E36 LS1 Beta

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Re: E36 LS1 Beta

Updates: We've been working on the LS1 swap steadily during the recent crazy weeks of new product arrivals, intense R&D on shocks/camber plates, new motor mounts, and lots more. As we've mentioned before, we're all about KEEPING functional ABS on our E36 swap. Very important to racers and street driven cars alike! To make room for the headers on the driver's side this means we must "move" the stock ABS actuator. This means a new bracket, plumbing new lines, and keeping the unit below the Master Cylinder for proper gravity feed of the flex lines and bleeding. Here's the ABS relocation work, in progress... (pictures)


Bracket template and .125" steel plate; plate bent, drilled and mounted (2 holes have to be drilled, w/ good access)


ABS unit mounted using OEM isolators. Note height relative to Master Cylinder


Our third brake flaring tool kit ($$$) for Metric Bubble Flaring of new 4.75mm lines. First hardline made.


First line installed, fit snugly to chassis. Will add brackets with rubber isolators for hardlines. Two flex lines from reservoir to ABS are clamped, low pressure hoses.

That was what I did yesterday while Hanchey and Paul installed a set of the new AST/Vorshlag coil-over shocks on my M3 as well as a set on his STi (with hand built rear camber plates). <- Pics soon.

OK, enough goofing off... Now I'm back out to the shop to finish up the other 4 hardlines for the brakes then it goes to header fab tomorrow. The headers should take "3 or 4 days" but we will budget 2-3 weeks, to be safe. These will be custom built, stainless, 1-3/4" primary, 32-34" long tube headers with 3" collectors. We'll work on the other header options after these are in production (merge collectors, shorty style, larger primaries, etc). Once the car comes back from header fab it will be a full court press to get it plumbed, wired and running on the stock motor/ECM for some shake down testing. 7.0L build-up is in progress.

While this Beta car is out for header fab our white 325i comes in for its drivetrain removal in preparation for another LS1 install.

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Re: E36 LS1 Beta

More ABS updates: Here's all 5 custom hardlines completed.


Cut the line with a tubing cutter, then drill the ID, then chamfer, then flare; here's 4 of the 5 lines


All 5 lines completed; Might re-do the first one (get rid of the "drip loop")

3 of the lines are spliced into the stock lines. The 2 lines from the MC to the ABS are all new. We'll use the 3 modified lines to create all new lines for the kit. Off to header fab!

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Re: E36 LS1 Beta

Update for May 31st, 2006: Header progress... layout and tack. All 304 SS, full length. We are going for a CNC bendable, production-worthy design.



Here's something interesting that was in our fabricator's shop: another nonsensical, expensive, underwhelming engine that dwarfs the LS1 motor in size/weight/cost but has less than half the displacement and power. This smog-era Porsche 2.7L Flat-6 is larger than the LS2 (shown below) in every dimension!



What a hoopty! Cost to rebuild: $10K. Power potential: Not good. Alternative: Brand new LS2 with a 930 transaxle... aww yeah! Not a swap we are doing, but I will snap pics of it when I go by and it progresses. That drivetrain is going into this '77 911, which has been converted to a turbo widebody and a slope nose. Too cool.

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Re: E36 LS1 Beta

Updates for June 7, 2007: After a month of waiting our fabricator is finally on our project and is knocking it out quickly. In 2 partial days of fab work the headers are nearly done. Finished by this weekend, then off to be reproduced in quantity. These headers were built specifically for a CNC bender to be able to reproduce each primary in a seamless 1-piece tube, then assembled on our fixtures. The finished product will be production quality, 304 Stainless Steel, 3/8" thick laser cut flanges. Optional merge collectors.

On with the pics. These are of the driver's side, which was by far the hardest side to build. This is due to the closeness to the brake booster/rear exhaust port and the packaging around our custom steering shaft assembly (those are being built in volume as well). Ended up routing very nicely, with the collector no lower than the floor pan and enough room to slide your hand between the steering shaft and each primary around it.

New pictures start here. This is a sample:






The rubber bellows surrounding the 2-piece collapsible steering shaft is being changed to a low profile heat resistant covering. Two of our modified brake lines are going to be rerouted away from header heat. The motor mounts will change (to a shorter version based somewhat on our E30 poly mounts). A custom (optional) bolt-on cat-back exhaust is also in the works, based closely on Teucci's Alpha car exhaust routing, pipe sizes and muffler (dual 3", Y-'d into a 3" bzck to a 3" MagnaFlow race muffler). The sound on the Alpha is perfect: quiet enough to fool a lot of people at idle (nearly silent) but loud enough at W.O.T. to let them know what's under the hood!

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Re: E36 LS1 Beta

Updates for June 11, 2007: Yes indeed, just like I said in post #311 the header fabrication work was completed last weekend. Now we take the headers out, pull the 8 primaries apart, and have them duplicated on a CNC bender. Then they can be built on a fixture for production quantities. This is what makes this set special - they were made to fit the car and engine as well as a CNC bender. Gets the costs under control so people won't have to spend $3-4K on custom headers to do this swap!

Pictures of the passenger side (easier than driver's but still took a full day of fab work and layout):




This hand-built prototype set is made with super stout/overkill .085" wall thickness 304SS bends but a production set would be made with .049" or .035" wall, which is more commonly used in production bent headers.

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Re: E36 LS1 Beta

Update for June 12, 2007: Spent an hour looking at the completed fab work on the Beta headers. Pictures do not do them justice - they are works of ART. There is ample clearance everywhere and even starter removal looks easy (a concern with some V8 swaps).

We now await a new tubing bender (due next week) to tackle a revised motor mount bracket and trans crossmember, using tubing instead of the patchwork of tubes/plate/welding origami I made the prototype set from. Mandrel bent structural tubing (welded to Laser cut mounting plates) will make for lighter/stronger/better looking production parts and give more clearance for like the two 3" main exhaust pipes + cats.

More soon!

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Re: E36 LS1 Beta

Update for 8-23-2007: After a bit of a delay the cage is complete in the Beta car. I went by DPH this afternoon and cleaned up the cage tubing with Scotch Brite pads and WD40. Should keep the steel from flash rusting from the humidity for a good while. Took some pictures with the seats out then back in again.

Completed cage pictures: pics from today





The door bars need to be welded in but I took pictures of the unwelded joints to show how tight Taylor gets these tubes.



Just look at those welds. This is the automotive equivalent of p0rn...

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Re: E36 LS1 Beta

Update for 10/18/2007:

Some new Stage 0 parts to show off:



Custom BMW splined, 2-piece collapsible steering shaft assembly. Can't find the oddball spline that BMW uses? Neither could we - so we had custom billet chrome moly steel needle bearing U-joints built that were lower profile than stock. Then had them mated to a collapsible "Double-D" 2-piece shaft for safety. This allows for better header clearance as well as removes ample drivetrain slop by eliminating the factory "rag joint". Lastly, it makes header installation and removal a breeze, as it collapses once unbolted from one end for easy removal.

This part will also be available for non-engine swap BMW E36 customers, and something road racers have been asking us to build for ages. Well, its done and can be purchased from Vorshlag for $249 complete in the coming weeks. Of course it is included in the Stage 0 LS1 kit.




The final production version of the bolt-in transmission crossmember and mount for the E36 T56 6-spd installation is also completed, along with the fabrication fixture to make many more. This crossmember (the 5th, all-new revision between the Alpha and Beta cars) is strong, low profile and allows considerably more exhaust routing room than all previous designs. Flanges to be Laser cut, everything TIG welded, and the transmission mount bushing can be either polyurethane (red, not shown) or nylon (shown).

Stage 0 production is well underway and with these last 2 pieces finalized we should have delivery of kits beginning Dec. 1st. Still 2 slots left in the first ten kits...

Update for 11/06/2007 (Hanchey): Well, I just put the 14" Stoptech's on the front, E30 M3 control arms, E36 M3 uprights. Fair is R&R the rear subframe bushings, RTABs, etc. Scooter is helping with that. Taylor is playing with his new NC mill.

Laser cuts all showed up for the motor mounts, production to begin soon. Headers have been ordered.


StopTech 14" Brake install (fronts).... Motor out for the last time?


E30M3 aluminum control arms installed


Rear subframe assembly removed for new bushing and lower control arm replacements


New BMW Z3 rack (fastest ratio for E36) installed

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Re: E36 LS1 Beta

Beta Updates for 11/8/2007:

After spending an hour in the freezer, the rear Delrin diff mount bushings are in. That is not a fun installation job! :mad


Replaced the very bent OEM lower control arms with adjustable length/Heim jointed units.


Pneumatic nibbler made quick work of rear backing plates (BBK mod); 80mm Vorshlag wheel studs


the rear StopTechs seem like overkill to me... but isnt the whole car about overkill???

If there is a more entertaining way to cut sheet metal that doesn't involve "plasma", I don't know what it is. McCall was fighting me for the pneumatic nibbler, "I wanna do it!!!".

Taylor was doing the weld-in Turner subframe plates and swaybar reinforcements today, then the entire rear subframe can go back in, we can put the AST4300 rear shocks/perches/spring in place, and then we can mount the rear wheels and tires. Awaiting two new suspension parts up front (that will make all of the front suspension 100% brand new) then that end is buttoned up and the motor goes back in. :cool

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Re: E36 LS1 Beta

Beta Updates for 11/14/07: Sheesh, has it been a week since we touched the Beta car? Dang, its not like we have slept in the past week. Thanks to the post-race-season rush we've been busy as hell building and shipping Vorshlag suspension and chassis parts, wheels, and AST orders. Thanks for that, guys!

We just had 2 more Stage 0 kits sell last night to a local BMW shop (Thanks Eddie!), so we're now concentrating on getting the Stage 0 kit parts built and delivered, as well as getting some shake down time on the Beta car this month. A huge shipment of CNC bent stainless steel header primary tubes, exhaust flanges, and collectors also arrived this week, along with tons of laser cut parts for all for the various brackets. Taylor at DPH is now buried in fab work and we're all kicking it into overdrive to meet December deliveries of all of the Stage 0 kits.

Hanchey and I, joined by Scooter (Beta car owner), Taylor of DPH and others that stopped by his shop worked on the Beta car will 11 pm, and we got a lot more suspension work knocked out. Tie rods, front LCA bushings ('95 M3 offset to work with the E30M3 lower control arms), RTABs and limiter installed, rear subframe installed, and the 18x10 D-Force wheels with 285/30/18 street tires were mocked up for spacer fit-up and possible fender clearancing.

Pictures:


DPH welded in subframe and swaybar mount reinforcements / Rear 13.5" StopTech Brakes with Vorshlag 80mm wheel studs


New RTABS / Rear Subframe Reinstalled / Front tie rods and LCA bushings installed


14" front StopTechs / 18x10 D-Force wheel and 285mm tire checked for clearance (needs a 10mm spacer)

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Re: E36 LS1 Beta



Update for the Beta car - sitting quietly, waiting its turn, while a fury of work went on nearby. It has had a few things done to it in the last month, and then a lot in the last week. Let's get up to speed:


Sparco suede racing wheel with custom "low profile" quick release assembly.
This is something that we might offer as a kit in the future? It worked out very well and is inches shorter than other, similar applications for 6-bolt wheel quick releases.


Here's a picture of the brakes/fenders/tires. D-Force 18x10s & 285/30/18 tires all around (R compunds coming very shortly). StopTech 14" F, 13.5" R.



Taylor can't resist the urge to upgrade something, and he made these fluted aluminum rear lower control arms. They are fully adjustable, light, yet strong. Pretty slick.







Motor and trans are back in, and the exhaust was just finished by Taylor @ DP today. After the headers and V-band collectors, there are dual 3" pipes into a single 3.5" pipe, all the way back into a no-offset 3.5" MagnaFlow. All stainless steel, all TIG'd, and all beautiful, of course. It will be LOUD, no doubt about it. No horsepower robbing restriction here... There's also an LS6 intake and a healthy roller camshaft going in the motor at DP now as well. It was easier to do this with the front of the car out of the way, so why not add ~80 hp everywhere?

Taylor is attacking the wiring & fuel lines, then we can button the front end back on and strap it to the DP dyno.

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Re: E36 LS1 Beta

Beta E36 LS1 Updates: It runs!

Engine is fully wired, plumbed (except 2 main coolant hoses) and running well. LS6 intake and larger camshaft are in as well as new valve springs, retainers, & locks. His wiring harness rework is beautiful - well worth it if you are unsure of your wiring skillz. But yes, we will share all of the wiring research gathered in this forum soon for you folks wanting to tackle it yourselves (its not difficult if you can follow instructions & solder well, just a bit time consuming).



These 2 pictures are from last week. We didn't post because we didn't want to get some people too excited.

That's Taylor putting the mojo on the LS1 computer, via HPTuner's software interface. This is just early shake-down tuning done right after the engine was first fired. Cooling wasn't completed when yet, so it was run only for for a few seconds at a time. The 3.5" exhaust sounds VERY NICE! You can hear the larger camshaft, for sure, but its not obnoxious. Our Alpha car needs a new exhaust after hearing this...



Taylor welded the steel sunroof sheet metal to the roof and brought in a pro to 'glass and bodywork the roof. Its butter smooth now. A new windshield was also installed. Below is the good stuff from today...


Left: Partially completed air inlet piping. Its made to work with the 3.5" or 4" GM MAFs. Need the headlights to finish the airbox mock-up and fab.
Right: The car's stance is more apparent now with the drivetrain in and the front bodywork mostly in place.


Here's the partially completed coolant reservoir tank. We had originally planned on using the Euro M3 tank but it doesn't fit the car worth a crap without hacking away all sorts of sheet metal underhood. This tank is bigger, custom fitted to the US E36 chassis, and also has an integral mount for the relocated heater control bypass valve. Taylor had originally planned on only putting this on the Beta build but its slicker than snot and must go into the Stage 1 kit now! Every system he gets into makes our Alpha car scream for justice - it needs a full production kit install.



I still need to work on the rear fenders to clear the 18x10s and 285mm tires. The fronts look like they will work for a bit, but the back made need some plasma cutter lovin'.



With other cars like these in the DP shop (Superformance Cobra, two twin turbo Vipers, etc) its hard to stay focused on one car, but he's made a ton of progress on the Beta car in the past 2 weeks.