Just a newbie needing help

[paumungzkc]

Hi everybody name's Peter and im really new to the bimmer world and currently im working on an e36 328i convertable.
I have two question... the first one is about the ignition assembly, i got the car from a semi friend and it wasn't running then. He said it only needs the engine wiring harness replace so i got the shop did it but now the car key turns 360 so the shop said get a ignition assembly but they also said get the new one and im confused cause they said look online and look for new ignition assembly but they said not from the bmw servicing. So do i buy off craiglist? Or where do i look for that or any idea how to fix it?
The second is about t3/t4 turbocharging. A while back ago i was in O'riellys autoparts and we were talking car parts and what i needed on mine and i slipped out my goal of getting my 328i to a max of 500hp cause that will be a good amount for me for now and he suggested t3/t4 but the thing is i can't find that in any of the big turbo companies and i was wondering is there a better way? Im trying to work on the car on a budget. The reason why im trying to find it in big companies is because of the quality and like every parts.. if you get a good quality item for a bigger price it's better than getting a cheap ones which will break constantly.
Anyways.. what do you guys think of twincharging it? I read a guy trying to twincharge his m3 with t25 and i read about how twice of the turbo would be rich in oil...
but i was just thinking would it be a good idea or just stick with a single t3/t4?

[328 Power 04]

Fix your car first, then after getting it to tip top condition, then start your research on turbocharging. And definitely not at O'Reillys. Actually, don't even step foot into that store for anything on your BMW. Same goes for the other similar stores.

Turbocharging isn't something you can just slap on the car and expect it to work. There are so many things you have to do correctly to get a reliable result, otherwise, every result will end up with an engine rebuild or replacement. No joke.

[paumungzkc]

Thanks. Also any idea on ignition assembly?
Should i just get the whole new one from bmw company or would it better getting a push start and kill switch conversion?

[bmwdirtracer]

+1 on everything that 328 Power 04 has just told you.

You're getting WAY over your head, thinking of turbocharging the car. Almost certainly, your car needs many thousands of dollars worth of basic maintenance and repairs, before you even THINK about blowing into it.

And when you DO think about blowing into it, think about, oh, at least eight or ten thousand dollars. You can invest that BEFORE, or AFTER you blow up the engine.

EDIT: Order a new ignition/steering lock housing, four new shear bolts, and a new ignition lock and key, from your local dealership. You'll need your registration and driver's license.

[328 Power 04]

https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...-0-00-DIY-PICS

start here, lots of other instructions to repair it, before replacing

[paumungzkc]

Thanks 328 Power 04 and bmwdirtracer.
I tend to way overthink alot and again appreciate your help.

[328 Power 04]

http://www.318ti.org/forum/showthread.php?t=40316

[dworthy]

I agree with all the above.

I had to replace all the locks on my 318is about 5 years ago as all the keys were bought from the dealership. Now I would start with the ignition cylinder first, as the tab tends to break off after using an old key that is quite worn out. So get a new key and cylinder, then I would look at the lock housing second.

Next get the dumb stuff fixed first like the cooling system.

[shadowpuck]

yup, totally agreed on all of the above.

why in the world do you need 500hp in a street car?

if you want 500hp - buy a car with 500hp....

get the car safe and functioning properly - it'll be plenty fun enough...

[MIKYZZ4]

Maybe a nice new 500hp Mustang would satisfy your horsepower craving quite easily.

[Fx323i]

The main problems of the ignition lock in E36s are following:

a) The key or the wafers inside of the ignition tumbler are too worn. If you posted a pic of the key, it would be easier to tell you if the key is your case.

b) By the time, dirt gets into the ignition tumbler and the key makes it pressed in the end of the hole.

Principle:
The ignition tumbler has a feature called in the locksmith terminology (this is a translation from my language as the terminology varies in different languages) a tear protection. This means, if all the wafers in the lock are not set in a proper position (matched in one line with the surface in the tumbler), there is a mechanism which causes the whole assembly to spin in order to protect it from tearing by what we in CZ call a Polish key. The Polish key (in English it is called a different way and I know its name, but for obvious reasons I will not post it publicly) is generally a blank key made of a very tough material, which allows you to spin it inside of any lock of the particular type, causing detoriation of wafers. After they are torn, you can turn the key even with the screwdriver. This is why the whole assembly spins - this is by design.

As mentioned, there are two main causes. If the key itself or the wafers are worn too much, they do not fit together properly and the wafers are not set in the matched position. There also are ways to repair, we do this quite often. The key can be replaces with a new one cut by CNC machine to the new-state and the ignition tumbler can be disassembled and refurbished if you know how. In Prague, CZ (Europe) we do both of these tasks in about half an hour and the costs are around USD 35 per key or lock.

The other thing is, that this key for E36 works a little bit different from the other groove-type keys. Its stop line is not in the end tip of the key, but closed to the head which you have in your hand. If there is enough dirt pressed in the ignition tumbler, it can prevent the key from getting to the correct stop position. This means, the "teeth" of the key are not meeting the lock wafers not because one or both of them are too worn, but the position of the key is incorrect. You can try to push the key inside in the lock and twist it to position I, II, Start when pushing. This needs a little bit of practice, but we do this very often just before we are refurbishing these locks.
HU58 stop.png