New guy

[Aviator]

Awesome! Looks like a MT plate there, I'm in Great Falls and Havre all the time. Looks so much better than mine when I first bought it.

[LateFan]

Weekend Update



Got the motor buttoned back up again - all new rubber everything & anything, except for power steering and AC hoses.

Starts right up, which is nice, runs smooth, new injectors by MEPEH are great.....still a couple of idle cycling issues. There was a huge leak at the valve cover plugs - we'll do the smoke test again and find the problem. ICV tests out correctly per the book and advice here, but...sure sounds like a bad ICV cycling, or like every 3 seconds a switch is shutting off the engine for a microsecond.

Maybe related - when you rev the engine and drop the throttle, it acts like it's just going to shut off, then it catches itself at about 500 rpm and bumps back up to idle.

Tucked both bumpers, lost the big IS spoiler. Have a used euro lip coming from a r3v member.



Safari height..


Also, a used H&R spring set is on the way from a member. Thanks r3v!

This is lurking on the other side of the garage....neglected. He's getting new suspension, rear axle, rebuilt calipers, master cyl and hoses. Fuel lines, rebuilt carbs (if I can figure them out), and it looks like he needs a rear main seal. Off the road since he was painted in 2005.

[NeedaE30]

I bought a '69 Bronco with a worn out 289 and learned from scratch and leaned on all the neighborhood car guys who I think were sick of me and my questions!

They probably loved answering your questions. honestly

nice car, good luck!

[thatphysicsguy]

ah good thinking on the trans swap, it definitely heightens the driving experience.

I figure a poke around with a feeler gauge wouldn't hurt, you never know if the previous tech forgot it or not.

[LateFan]

Adjustment even with only 5k on a new head? It's pretty quiet and I thought I'd just leave it for now. It would be good practice, though.

Stock for the near future. He has less experience in a RWD (you get spoiled by quattro handling in the snow!) so he'll get used to it as is. And the better mileage is good for the budget. We may spend our money on a manual swap first.

[thatphysicsguy]

good progress so far! Keep it up.

while you're in there, do a valve adjustment it's just a good habit to get into whenever the VC is off.

Do you plan on upgrading the motor at all?

[LateFan]

Bumpers tucked!

Tucked the rear bumper tonight. Fun! As in the bumpers bumpers bumpers thread, you get a jet of high pressure gas when the drill bit breaks through, then when you pull the bit out you get a blast of really stinky clear blue hydraulic fluid of some kind. A bit like ghostbusters, sprays everywhere. The garage stinks - do this outside!

Before...



After...



We sent the injectors off to get refurbished, and tomorrow we're replacing all the cooling and remaining vacuum hoses, as well as the fuel lines down underneath the intake side. While it's apart, we'll put in the new waterpump and flush everything. Also need to test the cold start injector to see if it's leaking.

Pretty clean head - but then it was replaced two years ago and only has 5000 miles on it. Valve cover gasket was just jetting air when we did a smoke test. Mostly through those rocker shaft rubber blocks.

[LateFan]

Can I just thank people like Jim Levie on r3v right here? All my questions above are still out there, but his careful explanations and tests here...

http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=290581&highlight=air+leak+fuel

.. are really what we should be doing. It will take a while to go through it all, and some is outside my experience level, but this is a great list.

I just hate throwing money at expensive senders and sensors without knowing what's actually wrong. And so frustrating to not know which thing you did fixed it.

[LateFan]

Well, we're making some progress and having some fun, but also getting a bit frustrated. Have changed 02 sensor, Vac hoses, intake boot, o/a/f filters, oil. Cleaned intake and MAF, cleaned ICV. Half tank old gas, half new, with a bottle of seafoam. I have a cooling hose kit and Graf water pump coming from Blunttech. Fuel hoses look terrible and we'll replace those.

The vac hoses were hard and crumbled apart. The intake boot looked like someone had tried to goop cracks, and it split in half when we pulled it off. We did the PCV and ICV hoses, but I assume there are some other leaks somewhere.

It ran fine yesterday, then stumbled and sputtered and wouldn't re-start hot. Flooded. Starter spun really fast, gas smell. I wondered if the cold start valve might be bad if it's so rich. Pulled the connector and it started. That might be total coincidence. Maybe it had cooled down by then.

It also has odd idle issues and eventually when warm does the low-high idle. The ICV seems to be working (I unplugged it when idling and it shot up). I cleaned it well, it rattles, and it buzzes correctly. Just bought a multimeter and have to learn how to use it.

It sounds like I need to do a smoke test to really solve the leaks, but I am also suspecting the throttle position switch from everything I've read. Runs perfectly at mid-throttle, idles badly, or stumbles when you drop the throttle.

Could I have 2 problems overlapping? Air leak making the mixture too rich, and idle control problem from the ICV or TPS? Leaking injector? Fuel pressure relay?

Starts with lots of sputtering and black fuel smoke. Missing some now as well. Have not pulled the plugs yet to check - so many basics to do first.

We did wash the engine yesterday, but after it was doing all this. Looks nice but if it won't run who cares!

[LateFan]

The only downside is getting that phone call from a far away state where he's stuck in an intersection blocking traffic and needs you to solve the problem on the phone!

"..uhhh....ummm....I never said I knew what I was doing!"

[Joerdan23TN]

Congrats on finally finding a car you can settle with and Bravo for your sons interest. I credit my father for my original car interest and took it to the next level. He know calls me for different car related advise. Love the continuation of e30 enthusiasm being passed on to new generations.

[ky0u]

Welcome! Nice find. ES engines make a good foundation if you guys plan to build it in the future.

[evandael]

awesome dad is awesome. i credit my father with my obsession.. thanks dad! haha.


good luck with the little fixes!

[gettinscurvy]

I like your vision for the car and you can't beat $500!

[LateFan]

My dad was not a car guy at all... air filters, maybe... but he was a great guy.

I bought a '69 Bronco with a worn out 289 and learned from scratch and leaned on all the neighborhood car guys who I think were sick of me and my questions!







I like the Jeep springs it came with! Has some idle control issues, needs suspension bushings, hole in the muffler, seats are pretty sad. But it's beautiful - even his mom likes it. I joked that I need one now.

And he wants to learn to do everything himself, instead of me diving in there, so...bonus...less work for me!