Alpine e30 progress/build thread
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More things done!
I used some super strong epoxy to bond the gas pedal mounting bracket to the base of an old e30 gas pedal and completed the install of the e46 drive-by-wire gas pedal:
I also finished cleaning the engine bay and re-routed the clutch feed hose to make room for the e21 booster. Since I won't have a throttle cable coming through the firewall, I ran the hose through the hole and sealed it up with a grommet. I found that an M54 vanos screw plug worked perfectly for plugging the old hole behind the booster.
I also got about halfway done with the ABS delete. Because the brake master cylinder I'm using only has one port for the front brakes I had to join them with a tee fitting before running a single line to the master for both front and rear. I also adjusted the front right line to go around the outside of the booster as it was getting pinched.
With the brake lines routed I mounted the booster, e32 750il master cylinder, and a newer reservoir from the parts car
I then spent the next two hours trying to make the hard lines from the tee to the master. That line will be pretty short and turned out to be an absolute pain as I was using steel line, I gave up after a couple failed attempts. I will be picking up some nicopp line to try again as it seems to be much easier to work with. I will probably also re-do the line from the front right caliper to the tee as it could be cleaner.
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What kind of proportioning valve do you have there?
Make sure you do a good job on the ABS delete because I will probably demand details and follow your lead
Just the stock e30 proportioning valve. The e30 m3 uses the same part so no changes were needed when I swapped the suspension/brakes. I may eventually swap it for an adjustable one though as the larger single diameter MC will likely shift the bias slightly rearward.
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I then spent the next two hours trying to make the hard lines from the tee to the master. That line will be pretty short and turned out to be an absolute pain as I was using steel line, I gave up after a couple failed attempts. I will be picking up some nicopp line to try again as it seems to be much easier to work with. I will probably also re-do the line from the front right caliper to the tee as it could be cleaner.
I have probably 5-10 feet of line laying around so you can get this done for the picnic
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I have probably 5-10 feet of line laying around so you can get this done for the picnic
Unfortunately, the brake lines aren't in the way of making it to the picnic, it's the usual time/money/wanting to keep my sanity haha. Thanks though!
As far as the proportioning, I did some more research: I wasn't aware that late model e30's use a dual diameter brake master cylinder, so while the front brake bore is around 22mm, the rear is smaller, so when paired with the e30 m3 brakes it likely upset the bias a bit. The stock e30 m3 master is a single diameter 23.8mm and the 25.4mm master that I am using is a common upgrade for a firmer pedal on those cars. Because I have different shocks/springs/tires/brakes/bushings/weight distribution/etc compared to stock, it makes sense to just do the adjustable proportioning while I'm doing this work anyway. That way I can dial in the braking for the best performance, plus it's another adjustment to screw around with at an autocross.
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ABS delete and master swap complete!
I decided that an adjustable bias valve would be a good idea so I picked up a Wilwood part that has M10x1.0 bubble flare fittings. After a bunch of trial and error, I decided to mount it down where the original proportioning valve sat. Originally, I wanted to mount it up by the fuse box for easy access, but I didn't want to have lines running above the master so that got canned. I re-positioned the brake line running to the rear and made a bracket that connects to the stock proportioning valve mount and adapts it to the Wilwood part:
The nicopp lines are so much nicer to work with than the steel lines, though they did seem to be a little harder to get a nice flare compared to the steel. Using more oil on the bubble flare tool seemed to help with this, hopefully they all seal well. The lines aren't perfect, but don't look too bad! I have tool access to all the fittings and can install or remove any part without having to take everything else apart.
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Is that the check valve connected straight to the booster?
im using an E21 check valve. I had used one on the M20 as well to get rid if the expensive and convoluted check valve situation the M20 comes stock with
That's probably what it is haha. It was on the booster when I got it, and I'm using it to plug the hole for now to keep dirt out.
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if they have any in stock, here are your 16" bottle caps. $800 for the set if they are fully refurbished is pretty good if you ask me.
Dan
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if they have any in stock, here are your 16" bottle caps. $800 for the set if they are fully refurbished is pretty good if you ask me.
That's not a bad deal!
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Speaking of wheels...
I spent the long weekend out of town, so I didn't make any progress on the car. However, I did stop at a pick-n-pull that was on the way. The only BMW in the entire yard was an e38 that had arrived very recently, and in the back seat I found a set of 16x8 et23 style 4 wheels! These are the same size and offset as the 16" style 5's, but they have radial spokes and more importantly, they're one of the few OEM forged wheels. These need a refinish, but they're straight with minimal curbing which is all I really need. They'll be great as auto-x/etc wheels!
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love those! seriously you have the best choices now that youre 5 lug. maybe not the perfect width/size combos, but, so many cheap choices!
Dan
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Nice score.
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