Lets list speciality tools that make work easier on the E30

[noid]

Not really a tool (unless you consider oil a tool), but it does work for reducing "getrag rattle".

I was able to find GL-4 heavy weight transmission oil.

The idea is that you mix one part 75w80 (or similar) and one part heavy weight oil like 75w-140 or 85w-140.

http://www.uucmotorwerks.com/html_techtip/techtips/tranny_rattle.htm

All the oils I could find in NA seemed to find were GL-5 "compatibe" for applications calling for GL-4 or a fixed weight. Although there may be some compatibility, the composition of the grades is fundamentally different and really wasn't designed to be backwards compatible:

http://www.widman.biz/uploads/Transaxle_oil.pdf

I was able to find this oil from Europe which is exclusively rated gl-4 and for manual transmissions:

http://www.eurol.com/en/37-products/1153-eurol-mpg-ep-sae-85w-140-gl4.html

Which I was able to order from amazon.de from a seller who ships internationally:

http://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B0190PBVPS?ref_=pe_386171_37038021_TE_3p_dp_1

I got a 5L instead of a 4L, nice 1L bonus!

[Northern]

50/50 mix of acetone and ATF in a chemical wash bottle to use as penetrating fluid. Dirt cheap, and works way better than the shitty canned stuff.

[Dagamus(NM)]

This thread is great. Well, not for my wallet.

[noid]

Finally have the E30 out for the summer, the eurol 85w-140 GL-4 mixed with redline MTL GL-4 (50:50) worked like a charm. Gearbox is significantly more quite, no more getrag rattle. Even the fiancee was asking why my car sounded quieter.

The 85w-140 is bright green and comes out like molasses, I advise premixing it with the MTL before pouring it down the funnel to make it flow faster.

[estoguy]

For the waterpump nut:


A bicycle headset wrench.

I was having a hard time finding one... I just bought a cheap 32mm combination wrench from Princess Auto... no problems. Even an UltraPro 32mm will fit, at least on an Eta anyway.

[estoguy]

A couple more I will add for today:

Tool for making control arm bushing installation and removal a 10 min job.

The shorter looking device removes the control arm bushing lollipop from the control arm, and the other one presses it back on.



Technique for reconnecting the rear shocks and sway bar links: put the wheels back on and lower the car slowly, at a certain level the extended disconnected shock and trailing arm shock hole will align (same with the sway bar link). Remember to always hand thread before doing final tightening, if you cant hand thread it in, that means you need to go up or down a little.

No need to use the jack under the trailing arm, or try to compress the shock.

Those are nice tools... but I found a 3 jaw puller worked fine on getting the lollipops off. I got the M3 solid centered rubber bushings and to put them on, I just lubricated with a bit of glass cleaner and used a mallet. Took seconds.

[sonomabimmers]

Finally have the E30 out for the summer, the eurol 85w-140 GL-4 mixed with redline MTL GL-4 (50:50) worked like a charm. Gearbox is significantly more quite, no more getrag rattle. Even the fiancee was asking why my car sounded quieter.

The 85w-140 is bright green and comes out like molasses, I advise premixing it with the MTL before pouring it down the funnel to make it flow faster.

filling the tranny from atop the car my god genius.

[noid]

Those are nice tools... but I found a 3 jaw puller worked fine on getting the lollipops off. I got the M3 solid centered rubber bushings and to put them on, I just lubricated with a bit of glass cleaner and used a mallet. Took seconds.

Sure if they are nice to you, before I had this tool, the 3 jaw puller would just stretch the rubber around until it either fell off or ripped the rubber from the inside metal bushing; then you have to use a cut off wheel. Same with putting them back on, if its a tight fit, a mallet wont work.

[jpod999]

I just ordered one of those ford axle pullers from ebay as I am going to be putting my rear subframe back together soon. Thanks for the awesome thread!

[Kershaw]

filling the tranny from atop the car my god genius.

Autozone/Advance Auto sell a hand pump that screws right on to the top of the oil containers and you pump it right in. Very easy.

[sonomabimmers]

Autozone/Advance Auto sell a hand pump that screws right on to the top of the oil containers and you pump it right in. Very easy.

Noted thanks

[sonomabimmers]

A note of caution with those plastic Sta-Lube pumps that screw into the oil bottles...at one time they came with a little plastic fitting on the end of the hose, with spring fingers to keep the hose from flopping out of the filler hole. I was filling an MGA tranny and managed to push the fitting in past the fingers...and couldn't get it back out! My only recourse was to yank on the tube until the fitting fell off inside the tranny. I figured a little plastic thing couldn't cause much harm...well you wouldn't believe the amount of extruded plastic ended up impacted in the gears!

I actually have one of those pumps but I switched the filler hose with some 8x13 I think Bmw fuel hose a had around with a hose clamp no more plastic piece. I was talkin about slippin the filler hose the the shifter from inside the car like in his pic. Cool idea

[PKile]

A note of caution with those plastic Sta-Lube pumps that screw into the oil bottles...at one time they came with a little plastic fitting on the end of the hose, with spring fingers to keep the hose from flopping out of the filler hole. I was filling an MGA tranny and managed to push the fitting in past the fingers...and couldn't get it back out! My only recourse was to yank on the tube until the fitting fell off inside the tranny. I figured a little plastic thing couldn't cause much harm...well you wouldn't believe the amount of extruded plastic ended up impacted in the gears!