Also used in road racing, drag racing and high-performance street engines, Total Seal piston rings are a result of extensive R&D and manufacturing machining and technology. The company focuses solely on developing piston rings for any and all applications. (Personally I have a lot of faith in companies that specialize and dedicate all their efforts to one specific function.)
Connecting RodsAfter hearing AA's praise for Pauter Machine's billet rods, I gave the firm a call. Pauter has been around since the mid '60s, manufacturing high-quality racing products. Since the mid-1980s the company has been using CNC and Computer Aided Design (CAD) technology in its R&D.
Pauter Machine's billet rods are forged from E-4340 chrome-moly and are custom made to order for import and domestic street and race cars as well as motorcycles. Pauter doesn't store many off-the-shelf products; its experience has taught the company that even in two identical situations there's always a slight variation to the optimum rod specification by engine builders. There are also plenty of different race classes with different engine regulations to deal with, so company sees the only way to totally satisfy the customer is through custom work.
Pauter 4340 rods for BMWs are unique. They have a simple beam design, which completely eliminates thin and non-uniform cross sections over the total length of the beam. That improves the resistance to cracking and metal fatigue. The non-tapered beam profile helps spread harmful stress over a larger area in order to disperse destructive loads from one particular area. Pauter also designs its rods to incorporate needed material in critical transitional areas for maximum support where it exactly needs it, such as under the wrist pin.
Pauter Machine offers three different weight categories for any one specification, enabling the company to make the proper rod for a particular horsepower and rpm requirement. Visually they're pretty much identical, and the only way to tell is by a gram scale. The AA-specified Pauter rods I got for Project M3 weigh around 500 grams each, which is about 70 grams lighter than the stock, forged steel ones. Pauter now also offers rods for other European model cars including Porsche and VW, as well as titanium rods for those with the money and intention of building an even lighter and stronger motor.
Cylinder HeadFor the cylinder head I relied on the company that's been able to supply Project M3 with a variety of parts I've needed, including O.E. items-BMP Design. The company sent the much-needed 1.8mm head gasket with removable rings, valve guides, titanium retainers and high-performance valve springs. The rest was supplied by Bavarian Engine Exchange.
Instead of regular O.E. steel retainers, I ordered the titanium replacements from BMP. The company reports its retainers are manufactured from the highest quality aircraft-grade titanium. This added strength, along with the reduced weight, gives Project M3 an added margin of safety. The valve springs BMP sent are slightly stiffer to handle the extra power of the motor-another safety measure.
At the same time these parts were being shipped, Bavarian Engine Exchange was already at work on the cylinder head I ordered through them. The company CNC-ported and hand-polished the cylinder head for increased flow, an option you can have done to any of the motors you purchase from them (Bavarian Engine Exchange reports a 15% gain from this option).