want nd set that boost free! Have the map's set up for street, cruise and 1 #sendit map 💥 you know you've got the fuel and climate to enjoy the boost. Not to mention roads that make us all envy your restraint and harbour Abit of road rage towards. Looking forward to seeing where this car ends up!
Thats interesting, you have maps you can switch between? Thats quite clever if you're using the car in different circumstances. And yes I agree that there's something about an E30 that brings out the hooligan in people. I think its because they feel compact, light and agile compared to much heavier modern cars. Plenty more to come!
@@SPANNERRASH I am assuming you shall be using an aftermarket ECU unit, also almost forgot the altitude/elevation tuning!!! I honestly believe the golden era for drivers were between the late 60s to late 90s. Everything else has been near soulless to drive, good technology and no feeling, makes it a mundane experience. The E30 BMW is legendary, sure we had an Opel/Vauxhall GSI that was faster that 2 gens of BMW but who cares? You could not realy drift that thing and you know it came factory with oil leaks! The E30 however would happily be the all round well balanced chassis that would be happy to compete decades on, the last 'fun' BMW might have been an 'appropriated' E46 CSL, relocated into an E30, that was strictly after hours. 🤫 Yes. Yes it did mean destroying an 'appropriated' limited production factory special... However, A caged, single seat, CSL everything needed (it started off as just a single stage, ended up with an obscene progressive N2O system stuffed into a little, shabby looking, but somewhat sorted, problematic looking E30 🤔... SemiSlicked giveaway rear's & a nasty stance 👻 street raced on/off/in hiding for the better part of it... Or so goes the rumours about this spectacular E30 that would have been 11yrs old by now, where ever it may be🤐
![Buzzweld Chassis Guard Lanolin Underbody Treatment [BMW E30 Build] Best Lanoguard Alternative | 059](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/XHEovJjOA_g/mqdefault.jpg)
![Buzzweld Chassis Guard Lanolin Underbody Treatment [BMW E30 Build] Best Lanoguard Alternative | 059](/img/tr.png)
![Fitting An M52 Engine Into A BMW E30 [E36 24v M50 Swap] 047](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/vUxLbl0Bg3o/mqdefault.jpg)
Blew up my m20 rod bearing on track and about to put a M52TUB28. Going to be using your videos even more. Already used your gas/petrol tank video from this car when I swapped my rusty late model tank with an early model because I already had one. Keep up the great work and thank you for the videos. Love your car.
Sorry to hear you blew up the M20, but great excuse for an engine swap! Glad the vids are proving useful for you, you'll love the 24v engine when it's all hooked up.
Ohh.. Please continue to do the E30
We've come too far to quit now. I will solve the issues! 😃
Just started a similar project of a poverty spec 316 barnfind. Really enjoying your videos, they are a great help!
Awesome hopefully you don't uncover too much rust on it. Glad you're enjoying the vids! 😁
Man, you are the only one who is pushing my E30 project forward 😅
Keep at it, it will be totally worth it my guy! 😃
Always looking forward to your next e30 video. Thank you.
Cheers! 😃
legend🔥
Cheers!
We all go through it man. Remember, unless we're just lucky like that, we can't test BEFORE we install mods. I had some lowering springs and more aggressive shocks and while it was fine on smooth roads, anything bumpy was not pleasant. I went to a different, slightly higher spring and better shocks and now all is well. If you want a track focused vehicle leave it as it, but if you're going use mostly on the road, definitely soften it up some.
Very true Dean, I could never have known it'd be so harsh without finding out for myself.
I am still hoping a switch of spring rate on my coils will improve things. I still want it to be firm, but not crash on my local roads! Cheers 😃
I have the same exact 5 lug set up but I used oem rubber top hats on all the shocks and ditched Coilovers. This will help preserve the shock towers. Much more daily friendly like that. Oem rubber motor and trans mount should help tone everything down too. Everything else is polysubframe/diff and teflon rtab. Try e30 h&r race with e36 m3 bilsteins b8.
Interesting, thanks for sharing those suggestions. I hadn't really thought about the engine mounts being an issue but I could see the potential for them to be.
I'm hoping to try some softer springs on the HSD Monopros first, but if all else fails I probably will return to a more OE type setup. I suspect that's far more friendly. Cheers!
I’d say put some sound denting in the doors and the the flooring
Maybe a less aggressive exhaust setup
Less aggressive springs
A/C and a radio
3.73-3.91 diff I really think would suit what your looking for
All these things make the biggest difference!
Absolutely, but I am hoping to live without AC. I think it's possible in the UK with this type of car (not in my daily though). 😄
More sound deadening is a good suggestion too, I will give that some more thought. I didn't put much in originally. Some more couldn't hurt!
Getting some deja vu from this video! Scorpion exhausts are known for their tinniness. Consider a custom single pipe system, would be lighter and wouldn't cost you the earth if you sold the scorpion to offset the cost. Would be a cool DIY video if you're up for the challenge! Also ditch polyurethyane bushings on anything that's part of the driveline as it'll be transmitting a load of noise and vibration into the cabin, try E34 M50 engine mounts (cheap and they work great). Fine tuning the driving experience is a big part of a build like this and it'll be satisfying when you get it right. Good luck!
Cheers! Yeah I can't say I had much experience with Scorpion, but it was one of the more readily available systems that was going to work with my build.
I am hoping not to have to get rid of it to tone it down, but I am now expecting to need it modifying which is a shame. Apparently common that the mid box packing blows out which is a shame. We will see if we can dial it back somehow.
I'm definitely steering away from polybushings on anything transmission related, but I am running the Condor poly engine mounts which might not be helping matters. The noise the car makes certainly sound more exhaust related though with the resonating. Thanks for the tip on the E34 mounts that's something I'll look into.
We will get there! Cheers! 😃
my mini r53 sounds absolutely amazing, its inline 4 with a jcw exhaust(had milltech on my old one) but they have a flex right after the headers, allowing for some engine movement aswell.
Hoping a flexi might sort mine out, but it might be the case that my Scorpion mid box packing is blown. Hopefully I can solve it!
looking forward to see the series continue, have you thought about putting some type of sound deadening on the car? I'm sure others would love more videos. here to stay & learn along with you.
Cheers, we're glad to have you.
I think some more sound deadening would definitely help, I am planning to revisit that, as my current deadening solution is sparse to say the least.
Lots of people have recommended adding deadening to the doors specifically so I will make sure to do that too.
Plenty more to come with this car, I'm not gonna give up on it.
@@SPANNERRASH I’m definitely sticking around, lots of good information! Gotta appreciate the bonding between you and the old man 😂 sick editing skills too!
@@flacko_ccc Thanks, you are too kind! 😃
@@SPANNERRASH anytime man!
That is a dream of mine. Maybe the N52 but still. Looks amazing.
Thanks! I am impressed with the M52. Much better than I was anticipating in all honesty.
@@SPANNERRASH i bet. i can't wait to see what you do with it 😁
What a great shot and sound clip on the opening acceleration. I’ve always felt that those tall ratios really wake up straight 6 essential sound. It is so mean and race car! But I find 4.10 behind an m20 too much for real daily use. I can’t imagine 4.27 with a zf and 300 lb of torque. Like you said, after you live with it for a while and listen to your subconscious finding reasons NOT to drive the car you have your answer.
Yes exactly, I want to want to drive the car. 😆
I think a longer diff will make a huge difference, I have already picked one up. Excited to see if I am right.
@@SPANNERRASH what ratio did you end up using? I don’t know how much freeway travel you do but if your cruise control works and you have a tall diff ratio you look forward to long roadtrips!
@@naterichard171 I've picked up a 3.64 LSD in the end. Should pair perfect with the 318is gearbox.
Hi, if you look at M3 exhausts you'll see a "hook" mounted on the pipes with a metal encased rubber donut which they use to damp the resonance. You could add that cheaply and tune it my moving the hook/donut up and down the pipes using jubilee clips until you hit the sweet spot. Then you could weld it on.
Thats a very interesting idea, you think where its mounted might change the resonance? I will look into that.
I am changing the exhaust mounts to the OEM style 325i ones as unfortunately one of my new stainless mounts around the muffler has split already. Such a shame.
There is a mount which connects the exhaust to the rear subframe with a rubber ring already though. Cheers!
Also the diameter of the exhaust
I have seen this method on a number of BMW exhausts. It's a very simple way of adding a damper to kill unwanted resonance through coupling mass at specific points. Worth a shot I think.
As I age, every e30 I build becomes less “Race car”. Lots of soft rubber, a/c refurbing and softer suspension and thicker sidewalls on my current build. Reading cruise control of course, too. 5:20
I can see why based on this 😆 Hoping to end up about half way between where it is and a stock sport E30 I guess.
I feel your pain. I own 3 BMW's and 2 of them are projects. 2002 540i 6mt and a 2010 E60 535i Msport FBO.. I have done a few upgrades over the years that fdidnt pan out and took away from the Driving experience. It's def a game of give and take and take some more. Exhaust mods are one of the hardest because I appreciate a nice sounding car, but too much droning isnt fun for me.
Nice, yeah it often ends up being a bad move messing with the exhaust. With this one though I was kind of limited to aftermarket parts as there is no standard setup for a swapped E30.
Hopefully I can get it toned down and to a nice level I can endure. Cheers!
My former e30 with m52b28 had bilstein b8 with h&r sport springs.
Together with h&r sway bars and all around oem rubber mounts.. Especially subframe mounts.
Like u said in the video.. U want this car for b-roads...enjoy the steering and the cornering.
The setup I had.. Still felt like a go-kart.. But drove silky smooth on the road.
Also what I did.. Was losing the m50 manifold.
Yes u get 20hp more.. And Rev higher.
But I lost the torque feel from the car... That was why I chose the m52 in the first place.. The torque is so nice... Being able to push U out of corners when driving.
Also the sound was amazing with the m52 manifold.
And as I'm now in the same process of building an e30 with 318is gearbox.. I'm aiming for the 3.73lsd 188 diff.. Wich I think would be the perfect setup for the car
Maybe this helps U abit.. Everyone ofc got their own taste of how their car should be
Sounds like you built a well-balanced E30 there. I guess I got carried away with some of the decisions I made, but ultimately I still want the car to feel sharp and alive. But I definitely don't want it to be crashy and give me a headache.
If I can get it closer to what you describe I will be much happier.
I am someone who loves to rev high, so the M50 manifold and 7k RPM red line really works for me. As I mentioned in the video, it feels like a junior S54 which I adore. Each to their own though, the torque trade-off obviously didn't suit your preferences.
Yeah, I was considering holding out for a 3.73 diff just to keep that edge, but unfortunately, they are even rarer and more expensive than the 3.64. I have secured a 3.64 already so I will report back on how it feels. Most people seem to say its the ideal compromise.
Cheers!
I know exactly how you feel. My first car project was an 80’s Camaro Z28. I went way too hard with it. LS Swap, loud exhaust, stuff suspension, etc. in the end I ruined its drivability and I hated it.
My m54 swap e30 build now I’m intentionally going the other direction. Rubber bushings, softer springs, 2-3 mufflers on the exhaust.
It’s really easy to go too far on a project. You’ll get it, but might need to take a few steps backward.
Haha absolutely, it's just too easy to get carried away with the performance mods and spoil the usability of a car.
At least now I am clear about toning it down a bit, hopefully it won't be too costly to make the changes I need to. You live and learn!
same with me. i finished my build today for my e30 daily with m44. m44 itself is okay. not as powerfull as m52/m54 but gets the job done. iam glad i got the perfect diff ratio so i can cruise easily. the exhaust is not too loud. and iam 100% grateful that i use extra sound insulation on the bottom of my car. the bushing and engine mount are all rubber. the only thing i 100% dispise for my daily is that. its abit too low for comfort and a bit harsh. i use bilstein b6 and h&r sport springs (not race). contemplating getting a coilover that i could change the spring rate. everyone says that coilover is hard. you prob should swap the springs with more comfort oriented ones. that say. thats the only thing i despise on my e30
Sounds like a nice build, the M44 is a fun engine, I enjoy the one in our compact.
I would be surprised if switching to coilovers is softer than the suspension setup you're describing. Even with softer springs.
I am hoping softer springs for mine will make a good difference though!
I also think the "pots and pans" tune is more exhaust resonance than anything else. Maybe a different type of bushing would help.
Haha yeah I am sure the person who put that in the map never intended for it to sound clangy like this.
I honestly thought the exhaust dropped off at first and was bouncing on the road. 😆
I think the whole tune has not agreed with this exhaust. I am going to get that map changed and see what impact it has on the sound of the car.
After that I think I'll know how much attention the exhaust needs.
E30 looks awesome!
is that an early model lip?
Thanks Alex! Yeah it is, and it's currently attached only with zip ties. 😆
It's pretty destroyed, it came with the car but I don't think it was from this car. But I decided to stick it on as I think it works with this build-in-progress rat-look. 😃
I had to switch to a set of coilovers that use the original rubber mounts. I'm too old for anything bouncy now 😂
Haha yeah I am having that same feeling in all honesty. 😆 My younger self probably wouldn't have batted an eyelid...
I'm wondering if you are experiencing large amounts of bump steer with the suspension having been lowered significantly. There are bump steer adjustable tie rods you can get which should help with this. Looking forward to seeing how this car develops!
Interesting question, I imagine the symptoms of bump steer is the car wanting to change direction on you when the suspension compresses.
To be honest I am not sure I am getting a lot of that. The car feels very sharp to steering inputs thanks to the Z3 rack, that takes some getting used to versus my E46, but it certainly feels much more alive.
I have not had the car professionally aligned yet so I am keeping an open mind to how it might feel when it is. For an eye-ball alignment it drives surprisingly straight though so far.
I will keep an eye out for bump-steer now you've mentioned it. Thanks for enlightening me on the tie rods to solve too.
On my first M52 build amost 20 years ago I had an M20B25 Scorpion with the center box removed (it rattled like a bi*ch on my 325i, so I deleted the center box ) It wasn't overly loud with just the rear box and when you drove it hard it came alive. Definitely wasnt uncomfortable on the ears for long journeys. I've always loved Bilstien B12 kits on my e30s. Comfortable and you can press on when you want to.
My second M52 swap had Kw coil overs and stuck like the proverbial to a blanket. That car also had modified headers and a full BTB system. It sounded awesome.
What gearbox are you using? I'd go for a taller diff if you're using the M52 box, something like a 3.25:1 ratio.
It's good to see an e30 thats well built. Keep up the good work 👍
Thanks Andy! Interesting you say that the M52 with no centre box wasn't too loud sounding. Ironically maybe that centre box is actually doing more harm than good.
I think a longer diff will be a huge improvement, part of why it feels so loud to me is probably cruising at too high RPMs.
I'm using an E30 318is gearbox and currently with a 4.27 small case diff. But I've now secured a 3.64 medium case LSD which I'm excited to fit.
That alone should be a huge improvement. Cheers!
I have got a 3.64 if you want it. Been sat on the shelf for ages.
I've literally just secured one! 😅 Thanks so much though. They're worth a few quid these days...
Glad you got one sorted its yours if you want a spare was left over from years ago from the donor car i had for restoring a Alpina C1
Great to see the E30. I have a whole cupboard full of parts waiting to be swapped on my touring. How much of an impact do you think the poly bushes have on the whole ride harshness? I've chosen to go all rubber on mine, along with the B8 shocks/H&R springs. Expecting some stiffness but fearing it might be too harsh in the end.
Sounds like yours will be a much more pleasant balance.
Honestly I'm not sure yet how much impact the polybushings are having. I think the struts are so stiff that I am not even noticing the bushings. 😆
My Touring is very similar, but with Bilstein b4s and not the Sports along with H&R sports (soft dampers, medium hard springs); sucks up terrible roads. The 3.15 diff is much comfier but still gives epic pulls. Your ride height is much lower too. (We've chatted on RV3). Also, I retrofit cruise control which gets rid of all of the stress on the A roads.
Cheers Ben, sounds like your touring is much more suited to daily driving duties, sounds almost luxurious compared to what I've managed to put together.
Hopefully I can tone the car down, I still want it to feel alive, but not so harsh!
Cruise control retrofit sounds interesting, I bet that's made the car far more practical. Did it take much to do it? With it still being a cable throttle on the M52 I imagined that would be quite fiddly to make work.
Ouch... 4.27 with ZF gearbox with straight 5th gear ? With this gearbox you can go down even to 3.15 =)
Its the 318is Getrag gearbox actually, but 4.27 is still way too short. I have picked up a 3.64 to switch to. 😃
What camera and stick combo you used for the 3rd person view? Extremely nice car m8!
Thanks Marios, I had good fun shooting that. I used Insta360 X3 camera on a pole to capture it. 😃
Try another coil over whit 2 ore 3 springs on the damper. one long spring will always be stiff. but those who have 2 have first a soft and then get harder.
Interesting suggestion, I suppose it makes the springs variable rate to iron out all of the finer textures of the road. If I end up needing to change entirely, I will beat that in mind. Cheers!
we used 318is standard springs and we also used the spare exhaust from my tech 1 sport
Sounds like it would feel a lot more comfortable than mine does. I'm looking for something half way between what I've got and what a standard E30 would handle like ideally.
Nooooo! Get a flexi sorted you 🤠 the engine can flex without having a length of steel hang off in effect and drive surprisingly different I'm sure 👍
Haha! I do think a flexi could help things a lot. But it might be the packing in the mid box is blown. I guess we will do a process of elimination to sort it. Cheers
Slap a M54B30 crankshaft knife edge and balance the crank, Bigger pistons (Wiseco pistons 84.5mm) Port & gasflow the head, bigger throttle body, upgrade injectors, high pressure fuel pump and ethenol mix with that setup it will reach + - 260HP and over 300nm of torque the S54 will have a hard time catching it 💪😂
Haha sounds like a fairly extreme upgrade to the M52 but I suspect that would feel ballistic in an E30 chassis.
It probably still wouldn't have the induction roar of the ITBs on the S54 though... That's a very special engine.
@@SPANNERRASH Most M50 swapped E30's are 3.0 Strokers in South Africa, I had a M50 with M52B28 crank, bigger cams, skimmed head for higher compression & gasflowed head it was pushing 225 horse power, I sold it and now I'm owing a FN2 Type R Honda 🤘😈
I wondered if a J pipe welded on would help. Meant to stop drone
Interesting idea, sounds pretty fancy, we will see if it comes to that.
I have a 3.25 diff and still would prefer 3.15 I think as the sweet spot (E36 ZF box)
Nice, yeah you need a longer ratio with the ZF box.
I'm using the 318is gearbox, I've now picked up a 3.64 LSD which I'm excited to fit. Hopefully that makes a world of difference to how busy the car feels.
Nice.What steering hub is that ?
I'm not actually sure on that one actually. There are no markings on it. I think it's just a fake Momo or similar. Came on the car along with the OMP wheel.
Wish I could do this kind of engine swap. But sadly to much regulation rules in switserland 😢
Thats a shame, they're such fun cars to modify
Hi, I’m essentially doing this same build and admittedly have basically been using your videos and e30wiki to do it. I’ve bought a 3.15 lsd from a Z3m. Do you think that would be too strong a ratio?
Nice, the vids should help you with what to expect then. Hopefully you can avoid having to do so much trial and error as a result. 😄
If you're using the 318is gearbox that sounds like it will be a little long, although it would certainly work.
I've sourced myself a 3.64 and worried that will be a touch long, but people seem to say its the perfect compromise. I guess we will find out soon enough!
There are calculators on line which will help you determine your RPM at a given speed with different final drive ratios. That should help!
I’m pretty sure I have bought the pre facelift 325i gearbox. I have a 1986 320i, and initially was only doing a manual swap so bought a manual swap kit. However I be simply couldn’t reach the bolts at the top of the gearbox without taking the engine out. And if an m20b20 was coming out I figured I may aswell put something better in
@@cathirdoyle7640 Haha thats my kind of thinking! 🤣
Would you still recommend using poly bushings? I’m planning on using 75sha bushings in the rear subframe, rear trailing arms and the front control arms and i’m worried it will make the car too harsh.
It's quite hard to say at the moment, but I feel as though the crashiness is more in the stiff suspension than anything. If I can change the springs to softer ones I think it will become more apparent whether the bushings have a big impact.
If it's a road car, you can't go wrong with fresh OE rubber bushings though. As time goes on, this is something I appreciate more and more. 😆
I have the same exhaust on my m30 swapped car and I'm surprised how different our experiences are, it makes a really wonderful deep throaty sound on the m30, no uncomfortable drone or resonance to report either very different engine to the m52 though mind. I wonder if the higher compression of the m52 has anything to do with it not playing nicely with the exhaust and causing the drone/resonance, same for the pots and pans noises, this is purely speculation though as I'm as far from being an expert on the topic as can be lol hope you are able to remedy it with those flex pipes
Ahh really, you are also using the Scorpion 325i system mounted to an uninterrupted manifold?
Does the sound in my video not match your M30 at all? I would definitely expect them to sound a bit different, but I'm surprised it's not at least quite similar.
I have a feeling my main issue is more with the map currently. I am 95% sure that explains the pots and pans at least.
I might change the map before I do anything drastic with he exhaust.
@@SPANNERRASH Full scorpion system with very minor modification to make the m30 downpipes fit the 325i ones.
At least in the video it sounds very different, I think a lot if just them being different engines to be fair. I'm also on rubber engine and gearbox mounts too so I wonder if that accounts for much in terms of drone. Theres an onboard driving video of a 320i touring with a scorpion system on here that sounds fairly spot on to what the exhaust sounds like on the m30 swap if you wanted a good reference for how it sounds on the 12v engines
Will be interesting to see if the map makes a difference!
Get a 6 speed gearbox like gs6-37bz thats not that pricey. But that maybe is not enough?
And you would have to shorten prop shaft and build a new shifter and extend the pilotbearing 😅
I have a 3.46 diff and 1:1 gearbox and I do about 215km/h and thats enough but Im annoyed with the high rpm cruising at 120km/h on the highway. (Max in Sweden.)
I've just looked that gearbox up, it's from an E60? I didn't know that was possible, does it just bolt up, or do you need an adapter for it?
I am in pretty deep with the combination of parts I have, I think switching the diff is the easiest option by far. Good to know if it ever fails there are alternative combos though.
Good news is I have located a 3.64 limited slip diff already, this in theory should sort my RPM issues out. Cheers!
How are the brakes? I’m doing the same servo upgrade but have a proportion valve under the old master cylinder unsure wether to use it or not
The brakes feel great so far strong and nice to modulate, although I haven't done anything too extreme to really stress them yet.
Are you talking about the proportioning valve that's a little cylinder thing in the engine bay? I still have that in place. I may experiment with removing it in the future. Not totally sure on that.
@@SPANNERRASH thanks for the reply, no I have the little cylinder to the rears too, I’ll take a picture of it tomorrow
This is something I worry about myself, taking the modifications too far where it may become not enjoyable under normal circumstances. For me, road noise is a big one I am aiming to keep down, have you looked at improving the sound deadening in the interior?
Also, that POV from behind and the noise, amazing.
Yeah, I have the tendency to get carried away sometimes, and I probably have with this one. Now I am driving the car it's clear to me that I need to tone it back to find the ideal balance.
I'm definitely considering going back in to add more sound deadening. People say the door skins are a big source of noise so that couldn't hurt!
@@BadE30 Cheers! I had fun with that 😃
Hit the thumbs up everybody!
Cheers!
Where did you get your dash carpet cover please
Hey Graham, I get asked that a lot. Sadly I don't know where you can buy them, I got it used a while back. It's branded Shevron though if that helps!
I've seen a few of them around, maybe you can keep your eye on FB marketplace or ebay.
You get what you pay for in coilovers.
Probably true, but these aren't the cheapest of the cheap. The build quality actually seems excellent, I just think they have turned out to be a more track-focused part which doesn't really fit in with the roads I am using the car on.
I am still hoping a reduction in spring rate will make all the difference. We will see!
7:26 about to puke
Haha! It should have come with a motion sickness warning. 🤣
How's it going from 🇿🇦? Love the Beemer, noticed the restraint you having, here we have our's either wedged/lowered for traction and better cornering...also because everyone, I mean everyone from teens to gf's to wives, get in any E30 and hoonigan it. It's part of the identity of the vehicle and the way car culture is I guess. Long story short, sort the traction set up you want nd set that boost free! Have the map's set up for street, cruise and 1 #sendit map 💥 you know you've got the fuel and climate to enjoy the boost. Not to mention roads that make us all envy your restraint and harbour Abit of road rage towards. Looking forward to seeing where this car ends up!
Thats interesting, you have maps you can switch between? Thats quite clever if you're using the car in different circumstances.
And yes I agree that there's something about an E30 that brings out the hooligan in people. I think its because they feel compact, light and agile compared to much heavier modern cars.
Plenty more to come!
@@SPANNERRASH I am assuming you shall be using an aftermarket ECU unit, also almost forgot the altitude/elevation tuning!!!
I honestly believe the golden era for drivers were between the late 60s to late 90s. Everything else has been near soulless to drive, good technology and no feeling, makes it a mundane experience. The E30 BMW is legendary, sure we had an Opel/Vauxhall GSI that was faster that 2 gens of BMW but who cares? You could not realy drift that thing and you know it came factory with oil leaks!
The E30 however would happily be the all round well balanced chassis that would be happy to compete decades on, the last 'fun' BMW might have been an 'appropriated' E46 CSL, relocated into an E30, that was strictly after hours. 🤫 Yes.
Yes it did mean destroying an 'appropriated' limited production factory special... However, A caged, single seat, CSL everything needed (it started off as just a single stage, ended up with an obscene progressive N2O system stuffed into a little, shabby looking, but somewhat sorted, problematic looking E30 🤔... SemiSlicked giveaway rear's & a nasty stance 👻 street raced on/off/in hiding for the better part of it... Or so goes the rumours about this spectacular E30 that would have been 11yrs old by now, where ever it may be🤐
What did you coat your exhaust pipes with? Looks like grey heat resistant paint?
It's actually Cerakote rather than paint, check the previous video about the exhaust and you will see how I applied it. 😃