I have an E 30.

[ThatM20Guy]

As of this posting, I have 667 postings until I reach 1000. I'm using this slot to say that none of this means anything. There's more to life than your 25 year old car, it's problems, and potential improvements. And you should tend to it. I mean your life, not your car.

Stop reading my drivel. Cars will always be there. Instead, call Mom. Kiss your kid on the forehead. If your car is up to it, take the family out for french fries.

HA! I'm only 20...I got plenty of life to go :p


As to the main cap studs, I got some as well and I think mine were barely poking above the nut.

[Nader393]

As of this posting, I have 667 postings until I reach 1000. I'm using this slot to say that none of this means anything. There's more to life than your 25 year old car, it's problems, and potential improvements. And you should tend to it. I mean your life, not your car.

Stop reading my drivel. Cars will always be there. Instead, call Mom. Kiss your kid on the forehead. If your car is up to it, take the family out for french fries.

[Nader393]

Fairly certain I saw your car in the Factoria Wal-Mart parking lot a few weeks back.

Six years a member and only 4 posts? Impressive, Sophia! I have a personal rule for any forum I inhabit, to never exceed 1,000 posts. Hence my long replies, packing in as much as I can in as few posts as possible.

Anyway, yes, I remember you. You caught me on my weekly Walmart trip to pick up my usual 36 count box of Magnum size condoms. I saw your similar car, and I drove by slowly to get your attention, because our cars looked like they might be friends. Didn't get your attention, and I'm not creepy enough to pull up and park next to male strangers, especially with condoms on my mind, so that was that. Nice car, BTW.

As for my ongoing project, I spent a few days away from it, stewing over the shallow main bearing stud issue. Strange, because I ordered the specified kit from ARP, according to the machine shop that has built up many of these M20 engines. In my research, though, I can't find formal documentation of the M20-specced part number from ARP.

It still bugs me that those ARP studs don't protrude from the nuts. This happens when I farm out work; questioning variances like that. The more I think, the more I worry. Then my concern escalates, and I imagine that maybe it's worse that it seems; maybe the studs aren't even bottomed out, and still installed short. Here's a picture of what worried me:



So I went back and loosened the main bearing stud nuts (in the correct order), and sure enough, the studs weren't even screwed down all the way. Picture shows the studs fully threaded into the block (that I painstakingly chased and cleaned of gunk in a previous post). One side has the washer, the other doesn't.
So apparently the studs were backed out of the block enough to thread just the bare minimum nuts, ostensibly to reach acceptable torque. Unacceptable (to me). Must have at least two threads protruding from the nut, while the stud is bottomed out.



OTOH, since the main caps are steel, one could use the nuts without the thick washers (as pictured for the top stud/nut above), but even then there's barely full thread coverage. Call me crazy, but when you spend 1/8 of $1K for slightly more than a baker's dozen of some finger-length small caliber studs with washers and nuts, I feel like they should fit as a mechanical engineer intended, including the washers. In this case, backing out the stud to make it fit sacrifices precious block thread real estate, thereby losing out on ultimate stud grippage. I'm sure this setup is fine for 99.9% of users, and that I'm making a big deal for myself out of nothing, but I still find it frustrating, can't let it go, and I'm going to fix it...

[Sophia69IS]

Fairly certain I saw your car in the Factoria Wal-Mart parking lot a few weeks back.

[2mAn]

<~~Jealous

[Nader393]

Got the short block back from the machine shop. I'm impressed with the quick turnaround. They said the engine went together really well; everything fit as it should. Kinda wished I did the assembly myself, but I need to pick my battles. Especially around the holidays. Can't have major engine parts in the living room competing with the Christmas tree for space...

Wish the ARP main studs were a little longer. Ideally, I'd like to see two threads protruding beyond the nuts, but at least there's full engagement. Those machine washers under the nuts are pretty thick, I might get thinner washers to satisfy myself.

[2mAn]

Thanks. I'm glad you like the thread.

Didja get to the part where I fabricated my own titanium steering arms? It was fun building the car, but I've kinda run out of things to do with it. Except race it.

As for the signature, it works better when you have 2 of the same year, make and model of car, with one being street, the other race.

Havent gotten there. You are currently celebrating your oil filter location with a glass of wine sans metal shavings...

I thought about getting a second E30 when I had the aluminum monster, but two E30s in reality isnt as cool as it may seem. Two Roadsters perhaps, but I dont have the funds or space to have so many cars... so for now its these two that will have to do.

[Nader393]

I read your FJ40 build thread. Nice. When do you plan to update it?

I keep thinking I'll tackle the rust repair in the summer, but I keep getting sidetracked with other projects. I even have the replacement rear quarters sheet metal waiting in my basement. Otherwise, the truck is mechanically sound; dry engine, fresh suspension, and everything on in works, down to the last dash bulb and courtesy light.

[Nader393]

Im making my way through your Duetto build. Its amazing. You're my hero.

Edit: You've changed my life, and Ive changed my signature. I hope you dont mind

Thanks. I'm glad you like the thread.

Didja get to the part where I fabricated my own titanium steering arms? It was fun building the car, but I've kinda run out of things to do with it. Except race it.

As for the signature, it works better when you have 2 of the same year, make and model of car, with one being street, the other race.

[2mAn]

Im making my way through your Duetto build. Its amazing. You're my hero.

Edit: You've changed my life, and Ive changed my signature. I hope you dont mind

[rzerob]

I read your FJ40 build thread. Nice. When do you plan to update it?

[Nader393]

Great read, lots to bookmark for future reference. Is that your red '40 in the background in some pictures?


Ive got a 77 I have restored (well still a project).

Thanks, and you are correct, that is my '76 Toyota FJ40 Land Cruiser back there. I have a thread on IH8MUD:

https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/new-here-no-idea-where-to-start.978598/

I'm happy to post up pics of it, but this an E30 thread, apparently with a smattering of Alfa. So I'll try to tie everything together in a few pictures:

Here's the rig right when I got it home. I drove the E30 out to see the truck before buying it. It was kind of an impulse purchase. Truck was very crunchy when I got it (still is):




And here it is pulling its weight, so to speak (more like half its weight), by winching the Alfa up a wet lawn it couldn't climb on its own (tall 1st gear, semi-slick race tires):




Got tired of how ugly it was, so I masked it to paint with rattle cans. It was winter, I don't have garage space at home, so I planned to shoot the paint in an empty parking garage at night.




Looks surprisingly good! Still need to shoot around the windshield frame and grill, and some other spots. There's the E30 in the back, nodding in approval:




So there, that's some of the story of the FJ40. Go see the build thread for it mentioned above if you want to see more.

[Advrider639]

Great read, lots to bookmark for future reference. Is that your red '40 in the background in some pictures?


Ive got a 77 I have restored (well still a project).

[2mAn]

I have always been a Craftsmen guy because of the lifetime warranty and it gave me that sort of “Super Hero DIY Guy” feeling. Not sure how I’ll be able to replace my lifetime warranty tools when Sears is a long lost memory though

[mike.bmw]

This is a great thread! I really enjoy reading your posts.

I hear you on the tools. Most of my stuff is cheap/mid-grade. About 10 years ago I went on a Snap-on/ebay spree. I won a bunch of auctions for some quality tools that were pennies on the dollar. Even scored a very nice Snap-on torque wrench that came with recent re-calibration paperwork. It's definitely quality you can feel.