M42 build for E36 Compact

[MrPhatBob]

I'll bare that in mind, but the final decision is in the hands of the engine builders who own the place I'm at, they will ruthlessly mock me until I do the right thing!

[MrPhatBob]

Boil for 15 minutes

Into the grit blaster

After blasting

Strip a 20V 4A-GE engine (broken ring lands on cylinder 3 - no sign of detonation which is remarkable as its a supercharged high compression engine)

Skim the top of the cam cover to give a nice flat surface

Get a Group-N 16V VW KR Engine running

Spray cam cover

Then...
Grit blast the whole damn thing back to raw ally because the wrinkle finish didn't work out at all well   

[wazzu70]

That sucks!

At least you have a blast cabinet which makes it slightly less of a pain!

[MLM]

That wrinkle paint is funny stuff to work with!

Did you block off any of the oil venting paths in the valve cover to stop grit and dust entering the system and falling out later on?

[MrPhatBob]

The baffles are out so the only thing I'll need to do is throw the cover in the hot wash, then bottle brush out the top breather hole.

[MrPhatBob]

And it looks like this now:

[Tgoode318]

Nice, Looks Good. Sure wish i had a grit blaster and hot wash for my painting projects 

[MrPhatBob]

So do I, I get to use this stuff at a race engine 'shop.

I seem to be able to use this stuff as long as I make myself useful, so there's: coffee making, finding and ordering obscure parts and technical support for their PCs and Engine management.

Its not hard onerous work, I had to fault find the engine management on this

But I've been out of work since the Feb 18 and its fast becoming a luxury I can't afford any more!

[MrPhatBob]

Finally some more development, the head has come back from Jondel Racing where the ports have been matched:


And the ports smoothed out, plus valve guides reduced:


Next up will be to flat the head surface and measure the valve to piston clearances.

[wazzu70]

I was curious how this was progressing. Keep it up

[MrPhatBob]

Yeah it was a case of getting some work, then some money, and then proceeding with the project
This engine will be used to beta test a new ECU which will be interesting.
I found some spare M52 COPs today so those will be going on.

[wazzu70]

So you will not be using VEMS, or will you be using "expanded VEMS"? I have heard an add on board is in the works with much more I/O, CAN, ect.

[MrPhatBob]

It's a completely new ECU from a different company, for me the killer punch is that it has a facility to develop your own control loops, and the only ECU that I am aware of that also has that ability is the Bosch MS5.2 - which costs in the tens of thousands.
This means I can design in detonation avoidance strategies that fit the engine's characteristics or intended purpose.

[jrw21]

It's a completely new ECU from a different company, for me the killer punch is that it has a facility to develop your own control loops, and the only ECU that I am aware of that also has that ability is the Bosch MS5.2 - which costs in the tens of thousands.
This means I can design in detonation avoidance strategies that fit the engine's characteristics or intended purpose.

Wow, that sounds pretty amazing. Do you mind sharing what company offers the ECU you are referring to?

[Tgoode318]

It's a completely new ECU from a different company, for me the killer punch is that it has a facility to develop your own control loops, and the only ECU that I am aware of that also has that ability is the Bosch MS5.2 - which costs in the tens of thousands.
This means I can design in detonation avoidance strategies that fit the engine's characteristics or intended purpose.

Wow, that sounds pretty amazing. Do you mind sharing what company offers the ECU you are referring to?

+1! i was just recently looking at vems trying to figure out which stand alone i want to go but that does sound amazing