Yet another, BMW E-36 LSx conversion... by BRAAPZ

4 minute(s) of a 105 minute read

Between doc visits, a trip out to Verona/Madison WI, (went the Packers-Bills game on the 19th and visited the EAA Air Venture museum while there), enrolling in some A-CAD classes, etc not much progress has been made on the car. There hasn’t been much to do any how as the headers are still being sorted out.   
I think my last substantial update was back in April or May? My how time flies watching grass grow. Once the headers get sorted and finally built, then it’ll be gangbusters to get it on the road, probably wont stop to update the build thread till it’s on the road and I can breathe again…
For now, just another pittly little update.

Started in on the wiring, reconfiguring pin out and inserting pins back in the circular BMW connectors I picked up for the ABS relocation, (just made and extension harness, didn't have to cut or splice the car or ABS module), in the middle of routing the LSx harness.

Thank you to Pzary for his advice I spent a couple days building a cheesy little PCM desktop tuning bench, now I can access and tune the PCM outside of the car, on the bench/desktop. Made a couple adjustments to the PCM tonight including Throttle Cracker, Throttle Follower, fuel cut parameters, will be massaging the VE table and ignition map to better match the Vette cam, etc. (PCM is '02 Avalanche), bench tuned a few others PCMs as well for other swappers, (delete VATS, skip shift, set tach signal, tire size/gearing, hi-lo speed cooling fan set points, etc).

PCM tuning bench extracting data;

BMW Oil pressure sender is installed on the LSx. Spent more time scratching my head with hand full of fittings trying to figure out how I am going to do this. Almost just drilled and tapped the 16x1.5mm adapter to directly accept the 12x1.5mm oil pressure sender, but couldn’t quite bring myself to do that as the wall thickness would be quite thin and the last thing I want is to shear the head off the adapter leaving its threads in the block of an assembled engine. Using another 1/8 NPT fitting I drilled the female end and tapped for 12x1.5mm to accept the BMW oil pressure sender for the idiot light, robbed the LSx oil pressure sender crush gasket and installed the mess.
There has to be an oil pressure switch out here from another OE application that is 16x1.5 mm threads. Sure would make that a whole lot easier.  

While watching the Grass grow I thought I’d play a little more with my 3M Di-NOC faux carbon fiber, (used it on the PCM tuning bench), and covered the aluminum plug cover for the EGR port on the LS1 intake. Don’t like the shiny screw head, may have to faux anodize that, black sharpie.