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Thread: Project 560i: my E39 LSx build

  1. #76
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
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    2000 “560i”
    Quote Originally Posted by E39540V8 View Post
    Nice Work, airbox looks the ducks guts
    Thanks!

    Quote Originally Posted by nsogiba View Post
    I think a little wrinkle black on that aluminum intake tube and it will look totally stock!
    That's a great idea, I'm definitely going to do that!

    S.F.

  2. #77
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    Loving the airbox mod! Did you use plastic weld or fiberglass to do that

    E39 LSX SWAP PARTS FORSALE


  3. #78
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    Apr 2011
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    Quote Originally Posted by 1NAWTY5 View Post
    Loving the airbox mod! Did you use plastic weld or fiberglass to do that
    Amazingly, neither! I "welded" the two pieces together by heating targeted areas with my heat gun until the plastic was fluid and then I pressed the parts together using my leather gloves. By heating both the airbox and the donor part inside and out in a small area and working the plastic together it becomes a very controlled process. By then moving to the opposite side you allow the previous area to cool so the whole thing doesn't get too hot and then fall apart. Using an old pair of welding gloves made a rough surface texture that closely matched the BMW airbox. The process started out as an experiment using the cut off BMW neck and a extra chunk of the Silverado airbox and it just worked so well I kept right on going!

    S.F.

  4. #79
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    2000 “560i”

    Sway bar!

    Now that USPS is finished sending my bushings back and forth across the country i was able to complete the front sway project. I made some steel brackets to relocate a 25mm 540i bar underneath the subframe. Did some DIY copper plating on the brackets for rust resistance.

    6840F5AB-6D75-402F-87BA-970573A1BD01.jpg

    D06064D7-2278-4134-BDFF-93F42F1B5554.jpg

    572045CA-79BD-4FFD-94C3-3C4A1E7C9A12.jpg

    C6298D81-055F-4AB6-97D2-355B0DF5B28B.jpg

    98C2BC8E-B2A9-4667-BDBB-03FE81312003.jpg

    See post #82 for balance of pics.

    S.F.
    Last edited by StolenFox; 07-02-2017 at 01:56 PM.

  5. #80
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    Oct 2008
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    '00 540 6.0/4L80e/S480
    That worked out nicely. Well done!

  6. #81
    Join Date
    Nov 2016
    Location
    Melb, Vic, Australia
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    28
    My Cars
    2000 E39 530i Touring
    Very neat. Top job

  7. #82
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    Apr 2011
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    2000 “560i”
    Overflow pics from post #79

    084CE0C3-5CA4-496D-BE51-F7516F725265.jpg

    2E636B9C-1D93-4E3D-AF64-F8E4BE151EEC.jpg

    F2EF6476-672E-400E-B33F-BF517F3D5CFA.jpg

    Big day today: I drove the car to work and ran by the Emissions Tech Center to schedule an appointment for an equipment review. Must have been my lucky day as they said they could get me right in! Basically this is where they check to see that all emissions equipment matches the donor specs, is properly installed and functional. If you've built it correctly and everything checks out you are then issued a form that describes the car, donor, required equip, etc..

    That form then allows you get the normal dyno emissions test that every other jalopy has to take. Long story short, I got the tech blessing with no trouble at all! Sounds silly but I was so stressed out that I had something wrong and would get sent back to the drawing board. Still feeling lucky I decided to try and do the dyno emissions test done as well. Today's luck had run out because she threw a "system too rich" code while I was sitting in line at the test station! So I now have an appointment next Saturday for a dyno tune! Get it leaned out a bit and then try again. Getting through tech was a big deal,I'm so thankful it passed with flying colors!

    S.F.
    Last edited by StolenFox; 07-02-2017 at 02:01 PM.

  8. #83
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    All legal! Tagged, inspected, insured and on the road. Dyno tune is set for 9:00am tomorrow, hopefully she will do alright for a NA 6.0L @ 5400 feet above see level. Wish me luck!

    S.F.

  9. #84
    Join Date
    Jun 2015
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    Anchorage, Alaska
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    My Cars
    1997 BMW 540iA
    Awesome! Interesting DIY copper plating. Very interested in how the dyno turns out. Congrats!

  10. #85
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    Apr 2011
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    2000 “560i”

    Minor setback....

    So during the tuning session they couldn't get the Fuel trims in line so we checked the Fuel pressure: Over 75 psi at idle! The tuner asked me which brand Corvette filter regulator I installed which was Wix. Apparently the Wix units have become unreliable lately so I installed a new GM unit. The GM regulator made no difference so we disconnected the return line from the vette regulator and connected a hose to it and ran it into a bucket. Low and behold, with the return just dumped into the bucket, 55 psi at idle which suggests a restriction in the BMW return line.

    To get more specific on where the restriction lies, I removed the drivers side tank sending unit and disconnected the jet siphon pump from the bottom side of the sending unit flange. Doing so effectively just dumps the returning fuel into the tank like a simple hose would do. This time when I checked the Fuel pressure I'm back at the proper 55 psi so this means that the return line from the Vette filter/reg all the way to the sending unit connection is free from obstruction. All that remains that could restrict the returning fuel is the siphon jet pump. Armed with that theory, I replaced my siphon jet pump assembly with a lower mileage unit I pulled from a 525 touring today at the wrecking yard. The "new" jet pump made no significant difference and we were back up to 75 psi. It was becoming apparent that the siphon jet pump system adds a restriction to returning fuel flow and that results in an additional 20 psi of system pressure over and above the 55 psi fixed value of the Vette filter/reg. Lastly to confirm the 20 psi restriction, I placed a gauge in between the return hose and the return fitting on the sender....... yep, 20 psi.

    2BED0284-770F-4885-B4DB-EAAF1BB1871F.jpg

    7BD60349-239B-4926-8484-D62CC2724F23.jpg

    B73F1301-A0B0-4BD3-898D-13DD4EFB4DA3.jpg

    So why am I having a issue while others haven't? A few observations might answer that question:

    I installed a 340 lph Quantum fuel pump which is overkill for my current N/A setup but I plan to eventually go forced induction.

    I'm running a Vette FPR which is a fixed value of approx 55 psi.

    Most E39 LS builds running a high flow fuel pump have an adjustable fuel pressure regulator.

    Those E39 LS builds running the Vette FPR are using a stock or smaller aftermarket pump.

    So I just spent a bunch of $$$ with Summit on -6AN fittings, Aermotive FPR, etc... Will report back once I've reworked the Fuel system.

    S.F.
    Last edited by StolenFox; 07-02-2017 at 02:05 PM.

  11. #86
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    Oct 2008
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    '00 540 6.0/4L80e/S480
    http://www.autoperformanceengineerin...l/pickups.html

    This is the website for the fuel pickups I told you about. I may go with a second pump with one of these pickups on the drivers side and split the return.

  12. #87
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    2000 “560i”
    Quote Originally Posted by akinshok View Post
    Awesome! Interesting DIY copper plating. Very interested in how the dyno turns out. Congrats!
    Thank you sir! The plating is pretty easy to do and is pretty handy.


    Quote Originally Posted by unnatrl View Post
    http://www.autoperformanceengineerin...l/pickups.html

    This is the website for the fuel pickups I told you about. I may go with a second pump with one of these pickups on the drivers side and split the return.
    Those pickups are very slick and seem like they could solve problems for folks building unique projects. I like your idea for the dual pumps and a split return. I think the adjustable regulator will solve my problem of excessive pressure to the rail but the fact that the jet siphon pump creates a positive pressure in the return line just bugs me. It would be an interesting experiment to learn what the minimum flow rate required to operate the jet pump is. If that was a known value then you could add a split circuit between the jet pump and it's bulkhead fitting to bleed off excessive return line pressure. Of course all of this is mute if your just running a stock BMW (or equivalent) pump with its lower flow rate.

    S.F.
    Last edited by StolenFox; 05-16-2017 at 08:16 PM.

  13. #88
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    '00 540 6.0/4L80e/S480
    Quote Originally Posted by StolenFox View Post
    Thank you sir! The plating is pretty easy to do and is pretty handy.




    Those pickups are very slick and seem like they could solve problems for folks building unique projects. I like your idea for the dual pumps and a split return. I think the adjustable regulator will solve my problem of excessive pressure to the rail but the fact that the jet siphon pump creates a positive pressure in the return line just bugs me. It would be an interesting experiment to learn what the minimum flow rate required to operate the jet pump is. If that was a known value then you could add a split circuit between the jet pump and it's bulkhead fitting to bleed off excessive return line pressure. Of course all of this is mute if your just running a stock BMW (or equivalent) pump with its lower flow rate.

    S.F.
    It would be interesting to figure that out. Unfortunately, I'm going to have to defer that to someone that's a lot more patient and smarter than me!

  14. #89
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    Fuel pressure problem fixed:

    DA6073E7-1685-4858-8A4A-8F7D816F1DD8.jpg

    So it appears that an adjustable fuel pressure regulator is a must for any E39 running a higher volume fuel pump in conjunction with the stock jet syphon system.

    S.F.
    Last edited by StolenFox; 07-02-2017 at 02:07 PM.

  15. #90
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    A little update:

    So the tuning is completed and the dyno runs were "interesting" to say the least: strapped to the rollers, accelerate to 3rd and nail it.... downshifts to 2nd! Can't lock it in 3rd gear because I hadn't yet connected the tap-shift on the EZ-TCU so plan B is to roll into the throttle gently to prevent the downshift. That works but the car hits 145mph on the dyno due to the 2.91 gearset in the 540I diff. Tuner and Dyno operator both get nervous about critical driveshaft speed and tire rating so they decide the balance of the WOT runs will be done in 2nd gear....

    Long story short, best 2nd gear pull is 322 horses Corrected for approx 23% driveline loss is 418 horsepower @ the flywheel. This is at 5280 feet above sea level through a 4L80E and stock 11.5" converter. Both the tuner and dyno operator feel that the number would be higher with a proper full 3rd gear pull that wasn't mph limited. A 2014 Camaro SS with CAI, Exhaust and a tune made 360 on the same dyno 1 hour earlier. Of course his car was a manual trans and got a full pull in 3rd gear.

    Decided it was time to complete the install of the EZ-TCU switches, enter the James Bond E39 switch panel:

    6F5B63D5-0D76-4B73-B1BF-5F761AACE929.jpg

    The cover is fully functional allowing a completely stealthy look. I just need to make a nice label for the switches. Something that reads:
    TAP +/- TCC PER

    S.F.
    Last edited by StolenFox; 07-02-2017 at 02:08 PM.

  16. #91
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    Apr 2011
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    2000 “560i”

    Custom switch plate is in!

    Had this plate custom made at FrontPanelExpress.com:

    BDB56556-105A-43AD-B5AE-64348C87DB6D.jpg

    And here it is installed:

    45D94E9F-6E4C-4B5D-ACA9-4072136AA4B2.jpg

    Not much more to update as the car is on hold for a while as I'm insulating and drywalling the garage before it gets cold here again. Still need to paint the bumpers, paint correction and PDR a few dings, hook up the A/C, tint the windows, refinish or replace the wheels, install louder mufflers, buy another rear subframe to modify for a Ford 8.8, etc....

    S.F.
    Last edited by StolenFox; 07-02-2017 at 02:12 PM.

  17. #92
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    '00 540 6.0/4L80e/S480
    The panel is legit! Nice.

  18. #93
    Join Date
    Jun 2016
    Location
    Socal
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    My Cars
    '00 528i
    StolenFox, first off I love your build and your ingenuity when it comes to certain aesthetics like your airbox. I do have a question about your sway bar brackets. Have those brackets for your sway bars created any issues with the endlinks or, for lack of a better word and my lack knowledge, "bind" with the sway bar? If I'm not mistaken there could be potential issues with spirited cornering and I'm looking for your feedback regarding how it handles in relation to the OEM geometry.

  19. #94
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    Quote Originally Posted by SlowBimma View Post
    StolenFox, first off I love your build and your ingenuity when it comes to certain aesthetics like your airbox. I do have a question about your sway bar brackets. Have those brackets for your sway bars created any issues with the endlinks or, for lack of a better word and my lack knowledge, "bind" with the sway bar? If I'm not mistaken there could be potential issues with spirited cornering and I'm looking for your feedback regarding how it handles in relation to the OEM geometry.
    Thank you for your kind words about my work, I appreciate it! In regards to the sway bar: I took great pains to make certain the end links were perfectly parallel with the centerline of the struts in both directions (longitudinal & transverse) to ensure proper articulation. Moreover, the bushings are in the exact position on the sway bar where they originally resided in the 540I donor. Lastly, I was able to order the correct 25mm (I think it was 25...) bushings to fit the 528I bushing shells since the 540I shells could not be used since they are a different design. I cannot feel any binding or weird body motions.

    Took a little break from the car to insulate my garage but still scrounging up detail parts and working out the plan for operational A/C.

    S.F.
    Last edited by StolenFox; 06-28-2017 at 09:48 PM.

  20. #95
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    Guess I've got to find a way to rebuild this thread since Photobucket has decided to take their service advertised as free and retroactively extort $300 to continue hosting my build thread photos.

    S.F.

  21. #96
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    '00 540 6.0/4L80e/S480
    Quote Originally Posted by StolenFox View Post
    Guess I've got to find a way to rebuild this thread since Photobucket has decided to take their service advertised as free and retroactively extort $300 to continue hosting my build thread photos.

    S.F.
    You too!?!? They aren't getting a dime out of me. Jackasses.

  22. #97
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    2 Boosted,1 more left to
    Wow the Internet mafia!!!! $300 for what!!!

    E39 LSX SWAP PARTS FORSALE


  23. #98
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    Jun 2016
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    Socal
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    '00 528i
    Quote Originally Posted by StolenFox View Post
    Thank you for your kind words about my work, I appreciate it! In regards to the sway bar: I took great pains to make certain the end links were perfectly parallel with the centerline of the struts in both directions (longitudinal & transverse) to ensure proper articulation. Moreover, the bushings are in the exact position on the sway bar where they originally resided in the 540I donor. Lastly, I was able to order the correct 25mm (I think it was 25...) bushings to fit the 528I bushing shells since the 540I shells could not be used since they are a different design. I cannot feel any binding or weird body motions.

    Took a little break from the car to insulate my garage but still scrounging up detail parts and working out the plan for operational A/C.

    S.F.
    That's what I was hoping you did. I'm looking forward to starting my build next year and love that you made a simple solution instead of making a custon sway bar. Just saw your Photobucket stuation, guess they got tired of making no money for their services. Loving the build so far bro, best of luck and looking forward to much more!

  24. #99
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    Quote Originally Posted by SlowBimma View Post
    That's what I was hoping you did. I'm looking forward to starting my build next year and love that you made a simple solution instead of making a custon sway bar. Just saw your Photobucket stuation, guess they got tired of making no money for their services. Loving the build so far bro, best of luck and looking forward to much more!
    Well, I speak for all of us LSx E39 folks when I say that we will enjoy watching you build progress as well. It really is a lot of fun seeing how different minds attack the same engineering and fabrication problems. As far as photobucket goes: They are practicing extortion, plain and simple. I would have been happy to pay a reasonable fee for their 3rd party hosting service but $400 per year is just a disgusting money grap. Screw E'm, I just rebuilt this thread by having this forum host the pics directly.

    S.F.

  25. #100
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    Well, I'm an Idiot! A/C misadventures........

    So I began working on getting all the A/C plumbing put together. Figured out that I could use a snap ring to help contain the ferrule on the low-side hose and I followed the lead "unnatrl" provided (see his thread for pic) and used a E-clip on the high-side ferrule:

    AC 1.JPG

    Got my hoses all figured out and had them crimped at a local shop:

    AC 2.jpg

    Installed the hoses on the compressor, condenser and evaporator:

    AC 3.jpg

    Nice clean routing off the compressor with a new low-side service port:

    AC 4.jpg

    So I'm almost finished up, just have to put the belt on and then I can try to pull a vacuum and fill her with R134A. All I've got to do is put the belt on, easy right? Not so fast... The LS3 Camaro utilizes a "stretch to fit belt" with no tensioner. Ok, how the heck do I do that? Google says, you just roll it on like you would a bicycle chain. Well, I hadn't built a single car back when I was putting the chain back on my Wal-Mart bicycles so I figure after several major automotive builds this is cake. So I've got my 1/2" drive ratchet and im rotating the crank and walking the belt on, watching the crank pulley like a hawk and trying not to pinch the crap out of myself. Just a watching that crank pulley and not noticing that the belt has walked off the compressor and wedged itself between the electrical connector and the pulley. No big deal, I'll just carefully rotate the crank backwards and just walk the belt out of the wedge its in. Belt comes out, electrical connector for the clutch comes with it...... Sheared it clean off:

    AC 5.jpg

    And that my friends is how you ruin a 10,000 mile LS3 Camaro A/C compressor in the most ridiculous way possible. Good day for Rock Auto though, I just sent them $200 for a new one.

    S.F.
    Last edited by StolenFox; 07-03-2017 at 09:47 PM.

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