Everything is in and running. Picking up from my last entry, I had to chop up a DSSR I had sitting around to add an extra inch to the length. I purchased a small length of stainless rod in the same diameter from McMaster along with some electrodes to match from another supplier. It was impossible to find them locally, and difficult to find anyone online that would sell me less than 10 pounds of them, but I prevailed.

 

 

 

I shaved a small amount off one side of the DSSR to clear the guibo when it's twisted to select the further gears, but after sneaking my phone up there for a photo of the clearance, it seems this was totally unnecessary. 

 

 

I used a 1/2" drive 24mm socket and a C-clamp to bench bleed the clutch slave, installed it, and bled some more.

 

 

Everything works well and lands exactly where it should. The clutch is having just a little bit of trouble engaging fully, so I have an adjustable length push rod for the slave on the way from Rogue.

 

 

I relocated my small AGM battery under the rear seat delete, using a Braille mount through the floor to keep it in place. Then I used a harvested grommet to pass the shortened e30 main cable up to the junction block in the engine bay.

 

 

These solder plugs are amazing for new battery cable lugs, highly recommended. Just heat up the lug, and insert the cable, hold there until cool and solid.

 

 

Finished off lugs look like this and I used color coded adhesive lined heat shrink to protect everything.

 

 

Since the swap mounts do not have any accommodation for an engine ground as the stock arms do, that also had to be solved. I found this master grounding lug at an auto wiring supply, and used it in the frame rail in the engine bay to serve as an engine ground. I used an e36 X-Brace nutsert to securely and cleanly anchor it. Here it is in an exploded view:

 

 

And installed:

 

 

For cooling, I decided against using the modified M42 radiator and all it's plastic awfulness. It just didn't seem right, and I didn't really trust it to not fail on me. I went instead with an IE aluminum radiator with a bit more capacity. These have a bit of trouble fitting with a fan, so I also had to make a front side aluminum shroud with an electric pusher fan. The coolant hoses are sections cut out of Rogue Engineering silicone hoses for an e36 or e30. Not sure which, as I had both lying around. There's also a Pegasus racing 38 to 32mm reducer to adapt the larger M42 thermostat housing size to the smaller 2002 radiator size. A generic 32mm aluminum joiner that's tapped for a coolant temp switch joins the upper hoses and provides the electric fan in front with power.

 

 

 

 

As the M42 runs an expansion tank in stock configuration, I wanted to maintain that. I used a late model e30 expansion tank and placed it above the brake booster. It's important to note that you need the 1.4bar cap for this, the radiator cap will NOT work in it's place. I've never in my life needed to wash my window on the go, so I have no qualms losing that. The tank is just nestled in there for now, but I did make a custom bracket to affix it to the booster ladder properly. To make it fit, I trimmed off the friction fit leg with a Dremel.

 

 

Then I pressed some spare collar nuts into the slots that look like they were made for this exact purpose.

 

 

 

Loctite some short studs into place, and it's pretty much ready. (These were trimmed down further than shown)

 

 

 

And of course a throttle cable bracket, made from a bookshelf bracket. Used longer bolts on the pedal box, and double nutted into place.

 

 

 

The intake is carved down to match the front "firewall" profile, and held in place with two zip ties in pre-existing holes. The bracket from JakeB really doesn't seem to work for me, so I may end up modifying/welding it together differently to work later.

 

 

Went up and down the street and then gave her a much deserved wash. At this point I just need an alignment and the exhaust redone, and see what works and what doesn't.