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BMW M3 Evo as donor?
James - 12/11/06 at 09:03 PM

Been talking to a colleague who's interested in building a Viento.

I joked he could use his M3 as a donor and unfortunately he's got all excited about the idea.
Well, not actually his as it's in rather good nick but maybe buy a write-off or something to strip.

So I promised I'd ask here.....

It's the M3 Evo type he wants with (IIRC) the 3.2lt straight six.
Anyone used one or know sites/info on using one? Is the ECU side of things a nightmare and needing door locks and the like for immobilisers etc?
I searched a few forums and can't really find anyone who tunes etc. without the use of a chequebook!

Cheers,
James

[Edited on 12/11/06 by James]


gingerpaule - 12/11/06 at 09:06 PM

I'm sure there was a kit car that was at Stoneleigh a couple of years ago that had a M3 Evo engine in it, so it is possible. I'm afraid I can't remember the name of the kti though. Sorry!


James - 12/11/06 at 09:11 PM

quote:
Originally posted by gingerpaule
I'm sure there was a kit car that was at Stoneleigh a couple of years ago that had a M3 Evo engine in it, so it is possible. I'm afraid I can't remember the name of the kti though. Sorry!


This one?
http://www.marlinsportscars.co.uk/sportster/donor-info.html

Cheers,
James

[Edited on 12/11/06 by James]


zoom - 12/11/06 at 09:47 PM

BMW use a dme (digital motor electronics) to control the engine,which has to have a correct signal from the ews control unit to turn itself on. The ews receives a code from the key via a coil on the steering/ignition lock, so to use the BMW dme you will need the key/steering lock/ews/dme all to be correct.
Best might be to use megasquirt as others will tell you, but the BMW system is very good at running the engine and has many other benifits as well


James - 12/11/06 at 10:13 PM

quote:
Originally posted by robocog
ECU side of things - probably much easier to just go megasquirt and coilpack and sell on the donor ecu with doorlocks and keys etc

I know our Bimmer (common as muck 318) has issues with one of its own keys not talking to its ecu so were down to the last key that will do anything more than open the doors
when it finally goes I guess it would be cheaper to rip the brain out and go megasquirt and spark than get a new key cut.. either that or turn it into something more exciting..LOL


So I gotta explain megasquirt to him now aswell????

I don't rearly understand it myself!

And how the hell do you get it to run the VANOS system?

Cheers,
James


Johnmor - 12/11/06 at 10:31 PM

There is a picture on the Luego website of a Viento with a BMW 2.5 6cyl

It is basicaly the same engine so no reason why not.

Dont think its a lightweight though, not sure but the block may be iron, and its a pretty tall motor. has to sit at an angle to fit.


Would go like stink though!!


ed_crouch - 13/11/06 at 08:34 AM

BMW bigsix is a great engine: youre basically getting a race engine for the road: individual throttle bodies, the exhaust manifolds are a total work of art, and, of course, SS. They are bulletproof and absolutely howl right up to the redline, which is normally safe to be increased to 7000 - 7500 RPM (well, based on my dads E34 3.6 M5).

Superb engine, there probably is no better engine than the M Powers.

HEAVY!!!!

for a 7, they are VERY heavy!!

fully dressed, probably 220 - 240kg.

Also quite a long engine, and they sit leaned over to one side by about 15 degrees. This can make mating it up to anything other than the original Getrag gearbox fun.

In summat like a Viento, its probably a goer, but it defo wont fit in to a book chassis!

The Motronic DME is a pretty good unit too. The later ones (DME 1.2 onwards IIRC) actually do a small amount of pigeon learning about how you drive. If youre always foot on the floor, the unit dumps more fuel in, and similarly if you like to hang you handbag on the rearview mirror and do 30 all the way to the post office, it'll lean the engine of and do more MPG. Good system, and you might want to think about spoofing the things it likes to see before it'll start the engine.

Ed.
P.S. the E36 M power engine only has very basic on/off VANOS, its not fully variable (later cars like E46 / E39 are IIRC), so you could almost design an electronics box to control it. You'd need to tap into the throttle pot, and the RPM signal going to the Motronic unit. Some logic operations to decide what those signals mean, and produce an output. Would almost certainly need to boost the output with a big fat MOSFET to drive the solenoid valve.



[Edited on 13/11/06 by ed_crouch]


Danozeman - 13/11/06 at 08:45 AM

Id rip the loom out of the beamer and run it on standard. Surely gotta be easie to run it like that than trying to get the same power and smoothness from megasquirt etc?

If youv got the whole loom, ecu's etc it shouldnt be a problem, Theyr rear drive so the whole drive train would be used. Wide assed Viento!!


tks - 13/11/06 at 10:14 AM

i would surely use the stock MCU infact i guess it represents on his own 30BHP in comparation to MegaSquirt.

door switches etc. etc. can all be fooled!!
it just takes time an maybe a scope to see what it does...

what you say about the learning future i think that can only be applied to the electronic throttle (if it has one) in every other case i guess labda just needs to be 1

anyway nice project and the viento is the car for it.

Tks


Paul (Notts) - 13/11/06 at 11:46 AM

Rescued attachment 2.jpg
Rescued attachment 2.jpg


Kook - 13/11/06 at 12:37 PM

Was just looking at the luego site and see the same car as above ... http://www.luegosportscars.com/cars/viento/index.html
You need to click on customers builds to see will not do a direct link to photos

[Edited on 13/11/06 by Kook]


James - 14/11/06 at 02:41 PM

Ok, thanks for the info everyone.... will pass it on and let him decide.

In that Luego picture.... that is some exhaust!
Don't think I'll be offering to knock him one up out of steel tube this time!

Cheers,
James


kango - 26/11/06 at 04:42 AM

Is this the car you are talking about or a later model?
I am contenplating using the rear drive train. 325 comes with LSD and Discs.

Has anybody used it? Rescued attachment 3 series.jpg
Rescued attachment 3 series.jpg