Need help with SHO powered E30

[tauruswithheart]

Im trying to get an idea of what it will take to properly fit a SHO engine into a BMW E30 chassis.

SO far I have:
3.2L sho engine, freshly 60k'd
X2J Ecu
Harness
y-pipe(useless but will cut for mockup)
tedb lpm
bbb's
pp runenrs
pro-m
stock motor mounts
exhaust manifolds

NEED:
aerostar bell housing
T5 5 speed
Custom driveshaft(mustang/BMW hybrid after centerbearing)
Custom trans brace (fab)
motor mounts(fab)

What have you swap guys been using for the harness etc?

 

[Sho Amo]

There is someone selling the bellhousing in the classifieds right now. You should probably get a donor car for the engine/body harness. If you dont already know how, learn to weld.

Its going to need custom motor mounts and probably headers. I doubt the stock manifolds will fit.

You will probably also need to get some coilovers for it. You will need a much higher spring rate for the front.

 

[Eric VerValin]

You need to get ahold of Andrew down here in Indiana.. he's working with one now... PM me and Ill get ya a # or something.

 

[SuperchargedSHOguy]

You will need to use the SHO engine harness and go with custom gauges or mate in the stock cluster somehow. I would bet that the engine will sit in with the stock manifolds no problem. Instead of the aerostar bellhousing, hit up the company in CO that makes the adapter to mate up a T5 bellhousing so you can run a larger, cheaper clutch setup.
You should be able to bring your driveshaft and a fox body driveshaft and have it all put together at the yoke for about $75.

 

[Off Road SHO]

That company in Colorado is CIDIDIT and they make an adaptor that mates the SHO block to the big tranny bell housings so you can run a lot of different trannies.

Tom

 

[biker889]

anyone have more info on the adapter plate they offer? Tom, are they the ones that made the run of them for you?

 

[HotRodKid]

1) exhaust manifolds are a toss up, may need them, may not. The SHO-Maro DEFINANTLY needs them for example, none of the available stock pieces will work around that steering shaft

2) wiring harness: use the stock one, its not that complicated to wire it into a non sho chassis IIRC.

3) motor mounts: using the sho mounts is ass backwards, 2 small street rod style mounts would be easier to fab then the large frame entensions needed as landing pads for the sho rubbers

4)I still have my other sho to gm adapter plate laying here, its the twin to the one in Somedudes SHO-Maro. project

 

[tauruswithheart]

I own a BMW shop in CT. Im very familiar with BMW's and SHO's.

I will contact CIDIDIT about the adapter plates.

The goal is to have a 250bhp swap in a e30 for under $1200 in parts.
The weight of the engine is close to an s52 and not far from a M20 fully dressed.

Concerns:
-Intake manifold orientation (tb at rear) and firewall clearance
-driveline angle
-Harness pin-outs

I also have a rotrex c-38 blower laying around So might take this a step further haha....

I just think it would be cool to have one of my favorite engines in an e30(or e36)

My username is sho24vdohc on bimmerforums and r3vlimited if anyone ever needs and parts or work done btw...

 

[HotRodKid]

the intake cn be fixed by spinning it and throwing some phenolic spacers under it.

 

[tauruswithheart]

the intake cn be fixed by spinning it and throwing some phenolic spacers under it.

Thought so but have been out of the game for a while....who sells them?

 

[Off Road SHO]

I do. I have aluminum in 3/8" and 1/2" and phenolic in 1/8 and 1/4" ( I think).

Wait till you get the engine in, mounted and hooked to the tranny before you worry about the intake, it'll be the least of your worries. I can help you on pinouts also but again, that's finish work; do the hard stuff first.

I had my adaptors done by by Brock Technologies, but had to do 5 at a time and that was before I got Cannfield interested in doing something for the SHO block. Theirs is a much better way to go if you ask me.


Like HRK said, ditch the SHO engine mounts alltogether and use rodder or buggy mounts. You may be able to mix and match 3.0 and 3.2, both left and rights exhaust manifolds to get them pointing in the direction you want, but headers again, wont be the biggest pain for you.


The canfield adaptor is cheap compared to my old one with having to find an AeroStar bell housing; I think it was 220.00 shipped or something like that. The bigger tranny bell housing will allow a real flywheel (machined with the SHO crank pattern of course) that will have a tremendous selection of clutches and discs available for it, since it will basicly be a Mustang flywheel bolted to an SHO crank. You should also be able to use any of the later model Automatics, mabe even the C-4 if you can find the correct bell housing, if you want to go serious drag racing.



Tom

 

[nik97]

http://cididit.com/ Made 20 adapter plates that mate the SHO block to a 302 bellhousing/block pattern. This allows you to use any trans originally bolted to any SBF. I have one bolted to a SHO block and TKO 600/SFI bellhousing that I will post some pics of soon.

I beleive the plates are around 220 but you will have to speak to Lonnie @ Canfield Industries to check pricing and availability.

I would suggest contacting Clutchmasters and having them make you a custom flywheel. They made me a Fox mustang flywheel with the SHO 8 bolt offset pattern. This allows you to use a wide variety of aftermarket mustang clutch kits as well as the cable release system that also has a lot of aftermarket support. Depending on what trans you select, you will need to bolt it all together and have a pilot bushing or bushing extension/flywheel hub spacer made. Different transmissions have different input shaft lengths.

 

[firebat45]

FYI, intake can be flipped without spacers, if you do grinding and modifying of the timing cover and the intake itself. It has to be a non-EGR intake, or you have to be able to weld up the EGR passages.

Lot more work than the spacers, but it avoids making a tall engine even taller.

 

[rubydist]

FYI, intake can be flipped without spacers, if you do grinding and modifying of the timing cover and the intake itself. It has to be a non-EGR intake, or you have to be able to weld up the EGR passages.

Lot more work than the spacers, but it avoids making a tall engine even taller.

plus, it doesn't mess with the tuning of the intake runners. adding 3/8" to the runner length will lower the rpms of the torque peaks, which is generally not what you want.

 

[Off Road SHO]

plus, it doesn't mess with the tuning of the intake runners. adding 3/8" to the runner length will lower the rpms of the torque peaks, which is generally not what you want.

Unless of course he goes with a little spinny thing. Then it matters not.

But I'm not sure about the clearance issue. I think there is still an interference issue.



Tom

 

[Jonny Cash]

I think at this point I must ask. Have you sat the getrag 260, or the ZF tranny next to the SHO motor to explore the possibilities? We know its plenty strong enough, and it will make your life a **** of alot easier out back. You never know, it could come down to a simple adapter.

ditch the SHO engine mounts alltogether and use rodder or buggy mounts

Definitly ditch the SHO mounts. Look into modifying the m20 arms to mate to the SHO. I imagine they would need to be shortened, the SHO motor is pretty tall- dare i say taller than m50?- at that point you may need to make a custom pan also.