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M2 madness


M3M3

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NOTE 11/19/13 - this is a very long thread with a LOT of build information.  if you are looking for a specific part of the build, use the forum search.  just type what you are looking for in the search box, make sure the blue box to right of entry box says "this thread" and hit the search button.  results will only include findings in this thread.  hope you find information which is useful in this thread.  that is my goal in documenting all the changes i make.

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As I am starting to accumulate enough parts and time to start this project, i might as well start a project thread on it!

It all started with this: a 75 that needed some love.
BMW_2002_005.jpg

then i found this that happened to have a better engine: a 73 with B&B'd engine with eric kerman head work, schrick cam and sidedrafts
Picture106.jpg

newfolder6028.jpg

the good engine was moved to the 75, a bunch of other upgrades were done and I ended up with this:
VV2010096.jpg

DSCN0580.jpg


the 73 shell was sold to Noah (of N2 project fame) who put it back together with his spare parts.


I should have stopped right there! but then this showed up: 74 with S14.
04112010_0091.jpg

DSCN0217.jpg


it also came with this 76 "kit" car with tons of brand new parts that i have no idea what i am going to do with:
DSCN0199.jpg
this will be the subject of either another project thread or a for sale ad at some future time....

ok, at this point i have realized i have a problem. i have purchased 4 02's in a year. three of them were purchased just to get the engines that were in two of them! help?

so now after 700 miles of use, i begin the process of taking a perfectly good and strong 2.0l cammed and sidedrafted engine out of my redone 75 and putting a dusty S14 in its place. this will not be a quick project. I will be drivng the 75 through this fall while i take the S14 out of the purple shell, clean/refresh it and plan the swap. anyone think there will be scope creep here? i am trying to be good, so please do not mention carbon fiber airboxes or alpha-n fuel management. or schrick cams. ?

the wife is off on vacation for a week, so a perfect time to start mucking with this. the 75 was moved to her spot in the garage and the purple car entered the shop. hmmmm, what to do first? how about washing it? maybe compounding out the trunk lid? i know, this is like wasting a nice steak as the last supper for someone going to the electric chair, but oh well....

DSCN3969.jpg

before:
04112010_011.jpg

after:
DSCN3962.jpg

DSCN3974.jpg

more as the story develops....

Edited by M2M3

2xM3

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So where did this purple M2 come from? I am trying to piece together it's history. apparently this car was converted as one of the first projects to use the Aardvarc M2 conversion kit back in the late 90's. the engine VIN traces to a JAN88 build US spec M3. the person who owned the M2 at the time was Craig Harries from Worchester, Mi. at some point the car was sold to someone in central Virgina, where it sat for a long time. Then Jay in Baltimore bought it, and it sat untouched for several more years before i acquired it. as far as i can tell, it has been unused for 5-10 years. unfortunately the drivers side frame rail is swiss cheese. the car got new stock brakes, new hard and soft brake lines, billy sports, eibach springs, new ebrake cables, turbo exhaust system, new stub axles and rear hubs, a 5spd, a 3.91 LSD and a fiberglass air dam as part of the original conversion.

If anyone has any info about this car or the current whereabouts of Craig Harries, I would love more detail!

2xM3

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LOL....I assumed you would be an enabler Ray! I have already poured through Nick's site copying all the engine bay pics....and am avidly reading s14.net and s14power.com. there are many bad influences at work!

The purple M2 on Nicks site is the one I have, in happier days.

John's CF airbox is looking good...if for no other reason than it fits over the tii booster I already have in the 75.

2xM3

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The purple M2 was not in safe driving condition since it had been sitting for so long. lots of issues. but I had to know if the driveline worked before I put it in the 75. can't drive or work on an ugly car, so I made it pretty by compounding and waxing the whole thing (pics on pbucket http://s397.photobucket.com/albums/pp59/mblytle/purple%20kit/). It ain’t perfect, but it does not look like a POS from 50ft away anymore! Then I got the basic lighting working for safety..brake, parking, headlights, turn signals, rehabbed entire throttle system, bled out clutch and front brakes (rear brake cyl’s are frozen), and did nut and bolt check on all steering, suspension and driveline parts. Last minute I added a bunch of techron fuel system cleaner to the tank to run it through.

Took the 75 around the neighborhood as a warm up doing memory imprint of the power…..came back and gingerly took the m2 out. As expected, only having front brakes with rusty rotors and non-functional brake booster made stopping interesting, but…after dragging the brakes for a half a block enough stopping power was restored.

HOLY COW! That car hauls butt! Yee ha! Get in second gear and drop the hammer and you are GONE! Any hesitation I had about going through with this swap has been erased. :-) the difference between my sidedraft engine and the S14 was remarkable. I had to force myself to get back in my yard and stop terrorizing the neighborhood with a silly grin on my face. oh yeah, I was supposed to be doing a systems check…. Water temp was rock solid mid gauge when moving. (It had been ¾ up just sitting idling as I have been doing for last few months.) Clutch is very grabby..suspect rust on flywheel and sticky t/o bearing. Tranny seems to shift fine going up and down in gears. Engine pulls smoothly right up the rev range. Do not think I will tear into it to refresh anything, just new water pump and check rod bearings while swapping the oil pan. New radiator and t-stat is a must. And complete cleaning of engine and painting of valve cover of course.

The car stopped and turned like crap due to the brake issues, the dead stock suspension and disconnected sway bars. Pretty scary having just got out of the 75….but it was functional enough for the test.

I am going to miss the growl of the sidedrafts for sure as the S14 sounds like a sewing machine, but the s14 power and the suspension/brakes of the 75 are going to be fun!

I may start taking it apart tomorrow. I wonder if I can get the driveline out before wife gets back on Monday……

2xM3

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This is actually all your fault Ian...seeing your car in Miami a, ahh, long time ago planted the seed....;-)

is that the cf airbox that fits over the tii booster on your car? did you go with john's maxx alpha-n/CF combo?

2xM3

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This is actually all your fault Ian...seeing your car in Miami a, ahh, long time ago planted the seed....;-)

is that the cf airbox that fits over the tii booster on your car? did you go with john's maxx alpha-n/CF combo?

You'd need to check with John which booster his airbox for the M2 clears. I have John's DTM M3 airbox, since I converted to Tilton pedals and no longer have a booster to get in the way. I'm converting to Megasquirt instead of the Maxx alpha-N, although many people like the Maxx system a great deal.

Ian

Ian
'76 M2

'02 325iT

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Pretty sure I have a rotated tii booster, with John's airbox.

Don't worry Marshall, the cf airbox makes lovely noises! There's a few vids on S14power.

I have a dyno run vid here tho it may be difficult to ascertain where all the noises originate!

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v355/raykoke/?action=view&current=MVI_0026.mp4

Cheers,

Ray

This is actually all your fault Ian...seeing your car in Miami a, ahh, long time ago planted the seed....;-)

is that the cf airbox that fits over the tii booster on your car? did you go with john's maxx alpha-n/CF combo?

You'd need to check with John which booster his airbox for the M2 clears. I have John's DTM M3 airbox, since I converted to Tilton pedals and no longer have a booster to get in the way. I'm converting to Megasquirt instead of the Maxx alpha-N, although many people like the Maxx system a great deal.

Ian

Ray

Stop reading this! Don't you have anything better to do?? :P
Two running things. Two broken things.

 

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lovely noises indeed! :-)

the gb on s14power for john's airboxes did say the 2002 version only fits the tii booster. may be an early xmas or promotion present! like i need an excuse to buy more car "stuff"....

now that the engine is out of hibernation and has been run a bit, i'll do one more round of compression and leakdown tests and then get it out of the car. last round was right after initial start up. 215psi +/-8psi and leakdown 5-10%. leakdown was not coming from the intake or exhaust valves. think the head has been off the car and redone.

2xM3

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Sounds like the motor is fairly healthy!

I guess you read that John is offering a closed-loop alpha n now, in case you want to go that route.

What diff is in the purple car? (Oh it's a 3.91 I see now). I recommend 4.10 gears with the 5sp OD. Heheheh!

Cheers,

Ray

Ray

Stop reading this! Don't you have anything better to do?? :P
Two running things. Two broken things.

 

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yes, did read that. and i happen to already have an innovate LC-1. just need to add second o2 location in exh manifold.

if I had not just had Aardvark make me a 50% lock 3.91 for my 75, i would have done a 4.10. the 3.91 in the purple car will be a "spare". :-)

2xM3

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Got diverted yesterday oogling and exercising an 02 friend’s other cars…including an original Audi Quattro Sport with significant mods good for 350hp at the wheels and a Porsche Ruf Turbo also with significant mods for 340hp or so at the wheels. Yikes! Several other killer cars too. OBMWC..he has 70 Alpina 02, 83 E21 320 (M20) race car and soon to be restored M635.

So today I got back in the M2 game with one more round of engine tests.

Compression: 230/230/230/225

Leakdown: 4/9/3/13 % loss (all loss appears to be in the rings. Can hear hissing in dipstick tube, but none in intake or exhaust.)

Here is link to video of engine bay and exhaust with car revving and of the compression test of #3&4 cyls:

Any thoughts on sights and sounds? Several of the blips were to 6500rpm. Blew some blue and brown smoke. Wonder if that is just from sitting for so long? Engine only has about 1.5hrs of running time (mostly just idling) after not being used for many years. the gas does have a bunch of gas preservative and techron in it.

Here are two pics of spark plugs. They are in the order they came out with #1 on the left in first pic and on right in second. Looks like there was water in the plug wells at some point.

DSCN4015.jpg

DSCN4014-1.jpg

Here is pic from underneath the exhaust manifold. Notice the #4 flange is different color than the rest and looks like something was leaking under it.

DSCN3989-1.jpg

See anything worth being concerned over?

Time to return to shop to drop exhaust, driveshaft and drain all the fluids!

2xM3

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Make some progress taking things apart…

Exhaust system off

DSCN4038.jpg

Exhaust manifold removed(note…a lot easier when center track rod removed!)

Does everyone use the stock m3 manifold? Looks like it must be dented to clear the idler arm.

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The Y-pipe looks cheesy. Pinch bends. May have to have new one made. I assume this has to be a custom part for an M2.

DSCN4030.jpg

Driveshaft out (looks good, u-joints in great shape)

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AFM off

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Some wires labeled

Engine block oil drained (getting the oil cooler and lines drained will be interesting..) Oil was very clean.

Then I noticed the installer jacked up the engine ¼ in for some reason. Both sides. Would explain why it was hitting the hood.

DSCN4018.jpg

Trunk getting full!

DSCN4041.jpg

2xM3

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