Another 320/6 to 325i conversion

[nas80]

youalso need a spigot bearingif its an auto.

[drjim]

Good point, unless he manages to get the one out of the original engine's crank.

Actually I say he, I think there'll be a lot of WE doing this. Be nice to meet up with Gonzo and see how the welding I did on his arches has held up!

[DrGonzoPOW]

Haha, i havent had the carpets back up yet Jim but you cant see anything from underneath so think it was a decent job!
Anyway. Went to see the engine, it ran fine other than a dead spot right at start of accelerator which i was told was due to the battery being completey dead?? He did have to jump it. The engine and car looked in fantastic condition, one of the nicest E30's ive seen infact. He said he could do me the engine for 200 quid when he takes it out next week. 96k with full BMW service history.
As Jim said, it is going to be a 'we' project This clutch things already something i have no clue over....spigot bearing
Still, you cant learn if you dont do!

[e21-Mark]

The spigot bearing located the shaft in the gearbox as it passes thru the clutch plate and aligns with the crankshaft. Check real OEM for an exploded diagram. It's pretty straightforward.

The engine sounds just the job.

[Jason_323i]

If your planing to keep car running and not spend all your money in one go I would consider a 2 stage swap engine then motronic

Jason

[murran]

you can get the spigot bearing out of your engines crank, infact its quite fun tbh. but a new one is only a tenner or so i think.

im happy to help aslong as its warm and not snowing! im not busting my balls like i did helping jim tho, if im not being paid!

that engine sounds a good bet. do you get all the loom, ecu and coolant hoses for the £200?

id advise on a new 325i clutch tbh. the spring is stronger in a 325 pressure plate. i can pick you one up from gsf for around £106 inc vat..... i got one for jim.

[murran]

as for engine swap tactics, if your doing it on the floor with a basic engine crane...... id deffo split the engine from the box in the car.
its not fun trying to angle the engine and box at like 45 degrees front to back, passing it over the front panel etc.
just fitting the engine theres not farting about like that.

[DrGonzoPOW]

Yeah was looking at clutches on ebay for 150 ish. Is that all i need? Says they come with a bearing. Is that the one in question?
Its going to have to be a drive way job unless i can use the warehouse at work which would mean making sure it was done in a day! Prob best to do it in the back garden. Its not going to be till summer, just thought i may as well source an engine now as i seem to have found a decent one (the flat spot is slightly worrying tho). Prob buy a 2nd hand crane and flog it on again after. As for Motronic, i have all the bits needed and then some. The guy even said he'd throw in a chipped ECU to make it up to 180 bhp. Ill best not hold my breath on the sale just yet tho, ive had plenty of things fall through my fingers in the past. I have a bit of brass saved up now an the car's deffo gonna have some spent on it this year.

[murran]

the bearing that comes with a clutch kit is the release bearing. this slots on the clutch fork, and presses on the diaphram spring in the pressure plate when you press the clutch down.
the spiogot bearing supports the input shaft of the gearbox thru the friction plate of the clutch.

[DrGonzoPOW]

So how would one go about getting one from ones engine ? Is is easy enought to get to once the gearbox is split from the engine ?
Also, are there any mods needed to the cooling system or is it good enough for the job ? Cheers

[murran]

basically. in the end of the crank is the spigot bearing. behind it is a bit of back space. you get some grease and pack this back space with it thru the middle of the bearing. you then find a bolt that only just goes thru the middle of the bearing, sit it in the bearing and then twat the bolt with a hammer.... the grease then shoves the bearing and it pops out as the bolts goes in.

[DrGonzoPOW]

Wow, just like that eh. Would you do as Jason mentioned and do it in 2 stages or would you just get all the motronic stuff done at the same time ? Thinking about taking a few days off work to do it properly when the time comes

Also, is that Spax suspension strong enough to take the extra weight of the engine ?

[DrGonzoPOW]

Just found out the engine is a 1990 325 SE btw. Does this make a difference to anything at all? Think he's giving me the 180 bhp ECU with the engine too.

[e21-Mark]

There won't be much difference in engine weight, if at all mate? There's a slight difference in compression between early & later engines but nothing to worry you. The chip will be a bonus if it's a reputable one?

[quinn_656]

any idea what type of chip should be used in conjunction with a 2.7 conversion 325i head and pistons and block skimmed to suit using the motronic system off the 325i?