bruvsmotorworks compact build

[carannc]

Really, really interested in this build as its my next major project. Love the idea of ditching vanos and going to modified cams, apparently using the inlet cam for the exhaust and getting a new inlet cam is a cheaper way of getting some extra duration.

I still have the M20B28 which is giving 209bhp / 215ft/lb but i am developing the Megasquirt to give me wasted spark and launch / flatshift with a view of just lifting and shifting this to the M54B30 when i can find a cheap one.

What are you doing for management ?

[is-si]

We've got a non-EWS non-Vanos E36 M50 engine loom to begin with - it will require re-mapping.
Wayne says it should work
The crank trigger is slightly different (VR instead of Hall) but apparently theres a fix.

If not it will have to be something like DTA

Americans swap around s52 cams into m50's as you say. But here the later cars with more cam lift have different noses on the cams to suit the vanos gubbins

M54 cams have moderate lift, they may swap into the older vanos engines for an improvement

If you want a bit more complexity i reckon a single vanos could perform slightly better

[bruvs1]

looks like things are going to get interesting! we now have e36 throttle bodies and other goodies to help us on our way, is-si is making use of his last week before christmas at work and designing the throttle body to head plate. going to be close with the oil filter housing but there is a dodge to be had also csl disc's to go with the 7 series calipers which will go up front.. "dog bone" needed to connect up brakes but thats no problem..
big thanks to russ at m3 spares.com for his help

[is-si]

As bro' has mentioned, we had a trip down to Russ at http://www.m3spares.com a few weeks ago, he kindly supplied us with S50 m3 throttle bodies, an oil housing etc to try on our M54 motor - Top bloke .

Its okay seeing throttle body conversions on the internet but i could see several issues regarding fitment - No one said it would be easy .
A, they hit the cam box - unless you mis-align the ports
B, you cant access the oil filter
C, all the M7 studs clash with each other
D, ports are different shapes



After questioning our sanity, decided to push on .

An M3 housing wasnt going to help here as it was still too tall, so we looked across the atlantic for guidance on a `remote' take off point. We could just stump up $$ and buy one like this:



but with the shell away for x-mas we decided to cut a few housings up and see if anything could be done with the M54 one. After throwing some springs and 5h1t out of its internals and giving it a trim we realised it had some potential for modding bruv's style
Some galleries need some plugging but with the aid of a drawing, machine shop and a tig man it should work nicely ..ever the optomist

Bro' has some better pictures:


We then worked thro' some drawings i did regarding an adapter plate to make the throttle bodies fit the head, i'd overlooked the shape of the cam box walls and described to bro' that it had to be a 2 part design. He bounced an idea back of having 2 plates - I'm going to draw up a proposal and report back

I had the USA S52 M3/V8M5 valve springs tested by my mate Keith, they are a thinner wire thus decreasing their compressed height (for bigger lobes) and although an improvement i'm pretty sure they wont cope with a good inlet cam. They are a progressive spring and have a near identical rate + seat pressure (as fitted) to the standard M54 ones.





Also, slowly on the move are:
Oil pump chain drive mods - as it looks a bit under engineered
Wet Sump Mods
Head port improvements, although 120 cfm @ 10" is pretty good to start with

Plenty to do.......

BTW, got the 1 year lad old out cutting his teeth on an old M50, couldnt believe it when he started moaning after 4 hours out in the cold! ...or was that 4minutes

[bruvs1]

with the filter canister removed, clean up, and bead blasted ready for tig

[e21Jason]

Here's some pics of the manifold i had made to take s50 throttle bodies to a m20 engine same idea could work here





Jason

[bruvs1]

yes we considered your version jason, but decided to go with the back to back plate idea as height and room for the airbox etc is an issue, is your version up and running on an engine?, if so how well is it performing?

[is-si]

We are trying to use 3 litre throttle bodies because i like the idea of having the ceramic insulators, steel linkages and longer intake runners for torque

The downside is that we will need to cut oval o-ring grooves in the plate for the 0-ring seals to the ceramic insulators - we think it will be worth it.

I've no idea why bmw binned the insulators and then used a thick flanged throttle body solid mounted on the M3 Evo......Surely a cooler throttle body is better?

I've almost completed the drawings, we will cut some templates and have a check mock-up at the weekend

Just got to source a CNC shop and some M7 cap screws - Why did they start using crap bolts (& sizes) on the E36

[is-si]

We've been to visit Mr Cage tonight, we bounced a few more ideas around and have this progress to report :

Theres a bit more to go in here, i.e. top plates, gussets:

strut to roof still to add:

we wanted the beam braced horizontally too:

getting there:

[alan1272]

some serious cage action there

[K3vin]

Nice! I like the tube from the subframe mounting to the diff mounting. Should give a lot of strength!

[ultegra]

Thats's looking like a proper job.

Considered any diagonals between the lower A pillars? The e30 DTM cars were braced there but it does compromise passenger footwell space a bit:



Taken from: http://www.e30m3project.com/e30m3performance/tech_articles/cage_symposium/cage_symposium.htm

[bruvs1]

i think with the dash bar and the additional tubes up front, in the engine bay (which are not done yet) and the other window corners to foot bar, it will be strong alright, abit like this but in thinner tube

[is-si]

not quite so easy on a rally car, but E36 cars do have braces fitted between the chassis rails across the tunnel.

you'll like the finished front arrangement its still to do

[DaveK]

Do you happen to have any pictures of how the bracing ties into the rear diff? I'm assuming that extra bar between the rear shock towers is there for that reason.

Thanks,

Dave