89 325i Cirrusblau Metallic m30 Project - Round 2

[marshallnoise]

Some times it is better working some where else. It has for me making more money.
Good luck with the job interview!!!

Early reports are...they want to see if they can afford me. Ha! Thanks for the encouragement.

In other news, part number 4 is unavailable from BMW. So I am going to have to find a NOS item somewhere.

EDIT: Blunt is checking with the German Authorities and will let me know if he can source part number 4. Good man, excellent service. May have to do more business with...

[marshallnoise]

So Blunt did the best he could and couldn't acquire the infamous part number 4 in the parts fiche. My plan is to attack a 89 325ic sitting in Ecology Oceanside and cut out the whole front left plate which includes 11, 9 4, 3, 6, 7 and 10. With part of 3, ideally. On the whole, it should make things easier as parts will be in one piece.

The challenge is using my Rigid Cordless Sawzall. Damn thing overheats or hits it's duty cycle after 5 minutes on each battery. Lots of charge left, but they get hot. So I am going to bring a cooler and ice and see if I can swap them and keep them cool. I already got about 1/3 to 1/2 through the cutting I needed to today. But I will head back out tomorrow.

[ThatOneEuroE30]

Yea while doing all the panel replacement on my e30 I found a lot of parts are nla it sucks...

[marshallnoise]

Yea while doing all the panel replacement on my e30 I found a lot of parts are nla it sucks...

It really has to be expected though. Just a little more work.

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[marshallnoise]

Vict'ry is mine! I spent an hour and a half at the yard yesterday and another half hour today to pull this chunk of metal off the 89 325ic at Ecology in Oceanside. I got exactly what I was hoping for and it only cost me $40 and change.



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[2mAn]

VICTORY!!! hahah that thing is dur-teee

[marshallnoise]

VICTORY!!! hahah that thing is dur-teee

It is disgusting. I'll hit it with purple power and a power washer first. But it is straight as can be. I'll have to cut off the tow hook as this 89 325ic had the older style bumpers. But that's easy as pie. Especially while it is out. FYI, I hate Zinnoberrot. When the bay is back together, I am going to gray/black out the whole thing to give it a uniform color. Then I'll have the painter hit the wheel well with Cirrusblau. It'll be good enough for me.

EDIT: You would have chuckled or thought me a nut. When I got it free from the car, I shouted as if I had stormed across Berlin in WWII. I am a retard.

[marshallnoise]

I am making some progress getting the donor part cleaned up. Tons of spot weld drilling as you can see.











Broke my harbor freight spot weld cutter and had to stop. Just as well cause it was hot. Also, the 15 buck harbor freight 4.5" angle grinder with flap wheel does wonders in getting rid of the seam sealer.

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[bradnic]

SUB'D. will be following closely.

boatload of work here! you have jgood's drawings showing all the correct dimensions right?
I have a lot of work ahead of me too on my IX - inner fenders are probably damaged, haven't check yet because the car's still being driven. ThatOneEuroE30 gave me advice on my floorpans. Had tracked down a source to cut out floor pan bits but they went dark on me. Fortunately I've got a bud that's parting out a car now so I should be good later this summer.

[marshallnoise]

bradnic, sorry for the late response. It is hard to keep motivated when these cars are in such disrepair.

I started my new job on Sept 2nd and haven't really had a lot of time to work on the car. Plus, it got really freaking hot for about a month here in San Diego so I gave up because of that too. Now that it has cooled off, I am feeling more motivated to get out there and work on it. But, waffles, waffles, waffles (if I am using that term appropriately), I get so damn tired from traveling 45 minutes each way on my motorcycle to work, I never want to do anything on the weekends. Its the constant fear of getting killed by someone on the roads that stresses me out. Oh well.

In actual car news, I do have the red frame rail support all stripped down and ready to slide in to place. I just need to get to the car and remove the spot welds there for replacement. Once I am done with that, then it is time to reassemble and fire up the welder. When I can get the car rolling again, I will feel much better about things. I hate the tripod thing going on now.

For the m30, I have decided to strip the head down to nothing, take it to a shop for cleaning and leveling and then I will reassemble it with new exhaust valves. As I understand it, these heads are prone to warp if they get hot and the exhaust valves stop sealing too when they get hot. Raul's friend gave me that info and since he has tons of experience with big sixes, I trust him. The headwork will cost $90 from the shop. Then the valves will be about $140 and then lapping compound and the lapping tool. If, after I slap it back together and still get bad numbers (which I doubt, since I heard air rushing out the exhaust ports), then I will have a good head to go with another motor.

[marshallnoise]

Bumping my own thread merely for motivation.

[e30m3s54turbo]

Did you get your m30 worked on?

[marshallnoise]

Not yet. I figure the car rolling is a bit more important at this juncture.

Your bud Frank told me it's the exhaust valves and the head should be decked and new exhaust valves installed.

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[marshallnoise]

The car is now in my driveway so I have more room and access to it. I pulled it out from the side of my house and put it in front of my garage with a cover on it.





Finally got back to hitting some more spot welds and removing the last bit of frame prior to welding in the replacement piece.


To give myself some more room, I decided to cut off a chunk of the bad frame rail.

My spot weld cutter and 3/32" starter bit were pretty worn down at this point. Plus the 1/2" drill I am using has some awful runout. I decided to get some new supplies and a new drill from harbor freight after getting some work done.







And there it sits until I feel up to it again.

[marshallnoise]

Not that I need to spend the money right now, but Ecology had 3 complete b35 m30s in their yard. They want $70 for the whole head. I am debating if its worth it to buy two of them and out of the three I would then have, assemble the best head I can.

Currently, my m30b35 has bad exhaust valves as Frank said after interpreting my leak down test. It would cost me $90 to have a bare head decked and cleaned and then I would have to buy 6 exhaust valves at $25 or so a pop. Plus I would have to lap the valves in too.

I could just pull the heads and run a straight edge across them and look for visual signs of burnt valves...lots of work though. And I ain't even close to getting to the motor at this stage.