Panici's '87 325is E30 - Boosted In Bronze

[Panici]

Did a little work today. Not much, but better then nothing.
Ended up raining for half of the afternoon.

• Picked up exhaust gaskets from dealer.
• Rented spring compressors from parts store.
• Took off driver's side wheel, brake caliper.
  • Going to replace LCAs while parts are out of the way for the trans swap.
  • I then realized I don't have my ball joint puller here at my parent's house. :/
• Sanded and painted the rust on my manual pedal assembly.

I got a notice that my big PelicanParts order is ready for pickup tomorrow. Mostly stuff to convert to the new aluminum shift carrier, but I also threw a Z3 1.9 shifter in there :)

Too bad I'm still waiting on my Curil K2 and Curil T to replace the trans seals.

[Panici]

Transmission Swap: Day 7

I first got to work removing the bellhousing from the auto trans. Then I bolted up the auto flywheel bits, the bellhousing, and the starter. (stupid starter bolts, again)

Then I made a jumper for Pins 30 & 87 of the (Auto) starter relay.







I supported the front of the motor with a floor jack (and wood) underneath the (now vacant) A/C mounting boss on the front of the motor.


Started and ran the car for a couple minutes. After then pulling the auto bellhousing and supporting parts off, there doesn't appear to be any extra oil from/around the rear main seal. :)


Video of E30 idling open headers

My Powerbuilt Oil Sender 1-3/16" thin wall socket came in, so I got to work removing the output flange / harmonic balancer.

After cutting the rubber connecting pieces, I removed the outside metal "ring". I then burned off all the remaining rubber. While the parts were still warm, I was able to hammer out the studs, separating the remainder of the balancer from the output flange.





I picked up the 3 quarts of Redline MT-90 I ordered, and used a little to install the shift shaft carrier seal (after removing the old one, which was annoying even with a set of hook tools)




Finally, after checking MANY local stores and supply places, I had no choice but to buy some Curil T and Curil K2 off of eBay. Hopefully they don't take too long to get here.

[Panici]

Transmission Swap: Day 6

Changed the Rear Main Seal today. I ended up using Permatex MotoSeal 1 and the Corteco "new style" springless RMS.

Such a huge pain to clean the old paper gasket material off of the RMS carrier. Even the Permatex Gasket Remover needed MANY soakings and much scraping with two plastic putty knives. I ended up leaving a little gasket material on the sealing surface, but I would rather have that then scratches from removing it. All of the mating surface on the RMS carrier felt smooth to the touch.

A safety note about the Permatex Gasket Remover, it went straight through the black nitrile gloves I was wearing, and starting burning my hands. At first I thought I had a hole in my gloves. So I switched to a new pair, and surprise!
After I switched to some heavy "acid resistant" rubber gloves, my hands no longer were affected, but the plastic putty knives still melted!


Some notes for RMS replacement:

• Use the PTFE/Teflon/Springless seal.
  
• It was suggested to use an anaerobic sealant
  
  • Designed for porous surfaces like the RMS carrier
  • I don't believe the Permatex MotoSeal 1 I used is anaerobic :/
  
  
• Make sure the seal and the crankshaft are clean and dry (with brake cleaner)
  
  • Do not put any form of lubrication on the inside of the seal. (the part that contacts the crank)
  • The initial friction at startup forms a mated sealing surface.
  
  
• Make sure the seal isn't positioned to sit in any existing grooves in the crank.
  
  • I didn't do this. I should have made up a shim to position the new RMS a little deeper in the carrier.
  • My motor does have low mileage though (100k mi) so maybe I'll get away with it.
  
  
• Use the included plastic sleeve when sliding the seal over the crank otherwise it is quite easy to fold the seal
  
• The springless seal is harder to install, but done correctly it won't leak.

Here's a pretty good reference link as to why the newer seal design is better:

http://www.elring.de/fileadmin/Dateiablage_DE/TSI_VSI/2011/TSI09-2011_englisch.pdf

Honestly, I'm not confident in my job at all. I'd hate to put the car back together just to have a leaky RMS because of the seal type, or the gasket material I used, or my improper assembly.


I'm going to attempt to start and run the motor without a transmission attached, to check the RMS for leaks.

http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=358465

Next week I'm tackling the transmission seals.
I need to buy a 1-3/16" thin wall socket, a 3-arm pulley puller, and some proper sealant for the various parts/splines.










As always, cleaned up the mounting hardware when reusing.


I realize I got sealant everywhere. I however didn't get any on the crank or actual sealing surface of the RMS. :)

[Panici]

Transmission Swap: Day 5

Barely worked on the E30 today.
I did drive for a few hours to FINALLY get some Lexol Vinylex for my dash. Too bad I didn't do it last year, I wouldn't have a big crack above my gauge cluster. :(
That's going to bother me for a long time.


Also, pulled the rest of the stuff from the back of the motor (flex plate etc). I've got the rear main seal off, and am going to replace it tomorrow once I figure out what seal (and sealant) to use:

http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=358348

I also need to repair/replace the heat shield material in the transmission tunnel, as it's coming apart.

[Panici]

Nice work, I need to get some 15mm spacers like your setup.

Thanks!
I'd eventually like to get a set of 10mm (front) and 20mm (rear) as well.
Long term i'd like 25mm (front) and 35mm (rear) when I run the iX 'weaves (et41 iirc) with some sticky rubber.


More trans swap updates!
I did some reading and it looks like the earlier plate style carrier on my Getrag 260 gives a lot of side-to-side shifter slop because of the rear bushing (designed to limit vertical movement only)

I took a hard look at the parts I had available, and decided to bite the bullet and upgrade to the newer-style shifter carrier. The parts I have are in rough enough shape that I would have spent a bunch of money (on bushings etc) to end up with something I wasn't happy with.

I bought everything I needed from Pelican parts (save the delrin bushings from Garagistic). Certainly not the cheapest route, but I don't have a ton of time to hunt down used stuff. I'd like to get the car on the road this month!
I did try to buy parts at the local dealership, but they were only willing to get the parts if I bought bulk packages.


Quick list of the fun stuff:

• Entire "new" style shifter carrier, selector rod, and supporting parts
• Z4 1.9 shifter
• Delrin shift carrier bushings
• New CSB and mounting hardware
• Clutch master to slave hardline, grommet, connector
• OEM BMW input and output shaft seals for the Getrag 260
  • I was going to use (and even previously bought) aftermarket stuff, but decided not to take the risk of those being junk and leaking.

~$600 later, and hopefully the stuff will come in under two weeks *fingers crossed*.




Meanwhile I'll complete all the work that I can, and then start on the LCA replacement if the parts still haven't arrived.





Transmission Swap: Day 4

Worked all afternoon.
Got the starter off, removed the rear trans brace, took the difficult bellhousing bolts out, and then finally dropped the Automatic transmission with much effort.
Had an issue where the auto trans dipstick got hung up on the side padding (you can see it torn in the pictures). I should have removed the dipstick tube before trying to pull the trans.

The torque converter decided to stay with the engine, so I took it off separately.

I'm going to weight all the parts. Just from moving the trans around, I know the ZF 4HP22 is definitely heavier then the Getrag 260. I'm interested to see how much weight I'll be taking out by going from auto to 5-speed.


Also drained the old fluid out of the Getrag 260, I was pleased to find only a few small pieces of metal in there. AFAIK this trans has north of 320k kilometers (200k miles). I only drove my parts car for a total of 10 minutes, but all the gears were there. So hopefully it all works when swapped!

[WarpedRotors]

Nice work, I need to get some 15mm spacers like your setup.

[Panici]

I really like that volt meter. How did you do it?

Thanks! Voltmeter is a self-contained 7-segment display I got from dealextreme.com. I then took the defogger switch from my parts car and put the two together. It's not perfect (I cracked the cover) but it's better then nothing!


Transmission Swap: Day 2
Didn't get much done, Spent most of my day getting the auto driveshaft off. PB Blaster on every single bolt. Had to use a pipe wrench on one of the rear driveshaft bolts.
Exhaust heatshields came down as well.

I also loaded up the 5-speed box, driveshaft, both new LCAs, and a bunch of supporting parts in my jeep.
Bringing them to work on the car on Monday.
Meanwhile I'm going North for a weekend to help my friend with his early E24. It's in rough shape, doesn't currently run, but he picked it up for a good deal! Hopefully we can get it running and find out what it needs










Transmission Swap: Day 3
Plans changed for the weekend, going to work on the E24 tomorrow, so I put in half a day on the E30 today.


Cleaned up the 5-speed.

Here's a few shots while the first coat of engine degreaser was soaking.











Two cans of degreaser (and some scrubbing) later:









Inspected the 5-speed driveshaft. Looks like the giubo is fine, but CSB will need to be replaced. U-joint(s) may also need to be replaced.


Removed the AT cooling lines, AT shift selector.

[stonea]

I really like that volt meter. How did you do it?

[Panici]

Finally started the transmission swap today. I didn't get a lot done, but it's a start.

I had to buy a set of ramps, because the floor jack I have at my parents place is too tall to fit under the front of the car!
#lowCarProblems amirite??

• Removed center console and shifter trim plates.
• Removed auto kickdown cable from throttle body
• Removed airbox, AFM, ICV
• Disconnected starter cables.
• Disconnected auto trans cooler lines from rad.
• Removed center exhaust section.

[Panici]

Fired up the E30 today for the first time since late October. Let it warm up for a good while and then went for a rip around the block. Car ran well, no new problems that I could see, EXCEPT...

I now have a small crack in my previously pristine dash :(
It's right above the gauge cluster.
I guess sitting out in the open (even though I have a reflective sun mat) took it's tole.
I'm going to pick up some Lexol Vinylex ASAP next week to prevent any further damage. I should have got it last year and put it on. :???:



On a positive note, I got the go-ahead to work on the car in my parents driveway. Not only is the driveway flat (unlike my student house), but I'll have use of the garage/tools and air compressor. Next week I'll be bringing the 5-speed tranny and associated parts from my student house, and hopefully starting the swap!

[Panici]

As a fellow lachssilber member, I can say adding the plate filler to the back makes a huge difference. There just isn't anything to break up the silver without it and the black of the platefiller does the job. The rear could look even better with a black 5er spoiler (mtech right?) to go along.

Good stuff, I'll have to keep my eyes open for an early model rear plate filler. I've got a line on a 5er spoiler here locally, although it will need some work to bring it back to usable.

one of the first things I do when I pickup an e30 with dirty or crusty rockers -is tape off at the paint line right where the rocker turns to that black coating - and spray the rocker flat black again - would def clean up the look of that area. And it makes it look original and clean like it once was. After seeing pics of your rockers, you would def clean up the overall appearance with very minimal effort and time!

Thanks for the suggestion! After I address the rust in those areas, I'm going to clean up all of the undercoating on the rockers, and then see what the paint is like underneath. I may use Por15 or something similar to prevent any future problems.

As it was, I barely got it on the road for Sept and Oct. There's still a few areas of mechanical concern I need to address in the springtime before I start worrying about appearance. :)

[animal]

one of the first things I do when I pickup an e30 with dirty or crusty rockers -is tape off at the paint line right where the rocker turns to that black coating - and spray the rocker flat black again - would def clean up the look of that area. And it makes it look original and clean like it once was. After seeing pics of your rockers, you would def clean up the overall appearance with very minimal effort and time!

for example, on one of my verts (verts having even bigger rockers so its even more noticeable) - when I got it the rockers were super faded, and grimy and had some gouges etc. Simple tape off to protect the paint and plastic strip right above the rocker - clean it good and just spray. Now - they look super clean. They would never look this good and drive me crazy if I left it the way it was:


this was after a big rain storm so there is some leaves and stuff behind the front wheel but still..

another shot:

[Reichart12]

As a fellow lachssilber member, I can say adding the plate filler to the back makes a huge difference. There just isn't anything to break up the silver without it and the black of the platefiller does the job. The rear could look even better with a black 5er spoiler (mtech right?) to go along.

[Panici]

Not much to update. Car has been sitting since late October.

I was planning to swap my 15" iX weaves on there, but three of the four tires don't hold air.

It's too much of a PITA to get the bottlecaps off of my parts car, so I'm just going to hope that my new tires on the 14" weaves don't flatspot over the winter. Maybe I can push the car back in the driveway so they're not sitting on the exact same spot.

I'm done my exams this week, I'm going to pull the battery out and store it in the basement.


I got a few more bits for the car.
Fuse box sticker, proper gauge cutouts for radio delete, tstat bleed screw.

I may have a line on an e28 535is spoiler that is local. It needs some work, but I think I can bring it up to snuff.


Some musings on the color, Lachssilber. I really don't like silver cars, and when I bought my E30 the color was the last thing I was worried about. I was hoping it would grow on me, but it really hasn't.

I'm going to try adding some black accents, like a 535is spoiler, rear plate filler.

If the color still doesn't do it for me, I'm going to first fix all the rusty areas, protect and repaint them. Then I may explore plastidip or vinyl wrap, but that's pretty far down the list at this point.



I've also decided that I'm going to learn to weld so I can patch the rust spots myself. I realize that in order to have it done right, I'm going to have to do it myself. I want a high quality repair that looks as close to original as possible. To pay a shop to do the job properly is going to be prohibitively expensive.


I wonder how much time I'll have this summer to work on the car. The big things that I want to get done are:

• Attempt to strip undercoating. (At least in the areas that I need to work) It's such a PITA to work on the car with undercoating everywhere. Also remove Cosmoline from engine bay.
• Continue front end refresh. New LCAs, e90 drop hats, bushings etc.
• Getrag 260 5-speed swap! (Really looking forward to ditching the Autotragic!)
• New (rebuilt) calipers and lines all around
• Drop rear subframe and repaint/refresh. New bushings, hard lines etc.
• Replace rear trailing arms with the better condition set I have.
• Repair rusted through areas.
• Repair all rust on bodywork.
• Paint and mount iS airdam.

Anyways, I'll leave you with a few pictures from the last time I was at my parents house. Back to studying for me!

[url=https://flic.kr/p/21XUddm]

[Panici]

The E30 is parked for the winter. Brought it to my parent's house on the weekend.

Filled up the tank with Shell 91 (no ethanol) and Stabil.

Next weekend I'm going to swap on some other wheels with junk tires on them, so I don't flatspot my new set of rubber on the 14" weaves.

Also going to pull the battery, and block intake/exhaust from critters.


Potentially will be building some sort of enclosure to keep the snow off over the winter.


Now to get some better rubber for my Jeep TJ and address some of the Death Wobble! Although I miss the E30 already, it feels good to be driving stick again!