E34 550iT. The Gristle Hammer.

[slammin e28]

So, this is about as close to a build thread as we're gonna get here.


My e34 535iT had been tossing up the oil pressure light regularly. Sitting in a drivethru, OH HAI! Sitting at a stop light, OH HAI!


So I pulled that engine out on March.







About the same time I got fed up with the 750iL.


So this happened:





It was around this time that I was informed that the engine bays of the e32 and the e34 are the same. I measured....they are. The extra legnth of the e32 is in the core support. The extra width in the tops of the fenders. The e34 engine bay actually has MORE cubic room than the e32 because of the shape of the strut towers.


This in mind, I began removing e34 bits and replacing them with e32 bits. First was the brake booster. The hydrobooster went in it's place. I deleted the ABS because it would be a total dick mission to get to work. It didn't work on the e34 anyway....even though the lights were all off and everything seemed fine.


While doing this, I had the engine on a cart and I resealed the top end. new valve seals, etc. I'd already been through the things when it was in the 7. Oil pan gaskets, valve cover gaskets, intake mani gasket-gaskets....etc. New plugs, coils and distributor caps that weren't from 1988. All the ignition shit was original except the plugs. They were all Autolite....well....11 were. #12 was a OE bosch. About 1/3 of the Autolite plugs were hand tight to. Brilliant.


Anywho, got the engine all sealed up and clean....






These things are brilliant to work on. The forethought that went into them. I'm glad they have the bad stigma....I LOVE them.


So, after that and getting the brakes working on the touring, it was time to set the engine in place.







This was probably middle to late April? I can't remember. It's all a blur. Got all the electronics hooked up, put oil in it, and it fired up on the first crank. I literally jumped up and down like a little kid, clapping my hands and giggling. It was spectacular.


More work work work, got the cooling system squared away. The e32 firewall had a box set back into it for the heater hoses. The e34 does not. So It's tight there. Had to trim the hoses a bit. I got the LAST coolant overflow hose in North America, and 1 of 3 expansion tank hoses. Cooling system done, I focused on the accessory mounts. I used a spot weld drill and removed them all carefully from the 7. I then bolted them in to the accessories......air boxes, oil filter housing, PS res and distribution block, washer fluid res. Marked where the spot welds went, removed it all, ground the paint off, re-installed, and tacked them in. Done. After this I could pop the hood and front end back on.






So, it's running. Yay. Now I had to make an exhaust. So I did. It's using the stock exhaust down to the downpipes. They are two conjoined pipes for each bank. I merged them into two, 3" pipes, then thru a Y into one, 3" pipe all the way back to a Vibrant muffler with dual 3" outlets. It's a beautiful sound.


Then I was dicking with getting the clutch setup done....yadda yadda....It's a VAC S62 flywheel and OE clutch, with a 25mm flywheel spacer to account for the transmission adapter so the 420G could fit. It's tight, spaced back like that....but it works. Shift linkage and driveshaft was modified as needed. It's all perfect. I owe Paul SOOOO many thanks for making the flywheel adapter, taking time out of his own v12 project to help with mine,. Also for supplying the transmission and the adapter for the 420g to M70.


I installed the driveline Friday morning, drove it for the first time at 3pm Friday the 20th of May....then left for Asheville, NC around 4:30. Pic was just before leaving the shop:





Made it no problem to the Vintage at 11:30pm.





Hooned around, showed off the car, and drove home that Sunday. Here's some pics I snapped in the driveway a few minutes ago after playing with the car today....










All I have to say in conclusion is:





There's still some tweaking to do, but all in all it's together and it's quick. I'll keep updated as things happen....but yeah....I did a swap and drove it.

[ShapeShifter]

The peasant sticker is a nice touch.
Awesome! Enjoy!

[Sir Montalbon]

That's badass! Don't think I've heard of any other M70 in an e34 touring. Any details or pics of the transmission adapter setup?

[shogun]

Changed title to E34 from E45.
Have worked 2 years ago on an E34 550 limo with Racing Dynamics M70, very tight in engine bay for service.
Racing Dynamics made an E34 with a V12.

[BleedsBlue]

Your sticker game is strong, sir. Also, way to make me feel instantly inferior with my new-to-me M60 wagon I can only imagine the M70 wafts of torque in this body style.

[slammin e28]

That's badass! Don't think I've heard of any other M70 in an e34 touring. Any details or pics of the transmission adapter setup?

I'll have to sus some up. I was in such a rush to get this thing together for Vintage, I neglected to take as many pics as I should have.

Changed title to E34 from E45.
Have worked 2 years ago on an E34 550 limo with Racing Dynamics M70, very tight in engine bay for service.
Racing Dynamics made an E34 with a V12.

Thanks!

I bet that thing was a beast!

Your sticker game is strong, sir. Also, way to make me feel instantly inferior with my new-to-me M60 wagon I can only imagine the M70 wafts of torque in this body style.

I have a feeling the M60 will pull on it from a stop....but once it get's going, that M70 roars into torque city! It's fun to watch the speedometer get launched up like a rocket.

[Coslin]

Fan-freakin-tastic! Nice job!

[slammin e28]

Here's the only drive by vid that came out from the drive home Sunday. Others were better....but got botched. :/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcPTuv__Z5g

[Creesic]

Sounds amazing. Great work!

[atl530i]

Amazing work. Wish I went to the vintage now

[Sam Son]

Very nicely done. Would love to see some more vids.

[B10 BITURBO]

Fantastic,,,,,,,,,

as i can speak of own experience,,, driving an E34 M70 auto,, and an E30 cabrio M70 with G560 6g the character of the engine is so different,, manual,, vs auto

These V12 are amazing,,, truly ,, so nice power delivery and in the manual version you really feel how much more grunt you have

((my V12 E30 use standalone,, so that is also perhaps some way of the difference))

[5mall5nail5]

Good stuff. I wish the m70 had a more exotic sound (and more output couldn't hurt either).

[sbeckman7]

Good stuff. I wish the m70 had a more exotic sound (and more output couldn't hurt either).

At least you can change one of those things with a new exhaust.


OP, thanks for giving me inspiration to do this on my 535i down the road. Do you think you would have kept ABS if starting with a V8 car? Would the ABS module be in the correct location then?

[5mall5nail5]

At least you can change one of those things with a new exhaust.

Sort of - M70 sounds like a smoother M20, not like italian V12s due to firing order and RPM. Still cool though.

[RVAE34]

Very cool!!

[Leonator134]

This is rad af.

[slammin e28]

Good stuff. I wish the m70 had a more exotic sound (and more output couldn't hurt either).

Sort of - M70 sounds like a smoother M20, not like italian V12s due to firing order and RPM. Still cool though.

Yeah, my friend has one in his e28 with dual 2.5" pipes.....no X or H, totally independent. It sounds totally different. We had a 850i where I used to work and it was straight piped, no crossovers....it sounded like an F1 car when you got on it.

At least you can change one of those things with a new exhaust.


OP, thanks for giving me inspiration to do this on my 535i down the road. Do you think you would have kept ABS if starting with a V8 car? Would the ABS module be in the correct location then?

Nope. The ABS is always in the way on the e34. The 750 has the ABS under the left headlamp/airbox. I was going to try to keep it and make it work, but it already didn't work on the car anyway.

Very cool!!

Thanks! Saw the video on your e39. Love it!

So, the car scoots. It's def not that quick off the line....even with the S3.64 rear....but in true M70 form it has gobs of torque. Once it get's going....it goes! You really feel it lurch forward when you cross over 4k rpm. The redline on the e32 cluster is at like 5800rpm....it's limited around 6k or so. Of course the cluster won't swap over to the e34 (it plugs in, but blows the fuse)....and the e34 cluster redlines north of 6k. I have to keep that in mind....with the light flywheel, etc I've nailed that revlimiter quite often.

I have run into an issue with oil consumption and smoke. Off throttle, coasting..."engine braking"...it will smoke....a lot. I did the valve seals before putting the engine in. The PCV stuff is all new...it was all broken apart when I got the 750 initially. I'm thinking the oil rings on at least 1 piston are probably stuck and or just bad. I'll get a miss on one cylinder...#12 of course...but after some hard driving it's cleared up. I have two other v12s...one on a stand torn down, the other still in a not-too-terrible condition e32. Going to try the Marvel Mystery Oil treatment and see if that helps. Otherwise, I guess shell come apart and get a rebuild. Not something I necessarily WANT to do, but meh....

[sbeckman7]

Oh sounds like you're getting the full M70 experience! Good to know for the ABS.

[5mall5nail5]

Do a comp and leakdown on it and see how the rings fair.

Are you having issues with the RPM output not matching what the cluster is programmed for? I've had issues with an S38 in an E30 M3 because the stock tacho is looking for 4 pulses and was receiving 6. I think I either built a simple circuit or bought a small adapter to handle that, though.

[slammin e28]

Do a comp and leakdown on it and see how the rings fair.

Are you having issues with the RPM output not matching what the cluster is programmed for? I've had issues with an S38 in an E30 M3 because the stock tacho is looking for 4 pulses and was receiving 6. I think I either built a simple circuit or bought a small adapter to handle that, though.

Compression and leakdown were done before pulling the engine....leakdown a couple times after as I did the valve seals. Leakdown was under 5% on all 12. Compression was, IIRC, around 180+/-5psi all around. I wanted to make sure the engine was tight before dropping it in. I resealed the top...basically everything that has to come apart to do the valve seals. Smoke tested it before and after, and it's all tight.

That's why I'm thinking the oil rings are gummed up, stuck, or something. Enough is getting by on #12 to foul the plug.

RPM output should be spot on. The signal comes from 1 ECU, so the car is reading off of 6 cylinders.

[5mall5nail5]

The only thing that makes me think it may not be the rings is that you said it smokes on decel - that's usually seals or guides. Did you check the guides?

[slammin e28]

I did not. The seals were basically hard plastic by now, so I just slammed those in and called it done. I was also using compressed air to hold the valve up so they were all tight into the seats.

[ross1]

I did not. The seals were basically hard plastic by now, so I just slammed those in and called it done. I was also using compressed air to hold the valve up so they were all tight into the seats.

Your symptoms indicate the oil is past the valve guides, so new seals maybe not enough.
Cool project, you'll get it sorted.

[BleedsBlue]

Are you having issues with the RPM output not matching what the cluster is programmed for? I've had issues with an S38 in an E30 M3 because the stock tacho is looking for 4 pulses and was receiving 6. I think I either built a simple circuit or bought a small adapter to handle that, though.

Iiiiintradasting. The tach on the new-to-me 540iT is off--it "redlines" well into the MPG gauge, almost at 6 o'clock. Not the original cluster or diff, but the original engine and trans. I'd like to figure it out for sure.