Messages

1

Swaps, Turbos, Buildups / Interest in Bolt on Turbo kit?

« on: October 05, 2012, 06:20:52 PM »

Hey guys! The E21 Jake's referring to is mine. We still have to get on the dyno to really narrow in on the tune, but for now its quick as hell. I had to port the wastegate because we were getting boost creep but thats been solved now. Exhaust is 2.5" thru an aero resonator and magnaflow muffler. Ill take a few videos at the autocross, though with my worn out Azenis it will probably want to break loose more than stay planted...either way, the power finally matches the handling of my car (GC coilovers in billie sports). Ill post more up here as i get more footage.

2

Swaps, Turbos, Buildups / Italian E36 M42, NA 197hp, 168ft-lbs, E30 S14 ITBs...

« on: July 03, 2010, 10:05:49 AM »

At the risk of reviving a 3 yr old thread, everything I have read about an M42 fitting s14 ITBs is that it can't be done because the overall intake port spacing is "over 3 inches" different...based on the pics in this thread, the spacing doesn't look bad at all...Just wondering if anyone knows of any developments over the past few years?

3

Engine + Driveline / Trying to keep euro sound!!??

« on: June 24, 2010, 10:37:53 PM »

I replaced a poorly re-done exhaust on mine (no cat, no resonator, and a fart can) with a magnaflow univ cat, a universal resonator in the middle and a dynomax super turbo muffler.  It sounds great!  And best part, very little rice!  Every once in a while I catch a slight rasp to it, but not enough to bother me (especially after experiencing that fart can on there....)

What size resonator did you get and where did you get it from? My m10 resonator plus a magnaflow stainless muffler has been an embarrassment since the first time I heard an outside video at an autocross.

4

Engine + Driveline / Keep Getting "1234" Code

« on: June 20, 2010, 10:15:52 PM »

Thanks J, yeah I've looked at the cross reference tables before and I thought it was strange that it was talking about the speedo code.  Being an engine swap I do not have a speedometer running into the harness, though I didn't think the ECU was looking for the speedo signal at all...seems strange that it all of the sudden came back this weekend.

To read the codes I have been stopped with the engine off...but maybe the code is clearing itself when I let off the throttle then it isn't truly telling me the right code for what happens at that instant.

5

Engine + Driveline / Keep Getting "1234" Code

« on: June 20, 2010, 09:34:36 PM »

Can anyone tell me why this code comes and goes? I originally thought it was my crank position sensor (it went away for about 5 months after I changed it out) but now it is back again. It is active when I have been cruising for 2 miles or so, then when I let off the throttle it  goes away...then comes back when I have been cruising again.  Any idea?

6

Engine management / Adding o2 sensor on m42

« on: March 20, 2010, 01:37:23 PM »

Follow-up...I attached a probe wire to the voltage feedback portion of the O2 sensor and revved it at 2000 rpm to heat up the sensor. First I did this with the one-terminal no-cat wire plugged in.  Strangely, the sensor output never reached 0.45V (that I expected if the A/F ratio is correct)...it was between 0.6 and 0.9 V (showing it's running rich?). Next step I unplugged the one-terminal no-cat wire on the harness and revved to 2000 rpm. While holding it there, it was right between 0.44V and 0.46V (good news).  When I let it return to idle, the voltage started climbing back up to greater than 1V (actually up to 6 or so volts, until I revved it again for a few minutes).  This leads me to another question, at idle should my O2 remain at 0.45V, or does it cool down too much because less heat is traveling out the tailpipe?  Is the O2 sensor heating coil only on when in closed loop, or is it on all the time?

7

Engine management / Adding o2 sensor on m42

« on: March 20, 2010, 10:51:03 AM »

Not to thread jack, but how does the car run without the O2 sensor in the european cars? I assume it relies mostly on the AFM for managing A/F ratio?...In that case, I have been getting an O2 sensor CEL so I plugged in the one-terminal connector (which is unplugged on cars with cats) and unplugged the O2 sensor thinking it would be configured like a euro-spec model...As soon as it was under load or above 50 mph or so the engine would lose power and essentially stall...strange because even with the CEL the car appears to run fine with the O2 installed and the one-terminal plug either plugged in or not.

8

Engine + Driveline / A/C Idle RPM Increase

« on: March 20, 2010, 09:01:36 AM »

Guys,
I've found that with my auxiliary cooling fan on, my car cools a little quicker at around 1000 - 1500 rpm. Being a motor swap, I do not have A/C or any heater controls on this car. Looking thru the ETM I see the two wires in the 4-way connector on the engine harness right near the ECU need to go to 12V in order to tell the computer to increase the idle (as when A/C is turned on)...so I did this. When I first enable it, the idle goes to about 1200 rpm and stays there for 3 or so seconds then ramps back down to about 900 rpm.  Is there anything else I might be missing to keep the RPMs up around 1200 constantly? Could the engine sense whether it is under the A/C compressor load and adjust accordingly?

Thanks,
AJ

9

General Topics / Autocross Video

« on: November 20, 2009, 04:42:19 PM »

GREAT!

I miss my E 21.  Cool swap, that clearly works for ya.  Are you down here (southeast) somewhere?

Nah man this track is in MI...it is actually a pretty good track for autox. And I never would have thought the e21 would do much at autox but is pretty competitive.

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General Topics / Autocross Video

« on: November 17, 2009, 04:45:41 PM »

Just figured I'd share my M42 powered E21 from this past weekend's autocross at a local speedway.  Got a top 5 out of 30 or so cars...very fast track and I thought the high HP cars would own, but the M42 held its own.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eivHwPfMCt4

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Engine + Driveline / 1222 code but newer o2 and 30mpg

« on: September 09, 2009, 09:53:01 PM »

reddish meaning oil?

It wasn't soaked like you'd see with oil...just like a dusting of rust color. The plugs were not dirty looking and after 5000 miles it's lost less than a pint of oil...some of which was on the ground.

12

Engine + Driveline / 1222 code but newer o2 and 30mpg

« on: September 09, 2009, 07:19:25 PM »

Checked the plugs and they looked clean but had a reddish tinge to the ceramic surrounding the electrode. Right at the electrode it was yellow/normal but the reddish color has me stumped...

13

Engine + Driveline / 1222 code but newer o2 and 30mpg

« on: September 02, 2009, 08:27:53 PM »

Being an engine swap I did not have the pigtail for the O2 sensor.  I bought a generic 4 wire O2 (same a friend used successfully on his M42 swap) and wired it into the harness.  I don't know what sort of voltage should be showing up on the diagnostic connector (O2 terminal) but it doesnt change when the motor is revved.  I don't think the E30 M42 has knock sensors, but last I had the plugs out (but have not checked since the code has come up) they looked good...no carbon buildup and not white hot.

14

Engine + Driveline / 1222 code but newer o2 and 30mpg

« on: September 02, 2009, 07:27:42 PM »

I ended up unplugging the ICV and it idles up around 11-1200 rpm and no stall issue.  Has the very minor misfire sound that a lean condition might represent both with ICV plugged in and without...Really doesn't make much sense to me.  Car will stall if I remove the oil cap (no major vacuum leaks?).

15

Engine + Driveline / 1222 code but newer o2 and 30mpg

« on: August 20, 2009, 08:17:25 PM »

After fixing my ICV the idle is stable at 900 rpm but occasionally will drop and stall. The 1222 code comes on after idling for a while and while at a steady speed. I recently (within 5000 miles ago) put in a new o2 sensor. Two questions...1)can I adjust the AFM idle fuel mixture control? 2)I probed the o2 sensor port on the diagnostic connector and it is reading around 6.5 volts at idle...does this make sense to anyone?   I don't think I am running rich as I get 27-30 mpg consistently...