BMW E30 Turbo Conversion 

Thanks Ian, The OCD in me, worked well on this but my family friend’s and colleagues hate me for it!!!

Thanks bro, it means a lot when someone appreciates it... genuinely a positive comment makes it even more worth the effort!

Thank you Yesa, i’m sure many E30’s have a much better turbo build than mine, with bigger budget, but i very much enjoyed it and appreciate your kind words 👍

I’d hoped to take a few videos driving this summer as we’ll as a video of maintenance and how it now runs and looks 5 years from the build but haven’t had the time, will do soo, thanks for your support 👍👍👍

Made them out of OEM lights, DEPO lights, CCFL inserts and HID kit, total costed me over £500 back then, and you risk breaking the new Depo glass (like me) meaning i had to search high and low for another depo aftermarket light JUST for the lens, but i got one for an e34 (same glass size) and moved it across which ended up another £65 on top Great mod but trick is patience AND patience. IN A NUTSHELL: Take off OEMs Buy DEPOS Heat depo seal to break away crystal clear glass lenses x 4 this is the risky bit Using the rear of the OEM’s and the faces and inserts of the depos i painted the depo inserts satin black, retro fitted the Depo inserts into the original casings (u could just use the depo casings but they felt a bit cheap and i remember there being another restriction) De-chromed anything chrome like the surrounds etc. Drilled the light inserts to take CCFL’s (halo’s) fitted those into the light inserts and finally sealed up the crisp clear Depo glass over the front. The last easy bit was modifying the rear of the light to take HID’s and whacked them in. If only i had a supply of JUST the Depo front glasses for like £100 you’d save about £150 on the mod (prices subject to when i did it 8+ years ago)

Hi Roshy, i made the lights. So i purchased a set of DEPO clear headlamps (mainly for the crystal clear glass), i then split down the OE lamps and interchanged the 2 to make one lamp... the depo glass is sealed and not as strong as OE. Heating it up to a very hot temperature and using a flat edge and heat resistant gloves to pull the glass away from the surround. It HAS to be hot enough or the seal wont be soft enough and the glads will break (DONE THAT IT HURT MY POCKET) also too hot and it will melt the plastic - its a sweet spot. Anyway once split i painted the inner backing sating black (i think the projectors were already in the depo lamp) i then added the CCFL halo in behind the glass before re-sealing. Costed me over £600 to build the lights and they were on the bench at work for days whilst each process took place.

@@theeccentrick Thanks man am gonna have a go with installing some Cotton LED angel eyes and see what happens!

I used, bosch 0280155831 red injector with a rising rate fuel pressure regulator.

@@theeccentrick THANK YOU!

Buy me some more then!!! Just kidding its all gone now, mostly black again and got rid of that nasty sticker bomb too, you get fed up after a while and need a change. Got 2 sets of bonnets and boot lids too 1 carbon and one OEM just for a change when fancied 🤷‍♂️

Hi yes i still have it, very very rarely drive it. I would have done the Megasquirt or an alternative fuel management system if i drove it more regularly, sadly where i live we now get hit with a daily charge of £12.50 to drive cars that do not conform to modern exhaust emissions standards. :(

I am just in the edge of ulez, but don't need to pay yet. And i am think in turbo next year. So thinking in gathering some parts and see how i am going to actually build it

More than double stock 125hp

Decels fine. Icv keeps it from cutting out

I know the job, you are going to change the rubber o-rings and slot the spring-loaded pipe in place. Good luck!

Hi mate, thanks for the comment, i made it from sheet metal! I made a template of the voids on the bonnet from self adhesive paper/mask (anything will do) stuck the templates onto the sheet metal, cut them out and that gave me my 3 pieces. Then i wrapped one side and the middle portion black, cut a giant emblem on a vinyl cutter-plotter and whacked it on the middle section. I then painted the one covering the hot side of the engine with high temp black paint because the heat from the exhaust manifold and turbo would make the vinyl just above it look very ugly very quick.

I was learning on this job, it was the only way to fast track my learning, i grabbed my own motor and went for it, it was the first insides of an engine i ever touched... although my engineering went well i think i’d have finished it much better had i done it today. Thanks

In short yes. A lot, and i could no way document it here in a message plus the fact i simply wouldn’t just know this stuff without tonnes of maths and research. Just look at mine… i chipped the ecu, bigger injectors, modified the AFM, increased Head gasket thickness. Installed a BOV and a boost controller for the wastegate. Theres fans, oil catch can, coolant hose upgrades, fume routing, fuel pressure regulation, exhaust pressures to deal with, an oil cooler for the engine oil, a wideband for fuel ratios, sensors for temps and pressures and gauges for all this and god knows what else! There ain’t a bolt-on solution for nothing!

I made it myself on a plotter (vinyl cutter).

Inside engine remained stock just new pistons, rings and internals, ignition system is also stock the changes that were made are covered in the video. thx

It was not kit form i constructed the kit myself, only thing that came as a kit was the intercooler hoses. I will try to publish my parts list and costings when i can

@@theeccentrick any chance of the make and type of turbo charger you used, am a big fun of your setup. I have read that is better to stay away from turbo kits and just make your own setup for better quality parts and not blowing up the motor?

This is an old list, i must admit a few things were not used and i may have needed the odd part not listed, but this is a comprehensive list and prices - i got a lot of discount because of trade contacts and waiting for a bargain, i collected over a 6 month period and when the last part arrived, i went for it! Intercooler piping £75 Intercooler £65 Joiner Pipe x2 £12.48 90" Reducer £9.30 2.5" to 2" Straight Reducers x2 £13.57 3" Increased/Reducer £7.90 3" MAF intake adapter £8.99 D1 Spec FPR £59.90 D1 Spec Oil Catch Can £53.00 TurboSmart Boost Tee RRP £65 Injectors Bosch 0280155831 £112.50 Ethos Motorsport ECU Chip £111 MLS Cometic Head Gasket £260 Depo Boost/Vac (Bar) multi gauge £125 ARP Headstuds £215.90 Oil Feed and Drain Line Kit 4an/10an £29.60 Bulkhead 10an Fitting (sump) 90deg £8.90 Vacuum/Boost Manifold £15.40 4an all male T piece £7.18 Blue Exhaust Tape £10.67 Oil Pressure Gauge Tee Piece £12.88 Adapter for oil press gauge t-piece £3.90 Permatex copper gasket spray £16.99 8mtr mixed blue silicon vac hose kit £13.58 Turbo Manifold (With WG Provision) £250 Wire (2mm i think) 7mtr Bl, Bk, Yl & Rd £10 Greddy FV BOV 40mm ??? Tial Waste Gate 38mm ??? Waste Gate screamer pipe £18.80 Ignition coil blue alloy mount £4.25 Cooling fans £26.48 Wiring Heat cover (Took From Scrappers) Coolant hose kit £66.90 Spark plug thermo boot £11.38 Strut brace bar £39.99 Polished Rocker and inlet mani - materials only Engine oil cooler thermostatic 174.97 Magnetic sump plug £5.45 2 x 2" t-bolt clamps £5.00 Inline, clear glass fuel filter £5.00 Hydro dipping film £4.64 4an oil Hose Kit £17.99 12an Bulkhead fitting straight £10.35 12 Bulk head nuts x 2 £4.75 12an braided oil Hose £19.49 Turbo Oil return 1/2 npt flange £13.99 45 deg 12an swivel fittings x2 £15.98 1/2 to 19mm barb £1.99 90 degree Mandrel x 2 £26.20 4an 90 deg female to female fitting £8.50 1x clamp and 2x weld on 2.5" v band £23.40 2 x 4" t bolt clamps £5.98 Ramair Induction filter with Alu pipe £38.00 4" silicone Joiner £3.33 50cm Conduit 2mtr £12.99 4an to M12x1.5 male to male £3.90 2.5" Flexi pipe £15.50 4an 90 deg male to female 8.40 1/8 NPT Gauge slot blocker 2.49 Holset HX35 turbo charger - approx £560 (Externally wasted) Hope this helps!!!

I’ll be posting some more vids soon of it running 🤞

Someone did the valve cover, i did the manifold, cut it back with coarse grit (wet & dry) moving finer and finer, my brother a body worker then buffed and machine polished (cut it back) and i refined it with a dremel with a a blue brick of hard polish and a hand metal polish to finish.

Hi, thanks for your question. It got me thinking as i am by NO MEANS an engineer. Whether the air is naturally aspirated or “forced” in, a vacuum is still created by the engines downward power stroke(s). Essentially the air (whether forced or not) is taken in the direction of the greater outlet in this case gulped into the piston chamber, as it passes smaller outlets (manifold vacuum signal hole) it draws with it the air in the lines creating a vacuum at the other end.of the line.

@@theeccentrick i cant imagine that there would be vacuum in absolute measurement. There sure is a pressure difference between the intake manifold and the cyclinder when the episton goes down, but there still would be positive pressure in the manifold (when you install a boost gauge you can even see it). Before the Turbo inlet there would be vaccum, but i highly doubt there is vaccum in the manifold, at least during boost operation.

Hi Jeancharles, please send your message in french and i will try to reply. Many thanks

@@theeccentrick ok

Thanks bro, hope i can help.

@@theeccentrick I HAVE E34 M20 ENGİNE I WANT TO DO SOMETHİNG DO TO MUCH MORE TO MY UPGRADE LİST .. SO U USE FACEBOOK OR ANOTHER MORE SOCİAL MEDİA ???

My bro has an e34 2.5 touring he has converted it to a pick up (ute) but not just a crude angle grinder and spot welding, he’s strengthened the chasis properly and reshaped the cabin so that it has a proper quarter glass... he’s into body more than engine and he’s not in any rush with it... when the times right for him we’ll be talking engine, he was thinking an engine swap but was also interested in forced induction. We’ll see. Insta: rickse30

Feed came from original oil pressure sensor location which you can fit a 2 way connector to obtain a pressure reading and an oil feed line. Drain is the right angle elbow fitted to side of sump BE CAREFUL you must choose the location of the elbow so the rear of the bulkhead fitting of the elbow does not interfere with the oil pump on the inside

Everythings for sale if the price is right bro… where u based?

I’m in the US.. Wisconsin to be exact, where are you located?

UK bro… build one it was my first go, you’ll love it.

Sorry “Automative Racing Products head studs” for my “Bayerische Motoren Werke” which i may have referred to as a BMW.. silly me i must have no idea!

@@theeccentrick we just call them A.R.P. studs in the states. Never mind that guy. Excellent video bud.

Thats so nice of you to take the time to say that buddy thanks. i’ll put my hands up this was the first and only car i had worked on when i done this job, i know a fair bit more these days... but 99.9% of work i do with cars is nothing to do with tuning or performance its more diagnostics and all types of general repairs.

U can contact me through instagram #rickse30