87 535is - getting started

[Brian.]

Looks good, your head looks about as clean as mine! I have 209K miles though, haha. I take it you sourced a B35 head?

[merl]

Yep ... it is getting port matched now. 

This head has less than 100,000 on it.

[Jeff]

looking good. what is port matching i have never heard of that?

[Earl]

Jeff said:

looking good. what is port matching i have never heard of that?

It's the long way of saying porting. You smooth out the casting inside to get more flow. You can gasket match so that the ports are as large as the gasket allows, or you can take out more material and just modify the gasket.

[merl]

Correct ... Intake will probably take a bit of gasket to enlarge the ports a bit. The exhaust will be gasket matched.

Newer cars have come a long way and a lot of the joints between the intake manifolds and the head are very close to the same size (matched) but .... back in the day they were not.. so there is one side that is smaller than the other making a ridge ... This ridge between the two is bad. 

Porting = taking material away to create a better/increased flowing port (some of this will be done on my head)

Port matching = matching the ports or holes in the intake manifold and head as well as exhaust header and head (this is the main thing being done on my head)

[Brian.]

Lookin' good!post up port matching pictures!

Also, if your E28's close to stock like mine, with no huge stereo or anything crazy. It'll be around 3,200lbs. I just weighed mine last week!

[Jeff]

Earl said:

It's the long way of saying porting. You smooth out the casting inside to get more flow. You can gasket match so that the ports are as large as the gasket allows, or you can take out more material and just modify the gasket

ooo ok i haver heard of porting just never port matching.

im seconding the porting pictures!

[KaiserRolls]

im thirding on more pics! this thing is awesome!

[merl]

I will get some posted soon ... Not much to post right now... just painting some small stuff and installing some small stuff. I am NOT going to post all the steps and changes I am making as that would be no fun at all for you guys !!

Some stuff you will have to see it in person for 

[Jeff]

merl said:

I will get some posted soon ... Not much to post right now... just painting some small stuff and installing some small stuff. I am NOT going to post all the steps and changes I am making as that would be no fun at all for you guys !!

Some stuff you will have to see it in person for 

i cant see it in person your too far!!!

and by the way i could not find the fuel pump i swear i had.

[merl]

I will post a bunch of follow up stuff when it is done Jeff !! ... Couple of pics, nothing major right now. Although over the weekend I did convert the car to vacuum boost brakes but I forgot to take pictures.

Block painted and a bunch of wire harness work completed. 

[Earl]

Looking good=) Did you just tape the head surface off to paint? I'm trying to think of the best way I can do it.

[merl]

Ya taped the surface and the edges all sloppy like ... I wasn't worried about a little overspray. Wire wheeled and dremeled the block and did 2 light coats and 2 heavier coats of paint ... went quicker that I expected.

[merl]

Just got an email that the headers are complete !!

[Brian.]

Whod you go through for headers

[merl]

A group buy a guy did with the manufacturer of the old BavAuto headers

[merl]

Been a while .. .work is being done but slowly ... 

[Brian.]

Where'd you get the two collector back pieces from and how much?

[merl]

All came as a kit from a group buy ... just under 600 without coating .. still need to get the headers ceramic coated.

[B C]

I made a thread a year and a half ago in the local scene section on here about ceramic coating which may have some suggestions for local places that will do it. Id be interested in a followup to see how they look, where you get it done, and what the rates are.