The MR E30 Project Thread

[MR E30 325is]

January 8th, 2013

The good man Jalves619 set some time aside today to head over to my garage and knock out the rear subframe related upgrades.

All was going well, we had the subframe out (with proper removal of the ebrake lines from the trailing arm) in an hour, and all seemed to be going well.

We had ourselves a barbeque to roast out the old subframe bushings.



This tactic was successful at removing the center of the bushing, so a puller was utilized to get the outside of the bushing out with relative ease.

Even removing the old trailing arm bushings was a breeze compared to the hell that was ahead.

This was one of the necessary contraptions we created to get the damn trailing arm bushings in.



And even after this mechanically advantageous system, the bushing still looked like this.



Not all the way in, making install into the subframe near impossible.

These are the Revshift trailing arm bushings. I have already installed their differential and subframe bushings (of the 'hard' variety) into my car. They went in easy and were engineered well.

The trailing arm bushings, on the other hand, were hell in a handbasket. Outside of the trailing arm, they appear to be very tight and solid pieces of polyurethane.

But once you install one half of the bushing into the trailing arm, the other piece becomes near impossible to insert.

A c-clamp failed, and using hammers to try and smash the bushings into place is futile.

After hours of wasted time, here is what we came up with, and it is a solution that works best, compared to everything else.

Find an appropriately sized bolt with long enough threads to fit through the bushing after getting one half on the bushing into place. (Getting the first half in isnt really the problem, but the second half is). Get two washers that are big or bigger than the bushing and use two wrenches to crush the bushing into place.

You will probably discover, like I discovered, that the bushing bubbles up outside of the hole on the trailing arm, and have a tendency to expand outward after you remove the compression created by the bolt. The strategy I discovered was to simply crank the nut and bolt down and let it sit for hours, and this would keep the bushing from expanding back out after the bolt was removed.

All in all, I like their products, but I strongly feel that their bushings need to be reengineered with better tolerances. I understand the concept of having the bushings tight, but this was overkill. At the very least include a sheet of directions on the most hassle free install procedure for the trailing arm bushings.

The final bushing is compressed right now, and I will break it free tomorrow morning and reinstall the trailing arm onto the subframe, and then put it back in the car to temporarily finish the rear underside of the build.

Til next time!

[MR E30 325is]

Its pretty intriguing already, and very mentally engaging, which I find awesome in a weird sort of way. The difficulty is keeping me focused on school and other aspects of my life.

Just taking it all in man, and trying my darndest to have a badass E30 to cruise around in during the journey.

[ian e30 318is]

This happened yesterday.

E30 in the classroom.



Why you ask? Why bring an LSD into the classroom.

BECAUSE RACEENGINEER! Thats why.

That is all.

Hahah I love it! Real world applications ftw. How are you liking the engineering at NAU?

[MR E30 325is]

December 31st, 2012

For the final day of the year, I put a little bit of time into the 2.93 LSD that I will eventually put back into my E30.

All fresh seals. The output seals were a pain in the ass but I was able to swap them out without doing any damage.



Finally installed one of the Revshift bushings that I bought. Fit very nicely. These bolts that came with the subframe raising bushings are going to make installation and removal of the differential much much easier. I used a little bit of red loctite to ensure the bolts doesnt back out of the diff, or jiggle loose.



Its just another piece that is done and ready to be reinstalled.

Onto 2013!

[MR E30 325is]

I like the engine bay, and motor is looking good.

Thanks!

Slowly but surely.

[Link]

I like the engine bay, and motor is looking good.

[MR E30 325is]

December 24th, 2012

I am thoroughly enjoying this shaving process.

Removed all of the brackets with the grinder, and went at the paint with the grinder again, equipped with the paint removing disc I found at Home Depot. A lil expensive but it is well worth the money. You dont risk damaging the metal and it strips the paint away very quickly.



Heres what the paint removal disk looks like, in case you are curious.



I am going to focus on the passenger side first, then tackle the drivers side since it is a little more complex and cluttered.

[MR E30 325is]

December 21st, 2012

The engine bay shaving process has started!

Still on the hunt for a ZF as well.

I guess I pulled the subframe at the right time. This is the drivers side.



Thankfully I have another front subframe that isnt compromised that I can upgrade with my IE plates and more welds.

More work tonight. The 'clean and ready to reinstall' shelf of parts is getting more and more full. Still lots of parts to acquire before the winter is over.

[MR E30 325is]

December 9th, 2012

The engine bay is slowly getting emptied. I still have to figure out how stripped I want it to be, and exactly what to do to make it look all smooth and sexy-fied.



All of the revmatched downshifting I have been doing is really paying off. Not to mention that these are E36 M3 brakes, and my E30 is pretty light, relatively.

I havent replaced these brakes since I bought this beast back in 2009. I honestly cannot believe that they are still this fresh.



Thats all for now. Finals are this upcoming week so not much will get done here these next couple of days, but for winter break I am going to put the pedal to the metal and get a lot of work done.

[Jalves619]

Is that thing running yet? We want updates

[MR E30 325is]

November 30th, 2012

Phew, it has been a long while since I have had a legit update! But I hope to prove that it is well worth the wait!

I will start off by saying that I am way behind schedule. The S52 still isnt completely ready to be put into the corner to await reinstallation, but it is close.

I waited patiently for these parts, agonizing days of suspence were killing me, but they finally arrived.

Enjoy!



Damn!! Arent those some good looking parts!? I mean a waterpump, pulley, diff seals and thermostat housing gaskets are so eye catching.

Come on guys, I wouldnt leave a teaser note for something as regular as that crap.

Here is the real deal. I worked many hours to purchase this amazing piece of engineering. Easily the most exciting part I will install the whole rebuild. Too bad no one will see it, because it is a thing of beauty.

Drum roll please..........



Badum! All 8.5 lbs of goodness.



I bought the whole shebang. UUC E34 M5 adapted clutch kit with the 8.5 lb flywheel to be squished between my S52 and the ZF. Super excited about this set and its performance capabilities.



Badass clutch disc on the left, tired old piece on the right.



Side by side comparison of the old and the new. less than 1/3rd the weight. In fact, the entire new setup (meaning everything that will be rotating with the engine) weighs lbs less than just the flywheel from the old setup.



To all the naysayers who are going to naysay, idle has already been increased to 800 rpms with the TRM tune I have, to compensate for the decrease in rotational mass of the flywheel.

Legit packaging, rapid shipping times and very well written directions made my business with UUC a pleasent one.

Here is an updated pic of the S52. Yes the oil pan is yellow. Because Racecar is my official answer. Plus it will be easier to spot oil leaks in the future.



I hope to spend a little time with the E30 these next couple of weeks, but finals will take precedence. I started removing the steering rack last night, and I will continue working on the engine bay until that is all finished.

Til next time!

[MR E30 325is]

This happened yesterday.

E30 in the classroom.



Why you ask? Why bring an LSD into the classroom.

BECAUSE RACEENGINEER! Thats why.

That is all.

[MR E30 325is]

November 21st, 2012

Ermahgerd, I just made a huge purchase.

When it arrives I will post pictures for your enjoyment.

[ethrtyiS]

16x8 style 5's.

[SkurtleyE30]

Rry

After reading through JackBenny's massive and very detailed project thread, I was compelled to share my story as well.

I feel as though my E30 is special enough to have its own thread, and I can use it as a source of motivation to get the work done and also use it as a place to ask questions and share my knowledge with others. I live eat and breath E30's, and have been personally responsible for passing the addiction onto 6 of my friends.

I am not a stickler for perfection, but I am working on trying to get more meticulous about things. I am not the type of guy who cleans every part as I take it off. I repaint things that I deem necessary, but thats not too many things. I am not a looks guy whatsoever, and yes I do realize the paint is in extreme need of some work, but I enjoy the look and think it gives the E30 character. To me its more about the drive, and making everything look like its supposed to be there.

For now, I am forced to do all of the work to my E30 in a parking lot, and I unfortunately do not have the privilege of having a garage, or special tools to get some jobs done, but I will do the best that I can, with what I have.

I am going to start at the beginning, and create new posts for the big dramatic updates until I get to how the car sits today.


*Cracks Knuckles* Here We Go...........

On August 12th 2009 I put a 1000 dollar deposit on the NV M50 1991 318is. The following day I take the remaining balance to the seller and pick up my first 24v E30. This is my fourth E30, and by far, this is the most modded one to date. I am excited as all hell, and think that its the fastest coolest thing on the road. Here are a few pictures of it, exactly as I picked it up from the PO.

A list of big things this E30 has to offer.
- 1992 NV M50 with tranny
- B&G Coilovers
- 3.25 LSD
- Style 5's
- E36 5 lug, with E36 M3 brakes, front and rear
- Z3 SS













After an hour, and a bunch of parts from my previous E30, I get it to look like this.





I like how its going, the roof rack ties the mean, ratrod look together, and who doesnt love smilies!?

Though there are a few problems right off of the bat. First off, the rear is way too low, and the exhaust scraps off of the tiniest of bumps. I fix that by simply raising the rear by adjusting the rear spring. Next, that little fan isnt doing jack squat to keep the M50 cool, and continues to overheat even after rigorous bleeding.

So, I fix that problem by pulling out the entire cooling system from my previous E30. I reinstall the engine fan, and I wire up the stock aux fan to a switch in the cabin. For some reason, even after following the Bentley, I cant get the fan to turn on on its own, so switched it became.

After all of this, the overheating issue is resolved and I can drive the car without worrying about doing damage on a long drive.

I drive the car 400 miles to my residence in Phoenix without any problems, and take the car to get smogged. I was kinda worried, but it passed with flying colors. I head over to the DMV and get the infamous MR E30 (which, contrary to popular belief, doesnt stand for Mr. E30, but MR are my initials, and E30 is E30) license plate on the car. Its starting to feel more and more like mine every minute.

I have a short dry spell without any work. Back in the day I didnt photograph the work I did too often, which I am kinda bummed about now, cause I cant create an accurate chain of events. Its hard to go off of memory only!

Next up was the dashboard............

What kind of wheels are those?