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wiz0r wrote:I'm not too sure what you mean. I've had them bolted up to the struts (loosely, without discs), and they are the vented 240 calipers everyone uses. I know I have to slot the caliper holes if thats what you mean.

sorry mate, that is what i ment........ good luck un conversion.. with the large solution to power damn servo is as an issue!!!


j

Thanks for the info guys, looks like a pedal box is the way forward!

I'm just taking some photos of mine now, have PC but no card reader here at the workshop, so I'll post them up later.

Cheers Jim!

God I can't wait for this one to be completed. Keep up the good work.

arshad76 wrote:God I can't wait for this one to be completed. Keep up the good work.

Thanks!

Cracking on with it tomorrow; removing all brake linkages/mastercylinder/servo, hoping to fit a 323i box with clutch and flywheel to the back of the M50, removing the exhaust manifolds, fitting E36 engine mounts (so the engine is mounted further back), chopping up the front panel to swing the motor through and seeing how things look, mocking up some mounts for the gearbox and engine if I get time.

Excited? . Disclaimer, I hold no guarantee getting through that list tomorrow...

Yes, very impressive! I just think this will be such a good engine in this car. I'm happy with the 2.5 from the E30 in mine, but that's a fairly straightforward swap. Yours is a little more involved, which is why you'll get much kudos for finishing it. Watching the progress with interest, keep it up.

wiz0r wrote:
Thanks!

Cracking on with it tomorrow; removing all brake linkages/mastercylinder/servo, hoping to fit a 323i box with clutch and flywheel to the back of the M50, removing the exhaust manifolds, fitting E36 engine mounts (so the engine is mounted further back), chopping up the front panel to swing the motor through and seeing how things look, mocking up some mounts for the gearbox and engine if I get time.

Excited? . Disclaimer, I hold no guarantee getting through that list tomorrow...

Good job I put a disclaimer, the only thing I've done since August 3rd is removed the exhaust manifolds. I nearly had a major set back with this engine since the E36 engine mounts bolt on further back meaning some threads have to be chased out on the E34 block. When doing this the tap snapped I spoke to an engineer on the phone who reckoned the tap was never coming out of there (since they are so hard, and it was in there so tight), or he could do it. but it wouldn't be financially worth it. I took the engine over anyway, and luckily it was a shit tap and took 5 minutes of drilling and tapping to put right. Since then my life has been extremely hectic through going to shows, getting parts off for different people and building a field/grass track E21 so nothing has got done. But I did find time to do this to some 323i struts...


This is in preparation for my coilover conversion, so I've cut off and ground back the spring cups. I've re decided to use a dogleg gearbox (since I have two now) for this project, but I'll have to remove it from another of my E21s, so that's tomorrows job. Since getting other things out the way, I finally have some time to dedicate to my neglected E21.

Hi

just a thought volvo 480's run a remote servo brake set up


Jason

Cheers Jason, I'll look into that.

Rob

Made further progress, especially with the actual engine itself. People say the M50 is a heavy engine, well I've been making it a bit lighter. Power steering pump and AC have been binned. Below you can see the AC bracket on the left of the crank pulley. This needs to go, since the engine will sit on the anti roll bar if you don't! How do I know this? Well look further below!


Also in the lightness stakes is the flywheel. The M50 is equipped with a dual mass monster, and you can see a flywheel I had spare off an E21 323i. Size and weight difference is massive.


I'm using a 323i dogleg box, flywheel, clutch and pilot bearing at the end of the crank. This needs to be swapped since the M50 gearbox input shaft is much larger. I slide hammered out a 323i bearing, since I'm cheap.


Fitted the flywheel, bearing and clutch to the back of the M50


The I fitted the dogleg, it's much easier once you've aligned the clutch disc with a tool


As I know I'll have clearance issues from the start, the exhaust manifolds were removed and this was removed out of the engine bay and cabin. Main culprit the brake servo is out of shot.


Anyway, the money shots


OH YEAH!!


Can't believe how close they are to mounting to pre-made M42 mounts. You have to use E36 engine mounts BTW (not sure if I've posted this before)


I trial fitted the exhaust manifolds, the furthest back hits the steering knuckle, and the longer first manifold will have to be cut a shut, potentially with the manifolds going either side of steering link.

Rob, very good pictures of the engine conversion, i noticed the you cut the front middle section of the front panel, was this nessesary to fit the engine in? and also and issues in the coolant radiator clearance..

Also just a not, when you make up brackets for the M50 engine mounts to fit into the e21... if you could make up a template and also one for the exhausts cos you never know you could make someones lifer easier when you "sell" them and also the wiring diagram!!! you know what i mean!!!! keep it up, looking good.



j

looks tight in there. but so !
any room at all for a radiator? you binning the viscous fan for a front mounted elec. one?

It wasn't necessary, just makes life easier. This engine will be coming in and out a lot, so it'll be better this way. Plus it makes things easier when I come to mount the radiator and fan. I plan to reinforce and bolt it back in, instead of welding incase the whole lot has to come out at some point. I got the idea from Lindenberg who did it on his awesome M50'd car. I do it on every E21 that I scrap now.

I can make a template, but I'm unsure of what I'm going to do currently. You can't use E34 mounts, since they bolt on too far forward on the block. I currently have fitted E36 M50/M52 mounts on to the block, and my own homebrew M42 brackets tack welded onto a modified 4 cyl subframe. They don't line up, the brackets are too far back and the angle points too inwards towards the engine. I'm concerned that the E36 mounts, that the E30 guys use, are too wide for the E21 chassis. I'm worried that any brackets that I make won't work as the rubber engine mounts clash on the chassis legs. I've just checked Lindenberg's thread and he's using the 6cyl subframe, with E21 M20 mounts and slightly modified the subframe. These are also options to me. My modified 4 cyl subframe has had it's raised platform or "horn" as it's known chopped off, and I'll probably use it, which means anyone I make brackets for will have to do exactly as I have!

murran wrote:looks tight in there. but so !
any room at all for a radiator? you binning the viscous fan for a front mounted elec. one?

Yeah there's enough room for a radiator, though what one I go for is not yet decided. That's the last of my worries, and will be thought about after the engine is bolted up. Yup binning the viscous and front mounted elec one will be fitted!

Cheers