Author Topic: Engine Swap Project & Checklist (Read 26307 times)

bmwman91 · « **on:** May 07, 2012, 01:33:26 AM »

As some of you know, I had a recent, and final issue with my motor's timing chain system. In short, last year the idler sprocket's bearing blew out and I replaced that and a lot of other stuff, and then about a month ago the idler sprocket snapped off its casting from the timing case! Add to that some stripped threads and mystery noises, which ended up being somewhat related, and I decided that 220k miles from this motor was enough.

After much deliberation about getting a new car or fixing this one, I decided to pursue my dream of having a Metric Mechanic Rally 2100 motor with all the bells & whistles. I believe that I should be getting the motor around mid-June. So, for fin I figured I would maintain a little checklist on here to track the progress. Since the motor will be out, I am going to address a couple of other issues that are easier to get at that way, and some that I have just been lazy about! So, here's the list. Feel free to copy & paste these fun little characters (assuming they display properly in your browser) if you have a list to make sometime!

These aren't necessarily in order. I am probably forgetting a few things, so hopefully someone will remind me or I will just remember tomorrow! As of now, the motor is ready to come out once the hood is off, the hoist is out front and I have a couple of buddies over to point & laugh.

Engine Swap, Removal:
DONE!
☑ Disconnect battery
☑ Remove exhaust system (muffler, cat, header)
☑ Remove heat shields
☑ Remove driveshaft
☑ Disconnect all shifter linkage and reverse-switch
☑ Remove clutch slave cylinder from tranny
☑ Remove skid plate
☑ Disconnect all grounds, sensors & senders
☑ Remove all V-belts
☑ Disconnect fuel rail lines
☑ Disconnect brake booster vacuum line
☑ Drain coolant and remove radiator
☑ Remove alternator
☑ Drain PS fluid & remove reservoir
☑ Remove PS pump
☑ Remove starter motor
☑ Remove hood
☑ Attach hoist & remove motor mount arms
☑ Remove motor & tranny
☑ Drain motor oil
☑ Drain remaining coolant from block drain

Engine Swap, Prep
☑ Remove tranny from block
☑ Install new guibo
☑ Install new driveshaft CSB
☑ Bleed-down brake fluid level from clutch slave cylinder
☑ Replace clutch master cylinder
☑ Replace clutch slave cylinder & hydraulic hard-line
☑ Replace broken lower radiator hose bracket on chassis
☑ Replace broken heat shield on motor mount arm
☑ Replace all rubber exhaust hangar parts
☐ Replace front sway bar links
☑ Swap all water & vacuum plastic/rubber onto new motor
☑ Replace radiator return hose with correct one
☑ Do the "mess under the intake" clean up mod
☑ Swap oil filter housing + gasket/seals onto new motor
☑ Swap thermostat & housing onto new motor
☑ Make sure that new timing chain tensioner piston is released
☑ Align crank position sensor bracket
☐ Install pulse chamber intake manifold and fuel injectors/rail onto motor
☑ Buy small hose clamps and replace fuel rail lines
☑ Clean oil & gunk off of skid plate
☑ Assemble & align clutch disk & PP
☑ Add input shaft grease
☑ Assemble TOB, pivot arm, pivot pin and retaining spring
☑ Fluch tranny fluid with RedLine MTL
☑ Install tranny on new motor
☑ Install M20 pinion gear in starter
☑ Install starter motor on new motor
☐ Weld in engine mount tab reinforcements
☑ Install Delrin shifter bushings

Engine Swap, Installation:
☑ Insert motor & tranny into chassis
☑ Install exhaust header while motor is still hanging (not enough room when mounted)
☑ Attach motor & tranny mount arms/brackets
☑ Reconnect shifter linkage & reverse switch
☑ Reinstall driveshaft
☑ Reinstall heat shields
☑ Reinstall PS pump & reservoir
☑ Reinstall alternator
☑ Reinstall radiator & all coolant hoses
☑ Reconnect all grounds, sensors & senders
☑ Attach clutch slave cylinder to tranny
☐ Reinstall skid plate
☑ Reinstall exhaust system & center muffler tip in rear valence
☑ Reinstall V-belts
☐ Re-fill PS fluid
☐ Re-fill coolant
☑ Add 5qt Pennzoil 10W-40 dino-oil
☑ Top-off brake fluid & bleed clutch clutch hydraulics
☐ Reconnect fuel rail lines
☑ Reconnect brake booster vacuum line
☑ Reinstall hood
☐ Reconnect battery
☐ Bleed PS system
☐ Bleed coolant system

Other Misc Stuff:
☑ Replace all brake pads, rotors and sensors
☑ Re-weld broken bracket in driver's seat frame
☑ Repair dashboard cracks
☐ Re-level dash by adjusting keeper-nut on driver's side
☐ Re-cover seat back covers w/ black vinyl-leatherette
☐ Wash car!
☐ Thoroughly vacuum interior & condition plastic/vinyl surfaces
☑ Finish MAF conversion unit and test it out on a couple of M42's
☐ Fix left-side horn button (HOOOOOOONNNNNNNKKKKKKKK!)
☑ Retrofit E34 535i air box
☑ Install MAF Conversion

I'll update the list in this post as I make progress.

Last update: 08/04/2012

DesktopDave · « **Reply #1 on:** May 07, 2012, 11:31:45 AM »

Your list is superb. Wish I had your attention to detail.

Subscribed! I want to see some MM car p0rn!

bmwman91 · « **Reply #2 on:** May 07, 2012, 12:37:05 PM »

Haha, there will be M42 pr0n, worry not!

I get antsy about these sorts of projects, and since there's nothing to do but wait, I decided to kill an hour before bed making a list of stuff to do.

Any tips on where I can rent a steam cleaner for the engine bay? Pressure washers are easy to find, but I am hesitant to go blasting water in there at 1000PSI...seems like no good can come of that!

wazzu70 · « **Reply #3 on:** May 08, 2012, 03:17:03 PM »

Remember to replace your rubber fuel lines in the engine bay and by the tank. Also good to replace the filter too.

bmwman91 · « **Reply #4 on:** May 08, 2012, 06:08:50 PM »

I replaced all that stuff about a year ago, so I'm planning to reuse most of it. Actually, I put in new rubber [everything] last year lol...and the damn thing still blew up!

danlolasdad · « **Reply #5 on:** May 08, 2012, 07:33:32 PM »

Will Metric Mechanic provide you with detailed pics of your build etc so you can update us i think it would be cool

bmwman91 · « **Reply #6 on:** May 08, 2012, 10:56:04 PM »

I'll see if they can do that. I know that others have had that done for them.

mabeer · « **Reply #7 on:** May 09, 2012, 12:27:51 PM »

Subscribed!

keflaman · « **Reply #8 on:** May 09, 2012, 01:05:30 PM »

Quote from: bmwman91;112380

Other Misc Stuff:
☑ Replace all brake pads, rotors and sensors
☑ Re-weld broken bracket in driver's seat frame
☑ Repair dashboard cracks
☐ Re-level dash by adjusting keeper-nut on driver's side
☐ Re-cover seat back covers w/ black vinyl-leatherette
☐ Wash car!
☐ Thoroughly vacuum interior & condition plastic/vinyl surfaces
☐ Finish MAF conversion unit and send to tuner for Rally 2100 motor tuning
☐ Step back and bathe in the glory of my AWESOMENESS!![/SIZE][/U][/B]:cool:
I'll update the list in this post as I make progress.

Last update: 05/06/2012

I'm living vicariously through you.

bmwman91 · « **Reply #9 on:** May 14, 2012, 05:14:38 PM »

I added another Misc work item. The left side horn button on the steering wheel started sticking when I was almost home with the failed M42. Sheesh, as if the dying motor wasn't enough, there I am cruising down the highway randomly honking like a moron! This car must hate me.

wazzu70 · « **Reply #10 on:** May 15, 2012, 06:21:00 PM »

That was the car begging for a new MM motor!

bmwman91 · « **Reply #11 on:** May 17, 2012, 03:52:29 PM »

I eBay'ed myself an E34 535i air filter box today. The plan is to retrofit it into the E30 engine bay. Based on some rough calculations from dimensions found on K&N's site for the panel filter replacements, the M30 panel filter has at least 50% more surface area than the M42's when just taking the rough length x width. I think that the M30 filter is also taller, which means a total of 60-65% more surface area. Once I have my hands on an M30 paper filter element, I can make more concrete measurements.

The plan is to run a stock paper filter, no matter what. All of the various "high flow" & open-element filters out there let a lot of particulate matter through, which wears the hell out of the cylinder walls & gets into the oil. Jim Conforti & an E34 club did a study years ago that demonstrated that K&N filters let more dirt through, and the same or less air! This motor is too damn expensive to ruin with some cheesy "high flow" air filter!

Oh, and another advantage of the E34 filter housing is that it has a ROUND outlet, which is good for running a MAF for obvious reasons. It is large enough that I can fit a nice long DIY velocity stack through it. With these MAFs, you really want a MINIMUM of 8" of straight tube in front of the sensor to get a nice, laminar air flow (low/no turbulence).

bwawuz02 · « **Reply #12 on:** May 17, 2012, 05:29:09 PM »

wanna buy my dBilas ITBs? They're brand new and I can set you up with somebody in the bay area that has a damaged (but likely salvageable) dBilas chip that could be downloaded.

After demolishing the oil pan on a rock (dropping off my M3 calipers for sandblasting) and replacing it, the engine seized in Modesto. I bought a 2012 Tacoma 4x4

Now I'm considering an M54B30 swap

email me, bwawuz02@yahoo.com, I'm in the N. Bay Area and the ITBs are basically brand new.

bmwman91 · « **Reply #13 on:** May 18, 2012, 12:31:14 AM »

Hey, thanks for the offer. I am going to have to pass on them though. The MM motor I am having built will be using their modified stock manifold ("pulse chamber") & a custom dyno tuned chip. More importantly, I would never pass the visual SMOG inspection here in CA with those awesome looking things on the car!

I have NO doubt that someone on here will want to buy them though.

bmwman91 · « **Reply #14 on:** May 25, 2012, 07:03:02 PM »

I talked to MM today. The motor is 1.5-2 weeks away form shipping! Sweeeeeeeeeet. I need to get my butt into gear and figure out how to retrofit the M30 air box onto the car. They said that a stock M42 air box would definitely restrict this motor and that I want either an open element filter, or an air box from a bigger engine. I may have to use an open element filter for a while while I get the air box figured out. I dislike open element ones because they are usually shitty filters and let lots of dirt in. I also want to maintain a stock look as much as possible since that's just how I roll.