Do all at once or in stages?

[bstarr3]

Three projects pending for my 91 318i: Timing refresh, electric fan, mess under intake. My fan clutch is shot and I rely on my aux fan to cool the engine, which is fine usually, but I want a new fan in there. I know, though, that having no fan on at all would make the timing job easier. I also want to clean up a few small vacuum leaks and do the mess under intake delete while I'm at it. So, would these projects be best done together (two of them together, all of them together?) or would it be fine to do one at a time?

Caveat: this is my dd. I pretty much only have time to work on it on the weekends. I am a novice mechanic and need to keep my projects doable with the car buttoned back up and ready to run by monday morning.

What do you guys think?

[Massimo]

Depends on what you mean by timing. If you mean taking the whole front off the change the chain and rails then one day for that if you have never done it before. Aux fan and mess under the intake could be done in a day.

[bstarr3]

Yeah. I'm talking about taking off the timing cases and replacing sprockets chain and chain guides (razor sharp sprocket teeth right now)

I'd like to work on everything in one weekend if its feasible to do it all as one big project. Sounds like it should be.

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[Massimo]

yeh if you a reasonably compitent should be no problems the hardest part will be getting the harmonic balancer bolt off that shit is tight.

[bwawuz02]

yeh if you a reasonably compitent should be no problems the hardest part will be getting the harmonic balancer bolt off that shit is tight.

breaker bar + 6 foot pipe (like the one from a floor jack) will have it loose in no time ;) leverage is your friend

Considering you called yourself a novice mechanic, I would say that the timing stuff can be a pretty involved job and not one that you want to rush thru. Start there and if you have time left when that is done then start on the others.

[Massimo]

^
How did you lock down you engine? I used the locking pin plus 5th gear and someone standing on the breaks?

[Ryann]

I'd do the timing components and the e-fan together. Working up front is a lot easier with the fan shroud and radiator pulled.

[kwill22]

^^^tis true. the shroud and radiator use like a foot of space. i was amazed when i did my head gasket. (had to replace radiator also) and its simple to remove. like 5 minutes including draining it.