1997 BMW 328is LS1/T56 - OBD2 - Vorshlag kit - Daily Driver
12-08-2013, 08:17 PM
#23
Staging Lane
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 69
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
12-09-2013, 08:10 PM
#24
Staging Lane
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 69
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Improved Racing Baffle Since this car will see quite a bit of autocross and track day duty I decided it was probably a good idea to add the Improve Racing oil pan baffle. Another "while I'm in there" but good insurance. Also, since I didn't have the full history of this salvage engine I wanted to take a look at the oil pan to see if there were any obvious problems. Plus I hate oil leaks so a chance to refresh the gasket too.
The engine was still on the stand so the pan came off easy. Removing the old baffle revealed about a quarter inch of sludge but nothing metallic. Felt good to get all that sludge out of there.
The Improved Racing baffle needed a little bit of work to fit perfectly. I'm picky about the oil pan, it may have been ok to bolt down as-is but it fits even better now. Pan got a decent cleaning, I could have put a little more time into it but it was freezing outside.
The oil pan and new gasket went back on as easy as they came off. After coming from the Datsun L28 world these new o-ring based gaskets are so nice. Buttoning up the oil pan was the last task I needed to complete before I could drop the motor into the chassis!
The engine was still on the stand so the pan came off easy. Removing the old baffle revealed about a quarter inch of sludge but nothing metallic. Felt good to get all that sludge out of there.
The Improved Racing baffle needed a little bit of work to fit perfectly. I'm picky about the oil pan, it may have been ok to bolt down as-is but it fits even better now. Pan got a decent cleaning, I could have put a little more time into it but it was freezing outside.
The oil pan and new gasket went back on as easy as they came off. After coming from the Datsun L28 world these new o-ring based gaskets are so nice. Buttoning up the oil pan was the last task I needed to complete before I could drop the motor into the chassis!
12-10-2013, 02:17 PM
#25
Staging Lane
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 69
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Install! Thanksgiving was kind of like Christmas for me this year as I got some time and some beautiful Texas weather to install the LS1! A few notes:
* Have at least one friend to help wrestle the engine/trans
* Pay careful attention to the inside of the car shifter location
* If using the Vorshlag TOB make sure the lines clear the trans tunnel
* We didn't have good luck with the engine leveler, a jack under the trans worked better but required patience and good communication!
* Drop the front subframe, it's worth it
Recipient ready for the transplant, doctor:
Ditched the leveler and went straight chain. Would have been even better to use all four locations for securing the chain to keep it level in the axis around the crank.
Getting close!
This is what friends are for:
Vorshlag mounts are simple works of art. Of course this one had to be detached later to install the header.
And we're in!
Lots of extra wire in the GM harness. This could use some cleanup work. I figured a lot of this would stuff inside the PCM box but that's a lot of wire! Suggestions here appreciated.
This makes it all worth it, well so far.
* Have at least one friend to help wrestle the engine/trans
* Pay careful attention to the inside of the car shifter location
* If using the Vorshlag TOB make sure the lines clear the trans tunnel
* We didn't have good luck with the engine leveler, a jack under the trans worked better but required patience and good communication!
* Drop the front subframe, it's worth it
Recipient ready for the transplant, doctor:
Ditched the leveler and went straight chain. Would have been even better to use all four locations for securing the chain to keep it level in the axis around the crank.
Getting close!
This is what friends are for:
Vorshlag mounts are simple works of art. Of course this one had to be detached later to install the header.
And we're in!
Lots of extra wire in the GM harness. This could use some cleanup work. I figured a lot of this would stuff inside the PCM box but that's a lot of wire! Suggestions here appreciated.
This makes it all worth it, well so far.
12-10-2013, 09:54 PM
#27
Staging Lane
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 69
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Nope, engine is in so I'll have to plumb around it. The front brakes connect through bulkhead fittings in the fenders. Rear will be tougher but was planning on removing them from the car to flare on the bench anyway. Waiting on the 4-channel 328 kit from Vorshlag...
More scraped knuckle fun!
More scraped knuckle fun!
12-10-2013, 10:33 PM
#30
Staging Lane
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 69
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
12-10-2013, 10:38 PM
#31
Staging Lane
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 69
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I decided to go with the pre-bent lines to save build time but the 328is has a different ABS pump than the M3 so the 4-channel kit that Vorshlag originally developed did not work. Hence the waiting, and the irony.
12-11-2013, 10:24 AM
#32
Staging Lane
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 69
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Shifter MGW shifter and delrin shift ****. Had to trim a little off of the left side of the tunnel after installation (even after the initial trimming). I still need to cover the hole here, probably use a simple sheet metal panel with some dynamat on top and maybe some of the DEI material on the bottom too.
12-11-2013, 05:18 PM
#33
Looking great, never had much luck w/ the load leveler myself. Always end up w/ the tranny on a jack.
Does the MGW shifter have a splined shaft so you can locate the top how you like it?
Does the MGW shifter have a splined shaft so you can locate the top how you like it?
12-12-2013, 10:47 AM
#36
Staging Lane
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 69
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Install!!! Last step before LS1 install was to have the v-band flanges welded onto the Vorshlag headers. I took the headers to Griffith Metal Shaping here in Austin and he knocked them out in one day and came out way better than I could have done:
Putting in the passenger side header was very easy, went in from the bottom according to the Vorshlag "instructions" on their website. No need to remove the starter just a bit of wiggling and it was in:
The driver side header was even more of an issue than I thought. Since the engine mounts were already installed I didn't use the Vorshlag method of going in from the bottom for this side but I probably should have. I went in from the top using Pzary/lovnbmws method on bimmerforums and I just could not get the engine high enough for the header to slide in easily. I had to take off some misc parts (oil pressure sender at the filter) and wrestle the engine on its mounts for about an hour to get it in. I had read that it was better to install the top steering shaft mount before the header and this was a good tip but I should have let it hang down instead of to the side. I ended up having to remove it anyway since it was in the wrong place after the header went in!
Looks deceptively wide open here:
Finally in. Only broke one spark plug and the engine coolant temperature sensor but those were easily replaced.
Putting in the passenger side header was very easy, went in from the bottom according to the Vorshlag "instructions" on their website. No need to remove the starter just a bit of wiggling and it was in:
The driver side header was even more of an issue than I thought. Since the engine mounts were already installed I didn't use the Vorshlag method of going in from the bottom for this side but I probably should have. I went in from the top using Pzary/lovnbmws method on bimmerforums and I just could not get the engine high enough for the header to slide in easily. I had to take off some misc parts (oil pressure sender at the filter) and wrestle the engine on its mounts for about an hour to get it in. I had read that it was better to install the top steering shaft mount before the header and this was a good tip but I should have let it hang down instead of to the side. I ended up having to remove it anyway since it was in the wrong place after the header went in!
Looks deceptively wide open here:
Finally in. Only broke one spark plug and the engine coolant temperature sensor but those were easily replaced.
12-12-2013, 03:33 PM
#37
Staging Lane
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 69
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
And it runs! And...one more thrash last weekend to get the cooling system installed (enough) to be able to start the car and verify it actually runs.
Lots of front end parts in my garage, I hope I can remember how they all go back together.
Cooling system in! I had already ordered a new stock radiator and expansion tank that was supposed to be a refresh for the stock motor. Plans changed but the stock radiator should still work fine. The expansion tank and shroud may be replaced with a euro tank, more on that below.
The radiator expansion tank on the passenger side and the ABS pump location on the driver side made routing the intake very tricky. This is what I came up with but is only temporary. I'm going to remove the expansion tank and shroud plumb a euro/E30 tank where the washer fluid tank is now and move the air filter to the passenger side.
Ready to start! (Technically this is post-first start since I used a temp intake for the starting ceremonies.)
And of course, my relatively tame youtube video of the very first start!!!
Lots of front end parts in my garage, I hope I can remember how they all go back together.
Cooling system in! I had already ordered a new stock radiator and expansion tank that was supposed to be a refresh for the stock motor. Plans changed but the stock radiator should still work fine. The expansion tank and shroud may be replaced with a euro tank, more on that below.
The radiator expansion tank on the passenger side and the ABS pump location on the driver side made routing the intake very tricky. This is what I came up with but is only temporary. I'm going to remove the expansion tank and shroud plumb a euro/E30 tank where the washer fluid tank is now and move the air filter to the passenger side.
Ready to start! (Technically this is post-first start since I used a temp intake for the starting ceremonies.)
And of course, my relatively tame youtube video of the very first start!!!
12-12-2013, 05:55 PM
#38
Looking at how easy everything has come together makes me 2nd guess doing my own mounts/everything 
What do you have left, any real complaints?
Already ordered the shifter, figured why not now.
What do you have left, any real complaints?
Already ordered the shifter, figured why not now.
12-13-2013, 08:58 AM
#40
Staging Lane
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 69
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Yes, there were relatively few surprises in this build (so far) and I'm thankful for that. As I said in my first post, almost everything was new and when I could buy vs. build something I bought it to save time. This was certainly not the cheapest way to build an E36 LS1 swap!
I still have to reroute the intake and build an exhaust. Planning on doing the exhaust myself, all parts and bends are already in, just finding some free time is the only holdup there. But the real gate at this point is getting the new brake lines from Vorshlag. They are still in development and it's hard to justify buttoning everything up until those are installed.
No real complaints here. In hindsight I probably should have spent the money on at least a mild cam. I should have waited to buy the LS1/T56 until I was closer to ready to put it in (to stay within the warranty period). And I should have had the header flanges on the headers before the engine install so they could have gone in the same day. Those are minor though and after all this was supposed to be a "no excuses" build and it mostly was/is. I still don't have a good idea of the health of the motor and trans so I may change my mind once it's on the road.
Tipsy, yes the EVAP should be functional, I left all the valves on the LS1 and plumbed the purge hose to the original BMW tubing. The heater valve was relocated to the passenger side behind the strut tower, there are some pictures on the facebook thread.
I still have to reroute the intake and build an exhaust. Planning on doing the exhaust myself, all parts and bends are already in, just finding some free time is the only holdup there. But the real gate at this point is getting the new brake lines from Vorshlag. They are still in development and it's hard to justify buttoning everything up until those are installed.
No real complaints here. In hindsight I probably should have spent the money on at least a mild cam. I should have waited to buy the LS1/T56 until I was closer to ready to put it in (to stay within the warranty period). And I should have had the header flanges on the headers before the engine install so they could have gone in the same day. Those are minor though and after all this was supposed to be a "no excuses" build and it mostly was/is. I still don't have a good idea of the health of the motor and trans so I may change my mind once it's on the road.
Tipsy, yes the EVAP should be functional, I left all the valves on the LS1 and plumbed the purge hose to the original BMW tubing. The heater valve was relocated to the passenger side behind the strut tower, there are some pictures on the facebook thread.
Last edited by TypeIsCheap; 12-13-2013 at 03:45 PM.