Another project e30: 1990 330iS

[Beej]

Whoa, haven't updated this in awhile. Haven't done much either.

Collected all my exhaust parts. Got bling headers which I then had Jet-hot coated (more expensive than I thought it would be, by the way), because I've seen a set on a car before and they had turned yellow after only a week. I went with black...I dunno why actually. Thought the chrome finish would look funny being the only shiny thing in the engine bay.

Gonna be dual 1.75" or 2" from the headers to the cat, then a single 2.5" back to the muffler. The muffler is basically a straight through, so I'm gonna try and see if I can't fit a cherry bomb or something somewhere before it.

[xvxax]

Are those the ebay OBX headers?

[Mike]

hatch = ultimate tow vehicle.

[Beej]

hatch = ultimate tow vehicle.

Different e30, dummy.

Are those the ebay OBX headers?

I dunno who makes them but yep, they're the egay ones...they're the only headers I've seen bolt up to a swapped e30 that still had the stock control arm bushing brackets.

[Beej]

I'm gonna find someone to put the exhaust in, try to found out why the car thinks it's running hot. The needle hangs out at 3/4 a lot of the time...but it seems to be affected by electrical pull of other things a lot, so it may not be running hot at all). Playing with the HVAC fan, the windows/sunroof, or the sub hitting can make it bounce. The common 'tighten the ground nut on the back' didn't seem to affect anything, so I don't know the deal. I'm either going to get some sort of aftermarket coolant gauge or something...

After I sort out those two things, it'll likely be up for sale...

[Mike]

After I sort out those two things, it'll likely be up for sale...

As fun as the car is/could be, I think that's the right move at this point. It has turned in to a money pit with no visible bottom.

[Beej]

After I sort out those two things, it'll likely be up for sale...

As fun as the car is/could be, I think that's the right move at this point. It has turned in to a money pit with no visible bottom.

I really think that there is a visible bottom. I think it's 2-3 steps away from being a solid car. It's just that, after that, it's still a few away from making me as happy as the STi does. It just turns out that I don't want a project as much as I thought I did.

[Beej]

Fuck these headers. I've been dicking with these things for the past 4 hours, and I'm having the hardest time. First of all, I don't recommend installing these with the motor in the car. My arms look like I tried to slit my wrists, and to be honest, that's not all that far from how I feel.

I've yet to tighten everything up, but I can't see how the headers aren't going to hit the motor mount arm or the subframe. I'll probably try to space up the passenger side motor mount, but I don't know what to do about the motor mount thing, except for maybe to dimple the pipe with a BFH.

Actually, I hope a fresh look tomorrow will fix it.

[ScottyB]

Actually, I hope a fresh look tomorrow will fix it.

atta boy....sleep on it, get some feeling back in your arms :lol:

by "dimple" the pipe are you talking a big or little one? it might be crude but hey, if it works it works. can you recruit anyone to get under the car and help you line stuff up?

[Nick325is]

Does it look like you will be able to clear the control arm bushings?


-Nick

[HAULN-SS]

A lot of people dimple headers when it's a tight fit - i'd say that's no big deal.

[Beej]

by "dimple" the pipe are you talking a big or little one? it might be crude but hey, if it works it works. can you recruit anyone to get under the car and help you line stuff up?

Small one. I can bolt up everything for the most part, but there's significant pressure on the headers when I do that (unless I can loosen then and move them a bit maybe).

Does it look like you will be able to clear the control arm bushings?

That's the one thing I expected to have problems with, if anything. The headers are just hanging for now, but it looks like they should clear without a problem. I won't say for sure until I get the motor off of the floor jack and everything bolted up though.

[Mike]

I think it's 2-3 steps away from being a solid car.

what are those steps?

[.RJ]

what are those steps?

+

[CaptainHenreh]

[Beej]

ROFL, great pics.

Just finished putting them in...man they're close. I have about 1mm from the header to the motor mount arm (which theoretically I guess will never get any closer than that), and about 2mm between the subframe and the front downpipe, which makes me nervous. The driver's side mount has a 2-3mm spacer that was already there, and I spaced up the passenger side 8-9mm. Plenty of room for the OEM control arm lollipops though.

I also never realized that the red car was missing the heatshields that go between the exhaust and the driveshaft, so I stole those from the 318 and put them on as well.

[Beej]

From above:


From below:


Fucking thing is loud! Can't wait to get the rest of the exhaust on, to see if it sounds any better than it did.

[CaptainHenreh]

BJ, can you snap a pic of subframe clearance?

[Beej]

Finally got some under-car pics. The first shows the spacer (that metal square on top of the mount), and the other two show the clearance between the headers and the subframe.

It's fucking borderline on whether I want to start dimpling it. I can see it maybe moving that much, but it's close.

Thoughts?

[CaptainHenreh]

I think it looks fine, but you could probably just smooth the subframe a little and give the collector a little pinch with a hammer and I think it'd be OK.

Do you have spacers on the driver's side?