E30 to E34 suspension

I have been getting a lot of hits to my blog from people searching for ways to upgrade their E30 suspension to E34 suspension. My guess would be to go from 4 lug to 5 lug. I haven't heard anything about doing this, but since I have access to the parts, I thought I would investigate. I went out in the yard and grabbed an E30 rear control arm and an E34 525i rear control arm. Just by laying them side by side I can say that if it is possible to use E34 rear suspension it would require some heavy mods.


For starters the E34 is 2 inches wider that the E30. Also, I don't know if you can see it, the E34 shock mount is on the top of the control arm. The E30 shock mount is on the bottom of the arm.

Finally, E34's use coil over shocks where as E30's use springs separate from the shock, so there is no spring perch on the arm. I suppose you could us a coil over set-up on your E30, but for the sake of argument, the perch is missing from the E34 arm.

As for the front struts, I don't think E34is going to work because of the different control arm set-up.





If any one has any more info on doing an E30/E34 swap, feel free to leave me a comment.

Tach

I changed out my Tach. Since my car is a 1986 325, I have the white backed gauge cluster, with a 5,000 rpm tach. I put in a 1984 318i tach which goes to 7,000 rpm. It still doesn't work, I have tried several wires to get it to work. I've been on R3vlimited. Checked my fuses. Checked wiring diagrams from the ETM. Still no signal. My economy gauge has been intermittently working.

I may try a blue backed 325i cluster this weekend.

I've got my fingers crossed!

**********************************UPDATE**************************************
I got my tach working. I kept my original cluster, and used the 84 318i 7,000 rpm tach. I connected a wire from the C101 plug under the dash to the solid black wire on the X20 plug. It works great! I also got my oil level senor working and my coolant sensor working. Now if I could just get my temp gauge working.

Dinan Chip 413 brain

Today I installed a Dinan Chipped silver 413 brain. After I got the exhaust put in and the O2 sensor connected, the car started to stumble and not idle very well. It probably needed to learn the car, but we had the chipped brain at work, so I used it. Now it runs great.



A comment on the red vs. silver 413 brains - the silver brain is found in all the EWS equipped cars. However, you can get silver 413 from a Non-EWS car if the brain has been replaced by the dealer. New 413 brains have a silver sticker EWS or Non-EWS. Red is the safe bet, but if you know the production date of the car, a pre 1/95 silver brain will work.

You could use a 506 brain from a 95 M3. I read that this is a learning brain. It makes adjustments on air to fuel mixture based on O2 sensor readings, where the 413 can only make small adjustments. I think the 506 only came in the pre 1/95 M3's.




No tach yet. I can't figure out which wire to hook up. I guess I'll hunt it down this weekend. I made a split harness to try and use the 528i dual temp sensor. I made a pigtail for the oil level sensor since I used the E36 injection harness instead of the E34. I got the bracket from the E30 318i to make the injection brain bolt up.

I see quite a few people searching for Dinan chips for other model cars. It is my understanding that any car 1996 and newer cannot be chipped. You will need a programmer to download the info or a lap top. Here in Sacramento, Shatz and Krum is a Dinan Distributor.

New Exhaust

I took the car over to the Exhaust Shop today for a custom exhaust. Drove it yesterday for the first time. What a difference in power!

I had the exhaust guys use a stock muffler assy and put a custom head pipe with a Magna Flow high flow cat. Sounds a little tinny, but not bad.



I had to take the car back to the muffler guys again. I couldn't get the O2 sensor out, with a pipe wrench and a 4 foot cheater bar. And the sensor was hitting the fire wall. The muffler guy cut it out, turned it and installed another O2 sensor for me.

Sunday Night

It's Sunday Night and I'm spent. The motor's in and running, started up today for the first time. It would have started Saturday, but I left the unloader positive cable off the starter. I took it out for a hot lap tonight without the exhaust. Man is it L-O-U-D!!! After work tomorrow I hope to hang the exhaust, bleed the brakes again and bleed the clutch.



I still have a lot to do, but it's driveable.




















Tune in for more as it happens

Brett

Tomorrows the Big Day

Tomorrow's the Big Day! The engine is as ready as it's going to be. I have the E36 harness converted and should be ready to plug into the car. I'm going to put the harness on the engine tomorrow before installing it. I haven't quite figured out the power steering config yet. I might use the E30 p/s canister instead of the E36. I'll see once it's in the car. The Z3 rack is adding a few extra problems I hadn't anticipated. Here's what I've got:

Used Modified 320i brake booster
Used E34 M5 25mm brake master cylinder - didn't fit / used my E30 master
Used Z3 1.9 steering rack - I'll use my E30 tie rods and modified my steering knuckle
528i Long block
E34 525i M50 oil pan and dipstick
E36 325i Metal Motor Mount Brackets
Used E28 88 535i Green Rubber Motor Mounts
New E21 320i Transmission Rubber Mounts
Used OBDI Intake with throttle body
Used Dinan 506 V8 mass air flow sensor
Used 95 325i Std trans wiring harness (NON ASC)
Used 413 injection brain (Non EWS)
Used 328i accessories - Alternator, Starter, P/S pump. A/C compressor
Used 328i belt tensioners with new pulleys and new idler pulley/belts
Used E30 front crossmember
Used 328i flywheel with new Sachs clutch kit
New Crank Sensor - 95 325i installed on front timing cover
New knock sensors
Used All Aluminum 95 M3 Radiator3 Fan Shroud and Reservoir
New E36 water hoses
Used 97 M3 manual transmission with shift tower
Used Z3 shift lever - didn't use measured same as M3
96 328i manual driveline with new E30 center carrier bearing
Used 95 326i m50 OBDI complete exhaust w/O2 sensors and manifolds - didn't work see below
Custom headpipe with Magnaflow high flow cat $600.00
Used Dinan muffler assembly

The plan is to drop out my engine and trans tomorrow night after work. I'll drop everything out the bottom the same way we dismantle the car. I have my M50 engine all ready setting on another E30 subframe with the steering rack installed. Once the old motor is out, I'll remove the E30 brake booster and master and the E30 radiator. I'll install the 320 brake booster/master and then pull my tie rods, control arms and 5 lug struts from the E30 set-up and put all of these on the new assembly. With everything mounted, I'll put the M50 assembly into the car from the bottom. With the car on the lift I'll lower it down and bolt the subframe in and hang the struts and control arms. With that done, I can raise the car up and put in the drive line and exhaust.

I hope to drive my car home Saturday night. Keep your fingers crossed.

M52 OBDI Change-over Update

So, I'm shooting for this weekend to put in my change-over. I have my 328 engine. I'm putting it in used. I don't want to get into the long block. It has a good comp and doesn't look to have any leaks. Changed to oil pan to an E34 525 M50 one. Had to wait for the stupid little gasket for the oil pump pick-up tube. Changed my crank seals. Put on the alternator, power steering pump and a/c compressor. New belts and tensioner pulleys. Tonight I'll throw the new thermostat and metal housing on it. Still need to put in the pilot bearing so I can bolt the tranny up.

I'm going to set the engine and trans on a subframe and drop my old engine out the bottom and then slide the M52 in from under neath. Hopefully I can get every thing done in one weekend.

I'm going to put a Z3 steering rack in now while I have everything out. My struts seem like they are blown, so I want to change those out too.

Hopefully the next post you read will be me talking about how easy everything went!

Cheers!