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It looks like a high end place they are an official lotus and alfa place and are just around the corner from a porsche dealer.
I'd take the car to bits and deliver panels, then pick panels up and put it together. The bodywork will be a rub down, primer and smooth down, paint and clear. It takes a time consuming extra setup out that you'd need for a concourse extra flat/smooth finish that didn't seem worth the extra expensive. The Marlin panels are pretty good as they are.
They had a number of cars there including an cobra and the paint finish was excellent.
I'll keep an eye out for gearbox levers. Any chance the one from the M20 will fit?
I've got my engine mounts from Marlin but the pasenger side mount doesn't look like it will fit without some modification? I can only get three holes to line up with the mounting points on the engine.
The fourth hole does not line up?
The other strange thing is the holes have been drilled for M10 bolts wheras mine are M8's. Are they M10 bolts on the M50 engine? I'm wondering if they have sent me the wrong mount? I did specify they were for an e46/M52 engine.
Tim,
is that a modified engine mount I see in one of your photo's on Flickr?
Hi Peter
The mounting plate holes on mine were over-size but in the right place. My modification came from a mistake on my part - overtightening a bolt and shearing off the head, then I couldn't get the rest of the bolt out. Oops! I welded a new plate on the back of the existing mount and it seemed to work ok.
I used M8 bolts.
Is your mounting plate big enough to drill another hole in the right place?
Do you want me to put up a closer pic?
By the way, good luck with your wiring - I got as far as trying to turn over the starter motor yesterday without success reckon its to do with the immobiliser.
Cheers
Tim
Hi Peter
The mounting plate holes on mine were over-size but in the right place. My modification came from a mistake on my part - overtightening a bolt and shearing off the head, then I couldn't get the rest of the bolt out. Oops! I welded a new plate on the back of the existing mount and it seemed to work ok.
I used M8 bolts.
Is your mounting plate big enough to drill another hole in the right place?
Do you want me to put up a closer pic?
By the way, good luck with your wiring - I got as far as trying to turn over the starter motor yesterday without success reckon its to do with the immobiliser.
Cheers
Tim
OK, thanks Tim for the explanation. I'll have to speak to Mark as it looks like my mount might be wrong? The fourth hole is about half a bolt diameter out but it makes me wonder about the position of the other holes?
Not made a lot of progress on my wiring. The plan was to turn the engine over on the engine stand but there isn't enough space for the flywheel between the engine and the engine stand mounting plate. Hoping to have another go next weekend.
Hi
I've been trying to get the starter motor to turn over but no success as yet. I definitely have power getting to it when I turn the ignition, so I must have got past at least part of the immobiliser system, but I think that the DME is not sending the enable signal (as no power to fuel pump either). Research suggests that this is because the control code from the EWS doesn't match the code in the DME, but apparently they can be reset to match up. Does anyone know how to do this, or is it a job for my local BMW dealership?
Cheers
Tim
Hi
I've been trying to get the starter motor to turn over but no success as yet. I definitely have power getting to it when I turn the ignition, so I must have got past at least part of the immobiliser system, but I think that the DME is not sending the enable signal (as no power to fuel pump either). Research suggests that this is because the control code from the EWS doesn't match the code in the DME, but apparently they can be reset to match up. Does anyone know how to do this, or is it a job for my local BMW dealership?
Cheers
Tim
Hi Tim,
if understand you and you are getting power from the EWS to the starter solenoid (black wire from EWS?), i'm not sure why the starter is not turning the engine over?
If its like the old e30 ECU's i don't think the other relay(s) kick in until the ECU sees a cranking signal.
I'd focus on getting the engine cranking over before moving on to the other relays.
If all else fails that software from Patrick below looks really useful
Thanks Patrick!!
There are other software and leads on ebay that claim to be able to re-synchronise EWS/DME. Just search on BMW EWS in descriptions and you'll see lots.
It's just a thought (and probably a silly question), but is the engine earth to the chassis ok ? I know from the numerous engine removals and re-instalations I've done over the years how easy it can be to forget to reconnect the heavy duty earth strap back up.
If the earth is ok, I wonder if you could feed +12V to the solenoid independantly of the car / engine loom to at least see if the engine cranks ok ? (ie ruling out a mechanical fault).
Not sure why but my photo of the BMW M50 inlet manifold cut and rejoined has had literally 100 x more hits than any other photo on my build site on flickr.
For those that are presumably interested I thought I'd post a few more on this site:
A standard inlet manifold
One cut and 3" removed from the centre the inlet tubes
Trial line up
Installed
This was a key discovery - fitting the inlet elbow back to front, and upside down
And now with the complete air intake fitted
The engine space is VERY tight
.....and it is just as tight under the nose cone, but it does shoe horn in!
It might be of interest to Timbo or anyone else considering a M52 installation.
I think Tim's ECU was a later MS42 but I can't think why the engine would not run with an MS41? (but I may be wrong and I can't currently remember this difference)
It might be of interest to Timbo or anyone else considering a M52 installation.
I think Tim's ECU was a later MS42 but I can't think why the engine would not run with an MS41? (but I may be wrong and I can't currently remember this difference)
Don't worry I am not going to jump on this band wagon, but I would bet there is a lot of mileage in Peter's find.
Google "BMW EWS Delete" and I suspect the answer to Tim and the M52s problems can be found.
But then I know nothing about electrics !!!
Just spoke to my man in Caerphilly. He reckons the earlier MS41 ECU wouldn't be able to replace the MS42 successfully ("not enough on the board to run the engine properly"). Apparently removing the EWS from an MS41 is pretty straightforward, whereas he knows of a chap in London who has successfully removed the EWS from two later versions but charges upward of a grand (gulp).
Tim
looking for some advice guys, not a kit car but ive fitted an M52 engine and auto box to my 66 zodiac, i had the engine running on the garage floor after it was removed and after a week of sorting through the wiring, now the engine is fitted and im about to start permanently wiring it into the car im beginning to worry about getting the auto box to change up and down gears as ive read that it is controlled by one of the ABS sensors
anyone shed any light on how o could get round this??
looking for some advice guys, not a kit car but ive fitted an M52 engine and auto box to my 66 zodiac, i had the engine running on the garage floor after it was removed and after a week of sorting through the wiring, now the engine is fitted and im about to start permanently wiring it into the car im beginning to worry about getting the auto box to change up and down gears as ive read that it is controlled by one of the ABS sensors
anyone shed any light on how o could get round this??
thanks for any advice
Sorry, can't help except I remember the M52 does use 'vehicle speed' as one of its inputs, so you may be right?
But an M52 in a '66 Zodiac, wow
My best advice is to by a Bentley workshop manual or post a question on one of the BMW bulletin boards?
I have abandoned my M52 engine conversion in my Sportster.
Consequently, I have a complete set of Engine, Gearbox and Alternator mounting brackets for fitting a BMW M50/e36 engine in a Sportster. The alternator bracket is designed to fit a Lucas alternator to the drivers side of the engine.
These were purchased from Marlin in February 2009 and are no longer required.
They are brand new and unused apart from the alternator bracket that was bolted to the engine to check the fit. The gearbox mount is the 'old' type that fits OK. I've also got an new Lucas alternator as an option.
If anyone is interested in buying these at a substantial discount to Marlin's price, please send me a PM.
Why Peter, I thought you were sorted, is it all proving too problematic ?
Hi Dennis,
I abandoned my attempt to fit a 2.8 M52 engine about a year ago. Whilst these are superb engines, they come with fiendishly complex electronics and I couldn't find anyone at the time who could confidently and reliably disable the BMW immobiliser system. (Timbo has the only M52 Sportster that I am aware of and I believe his car has been off the road for over a year). The other option I looked at was the M52 with an after-market ECU but because of the BMW dual VANOS system you are talking megabucks for the ECU and rolling road sessions to get it set up. (not a cheap option).
So I took a different route (trail blazed by Patrick Short) of fitting a M20 2.5 engine fitted with a 2.8 crankshaft and shorter 2.0 conrods.
I have effectively built the same power engine as the M52 2.8 without the hassle of the immobiliser issue, or the need to swap my gearbox, engine mounts and numerous other parts to make it work. This is the engine that I have now installed and 'broken-in' - just waiting for the spring road testing
Hi Peter, if you have your m52 still with you, could you measure the diameter of the water pipe as it enters the front of the head, I mean to replace this long hose but don't want to empty the water to measure it,as I am testing my engine. Thanku. Jeremy
I was at a paint shop this morning, will get a quote during the week. 
reckon its to do with the immobiliser. 
