History of BMW F1 Turbo engine

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Seas
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History of BMW F1 Turbo engine

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Hi there!
I’m a new member of your forum, but I following it long time. You guys have a wonderful site about F1 with lot of interesting things. I’m very interested in F1 technique and history. And now my question: for long time I’m looking around for some article about development of BMW F1 turbo engine. You can hear different stories about development and root of this engine but I’m interested in true story. If somebody can help I will be a grateful.
http://www.formula1-dictionary.net/index.html
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ginsu
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Joined: 17 Jan 2006, 02:23

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I know BMW used to search junkyards in europe for 'seasoned' inline-4 cylinder blocks to use with their turbo. A seasoned block is one that has been run for awhile in a car, and ensures that a majority of the stresses in the metal are relieved after going through so many thermal cycles.

Also, here's a link to a bunch of pictures of the engines:

http://www.gurneyflap.com/bmwturbof1engine.html
I love to love Senna.

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flynfrog
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Joined: 23 Mar 2006, 22:31

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i have a great article ill try to find for you

JimmyK
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Joined: 18 Jan 2006, 18:46

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I know BMW used to search junkyards in europe for 'seasoned' inline-4 cylinder blocks to use with their turbo.
on some Clarkson program I saw a while back, he said it was apparantly rumoured that BMW engineers used to urinate on them for good luck... nice.

Seas
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Joined: 15 Feb 2007, 03:59
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These are stories I heard about this engines. About urinating and junkyards, old engines removed from series 3 cars, but for me this look all like street stories and urban legends. I can’t believe that they really used old engines blocks which normally develop what, 200 hp, for engines which in F1 car produce 1400-1500 hp. This stories pushed me to ask you to help me to try to find the true story.
http://www.formula1-dictionary.net/index.html
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ginsu
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Joined: 17 Jan 2006, 02:23

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Yeah, interesting about the urination thing, but it might have a real reason.

I know that sword makers in the middle ages would quench their swords in urine to make them stronger. Strangely enough it's true. The urine has high levels of ammonia which contains nitrogen. If you've heard of a process called 'nitriding', then it makes sense that the steel would be stronger.
Nitridization, also known as nitriding, is a process which introduces nitrogen in the surface of a material. It is used in metallurgy for surface-hardening treatment of the steel surface.
Possibly, some BMW engineers were eager to try this for themselves! :)
I love to love Senna.

benjabulle
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the ultimate book about F1 turbo cars and their engines : "the 1000 bhp Grand Prix Cars" by I.Bamsey.

G-Rock
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Joined: 27 Jul 2006, 20:05
Location: Ridgetown, ON

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Anyone looking for a spare 84 BMW 318 block for their vintage F1 BMW Turbo racer?
I've got one sitting in the shop, I could even piss on it for no extra cost.
$300 CDN
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m3_lover
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Joined: 26 Jan 2006, 07:29
Location: St.Catharines, Ontario, Canada

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Any recent 3 litre, 3.2 M engine?
Simon: Nils? You can close in now. Nils?
John McClane: [on the guard's phone] Attention! Attention! Nils is dead! I repeat, Nils is dead, ----head. So's his pal, and those four guys from the East German All-Stars, your boys at the bank? They're gonna be a little late.
Simon: [on the phone] John... in the back of the truck you're driving, there's $13 billon dollars worth in gold bullion. I wonder would a deal be out of the question?
John McClane: [on the phone] Yeah, I got a deal for you. Come out from that rock you're hiding under, and I'll drive this truck up your ass.

manchild
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Joined: 03 Jun 2005, 10:54

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G-Rock wrote:Anyone looking for a spare 84 BMW 318 block for their vintage F1 BMW Turbo racer?
I've got one sitting in the shop, I could even piss on it for no extra cost.
$300 CDN
Engine has to run at full revs before you hit spark plug cable with your "golden shower" otherwise there'll be no gain from it. :mrgreen:
Last edited by manchild on 17 Feb 2007, 15:14, edited 1 time in total.

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Ted68
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Joined: 20 Mar 2006, 05:19
Location: Osceola, PA, USA

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manchild wrote:
G-Rock wrote:Anyone looking for a spare 84 BMW 318 block for their vintage F1 BMW Turbo racer?
I've got one sitting in the shop, I could even piss on it for no extra cost.
$300 CDN
Engine has to run at full revs before you hit spark plug cable with your "golden shower" otherwise there'll be no gain from it. :mrgreen:
Theres one for Youtube. :lol: :lol:

kurtiejjj
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Joined: 21 Jan 2007, 17:40

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Seas wrote:These are stories I heard about this engines. About urinating and junkyards, old engines removed from series 3 cars, but for me this look all like street stories and urban legends. I can’t believe that they really used old engines blocks which normally develop what, 200 hp, for engines which in F1 car produce 1400-1500 hp. This stories pushed me to ask you to help me to try to find the true story.
Well up to a point they probaply did use a standard road car engine but for sure they did make a lot of changes, lightened pistons, rods etc. I don't know about the crankshaft. On the Hart F1 Turbo engine they even made it stronger and thus heavier than normal so that it would cope better with the immense forces.

Turbo engines are great really, the old F1 V6 made such a lovely rasp, much better than today's V8. However I'm not all nostalgic as I still think a V10 makes the best noise! When I was in Rotterdam for some race festival last year I was really disappointed by the not so loud sound the new V8s made compared to the V10s.

Seas
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Joined: 15 Feb 2007, 03:59
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So! After 3 months nobody can help me with this? In this time I was looking for an answer, but nothing. Strange! And people sad you can find everything on the internet!
http://www.formula1-dictionary.net/index.html
Croatia, the small country for big relax

rjsa
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Joined: 02 Mar 2007, 03:01

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Seas wrote:So! After 3 months nobody can help me with this? In this time I was looking for an answer, but nothing. Strange! And people sad you can find everything on the internet!
This is not kind at all - may be the answer is not aviable?

benjabulle
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Joined: 26 Aug 2004, 21:53
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Seas wrote:These are stories I heard about this engines. About urinating and junkyards, old engines removed from series 3 cars, but for me this look all like street stories and urban legends. I can’t believe that they really used old engines blocks which normally develop what, 200 hp, for engines which in F1 car produce 1400-1500 hp. This stories pushed me to ask you to help me to try to find the true story.
From Bamsey book : " The iron block designed in 1959 was still in production in 1984, powering the 316, 318 saloons and BMW Motorsport used essentially stock blocks, trated via a heat and chemical process to relieve inherent stresses. During the F2 days the company had sometimes instead employed well run in (around 100,000 Km) examples. As in those days, the stabilized block had its internal walls machined smooth to assist oil return while surplus ribs and water channels on the inlet side were machined off, to save around 7 Kg."