My Build Thread, this is it

[AbsorbantNut]

This is going to be very disorganized in the beginning mainly because its taken from bimmerforums and its hard to weed out the essence of the thread itself, so I just took a bunch of it and pasted it here. Hopefully you guys/girl(i think its only e30grl) can help me out:).

I joined bimmerforums way back in 09(2 years, big woop) and finally decided to make a r3v account after lurking for forever. On to the thread!

This is where it starts

Well i went through quite the adventure to get this. It started out as a $300 ad posted on here which i quickly pursued. It happened to be in Tallahassee, FLorida, whereas i was in South FLorids...But luckily i know some people that know some people

So I ended up bringing it to Micanopy and left it there for a month with some close friends. Then we attemped to bring it all the way home and 10 miles out, the right rear wheel hub is overheating. So we bring it back and it sits for even longer. Then eventually we get out friend with a full bed trailer to tow it down and it arrives in all of its glory. Now i have 2 e30s, one vert and one coupe

So far i have managed to deal with some electrical problems


yes, thats what happened when i touched the thing, it fell apart! Hence my starting/accesories problems...

I have figured out part of the problem why the rear wheels drag..

If you look between the hub and caliper you can see part of the brake pad that broke off and wedged itself in there, creating a doublestuffed oreo with the other half of the pad

But onto the actual pictures of the car!



the trashbag was there because of the ignition switch problem not allowing me to close the window








front end removed for tow bar setup. Yes it has the bumper and sweet IS valance




My baller wood hood shock




this is to get rid of the rust in the rear, I think JB weld would hold it


and would somebody please tell me what radio this is? Yes it is BMW

And this all came with ton of spare parts!

*flame suit on*

UPDATE
Well now that the car is turning over and getting spark, i decided to see whats going on with fuel so i disconnected the fuel line going to the fuel rail and it was bone dry

SO then I go back to the fuel filter and disconnect a ball thingy next to it, that had fuel, or so i thought, it just turned out to be old rancid fuel. So next the filter came off and dry again!. so i pointed the line going to the filter into a bucket and tried to start the car. Im not an idiot, i just wanted to see if fuel would come out, but sadly, nothing. Yes there is fuel in the tank, i put in 5 gallons last night.

So does anybody have an idea of what might be going on? and might i say that when i got the car, the lower back seat was resting in place, so i assume this isnt a new problem...AM i sh*t out of luck and its the fuel filter or is there some magical relay that seems to go out and cause this?

And what do i do about the radio? anybody know what it is?


UPDATE

ok, so i managed to squeeze out the radio, man that thing was in there tight! I wasnt able to get any pictures because its too dark outside but it looks like two yellow wires on the harness on the radio are disconnected, maybe causing my problems?

Heres what it said on the stamp/sticker on the radio:
BMW model CM5804
FCC IC :/\ 269ZUA027
Made in Japan
yada, yada, yada about amperage and stuff
Alpine Electronics Inc.

then on a metal plate on the rear it said:
40237214 A


anybody have an idea of what this is?

Another Update

Quote:
Originally Posted by djb2
Which radio?

The connectors should work, if you get the part of the harness that substitutes for the external fader control.


CM5804
Early e30 radio built by Alpine Electronics
AM/FM/Cassette, Dolby, no weather band or anti-theft
Bass and Treble sliders under volume knob on the left
Center cassette door over the display.
Mechanical FF and rewind buttons to left of door
One row of 5 preset buttons under the display
Function buttons, including Dolby button, on the right.
Yellow and white power pigtail w/ 2 pin Molex connector, antenna pigtail

This ones mine ^^^^

CM5905 or CM5907
Common on e30 models, built by Alpine Electronics
CM5907 had weather band
Single knob (for volume), Sliders for treble and bass
Two rows of five buttons
Two speaker outputs, left and right, used with fader control on dash
Premium system had the fader feed the rear amplifier
Yellow and white power pigtail w/ 2 pin Molex connector, others plug in



CM5908 Alpine w/ infrared slot, 89-93 e30
Four speaker outputs, no fader control on dash.
Yellow and white power pigtail w/ 2 pin Molex connector
White/brown and Blue/brown second pigtail.
Cable 1-388-934 converts rear speaker outputs to 8 pin fader control connector
CD changer control with 13 pin round DIN socket in rear
CD control socket has 3x4 array, plus 1 opposite key
Works with TR1000, TR1600 and TR1008 (6, 6 and 12 disc) changers
BMW-specific data cable, NLA



Pioneer (KE83ZBM) with the +/- (mode) in lower right corner
Single volume knob on left side, two paddle levers
Weather band button, six presets in two rows
CD changer control
reported on 4/89 production 325i

[AbsorbantNut]

figured it out

any ideas on why it wont change functions? theres a tape stuck in it so could it be stuck in tape mode?

SOOOO, i checked fuel pump voltage and coming out of the two pronged wire connection, im getting 8.8 volts, is that normal? Yes i searched but couldnt find anything

Update

Pulled the tapedeck and removed the tape. That thing was jammed in there! Now it goes to fm/am functions, yeah! But there seems to be no sound....All i hear is a pop from the speakers whenever I turn the radio on.

UPDATE

SO i get a "new" used fuel pump(both of them) and sender. Im pretty happy about it, and they look in great condition! Ill have to upload comparison pics. And the junkyard tested them out for me and showed me how to check them. I think they love me

And, i stitched up my seats some, they look so purtyy. Pics to come!

EDIT

I was able to dissassemble my oldfuel pump sending unit(the tube thing with three prongs, i think it measures the amount of fuel in the tank). Well i figured out why it didn't make that click then you turn it 180*, it had a bunch of gunk in it! So I cleaned it up, got rid of the gunk with a tooth brush and some very small picks, and it sounds good as new! So, now i have two working ones, anybody want one? How much do these normally go for anyways?

And I drained the tank, and keep stirring in new gas and re draining it. At first, it looked like maple syrup! Its getting better though, I'm going to let some more sit in their tonite and then drain it tomorrow and see if i can put everything back in and get it to start! But, i have finals to take, so that might have to wait. WIsh me luck!


UPDATE

Got it running!! I changed out both fuel pumps with my working ones and installed my "refinished" sending unit. After about 10 cranks, the fuel got up to the rail and bam! Now that i know it runs, time to tear it apart. Timing belt comes first because i have a spare one, and I'm going to do plugs and fuel filter for basic matinence.

Q&A::::::
Is the tensioner completely nessecary to replace, or could i scrape by for a while?

OH, forgot about this. Seems to be a bunch of.....crap in my fuel tank. I have flushed it and drained it and its coming out, but is there any solvent i could put in there to break up the varnish or rust if there is any(i hope not)?

Does seafoam work, or is it just snake oil?

Can i patch up the intake boot with some silicone until i can get one from the junkyard?

Any other reccomended items to change? I dont think this thing has started in 5 years, or more, so got some advice, cause I'd love to hear it!

And i have a working fuel sending unit(tube thing that shows how much gas is in the tank) for sale, anybody want to buy it?

I'm definitly going to check all the hoses, i have a little coolant leak i need to track down, so while doing the timing belt, they are going under the knife. Oil change is a must and will be done before i get it on the road.

As of now, the slave cylinder is uninstalled and it seems to be empty on brake fluid, which to my understanding is also the fluid to move the clutch. SOrry if I sound like a total fool, but its my first 5 speed And the clutch sensor switch is out, so i guess thats why i can start it without depressing the clutch... But the trannys bad, 4th and 5th gear dont work. But lucky for me, i have a whole 5 speed swap package that i got for my vert to replace stuff with!

As far as teh brakes go, i think im going to take the calipers off, and just give them a thourough cleaning, dissassemle them, lube them up, and reinstall. But thanks for all the tips, your a huge help!

UPDATE

took out the spark plugs and cleaned them and sounds like its running stronger.

Quote:
Originally Posted by 6inarow
that is one rough e30. how is the rust? i thought my wifes 318is was bad. good luck, take pics. should be nice in what? a week? lol

Rust is actually not so bad. From what i see on the underside of the car, theres a sprinkle under the drivers gas pedal, some on the rear of the rocker panel. Some that destroyed half of the wheel well fender line, which is going to take all of my non-existent bodywork skills to get rid of. And the mufflers rotted out, but thats not that bad. OH! The rear end has a slice down the middle sorta from rust, so in my first pictures you can see a rear end. Im going to have it welded in, because the rear on the car is totally gone.


And, yeah, it should be much better in a week. And thats when I'll start the tranny swap. Getting the motor running was a piece of cake, but this?

Wish me luck!

UPDATE

Reinstalled the drivers seat, but before i did i cleaned and regreased the rails and the front thigh support screw thing, works like a charm now!

UPDATE

Took off all the coolant hoses after draining the coolant. ran water through them, let the soak in a bucket to dislodge some of the gunk inside, and ran water again. Then i Shot the hose into the thermostat and damn! It was raining orange soda

After about 3 minutes of putting water in every hole a hose went into and spraying down the engine bay, clean looking water flows out. So the timing belt will be done over the weekend, and then i think im going to reassemble it and let it run for an hour with some radiator cleaner/flush in the system. Then I will progress to the Transmission.

FOR SALE

I also have a bunch of things i need to get rid of that came with the car to get more cash to fund this project. Heres what i can recall off the top of my head:

Drivers/passenger glass
Leather rear tan backseat coupe model
Tan door pulls for driver and passenger and the little cards that go behind the seat
A manual drive shaft
5 speed SHift linkage
Old leather shift boot
1 destroyed shift knob

Please take these things off my hands and fund me!!

THis can be a picture update and recap on some things!


Heres the driver's side seat bolster while its undergoing surgery


After! Not a beauty queen, but better for sure


Driver's side lower bolster before


After, surprisingly the only leather missing was that one little chunk


My bypass of that little rusty ball thingy from the filter to the rail


Yay! looks like no rust


Ditto over here!


Any way i can get the color back in this part of the rear seat?


Found this little guy under the back seat. He kept my company while i swapped fuel pumps

[AbsorbantNut]

Oh my geeze, whats this kid doin


One wheel done!


Front side shot


passenger side going up


Shes riding on little blocks of sunshine woooah oooaah


Check that stance. Mad Lift brah. iPod touch for comparison

So basically thats what i got accomplished today, regarding getting the thing up in the air. Pictures before are things I took pictures of but never put them up on here. And finals are over! aka schools out for summer! So can anybody say transmission swap in a driveway


UPDATE 6/4
so, i started on getting the exhaust out while i was trying to do the timing belt. Well, i managed to get 1 bolt off of the downpipes. But now I'm stuck. So, I'm hoping you guys will have some magical easy way to do it, like a special chant or dance?

And while trying to do the timing belt, it seems that the alternator bolt is frozen. Not on the adjustable arm, but on the pivot point where it attaches to the block, and i cant seem to get that off, and in the procces, i stripped the adjustable arms teeth

Need a good method for freezing frozen bolts, thanks!

BUMP

So I decided to get my dad to help me with those exhaust downpipe bolts, and within 5 minutes he had 4 off. Combined with the one I managed to get off myself, there is one left. I stripped it a little bit so the 14 deep socket wont quite fit, and i can't get anoter socket to fit so i bought an extractor kit and soon it will be out. Most likely tomorrow, and after that the tranny comes out!

Also, i found out that it had a green label tranny. Do i need to replace it with another green label tranny or will any work?

Thanks guys

UPDATE

So, I managed to finally get the exhaust off, which took forever!(but like 3 days total) and i bought an e muffler for super cheap, so im just going to get that welded on, because this is all about the budget. Ill have to get some pics up later of what the ole muffler looked like! It looked like someone beat it with a baseball bat

The timing belt has been changed and today im cleaning the pulleys and painting them, and trying to remove some of the rust on them. All of the transmission bolts have been removed and I have the tranny propped up on blocks of wood while I wait for Monday to come. On Monday I will recieve a transmission jack and will be able to completely remove it

Thats about brings you guys up to date!

UPDATE

Got the transmission off! And now thats it's off, I've started cleaning the belly of this beast and getting rid of some rust. I took off the passenger fender and am getting rid of the rust, not as bad as it looked. All of it was mainly on the fender thankfully and not on the body. There was a little on the body though, but nothing a bunch of wire brushing and paint cant fix!

So drivers side fender comes off next and then I'm going to start worrying about the transmission.

Also, i put the 2nd master cylinder (clutch one) and got all the pedals in and moving correctly.

Pics of all this will come in a couple days, I need to upload them.

Do any of you guys have a SSK on here that want to share comments?
what would be the cheapest, most effective one to get?Do i need to bend the selector rod?


Thanks!
Jason


UPDATE

Got the driver side fender off, and the front metal valance, both bave had the rust removed and been touched up in those spots with rustoleum.

Should get her running soon!

And tips on aligning the splines in the transmission?

UPDATE

So I cleaned up the transmission and should be ordering a z4 shifter lever soon. Getting a quote from the junkyard later for it. Also got around to taking some pictures!

[AbsorbantNut]

UPDATE

Z4 shift lever ordered and coming wednesday along with the new bushings for it After that, its all going back in!

ALso, can I fill up the tranny with fluid before it goes in? THanks

Well, I've decided to leave the flywheel, PP, and clutch in to reduce my chances of screwing up. And to hasten my progress, its not like this is agonizingly slow for me or anything I have started to look at shaving some pounds off the flywheel though, and that would require me to do all of the work mentioned above...which I'm kind of iffy on. I have a spare clutch, flywheel, and pp from a 5 speed swap i bought which I'm basically using on this car.

What are your opinions? Should i do the deed and get it out of the way? How much would a show run me to lighten/balance the flywheel?

UPDATE
z4 shifter set up arriving thursday, but the above problems have me hung up on what to do.

Well i got the new shifter cup but the shifter rod has to be ordered by bmw from germany, so thats coming tuesday. Great

EDIT
so i have two shift carrier arms, or three actually, but two of them are different. The first one looks like this, its the part on the bottom. See how its got that bend?


Then i have two more like this one:

Not sure if you can see it, but its straight all the way across. Which one do i use for the z4 rod swap? Help would be appreciated

So I took some photos so you can see what I'm talking about better.

Heres the shift arms. I have two like the one on the left, and one like the one on the right. Anybody want one? Ill give you a deal.


Heres the two carrier arms on top of each other. The holes line up the same, but the middle length is positioned differently.


Heres a side by side shot of the two. I only got around to cleaning the left one.


Heres the only part that has arrives for my homemake SSK




Now can you guys/girls tell me which carrier arm i put it into? Thanks

Now hopefully you guys/girl on r3v can tell me what to do:)

[AbsorbantNut]

Anybody want to share which arm to use?