shifter prob

[Darky]

Hi Norm
Where here relax, just quietly watching the great work!
Ps got my valves, I'll let you know how they go but they look great to me!
You might want some too? Amazingly light.

Cheers Rohan

[normboudreault]

Hi Rohan...

Good to hear about the valves, your engine build is eternal it seems!! - my engine is off to the rebuilder and I plan to use a lightened valvetrain too. 6mm. Unsure about the single chain conversion. Probably gonna stick with the m42 crank as this will keep things simpler. The engine builder had some very good ideas and isn't a fan of spending money for small gains - and he is really looking forward to the build. Been working a lot but managed to do some work... Now with winter set in Im gonna be doing a lot of the odds and ends in the garage... There is so much its best if I don't think about it too much!!

Found it really dead here last couple of months...was starting to wonder....

How's the summer sun down under?

[Darky]

Merry chrismas Norm

My engine is proceeding very slowly, but at least it's proceding. The crank has been the bit that has turned this into a race of snails. M42 crank equals boring. You may as well go m44 crank while your there. We can help with the maths for the compression ratio and piston and rod selection. You just need to figure out where you want to be. 10 is standard 13 is nuts. Basically. Id guess that you want to be around 10.5-11

These valves of mine are so light 29g and are oversize and 6 mm stem. I was on them like a fat kid on cake!

It is slow around here everybody is getting ready for chrismas, can't wait till everybody starts to relax again.

As for summer keep it. That's why I live in Melbourne. Would love your snow.
Cheers Rohan

[normboudreault]

I haven't made any hard decisions yet... The engine still hasn't been touched.. We will look at options and decide. I thought I'd tackle it myself but it will be fun to work with a pro and learn a few things along the way...

Its been raining here for the last couple of days and today its well above 0 so I am very happy. Last year it was bloody cold and it wouldn't let up...depressing..but I spent a good while in Africa and endless days of oppressive sun isn't much fun either...

Merry Xmas to you and yours too...

[Jay-Vee]

waxed gas tank.

I love the 'because I can' attitude

We had a much colder xmas than usual - 21! But I'll get to experience your xmas weather next year as I'll actually be over there!

[normboudreault]

21? That's the perfect E30 resto temperature!!

You're coming to Canada? You nuts? 

Where to?

[Jay-Vee]

I spoke too soon... 43 today ugh... Sometimes I forget think it's bloody Africa here!

Hehe nuts enough to wind up on a honeymoon :p

Montreal and Vancouver, which side are you on?

[Darky]

Hi guys

Yea great idea go check out Norms e30 on your honeymoon, I'm sure that will start the marriage off perfectly! Lol

And jay-Vee 40+ tomorrow joy happy happy joy!

[normboudreault]

Gents,

It was minus 19C today. Tonight it will snow 10to 20cm and tomorrow it will rain 10mm with a high of 7C. Then on tuesday its back to minus 15 or so...

Tomorow, Ive got to get up at 5am to shovel the entrance before the f*ck@n snowplow pushes it all back in my entrance. Usually right after Ive shovelled it all out into the street... NOT very nice....

Atleast work brings me to L.A. for lunchtime... Sunny and warm. Nice.

Jay-Vee - Im in Montreal.

Drop in - women love e30's!! 

[normboudreault]

Jay-Vee and his fiancee haven't drop by yet so Ive had some time to get things done.. 

As stated I'd sent out the rear subframe to get all new bushes pressed in and the old pressed out and new wheel bearings. I also asked that they remove the parking brake cable head that was hopelessly jammed in the hub assembly... Apparently it was a huge f**king deal as the specialist BMW shop I went to hadnt done e30 bushings since the 1990's!
They were nice but it took over 10 days to get my subframe back. And it was pretty mangled with vice marks and gouges and the paint was all scratched up... I was not happy but learned that 1) Dont send things that are all nice and pretty out to a shop.. I should have done all this BEFORE painting the subframe..

So, I took out the grinder, cleaned everything back up, hung it all up and repainted it with POR15...



Then repainted again as it just wasn't good enough...



Its not as good as it was but the new bushes are in and the bearings are pressed and they did managed to get those d*mn parking brake ends out... I will still have some work to do as a couple of the studs that hold the brake line clips have broken off.. So I need to weld on some new ones.. then, of course...repaint..aargg

Much better news on the tranny front however:

If you'll recall...


This I sent out to Eastern Transmission  and the guys there are top notch. Not that you US guys care but for anyone in the Montreal area this is the place to go...

I asked them to disassemble her and inspect her. Surprisingly she is is perfect condition. All gears are gouge-free and the syncros are like new. They changed one little piece, cost: 5$!! Of course, strip down and rebuild was 8 hours labour!!!

Here she is now..





Installed the new clutch cylinder Id bought a while back...









Isn't she gorgeous??

Also sent them the drive shaft for inspection - no problems found. It was sandblasted a little and new center bearing pressed on... I brought it home and..you guessed it... POR 15'd it...twice...



I then ground the end as I have a new guibo to install..







Old nuts were replaced with new self locking ones.. M10 x 1.25 FYI...vibration damper, ground clean and repainted too..



While I had the grinder out I cleaned up these guys..







PS: New engine mounts ordered... Grounding wire was like new. I just re-wrapped it...

Ive got more to come but that's pretty good for now Id say...v 

[Darky]

Drop in - women love e30's!! 

Yea with wheels dude!

[normboudreault]

Details details.... 

[Jay-Vee]

I might just take u up on that offer! Would be great to see this beauty (and you'll get to see mine haha )

Well speaking of wheels Im currently selling my 4x100 BBS replicas... I'm sure freight charges wouldn't be THAT much  ...

And that transmission looks good enough to just sit on the coffee table lol.

[normboudreault]

Well hopefully the car will be more along if you do!! Its hard getting things done when you can't open a door because its -25C outside... And heating that garage ain't cheap!!

BBS RS5's..4x100, 16"..now that's what I want...   

[docgoku]

Fantastic rebuild!  I've never welded a thing either, inspired after seeing this threat.
I have my 91 318ic that has a bit of rust above the brake lights and on the trunk sides at the lip area. 
Before I consider repainting (paint isn't bad...no other rust), I may do what you've done with the new backend piece and attempt my first welding on the trunk lip area before the repaint. 

Hopefully the weather will warm up soon for you.