325iS Turbo Build, v2!

[SiGmA]

I started my turbo build back in May 07, with the intentions of keeping the budget under 5k, and putting down hopefully mid-300whp. I was planning on using a SPA manifold, TRM Stg1 turbo (T3/T4, 0.50 compressor, 0.63 exhaust), ebay 12x24x3" IC, home made charge pipes and exhaust, and Megasquirt for tuning. The motor plans were to be a stock rebuild M50TU with a 0.140 MLS. I had the motor back in the car by the end of June, after waiting for the dbag at VPFab to get me my MLS for 6 weeks.. Asshat didn't place the order with IPP for over 2 weeks after billing me, AND telling me it was already ordered!!!!




Then I had my first experience with fabrication, which resulted in a few weekends of time spent muddling around with the piping until I got the pipes to where I wanted them. Overall it worked out well, but they were steel, and heavy as fu*k.


I will get pictures of my exhaust soon, but I had Columbia River Mandrel Benders make it, and it looks amazing. As it should, they are the guys who make the Horsepower Freaks M3 kits exhaust/charge piping, as well as TT's! I also use them for all my piping, best prices, and Adam is a very nice guy - he has met me at 7-8pm on many occasions to pick up pipe from them!

Next up was the Megasquirt, I got the motor running in October, but then had a mishap with my coil drivers, and then worse yet, the Megasquirt took a fall off my bench and I had to replace it. I had a number of issues with my replacement v3.57, went back to a V3, and the car drove decently from January to March, when my laptop was jacked and the Megasquirt sh!t itself.

At this point I decided to stop using Megasquirt, and have Mike@TRM tune me. At the same time, I decided I wanted to pull the engine and change the headgasket, as the ARP8740's did not seem to be clamping too well, and there was oil coming out of the side of the block/head near #5 on both sides of the engine. I pulled the motor, dropping in my test fit motor, and replaced the headgasket on my M50TU. I used stock bolts and another 0.140 MLS, except this time I used Hylomar to attempt to seal the gasket better. I failed at that, it leaked oil externally, and then compression into the crankcase later on, most likely at the front of the timing cover to block junction. As I was changing from the MAP based Megasquirt back to a draw through MAF setup for the DME, I had to fabricate a new intake. I used a super tight radius 3" 'donut' (Thank you Jon/5mall5nail5 for showing me where to get it!) and some other 3" bends, and it worked out very nicely. (Ignore the air filter, its now a nice small K&N)



I dynoed this setup, at 15psi (spiking to 18psi on the dyno, causing the torque spike) and put down 325whp/323wtq on a Mustang dyno on my base map from TRM.

About a month after the dyno, I was running 19psi and started pushing pressure into the crankcase, at which time I decided that instead of using another 0.140, I wanted to build a motor, and change up a few things along the way, which brings us to my second build.

My motor plans were for a small bore, stroked 3L engine. I already have had a M52 block sitting around for 6 months, and finding a crank is pretty easy, so I ordered a set of 84.5mm 89.6mm 8.5:1 Wiseco pistons, Eagle 135mm rods, ARP2000's and a 0.080MLS gasket. A guy on CraigsList locally happened to have a hydrolocked S52 for sale, so I picked up a crank/head/cams for really cheap - all with about 25k on them. I ordered a few cast elbows for the intercooler, a bunch of aluminum pipe from Columbia River, and got to work. Currently, the motor is at the machine shop, when the rods get here next week (Tuesday I believe) they will be going to be balanced, and then I will be building the motor. Right now I have my front end torn off, as I am replacing the intercooler mount, nose panel, and front bumper, and a mock up motor has been installed. We started fabrication this morning and hopefully it goes well over the weekend.



There will be New Sweden style pics once I get the parts back from the bottom end

[Depape]

Good luck with the build!
I'll be putting my pretty much identical motor together within the next month.
Get those piston pics up soon. Did you order from IPP? I'll be calling them and Wiseco on monday about the pistons.

Later

[SiGmA]

Specs on the new setup are as follows...

OBD1 Chip Tune
3L 84.5mm bore, 89.6mm stroke M5X hybrid (M50 head, M52 block, S52 crank and cams)
- Wiseco 8.5:1 pistons
- Eagle rods
- S52 crankshaft
- S52 camshafts
- M50 stock head
- Stock headgasket
SPA manifold
SC6162 .82 T3 4bolt
12x24x3 IC, 2.5" hot side, 3" cold side
Full 3" SS Exhaust

Depape - Yes sir, I did order them from IPP, but Wiseco emailed me the next day to confirm specs. I'll have pics of them Monday!

[chris4soc]

Subscribed! Good Luck with the build!

[raoke]

nice.. buy my gt3076r

[shaeff]

I was wondering when you were going to make this thread, Roman. Sounds excellent!

[Regan85]

thats a nice project

[SiGmA]

Raoke, hook me up on the price and I might. This was a unexpected 4k expense, about time tho!

Thanks for the well wishes guys! It was Surgeline's fab guy's birthday today so I couldn't get my end tanks welded, so we're going to tape them really well and continue work tonight. I got a package from Mike R today with my 3" elbows, so we should be able to get the cold side all taped up and start work on the hot side. Cold side is easier to do as we don't have to use a fu*king creeper.

[BadBoostedBmwM3]

Well, Nice to hear about the new continued build. I hope that you get everything the way you want it. GL!!

[slcook54]

Good luck Roman, can't wait to see her completed.

[SiGmA]

Good luck Roman, can't wait to see her completed.

Me either man! I have to look up drill sizes so I can install my sideskirts too

[nickdrivesm3]

I'll be seeing you and the car @ Bimmerfest 09 right?

[SiGmA]

I'll be seeing you and the car @ Bimmerfest 09 right?

Yessir! The new motor should be broken in and dynoed by the end of the year, and back to daily driver status. Then I just need brakes, seats and carpet.

[lughed]

nice

[SiGmA]

Well, tonight was rather productive. We mocked up the 2.5" hot side charge pipe, and 3" cold side, and turbo intake. Previously I used a steel donut for my intake, this time we sectioned some pipes really nicely and were able to do it all with the aluminum I had. Much cheaper than a damn donut!

Here is a picture of the final pipes on the ground - Top to bottom, Cold side, Hot side, Intake pipe:

Intercooler with pipes installed, facing forward because cast elbows will be welded on as soon as the welder is back. I know its crooked, we supported it while fitting the pipes, it all lines up nicely!

Intake placement:

Hot side to IC fit:

Cold side placement off of IC:

Cold side pipe to TB (cast elbow to be welded on):

[shaeff]

Looks great!

On another note, I found a place that sells 3bond 1207b, which is likely one of the best sealants you can use. Good to high three digit temps, and has been known to stand four digit pressures. This is just rebadged 3bond brand:
http://www.suzukicycles.com/accessor...a-e027561e2a1f

[MikeE36]

Looks great Roman. Now all you need is a bigger turbo! (completely understand if you don't want the other wave of upgrades that comes with that - response is cool, but you DEFINITELY have the engine to support it now )

[slcook54]

PM'd you Roman, might be able to help on the turbo front.

[SiGmA]

Looks great!

On another note, I found a place that sells 3bond 1207b, which is likely one of the best sealants you can use. Good to high three digit temps, and has been known to stand four digit pressures. This is just rebadged 3bond brand:
http://www.suzukicycles.com/accessor...a-e027561e2a1f

Thank you, I'll be ordering one of those ASAP!

Looks great Roman. Now all you need is a bigger turbo! (completely understand if you don't want the other wave of upgrades that comes with that - response is cool, but you DEFINITELY have the engine to support it now )

Hah, thanks. I agree on the turbo side of things, its mostly an expense thing really, but Steve just made me an offer I might not be able to refuse..

PM'd you Roman, might be able to help on the turbo front.

Got your PM, I have to think about this, but what a good deal!

[good & tight]

This going to be nice build I get all my piping from Adam, good people.
BOOST BABY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[///M3Augy]

OOO I'm excited.

[SiGmA]

This going to be nice build I get all my piping from Adam, good people.
BOOST BABY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Same, his guys made my exhaust too, looks awesome.

[CountOfNowhere]

Exciting

I have a question: What lifters and cam trays are you going to be using in the M52 head w/ S52 cams?

[SiGmA]

I just got my last package for the bottom end - the rods. The machine shop will be getting them in an hour or two, along with my crank/fly&clutch/balancer, and they said I should have them back by tomorrow. I am also going to have my machinist mic my crankshaft, as I had, um, inconclusive results as to what the actual size of the crankshaft is... For some reason I measured them all as being about 0.005" larger than spec, which is strange because I'm good with a mic usually, but somehow I messed up here I guess. Calibrated mic and everything, rather odd. Also, seeing as how I'll be at the machine shop shortly, I will be taking pictures of the pistons and getting the spec sheet back, and those will be posted up later today as well.

Eagle rods, ARP2000 head studs, and CompCam's valve spring shims.

Exciting

I have a question: What lifters and cam trays are you going to be using in the M52 head w/ S52 cams?

I am actually re-using my M50 head, and will be using the S52 cams, trays, and lifters. If any lifters turn out to be bad - they have sat for at least a year, most likely longer - I will replace them all with new ones. I would just rather save the ~$300 for now as I didn't budget to replace lifters, and even my 163k M50 lifters still work perfect!

Just got back from the machine shop after dropping off the rotating assembly, and picking up my tacked pipes from Surgeline. I snapped a few pictures of the pistons, and showed them to the master mechanic at Surgeline who has built a ton of high power motors for Subi's and etc, and he asked if I was running an extreme cam or something as the reliefs are massive... And he did an excellent job on modding the intercooler and throttle body and tacking the pipes, I should have finished pictures of those all tomorrow

[SiGmA]

After a long chat with Wiseco today, they said to use the pistons, but remove the funny angle from the edge of the exhaust relief, you can see the "point" in the lower-left on the last photo in the previous post. I'd point it out but I don't have Photoshop installed... Anyways, here's the update piston pictures (exhaust relief first, obviously, its smaller; intake relief second):



Block back from the machine shop:




S52 crank, pistons and rods, all balanced:


We'll see how things go tomorrow, I have alternative plans from working on the car, but I might get the bottom end assembled. As per Wiseco spec, I will be gaping the top ring to 0.015" and the second ring to 0.018". The cylinder head will be getting seals, valves and cams installed, except it can't be put on the head until my bottom end gasket set comes in on Monday as well as a new oil return check valve for the head, which should be in sometime soon (Tuesday I expect).