Heya, here's my project car. Found on Craigslist in Phoenix Az. A used and abused, wore the hell out E34 540i 4.0L V8 & 6spd manual. Picked up for cheap, non-running of course.
Once the problem was discovered as to why it wouldn't start (Harmonic damper/crank trigger was installed clocked incorrectly) I then spent the next couple months resolving everything else, exhaust leaks, coolant leaks, oil leaks, fuel leaks.....Once every loose nut & bolt I could find was torqued I spent next year driving and modding along the way. The 18" BMW ///M wheels are super chrome pitted and instead of running them on the vehicle I turned them into a coffee table.
These chrome 16"s came off a junk BMW that found it's through my shop. Freebies:
Eventually the clutch started to slip, the engagement was at the end of the pedal travel ever since I got it running. So I did what any other gearhead would do when it came time for a clutch change. Pulled the drivetrain and changed/modded everything.
Dialed in the cam timing, in OE trim the cam specs are a 246/241 duration on a 109 ICL and a 108 LSA. Since camshafts for this engine cost triple what I paid for the car I instead just shifted the ICL and LSA. After much number crunching I opt'd on a 106 ICL & 106 LSA.
If they didn't want us to play with cam timing the OE cam gears wouldn't be adjustable....right? :-)
Next, the clean-up, degrease, wire wheel, pressure wash and repaint. In automotive college we called this a "Duplicolor Rebuild"
Removed and discarded the OE dual mass heavy flywheel for a single lightweight piece.
Then a Spec "Stage II" Pressure plate and Kevlar unsprung disc (What was I thinking).
Clean, de-grease and repaint the engine bay and frame. New steering linkage.
Replacement steering gearbox...Yes, gearbox, in a BMW....Converted to manual steering, 'cause the kevlar clutch wasn't punishment enough. Removed ABS, installed manual brake bias valve.
Get the drivetrain back home:
New control arms, bushings and lowered the front coils.
New set of pipes. I decided to get away from the dual small pipe exhaust and run a single 3" exhaust with a Vibrant brand Ultra Quiet resonator mid way and a Flowmaster Super 40 at the end.
For computer tuning I'm using the original Bosch Motronic M3.3 system, converted to a non-security version of the ECU. There is a flashable Moates Ostrich 2.0 28 pin chip emulator installed in the Eprom socket. Tuning of the binary file via TunerProRT software. The definition file that's floating around online for this application is rather rough and incomplete so I have been building my own from scratch.
Once I am happy with the tune I intend to convert the mass air flow sensor over to the MAFT-Pro unit that uses MAP sensor, TPS, RPM and wideband O2 for fueling control.
Next on my to-do list is to tackle the rear end. It's a 2.91:1 rear gear, and because of the bigger v8 it has a large ring gear with not many options. As an experiment I'm hoping to pick up an E46 M3 differential with a 3.62:1 gear and limited slip. Then see if I can't get the M3 210mm ring gear, pinion and carrier to fit in the E34 210mm differential housing and retain the OE axle & driveshaft flanges....crosses fingers.
Thanks for checking out my little project car. Cheers -Mykk
Once the problem was discovered as to why it wouldn't start (Harmonic damper/crank trigger was installed clocked incorrectly) I then spent the next couple months resolving everything else, exhaust leaks, coolant leaks, oil leaks, fuel leaks.....Once every loose nut & bolt I could find was torqued I spent next year driving and modding along the way. The 18" BMW ///M wheels are super chrome pitted and instead of running them on the vehicle I turned them into a coffee table.
These chrome 16"s came off a junk BMW that found it's through my shop. Freebies:
Eventually the clutch started to slip, the engagement was at the end of the pedal travel ever since I got it running. So I did what any other gearhead would do when it came time for a clutch change. Pulled the drivetrain and changed/modded everything.
Dialed in the cam timing, in OE trim the cam specs are a 246/241 duration on a 109 ICL and a 108 LSA. Since camshafts for this engine cost triple what I paid for the car I instead just shifted the ICL and LSA. After much number crunching I opt'd on a 106 ICL & 106 LSA.
If they didn't want us to play with cam timing the OE cam gears wouldn't be adjustable....right? :-)
Next, the clean-up, degrease, wire wheel, pressure wash and repaint. In automotive college we called this a "Duplicolor Rebuild"
Removed and discarded the OE dual mass heavy flywheel for a single lightweight piece.
Then a Spec "Stage II" Pressure plate and Kevlar unsprung disc (What was I thinking).
Clean, de-grease and repaint the engine bay and frame. New steering linkage.
Replacement steering gearbox...Yes, gearbox, in a BMW....Converted to manual steering, 'cause the kevlar clutch wasn't punishment enough. Removed ABS, installed manual brake bias valve.
Get the drivetrain back home:
New control arms, bushings and lowered the front coils.
New set of pipes. I decided to get away from the dual small pipe exhaust and run a single 3" exhaust with a Vibrant brand Ultra Quiet resonator mid way and a Flowmaster Super 40 at the end.
For computer tuning I'm using the original Bosch Motronic M3.3 system, converted to a non-security version of the ECU. There is a flashable Moates Ostrich 2.0 28 pin chip emulator installed in the Eprom socket. Tuning of the binary file via TunerProRT software. The definition file that's floating around online for this application is rather rough and incomplete so I have been building my own from scratch.
Once I am happy with the tune I intend to convert the mass air flow sensor over to the MAFT-Pro unit that uses MAP sensor, TPS, RPM and wideband O2 for fueling control.
Next on my to-do list is to tackle the rear end. It's a 2.91:1 rear gear, and because of the bigger v8 it has a large ring gear with not many options. As an experiment I'm hoping to pick up an E46 M3 differential with a 3.62:1 gear and limited slip. Then see if I can't get the M3 210mm ring gear, pinion and carrier to fit in the E34 210mm differential housing and retain the OE axle & driveshaft flanges....crosses fingers.
Thanks for checking out my little project car. Cheers -Mykk
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