Alpine e30 progress/build thread

[m42b32]

Got some things done this week. I swapped the oil pump inner rotor over to the Achilles harneded oil pump shaft, just waiting on a new pressure relief spring and o-ring and I can get the oil pump buttoned up. 

Ebay had a sale so I picked up some VDO vision gauges to keep a closer eye on the new engine. Oil temp, oil pressure, and water temp gauges. I've had a console mounting plate sitting around for a while so I did a quick mock-up, should look fairly factory! I may color the cluster needles orange to make everything match, but that'll be a project for some other time. 

Biggest progress is the m42 is now sitting on the floor of my garage. So much room for activities!

[B C]

What else needs to be done on the engine/trans to be ready to install it?  What trans are you using anyhow?

Keep up the great work! Perhaps you will find more deer blood at this level of disassembly

[m42b32]

snap said:

What else needs to be done on the engine/trans to be ready to install it?  What trans are you using anyhow?

Keep up the great work! Perhaps you will find more deer blood at this level of disassembly 

I have definitely found some hair, there was A LOT so I'll probably keep finding it forever... hoping to keep the fluids at a minimum haha. Trans is a ZF 5-speed. 

Things I can think of remaining on the engine before I install it:

- Rear main seal

- Reassemble and prime oil pump

- Acquire/Install oil pan baffle (debating this one still)

- Reinstall oil pan

- Reinstall P/S pump and serpentine belt

- Modify oil filter housing (just filing down a rib) and install oil distribution block for pressure/temp gauge senders

- Clean and paint harmonic balancer, its a little crusty

- Modify driver's side engine mount arm so I can get the 4th bolt in (or get a later arm with the slotted hole that works)

- Install main/secondary engine harness (Remove auto-trans wiring from secondary harness)

- Clean up starter

- Clean trans (it's filthy) and replace shift shaft seal/selector rod joint

- Replace shift detent pins

- Resurface flywheel and pressure plate

- Probably a million other things

Probably going to have to re-adjust my picnic goal as I'll be out of town for at least 2 weekends between now and then, but I'd rather do that than cut corners to get it done. It'll be on the road this summer for sure!

[Earl]

I know the feeling with still finding deer hairs haha

Super stoked on the progress you're making with this though=)

[Bassboy3313]

m42b32 said:

Probably going to have to re-adjust my picnic goal as I'll be out of town for at least 2 weekends between now and then, but I'd rather do that than cut corners to get it done. It'll be on the road this summer for sure!

My thoughts exactly. I hate rushing things and having to revisit them later. Do it right the first time I always say.

[m42b32]

Bassboy3313 said:

My thoughts exactly. I hate rushing things and having to revisit them later. Do it right the first time I always say. 

Agreed. I did a bit of rushing on some things last winter since I was hell bent on making it there, but now I'd like to take the time to fix those things and do it all right. Like last year I wired the electronic fan to be on with the ignition all the time as a quick 'get it done', which was annoying all summer, so now I'm going to re-wire it to a temp switch with a manual override like I should've in the first place.

[B C]

interested in seeing how your manual override works. My plan is just to not overheat.

[m42b32]

snap said:

interested in seeing how your manual override works. My plan is just to not overheat. 

I was just planning to do a switch in the cabin in the event I want it on (like for cooling down the engine bay before working on it, waiting in an auto-x grid, etc). I have the fan running on a relay, and basically you have two switches (temp and manual toggle/latching) connected to ground in parallel that can close the relay independently of each other.

[B C]

I just have the 2 temp fan switch. I have individual weatherpack connectors on the 91C and the 99C wires of the switch so I can experiment with both. Ideally I should just put in a manual override switch but I will save that project for another day (after I overheat).

Which fan will you be using? I am using the Spal 16" 30101517 with it wired on the high speed fan circuit

[m42b32]

snap said:

I just have the 2 temp fan switch. I have individual weatherpack connectors on the 91C and the 99C wires of the switch so I can experiment with both. Ideally I should just put in a manual override switch but I will save that project for another day (after I overheat).

Which fan will you be using? I am using the Spal 16" 30101517 with it wired on the high speed fan circuit 

Last summer I had the deep profile/curved blade 16" Spal puller (30102049) combined with a shroud and it moved a huge amount of air. I was hoping there would be some way I could fit it and not have to buy a different fan... there is no way that's going to happen so I'll likely move to a 16" pusher (the same one as you)

[KaiserRolls]

All manual all the time for me. It’s easy to get in the habit of flipping it on and off if you’re as paranoid as I am about the temp gauge

I also drive with the heat blasting most of the summer with the sunroof cracked open

Eat your heart out slick top circle jerkers

[GunMetalGrey]

KaiserRolls said:

I also drive with the heat blasting most of the summer with the sunroof cracked open

God I hated doing that on hot days when I didn't have a fan or a big enough radiator installed. Nothing better than being stuck in a hot car, on a hot day, with the heat full fucking blast.

[Jdesign]

GunMetalGrey said:

God I hated doing that on hot days when I didn't have a fan or a big enough radiator installed. Nothing better than being stuck in a hot car, on a hot day, with the heat full fucking blast.

Just remove your pants. No one will notice, and its a great way to reduce body heat.

[KaiserRolls]

[B C]

swampass

[m42b32]

Started making progress on the electrical/ECU side of things. I put together a bench flash harness so that I can start messing around with MS43:

I may have to make some changes/adjustments as there is a lot of conflicting information surrounding this topic, but this configuration seems to work for most people.

Basically, it consists of a 12v power supply, a female OBD2 pigtail, DME connectors 1 and 4 from the e46 engine harness that came off my motor, and a ground wire so I can get it to start in bootmode. I'll be using Galletto/JMGarageFlasher to connect to the DME and read/write partial and full flashes, and TunerPro to modify things like the redline, thermostat temps, play with fueling/cam timing, etc.. I didn't have a T15 torx screwdriver at home last night to remove the motherboard so I'm hoping to connect it up and give it a shot tonight. 

Side note, I came across a good deal on a set of genuine BBS gold/blue center caps to replace the roundel center caps on my wheels! They have a really nice metallic blue background that looks almost black in low light and an awesome bright blue color in the sun. 

[YoungCR]

Those centercaps are killer!

[GunMetalGrey]

^This
They are retro and beautiful!

[straight6pwr]

those centercaps look fantastic.

roundels for sell?

#imhereforthescraps

[m42b32]

straight6pwr said:

those centercaps look fantastic.

roundels for sell?

#imhereforthescraps

Probably! I was going to hang onto them in case I wanted to switch in-between the two, but once I popped the new ones in I doubt I'll ever do that haha.