Emergency fixes and band aids.

[Ether-D]

Well, you people know I love this thread. I particularly love the paper-cup-pouring-gas-straight-into-the-carb-all-the-way-home trick. Best thread ever.

[estoguy]

Not on my E30, but on my MkIV Jetta, both side mirror pivots broke - my GF at the time had a very narrow driveway between her house and the neighbour. Was tough to navigate even with a small car.

I used two long shoe laces and the lashing skills I learned in boy scouts, and they held up fine for three months until some asshat crashed into me and wrote off the car. They were still firmly attached when they came to pick up the car. LOL

[anabolice30]

Sorry for noob question, but what does the zip tie do?

[Exodus_2pt0]

Keeps the valve up and seated in the head, also keeps tension on the spring retainers so they don't pop out. If we didn't take the pushrod out, the constant smacking with lack of spring tension could have caused the retainers to come out, and the valve would drop right into the piston. Would have been the end of the line.

Also pulled the other pushrod and let the good spring hold it all up and in place.

ETA: both the inner and outer springs were broken. When he pulled the cover, the valve was already sagging. It wasn't a good situation at all. Very lucky it didn't kiss a piston and not seat anymore.

[Coupelx]

Several years ago i had an 86 moostang with a little 2.3 turbo in it. I popped the headgasket on the highway racing a mazda speed something or other. It let go between the 2 center cylinders (common on those boat anchors) I unplugged the 2 center injectors and drove that bitch 70 miles home on 2 cylinders. still managed about 55mph too.