Cannockwolf's S/C 330ci LSB in Winter Mode

[Cannockwolf]

Do you already have headers (it's required for the TS2+ upgrade)?

I see you have Schmiedmann headers/cats do they do RHD ones? i looked but couldnt find any i dont think supersprint do them either if you look on their website

[GuidoK]

I don't know if schmiedmann headers are suitable for RHD. Schmiedmann headers have larger diameter piping than supersprint and a different flow design, so I think they will be to large.

Also they're not a direct fit (at least not on the Z4). They're designed for a e46 with a 5 speed manual (z4 has 6 speed), so I had to do som TIG welding etc. But my schmiedmann set was cheap (about 520gpb incl the shipping, so for me a no brainer...)

I don't know how strict the MOT emission rules are, but with the TS2+ mapping and the 200cell cats, I just cleared mine (netherlands).

Expect your exhaust to get loud with header install. I haven't heard supersprint, but my setup sounds like a ralley car (not a low humming sound, but more the typical inline six metallic sound):

This is with the standard backbox btw, so your setup may sound different. The 2 main reasons why headers are loud is 1. you delete the mid muffler (high flow cats come in place), 2. headers have more flow, so also sound travels better though them (that's the main reason).

I'm sure that supersprints will also be OK for the TS2+; It's sold a lot.

I don't know why you should replace your lifters. Maybe for the valve stem seals? If your car has less than 100k miles on it I wouldn't bother.

afaik they're not a critical issue and have no history for excessive wear.

For the rest the engine has no drag levers like the s54, so that's no issue

What your mechanic should realise is that the schrick cams come without the Helix gear on top (the helix gear is there to be adjusted by the vanos).

This helix gear is not sold seperately and should be transferred from the old camshafts to the new ones. There is no data regarding the postioning or torque spec of the helix gear. (BMW TIS says: "Do NOT loosen this bolt" )

Turner motorsports has a specific tool to line out the helix gears, but I figured out a simpeler and more accurate way.

E46fanatics has an alternative (better imho) way to swap camshafts than TIS where I did a write up on how to deal with the helix gears and what torque spec should be used:

http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=952124&page=2

If your mechanic isn't a bmw mechanic (with all the specific bmw tools) I suggest he uses the E46fanatics method (there are more than 1 method in that writeup on certain points), or at least let him read it with attention.

Also it is wise to completely overhaul your vanos when you change your camshafts. The vanos has to come off for the install....

Do both the vanos seals (you can get them cheap at I6 automotive), and the anti rattle kit (only at http://www.beisansystems.com/products). The antirattle kit is advised because the agressive camshafts will put more strain on the vanos and therefore increase rattle.

This is the effect of the anti rattle kit on my vanos:

When you do camshafts/vanos etc, don't forget to order a set of rocker cover gaskets/profile gaskets.

And a vanos gasket and special vanos sealant.

Also if your mechanic has a sand blasting cabinet (with glass beads), you can also sandblast your vanos housing. Most of the time they corrode like hell, and it's a visible part under the hood. You can also have them blasted elsewhere (but be sure to use glass beads, no korund sand etc!).

This is how I did it:

corroded housing:

Be sure to mask all the inner mechanical parts and sealing area's (the back is completely masked as well!):

result (be sure to wash and thoroughly dry the vanos (dry with compressed air, also to blow out any glass beads that may have gotten in to the small ducts):

This all is about 30min work.

To get the vanos off the engine I had to lower the engine off it's engine mounts. The z4 has a large support bracket in front of the engine and the vanos can't clear that. I don't know if the e46 has that.

Most american writeup's say you have to pull really hard on the bracket, or partly saw off some bolts... not a very elegant way of tinkering on your car (but I guess that's how americans are... )

Also when you get headers, I suggest that you get them coated. Installing headers results in a lot more heat under the bonnet (and I mean a LOT more!), because their surface area is a lot bigger (3 times or so), and headers are much more thin walled (thin piping) so a lot less insulation. (and with all that power you want as less heat under the bonnet as you can get)

I had them coated with ceramic paint (Cerakote). There's also a UK company called Zircotec which uses a plasma arc spray process. That's even better but pretty expensive.

Edited September 28, 2013 by GuidoK

[Cannockwolf]

thanks for the great info there mate

[GuidoK]

as for schmiedmann RHD headers, they are working on it:

http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=944849

http://www.schmiedmann.dk/static/Html/Danish/Nyhedsbrev/uge37_2012/nyhedsbrev.htm

So it may be wise to contact schmiedmann denmark on how far they are with their development and if they already have a guinea pig. (that's what the newsletter is about).

With all header/cats installs the secondairy lambdasensors need to be relocated. On the Z4 the leads were just long enough (you lead them on the side of the transmission behind the heatshield.

If the e46 leads are not long enough, your mechanic has to solder a bit of wire between them, or you can get some m3/z4m lambda probes as they have longer leads (not cheap though, probably 150gbp a piece new, so the other option is probably wiser)

Not installing the secondary lambda sensors may also be an option. Afaik they are only used in emission control, and I think ESS will have programmed out the check engine light on that parameter (first rule for tuners....disable all emission control )

Edited September 28, 2013 by GuidoK

[Cannockwolf]

crap video, but wanted to see what 0-60 i could do, bearing in mind im no race driver lol

went to a private road and i timed it off the video and get 5.1 seconds (edit: prob 6 secs looking at it as the traction lights up before the needle moves), if thats right im well happy with that as im probably responsible for loosing best part of a second off that time, but im sure someone will tell me ive done it wrong he he

Edited September 29, 2013 by Cannockwolf

[Rebel]

Nice going Cannock

Then I watched '7 reasons why you need to own a BMW e46 M3' which comes up after your vid and pissed myself laughing!

[GuidoK]

but im sure someone will tell me ive done it wrong he he

Biggest problem is not you (the driver) but the traction. So bigger tyres, warmer tarmac, vinegar on the tarmac (sometimes done at dragracing) etc etc etc.

That will knock off half a second of your time.

I managed to get only a 4.9 on the gps (10hz gps with an app called racechrono, which has an auto start) with my ts2 (so before the camshafts etc), and that time I managed with traction control on and careful on the pedal... (it was cold, so maybe not the best day.....).

The slightest wheelspin (or big intervention of traction control..) and you loose half a second.

I don't know if you have a LSD, but that helps considerably (but even then....).

But the clutch is really suffering from these kind of actions. Within 5 pulls or so I really started to smell it. When you want to set a fast time you get on the gas more early etc...

I'm thinking of upgrading the clutch in the future (when the current one goes....)

Edited September 29, 2013 by GuidoK

[Cannockwolf]

Just thought i would update my thoughts on the HSD Monos.

Overall I'm very impressed with them, I have them set in the middle for firmness and the ride is much smoother than stock shocks with eibach sportlines, but give a firmer ride in the corners, admittedly the shocks were 6 years old so that could have a bearing on it. the car feels very well planted on cornering with no fuss, although ive not been racing it. One downer is on a road that has little bumbs it tends to jiggle a bit, the wife comments on how its bouncing her boobs lol,

Overall very satisfied and if you thinking of going for the dualtech's because these will be too hard then i'd say consider the monos they are just right imo

[Cannockwolf]

Struck out on the headers schmiedmann and Supersprint both dont do RHD, so is cheap ebay headers the only way to go? perhaps with that expensive coating on to reduce heat?

Do eismann do headers? Edit: seems not on the uk site

Edited September 30, 2013 by Cannockwolf

[simonlpearce]

Don't bother with cheap ebay headers. Can M3 headers not be retrofitted like they can on the E36? Alternatively if your spending all this money then a set of custom headers would look awesome

BTW - There is no stiffness difference between the Mono and Dual as IIRC they use the same springs. So the only way they would be more/less stiff is if you replaced the spring. Driftworks do sell the uprated/stiffer springs.

Edited September 30, 2013 by simonlpearce

[Cannockwolf]

would m3 headers be enough? I know they are different spec when buying headers so would have to be customised i reckon

custom made sounds even too rich for me lol who would do that sort of work?

Edited September 30, 2013 by Cannockwolf

[Cannockwolf]

ive been reading the E36 M3 S50B32 headers can be modded to fit relatively easily, so im currently researching that,

where would you recommend custom headers being made and are they going to be good? hasnt a lot of R&D gone into design on headers? wouldn't just whacking some pipes in be detrimental?

[Cannockwolf]

Just bought a set of s50b32 headers off ebay, Fishman68 has these with a charger plus they've been fitted to the M54 with relative low modifications from what ive read, plus they have the O2 sensor bung so i took a punt as these were the only set i could find for sale and didnt want to loose them.

Might get them coated too with Cerakote or use Zircotec price dependant.

Now I need a good company that can mod them to fit the stock exhaust, any good company's people can recommend round south staffs / walsall, wolverhampton?

[GuidoK]

You should probably have a m54 flange (the cilinderhead flange) welded to the headers.

The S50 headers have a small flange per exhaust port (bolted with 4 bolts), but the m54 doesn't have 4 studholes per exhaust port. Some studs are missing. The m54 headers have 1 thick flange per 3 cilinders mounted with 6 or 7 studs or so (forgot the exact number).

You need a welding shop anyway to fix the rest of the exhaust incl the cats.

To clarify: this is how the m54 exhaust side of the head looks like:

On some places studs are missing and you wouldn't get a good seal if you have a flange per cilinder.

Also with headers most of the time a thicker gasket is fitted (headerflanges are not as preciese as the flange of the original manifold, maybe a bit warped etc).

The original gasket (very thin) is a steel gasket with a small heatshield mouted to that (#3 in the picture):

Keep that gasket/heatshield and mount it as extra on a thick gasket.

You can get the gaskets on ebay (among other):

http://www.ebay.com/itm/BMW-E46-325i-330i-01-02-03-04-06-Exhaust-Header-Gasket-/161099962777

[Cannockwolf]

do you mean welding bits on the s50 exhaust using the original exhaust flanges? should a good exhaust place be able to do this or have i got to take it somewhere else? all the threads i found on the web seemed to suggest it fitted with no problems

[GuidoK]

It will probably fit, but you'd have flanges which would be secured with only 3 or even 2 bolts.

That's bound to leak. (at least: I presume the headers you bought look like this: http://i.ebayimg.com/t/BMW-e36-M3-3-2-EVO-exhaust-manifold-manifolds-/00/s/MTA2NlgxNjAw/z/ZVMAAOxydyxSMu6y/$%28KGrHqFHJE!FIjKj6O,ZBSMu6w17gQ~~60_57.JPG )

A good TIG welder should be able to weld a new flange on your headers (so 1 long flange per 3 cilinders). Maybe you can use the flanges of the old manifold; probably with some widening of the ports on the flange (with a dremel/air grinder or so).

I think that's stronger than for example connect the loose flanges on the s50 headers by welding pieces between them. You also risk warping in that way, which means it won't fit at all (leaks between the gaskets).

I think a good exhaust builder can do that (you need a good TIG welder). It also depends on how the flanges are attatched on the s50 headers.

At least they can advice you on that.

Another option would be to drill holes in the cilinder head and mount extra studs. But that can probably only be done with the head detatched...

Edited September 30, 2013 by GuidoK

[Cannockwolf]

Cheers that helps me understand better, dynotorque maybe the answer here, they do stuff like this a lot from what I've read, I'll give Craig a call tomorrow, thanks for the advice, you have been a big help, I appreciate it

[GuidoK]

In this thread they also discuss the matter of the flanges.

http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=860395

A lot of guys go with the m52 headers. Not as sophisticated as s50's/supersprints etc which are designed to have more flow and equal lenght, but it's still better than the original m54 manifold....

They also discuss MOT/emission (decatted), but that is without a supercharger/ess tune

Do you have a secondary set of cats underneath the car?

Too bad that schmiedmann never completed their rhd developments. Seems like a lot of guys struggeling with this problem on the internet.

Edited September 30, 2013 by GuidoK

[Cannockwolf]

yeah i still have the secondary cats

[simonlpearce]

Yep Craig is definitely worth a call mate, he did all the custom headers for Blair's 357, and i expect he has done them for many other conversions they have done.

I would have thought cutting off your old header flange and welding it to the new headers will be pretty simple, that's if it doesn't already bolt right up. You might find it will.

[Cannockwolf]

Manifolds turned up, AA Silencers in Cheadle seem to have a great reputation and after talking to him he's installed enough confidence in me to use him. We have an option of laser cutting a new flange to match the M54 heads and welding the pipes to that or welding the pipes together as mentioned previously. Im sending the pipes to him to see what he reckons.

[Cannockwolf]

Installed Scottfreee3 boot opening spring set, works well

Ebay link

http://myworld.ebay.co.uk/sf3engineering?_trksid=p2047675.l2559&clk_rvr_id=529312910397&afsrc=1

Edited October 8, 2013 by Cannockwolf

[Cannockwolf]

Bought some DEI Titanium Heat Wrap for the EVO manifold to reduce heat soak

Edited November 9, 2013 by Cannockwolf

[Bevvy]

That auto boot open looks smart mate!

[RickyZ]

Installed Scottfreee3 boot opening spring set, works well

How much did you pay for it ?