M20B25 conversion lives!!!!!!!!!! Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay

[varden]

Retrobeemer wrote:Let us know your thoughts on the added performance.

Just as soon as i do the timing belt, water pump, radiator, tidy up the wiring, mount up oil cooler properly, do oil/filter change, fit my motorsport front bar and replace the transmission oil.

well if I'm honest it will be timing belt, water pump, radiator, more cable ties on the oil cooler and then off down the road with no pipes or bonnet...

But i will be sure to give my thoughts. I want it to CRAP all over my m20b23.

Thayat wrote:Fantastic Varden!

Brilliant work. You must be chuffed.

I don't suppose you could show us a pic of the fuel line hookup...could be quite valuable when i finally get my fuel pump and the wiring fixed. Smile

Well done mate.

I was a bit stunned that it actually fired up, it cranked over for just long enuff for me to curse then it fired up.

Sure thing with the fuel lines, will do a complete technical run down when i tie up this conversion thread.

Tho for now its pipe in the engine bay from the car that sits above the return line that goes to directly to the bottom fitting on the fuel rail NOT to the regulator, the lower fuel return pipe in the engine bay fits up to the 325i regulator.

JK.jr.bad. wrote:
how old are you? in the video it sounds like you are a pensioner. Laughing

btw I had the same mistake with fuel lines when I was installing EFI.

I'd get my speakers checked if i were you, i'm still 31-36 years from retirement, well the govts poverty version of it anyway.

Alpina wrote:
I did mention it, its a very easy mistake to make, its happened to me.. piping the otherway round wont have any pressure to start.. Very Happy


Well done thou you finally craked it..... now only one thing to do and which the e21 was simply made for (323i) is to thrash the f--k out of it i.e floooor it!!! Wink

Damn you did too, i misinterpreted it and thought it was odd to think i hadn't connected the fuel line.

Yes i will be thrashing it, the sooner i kill it the sooner it gets a stroker rebuild. of course timing belt and water pump and warm up periods will be observed, i'm not THAT mechanically unsympathetic.

[murran]

with motronic you should always hear six compressions when cranking, then it fires up.

well done that man! sounds sweet too!

[varden]

Thanks murran

It was your build thread that convinced me to have a go at the M20B25 conversion myself and I'm relieved it has worked out

I think I'll weld the zorst up before i take it for a drive....

[02mick]

nice work !!! not sure what i do now late at night, can somebody else start an engine swap ??
btw i hat those sonny stereo's. beep beep beep lol

[varden]

Progress report!!

I started my timing belt and water pump swap today.

Everything came apart quite well....


I fitted the new water pump first.....


Then i just couldn't get the belt to go over the tensioner pulley to refit, nor could i slide in the tensioner and rebolt it, that and it felt like i was always a tooth too much slop between the cam pulley and the intermediate pulley.

After some unsuccessful dicking about i cracked open the haynes manual for my e21, not much help there....

Finally i conceded that the water pump would have to come off and then go on after the tensioner....then it all worked out but i didn't get to finish the job before i ran out of time.

The belt had evidence of cracking, you'll have to take my word for it as the pic is useless.

[varden]

F@#K!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Water pump is leaking, can feel impeller binding against bore of cyl 1.


Not f@#king happy.

Bloody aftermarket water pump!


Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

[--ALPINA--]

F@#K!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Water pump is leaking, can feel impeller binding against bore of cyl 1.


Not f@#king happy.

Bloody aftermarket water pump!


Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

Your car must hate you !!!


J

[varden]

It must know that an e30 2dr rolling chassis arrives tomorrow and that if its running its going to be put out in the weather.

[varden]

Progress report!

Off to the auto shop this morning to get...


Time to cut up a couple of gaskets to double up with my ill fitting aftermarket water pump.


I ended up stapling them together with little tabs i added to the outer edge of the gaskets to get them to sit together while i mounted the water pump.


Two 0.8mm gaskets sandwiched together was enuff to give my water pump clearance, the next plan was to grind the f@#k out of the pump, then steal the one of the e30 that arrives tomorrow.

Almost finished now...almost.

Just have to tidy up the wiring.

Fit the motorsport front bar and mount this properly.


Oh and sort this out...


I gave it a boot full of revs while i was topping off the coolant and damn it was painfully loud.

[e21-Mark]

I'm looking forward to the first time you hit 4000rpm in 3rd gear!

[fr0z]

Apparently you solved the wiring problems
Can you do some wiring chart about the connections? I have m20b20 to m20b25 conversion ahead...

[varden]

fr0z wrote:Apparently you solved the wiring problems

Can you do some wiring chart about the connections? I have m20b20 to m20b25 conversion ahead...

Mate for your conversion i would check out this page on murrans 320---->325i conversion cos it will directly apply to your conversion....

http://www.bmwe21.net/forum/viewtopic.p ... c&start=15

Hell its what i used, the only difference for me was the need for a 25amp fuse instead of the 7.5amp one but even then, probably not.

Oh and the fuel line from the pump goes to the FUEL RAIL not the regulator, as i discovered after 2 weeks of wiring frustration.

Oh and...progress report!

Starter issue resolved, one wire on the starter sol required, not the two i had, and now my digital clock is working again.

Bonnet refitted with my sisters help...

I let the car run for 10 min to check for leaking hoses or smoking wiring, one hose to tighten and no smoke or heat in the engine loom this time.

Oh and i put this heap in the shed too.


I have plans for it BUT the 731 head and the 2.7 out of my 325e would be the dogs bollocks with the 325i efi set up in my e21.....

[e21-Mark]

How soon will you be driving it to check out the performance?

[murran]

cool gasket making skills there. the gaskets you get with aftermarket pumps are always shit.

looking forward to hear from you after driving it!

[Thayat]

Great result Varden. I have run into one or two problems myself.

The engine and componentry is missing a few vital bits. The vacuum hoses that connect the brake booster with the inlet manifold and the oxygen sensor (bugger). I have the e30 water pump with only the single outlet and also standard E30 325 fuel pump.

So if I am right, I either need to mount the fuel pump somewhere under the car (any photos of a standard E30 installation as google isn't helping), or get a 318is pump (not an option in NZ), or get an e21 323i pump to mount inside the tank???

With the water pump, I need to get an e21 one and mount it so I can keep the expansion tank. I take it there are no other solutions?

With the oxygen sensor, I have the standard e21 exhaust manifolds. Is it wise to mount to only one of the branches or should I run it along to the point where I will join the two pipes into one?

Its getting to the last bits and pieces. The troublesome ones.

Any guidance from anyone is welcome. I'm getting some pretty ordinary advice from my mechanic unfortunately.

Cheers