e36 M3: Want to fit a manual steering rack, any ideas?

[GTWayne]

I have an e36 with an M60 4.0ltr V8 fitted and at a recent track day the motor was nearly starved of oil and I have decided to fit a dry sump system. There is very little clearance between sump and power rack and if I could find a suitable manual rack to replace it with it will have the added bonus of freeing up a drive from the PAS pump that can in turn be used to drive the dry sump oil pump. I thought that maybe a Sierra rack or some such ( mainly for the ease of being able to obtain a high ratio rack ) might just do the trick but that is only because I do not have a clue about what might be available standard perhaps from another model, any ideas?

[Mroad]

Have you considered an Accusump? Might save some hassle and expense fitting a dry sump and has other benefits (pre-oiling on start for example).
Proven in motorsport, Integrales often run with them.
http://www.accusump.com/

[GTWayne]

^ That is indeed one idea but the sump has been cut and shut by the original installer of the M60 and has been mig welded rather than braised and it is now starting to weep and so will require a similar mod again if it is to be rectified at all and whilst assessing the situation last week I decided that the above would be the ultimate fix, albeit more labour intensive and costly, but as I would like to stick with this project and refine it as much as possible this is the area in which I will be concentrating on first. I used the car at Goodwood some two odd years ago when I first bought it and it was remarkably good straight out of the box but one thing and another happened and I kind of went off on a tangent until I experienced problems with another car that I had taken to using and was forced to re-commission Kylie ( as the car is know ) and now I am wondering why I ever moved away from her in the first place.
This car has so much out right promise and the beauty is that should you blow the motor on Friday, you can pick up another for £3/400 over the weekend and be back at the track on Monday! It handles like any other sorted M3 but pulls so much harder

[jamiep]

Sounds like a fun car, any pics?

[GTWayne]

Funnily enough there are some pictures up on the thread entitled 'Oulton Park 24.10.08; Anyone here going?' on the Track Day thread, my car is the first picture.

[iguana]

Good to hear the old girl is still going well.

[sniff diesel]

The Z3 racks are a quicker ratio and fit the E36. Not sure if the clear the sump on a M3 but know the do on the 325 and 328.

[Cheburator mk2]

GTWayne said:

^ That is indeed one idea but the sump has been cut and shut by the original installer of the M60 and has been mig welded rather than braised and it is now starting to weep and so will require a similar mod again if it is to be rectified at all and whilst assessing the situation last week I decided that the above would be the ultimate fix, albeit more labour intensive and costly, but as I would like to stick with this project and refine it as much as possible this is the area in which I will be concentrating on first. I used the car at Goodwood some two odd years ago when I first bought it and it was remarkably good straight out of the box but one thing and another happened and I kind of went off on a tangent until I experienced problems with another car that I had taken to using and was forced to re-commission Kylie ( as the car is know ) and now I am wondering why I ever moved away from her in the first place.
This car has so much out right promise and the beauty is that should you blow the motor on Friday, you can pick up another for £3/400 over the weekend and be back at the track on Monday! It handles like any other sorted M3 but pulls so much harder

I hope you have considered the costs of producing/designing a one-off custom dry sump system. I would also suggest that you use the mounting point for the air con compressor to install the scavenge pump and leave the power rack on. The E36 is not exactly a lightweight... To give you the heads up on likely costs:

custom oil pan - modify existing pan - £750 to £1000
PACE products scavenge pump - £400 + VAT
custom pulleys - £180 + VAT
custom attachment bracket - £90 + VAT
braided oil lines - £600 to £800 + VAT
aluminium fittings - £300 + VAT
oil tank - £350 + VAT
breather tank - £75 + VAT

Labour - you can do all the work yourself, other wise budget another £500 to £750...

Been there done that - check my profile... well worth it given the price of a Porsche V8 engine...

Edited by Cheburator mk2 on Tuesday 28th October 12:46

[sniff diesel]

I've heard thst the B8 alpina sump will fit the M62, might be worth looking into Wayne?