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Finishing What was Started - an M42 Sedan

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  • KI4UJO
    replied
    Originally posted by AWDBOB View Post
    I'm going to need you to stop renewing that 5sp XJ ad on FB so I can curb the temptation.

    M42Taxi looking great as always!!
    Fortunately, I have someone coming to grab it Thursday (theoretically, at least). Ironically, they've owned three e30s in the past!

    Leave a comment:


  • AWDBOB
    replied
    I'm going to need you to stop renewing that 5sp XJ ad on FB so I can curb the temptation.

    M42Taxi looking great as always!!

    Leave a comment:


  • KI4UJO
    replied
    A year's worth of updates... in one post!

    As with the last update, there really isn't much to note here. At this point, it has been in the daily rotation for nearly a year and a half. As small items have arisen, I've addressed them. The only real changes in the last year are as follows:

    -Transferring the Mtech 1 wheel from the m54 e30.. it'll get reshelled this winter.

    - Exchanging the comfort seats for a set of sports I built in February

    - Adding sound deadening in all doors

    -I recently moved to a four-pintle injector from the originals, which in turn solved a rough idle issue.

    Other than that, I painted the front grilles recently. It has been an incredibly trouble-free e30!

    20240818_192856 by Jonathan Martin, on Flickr

    It's taken me on two decent trips this year - the annual pilgrimage to Hot Springs in May, as well as to Chicago at the beginning of July for downtown NASCAR action. While it may be the WWE of motorsports, it's impressive to see in an urban area nonethless.

    20240515_142148 by Jonathan Martin, on Flickr

    20240516_135349 by Jonathan Martin, on Flickr

    20240517_103825 by Jonathan Martin, on Flickr

    20240517_124446 by Jonathan Martin, on Flickr

    A couple of other things that have acquired my attention this year... for starters, I bought an F10. I have resisted modernity for a while, but I finally came around. This particular example is a 2011 535i with an unusual option list.... a manual-equipped car with integrated active steering (a variable-ratio front rack, as well as rear steering!), contour/ventilated seats, yet no backup camera. Overall, it is a very solid example.. though it did need all of the standard maintenance.

    20240427_110008 by Jonathan Martin, on Flickr

    20240427_110056 by Jonathan Martin, on Flickr

    20240311_183133 by Jonathan Martin, on Flickr

    A horrible photo of why I bought it

    ba947b7e-c109-4eba-9ec4-9172f7fe3f5b by Jonathan Martin, on Flickr


    The ti is still around - I finished up recently with we'll consider the 300k service. After that mileage, the G250 was starting to make some less then desirable noises. Time for an exchange...

    20240621_211753 by Jonathan Martin, on Flickr

    20240621_211740 by Jonathan Martin, on Flickr

    I also opted to swap the rather worn wheel for this Momo

    20240811_191312 by Jonathan Martin, on Flickr


    Admittedly, It's aging well!

    20240622_141047 by Jonathan Martin, on Flickr

    What hasn't aged as well is the S52 in my M3. At work, we now refer to this as "heater valve." I pulled the intake to swap the heater control valve, then noticed oil in a few intake ports. No problem, let's do valve seals.. until we reached cylinder five. Applying compressed air to the cylinder resulted in it rushing back out the intake valves. A bit strange considering how it ran, but whatever. Off comes the head - while it was off, I then noticed lots of cylinder wear. I think you can see where this leads.

    20240302_105549 by Jonathan Martin, on Flickr
    Fortunately, it's wrapping up at the machinist now. It gave me a chance to do a few other items I've been considering, mainly adding an overdrive gear when everything goes back together. Provided everything goes as planned, I'll get to drive it this fall.

    That completes this round of random updates!

    Leave a comment:


  • Panici
    replied
    Looking good. That slight window tint really ties in the side profile.

    Leave a comment:


  • KI4UJO
    replied
    I really didn't update this for a bit.... but it's now a functional product! I ended up getting the subframe back in without issue. The binding rack was replaced with an e46m unit. Beyond all of the maintenance items...the major changes consist of a taillight swap for a nicer set, adding a USB blank into the HVAC panel, and some light ceramic tint. Overall, I am incredibly happy w/how it has turned out!

    Untitled by Jonathan Martin, on Flickr

    Untitled by Jonathan Martin, on Flickr

    Next items:

    - The power steering pump is still somewhat noisy, even after swapping for what is a better unit. I'm considering going w/an electric pump - this is a route I have wanted to try for a bit, the m42 certainly will not mind having less load.

    - Neither the rear windows or sunroof are operational. I have a spare sunroof cable/gearbox assembly on hand, but need to install.

    - I have a high-flow converter on hand, along with a vibrant bottle resonator to rework the exhaust center section. It has a slight leak at the header which will require a header swap (I believe it is cracked, and have two spares on hand) and the original converter seems to be slightly plugged. I'll be changing it out very soon.

    Overall, getting back into an m42 sedan has been great! I would definitely do it again.

    Leave a comment:


  • KI4UJO
    replied
    As I haven't updated in a bit, I have a lot to add.

    I opted to put it back in the air to make an exhaust repair. Due to the Supersprint utilizing a slip fit, it lived up to the reputation of all slip fit exhaust connections and leaked.​Went ahead and pulled it off, welded, and checked it w/the smoke machine.

    Untitled by Jonathan Martin, on Flickr

    As good of a result as we can hope for

    Untitled by Jonathan Martin, on Flickr

    Predictably, when I went to reinstall, the original flange decided to snap in half

    Untitled by Jonathan Martin, on Flickr

    I obtained this option from an Oreilly. While not an exact replacement, it is a two-piece design and can be installed without cutting the pipe.

    Untitled by Jonathan Martin, on Flickr

    Untitled by Jonathan Martin, on Flickr

    On the test drive, I encountered a couple of issues. First off, the steering was still binding. We'll return to this in a moment...... additionally, the exhaust decided to still leak from the center joint, though it is an incredibly small leak.

    Moving forward, the steering issue needed to be addressed. In addition, this m42 leaks. Everywhere. With that in mind, it was time to pull the subframe.

    Untitled by Jonathan Martin, on Flickr

    Untitled by Jonathan Martin, on Flickr

    Once it was out, I did make the discovery of a seized left outer ball joint. The rack itself seems to have no issues. As I have already bought an e36 rack, though, I'll be going through with the upgrade anyway.

    Next up was leak diagnosis. More disassembly....

    Untitled by Jonathan Martin, on Flickr

    Note the large amount of clean oil from the crank seal.

    Untitled by Jonathan Martin, on Flickr

    Timing case apart. The crank seal ended up being dried out to the point of practically falling out of the timing case.

    Untitled by Jonathan Martin, on Flickr

    ...and this is where I left the engine work at for now. All of the parts have arrived, so I should get back on it within the next few days. I did install a new screen in the OBC.

    Untitled by Jonathan Martin, on Flickr

    Untitled by Jonathan Martin, on Flickr

    That is where I am at, as of now. All of the engine reseal and front suspension parts have arrived. Additionally, I have sourced a new blower motor as the current unit makes a rather unpleasant noise above speed 1. Aiming to get it back together this weekend.

    Leave a comment:


  • Panici
    replied
    Originally posted by KI4UJO View Post
    Old stuff is annoying at times. I’ll still take it over anything new
    Absolutely. I'd rather daily a classic with (endearing) issues then a new (soulless) car.

    Leave a comment:


  • KI4UJO
    replied
    Yeah…. It wasn’t optimal, but it is what it is. Old stuff is annoying at times. I’ll still take it over anything new

    Leave a comment:


  • Panici
    replied
    Originally posted by KI4UJO View Post
    ....and then came out to this when I woke up today.
    I've had that before as well. 😆
    I refinished/refreshed the diff, and changed all the seals except for the input shaft. Guess which one leaked?

    Had to pull it apart again and change the seal when I had the subframe out over the winter.

    Leave a comment:


  • KI4UJO
    replied
    We're back on the road!

    Once the differential parts arrived, I went ahead and got it assembled, then moved onto everyone's favorite - CV axles. I hate rebuilding these so much.... the table required lots of attention to become clean again. I ended up using a spare set of axles, as the units I pulled were a bit worse for wear.

    Untitled by Jonathan Martin, on Flickr

    Untitled by Jonathan Martin, on Flickr

    I didn't take a ton of photos of reassembly, but did get everything back together. I sent AWDBOB this photo to celebrate the occasion

    Untitled by Jonathan Martin, on Flickr

    ....and then came out to this when I woke up today.

    Untitled by Jonathan Martin, on Flickr

    So, its pretty clear that this differential hates me. Maybe I drove the pinion seal in a bit too far? Its possible, but I don't recall doing so. Either way, I opted to move on from this differential and just throw a spare in for now. I made my way back to the auxiliary e30 suspension parts reserve (a m10 subframe/trailing arm dropout on some cinder blocks behind my shed) to retrieve an open 3.91 from shedcar (see build thread for the naming context).

    Untitled by Jonathan Martin, on Flickr

    While not nearly as visually appealing as the original differential, this one has the advantage of not puking its fluid onto the ground. I went ahead and installed this unit, as well as installing a fan shroud and made an exhaust hanger adjustment. End result - a functional e30!

    Untitled by Jonathan Martin, on Flickr

    There are still many items to address before Vintage...

    - The car lacks a charcoal canister and purge valve. As I would really prefer to not smell like fuel, I'll need to dig one out of the stockpile.

    - Air conditioning.... TN gets hot. I'll be sourcing parts to get that going this week. It is the largest item standing in the way of me using this car daily.

    - Alignment... again. I'd like to take a look again now that I have a rear subframe that isn't bent.

    - Seat repair. Drivers' seat lean isn't a great thing.

    - Cruise control - AWDBOB did all of the hard work and pre-wired the car, all it lacks is a bowden cable and cruise actuator. There is one in my shed, somewhere.

    - Window tint - This is something I have never actually done on any car that I have owned. However.... black/black gets a bit warm. I don't want to destroy this interior w/UV, as it is in excellent shape.

    - Headlights - Sealed beams suck. As I haven't driven with a set in a bit, one tends to forget just how bad they are. I would probably be okay with it if my ti did not have excellent lighting, but I am constantly reminded of what this car lacks.

    - Add an iS lip and the missing foglight.

    I believe that is all of the big items, I have zero doubt that more will appear (as they always do). Regardless, its great to be back in a (mostly) stock e30 again!

    Leave a comment:


  • KI4UJO
    replied
    That I will, parts are in route to do exactly that. I set it up initially, but it isn’t quite right. After doing some research (mostly from information sourced from 2002/e21 differential overhauls), it seems that some of the service info on small case differentials is inaccurate. At the minimum, it is inconsistent with what is working in the field.

    My main concern is pinion preload - service data I initially found listed it at 22-28in/lbs. That is entirely too tight…. I tried. What I did find that seems a bit more accurate is 3-7in/lb with used bearings. I suspect the 13in/lb with new bearings (specification for type 188 medium case) is applicable to this as well. I’m intending to run with that, with new bearings, and see what happens. If it explodes, I’ll know it was wrong

    Leave a comment:


  • Panici
    replied
    Nice job on the diff rebuild!

    Will you have to set up the gear pattern now?

    Leave a comment:


  • KI4UJO
    replied
    While I am yet to make it to the seat, I have arrived at a rather important point in the build - the LSD carrier.

    This unit was the original center carrier from my ti. As it was in a box in my shed for a number of years, disassembly and cleaning was in order before installation.

    Before - a dirty unit in need of a clean as well as new bearings.

    Untitled by Jonathan Martin, on Flickr

    Ring gear off - marked to avoid confusion

    Untitled by Jonathan Martin, on Flickr

    Bearing removal - opted to cut the race and break w/a chisel vs a bearing separator, as it is too wide to slide through my press.

    Untitled by Jonathan Martin, on Flickr

    Untitled by Jonathan Martin, on Flickr

    Fully disassembled

    Untitled by Jonathan Martin, on Flickr

    ...and a lot of steps later, together with new bearings!

    Untitled by Jonathan Martin, on Flickr

    I have everything on hand to finish the differential, but am yet to do so - that is probably a tomorrow item. Once it is back in, the rear suspension should go back together quickly. I'm looking forward to getting it on the road and immediately having to sort all of the other issues that will appear, as they always do.

    Leave a comment:


  • KI4UJO
    replied
    The only issue w/the parts shed is that it is now full…. And I keep
    acquiring more parts.

    I can’t agree enough with everyone here that this particular e30 is an excellent starting point. It’ll probably take me a few weeks to have it back together due to work scheduling, but it’ll be worth it.

    I’m aiming to get the driver’s seat apart this weekend, it seems the right side has an issue w/the frame that needs to be addressed.

    Leave a comment:


  • 2mAn
    replied
    My favorite Hooptie of all the Hoopties. congrats... and thank you for saving me from a Hooptie I didnt need

    Leave a comment:

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