Undercarriage work – a lot of ‘first time’ stuff for me. (‘91 is w/ m42)
From transmission to rear of car:
nearing completion of SSK installation, transmission mounts and rear seals, suspension bushings/mounts, LSD install, springs, shocks, flex disk, CSB, brake hoses and general cleanup.
Area in front of gearbox soon to be worked on:
M3 CABs, springs, strut cartridges, suspension bushings, control arms, tie rods, all coolant hoses, t-stat/& gaskets, brake hoses, new power steering fluid reservoir, upper/lower oil pan gaskets, and motor mounts.
Fishing for feedback regarding plan of procedure/strategy for front end work.. lots of articles on each, individual item, many of which I’m tackling at the same time. Want to get an overall procedure worked out before starting. Car has been in shop for year+ with full tank of stabilized fuel. PO provided service records indicating timing chain/tensioner/water pump stuff done w/in last 20K miles. Exhaust removed from manifold back.
Things I assume at this time:
Top shock mount nut is best loosened with full weight of car on suspension/wheels.
Motor may be jacked up [with caution] by oil pan. Mind open hood to prevent denting. Remove fan shroud for clearance.
Motor needs to jacked up for motor mount (and upper oil pan gasket?) replacement.
Front subframe should be removed to make control arm replacement easier. This would also make motor mount swap simpler.
Sway bar bushing fasteners are to be torqued down with weight on wheels/suspension.
CABs are done last and must have ~24 hrs of rest with weight on wheels/suspension while installation lubricant (laundry soap/lithium grease) on control arm dissipates.
dead-blow hammer and propane torch will be handy.
So far, I’m like:
1. Car on wheels – loosen top shock mounting nut
2. Support car on jack stands
3. Remove wheels
4. Remove shroudings
5. Drain coolant, power steering fluid, and motor oil
6. Remove main radiator hoses
7. Remove suspension components and brakes
8. Support motor and remove front subframe
9. Replace motor mounts and subframe
10. Replace both oil pan gaskets - ?
11. Replace t-stat/gaskets, coolant hoses, and fluid
12. Replace power steering fluid reservoir and fluid (ATF)
13. Replace oil and filter
14. Replace suspension and brakes
15. Flush/bleed brakes
16. Replace wheels
17. Replace air filter
18. Replace old exhaust (rusty. barely holds together)
19. Run motor to bleed coolant system
20. Take to shop for alignment
21. ‘Seafoam’ treat: fuel tank, crankcase, and ‘hot-soak injector’ trick
22. Drive for ~300 miles or whatever nearly drains it’s full, stabilized, fuel tank
23. While tank is low on fuel, replace fuel filter and any decaying fuel hoses
24. Drain and replace oil and filter
25. Replace exhaust with new DEC cat, OEM O2 sensor, and Supersprint cat-back system
26. Replace spark plugs
27. Drive.
I want to replace spark plugs and fresh exhaust components after doing a Seafoam treatment in case any theoretical ‘soot’ is to blown through. I also don’t want to put more than 300-ish miles on the motor with any Seafoam in it. Oil and filter will be changed after the short ‘treatment period’.
I’m hazy on how to replace upper oil pan gasket in particular. Does the motor get jacked up by an internal support member after lower oil pan has been removed? Or does is only require to have steering rack removed to the side? I see that torque specs on oil pan bolts are 7-8 ft/lbs – I take it this is an area prone to problems if any of these are overzealously tightened. High caution? – Shit, that’s gotta be frustrating since one would want to crank ‘em down in attempt of leak prevention.
When installing front Bilstein Sport strut carts, is there some $2 tool needed in order to adequately torque threaded collar nut down? Do pipe wrenches and red loc-tite suffice?
Tips, tricks, ‘while I’m at it’ items, and advice appreciated.
.
From transmission to rear of car:
nearing completion of SSK installation, transmission mounts and rear seals, suspension bushings/mounts, LSD install, springs, shocks, flex disk, CSB, brake hoses and general cleanup.
Area in front of gearbox soon to be worked on:
M3 CABs, springs, strut cartridges, suspension bushings, control arms, tie rods, all coolant hoses, t-stat/& gaskets, brake hoses, new power steering fluid reservoir, upper/lower oil pan gaskets, and motor mounts.
Fishing for feedback regarding plan of procedure/strategy for front end work.. lots of articles on each, individual item, many of which I’m tackling at the same time. Want to get an overall procedure worked out before starting. Car has been in shop for year+ with full tank of stabilized fuel. PO provided service records indicating timing chain/tensioner/water pump stuff done w/in last 20K miles. Exhaust removed from manifold back.
Things I assume at this time:
Top shock mount nut is best loosened with full weight of car on suspension/wheels.
Motor may be jacked up [with caution] by oil pan. Mind open hood to prevent denting. Remove fan shroud for clearance.
Motor needs to jacked up for motor mount (and upper oil pan gasket?) replacement.
Front subframe should be removed to make control arm replacement easier. This would also make motor mount swap simpler.
Sway bar bushing fasteners are to be torqued down with weight on wheels/suspension.
CABs are done last and must have ~24 hrs of rest with weight on wheels/suspension while installation lubricant (laundry soap/lithium grease) on control arm dissipates.
dead-blow hammer and propane torch will be handy.
So far, I’m like:
1. Car on wheels – loosen top shock mounting nut
2. Support car on jack stands
3. Remove wheels
4. Remove shroudings
5. Drain coolant, power steering fluid, and motor oil
6. Remove main radiator hoses
7. Remove suspension components and brakes
8. Support motor and remove front subframe
9. Replace motor mounts and subframe
10. Replace both oil pan gaskets - ?
11. Replace t-stat/gaskets, coolant hoses, and fluid
12. Replace power steering fluid reservoir and fluid (ATF)
13. Replace oil and filter
14. Replace suspension and brakes
15. Flush/bleed brakes
16. Replace wheels
17. Replace air filter
18. Replace old exhaust (rusty. barely holds together)
19. Run motor to bleed coolant system
20. Take to shop for alignment
21. ‘Seafoam’ treat: fuel tank, crankcase, and ‘hot-soak injector’ trick
22. Drive for ~300 miles or whatever nearly drains it’s full, stabilized, fuel tank
23. While tank is low on fuel, replace fuel filter and any decaying fuel hoses
24. Drain and replace oil and filter
25. Replace exhaust with new DEC cat, OEM O2 sensor, and Supersprint cat-back system
26. Replace spark plugs
27. Drive.
I want to replace spark plugs and fresh exhaust components after doing a Seafoam treatment in case any theoretical ‘soot’ is to blown through. I also don’t want to put more than 300-ish miles on the motor with any Seafoam in it. Oil and filter will be changed after the short ‘treatment period’.
I’m hazy on how to replace upper oil pan gasket in particular. Does the motor get jacked up by an internal support member after lower oil pan has been removed? Or does is only require to have steering rack removed to the side? I see that torque specs on oil pan bolts are 7-8 ft/lbs – I take it this is an area prone to problems if any of these are overzealously tightened. High caution? – Shit, that’s gotta be frustrating since one would want to crank ‘em down in attempt of leak prevention.
When installing front Bilstein Sport strut carts, is there some $2 tool needed in order to adequately torque threaded collar nut down? Do pipe wrenches and red loc-tite suffice?
Tips, tricks, ‘while I’m at it’ items, and advice appreciated.
.
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