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The Red Cabrio Barn Find Project

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    You're my hero and this thread is replacing my Bentley manual.
    sigpic
    Originally posted by JinormusJ
    Don't buy an e30

    They're stupid
    1989 325is Raged on then sold.
    1988 325 SETA 2DR Beaten to death, then parted.
    1988 325 SETA 4DR Parted.
    1990 325i Cabrio Daily'd, then stored 2 yrs ago.

    Comment


      Not a bad fit


      I cant think of a better way to dissipate heat :)
      Seat Shocks....I have passed the baton to John Christy from Ninestitch. Email John or Garrett at ninestitch1@gmail.com

      https://www.r3vlimited.com/board/sho...86#post4944786
      Alice the Time Capsule
      http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=360504
      87 Zinno Cabrio barn find 98k and still smells like a barn. Build thread http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/show...20#post3455220

      Comment


        The weather has really forced this project and like most things I do, I went all out on the AC, replacing virtually everything but the hard lines and the hoses which appear to be barrier hoses.

        The first step was to remove the old fan and condensor. Ive read that you need to remove the lower valance but I was determined to avoid that. The 3 nuts were not bad to get at especially with my nifty euro L wrenches.


        It was a bit snug but by removing the 2 valance retaining bolts on each side of the oil cooler I had just enough wiggle room to drop the fan without damaging anything.


        From there it was a snap to pull the condensor having pulled the hoses a couple of days ago. The old..


        and the new.


        I did weigh both and the old fan/condensor was 14 lbs and the new was 10.
        Seat Shocks....I have passed the baton to John Christy from Ninestitch. Email John or Garrett at ninestitch1@gmail.com

        https://www.r3vlimited.com/board/sho...86#post4944786
        Alice the Time Capsule
        http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=360504
        87 Zinno Cabrio barn find 98k and still smells like a barn. Build thread http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/show...20#post3455220

        Comment


          Originally posted by jeffnhiscars View Post

          I did weigh both and the old fan/condensor was 14 lbs and the new was 10.
          performance upgrade!!
          M30 is God's motor.....but Jesus drives an M60'd car -slammin.e28

          Comment


            your car looks great in profile, and thanks for all the a/c info!

            Comment


              Originally posted by dougie30 View Post
              performance upgrade!!
              The fan is the worse possible place to have weight in a car being above the center of gravity as well as being as far in front of the axle as possible. I doubt that 4 lbs will be noticeable but in purely technical terms the reduction should reduce lean and understeer.

              More importantly, when this is done I will have AC :)
              Seat Shocks....I have passed the baton to John Christy from Ninestitch. Email John or Garrett at ninestitch1@gmail.com

              https://www.r3vlimited.com/board/sho...86#post4944786
              Alice the Time Capsule
              http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=360504
              87 Zinno Cabrio barn find 98k and still smells like a barn. Build thread http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/show...20#post3455220

              Comment


                Originally posted by jeffnhiscars View Post
                The fan is the worse possible place to have weight in a car being above the center of gravity as well as being as far in front of the axle as possible. I doubt that 4 lbs will be noticeable but in purely technical terms the reduction should reduce lean and understeer.
                I know what you mean, the artist I commissioned to do my stained glass roundels couldn't understand why I insisted he not use lead as the interstitial element.
                sigpic
                Originally posted by JinormusJ
                Don't buy an e30

                They're stupid
                1989 325is Raged on then sold.
                1988 325 SETA 2DR Beaten to death, then parted.
                1988 325 SETA 4DR Parted.
                1990 325i Cabrio Daily'd, then stored 2 yrs ago.

                Comment


                  Originally posted by frankenbeemer View Post
                  ...the interstitial element.
                  I'd get that checked out Frank. Sounds painful.
                  Seat Shocks....I have passed the baton to John Christy from Ninestitch. Email John or Garrett at ninestitch1@gmail.com

                  https://www.r3vlimited.com/board/sho...86#post4944786
                  Alice the Time Capsule
                  http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=360504
                  87 Zinno Cabrio barn find 98k and still smells like a barn. Build thread http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/show...20#post3455220

                  Comment


                    I decided to cut through the old mounting brackets to salvage the rubber bushings which were a perfect fit in the new brackets


                    From there it was custom modding of the Spal brackets and some twisting and reversing of the condensor mounts. The one at 3 oclock unscrewed so I could reverse it, the at 7 I gave the pretzel treatment and the one at 11 I drilled out the pop rivets and flipped it around.





                    I'd say it turned out to be a perfect fit. Note the fan at 4 where there is room for yet another Spal mounting bracket. Thats where the resistor will wind up by way of another modified bracket.
                    Seat Shocks....I have passed the baton to John Christy from Ninestitch. Email John or Garrett at ninestitch1@gmail.com

                    https://www.r3vlimited.com/board/sho...86#post4944786
                    Alice the Time Capsule
                    http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=360504
                    87 Zinno Cabrio barn find 98k and still smells like a barn. Build thread http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/show...20#post3455220

                    Comment


                      Spal offers a harness adaptor that I also got from Amazon and it made installing and servicing the resistor a modular breeze.


                      Slide on/slide off and a quick connect on both the fan and chassis ends.


                      Here it is dry fit.



                      The PF slid in easily


                      and the fan followed with very little effort



                      I then hit the snowflake to test it and whaddyaknow


                      It spins...or someone stole my blades :D
                      Seat Shocks....I have passed the baton to John Christy from Ninestitch. Email John or Garrett at ninestitch1@gmail.com

                      https://www.r3vlimited.com/board/sho...86#post4944786
                      Alice the Time Capsule
                      http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=360504
                      87 Zinno Cabrio barn find 98k and still smells like a barn. Build thread http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/show...20#post3455220

                      Comment


                        Since I was determined to do this without compromise, I had to remove the evaporator to give it a proper flush. The best way to do this was to buy a flush kit for about $40 and some flush which is $50/gal. I decided it made more sense to replace the evaporator which only cost $113 delivered. It's aluminum, compared to the copper tubes of the original, but what I realized was that provided much better air flow as well as eliminating that eau de cheval that comes with every true barn find.

                        I just copied the bits and pieces of insulation using dish packing foam sheets and contact cement. The black rubber strip I cut free from the old evaporator.


                        Everything I read made it clear the total system oil capacity should be iin the 7-8oz range (225cc) and since the compressor came with 150cc as per its engraved tag, I followed the factory conversion service bulletin guidelines and distributed the difference as follows: 40cc in the evaporator, 20 in the condensor, 10 in the dryer and 10 in one of the hoses.

                        To get it right I calibrated a plastic scoop by adding water on my $10 HF digital scale. 1 cc of water weighs 1 gram so this was fairly easy.


                        I then pre-installed the expansion valve which was an OE made by Egelhoff


                        Replacing it was quite straight forward and is well covered elsewhere. I will say that replacing the 2 evaporator to firewall hoses took me a god 2 hours. The challenge is that the firewall grommet is a tight fit on the hoses and I didnt want to risk tearing it to so after flushing both hoses I installed them as a unit and the f$^)g grommet just did not want to go home. I tried using cable pulling lube but that dried too quickly so finally gave the grommet a bead of dielectric grease and got that bitch done.
                        Seat Shocks....I have passed the baton to John Christy from Ninestitch. Email John or Garrett at ninestitch1@gmail.com

                        https://www.r3vlimited.com/board/sho...86#post4944786
                        Alice the Time Capsule
                        http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=360504
                        87 Zinno Cabrio barn find 98k and still smells like a barn. Build thread http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/show...20#post3455220

                        Comment


                          I have read a lot about what to use as a sealant on the orings. Some guys say vaseline, others say dont use PAG because it is extremely hygroscopic so use mineral oil but dont let it get inside yada yada yada.

                          In my never ending quest for perfection I came upon this. Nylog Blue is for PAG and there us a red for mineral oil


                          The mfg says you can stretch one drop to 3 ft and it will not split, it prevents seals from drying out AND its actually made from PAG so it cannot contaminate anything. The best part is that this lifetime supply was special ordered for me by a local AC distributor for a whopping $6.45.

                          Can you spell "DUHH"
                          Seat Shocks....I have passed the baton to John Christy from Ninestitch. Email John or Garrett at ninestitch1@gmail.com

                          https://www.r3vlimited.com/board/sho...86#post4944786
                          Alice the Time Capsule
                          http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=360504
                          87 Zinno Cabrio barn find 98k and still smells like a barn. Build thread http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/show...20#post3455220

                          Comment


                            The last phase of the install involved mounting the compressor and adapting the hoses. As mentioned earlier, I bought the APG adaptor kit via Amazon. Being that Air Products Group is here in NC I gave them a call and was told that PCI, who is the mfg of the brackets, was bought out and that they were no longer making these brackets. The kit included 2 belts (the compressor is double grooved but obviously my crank pulley only needed one), the mounting bracket, 4 barbed hose adapters (which are not recommended for barrier hose) and an assortment of nuts, bolts and washers.

                            The kit


                            Here is the new mounting bracket installed



                            The rest of the compressor install was without incident until I got to the hoses. I wound up pivoting both oil cooler lines approximately 45 degrees (from 6 to 430) and then took the car to the local hose shop for the custom mods. By having them take the measurements and mark the hoses for rotation, it was on them to make it fit...and it did


                            The suction line was way too close to the exhaust manifold so I grabbed a length of DEI heat Shroud from a local tuner.


                            Not only is this stuff rated to 2000 degrees for insulation, but is designed to reflect much of the radiant heat and have a velcro strip so you can install it with everything already in place. Not cheap, but effective and it does have the cool factor
                            Seat Shocks....I have passed the baton to John Christy from Ninestitch. Email John or Garrett at ninestitch1@gmail.com

                            https://www.r3vlimited.com/board/sho...86#post4944786
                            Alice the Time Capsule
                            http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=360504
                            87 Zinno Cabrio barn find 98k and still smells like a barn. Build thread http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/show...20#post3455220

                            Comment


                              Of course these were installed. Unfortunately, the low pressure switch was NLA from BMW and was back ordered every where else so after testing the4 old one with a VOM and pressure gauge I decided it was ok to re use.



                              At this point I am all buttoned up and I know the aux fan works...and the temperature is in the high 80's to low 90s and humidity is 70-90%.

                              I know I'm missing something
                              Seat Shocks....I have passed the baton to John Christy from Ninestitch. Email John or Garrett at ninestitch1@gmail.com

                              https://www.r3vlimited.com/board/sho...86#post4944786
                              Alice the Time Capsule
                              http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=360504
                              87 Zinno Cabrio barn find 98k and still smells like a barn. Build thread http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/show...20#post3455220

                              Comment


                                I knew I need 2 plus cans of r134a and all the local suppliers wanted at least $10+/can. Given that my coupe needs a recharge I just grabbed a case from Amazon for $59 delivered. The vacuum pump looks identical to the one HF sells for $89+tax but I am addicted to one click shopping and 2 day delivery from Amazon Prime so I paid $113 for a 3CFM single stage pump. The manifold is from HF and with the coupon I had it was $45. The valve was $8 also from Amazon

                                Basically, for $225 I can service, diagnose & recharge all 4 of my e30's for the cost of taking one somewhere else for a vac and charge. Behr driers are $13 from autohausaz


                                Time to charge that puppy
                                Seat Shocks....I have passed the baton to John Christy from Ninestitch. Email John or Garrett at ninestitch1@gmail.com

                                https://www.r3vlimited.com/board/sho...86#post4944786
                                Alice the Time Capsule
                                http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=360504
                                87 Zinno Cabrio barn find 98k and still smells like a barn. Build thread http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/show...20#post3455220

                                Comment

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