My First BMW – My First Swap – LS2/T56 into an E36

[bimerok]

A little FYI - coolant must always flow through the water pump's heater-core lines on an LS. If you're going to run your heater core valve, you need to have some way for coolant to bypass it and return to the water pump when your heat is off. If you don't, hot spots will develop and you'll boil coolant. I did not know this and I suffered the consequences.

This is first I'm hearing about this and a bit sceptical about any problems that it might cause. I don't see how this can cause issues when the heater output/input on the pump are not the only passages for the water flow inside the pump. Instead they are just branch-offs from the main flows.

Running my car for years at the race track would definitely expose any potential cooling issue related to this.

[Liquidity]

They are not branch offs. They bypass the radiator and thermostat.

[bimerok]

Terminology differences. What I'm saying is if you plug one port or the other you will not restrict water supply to any parts of the engine.

[BigL350]

I believe this is the same problem I mentioned in my thread which is caused by no bypass holes in the thermostat.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[Liquidity]

Terminology differences. What I'm saying is if you plug one port or the other you will not restrict water supply to any parts of the engine.

It restricts circulation inside the engine. The ports allow coolant in the engine to circulate keeping the entire engine at a stable temperature. Like I said - I personally fell victim to being ignorant of this. This isn't just some idea I came up with. I found this out AFTER I boiled off all of my coolant on a hot day and melted a bunch of shit and sent my car into limp mode. Researching after this fact I found out no LS equipped cars use heater coolant valves - they circulate all of the time.

[RulyLSX]

Yeah I haven't seen anything referencing running lines through the hater ports is required, I just plugged them but I do have the bypass holes in the thermostat. I do NOT plan on running heater and will be tapping the ports to put a hard plug in there.

[TipsyMcStagger]

Yeah...it's been a million years, I know. Today's the first time I've touched the car since my last post, more or less.

So it's high time for a stupid question; I just used the Motive pressure bleeder to bleed the clutch. I'm using a small reservoir, independent of the brake reservoir. I began with the reservoir empty and put fluid in the pressure bleeder tank. I know there's not much overall capacity in the clutch system but I hardly saw any air get purged. It seemed I got a clear stream of fluid flowing into my catch bottle in just a few seconds. I let quite a bit of fluid run through with no visible bubbling.

So here's what I'm not sure about; sitting on the floor of the car (no front seat installed), I can pretty easily depress the clutch pedal to the floor with my hand. I honestly have no "feel" for what it should feel like. I haven't driven a manual since I parked this car and I've never driven behind the LS7 clutch.

I realize this is a subjective question but should it be pretty easy to push the clutch pedal to the floor (by hand) if it's properly bled and functioning properly?

[Liquidity]

With the transmission and clutch installed? No, most definitely should not be that easy. System is full of air.

[TipsyMcStagger]

With the transmission and clutch installed? No, most definitely should not be that easy. System is full of air.

Yes, transmission and clutch installed.

Hmmm. Got any tips? I'm using a pressure bleeder and the fluid seems to be flowing with no visible bubbles. Pressure bleeders should require no pedal pumping, correct?

[bimerok]

Tipsy, with not too much pressure resistance I can easily press my clutch pedal to the floor with just my thumb. GM cluch feel in a BMW is fairly light. Also if the clutch pedal returns back by itself most likely you are ok.

I can’t remember if you have your driveshaft installed or not, but if you do, the easy way to check if your clutch disengages is to put your car in gear then while depressing the clutch see if you can move your car. If you can that’s great, if not then the clutch is not disengages.

[C10 LS1 1968]

I used the LS7 clutch in my E36 and the clutch pedal was pretty light. I used a Tick speed bleeder with a MityVac on mine it bled out in about 3 seconds or so it seemed.

[TipsyMcStagger]

Tipsy, with not too much pressure resistance I can easily press my clutch pedal to the floor with just my thumb. GM clutch feel in a BMW is fairly light. Also if the clutch pedal returns back by itself most likely you are ok.

I can’t remember if you have your driveshaft installed or not, but if you do, the easy way to check if your clutch disengages is to put your car in gear then while depressing the clutch see if you can move your car. If you can that’s great, if not then the clutch is not disengages.

Great info, Bimerok. Thanks.

Yes, the driveshaft is in the car. I'll go quickly install the shift lever and try putting it in gear.

[TipsyMcStagger]

...the easy way to check if your clutch disengages is to put your car in gear then while depressing the clutch see if you can move your car. If you can that’s great, if not then the clutch is not disengages.

I used the LS7 clutch in my E36 and the clutch pedal was pretty light. I used a Tick speed bleeder with a MityVac on mine it bled out in about 3 seconds or so it seemed.

I think we can call this a success! I installed the shift lever and grabbed my neighbor. I only have a foot or so of space in either direction in the garage but there's no question the car rolled easily in neutral and rolled easily in gear with the clutch depressed but would not roll in gear without depressing the clutch.

Very light pedal. Thanks as always for the quick info.

[Tim Mc]

Tipsy is back!

Already posted, but we bled the clutch with hand pressure on the pedal too.

Then again, our clutch mechanism failed in some form just prior to storage.

I can't believe the pressure is that light for the LS7...wonder if the throw is too great on the pedal for the pressure plate. Just brainstorming...it was great while it worked though!

[TipsyMcStagger]

Tipsy is back!

Already posted, but we bled the clutch with hand pressure on the pedal too.

Then again, our clutch mechanism failed in some form just prior to storage.

I can't believe the pressure is that light for the LS7...wonder if the throw is too great on the pedal for the pressure plate. Just brainstorming...it was great while it worked though!

I didn't realize your clutch had failed. It's always something.

I'd like to check out the Porsche and Mercedes museums in Stuttgart. If you haven't been, I'll shoot you an email next time I have a long Cologne layover and I'll hop a train down, if you're interested in checking them out.

Hope all is going well with the new gig!

[TipsyMcStagger]

I'm removing the factory OBD2 connector (D110?) because I'm adding some splices to feed the necessary CAN signals into the Audrino module I got from Thaniel (which will provide the serial AC request signal to the E40 PCM) and also to create a remote duplicate OBD2 port for my Aeroforce scan gauge, which will be mounted in the console.

In looking at the ETK, I saw something I'd never noticed before; "Bridge in cap of D110 OBD II connector." I looked inside the OBD2 cap and sure enough, there are three pins that have continuity. The ETK shows they are on Pins 7, 15 & 16. Pin 16 is occupied and is 12V Hot. Pin 7 was occupied in the stock E36 configuration but is no longer used with our swaps. As far as I can tell, Pin 15 was not and is not used pre or post swap.

I'm assuming this bridge is not something to be concerned about?

Also, I need some help unfreezing my brain with regard to the nomenclature in the ETK. Is the under-dash OBD2 port the "D110" connector? It seems every mention of D110 has X19527 associated with it. I want to be clear as to what I'm looking at. If D110 is the OBD2/DLC port, what is X19527?

"Bridge" pins in OBD2 port cap. They are common to one-another (hence, bridge).


ETK description of OBD2 cap pin bridge. Still not sure is the OBD2 port is D110 or X19527?

[Tim Mc]

I didn't realize your clutch had failed. It's always something.

I'd like to check out the Porsche and Mercedes museums in Stuttgart. If you haven't been, I'll shoot you an email next time I have a long Cologne layover and I'll hop a train down, if you're interested in checking them out.

Hope all is going well with the new gig!

The clutch 'changed' during a dyno run. Pedal was stiff and shortened throw on the way home and continued even after several bleeds. Never slipped or failed to shift, but the mechanism failed in some fashion.

Stuttgart: Drop me a line when the schedule permits...

[C10 LS1 1968]

My sales territory for 10 years was the UK and western Europe. We used to rent mid-sized BMW and Mercedes so cruising at 100 mph on the autobahn was great fun. I would be cruising 100-110 mph passing a few cars and the BIG BMW and Mercedes would be on your butt flashing their lights to get you out of the fast lane. Things happen a lot faster at 100 mph plus. Drive safe.

[TipsyMcStagger]

My sales territory for 10 years was the UK and western Europe. We used to rent mid-sized BMW and Mercedes so cruising at 100 mph on the autobahn was great fun. I would be cruising 100-110 mph passing a few cars and the BIG BMW and Mercedes would be on your butt flashing their lights to get you out of the fast lane. Things happen a lot faster at 100 mph plus. Drive safe.

Yeah, it's not uncommon to get passed like you're standing still when you're doing 100 mph. Fun when you're behind the wheel. Sometimes less so when you're a passenger.

I've concluded that X19527 is the OBD2 connector. I'm not sure why there are repeated ETK references to D110 but it doesn't really matter.

I just need to make a few more splices under the dash in the morning and I'll have it squared away.

[TipsyMcStagger]

I have a question for the super electrical brainiacs among you;

I just made a bunch of splices under the dash, installing a new OBD2 connector with a branched off OBD2 connector for my Aeroforce scan gauge and also two branched off CAN High and CAN Low leads to input into the Arduino module for the AC request.

I performed extensive continuity checks to ensure continuity between both OBD ports and, where applicable, between both OBD ports and the relative pins on X20/X69 (and the branched of CAN-H & CAN-L). Everything checkout out except for one oddity; On the pins which should show continuity, my DMM gives a strong, solid audible tone. But when I put the probes between power Pin 16 and (one at a time) the grounds Pins 4 & Pin 5, I get a momentary continuity tone. There is no battery in the car.

I have left Pin 16 powered from the original source and the two grounds are also attached to their factory positions. All I did was change the OBD connector and added pins for the CAN High and Low signals.

Wouldn't continuity between a power pin and a ground pin indicate a short? Again, it's not a solid tone like there is when checking pins that should actually show continuity. But there is a random chirp as I touch between the power pin (16) and the ground pins (4 & 5). Unfortunately, I didn't do the same check on the factory OBD2 port before removing it.

Thoughts?

[bimerok]

No solid tone usually means that there is no continuity. Sometimes when battery is disconnected you get a wierd results for various reasons like relays are in open vs closed positions, etc.

What I would do is to check and make sure:
1. You don’t have continuity between pin 16 and a good chassis ground.
2. You don’t have continuity between ground pins and a good chassis positive terminal.
3. You do have continuity between ground pins and good chassis ground.
4. You do have continuity between pin 16 and a good chassis positive terminal.
5. Finally when you connect the battery check to make sure you don’t have continuity between pin 16 and ground pins.

I think that should give you good testing and a high percentage of expecting the right outcome

[TipsyMcStagger]

No solid tone usually means that there is no continuity. Sometimes when battery is disconnected you get a wierd results for various reasons like relays are in open vs closed positions, etc.

What I would do is to check and make sure:
1. You don’t have continuity between pin 16 and a good chassis ground.
2. You don’t have continuity between ground pins and a good chassis positive terminal.
3. You do have continuity between ground pins and good chassis ground.
4. You do have continuity between pin 16 and a good chassis positive terminal.
5. Finally when you connect the battery check to make sure you don’t have continuity between pin 16 and ground pins.

I think that should give you good testing and a high percentage of expecting the right outcome

Something is very screwed up. I am able to get solid, repeatable, consistent continuity between the OBD ground pins and chassis grounds.

I am also able to get solid, repeatable, consistent continuity between the OBD power Pin 16 and the main power lug on the under-hood fuse box..

But the places where I'm showing continuity where it shouldn't be is never 100% consistent or repeatable. It ranges from no continuity (no tone), to a chirp to a solid tone that I can hold for several seconds and then not immediately repeat.

I am able to show intermittent continuity between Pin 16 and a chassis ground. But even more unsettling is that I am able to get intermittent continuity between the main power lug on the under hood fuse box (there is no battery cable attached to it right now) and various ground points (strut bolts and factory ground point in the left footwell)! All of these are intermittent and not 100% repeatable and range from a momentary chirp to extended tone.

I'm baffled and concerned about putting 12V to the car until I figure out what the heck is going on.

[TipsyMcStagger]

I ran up to Harbor Freight and bought another inexpensive DMM. I show solid tone between the under-hood fuse box power lug and a strut bolt and between OBD Pin 16 and a chassis ground.

This is going to be tough to sort out.

[bimerok]

Tipsy, don't get all crazy about this too soon I think you are overthinking it a little bit. While I agree 100% that it is a very good idea and very important to check and double check everything (especially things that you touched/changed), sometimes it's just not feasible to check for everything especially while you're missing some components and having incomplete/de-energized circuits.

Think about the incandescent light bulbs that you have in your car (i bet you starting getting the "aha!" light bulb to light up above your head by now ). They get both positive and negative feeds. What do you think will happen when you check continuity on a light bulb? Yep, you'll have a solid tone. What do you get with the same light bulb when you have battery connected? You get voltage/load. Now you're checking between positive and negative terminals while your door is open or your under hood light is triggered - there is your continuity between positive and negative without a battery. You get the idea, there are 100's of these little "light bulbs" in the car that will show continuity without circuits completed and energized...

[TipsyMcStagger]

Tipsy, don't get all crazy about this too soon I think you are overthinking it a little bit. While I agree 100% that it is a very good idea and very important to check and double check everything (especially things that you touched/changed), sometimes it's just not feasible to check for everything especially while you're missing some components and having incomplete/de-energized circuits.

Think about the incandescent light bulbs that you have in your car (i bet you starting getting the "aha!" light bulb to light up above your head by now ). They get both positive and negative feeds. What do you think will happen when you check continuity on a light bulb? Yep, you'll have a solid tone. What do you get with the same light bulb when you have battery connected? You get voltage/load. Now you're checking between positive and negative terminals while your door is open or your under hood light is triggered - there is your continuity between positive and negative without a battery. You get the idea, there are 100's of these little "light bulbs" in the car that will show continuity without circuits completed and energized...

I think you're right, Leo. It doesn't make sense that something major got screwed up. The wires and pins that should show continuity, are showing continuity.

There are still many harness connections that are unplugged. I'm going to just move forward and if it turns out to be an issue down the road, I'll deal with it down the road.

Incidentally, that high quality Harbor Freight DMM already broke