Tad more to the story of how this build came to fruition.
The grün dorn from the factory had a m102 turbo. At some point, all of this was removed. An e32 m30b35 & electronics were swapped in accompanied by an e23 catalytic converter (installed backwards). It passed smog like this somehow. I was there to bear witness... The motor seemed to run good but prior to any attempt to putting this thing on the road, I'd have to deal with the clapped out 3hp22 that was inop. It was clear that someone 'attempted' to work on it previously as indicated by the trans pan sealed with globs of orange RTV. I dropped the pan to change filter/fluid & resealed with the proper gasket. Anyone that knows me also knows I'm fairly handy with the auto trans. After all this, the car actually ran/drove pretty good. I did a basic tune up prior to any highway miles. It cruised pretty strong to SD & LA a few times with beefy b35 pushing a lethargic 3hp.
Late one night after work I hit a 2 lane entrance ramp to merge onto the 405s. Low & behold a lovely prius was on my side attempting to overtake grün. I'm not sure about most of you, but it'll be a cold day in hell before a prius passes me without my consent. 2. This is a direct hit on my manhood which I take seriously. There was zero traffic so I was prepared to chalk this up as my 1st kill. Not much honor in smashing a prius but hey he asked for it right? I begin to accelerate before realizing how tall the gearing is in the 3hp. We need more warp speed Scotty! As the prius nosed past me I went into desperation mode & punched it. *POOF* A speedwalker would've been faster than my warp as I lost all fwd gears. I coasted to the shoulder with tail between legs reflecting on what had just happened... There was nothing I could do but laugh as I already knew the 3hp22 was already suspect. Had the car towed home & there it sat as I contemplated my next move.
They say an idle mind is the devils workshop. Very true statement!
Initially I was going to do a quick trans rebuild but for several months months the car sat. So much for anything quick... If pulling the trans, why not drop in a 4hp? Since I have 2 other m30 auto cars I figured I'd do a 5spd swap. That sounds like fun behind a b35! But I wanted (read needed) a tad more power. After chatting with Geordi and his experiences I was VERY close to pulling trigger on a Miller MAF setup. Hmm, why not drop in a cam while I'm at it? That would be sweet & peppy! Well if you're going to do a cam, why not just consider boosting the b35 since you have several turbo bits & your buddy Steve has necessary missing parts. Yeah I'll go that route. That would be cool but what's a 745i without the original turbo motor? I mean for the cool or mildly original factor you need the oil squirters, oil cooler, knock sensors & it'd be handy to have the oil return in the block in order to avoid drilling holes. My living arrangement puts a damper on things big time. Oh wait but I have a spare m106 I could just drop it in right? Naw. To be safe I should at minimum reseal it. Yes, I'll go that route. That thought lasted all of 30sec before reality kicked in. If you're going to do all this work are you really going to just reseal a motor & drop in without doing a full inspection? Since I'm not 100% moron I passed on that thought. It's always been on my list to build a motor. Assembled with my own hands. Hell others have done it & been successful right? I've done head gaskets, head swaps, installed a TCD kit, built a MegaSquirt & custom harness sooo... Nothing from nothing leaves nothing. I decided to give a go. Here we land with a slightly modified/rebuilt m106 & 5speed swap.
There have been several members that gave input/advice/guidance/inspiration during the build that I owe huge gratitude to!
The list includes but isn't limited to: Jo, Steve aka turboE28, HitmanX aka Eric the red, Mike H, Todd @TCD, trmcatee, Ocoupe, BimmerHeads, Paul L, Ron P, Steve @BluntTech, David aka kojo96, Vern & several others
More pics to entertain soon.
I'd be tempted to step up to a 2.79
Motor is tired & ready to be put out to pasture.
