Blunttech e12 LSx / t56 swap

E28 technical advice asked and given! Troubleshooting, modifications and more.
jamesohoh7
Posts: 203
Joined: Oct 05, 2011 8:46 AM
Location: Katy, Tx

Post by jamesohoh7 »

1st 5er wrote:
jakeb wrote: That's a lot of wires....
Image
I think I'd rather have a tooth pulled.
pulled then surgically re-implanted upside down ... would STILL be less painful! :rofl:
jakeb
Posts: 552
Joined: May 07, 2011 11:30 PM
Location: Bay City, MI
Contact:

Post by jakeb »

haha, why do people hate wiring so much? It's really NOT that scary. Once you spend hours upon hours of reading and looking at schematics. :shock:
Brad D.
Beamter
Beamter
Posts: 10735
Joined: Feb 12, 2006 12:00 PM
Location: San Antonio, TX
Contact:

Post by Brad D. »

jakeb wrote:haha, why do people hate wiring so much? It's really NOT that scary. Once you spend hours upon hours of reading and looking at schematics. :shock:
I'm the same way. I don't really get the general fear of wiring that so many have. Dare I say I actually enjoy wiring. :shock:
jakeb
Posts: 552
Joined: May 07, 2011 11:30 PM
Location: Bay City, MI
Contact:

Post by jakeb »

Little bit by little bit....

Wires going to the crank sensor, starter solenoid, and gauge temp sensor. Wraped in heat tape as they are all pretty close to the exhaust. That is how GM does it as well so...
Image

New harness tied into the e12 fuse box. These wires will get wrapped.
Image

AC pressure fitting that needs to be brazed together
Image

Image

A couple other things done but no pictures...or really pictures required.
Negative cable to block/battery
fuel line connected
tn535i
Posts: 5590
Joined: Jul 14, 2006 1:30 PM
Location: Middle Tennessee

Post by tn535i »

jakeb wrote: sound deadening on the firewall
Image

covered with some heat reflection stuff
Image
Been watching this and have a question about the sound deadening and heat reflection material. What have you used here. Looks good and might consider on our e30 project. That rubbery piece of stuff from our cars wasn't worth trying to re-install.
jakeb
Posts: 552
Joined: May 07, 2011 11:30 PM
Location: Bay City, MI
Contact:

Post by jakeb »

It is two different products. First a stick on sound deadening type material. Dynamat style...lots of different brands out there.

Then the heat reflection stuff I use is DEI Floor and tunnel shield. I get it from summit racing.
jamesohoh7
Posts: 203
Joined: Oct 05, 2011 8:46 AM
Location: Katy, Tx

Post by jamesohoh7 »

Brad D. wrote:
jakeb wrote:haha, why do people hate wiring so much? It's really NOT that scary. Once you spend hours upon hours of reading and looking at schematics. :shock:
I'm the same way. I don't really get the general fear of wiring that so many have. Dare I say I actually enjoy wiring. :shock:
Once you let the smoke out of the wires, it's really hard to get it back in is all... :D
jakeb
Posts: 552
Joined: May 07, 2011 11:30 PM
Location: Bay City, MI
Contact:

Post by jakeb »

Plugged the PCM in about 30 minutes ago and powered it all up. PCM primed the fuel pump and is working. Did a read entire with HP tuners so I can pull out VATS and other unneeded things. VATS is like EWS in the BMW world.

I did have one issue with how the unloader relay works...when I turned the key to on (not crank) the engine started cranking. I used a start relay because that is how GM does it and the fuse/relay panel I got came wired that way. I will just have to run a wire direct to the starter solenoid the way BMW wants it. Easy fix....

e12 with an OBDII Port connected to a laptop....... :)
Image
tn535i
Posts: 5590
Joined: Jul 14, 2006 1:30 PM
Location: Middle Tennessee

Post by tn535i »

Since the key 'run' position sends power to the unloader relay coil it gets immediately energized but only de-energized when you apply power to the starter solenoid since the unloader coil is actually grounded through the starter coil. So the unloader 'unloads' when you apply power to the starter coil. If you put the GM start relay in that position it probably gets enough power from the current passing through the unloader relay coil to energize the GM relay. You probably already figured that out.

You will have to split out the BMW unloader relay and take it to the coil energize output of the GM relay to get the unloader to work as intended I think. Then apply the start signal to the GM start relay. A separate wire from the BMW start may still be tied into the unloader in the harness. If you just run a separate wire to the GM relay you would have the same problem. If you lift the start altogether from a grounded termination then the unloader relay will never energize. Or will you just eliminate the GM relay?

Hope I said that right. You probably know this anyway.

Anxious to see this going and following your progress.
jakeb
Posts: 552
Joined: May 07, 2011 11:30 PM
Location: Bay City, MI
Contact:

Post by jakeb »

I plan to just run the start wire direct to the starter like BMW wants it. Then the unloader will get ground when not in cranking mode. I checked the start pin on my e28 with the c101 unplugged and I was also seeing 12v so it is the same as the e12.
jakeb
Posts: 552
Joined: May 07, 2011 11:30 PM
Location: Bay City, MI
Contact:

Post by jakeb »

Intake setup is made...the filter might need to change to something a little smaller...not sure if the hood will close. But it will work for now.

Image

Image
jakeb
Posts: 552
Joined: May 07, 2011 11:30 PM
Location: Bay City, MI
Contact:

Post by jakeb »

It's running!!

I can never remember how to flip the iphone to get the right orientation for youtube....

Either way here are a couple videos. I will get some better ones eventually.
The little light in the engine bay is a oil pressure light. You can hear it quiet down once the light goes off.

This is the first start
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39tCSraGwUE&feature=plcp

A little blip...you can hear a slightly choppy idle from the cam.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tv6A3z0JotU&feature=plcp
1st 5er
Posts: 21848
Joined: Jun 13, 2008 12:15 AM
Location: Cypress
Contact:

Post by 1st 5er »

That makes it all worth it.

Congrats.
Mark 88/M5 Houston
Posts: 8548
Joined: Feb 12, 2006 12:00 PM
Location: Far North Houston

Post by Mark 88/M5 Houston »

Great sounding E12 there sir! :alright:
jakeb
Posts: 552
Joined: May 07, 2011 11:30 PM
Location: Bay City, MI
Contact:

Post by jakeb »

thanks guys, glad it is running! After a little research it looks like the pushrods are a little short. So I have a set of 7.450 on order. The ones in it now are 7.400. That should add a bit more preload on the lifters and quiet down the valve train some.

Worked on the AC lines today.
These are the crimped low side to compressor (short line) and high side from compressor to condenser.
Image

In the tool and pre crimp
Image

post crimp
Image

Entire crimping tool/setup
Image

Heater hoses also done...AC lines feeding up to the drier (not connected yet) and the low side to the evap.
Image


Bad picture...but where it goes up front..
Image

Other side before it goes to the condenser.
Image

Hooking to the condenser
Image
jakeb
Posts: 552
Joined: May 07, 2011 11:30 PM
Location: Bay City, MI
Contact:

Post by jakeb »

Master cylinder is back on....getting those lines all hooked up was a BITCH. Mostly the ones on the bottom. Hard to push up and turn at the same time.
Either way it is hooked up......#5 coil will have to be relocated a little to clear the reservoir.

Image

Upper radiator hose and efan. I looked for a single hose but couldn't find anything to do what I wanted/needed. So two hoses with a coupler will work. efan is a 16" puller...high and low speed controlled by the GM PCM.

Image

As luck would have it the lower hose worked out being the left over piece/bend from the upper hose hooked to the radiator.

Image

alternator/belt/etc are all on
Image
jakeb
Posts: 552
Joined: May 07, 2011 11:30 PM
Location: Bay City, MI
Contact:

Post by jakeb »

New sway bar mounts tacked on. Once I am happy with them it will get fully welded.

Image

Image

I was able to get the end link connected...it is at a slight angle. When I go to have it aligned I will look it over a bit better as the weight will be fully on the wheels and I can see how everything is sitting. End links are not fully tightened as well.

Image

Image

blurry pic but it is coming along....
Image
jakeb
Posts: 552
Joined: May 07, 2011 11:30 PM
Location: Bay City, MI
Contact:

Post by jakeb »

So the e12 has a mechanical speedo.... The t56 does not have a speedo drive but it does have a VSS sensor and the PCM has a VSS output.

So....electric speedo conversion.

Electric VDO Speedo glued to the old metal face.
Image

New face on the left...to be glued to the gauge on the right. The stock e12 needle will get pushed on.

Image

Glued on...the bottom little white bit with get trimmed off. I just needed something to hold onto while it was being glued
Image

Will reassemble into the gauge cluster later today.
Jelmer538i
Posts: 1222
Joined: Feb 12, 2006 12:00 PM
Location: Netherlands
Contact:

Post by Jelmer538i »

Nice speedo! I like it when people think about things like this!
jakeb
Posts: 552
Joined: May 07, 2011 11:30 PM
Location: Bay City, MI
Contact:

Post by jakeb »

Speedo is done...

I was going to mount the odometer/trip button in the under column panel but then I noticed how the odometer reset worked for the mechanical speedo.

Image

Add a button..
Image

Image

All put together
Image

Image

Image

Image

In the car
Image

How it all works..... I think it came out pretty stock looking.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-d8tOvXeekl
jakeb
Posts: 552
Joined: May 07, 2011 11:30 PM
Location: Bay City, MI
Contact:

Post by jakeb »

E12 came off the lift today and made a small loop around the block. The sway bar mounts are not fully welded so I didn't want to drive all that much.

Things are coming together....a couple small things that need to be tended too. Exhaust leak from one of the couplers, alternator not charging....

Back on the ground and in the day light...
Image

Quick walk around video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqNou_hcY3g
unt0uchable
Posts: 2265
Joined: Jul 21, 2011 8:05 PM
Location: Rochester Hills, Michigan
Contact:

Post by unt0uchable »

That's awesome. I hope I get to see this when I come up for the mini "tankfes". It's looking awesome, as always.
Adam W in MN
Posts: 5052
Joined: Feb 12, 2006 12:00 PM
Location: Don't waste my motherf***in' time!
Contact:

Post by Adam W in MN »

This thread is fantastic, glad I discovered it because Steve didn't tell me he was embarking on this V8 E12 quest! Now I know so I can hit him up for a ride when it's all done.
jakeb
Posts: 552
Joined: May 07, 2011 11:30 PM
Location: Bay City, MI
Contact:

Post by jakeb »

I have been fixing a couple small things the past couple weeks. Small exhaust leaks, oxygen sensor not giving a reading (bad connector not allowing the heater to work), etc

Here is the bad O2 sensor connector. It was pushing the mating connector out and not allowing them to plug together.
Image

Because of the lack of room I wasn't able to use a flange to keep the pipes together so I had to use band clamps. They were not sealing...mostly because I wasn't cranking them down enough. 70-80ft lbs and now they are sealing.

Leaks are sealed up...got it aligned today. And now on to doing some adjustments to the tune. The PCM is from a 2002 camaro but then I blind adjusted it somewhat and it needs more fueling from what I have logged so far. The PCM will pull it back with the O2 sensors to stoich but it is much better to have the tune very close and not need the PCM to adjust so much.

A couple pictures of the just about finished engine bay. Still need to swap the AC drier, fill the AC, and put the strut tower brace back on.

Image

Image

Image
pleasefixitup
Posts: 1856
Joined: Nov 21, 2011 2:40 AM
Location: Chicagoland, Illinois

Post by pleasefixitup »

you do great work.
Post Reply