My $5k challenge. Project Ares 1995 BMW 540i/6

[AndyB]

That motor looks very nice, all dressed up like that. Looks like a bunch of fun to come!

[Mykk]

[Mykk]

In order to get my little dress up spikes, I installed longer studs out of the cam journals & drilled and tapped each valve cover hold down bolt

[Mykk]

Was having some BMW oil canister problems, so I opt'd to go a different route using an old hot rodder dual spin on filter set up:

[Mykk]

[Mykk]

Degree'd cams:











Using BMW cam timing blocks I've found that it sets cams to 108° ICL & 108° LSA with 211° Int/ 206° Exh durations @ 1mm, I've set them up for a more boost friendly 110° ICL & 112° LSA

[Mykk]

Had a parts fitment problem, the intercoolers/manifolds I picked up were from a wrong year & engine and the cylinder spacing doesn't fit the injector manifolds. I've already sourced the correct intercoolers/manifolds and will finish bolting the rest of the engine together in the meantime.

[Mykk]

I hurt something in the rear, I suspected an axle cv joint. Was causing a hell of a vibration under acceleration. Ordered replacement axles. While the axles were out I figured it would be a good time to remove the differential and replace the 2.93:1 open rear with a 3.62:1 ring and pinion with a limited slip carrier. The spiders on the open carrier felt a bit funny and had signs of wearing the teeth together.







...on another note, the cylinder heads are back from the machine shop and I've now got every part needed to finish the supercharged engine build. Super stoked

[mike343sharpstick]

I LOVE THIS. There are so many interesting engines that have been made from BMW V8's to Jag V12's and on, and on.
Some are junk with major design issues and others are underrated with forged internals, great head flow, etc, but saddled with bad electronics and no aftermarket support.

[Mykk]

Jaguar Eaton M112 supercharger, intercoolers/intakemanifolds to BMW V8 cylinder heads adapter:



Cylinder heads are out getting rebuilt and cleaned up, in the meantime I'm bolting together what I can in anticipation of the engine parts returning.

[Mykk]

Standalone EFI installed, running and driving and currently tuning. No more MAF!

[Mykk]

Tally of everything involved?

$1k for car

$560 - lightweight flywheel

$320 - "Racing Kevlar Clutch", then $110 for replacement OE LuK clutch

$100 - radiator & fans

$120 - control arms, ball joints, tie rods & steering linkage kit.

$70 - steering gear

$60 - 19lb Ford Yellow "Bosch gen III" injectors

$45 - header wrap

$110 - Engine & trans mounts

$900 - Wheels, tires, spacers, center caps.

$75 - lightweight seat and harness

$180 - Ostrich chip emulator for tuning

$30 - Spare donor ECU

$60 - MAFT Pro piggyback

$200 - Exhaust

$400 - BMW E46 M3 3.62:1 ring, pinion & limited slip carrier

$250 - M62B44 V8 Shortblock

$390 - complete M60B40 V8 for donor heads, timing set up and misc parts

$375 - Jaguar Supercharger, Intercoolers/Intake manifolds

$120 - Jaguar lower intake manifold & fuel injectors

$1175 - Jaguar supercharger to BMW cylinder heads adapters

$400 - cylinder head studs (yup)

$180 - MSD box, coils & wires

$15 - Arduino Mega 2560

$188 - Speeduino v04.4 EFI board with VR conditioner

$40 - project box to house Speeduino

+$200ish? misc, paints, wires...etc

...$7,673... appears I've gone over budget :-P

If it's any saving grace, it's $4,090 for how the car currently sits and runs before the install of the standalone efi, supercharged replacement engine and M3 differential parts :-P

[Mykk]

Still wrenching. Playing. Moving forward with future plans.



Had a clutch disc seize to the pressure plate:









Took it racing the weekend after getting the new clutch in:





I've been wrenching on the next engine for this project, a supercharged M62B44 BMW V8. Really it's a non-vanos late 90's 4.4L short block (next size larger displacement then current engine). Using M60B40 heads and cams which have slightly larger valves and cams then the M62B44 version. Also using the earlier M60B40 double roller riming chain and idler sprocket compared to the M62B44 single chain and plastic U guide that always shatters giving this engine the horrible reputation that it has.







Jaguar Eaton M112 supercharger and intercoolers/intake manifolds:



Rough mock up of how it'll sit once assembled:



I've made the decision to get away from the Bosch Motronic fuel injection system and instead experiment with a complete DIY opensource standalone EFI called Speeduino, an Arduino Mega 2560 based board that uses TunerStudioMS software for tuning (same as megasquirt).

I've made a plug'n'play type harness by gutting a spare Bosch ECU for this car:



The Speeduino is capable of controlling 4 injectors and 4 ignition outputs. Meaning to run the V8 it's going to run in semi-batch fire and waste spark ignition by pairing up the cylinders that are 360 degrees apart from each other.

I'm making the conversion in steps, starting with the ignition system using parts from my spare parts pile from past builds: MSD DIS-4, MSD waste spark coils, MSD wires. Still running Bosch Motronic, with cam sensor unplugged so ecu stays in batch fire & waste spark operations.



Next will be to install, base tune, then Auto VE tune the Speeduino standalone EFI on the existing naturally aspirated M60B40 V8. In the meantime while finishing the supercharged build.

...that's where I am currently. Making progress, slowly.

[Mykk]

Decided to put on a new set of shoes. Currently a work in progress. What started as needing new tires turned into new rims and tires. Inexpensive E39 style 37 replicas in 18" x 9.5" and 18" x 8". Using Ebay suppliers to keep costs down the tires have been circling the globe for a little while now. But, they will be Nankang NS-20 in 265/35-18 & 235/40-18. The "Spinner/Knock Off" center caps are 2004-2009 Mustang, BMW wheel decals and logos are also on order. Spokes painted in duplicolor "graphite" wheel paint.

[Mykk]

Cool project. I like what you did with the headlights there. Was this an M-Sport? So how does it run compared to a like year M5?

This car isn't an M, I wouldn't be able to cut it up and mod it the way I did if it were as the E34 540i/6 M-sports are super rare. But the previous owner did throw a bunch of M badges all over it :-P (I've removed all but the M5 door sills, I kinda like those).

This has been my only experience with BMW's and I couldn't tell you about an actual M5 other then it's inline 6 makes about 60 more HP then this V8.