M42club.com - Home of the BMW E30/E36 318i/iS
FAQ / REFERENCE => Member Profiles => Topic started by: JP 91iS on September 02, 2008, 11:47:21 PM
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My member album has disappeared since the site was updated sometime late 2012/early 2013 - so most of my photos are gone. Kind of a bummer. If the album never comes back, then someday I'll go back through and find them from my external hard drive. PITA.
Name: JP Crawford
Location: Riverside, CA
DOB: 6/12/83
I picked up this diamantschwarz 318is last week from a small town about 15 miles from where I live. It had been sitting in this barn/garage for over a year with no garage door, and no extra protection. I live(d) in Iowa so the weather range from mid-summer to mid-winter can be pretty extreme. The way I found it was that the cable guy saw some of my E30 grills displayed in my garage and told me about it. Used to be his but he had a starting issue with it. $500: non-running and one seized wheel. I figure what the hell and go take a look.
(http://www.r3vlimited.com/gallery/files/1/3/5/5/0/318is_05.jpg)
(http://www.r3vlimited.com/gallery/files/1/3/5/5/0/318is_01.jpg)
Right now I'm driving my second E30, an alpine 86es that I picked up for $100 last year from another nearby town. The first E30 was a short lived bronzit 89 325i coupe that I fried the wiring on :o. When I picked it up, the 86 was running/driving but no interior, bumpers, sunroof uninstalled, and plenty of rust. I have pieced it together like Frankenstein with parts from my 89 and a 90ix that I had access to. Main problem with it is the rust. I had to weld new pieces in the floor and there are holes in the quarters and trunk. I did some por15 but lost interest and never got around to retro fitting the plastic bumper on the rear.
(http://www.r3vlimited.com/gallery/files/1/3/5/5/0/drty_01.jpg)
Basically I never gave this car enough love. But now something new has come along. When I went to check out the 318 I found that it had a few interesting features: no sunroof and a nice black headliner. Plus very little rust, which was the deal breaker. The only rust I could find was along the bottom lip of the trunk, the jack points and the wheel edge of the driver front fender. But all of it was surface only so nothing to worry about. Bad parts are the driver door has a shallow dent, the passenger door has many door dings, the front valence has been smashed and the lip is gone, small dent in the roof and a small out-dent in the trunk lid.
(http://www.r3vlimited.com/gallery/files/1/3/5/5/0/318is_07.jpg)
(http://www.r3vlimited.com/gallery/files/1/3/5/5/0/318is_03.jpg)
(http://www.r3vlimited.com/gallery/files/1/3/5/5/0/318is_02.jpg)
The sun faded roof and hood, the seriously cracked dash, the cracked leather sport seats and the minimal rust lead me to think it was a California car. This was confirmed when I found a 1994 towing receipt stuffed into the headliner trim from Hollywood, CA. As soon as I got back to town with it I gave it a quick power wash and pulled off the rotor on the seized wheel. They had left it parked with the ebrake on so the shoes were stuck to the rotor. And then the best part: I put a good battery in and it started right up! I was pretty excited when that happened.
So, the 318is is never going to drive on the salty Iowa winter roads as long as I have the drty 86. I'm going to start the BMW service Inspeciton II on it tomorrow since I have no maintenance history. So far I have fixed the broken hood latch and put the center grill back on. I found that the rear wheel wells have been slightly rolled, so its already primed for a drop. The E36 Bentley is on its way and I have been reading up on here until my eyes bleed for the past couple days. I like what I see and I'm happy to join the M42 club :).
One question though, the yellow oil service light is on. (none of my previous E30's had the service lights work). But the small yellow square stays on even when the key is out, is it supposed to? I'm going to pull the cluster and try to fix the tach so should I replace those batteries or pull out that board entirely?
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Hmm, that is odd that it stays on even without the key. I never use the light anyway, so I personally would just pull the bulbs, but I've had the cluster out way too many times to justify doing it again just for warning lights. But honestly, the board can be slow, but your questions will eventually be answered. This is a different kind of e30 board, haha. Welcome.
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Thanks Jimmy, I'm thinking there is an electrical problem somewhere and that's why the previous owner had starting issues. The dash needs to be replaced so I'll definitely give it a good check when I'm under there, but until then I'd like to knock out any small issues that might cause problems. I tried to reset the indicator lights by bridging the pins at the diagnostic port in the engine bay but either I was doing it wrong or had the wrong pins because nothing happened. The car has an Alpine keyless entry system installed that still works, maybe something with that is draining the battery?
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Very nice find! How many miles are you it? Never seen that headliner before! Or the Wireless entry! Good score! My 318is is a Cali car too. No special emissions
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It has 168,300 miles. I've put on about 15 miles just driving around the block and to the parts store. People on r3v told me that the black headliner was an option on the 318is. But I like the slicktop - not sure if it reduces any weight but its nice and simple. I don't know about the emissions on mine.
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It has 168,300 miles. I've put on about 15 miles just driving around the block and to the parts store. People on r3v told me that the black headliner was an option on the 318is. But I like the slicktop - not sure if it reduces any weight but its nice and simple. I don't know about the emissions on mine.
Start out by checking into the vacuum hoses around the intake, they are known to cause the M42 running and idle issues. As for the slicktop, it may offer a lil less weight, perhaps the black headliner only came on non sunroof models? Very nice start though. Look into the mess under the intake thread and make sure you replace the plastic coolant piece!
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I'm currently cleaning up the engine bay and dealing with the coolant and vacuum hoses under the intake. I'll put some pictures of all that when its done.
I wanted to put these pictures up though. I read in one of the threads that White Gas makes a good degreaser so I wanted to try it out. From what I could read-up on it, white gas is just gasoline without any additives and has a lower octane. Its used for camping stoves and lanterns. I bought a gallon of it at an outdoor store under the brand of Coleman Camp Fuel.
While I had my intake manifold off I wanted to clean it up so I used the white gas to clean the gunk out. I put it into a spray bottle and used a wire brush and plastic brush, afterwards used a hose to finish it off.
Before: (sorry I don't have a real camera so the pictures are bad)
(http://www.m42club.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=23&pictureid=129)
(http://www.m42club.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=23&pictureid=130)
After:
(http://www.m42club.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=23&pictureid=127)
(http://www.m42club.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=23&pictureid=128)
(http://www.m42club.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=23&pictureid=126)
I'm satisfied with the results. It's not a miracle product, but it works. It does require some careful handling though.
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My engine has this yellow gunk dried all over it. Looks like a careless spill that was never cleaned up and dried to a hard crust. I couldn't clean it off with any chemical products and using a wire brush was way too slow.
(http://www.m42club.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=23&pictureid=132)
So I borrowed my friends $5 Harbor Freight sandblasting gun. The problem is that you can't use it anywhere without making a ridiculous mess. So last weekend I built this sandblasting cabinet from an Instructable. (link to it is here: http://www.instructables.com/id/Homemade_ShotGrit_Blasting_Cabinet/)
(http://www.m42club.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=23&pictureid=133)
It was way too cramped with the manifold and the gun in there so I had to modify the setup using a hose:
(http://www.m42club.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=23&pictureid=134)
This made it much easier to get a good finish. The first time through I ended up with a cloudy look where I hadn't done a uniform job. It turned out really nice for only a couple hours and around $30.
(http://www.m42club.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=23&pictureid=135)
(http://www.m42club.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=23&pictureid=136)
The problem now is that I don't ever want to get it dirty. I was thinking of giving it a few coats with high-temp clear matte paint. Anybody have some input on that? I'm not sure how that would turn out.
Something like this:
(http://static.summitracing.com/global/images/prod/large/vht-sp115.jpg)
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that yellow shit, is cosmoline, put on cars to prevent corossion from salt water on voyage from germany.
Up to dealer to clean off, many didnt.
<3 Im returning the favor. not a bad deal, is there a sunroof in the 318is?
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that yellow shit, is cosmoline, put on cars to prevent corossion from salt water on voyage from germany.
Up to dealer to clean off, many didnt.
<3 Im returning the favor. not a bad deal, is there a sunroof in the 318is?
Yeah, I just found out about the cosmoline the other day from reading around. Can't believe that it baked on that engine for 17 years before somebody (me) decided to clean it off. My iS didn't come with a sunroof but many did. I like it.
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This past weekend I finished putting everything back together.
I deleted the throttle body heater plates and the unnecessary lines beneath the intake. I used shorter TB studs and tried to run the lines to look as stock as possible from a quick glance. While I had my intake off I cleaned it out and gave the upper intake manifold a light coat of VHT high temp aluminum paint. I bought some 4-hole injectors and had them refurbished at Witchhunter.com. To plug the coolant ports I just used the old hose cut off and plugged with a bolt, silicone and a hose clamp.
edit: I forgot to mention that while I had the radiator out I flushed out a few handfuls of gravel that had made its way into my tank! I also blew out all the shit stuck in between the fins. The bleeder screw hole had been filled in with silicone, so I replaced the screw with an aftermarket one made of brass. Only problem I can see with it is that it may be easier to strip the plastic threads on the radiator, especially when the screw has been heated up by the coolant.
Here is a shot of the engine bay the way it looked when I first got it. This is before I had done any work:
(http://www.m42club.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=26&pictureid=145)
The plugged coolant ports:
I'm a little worried about the air bubble that will be trapped in the coolant pipe - but I don't know how it would ever escape into the system to cause problems so I think its ok.
(http://www.m42club.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=26&pictureid=146)
The vacuum lines from the valve cover to the throttle body:
I used a "crankcase vent hose" from O'reillys. It came in a little box for $2.99. It was 5/8 inner diameter but was kind of stiff and would fold at a sharp bend, so I used one of the original 90* elbows. I used a 180* junction to connect it to the stock hose coming off the valve cover.
(http://www.m42club.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=26&pictureid=147)
The vacuum line to the Idle Control Valve:
Same crankcase hose from O'reillys. 90* bend off the stock lower ICV hose, one 180* junction in the middle.
(http://www.m42club.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=26&pictureid=148)
Refurbished injectors:
I bought these Bosch 1280150556 injectors from dbgrubbs. I sent them the Witchhunter.com to be cleaned, refurbished and tested. They did a nice job but its expensive. I'm glad I did it though since the before/after test results showed a nice improvement. They replaced the filters, o-rings and caps - also a multi-step cleaning process.
(http://www.m42club.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=26&pictureid=150)
And here's how it looks today, all put back together and clean:
(http://www.m42club.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=26&pictureid=149)
Fired up and runs a lot smoother than before. I won't be giving it a proper road test though until I check out a couple more things. I'll be checking on the timing chain/sprockets as well as dropping the oil pan to have a look around. I'm pretty sure they both have issues since there are noises coming from the top and bottom end.
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Very impressive. I like the attention to detail. Makes me want to do it myself...... but I need to purchase tools first. My dad took them to Mexico.....damnit!
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My engine has this yellow gunk dried all over it. Looks like a careless spill that was never cleaned up and dried to a hard crust
You can blaim Hans or Jürgen at the engine plant. I suppose it is no cosmoline coating it is somekind of clear lacquer. I have owned two new E30's back in the late '80's and had a chance to look that coating when these cars were new. It was certainly a stuff which was not able to remove with simply washing procedure. Sandblasting was the only way to go. This "clear stuff" turned yellow very soon also in new cars, if i remeber correctly my cars had nice yellow engines when they were about 1 year old.
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wow man looks amazing. I admire your tenacity. I would've given up or just not bought the car altogether :P
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wow man looks amazing. I admire your tenacity. I would've given up or just not bought the car altogether :P
I've seen my share of clean e36 verts. Then when I turn around and look at mine, I weep.....:( But, I do know that money well spent on the car would give me great results. Patience is something I have to live with.
I completely agree with Rusty. Your car and work has inspired me to fix mine.
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Thanks for the comments. I definitely consider this a (black)diamond in the rough. It was only $500 so I knew I had plenty of financial room to work with. Plus, doing this kind of maintenance allows me to become familiar with the car. I like knowing whats under the manifold, where all the sensors are, etc. And seeing a clean engine every time I pop the hood gives me a satisfied feeling. After I finish maintenance (and a few mods), I'll be moving on to the interior. My benefit is that this isn't my daily so I can be patient with my work.
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Mine is my daily. And it cost me 4k. The main reason why why havent taken down the engine and clean it all out was because my dad took all the tools to Mexico. (insert :shifty: here) Now I have to buy my own. Maybe a Craftsman 300pc for starters.
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awesome cleaning! i'm going to do the same thing over the winter... but i'm going to look for other used parts to clean then install... i only have one car :(
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Latest project updates:
My shifter was sloppy and I was hearing some noises from the driveshaft so I thought I'd take care of both while I had access. I also replaced the seals on the back of the transmission.
Old shifter linkage parts:
(http://www.m42club.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=30&pictureid=159)
New Parts:
I installed a shorter shift arm from the E36 M3/328. I replaced all the parts except the guide arm and selector rod. I also put in some UUC delrin carrier bushings. I had a lot of these parts left over from my 1st E30 that I had never installed.
(http://www.m42club.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=30&pictureid=160)
I cleaned the back of the transmission and installed a new selector rod seal and output shaft seal. Pretty straight forward but I had a hell of a time popping out the selector rod seal.
(http://www.m42club.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=30&pictureid=161)
Here is everything back together. I also put in Ireland Engineering Polyurethane Transmission mounts. My old stock mounts were shot - the left one was sheered completely in half.
(http://www.m42club.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=30&pictureid=162)
The front half of the driveshaft with new parts installed:
I put on a new guibo, center guide bushing, center driveshaft bearing and clamping ring.
(http://www.m42club.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=30&pictureid=163)
When I removed the exhaust at the back of the exhaust manifold, all 4 of the studs snapped in half just behind the heads. I thought no big deal but it turns out they are welded to the manifold. So I took it off to fix and while I had it off I sandblasted and painted with the left over paint from my intake. My advice is try to never break these bolts. I decided to replace with oem studs and they are pricey - like $7 a piece. If any ever break again I'm just going to replace them with a bolt and nut from the hardware store.
(I also got a new camera, so the pictures from here on should be better :))
Before:
(http://www.m42club.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=30&pictureid=164)
After sandblasting:
(http://www.m42club.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=30&pictureid=165)
After painting:
(http://www.m42club.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=30&pictureid=166)
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Exhaust manifold re-installed. I used new studs and bolts at the cylinder head.
(http://www.m42club.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=30&pictureid=167)
From above:
(http://www.m42club.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=30&pictureid=168)
New IE Polyurethane Motor Mounts installed:
This was also easy to do along the way since to get the exhaust manifold off and on I had to unbolt the engine mounts and jack up the engine. I also unbolted the passenger (right) control arm lollipop from the body. I'm not sure if there is an easier way but this worked and wasn't too hard.
(http://www.m42club.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=30&pictureid=169)
Decided to put on new exhaust mounting hardware too. Here's the old muffler hangers next to the new. I also replaced the rubber exhaust hanging ring and the bushings at the transmission exhaust mount. They were both also sheered in half.
(http://www.m42club.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=30&pictureid=170)
Put in a new oxygen sensor. I figured it probably had not ever been replaced. I used PB Blaster and a propane torch but still managed to damage the bung threads. I picked up a 18x1.5 tap and chased the threads back. They were still not perfect but I think they were good enough. Next time I change it I will probably have to weld in a new bung.
(http://www.m42club.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=30&pictureid=171)
Exhaust remounted. You can see the new bushings in the transmission hanger. They are under sideways stress so I hope they don't just break again. I may have to adjust something.
(http://www.m42club.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=30&pictureid=172)
And finally a shot of the muffler. I can't tell but I think it looks a little low. I'm waiting for my Super Sprint catback so whenever that gets in I'll tweak the setup and try to get it perfect. Right now the part that passes under the rear subframe (with the crimp) is low enough that it looks like it could pass w/o being squished.
(http://www.m42club.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=30&pictureid=173)
So I'm glad this project is done. It was delayed by various things. I took it for a test drive and things seem to be doing good. Its definitely much tighter than before. The difference from the poly mounts is noticeable but with only a small increase in noise/vibrations. I really can't wait for my Super Sprint - my current exhaust has holes in the muffler and it sounds so raspy and ricey.
I noticed that my temp gauge never got out of the blue. I felt the radiator return hose and it didn't seem like it was as hot as it should be. My heater was blowing nice and hot. So this is probably due to the thermostat?
Also noticed my gas gauge was jumping around. I replaced the board batteries a little bit ago - so maybe something else?
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Excellent job! Looks like a fun project.
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I noticed that my temp gauge never got out of the blue. I felt the radiator return hose and it didn't seem like it was as hot as it should be. My heater was blowing nice and hot. So this is probably due to the thermostat?
Yep that does mostly sound like the thermostat, but you got the better end of the failing. If it was stuck closed, there would be no coolant flow, and your engine will overheat. But if it is stuck open, your engine will take a very long time to heat up, which means your heat WONT blow "nice and hot" More like you will be blasting yourself with outside air until your engine heats up.
So, either your temp gauge is broken AND you were wrong about the radiator coolant return hose AND your thermostat is fine, or your heat wasn't hot, or I should shut up :)
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Yep that does mostly sound like the thermostat, but you got the better end of the failing. If it was stuck closed, there would be no coolant flow, and your engine will overheat. But if it is stuck open, your engine will take a very long time to heat up, which means your heat WONT blow "nice and hot" More like you will be blasting yourself with outside air until your engine heats up.
So, either your temp gauge is broken AND you were wrong about the radiator coolant return hose AND your thermostat is fine, or your heat wasn't hot, or I should shut up :)
Thanks for the info. Actually at the time my windows were stuck down since I had taken out the window lock switch. I forgot to put the windows up before I left. So, the 45 degree air blowing in both open windows may have made the heat feel warmer than it actually was. We'll see. Looks like my coolant is low but it was full and I don't see any signs of a leak. I think it might be steaming out around my semi-stripped bleeder screw. But I have to get it up and running again before I can look any of this stuff over.
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So while I'm waiting for my fuel pump to arrive, I received one of my other recent purchases.
(http://www.m42club.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=33&pictureid=186)
This is the first cosmetic issue I've done since I'm trying to focus on more practical projects first. But I couldn't pass up on a good deal. Got the whole package delivered straight from Germany by a member of R3V (euro3, great to deal with). Bosch Euro Smileys, Euro Grilles, Euro Rear Plate Filler, German Check Panel (just part of the package deal) and some crosshairs. He threw in the license plate as a freebie.
Here's a side-by-side comparison of the US Grilles and Sealed beams on the drivers side next to the Euro Grilles and Smileys on the passenger side:
(please disregard unsightly cosmetic issues going on here, I have many more future projects planned)
(http://www.m42club.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=33&pictureid=185)
The install was pretty simple. Rather than cut & splice any wires I just crimped on some male connectors to the Smiley wire pigtails. Then I just plugged them into the stock wiring where the old headlights would plug in. For the city lights I used the side markers. I plan on deleting them anyways with some euro bumper trim.
This is the city lights with White 5W bulbs, as they came:
(http://www.m42club.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=33&pictureid=184)
But I saw some Amber 5W bulbs at the store so I thought I'd see how they look:
(http://www.m42club.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=33&pictureid=183)
Amber lights in the dark:
(http://www.m42club.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=33&pictureid=182)
Close up with the Low Beams on:
(http://www.m42club.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=33&pictureid=181)
Looks a little off but I like the way they match the turn signals. I was thinking I'd smoke the turn signals at some point and I may switch back to the white city lights.
I also jumped the High Beam and Low Beam relays so that the lows stay on with the highs:
(http://www.m42club.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=33&pictureid=180)
I love em! :D
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It's been a while since I worked on anything. After the fuel pump and some bad online buys I kind of stalled. I sorted out the fuel pump, but I still want to check on some stuff. I'll update that when I get it done.
But last week I pulled the lower oil pan and didn't have any debris or bolts sitting at the bottom. The oil pump/front pan bolts were decent- only one bolt was hand loose.
(http://www.m42club.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=34&pictureid=217)
There were thread imprints in the oil pickup so some previous owner had already taken care of this. But I retorqued all the upper pan bolts - only one was missing and a few were loose.
Then I pulled the valve cover to check the timing chain assembly. Looked pretty bad and one of my valve cover bolts stripped the head.
(http://www.m42club.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=39&pictureid=216)
I did a compression test and it was a solid 220 psi across all 4 cylinders at 7 cranks. I don't know what a "good" compression reading is but the Bentley listed 142-156psi as the minimum. I ordered the parts I'll need for the timing chain and they should all be here by next Tuesday so I'll try and finish it next Wednesday. At the same time I'll be installing an electric fan and hopefully replacing my smashed front valence.
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Looking Good dude
Lots of nice parts. Nice job cleaning up everything
bring that car back to life.
Hunter
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Thanks, it gets old cleaning all that shit but it will be awesome when its done! My timing chain parts are arriving box by box, hopefully it will all be done on Wednesday. Somehow I know that it wont be... but I can try. I'm looking at getting this Lubro Moly Engine Renewal Kit from bavauto.com. Lubro Moly is a good brand and the kit is on sale this month.
(http://www.bavauto.com/assets/imglib500/lmerk.jpg)
But really I don't need the injection cleaner since I just put in fresh injectors and cleaned out my intake. So I dunno.
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Well, I didn't finish my timing chain. I actually spent most of the time cleaning the 1/4 inch of sludge off my engine and parts. But I did pick up this pair of Volkswagen MkII Recaro seats!
(http://www.m42club.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=43&pictureid=224)
They're in decent shape, drivers side has some stains from some spill and a torn bolster seam. The bolsters themselves seem ok, overall I'd give the seats a 7 out of 10. I'm thinking about having them recovered. They are out of a GTi so they fold forward.
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So it took a bit longer due to a few things, slowness, cleanliness, a broken sprocket that needed to be reshipped and some torn gaskets because I had to redo the upper timing cover.
Pics:
(http://www.m42club.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=39&pictureid=239)
Obligatory before picture - Engine before the project
(http://www.m42club.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=39&pictureid=238)
Homemade cam locking tool. I used some blue locktite on the adjusting threads to help lock them in place. This setup worked great - never fell or moved. You can see how off center my exhaust cam gear was.
(http://www.m42club.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=39&pictureid=237)
Dirty ass front of my engine. I think it had leaking gaskets for a while and driven on gravel roads. Or its just years of crud. When I pulled off the upper timing case I discovered that there was NO thermostat installed. :confused: I guess that explains why my temp gauge never rose above 1/4 and why the previous owner had stuck a thick piece of cardboard in front of the radiator.
(http://www.m42club.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=39&pictureid=236)
Old timing components. Hopefully I'll be cleaning all that oil varnish out with some lubro moly products soon.
(http://www.m42club.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=39&pictureid=235)
Old sprocket teeth compared with the new.
(http://www.m42club.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=39&pictureid=234)
New timing components installed. I replaced everything except the intermediate gear and the upper and lower chain guides.
(http://www.m42club.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=39&pictureid=233)
I used my trusty Pro Art ruler to square the cam shafts perpendicular to the cylinder head and parallel to each other. This helped with aligning my cam sprockets to their correct positions.
(http://www.m42club.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=39&pictureid=232)
Clean front of engine with main accessories reinstalled.
(http://www.m42club.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=39&pictureid=231)
(http://www.m42club.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=39&pictureid=230)
Everything back together. Of course I sandblasted and painted my valve cover with VHT Aluminum header paint to match my intake manifold. I accidentally put on a few extra coats so its a shade darker.
(http://www.m42club.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=39&pictureid=229)
Here is a before/after video of the chain sounds: (can anyone tell me how to post this video rather than have the link? I can't figure it out right now.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75MrTAdDTg4
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Looks very very nice man.
It's amazing how much tidier the engine bay looks with a nice clean valve cover and clean timing cases. Brilliant cam locking tool as well. ;)
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we always steam clean engines in our shop i have done it probably every other oil change to my engine bay. so it won't harm anything but you just take some spray nine dilute it with water 50:50. then spray it every where in your engine. then take a low pressured water sprayer if you have a compressor just hook it to the air line, and spray away. next spray just air so you clean all the water off. and hit it up with wd-40 every where the more the better. start up the engine and let it burn the excess wd-40 off. results are super clean engines in about 1 minute!
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Looks very very nice man.
It's amazing how much tidier the engine bay looks with a nice clean valve cover and clean timing cases. Brilliant cam locking tool as well. ;)
Thanks - I like cleaning as I work on stuff. There is still some crud behind/under the power steering pump and alternator. I'll get that out whenever I swap to an e36 rack and (probably) delete the power steering. Hopefully I don't get lazy down the road and let it get all covered with shit again, but I probably will.
As for the cam locking tool, I read about it somewhere on here. Somebody mentioned it as if it was a common method but I had never heard about it other than from that guy. So someone out there had a brilliant idea but it wasn't me :cool:.
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Installed my cat-back SuperSprint Exhaust - its awesome. I took some videos and I'll upload them later. But I also took some pictures:
(http://www.m42club.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=45&pictureid=243)
Old Exhaust
(http://www.m42club.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=45&pictureid=242)
New Exhaust
(http://www.m42club.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=45&pictureid=241)
Tail Pipe
(http://www.m42club.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=45&pictureid=240)
Tail Pipe
The pipe between the cat and the muffler needs to be rotated since the way I mounted it causes it to hang too low. The car sounds so much quieter now that there aren't any holes in the exhaust. It feels great on the road too. After the timing chain work and this exhaust the car feels like a new animal. I can't wait to see how it feels after I put the chip and eventually a single-mass flylwheel. I'm also going to open up the air intake a bit for better flow.
I also installed the COP kit but need to tidy up the wires a bit. I also want to try and fit the spark plug cover, somehow. It may be ghetto.
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Where did you end up getting that exhaust,? there really hard to get now ?
Enjoyed reading about the progress your making congrads man
Aaron.
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Where did you end up getting that exhaust,? there really hard to get now ?
Enjoyed reading about the progress your making congrads man
Aaron.
Thanks. I bought it from BMPdesign.com. I ordered it in October, so they are somewhat difficult to obtain - mostly because you have to wait so long. But they may still have some in stock from this last batch they got. If you are interested in one you should call them and see if they still have any, if not bmwman91 is selling a used one on here.
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what you pay for it. ?
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what you pay for it. ?
$525 (http://www.m42club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6064)
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Finished off my electric fan conversion. I used a fan from a 92 Volvo 960 - it came with the shroud so I modified that to fit. Turned out pretty nice. I also put in the lower temp switch (80°/88°) and have a lower temp thermostat. I wired the fan into the auxiliary fan circuit and deleted both the clutch fan and the aux fan.
(http://www.m42club.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=46&pictureid=249)
Fan installed
(http://www.m42club.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=46&pictureid=248)
Shroud after I modified it. It fit almost perfect when I turned it sideways so I cut it to the proper height and used some of the extra leftovers to fill the holes along the bottom. I also had to trim a bit off one side.
(http://www.m42club.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=46&pictureid=247)
Wiring route. I ran it under the radiator then up the side through the holes in the frame and soldered it to the plug that used to run to the aux fan. I had to extend the harness about a foot to reach the wires on the fan.
(http://www.m42club.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=46&pictureid=246)
Here's a wider angle shot of the fan. Also I installed the COP kit from robe30 (great kit btw). I still need to cut the old coil bracket off and I'd like to make the coil wires look a little better.
(http://www.m42club.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=46&pictureid=245)
And finally some cosmetic stuff. I had my valence off so I pounded it with a hammer a bit to get it somewhat straight. Then I popped on an "i" lip that I had sitting around. Then I put on my summer wheels: 15" basketweaves from an ix. Needs a drop, I know.
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great job! I've got the pleasant whine from the new chain too, hope it's normal. (changed the same parts in the timing as you did, arround the same time too)
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wow, great attention to detail! Your engine bay looks amazing! You still have plans to do the P/S delete to clean it up further?
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wow, great attention to detail! Your engine bay looks amazing! You still have plans to do the P/S delete to clean it up further?
Thanks! Yeah I'm going to run without Power Steering when I swap in an E36 rack. I'll get to that along with a suspension upgrade, brake work and single-mass flywheel after I restore the interior.
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wow good job m8 lookin well :)
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keep progress : )
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Subscribed!
Good write up, love all the pics, help me a lot :rolleyes:
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I meant to load progress as it happened, but realized I was better off spending my free time working on the project rather than writing about it.
I replaced my dash, deleted all the airbag stuff, installed Mark D 91 chip, cruise control, fully functional 13 Button OBC, maplight mirror, recovered rear deck, installed BMW premium sound and stock headunit Alpine CM 5908, new set of used door panels, upgraded to a leather Mtech II steering wheel, ZHP weighted shift knob, leather shift and ebrake boots, leather ebrake handle, custom floor mats, replaced carpet. Damn that's a big list! I also just replaced my windshield wiper motor.
On to the pictures:
(http://www.m42club.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=43&pictureid=373)
Old interior Nasty carpet - in addition to the garbage you see here there were 20oz bottles of tobacco spit. Cracked dashboard with a sticky pool of coins and spilled soda. Crazy wires hanging out of the empty radio slot, phantom central locking, lumpy door panels, wrecked center console. Definitely needed some work.
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3411/3670968500_c8584ede26_o.jpg)
Old cracked dashboard and molested stereo
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3219/3670968698_7927ee55a1_o.jpg)
Old dash removed
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2483/3670162449_9b17c6ab58_o.jpg)
Wiring mess beneath the dashboard I cleaned this all up by wrapping the wiring harnesses up with hockey tape - it has the same sticky cloth texture as the stock wire wrap. The car came with an aftermarket Alpine alarm system with remote keychain. I found the installation and owners manuals online in pdf format so was able to check the installation. I ended up repairing a few solders and rerouting the original choice of grounds. I reprogrammed the unit and got rid of the annoying lock-doors-after-10-seconds-of-driving function. But I had the siren/horn working and now it doesn't so I'll need to recheck that part of the wiring. Its a pretty cool basic alarm/keyless entry. I think it was a popular dealership install since I have seen quite a few other people with the tell-tale red LED on a switch blank.
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2454/3670969148_7cfda06474_o.jpg)
Doing some electrical testing. You can see the goods I've installed - stock radio, cruise and 13 button OBC. Also I deleted all the airbag components and wiring and wired in the stock BMW Premium Sound system.
(http://www.m42club.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=43&pictureid=375)
New dashboard installed
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3383/3670162595_d31ecea34d_o.jpg)
Rust free floor!
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2430/3670968936_b87a65c806_o.jpg)
Old Carpet
(http://www.m42club.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=43&pictureid=374)
New carpet I tried removing and power-washing my old carpet but it didn't come out as clean as I'd liked. It wasn't total shit so I just swapped it out with the nicer one from my 86 325es.
(http://www.m42club.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=43&pictureid=377)
Bavarian Autosport custom floormats and Airbag Dash Panel I had some custom "318is" floormats made from BavAuto. I think I used charcoal fabric and silver block stitching. The charcoal matches the carpet color better than black. Also I initially reinstalled the old drivers side knee panel that is beefier for some reason on the airbag equipped models.
(http://www.m42club.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=43&pictureid=379)
New dash with Non-Airbag Dash Panel and Center Console The non-airbag underdash panel has a larger cutout for the steering column since the airbag columns have a different angle. I filled the gap with single-sided sticky foam (aka topper tape). Actually I used a lot of that foam to reduce and squeaks and rattles from the dash. Also replaced the glove box door with a non dented one. New pedal pads.
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3558/3670166045_be265f38d8_o.jpg)
Recovered rear deck and Premium Speakers I recovered the rear deck from a premium sound model with black felt from WalMart. Later found out that if you want to get serious, worlduph.com sells the actual deck fabric. Put in the rear speakers with tweeters that I bought from Nomad.
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2484/3670166685_851f74f1ae_o.jpg)
Rear deck again I'm really happy with the way it turned out.
(http://www.m42club.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=43&pictureid=380)
Shifter and Center Console Installed the ZHP weighted leather shift knob and bought a leather shift boot from a member on R3v. I wanted a 2-button center console to get rid of the window lock switch. I consider it a useless function so just hid the switch beneath the console and deleted the button slot.
(http://www.m42club.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=43&pictureid=381)
Leather emergency brake handle Bought a leather ebrake handle (e28? I can't remember) and a leather ebrake boot from members of r3v. The boot was a pair with the shift boot and both required reusing the trim rings. To me this looks a thousand times better than the stock plastic pieces.
(http://www.m42club.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=43&pictureid=384)
Mtech II Steering Wheel The cherry on top is this steering wheel. Feels awesome. Only thing is that the leather color is more like Anthracite than black. I figure it will wear-to-match with age.
(http://www.m42club.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=43&pictureid=385)
New controls Basically I replaced all the ways the driver interacts with the car. Has a much better feel than the crusty, rattly, dusty old interior.
(http://www.m42club.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=43&pictureid=382)
(http://www.m42club.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=43&pictureid=386)
New used set of door panels Have the dumb crank holes. Oh-well will do for now.
(http://www.m42club.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=43&pictureid=383)
Maplight Mirror First one I bought had the wiring ripped in half and was irreparable. Bought 2 more from ebay and picked the best one. The spare I have didn't have the stablizing bar on the back so I'm not sure what model it is from.
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(http://www.m42club.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=43&pictureid=387)
Wired a spare trunk light And am considering making a custom trunk lid liner using the same felt I used on the rear ceck.
(http://www.m42club.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=43&pictureid=376)
Cruise control actuator I used the old e30 cruise bracket that came with my donor system. It can only mount on one side so I'm looking for the mounting bracket from an e36 m42 or whatever ones will work with this setup. Had to replace my stock throttle cable while I was at it.
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2476/3670973402_3743c02e1f_o.jpg)
Mark D chip installed 91 octane Finally put a chip in. I have the 93 octane chip waiting around until I live near a good source.
I've sent my seats to the upholstery shop to be recovered so they can match the rest of my interior. Could take them a while though. Also had to replace my wiper motor since it was totally dead. Kind of a pain in the ass job, but not really that bad. The high speed doesn't work so now I think I may also have a faulty switch or relay.
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Very nice work sir.
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Helluva job there JP.
An inspirational thread it is.
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Thanks guys, I do what I can.
Turns out the upholstery shop wanted an arm, leg, and my testicles to recover those seats sooo that's not gonna happen. I'll just run with them as is until I have space and time to try recovering them myself.
In the meantime though I made a clutch stop following this diagram:
(http://www.bayareamotorsport.com/images/clutch_stop01.jpg)
I found a few different setups on DIY clutch stops for the e30 but I went with this one and I'm happy with the results. Removing the dead space at the back of the pedal travel really helps with faster and smoother shifts. If anybody hasn't done this, then go out and do it tomorrow. With approx $4 you can greatly improve the feel of your driving experience.
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Great topic, very well made and pictured, joy to read, thank you. Quality of work is pleasant.
What are you going to do with the paint? It looks kinda dead. Just cut* and wax or all new paint?
*sander polisher?, sorry dont know how its called.
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Yeah really nice build. I remember seeing your initial post... I had no idea you were planning on going all out! I dig that you're keeping it mostly OE as well.
Hopefully you don't mind the thread-jack, but I have a question about your premium sound install... how did you wire the front speakers & tweeters? I just added the speakers to my car (not using the amp, as I have an aftermarket HU), and while the wiring was already there, the front tweeters aren't working. I *think* it has to do with a switched +/- wire, but I'd rather confirm with someone who's done it before tearing open the kick panels again.
Here's what I'm talking about (hopefully this looks familiar):
(http://www.kylejochai.com/reflexgti/318is/bmw-speaker-wiring-prem.gif)
(http://www.kylejochai.com/reflexgti/318is/bmw-speaker-wiring-stnd.gif)
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Thanks samulis, the paint is pretty much toasted. Eventually I'd like a full respray (just because I'm anal) but for now I'm going to have to settle with a good cleaning, buff, polish and wax. I'll see how that turns out but I'm pretty sure I can hide the white marks where the clear coat has been eaten away.
She loved E: since I used the complete premium sound harness it was easy. The wiring for the tweeters is already in the door and you just hook it up to the speakers in the kick panels. I'm pretty sure your problem is that with aftermarket wiring you will need to add a crossover to make the tweeters work properly. The stock premium systems somehow deals with that problem via the stock amp. I didn't really look over your wiring diagrams since I don't have any of the notes I took on hand right now.
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After the recent work I've been hearing a wump-wump kind of sound from somewhere in the rear. I put the car on the lift and I can't really tell where it's coming from. I rotated the tires front to rear and that didn't change the sound. Could be a) differential b) wheel bearing c) axle d) center driveshaft bearing?
I've read that a bad diff or wheel bearing has more of a high pitched whine. This sound is not high but low and kind of a out of balance hum noise.
I've replaced the diff fluid with redline. Last night I installed Centric Performance rotors all around with some Axxis Deluxe Advanced street pads. I also put in new ebrake pads and hardware. (forgot to take pics, maybe I'll snap some later). Found that my Passenger Front caliper carrier had seized carrier bolts so I'll need to repair that. But later on down the road I'd like to upgrade to ATEs on the front (instead of the lucas girling) and put in the stainless steel lines I've had sitting around.
Anyways, that didn't change the noise at all so I'll have to do further inspecting...
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Thanks guys, I do what I can.
Turns out the upholstery shop wanted an arm, leg, and my testicles to recover those seats sooo that's not gonna happen. I'll just run with them as is until I have space and time to try recovering them myself.
In the meantime though I made a clutch stop following this diagram:
(http://www.bayareamotorsport.com/images/clutch_stop01.jpg)
I found a few different setups on DIY clutch stops for the e30 but I went with this one and I'm happy with the results. Removing the dead space at the back of the pedal travel really helps with faster and smoother shifts. If anybody hasn't done this, then go out and do it tomorrow. With approx $4 you can greatly improve the feel of your driving experience.
What is the clutch stop and how do you do it:confused:
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What is the clutch stop and how do you do it:confused:
http://www.uucmotorwerks.com/html_product/clutch_stop/html_clutch/about.htm
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Check out that rearwheel has balance weights in the rim, if theyr gone it might just be the wheel it self out of balance.
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Check out that rearwheel has balance weights in the rim, if theyr gone it might just be the wheel it self out of balance.
Thanks, I rotated the wheels from front to rear and the noise remained the same. The more I drive the more I think its just a wheel bearing. But then again it could also be an axle. I'm not sure what a bad axle would sound like though.
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Wow, awesome stuff :)
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I can really appreciate all of the hard work you put into your car. Good work!
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Thanks ///M3
I just finished the move out to Montana. Looks like the project budget is going to take a serious hit. It's funny I've put on more miles in the last 3 days than I have in the time since I bought it. But this coming winter will allow me to recuperate some money and save up for the suspension stage. I'd like to finish the seats and take care of some random exterior mods in the mean time.
I installed the VW recaros as-is so I can enjoy them while I wait until I recover them. They sit a bit low (for my height of 5'10") so I saved some parts from my old sport seats to try and make a custom hybrid that will allow height and tilt adjustments. Now when I hug a curve, my car hugs me back.
(http://www.m42club.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=43&pictureid=423)
Some pics from the road:
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3491/3779774463_0ed7efa915_o.jpg)
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2483/3779774489_62ff3dd392_o.jpg)
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3502/3780586920_6d17a02d65_o.jpg)
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2625/3780586860_851800d1cf_o.jpg)
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2497/3780586884_f353bfe75b_o.jpg)
Still looking pretty shabby but it runs like a champ!
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Dude, the car is coming along nicely. Can't wait to see it when its complete. I like the 15" baskets, they look good. I wish i could find a set. Good luck in Montana man.
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Dude, the car is coming along nicely. Can't wait to see it when its complete. I like the 15" baskets, they look good. I wish i could find a set. Good luck in Montana man.
Thanks Jorge, so far Missoula has been good. There is a set of 15" Ronal LS basketweaves in the sale section. They are like these but with a nice fat dish. I'd trade mine for those.
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Thank you so much for your post! It is really helping me with my e30 project . I basically bought a car with the same issue of neglect, poor body work and accident all rolled into one (1991 E30 318is) So i will use ur resto as a guide to help me. Thank u again
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Thank you so much for your post! It is really helping me with my e30 project . I basically bought a car with the same issue of neglect, poor body work and accident all rolled into one (1991 E30 318is) So i will use ur resto as a guide to help me. Thank u again
(http://images.zeroforum.com/smile/emthup.gif) Enjoy the addiction!
I've got the 318 doing temporary dirty work - bought a roof rack to haul new furniture to my new place. It was meant for the 86es, but will be worn on the 318 until I put it in storage for the winter.
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3458/3799498807_a6f7eca02c_o.jpg)
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2619/3800317028_68837674ac_o.jpg)
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Hey I sent you a PM about your fan. I found this thread and got my questions answered. You have basically done everything verbatim that I am in the process of doing outside the motor (I think mine is in pretty good shape).
Exceptional job!
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Thanks, I replied to your pm. It's been way too long since I've done any work. My poor 318 is being neglected, not to mention having to be parking on the street! Oh well, soon winter will be here and I'll have it safely stored away. Good luck with the projects.
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Any tips on what steering wheels/shift knobs/ebrakes from different models work in the E30?
I'd like to replace everything with leather like this.
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Any tips on what steering wheels/shift knobs/ebrakes from different models work in the E30?
I'd like to replace everything with leather like this.
Lets see, I'm not sure about steering wheel fitment from other BMW models but there will be issues with spline count and column diameter. You would probably be able to make any steering wheel fit with the correct adapter, but I'm not sure how that works.
As for the shift knobs I'm pretty sure any model BMW shift knob will fit any other, I think they all use the pressure fitting with the two notches for alignment.
For the ebrake handle, I can't remember what model the seller said mine was from, but you'll have to research that to be sure anyways. I think the main fitment issue is length since the e30 handle is long and the boot won't meet up with a shorty handle. You could just get whoever makes the custom ebrake boots to customize it for whatever length of handle you end up with.
I definitely prefer the all leather feel. And was really glad to get rid of the accordion ebrake boot. Plus the mtechII wheel makes me happy(er) every time I get in the car.
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Great job with the car man! I just had a quick question regarding the center consil. Will any two button consil fit in place of a three button. I have access to one from an earlier model with out airbag. I noticed that the airbag models have that bracket and non airbag models dont.
Thanks
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I'll echo everyone else... excellent work so far. Hope Montana is treating you well.
If you haven't addressed your rear clunk yet... I've found 9 times out of 10 it's worn rear shock tower mounts. They are cheap to replace and make the car 10x quieter inside. Buy the upgraded aluminum ones for like $40 and never have to worry about them wearing out totally and sending your strut insert up into your rear deck. :thumbsup:
edit: more details on the clutch stop pls. My extra travel has always annoyed me but haven't had the time/drive to do anything about it since working on my turbo install has taken all my effort. But for $5 I'll give it a shot.
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Great job with the car man! I just had a quick question regarding the center consil. Will any two button consil fit in place of a three button. I have access to one from an earlier model with out airbag. I noticed that the airbag models have that bracket and non airbag models dont.
Thanks
No the cutout on the drivers side of the center console is different for airbag cars and non-airbag cars. The difference is that with the airbag system the drivers side lower dash area was beefed up so the knee bolster is bigger and there is a large metal bracket behind it. I just swapped everything out since I no longer have an airbag and all that stuff was just extra weight. Plus I like they way the non-airbag knee panels look.
But you could just cut out the side of the non-airbag console to fit around the airbag knee panel. It will be hard to make look good though.
edit: more details on the clutch stop pls. My extra travel has always annoyed me but haven't had the time/drive to do anything about it since working on my turbo install has taken all my effort. But for $5 I'll give it a shot.
Thanks for the nice comments. The noise from the rear is less of a clunk as it is a rotating whump. I haven't worried too much about it but I'll give the whole system a look over whenever I do the suspension.
What else did you want to know about the clutch stop? I followed all the parts in the photo in post #49 and there is additional info at the link in post #55.
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Hello i have E30 318is , i installed a chip in the ECU and the car is running awsome , but after i installed a Volvo fan when the fan start working at the second speed the car didnt idle good , the RPM goes up and down . Can anybody help me ?
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wowww!!
nice ride.
respect al the hard work you've put in the car!
grtz
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i'm also thinking of sandblasting certain parts, so what is your sandblasting setup?...did u have a hopper to contain sand?
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Thanks jacco. I feel bad when I look back at all the clean work I've done then look at the current neglected state she sits in. Damn winter and expensive storage.
Hybrid775: The sandblaster I used was a cheap gravity feed blaster from harbor freight. Basically, it looked like this:
http://www.m42club.com/forums/showpost.php?p=57359&postcount=8
I used an old arbys cup as a scoop to fill the hopper with a bag of the cheap blaster material from Menards. It was messy and annoying work but it got the job done for cheap. Definitely try to go as big as you can, it can be hard to maneuver intake manifolds and valve covers in a tiny box. If I had to rebuild the blasting cabinet, I'd try to just use plywood and design it like an actual blaster (angled view window on front); add silicone or something to make the best seals I could.
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jp did you ever find out what that thumping in the rear was? my DD started that before i put it up for the winter. turned out to be a torn cv boot on the drivers side half shaft. nice work on the IS!!!!
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any more updates for this beast???
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No updates yet. I've got plenty on the to-do list, just been focusing on other things. Hopefully this summer I can get some new projects done.
Still not sure on the noise. It's not really a thumping, more of a rubbing rotational noise. It sounds like what I would expect a bad wheel bearing to sound like - especially since it is more pronounced when I'm on a left curve and not a right. But neither rear wheel wobbles and no other visible damage (like torn boot).
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could be wheel bearings. that reminds me thats another thing on my list to do.
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by the way if you are upgrading ur suspension may i suggest bc racing coilovers... http://justjap.com/store/product.php?productid=19152&cat=0&page=1
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Still not sure on the noise. It's not really a thumping, more of a rubbing rotational noise. It sounds like what I would expect a bad wheel bearing to sound like - especially since it is more pronounced when I'm on a left curve and not a right. But neither rear wheel wobbles and no other visible damage (like torn boot).
PRECISELY the issue I have currently. I have a "new" 4.10 lsd in the back and new half shafts and neither addressed the issue. My next step is going to be the drive (prop) shaft and new wheel bearings.
Please let me know if you sort out the noise in the mean time...
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my worn top shock mounts *could have accounted to the noise as well. when i had the rear out i replaced all my bushings mounts and anything rubber with urethane. replaced wheel bearings and rebuilt the half shafts. trans is comming out soon to do the ltw fly conversion and ill do the guibo center bearing and sloppy assed shifter too.
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Hey JP, now I'm cool like you are.
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Hi Alan
Edit: Hi everyone else too. I was pretty surprised to see the view count on this thread! I'll get around to finishing what I started someday but for now I'm just keeping it on the road and enjoying the driving experience. Not sure when I'll have enough funds to get the suspension stage underway but it definitely appears to be later rather than sooner.
I've developed some obvious signs of wear on the various suspension components in the last few months. I'd planned on upgrading as I repaired like I've done with the previous stages, but I really need to address these issues before serious damage occurs and unfortunately I can't do any nice mods while I'm under there.
Cheers.