I think a new dyno is on order now quite a few changes :rollsmile:
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Read the WELCOME ALL BMWFANATICS post.
E46 M3 *No longer Supercharged :)
- Thread starter Andy1GP
- Start date
Andy1GP
///Member
Don't like dynos. The car generates a lot of heat and water temp tends to creep over the nominal after a run. Its rectified by keeping the engine speed up and water circulation high but id rather not mess around. It feels strong and thats all that matters 
Another small update. Bought 3 fuel filters today. One for each M3. Fitted it to this one first. No difference to report. The previous one was actually replaced under plan. Date stamp was november 2011. Hardly any dirt came out the filter as well. Very impressed. Considering ive ran some ethanol through the system as well. (When i just got the car it was running rich)
Also to note i primed the car several times to check for fuel leaks and to get the filter full of fuel and the line pressurised. It took around 7 ignition cycles until i heard positive pressure in the filter. Cycled it 10 times just to be safe
Another small update. Bought 3 fuel filters today. One for each M3. Fitted it to this one first. No difference to report. The previous one was actually replaced under plan. Date stamp was november 2011. Hardly any dirt came out the filter as well. Very impressed. Considering ive ran some ethanol through the system as well. (When i just got the car it was running rich)
Also to note i primed the car several times to check for fuel leaks and to get the filter full of fuel and the line pressurised. It took around 7 ignition cycles until i heard positive pressure in the filter. Cycled it 10 times just to be safe
Crash_Nemesis said:
Another reason why there is a difference between the 2 bov's (harder and softer springs) is that an SC bov needs to be open on idle. At idle RPM, the sc is still producing pressure, The SC bov will remain open on idle where the turbo BOV will not.
The above: 1 SC type bov and 1 Turbo type bov was done intentionally. Enough pressure was being released on idle by the shitty bosch bov, but there was compressor surge (with only 1 bov). The bosch bov could not release enough pressure at high RPM. So at the time, to eliminate the comp surge, the HKS was added.
Keep in mind that at the time, the car was running 7psi and the HKS eliminated the comp surge problem.
Ill be the first to admit that the job was not perfect or near what I wanted, but we were running on a budget, and redesigning the intake system was not an option.
Andy1GP
///Member
Quite a substantial update to post.
The car developed pinging a while back and I ended up parking it off until I could figure out what the root cause was.
After many hours of research, revised maps, troubleshooting and compression tests the diagnosis was collapsed head gasket.
Fortunately it was only the headgasket.
Today I successfully removed the S54 cylinder head and it was a fairly routine job. The car was quite a pleasure to work on and everything seems to be in good health bar the toast gasket.
Pics to follow from my phone via tapatalk...
The car developed pinging a while back and I ended up parking it off until I could figure out what the root cause was.
After many hours of research, revised maps, troubleshooting and compression tests the diagnosis was collapsed head gasket.
Fortunately it was only the headgasket.
Today I successfully removed the S54 cylinder head and it was a fairly routine job. The car was quite a pleasure to work on and everything seems to be in good health bar the toast gasket.
Pics to follow from my phone via tapatalk...
Andy1GP
///Member
Oh and i got her a new set of shoes
with et20 offset all round
Head finally off and gasket is finished as can be seen
Compression between cyl 1 and 2 were 70 and 80 kpa
Between 3 4 and 5 over 120 and 6 was 155
Bear in mind i have not cleaned anything yet. Coolant still sprayed about etc. I think the motor looks pretty good. No Ridge on the sleeves and piston crowns look neat.
Head ready for delivery to van der linde
Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk
sash
///Member
Great work andy, to a simpleton like me, I cant exactly make out the failure in the gasket, but my best guess would be the oil seepage. I also would like to know why there seems to be a gap between cyl 1 and 2 at the thinnest point between the cylinders(pic 7), and on pic 8 it looks like a crack or point of a leak in the same location.
Whats the reason for the lower compression on 1 and 2 though?
Whats the reason for the lower compression on 1 and 2 though?
Fordkoppie
///Member
sash said:
You answered your own question right there:rollsmile:
The compression "bleeds" through to the next cylinder via that failed part of the gasket at the thinnest point
sad to see this... good thing you parked it off when you did
do you have anything to monitor and store logs? I would invest here if I were you so you can get it running right consistently
do you have anything to monitor and store logs? I would invest here if I were you so you can get it running right consistently
Andy1GP
///Member
Lots of speculation running around the groups etc.. I was at van der linde developments this morning and they have done hundreds of S54 heads. They even commented on how good the rocker arms still look and what good condition the head is.
Apparently the red burning on the exhaust valces are quite normal. All the S54 heads they get burn the same. The only problematic one was number one. Seemed to show signs of rich running. I recall having a fuel smell and refitting one of the injectors correctly that sorted that out.
Sash I'll post a pic of the head gasket so you can see it more clearly. Like Chris said you answered yourself
Niks I'm keeping the head stock, they are cnc machined so in essence flowed to near perfection. The intake tract and exhaust tract is so sharp you cut yourself on it with ease. They charge R6500 to port and flow but have negligible gains on the dynos.
Warren I am using the stock gasket again with stock bolts. I'm not planning on running any more boost than what the car has seen already. Alain drove the car for around 4000kms boosted (speaking under correction) so it's definitely reliable.
I did run some ethanol in it to lean out some of the rich map running issues before I discovered that it was the vanos issue. That could have led to some premature heat and gasket failure. Combined with dyno runs and hot running coolant etc.
Luckily the pinging developed while cruising on the highway and I was 5kms from home. I think I dodged a potential nightmare
The head should be ready by Wednesday as they are prioritising it for me.
I ordered new bits from BMW today (already have the head bolts and gasket along with a proper AFR gauge)
exhaust gaskets x 6
Brass exhaust nuts x 18
Secondary air intake exhaust gasket x1 (2 week back order from germany) and it's like R120 for a gasket smaller than a R5 coin :shocked:
Intake manifold gaskets
Water manifold gaskets
Thermostat gasket
And some other bits I forget now...
I'm going to start a poll to get some votes on reverting the car stock and using it as a daily, as it is such a nice example! I miss driving it dearly. VS going Supercharged and doing it right. The aim is it must be faster than an E60M5 else its a fail
Only thing left to source is a wideband O2 sensor to hook up to the AFR gauge so I can log properly. The AWRON gauge That's fitted is amazing but the narrowband signals are useless and update too slowly.
Apparently the red burning on the exhaust valces are quite normal. All the S54 heads they get burn the same. The only problematic one was number one. Seemed to show signs of rich running. I recall having a fuel smell and refitting one of the injectors correctly that sorted that out.
Sash I'll post a pic of the head gasket so you can see it more clearly. Like Chris said you answered yourself
Niks I'm keeping the head stock, they are cnc machined so in essence flowed to near perfection. The intake tract and exhaust tract is so sharp you cut yourself on it with ease. They charge R6500 to port and flow but have negligible gains on the dynos.
Warren I am using the stock gasket again with stock bolts. I'm not planning on running any more boost than what the car has seen already. Alain drove the car for around 4000kms boosted (speaking under correction) so it's definitely reliable.
I did run some ethanol in it to lean out some of the rich map running issues before I discovered that it was the vanos issue. That could have led to some premature heat and gasket failure. Combined with dyno runs and hot running coolant etc.
Luckily the pinging developed while cruising on the highway and I was 5kms from home. I think I dodged a potential nightmare
The head should be ready by Wednesday as they are prioritising it for me.
I ordered new bits from BMW today (already have the head bolts and gasket along with a proper AFR gauge)
exhaust gaskets x 6
Brass exhaust nuts x 18
Secondary air intake exhaust gasket x1 (2 week back order from germany) and it's like R120 for a gasket smaller than a R5 coin :shocked:
Intake manifold gaskets
Water manifold gaskets
Thermostat gasket
And some other bits I forget now...
I'm going to start a poll to get some votes on reverting the car stock and using it as a daily, as it is such a nice example! I miss driving it dearly. VS going Supercharged and doing it right. The aim is it must be faster than an E60M5 else its a fail
Only thing left to source is a wideband O2 sensor to hook up to the AFR gauge so I can log properly. The AWRON gauge That's fitted is amazing but the narrowband signals are useless and update too slowly.
you have had so many stock s54s I dont see you keeping it long if its NA
