Super Turbo Tuareg Rally - new pics
I've been very distracted with work since the beginning of the year which has meant that my SuperTurbo project has largely been on hold save a little work to get the BMW M series gearbox to work with the 606.
That's set to change from 1st Aug and I'll get back on track with the conversion of my W460 in preparation for the Tuareg in March next year.
The working plan hasn't changed a lot with STD OM606 coupled to a BMW GS6 M series gearbox/ Koni Raid HT and Orc suspension.
The 606 is to use the STD standard approach with a Myna'd 603 pump (7mm elements) a modified Holset HX35 (35/40 hybrid) turbo /equal length twin scroll (eplit) manifold. Only internal changes are cams, springs and porting of head; pistons rods etc will stay stock. I'm shooting for 450-500HP/ 800NM
I'll keep things updated here for anyone who is interested (bulk of documentation will be on my flicr account though).
First thing to do is order all of the bits I need for the sump swap - Gav you'll have a PM momentarily ;-)
Thought you had fallen off the face of the earth!!!!
How hard to merry OM606 engine with BMW M gearbox ? :)
I have OM605 and thinking to get/send to myna pump and get 8mm elemets with 2bar alda. Turbo with changing rotor angle...
For now I have good 2.7CDI sprinter gearbox what works very good, but with power increase I dunno how my gearbox will cope with it. In hard offrouding, when winching better you have slippery gearbox, not like BMW M drifters.
Thanks for taking time to write about your project!
Ok, technicaly it seems you can merry any engine with gearbox trough bell. How I understand till now MB only has old engines like OM617 and new ones from OM602 till CDI... all two groups works with same starter and can connect to same gearbox. New engines has original bell to connect old gearbox from sprinter.
The problem I see is clutch. Ok, BMW gearbox can take lot of power, I don`t see any problem there, but all use mostly not slippery clutch.
For road and for example drift etc you don`t want that clutch can slip and use like in picture new clutch plate, but in offroad when winching like in picture old clutch plate is better, to help while winching play with clutch that slips... to find traction... :)
Want to understand is there posibility, if you have lot of power to have clutch that can hold normaly power and in the same time to play if needed in offroud with slippery clutch without problems to change too often.
Want maybe after few years to try twin clutch gearbox. But MB seems for now only maded for new SLS version. It can be maybe possible easy to add, but will cost small fotune... :) Only cheapest maybe will be to find from BMW M series and try the same job like you... But I don`t like electric controlers and I converted project w460 to 24 volts for bigger power :)
450-500 bhp is a heck of a lot of power coupled with an enormous amount of torque how will your brakes cope?
Its a good question that I have given quite a bit of thought to.
The power isn't in absolute terms the issue I don't think though - people always refer to it when talking about a performance issue for braking and other systems, but actually its just a proxy for the way in which the vehicle will likely be driven and by implication the heat and stress load the brakes will be under.
In that sense whether its 200, 400 or 500 WHP is probably not what mattters as I think the amount of braking one will be doing for a given stage will be similar.
The question then is whether the front disc/ rear drum setup is upto the job at all (in terms of stopping power they are), or whether - especiallyin the desert the heat cause them to fail or perform so inadequately that its a real problem.
Right now the jury is out - I don't know one way or the other.
The front discs would, I think be easy enough to sort out anyway. They can be replaced with drilled/ vented units and the pads replaced with a better compound. With the lines changed to SS braided anyway, and a dot5 fluid, I suspect they would be fine.
The rear drums could be replaced with discs - Axel has one conversion using Sprinter parts worked out, there are others too. That would certainly be better for cooling and avoid the problem of sand entrapment.. but I'd want to understand a little better what the contribution would be to the overall package, vs say additional work on the ride and suspension (time and money are obviously not limitless).
What say others?
The answer is multi-plate racing clutch - able to hold the torque & provide a smooth engagement. The problem (isn't there always one!) is cost - typically upwards of £1500 to £2K + in this application a custom flywheel (about another £1000- £1500).
When you say 'electronic controllers' how do you mean? The gearboxes I have detailed are manual transmissions - no electronics involved except temp sensors.
Thanks, didn`t know about satch clutch system. Then gearbox bell need to rebuild bigger too, to accommodate two plates?
I`m realy not a mehanic, I was under impresion that this century BMW all has cotrollers in everything is it manual or automatic... :) Haven`t yet researched about those gearboxes at all. You right, it starts to make sense.
About prices, I`m living in oposite side of EU so custome job sometime is not evalutated so high, but it tend to not to be so good and mostly without guarantees.
Bell;housing doesn't need to be bigger, but you need a custom flywheel (which you need anyway since the adapter plate makes the spacing between clutch and flywheel wrong.
To be honest this probably isn't a conversion to outsource to someone - not unless you have deep pockets anyway.. It needs a lot of development and testing as you go..
You mentioned 'variable' angle turbo - you mean variable gormetry? If you don't like electronics are you sure that's the route for you? There are a couple of people making VNT controllers, but they do need to be tied into EMS of some kind..
Also - is it worth doing this to a 605? You would be better to start with a 606 I would have thought.
One of my mechanics what has done some jobs on my car has clients that tryed to put turbo with variable geometry. Said that possible to put mechanical on my car without electric controllers. Did not tell more, want that I will drive to him and spend some money... :) Some said that those are not good mechanical and in hard offroading... some realibility issues. But also some said I will have problems with 24v computer controlled alternator(was easy to access new so I put and find how to work without comuter) and almoust 3 years without problems still.
OM605 is best for me. last possible mechanical, I think. For offroad G OM605 is less weigt, less heat and more room to work arroud!!! :) Don`t see any benefits in Om606 for me and in our country 3 times more expensive.
With 500hp I think in hard offroad other problems will start to emerge, will need to convert to automatic to go easy on axles... 300hp maybe is my goal +/-...
Thinking till november to convert from w460 to w463 axles and thinkig how to convert rear to disc brakes. ORC is not cheap, use parts from sprinter axles. The biggest problems I see is handbrake to make nice to be convincing in our country MOT. We have rumors that our MOT is hardest in all EU :( and I think it is twice hard to upgrade something to be road legal here.
With a huge amount of help from Gav here (thank you again!), full definitive set of conversion parts for OM606.962 ('98 E Class 300TD) to OM606.964 (LHD EU version of 300 Turbodiesel 463) have been ordered along with everything for top-end rebuild.
Parts to do the conversion include correct G specific sump, oil pump and all associated bits (dipstick) etc..
I will publish a full list of the conversion part 's (if Gav doesn't mind!) as soon as I have time to split out what is what. Gav mentioned that a few parts are EOL at MB though now so if you were considering this route (and of course many others have successfully used alternative approach with modification of saloon sump for example), you might want to get on with it sooner rather than later.
Re-build includes timing and oil pump chain replacement (I will now have the correct MB tools for timing chain riveting should anyone need use of them) and head work will include new in and outlet valves/ guides, race springs (from KM Cams in FInland) and higher duration cams with gas-flowing work by Ric Wood.
I will be detailing work as I go along on my Flickr account. I'll try to provide updates on work undertaken here too if people are interested.
Some pics of parts for 606 rebuild .
http://www.flickr.com/photos/benstoneham/sets/72157635345602082/
Also, latest on GS6-53 transmission conversion.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/benstoneham/9650856111/in/set-7215763212155...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/benstoneham/9654091134/in/set-7215763212155...
In the end I gave up with trying to accurately mark out the transmission side of adapter plate by hand (engine side was easily done with digitiser from spare MB bellhousing) and bought a second BMW transmission to sacrafice at the alter of my angle grinder... A shame but the only way to guarantee a precise alignment (driveshaft runout must be < 5 thou I am told).
ATM its top end only (head port, new valves, race springs, reground cams etc). Heikki from Myna emailed today to say my rebuilt pump (7mm plungers + Myna mods, custom alda etc) is ready to ship 
I've been talking to Axel and others about maybe just stripping the whole thing to replace crank an rod bearings , hone cylinders and do rings etc at the same time.. Engine had 90K miles on it when I got it, no obvious heat damage or wear on crank (though without mic'ing it impossible to know for certain).. Given all the effort that is going into the rest of it, I can't help feeling that its worth it... What say others?
My 603-7mm Myna pump finally arrived back today :-)
Couple of pics. Other than custom Alda and back plate, not so much externally I guess. Nice and clean though.
fcp PM! :)
Hi - haven't seen a PM? nothing showing in messages?
Head just back from Ric Wood along with new clutch and intake kit; some new pics uploaded to Flickr for those who like engine porn (you know who you are ;-) )
http://www.flickr.com/photos/benstoneham/sets/72157635345602082/
Almost ready to start reassembly of the engine. I still have to work out how to pull the oil squirters before cylinder can be honed. One suggestion was weld and slide-hammer. MB tools is v. expensive but there must be an alternative.
Wow, I didn't; realise it was such a long itme since I last updated this thread.. a lot has gone on since then. Production fo the flywheel is now under way. Pics here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/benstoneham/sets/72157632121553411/
Part of the recent order from Gav order included a 2 complete set of rear shock mount components that are going to be used as the basis for a high travel twin shock rear setup that basically takes the front mounted rear shock and mirrors it with a twin sitting the other side of the spring mount.
The spring mount itself, the upper shock mounts and both the chassis tube crossmembers might at the same time get moved up above where they normally are to sit on top of the chassis (50mm body lift will allow for this) which should provide around another 75mm travel.
Its going to require the fuel tank to be moved (which is fine as its going inside the cab as a FIA standard cell anyway) and probably upside down shocks in order to clear the panhard too.
The other mission is to finally sort out caster which will involve fabricating mounts for the front control arm brackets to allow vertical adjustment (probably a 50mm range). I've also finally taken the plunge and gone for a fully set of poly/ stainless bushings which are better suited to this use.
more to come..
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For the GS5-39 series gearboxes which are cheap (couple of hundred £) and popular over on Superturbodiesel, there is no choice but a cut and shut - chopping the bellhousing off one and welding on another.
Depending on how reliable you need it to be, the operation can range from 'good enough for farm work' to a much more precise alignment. Bear in mind though that a runout of more than a couple of tho is going to put pressure and wear on the driveshafts..
The GS5 will handle getting on for 1000Nm.
The GS6-53 which is what I am using is tjhe 6 speed version from the newer BMs and will handle considerably more. The good news here is that the bellhousing - though not the same pattern, is big enough to accomodate a 240mm flywheel (which is what the 606 would use if you do a solid flywheel conversion typically.
Because of this, an adapter plate solution is possible, which has the potential at least to be as acurate as the conventional arrangement - especially if you take the time to use dowels etc for location.
Its not all straightforward because the starter is in the wrong place, and - for my application at least, it will almost certainly require a custom flywheel to accomodate the additional dept. A multi-plate clutch is also probably on the cards as unless you want an un street drivable vehicle then paddle clutches are the only single plate solutio that would hold the torque.
The other downside is the cost. GS6 gearboxes occasionally come up cheap, but be prepared to pay £750 - £1000+ for a low milelage example.
That said for what I'm going to do with it, there isn't a better option. I need something that will be super reliable and robust.
I'm optimistic that this gearbox, coupled with a short shift kit and suitable gearing otherwise (33" tyres) will perform well across the 6 ratios it has.
If you are interested in doing a similar project, I could probably manufacture a run of adapter kits for the 606 and GS6 - I'm not sure whether the bellhousing is the same with the 605 (likely I would say) and I don't know what the kit will run to.