cameras ready prepare to flash

[s14brent]

got the axles rebuilt by local repair shop ARE. holy crap I can't believe they are the same axles!!



I removed the wheel hubs/bearings. I was looking for instructions on welding these trailing arm reinforcements. I don't think I got any instructions....I know i have to weld about an inch on both sides and then hammer the "ear" to fit. Hope I don't mess these up! Will probably prep surface/weld next week if I have the time.



---------------------------------

Here's whats been grabbing most of my attention lately.





m54b30 from the junkyard. Going to be putting that into my e39 525iT. Motor was super clean the day I spotted it, then I went back and a bunch of accy were missing (alternator, ps pump, coil packs, water pump, etc. I decided to pull it anywyas after a quick -manual crank compression test (1 compression stroke by hand) which resulted in 58-60 across the board. I think this motor will be a strong candidate. The car was t-boned, and had a bunch of new parts (driveline esp). i've never made this mistake of having so many inop project cars....I hope I can get one of these done by the end of the year!!::doubtful::

[s14brent]

It was good to meet you too Brent, seats look good in there. Hopefully, the seats are a perfect in your car because it certainly looks good in there!

Thanks again Simon! The seats are flawless! I'll have to try and take better pictures when the cars not flooded with boxes of parts again!

-----------------------------------
cleaned the oily film off the rotors and put on the calipers. damn this looks soooo good!!



I'm hoping to get a few things during black friday...maybe a rear sway bar since I'm there. I'd actually be happy with just a stock ix/m3 rear bar but I like UUC/IE's mounting solution.

I unhooked the parking brake lines, and have most of the rear ready to drop out. Got the axles out earlier today, going to drop them off locally to get rebuilt soon!!

edit: just going to add on to this post. Haven't had time to drop off axles to be rebuilt yet. I dropped the subframe out yesterday.



and already pictured - I added garagistic's diff mount stud-conversion because why not

[2mAn]

Met up with 2man in Torrance over the weekend and got these sedan rear seats off him! Thanks again for driving and meeting me!

It was good to meet you too Brent, seats look good in there. Hopefully, the seats are a perfect in your car because it certainly looks good in there!

[s14brent]

E39 wagons are awesome, enjoy it!

Cyl 4 has a frozen lifter or a stuck valve or combo of both..... might be looking for a m54b30 soon.

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I finally got my fortune auto camber plates (e30) for the e36 m3 coils!!







Met up with 2man in Torrance over the weekend and got these sedan rear seats off him! Thanks again for driving and meeting me!



and I just left the front suspension like this (just need to put the front calipers on both sides and then start the rear!)



I'm pretty happy this is finally being worked on!! damn e39 impulse buy!

[jpod999]

E39 wagons are awesome, enjoy it!

[s14brent]

ugh. I dipshitted today. came home with this problem child.



2002 525i 5spd touring, car has e39 m5 brakes all around. Car idles like shit. It has 150k, and has codes for a misfire (on cyl 4/5 startup), o2 sensor bank 1 sensor 1 (replaced bosch o2) and replaced the battery already. I replaced the spark plugs (awesome...they use s52 ngk's which I had sitting around for my next service on the e36! and the plugs I pulled out were way overdue!) but i think I need to check the coil packs next since it's still idles rough. I got it for a smoking deal and I've been trying to get a wagon back in my life! over $200 in parts ordered already, sorry e30!!

[s14brent]

yup! adapters were from hita (ngampleh)
-------------

I finally had the chance to rebuild the four calipers.

ended up getting new guide pins and bushings w/new caps. Car will be street driven and used on road trips to events so brass guides were out of the question.

piston seals were replaced as well.



reassembled and loaded. fronts have brembo pads, rears are just ATE. just waiting for new bleeder valves for the e36 m3 calipers, and they're good to go!



My shorter swaybar hex turnbuckle came in. 6" vs 7" that I had on my e36 m3. Went with grade 8 lock nuts this time around as well.



I need to unhook the driveshaft from the differential side next. and start working back there since the front camber plates are still over a week and a half out.

[ngampleh]

Hey Brent, where'd you end up getting the adapter's for the e46 calipers. Looks identical to the 300mm.de but I'm sure a lot cheaper.

He bought from me..
Check this out

http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=325258

I make also front kit for e46m3 on stock e30 knuckle..
Will be available soon!!

[318isbmw]

Hey Brent, where'd you end up getting the adapter's for the e46 calipers. Looks identical to the 300mm.de but I'm sure a lot cheaper.

[ngampleh]

vht high temp primer

Cool!
I will looking those spray cane in my place

[s14brent]

I was going to say, till I saw you ended up painting your calipers already, that the G2 caliper paint is very good. It's not in a spray can, you have to bush it on or use a paint gun, but it is good stuff. I've had it on my Audi for a couple of years now without any change other than brake dust making them dirty.

Love this build. Keep up the good work.

Thanks man! I saw the G2 stuff while browsing caliper paints.....I've never been the biggest fan of single piston calipers...or hand brushing anything....I could have easily thrown it into a spray gun, but tbh I've had decent results with high temp spray paint in the past, so it was a quick/easy decision.

Whats primer did you used?

vht high temp primer

[ngampleh]

Whats primer did you used?

[jeenyus]

I was going to say, till I saw you ended up painting your calipers already, that the G2 caliper paint is very good. It's not in a spray can, you have to bush it on or use a paint gun, but it is good stuff. I've had it on my Audi for a couple of years now without any change other than brake dust making them dirty.

Love this build. Keep up the good work.

[s14brent]

Super slow progress. got quoted $260 or something obnoxious for powder coating, so I ended up using vht high-temp paint for like $40 instead.

I spent way too much time cleaning up these calipers. after a nice wipe down with acetone and primered



just like my work attire "production black" /boring lol



started to decommission the e36 m3. reinstalled the old FK konisports front coilovers. I ended up shortening some febi swaybar endlinks 2" to keep the swaybar at the proper angle. I had made some adjustable endlinks on the m3 before. I will be making some modifications and end up using them on the e30.

the front fk coils didn't have camber plates, so unfortunately theres a gang of camber up front currently. I ended up having to raise the car even more to fit the 18's. I really miss the fiskes' on there, but I can't wait to see them on the e30! It will be totally worth it!! The e36 m3 still looks good and handles decent. It's actually a lot more comfortable now, so much that I'm wondering if I should throw on those 75a akg motor mounts since it probably won't bother me as much now.... I told myself all future e36 nonsense will have to happen post-e30-5lug swap. Not sure if I'm going to fix that camber issue immediately also because this is getting expensive.



I'm also very up in the air what to do with these e30 gc's. I feel like I should cannibalize it for parts, since the front L koni is blown, I need to keep/use the rear spring perch, and I have a local interested in buying the gc camber plates already if they go up for grabs. I also wouldn't mind keeping these rear mounts. but wtf....::adds cost of coilovers to this conversion::

speaking of camber plates. I took some comparison photos.
e36 fortune auto vs e30 ground control



The E30 Ground control camber plate wont fit the e36 fortune auto setup, shock diameter is larger on the gc koni shock. Spring ID is slightly larger on the GC as well.
I contacted fortune-auto for a new mounting plate. I will probably be ordering it in the morning. They sell just the mounting plates separate so it helps vs buying a full camber plate setup with spherical bushings, etc.

and here's a side by side of the front coilover springs (e30/gc is about a full coil shorter)



Hopefully I will start to rebuild the calipers next week, so i can install e36 m3 front lca's, spindles, calipers/rotors and front coilovers right when the new camber plate arrive. Then i can move to the back and remove the exhaust/subframe. Drop off axles for rebuild, and then start to reinforce the trailing arms and finish the subframe.

[ngampleh]

Nice man!