Author Topic: after 365k miles... (Read 2762 times)

deansweet · « **on:** January 16, 2013, 07:00:18 PM »

the fuel tank has started to leak nicely from the seams?
Not too sure where it's coming from actually. I checked under the cap under back seats and it's not damp so it's not the hoses up there. All I can see that is pretty damp is all around the portion under passenger side. Almost looks like feed line from filler tube?

Sad part is he just filled it up so I had to drain the fuel
(~13gals?) in to a pan, then transfer to a one gallon tank I have with a large mouth on it, to transfer it to one of the 2-5gallon jugss I have plus I put a few gallons in my MGB(its going to go in to shock for the 91octane).

Best deal I could find on a replacement was at advance auto online.
It was $143 shipped to my door so my son will be driving one of our other cars for 3-5days. I shot all the tank, driveline and exhaust bolts with liquid wrench and will do so a few more times before this weekend when I pull the old one out.

Anybody with any advice I'd appreciate it.
Dean

DesktopDave · « **Reply #1 on:** January 16, 2013, 09:36:36 PM »

I've heard that the filler tube is vulnerable to rust. Never seen them fail anywhere else on an e30 (unless you forget to re-install the pump/sender o-ring).

I pulled a tank out of the e24 a while back. I was incredibly surprised when it came off with no drama whatsoever. I'd sprayed it down with some PB Blaster the day before...but I'm still baffled as everything else on that car resisted my willpower with stubborn resolve. Very high quality fasteners on our cars, I suppose. I'm crossing my fingers for you!

You never can find a leak until you've filled it up, right? I recall a leak I had on an old Nissan that only happened when the car was full and it was hot. I never did solve that one (I was far less experienced then), though I now suspect it was the vapor recovery system.

deansweet · « **Reply #2 on:** January 19, 2013, 08:40:11 AM »

Fuel tank swap is today.
Wish me luck.

keflaman · « **Reply #3 on:** January 19, 2013, 04:20:49 PM »

I hope all goes well for you...and you have a heated garage with a lift to make things easier...and the only snow you are subjected to is that which is falling from the banner at the top of this forum.

deansweet · « **Reply #4 on:** January 19, 2013, 04:33:00 PM »

It was all going so well as I didn't have any issues getting the entire exhaust removed, all the heat shields, , all the tubing disconnected at top of tank. I even got the 4 bolts loose on the tank itself.
I gave up after 6hrs of trying to get the 6bolts off around the guibo...
Like I stated in another post, it appears to have been replaced and the bolts are on there so tight I need it to be off the ground to get more leverage on them. They act like 'pinch nuts' as there is zero play on them.
I put it all back together and plan on taking it to a buddies garage with lifts and much stronger impacts next Saturday to see if we can break them loose.

My arms and legs were cramping from all the various positions I had tried.
So for next week we are running on a 'half full' E30 is.

bmwman91 · « **Reply #5 on:** January 20, 2013, 04:05:09 AM »

You only need to remove 3 bolts to get the driveshaft out, FYI. Three hold the guibo to the DS, the other three hold it to the output shaft.

The nuts are the oval self-locking type.

They can definitely be a pain in the ass. I generally do one at a time. This is accomplishe dby jacking the rear wheels up and rotating them to get the DS into the optimal position to have a 17mm box wrench on the nut, and a short 17mm socket on a 1/2" drive ratchet on the bolt. I can usually rotate it such that the box wrench gets jammed against the firewall so that I can get both hands on the ratchet. I have done this relatively easily with the front wheels on stands.

Good luck. It IS a pain in the rear to get the DS off.

deansweet · « **Reply #6 on:** January 20, 2013, 09:45:29 AM »

Quote from: bmwman91;119428

You only need to remove 3 bolts to get the driveshaft out, FYI. Three hold the guibo to the DS, the other three hold it to the output shaft.

The nuts are the oval self-locking type.

I was wondering if they were self-locking bolts. Can they be reused?
I couldn't get any of the three off the DS side. It was like they were welded on?!
Heading to a shop on Saturday where one of my best friends fiance's owns/works on racing Porsche autos and says he knows BMW's well as he used to race them as well... He says $200 cash, a 12-pack of miller lite and a pizza and he'll swap the whole thing?

DesktopDave · « **Reply #7 on:** January 20, 2013, 12:49:23 PM »

I've reused mine several times now. I wouldn't be so confident if they were nylocks. I typically use a dab of blue loctite to ensure a good grip.

They could have rusted pretty tight...I use a similar technique to BMWMan's - put a wrench onto one of the nuts & rotate the drive shaft until the wrench body is wedged it up against a convenient part of the car. Using that wedged wrench for leverage it's a bit easier to get some force against those nuts. I don't necessarily use the same nut and bolt - if I can get anything to break loose I'm happy. Even if a bolt spins at least it's loosened up the rust bonding it to the driveshaft or tranny flange. Some fasteners are on too tight for an impact wrench to break them loose and I have to resort to this two-wrench method instead.

Maybe attack the diff nose instead? Then remove the rear half of the shaft to get the tank out?