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Thread: E46 330i Automatic - M54B30 Turbo

  1. #301
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
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    Minnesota eh?
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    86 325es
    Good progress! What did the shop you had build the trans do with the converter?


    86 325es, 2.8L m50, S476sxe, ProEFI 128 ecu, e85, solid rear axle, TH400 trans, 28x10.5w slicks, zip ties, popsicle sticks, tape
    best time 9.06 @ 151.8 mph, best 60 foot 1.30

  2. #302
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    2001 330i
    Quote Originally Posted by someguy2800 View Post
    Good progress! What did the shop you had build the trans do with the converter?
    This is what IPT had to say when I asked about the converter in 2012:

    "When we build the torque converters they are all custom build to the vehicle, so depending on how much power is being made and how that that power is being made will dictate the characteristics of the converter,but we can get upwards of 4000rpm stall,but like I said power and intended purpose will play a major role in where it is set to."

    The package I purchased is listed below:

    http://www.importperformancetrans.co...sion-4378.html

  3. #303
    Join Date
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    2001 330i
    It's been so long since I did an update, that I had to read my own thread to figure out where to start!

    This is the harness that connects the dash panel to the rest of the car:



    The black ties are nylon lace tied with clove hitches. (Same as used in the aerospace industry)

    The same lacing on the dash which replaces zip-ties:





    Fire and Master shut-off switches on the hood:








    I created a curly cord to wire the switches back into the harness:





    For those that are interested in how I did this: Wrap the wires with un-recovered heat shrink around a tube, then apply heat. The recovered heat shrink takes the form of the tube.

    - - - Updated - - -

    I don't pictures of it, but the car was sitting too low on the new suspension. I tried using the adjustable spring perches under the rear spring to raise the car up, but I couldn't get high enough. More worryingly, raising the perches to the top of their travel decreased suspension travel a LOT! Luckily, I have a few spring sets left over from the black car, so I was able to try something else. I replaced the 450Lb/5" springs with 500Lb/6" springs:



    Not only did this do the trick, but I ended up nailing the balance on the first try:









    I locked in the swaybars, and now the next thing to do with the suspension is get an alignment.

    On the engine side, there was an unexpected failure:





    The alternator shredded it's guts with failed cooling fins. I'll be honest here, I was rev'ing the engine up to 6500 RPM a lot prior to this failure. This shouldn't have been an issue though, as I ran a 7600 RPM redline on the black car with a 25% overdrive using the same alternator design. I think the issue was related to it's age (15+years), and the fact that the rebuild that I paid for didn't seem to be done properly. (The bearings had play that I wasn't expecting on disassembly) Full disclosure: The alternator failed when I free-rev'd the engine to 7700 RPM testing a new limiter. However, on examining the data trace, the voltage dropped to battery voltage @ 6000 RPM, so the failure occurred before spinning the alternator above OEM limits.

    Fresh new Bosch alternator from Bimmerworld:





    Notice the difference in dimensions between the new and old:



    The new one is slightly wider.

    This brings up another issue I had: the original alternator didn't fit the VAC oil distribution block. To make it to fit, I had to trim 3mm off of an aluminum spacer tube.

    Putting the new alternator on the car, I all of a sudden had to add 3mm in washers.

    And how was changing the alternator out with all the new bits I added? It was a huge pain in the behind!!!

    Things I had to remove:

    Inlet charge pipe
    Mass airflow meter
    Oil cooler lines
    Crank Case Breather line
    Power Steering reservoir
    Power Steering reservoir bracket
    Gas Tank vent valve solenoid
    Power steering pump (No, I'm not kidding)

    The downside of tight packaging....

    Onto other things:



    Yes, the guts (Valvebody) of the automatic transmission is removed in the image above. The reason is that the transmission wouldn't shift into 2nd gear on test drives. Park was fine, reverse worked, neutral was fine, but "Drive" only engaged first gear. Digging through diagnostics, I found a few setup issues in the transmission control software, but the main issue (I think) was that the turbine (torque converter output) speed sensor wasn't reading anything. Originally I thought I had an issue with the voltage thresholds, but when I tapped into the harness to compare the output speed sensor value, they were nothing alike. I got a solid reading from the output speed sensor, but no reading from the input speed sensor, so I knew I had either a wiring harness issue, or a sensor issue.

    The transmission internal wiring harness and sensors:



    I ended up ordering everything to be safe:



    Another issue that I was having was a lack of a calibration curve for the transmission's internal oil temp sensor. I decided to create my own using a known temp sensor for reference, and a heat source:



    Both the new and old temp sensor along with a Bosch 026 fluid temp sensor:



    Testing:



    The Ideal Industries heat gun can be set up in 5 degree steps from 40 to over 500 degrees C.

    With a new calibration curve, I installed the new electronic bits and the valve body back into the transmission, then bolted up the oil pan.

    Something else I did was take all of the "old" transmission oil to a friend of mine that runs a speed shop to analyze the oil. There were some light traces of particles from the clutch plates present, but he thought there was nothing out of the ordinary. As a precaution, I've switched to a new "F" type transmission fluid from ATI. I also plan to change the transmission oil after every major track event as a precaution, and I have some stuff to add in the Motec electronics which I will discuss shortly.

    This is how I used to fill transmissions with oil:



    This is my new toy:




    What used to take me 30 minutes lying my back under the car, getting covered in oil, now takes under 2 minutes with an electric pump.

    I simply run the pump until oil drips out of the fill-hole into a pan, and then I turn off the pump.:evil:

    - - - Updated - - -

    So this brings me to the last point, which I'm currently working on: The PCS transmission controller doesn't do internal data logging. Yes, you can log all of it's critical functions with a laptop connected, but the sample rate is a bit limited, and it's not exactly an automated solution.

    Seeing as I had a few input channels free on the Motec M1 ECU, I decided to connect the following for tuning and diagnostics features:

    Input speed sensor
    Output speed sensor
    Line pressure control solenoid (PWM)
    Torque Converter clutch lockup solenoid (PWM)
    3 Shift control solenoids (Switch)
    2 Shift control solenoids (PWM)

    This would involve tapping into the existing transmission harness, and linking the signals mentioned above, plus a couple of others, from the TCM-2000 to the M150. So, I started making a harness with a core of 4 wires in a shielded jacket for the speed sensors, and 10 additional conductors:



    ...and that brings everything up to date on the build.

    The car is currently insured for the road, but Monday I'll be taking it in for an inspection and registration renewal. Even if I haven't solved the issue shifting out of 1st gear...I'm taking it out! (Might be a long drive!)
    Last edited by PEI330Ci; 04-08-2016 at 08:19 PM.

  4. #304
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
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    Youngsville, Louisiana
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    2001 M Coupe
    So how accurate were the temp settings on the heat gun? I often wondered how accurate my IR temp gun is but never thought about how to go about checking it. Your attention to detail is amazing and inspirational.
    Do you control the speed of the transfer pump so that you can slow it down when you get close to full?

  5. #305
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    2001 330i
    Quote Originally Posted by E.Hands View Post
    So how accurate were the temp settings on the heat gun? I often wondered how accurate my IR temp gun is but never thought about how to go about checking it. Your attention to detail is amazing and inspirational.
    Do you control the speed of the transfer pump so that you can slow it down when you get close to full?
    The heat gun is within 2-3 degrees of what the control screen says. (It drifts up and down) For other sensors on the car, I simply use the gun to check that a sensor tracks properly after a calibration curve is entered into the software. One thing to note is that you need to use the diffusers/flow nozzles on the gun to get consistent temperature response. The way I've got the gun running in the image above isn't exactly optimal.

    I just turn the oil pump on and off, no speed control.

  6. #306
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
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    Arizona
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    1998 e36
    So you are using aftermarket transmission control unit?

  7. #307
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    Apr 2006
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    86 325es
    I can't wait to see how that trans performs. Any more info on the trans controller software? I'm am curious as to what adjustments/tuning can be made to the shift speeds. Are all the shift solenoids PWM controlled? Will this be setup with automatic shift curves or will it be manual control only on the paddle shifters?


    86 325es, 2.8L m50, S476sxe, ProEFI 128 ecu, e85, solid rear axle, TH400 trans, 28x10.5w slicks, zip ties, popsicle sticks, tape
    best time 9.06 @ 151.8 mph, best 60 foot 1.30

  8. #308
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    2001 330i
    Quote Originally Posted by hakentt View Post
    So you are using aftermarket transmission control unit?
    Quote Originally Posted by someguy2800 View Post
    I can't wait to see how that trans performs. Any more info on the trans controller software? I'm am curious as to what adjustments/tuning can be made to the shift speeds. Are all the shift solenoids PWM controlled? Will this be setup with automatic shift curves or will it be manual control only on the paddle shifters?
    This is what I'm using:

    https://www.powertraincontrolsolutio...ller/TCM-2000/

    Yes, the shift speeds can be controlled. Ironically, I'm looking to make shift engagement as smooth as possible to minimize shocks through the drivetrain. Initially this will mean slowing everything down so that I can get a solid understanding of capabilities.

    The controller allows both automatic control, and manual control. I've set the system up to use the OEM shifter which has a slot for Manual Mode, and Auto. Both the Up/down on the OEM gear shifter, and the paddles on the steering wheel can be used to change gears. I have however reversed the function on the OEM shifter so that pulling back initiates an upshift, and pushing forward initiates a downshift. (Just like "normal" racing sequentials)

  9. #309
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
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    New York, NY
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    2001 BMW M5, 2005 BMW M3
    Awesome sauce, Adam! I greatly admire your harness twisting abilities!

    --Peter

  10. #310
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    2001 330i
    Has anyone ever seen 100 PSI oil pressure spikes at idle?

  11. #311
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    Apr 2006
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    I think the releaf valve in the pump is like 80 or so. Mine is like 20 psi at idle if I remember. Confirmed its not a sensor issue?


    86 325es, 2.8L m50, S476sxe, ProEFI 128 ecu, e85, solid rear axle, TH400 trans, 28x10.5w slicks, zip ties, popsicle sticks, tape
    best time 9.06 @ 151.8 mph, best 60 foot 1.30

  12. #312
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    PEI, Canada
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    2001 330i
    Quote Originally Posted by someguy2800 View Post
    I think the releaf valve in the pump is like 80 or so. Mine is like 20 psi at idle if I remember. Confirmed its not a sensor issue?
    I think this might be 80 psi as well.

    The logs from the last time the engine ran showed 72 PSI @ 7700 RPM peak, and around 20 PSI @ Idle.

    As soon as the engine was started today it was bouncing between 70 and 110 PSI. I've got a number of test starts on the log, and they are all pretty much the same.

    I've put the car back up on jack stands, and am planning to pull the oil pan off next to get to the oil pump. That, as most of you know, is not an easy task. The first thing I'll need to do is build a craddle to hold the engine in place so I can drop the subframe.....

  13. #313
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    Sep 2005
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    Bellingham, WA
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    e30
    Quote Originally Posted by PEI330Ci View Post
    Has anyone ever seen 100 PSI oil pressure spikes at idle?
    What is the sample rate? A non filtered signal at high sample rate sometimes shows things way different than what you expect. Even if its "normal" operation it usually goes unnoticed by most gauges/recording.
    -Nick
    91 E30 M42 on VEMS

    Turbo Camshaft Thread

  14. #314
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    Have you verified the pressure is correct with a mechanical gauge? It would really suck to take it all apart and find it was a bad sensor. I just had one of those AEM sensors just like you have fail about a week ago on my FPR. Mine would jump around and read low instead of high.


    86 325es, 2.8L m50, S476sxe, ProEFI 128 ecu, e85, solid rear axle, TH400 trans, 28x10.5w slicks, zip ties, popsicle sticks, tape
    best time 9.06 @ 151.8 mph, best 60 foot 1.30

  15. #315
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    Quote Originally Posted by wazzu70 View Post
    What is the sample rate? A non filtered signal at high sample rate sometimes shows things way different than what you expect. Even if its "normal" operation it usually goes unnoticed by most gauges/recording.
    That's a fair observation, but not the case. I've got the sample rate set at 10 Hz.

    What initially caught my attention was a sharp popping noise from the oil pump area when the engine was first started.

  16. #316
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    e30
    100ms is still pretty fast but not unusual for oil pressure. Just thought I would bring it up if the sample rate was the cause. I have seen that happen many times where people forget to take it into consideration
    -Nick
    91 E30 M42 on VEMS

    Turbo Camshaft Thread

  17. #317
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    Seems the engine support bar I ordered from Princess Auto is going to arrive next week! (No rush processing and shipping options available) When I called customer support, they explained that the item would be moved from the inventory warehouse, to the shipping warehouse (in the same city) sometime in the next couple of days. I find this very puzzling, how an item listed as "in stock" can take 5-7 days to ship.

    Normally I'm a very patient person on these matters, but I'm just....so....close...to driving this thing on the street!

  18. #318
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    I should post a pic. I made one out of a piece of PT 2x6, a piece of cedar 2x4, a bunch of #10 2 1/2" screws, a $2.49 threaded hook from Home Depot and 2 threaded chain links. Everything except the threaded hook was "in stock" at my house. I drove the 10 minutes to HD to buy the hook. Probably not your style though!!

  19. #319
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    I found nothing wrong with the oil pump.

    No debris in the oil pan, no debris lodged inside of the pump.

    The pressure relief valve was removed from the oil pump housing body with ease, and there's no scores are marks on it or the bore.

  20. #320
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    Quote Originally Posted by PEI330Ci View Post
    I found nothing wrong with the oil pump.

    No debris in the oil pan, no debris lodged inside of the pump.

    The pressure relief valve was removed from the oil pump housing body with ease, and there's no scores are marks on it or the bore.
    Did you verify the oil pressure with a known good mechanical/analog gauge?

  21. #321
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    Quote Originally Posted by NOTORIOUS VR View Post
    Did you verify the oil pressure with a known good mechanical/analog gauge?
    This

    "Believe nothing you hear, half of what you read"


  22. #322
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    Quote Originally Posted by NOTORIOUS VR View Post
    Did you verify the oil pressure with a known good mechanical/analog gauge?
    Quote Originally Posted by Fender13Bender View Post
    This
    I have not; the engine was torn apart before that suggestion was made.

    Keep in mind that the issue initially was a sharp popping sound from the oil pump area that coincided with idle fluctuations.

    It was after I confirmed that the sounds were consistent, that I looked at the data trace for oil pressure.

    I agree that it's possible that there might be separate issues, but even if the pressure sensor is bad, I don't have an explanation for the sounds and idle fluctuations.

    I will re-assemble the engine and see if the issue (popping sounds) persists.

    - - - Updated - - -

    Ack!!!

    I found debris when cleaning parts.

    There were some bits in the pickup screen for the oil pump, and other bits in corners of the oil pan. On examining the material, I know where they came from, and the source occurred before my last oil filter change. I have since had that oil filter cut apart to find nothing alarming, so I don't see the health of the engine being threatened. Just the same, I'm going to change the oil filter again. I'm also going to remove the oil deflector to check that nothing has become lodged up top.

  23. #323
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    Hope it's nothing too serious.



  24. #324
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    1999 328i -2000 323i
    What was it from?

  25. #325
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    1993 325is
    Inquiring minds want to know!!

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