My M20 Swap

[Deutschman]

Look what I got from Tommy (stumble_t on R3V)! Great guy. For a small amount of $ I took these paper weights out of his hands. haha

4 10 e30 LSD. I am going to use only the LSD pumpkin in my stock 2002 case. If anyone wants any of the other parts, I will sell them at a nice low price to cover what I spent on the box of metal.

[Deutschman]

I had a good long talk with Tim Over at Morgan's today. The valve guides I got from Blunt were not of the quality Tim wanted to use. That is not saying they could not be used and be fine. Tim just thought they could be better. He said the copper valve guides should be honed on the inside, and the ones I got were not. He could have honed them, but then they would have been to big for the valve stems.

On top of this, the seats in which the valve guides sit in my motor are eight thousandths larger then OE size. This means even if the valve guids I got from Blunt were super, they would not have fit anyways. This is very rare, and Tim says he has only seen it in about ten other BMW heads. he is not sure if this head came from the factory like this or if some one machined it this way some point later on.

How ever he has a set of guides that will fit. The ketch is they are $4/per on top of the ones I already have. They are custom made by Precision Engine Parts in Las Vegas out of manganese metal.

The other problem is that the valve seats have already been cut by the last person who did head work on this head. They did not do the best job on cutting the valve angles so my previously specified valve angles will change from 30, 45, 70 to 30, 45, 62. Tim thinks 62 is better then 70 anyways, and seeing as he has been doing this his whole life, he probably knows best. When and/or if you ever get your seats cut, make sure their machine can be adjusted in increments of tow and not ten. Other wise you will not get the angles you want.

I will have the head back Monday. Ill post back with updates, info, and pictures then. I am VERY excited about reassembling my motor again!

Then I plan on collecting my drive line parts, then the exhaust parts, and then all the other engine odds and ends such as mounts, hoses, sensors, clamps, and so on.

Fewwwww this is more work and time then I had anticipated! lol

[Deutschman]

Got my head back from the shop today. Got my valve seals on, and one set of valves in. Getting the valves back in again is turning out to be much harder then getting them out. My lLisle Valve tool works great to get valves out, but it turns out it is crap for putting them back in again... at least on a dual spring set up.

I went to the auto parts store and borrowed a classic valves tool, which now belongs to me because I had to customized it with my Dremel to work the way I need it to work.

I ran out of nerves, the valves springs and tool were pissing me off, and I was cleaning up before I did any damage by working to quickly, when it happened. The head fell off of the bottom end while I was cleaning up, and my newly resurfaced head now has to good dings in it.

Yes it is dumb to work this way, but I need to remind you all I have no where ells to do this shit! I have no work bench in a nice well lit garage. All I have is a FUCKING shed with no lights and no power. FUCKING HATE IT!!!!

Anyways. Now that I am done ranting, I think it will be fine. The dings are not bad, and not in bad places. It is just not perfect anymore.

[Frenchee]

That looks so nice!

Keep it up

[Deutschman]

^

Thank you!

So I spent most of yesterday at a BMW dealership. More on that later. I did get the head back together. I found the best way to get the valve springs and retainers in with the tool I had to work with was to stick the bottom spring retainer, springs, and the top retainer in the spring compressor and tighten it all down. Then stick it on the valve and insert the little lock things. Then pop, and bobs your uncle.

Head assembled.

Mock up.

I need a few little things to finish up the motor. Mostly studs, a header, and some more spray paint for the fuel rail and so on. I have dug my self into a bit of a hole money wise with this project, and work has ones again dropped out fro under me. Being a seasonal employee sucks!

I have plenty of small parts to paint and polish up while I wait for work, and pay off the thousand dollar credit I have. Its not much but I don't like to get in debt any more then that.

AND!

THE NEW DD!!! It is really my girls car, but I will get to drive it all the time, because she always has me drive her around everywhere. I am so stoked off this thing.

135i black on black with the sport package. It sounds really bad ass when you push it hard! I love the comfort key system where you can open and lock the car just by touching the door handle. It also lets you use the ignition button with out inserting the key.

I really want some LM reps for this car. I hope Ill have some by the end of the summer.

I really like these!

http://www.vortextuning.com/bmw/3-series/e90-91-92-93/19-lemans-wheels-hyper-silver.html

Yes it is an automatic, but again it is a SF car for my girl friend. SF has a lot of very steep hills, and I have to say some times it is very very nice to just cruse around with out having to shift all the time.

[AceAndrew]

I'm surprised your engine builder didn't say anything about the rockers! Keep a close eye on them as they are now your valvetrain's weak spot.

Have fun driving the 135i must be a blast!

[Deutschman]

He did not build the motor. I did.

I was thinking of getting different rockers, but I just don't have the $.

The problem with this project is I just keep "while I am in there I might as well do this," and before you know it I have spent $1000 more then I thought I would. Originally I wasn't even going to have my head machines at all. Now I have more then a grand in the head alone.

I need to move on and get started on other parts of the project. Like getting all my transmission parts together.

If I brake a rocker Ill get new rocker shafts and rockers then.

[Deutschman]

PS

The 135i is a blast!!!

[AceAndrew]

I understand how Scope Creep can happen to any of us! Just keep an eye on them when doing valve lash adjustments.

Good luck.

[Deutschman]

Thanks for the heads up!

[Deutschman]

I replaced my drive shaft coupler today.

The old one.

The new one.

And I also installed a new center steering link.

Good times under the car.

[Deutschman]

I used my certificate for a free four wheel alignment at Track Star Racing in the Bay Area today. I met Steve and found he is a real mensch. He could not give me a real "autox" alignment do to the fact that my front springs interfere with the inside wheel well when adjusted, and because of ether/or both a bent sub frame or "A" arms in the back. He gave me my certificate back and told me I could use it again when I had the car on coil overs (for more adjustment) and had the A arm/sub frame problem worked out.

I have the original rear sub frame which I think is strait that I can weld some camber/toe tabs to, so that is a good start. Then I will be getting front and rear coil overs from Ireland. I already have their front "race" camber plates.

I do not DD this car, but I am wondering weather I should keep trucking on the M20 swap or take a short brake to get the suspension %100...

Driving season is almost over, especially by the time I have the money and time for all the suspension parts I will need.

I guess I should just spend the winter with my motor and the spring figuring out the suspension.

The summer has been reeeaaalllyy slow work wise and I have been just barley scraping by on mostly plastic. I leave in a bit to do a three week stint as a butcher at a camp which will refill my coffers and pay of the plastic.

As fare as parts go for the M20 swap I do not need that much anymore.

A few transmission odds and ends, exhaust from headers back, gauges and related wiring, hoses, and engine and trans mounts.

I am thinking I will just save for all of this and then buy it all at ones when I finish school for good this Christmas. Then I can spend late winter early spring installing everything.

[Guest]

Spend the summer driving it, not that your winters are very bad. Still, get the time in while you can. I'm going to disassemble my agave this fall and spend all winter upgrading/replacing stuff, MSII, 5spd/LSD, rear discs, re-do interior, subframe camber/toe mods, new exhaust, re-wire, stereo, possibly coilovers, etc...

For now I'm driving the hell out of it, why not if I'm going to replace almost the whole driveline?

[Deutschman]

I'm at the BMW CCA Car Vontrol Clinc right now at Candle Stick Park. Man what a blast!!! Highly recommend it. Sadly the '02 could not make it because of rear subframe problems but the 135 is a ton of fun as well!!!

[peak]

My buddy has an e30 but he only ever does bolt on parts, which gets old after a while.

lol and when I swap engines you magically disappear!