5.3 LM7 powered '97 BMW M3 sedan!

[BRAAP]

Small update, (pun intended...)
Haven’t done much of anything with the car this week. Today my youngest of 3 daughters wanted to help daddy in the shop, so while I was cleaning up after a quick and dirty engine tear down from last week, I handed my 4 year old a Datsun Z car valve spring, intake valve, rocker arm anti rattle spring, air cleaner, hose clamp, and 2 wrenches, pointed to the creeper and she kept herself busy under the M3 for over an hour while I cleaned up the shop! She popped out once in while to drink her apple juice from her sippy cup and to let me know the project was coming along just fine!

One of those daddy-daughter moments that you never want to forget! Hope she doesn’t either.

[BRAAP]

Oct 4th update;

Played with engine placement, nothing worthwhile to report on that front, “yet”. ;-)

Did receive my F-body trap door baffle, left my opinion on that here;

100% Bolt-on Trap-Door Baffling for F-Body LSX Oil Pan - HybridZ

[BRAAP]

Oct 25th update;

Customer projects taking priority. Finished and shipped one of our custom L-6 cylinder heads, on its way to France, received another complete road race engine for a head freshen up with a new valve train, maybe a little valve unshrouding and 5 angle seat work that needs to ship back by the end of the year, and my fathers Turbo Charged SBC 350 short block I need to assemble in the next couple of weeks!

As for the M3 LSx project, been doing some research and actual fitment of alternative brake options to free up more engine bay space, details of which I am not at liberty to give out at this time, suffice to say, results thus far are quite promising.

This conversion will incorporate a few changes that will help improve space constraints within the engine bay as well as lower the cost of the typical LSx E36 conversions.

Stay tuned, updates are still coming, but may take few more months for specifics to be released.

Built another custom LSx specific tool as well;
Specialty LSx tools, DIY! - HybridZ

[BRAAP]

Oct 27th update;


Drilled and tapped one hole in the 5.3L block for the F-body alternator mount.

After receiving this F-body alt mount from one of our HybridZ members, (Thank you benitoz) it became immediately clear the truck blocks were not manufactured for the car accy drives. 2 of the 4 F-body/Vette mounting bosses missing on the passenger side of the block.

A quick search revealed that most just drill and tap the one boss that GM graciously cast in the iron truck blocks and just delete the 4th bolt that GM completely ignored on the truck blocks.

After setting up mine, using a machinists transfer punch then drilling and tapping that boss for 10mm x 1.5 mm, that missing 4th bolt boss looks like it is good idea, but with three 10mm x 1.5mm bolts mounting the alternator already, Ron and I both agree that 4th bolt is probably more for the NVH requirements, making the entire engine and accy package as one mass vs 10-15 individual masses all ringing and vibrating at their own frequency. The Datsun Z car Alternator is mounted with far less attachment and works fine, as such I’m not going to lose any sleep over this.

[BRAAP]

Nov 13th update;


Nothing to update on the build itself, yet, other than I wanted to share an LSx swappers gold mine with you all. Nook & Tranny has wonderful page set up with some great tech and specs info on the various LSx engines an accessories for those of us swapping the LSx into non GM vehicles. Specs page lists the differences in intake’s heads, throttle bodies, oil pans, water pumps, accy drives, balancers, etc. They sell LSx specific parts such as accy drives, water pumps etc. Ordered more than few parts from them, including water pump, lots of gaskets, hardware, etc, customer service is first rate. ;-)

Here is the LSx specs page;
LSx Information

[BRAAP]

Todays update;

Did a little 4th century style massaging in the tunnel of 20th century German engineering. Turned out Ok, not pretty but ok. "Massaging" was performed in an area not seen and it will get painted for protection.




Overall the LSx powertrain is a nice fit and as most have found out, if you are not modifying the oil pan, cross member, or cutting sections out of the firewall, with the F-body oil pan there really is only a very small window this power train package will fit within.

My latest mock up, I have established adequate clearances, trans output shaft is aimed directly at the diff input and is within .2 degrees, (2 tenths of a dregree) angularity up and down.

Here are some shot of the latest mock up;

[408.Luke]

and

[truckinL33]

Just saw this, and it totally blows my hair back! Sweet project, how's it coming along?

[BRAAP]

DOH! Sorry about that guys. I let this build thread slip by. Here are some more updates;


Power Steering update.
Received an F-body P/S pump and now have the high pressure side of the power steering finished. Took the F-bod PS hose and M3 PS hose down to my favorite fluid line guys, (Oil Filter Service in Portland OR), showed them what I needed and let them build it the way they felt it should be built, and wa-la. F-bod hard line coming out of the P/S pump, Aeroquip hose in between with Aeroquip fittings beautifully soldered onto the GM and BMW hard lines, and the BMW Banjo fitting for the rack attachment. This new custom hose fits perfectly as it coils nicely around the alternator without touching anything.

I do have an idea for another custom built high pressure and low pressure line, would end up nicer than this and probably not much more in cost. Here are the pics;

[BRAAP]

We are to the point I can divulge a little more about this conversion that I wasn’t at liberty to before.
I am collaborating with Mike Knell of Jags That Run prototyping an over the counter LSx conversion for the ’92-’99 BMW 3 series, (chassis code of E36). Should be completed by late summer if all goes well. Some items and tech info is posted on his web site here;

Stealth Conversions BMW V8 Parts

We found that Mercedes used a smaller diameter brake booster in some of its cars, and it just so happens those booster fit the BMW, (with a little help), allowing adequate valve cover to booster clearance.

Here is one such booster, M3 master cylinder and the JTR adapter;







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