ITR Z3 rebuild thread

[Z3_GoCar]

you gonna come run that thing in SFR ITR?
we are needing more people....

Hey James,

You might see me at a couple of races next season, but I doubt I'll make the long drive for me to Thunderhill. So, most likely a Laguna-Seca race then maybe at Infineon.

A brief update, the car is off the trailer and I've pulled the motor a transmission yesterday. It only took a couple of hours including removing the hood and disconnecting the power steering lines and clean up. I'm really sad about the pan. Because, it was from a euro e-36 M3 and is a couple of quarts larger than the stock pan I've got to replace it with. I wish I knew someone who could weld it back togeather. I still have to split the transmission, and put the motor on the stand. Maybe I'll be doing that tomorrow. I'd be taking more photo's if I weren't doing all the work myself.

James

[Sandro]

james,

if the pan is steel I can weld it for you (but Im guessing its aluminum)

[Z3_GoCar]

james,

if the pan is steel I can weld it for you (but Im guessing its aluminum)

I appreciate the offer, but alas it is aluminum. I yanked off the transmission and pulled the clutch. Now I'll need a torch to break the locktite on the flywheel bolts and mount the motor on my engine stand. In the meantime here are some photos I snapped this afternoon:

Same as the Subframe, the truck bed makes a good place to take it off the hoist:


Here's the hole in the oil pan, I have the missing triangle piece:


The motor mount was litterally ripped in half:


James

[Crashtest]

your pan can be fixed...
that is not that bad
I had a cracked ducati engine case welded before and it worked fine...
if you cant find a guy down there I am sure someone up here in santa cruz can weld it....
the hardest part is getting the oil out of the metal to weld it.
send me your info if you need help..
crashtest22 at gmail

[NORRIS]

James.

If you can get the pan to me. I know a very good certified welder who can work miracles with aluminum.

[Z3_GoCar]

your pan can be fixed...
that is not that bad
I had a cracked ducati engine case welded before and it worked fine...
if you cant find a guy down there I am sure someone up here in santa cruz can weld it....
the hardest part is getting the oil out of the metal to weld it.
send me your info if you need help..
crashtest22 at gmail

Is it alright if I call you JC?? The one chunk is only one piece of many and several rips in the aluminum. Also, it's a double wall casting, with a cast in windage tray, that would need to be removed to get to the inside. Actually, it's a really neat piece and it's also got a double pick-up on the pump, the main rear one and a smaller one in front.

James

If you can get the pan to me. I know a very good certified welder who can work miracles with aluminum.

Hey John,

Thanks for the offer, but I might know someone locally who can do it also.

James

[Z3_GoCar]

I've got the motor most of the way apart. Interesting fact about the oil pan is it's a double wall casting with dual sumps, same as on the S-54. If it were a lesser pump, all the internal parts would be avalible seperatly. But since it's a motorsports unit it's only avalible as a single $600 part.


I suspect that the oil relief has been causing low oil pressure issues. Here are more pictures of the damage:

The crack in the front sump area, note the built in windage tray and dual wall casting.

Close up of the rear sump, notice the pieces.

Note the rip in the back of the sump.

To fix it I'm thinking of bending up some 3/16" aluminum plate and building a new bottom end for the sump. Maybe even mill in some fins into the plate.

James