The M3 Lump Is In

[Guest mcramsay]

I managed to get the m3 lump in the marlin today and it was the hardest job I have ever had to do on a kit car. The marlin is currently sat on 1 meter high build stands one at the front and one at the back. This allows me to wheel the car in the garage. However I have a ramp up to my garage and a very bumpy driveway meaning I had to fit the engine with the car in the garage. The engine lift I used has massive long legs that wouldn't go under the build stands. This meant I had to lower the front of the car on to a trolley jack and try to fit the engine with the car at an angle. Very very difficult on my own! Took me around 3 hours in the end, and I had to remove all the ancillaries from the engine. I then had to cut off the alternator mounting bracket as there was no way it would fit. So I now have to relocate the alternator to the other side of the engine where there is a bit more room. Anyway without further adoo

 

 

 

 

 

Definitely a few things that require addressing such as the air inlet pipe work. Currently sticks out where the body panel will sit. So either a big air scoop or I will try to reroute the pipe work.

 

All in all a very tight squeeze

 

[Guest Darren2010]

Snug as a bug!!! Well done. Did you use a rather large Shoe Horn as well?

Looks like a big job.

[Guest mcramsay]

You could call it a shoe horn, I call it brute force, ignorance and a little disregard for personal safety

[kevin the chicken]

I think if you did that lot in one day on your own you deserve a drink. Probably would have taken me a week, not including the week looking at it and sighing and tutting. Should shove it along all right I reckon.

[Guest mcramsay]

I'm a broken man tonight, my back has given up on me! Haha I'm only 26!! To be honest the whole time I was fitting the engine I had it in my head that I was just wasting my time and I wouldn't be able to get it sat on the mounts, due to lack of head room in the garage, was really surprised when I was putting the engine hoist away and the engine was sat in the car!

[theduck]

Are you running the OE Ecu? If not could you go MAF-less and then run trumpets instead of the airbox and save space?

[Guest mcramsay]

Sadly I have to stick with the stock ecu as there are not many aftermarket systems that can run this engine. The dta s100 will do it, but with a price tag of around 1000 plus at least 3 days mapping on top of that I will stick with the stock ecu!