The Blunderwagon - 89 325iX touring 3.1L stroker

[kronus]

Yup, car passed the jack test with flying colors, somehow.

It wasn’t bad to get the trans out, but I have a lift and a trans jack and a fuck load of extensions. You’ll want to check how torn up your trans-block e torx bolt heads are and replace them if they’re damaged. E-torx does not tolerate damage too well, and bigger sockets just chew up the heads further.


I forgot the best part - once I had the trans off and went to pull the pressure plate, 3/6 bolts were stripped. Pounding in a old torx socket did the trick to get them out, but, what a goddamned mess. I hope they didn’t touch the motor.

[D.Martijn]

No wonder it sounds like a bucket of bolts when you spin it.

Clutch hard line that appears to have been made by someone with MS, using their teeth.

Lol, this is too funny.


Great news on the heatshieds! Have you tested the viscous coupling when the transfer case was still in the car? Is it still good?

How hard is it to remove the transmission on an ix? My throwout bearing is rattling and when I press the clutch quickly when I'm driving slow in first or second gear, it makes a clunk kinda noise.. Very strange.

[kronus]

As far as I know it's ix specific. especially the long aluminium heatshield that sits just after the T-case, you might be able to fit the regular triangular heatshield that connects to it.

They are still available at BMW though, I'm also getting a new triangular one since mine is rusted pretty bad, I already replaced a section of it by welding some new metal in but it is already rusting again..

Thank you! I've found a used set on ebay, of all places.

[kronus]

good news! Trans is out.



TC came out as well.



It was significantly easier to get the TC out than I thought it would be. This was mostly because it was in there finger-tight, because the previous person who used tools on this car didn't know you're supposed to crank stuff down, I guess.

The other fun bit discovered during this is that the transmission was bone dry. Literally one drop of oil came out the drain plug. No wonder it sounds like a bucket of bolts when you spin it. I can't believe I almost flew to Arkansas to drive this pile back.


Some other assorted carnage -

I don't even know how you get rust to do this. This was apparently a brand new factory flywheel, which was a mildly pleasant surprise and a rarity in this project so far. I've gotten most of the rust off with some WD40 and some elbow grease.




Clutch hard line that appears to have been made by someone with MS, using their teeth.




World's rustiest muffler heatshield, along with the first major rust hole I've managed to uncover. It's in a relatively straightforward place to patch, at least, but it's far from the last one I'll find.




Finally, the piece du resistance - my poor, mangled, abused shifter hole. I wish I knew the thought process of the person who did this, but I'm slightly afraid.



If it's not clear from the image, the hole has random bits cut out of it. The rear shifter mount is heavily "modified" to have two bolts hold it to a random place on the bottom of the trans tunnel. The bracketry normally there to receive the end of the shift platform is nowhere to be found. Sigh.


Pile of transmission stuff is growing. It's almost all ready to go in once I deal with the stupid hole.



Goodies include
- 2-year-old DOT-R replacement transmission
- z3 shifter
- new TOB
- new pilot bearing
- SS clutch line
- new slave cylinder
- new TC mount bushing


bonus -

iX Tourings got CV rear driveshafts. Mine came out without too much difficulty, but it has a fully torn boot. I've not been able to locate a replacement, and this driveshaft will likely get changed out for a 4-bolt unit when I upgrade to less-destroyed diffs, but that is a project for another day.

[rzerob]

When I removed my uncles T-case I also had a few people tell me to go at the bolts from inside the car but... How do you remove the shifter assembly though..? I couldn't figure it out because.. wel the transfer case was in the way haha!

Remove the bitch clip, disconnect the shift rod and rear shift bushing.

[D.Martijn]

If the T-case is in the same orientation as a regular ix, attack the upper TC bolts from the top through the shifter hole in the cab after you remove the shifter assembly. It is the easiest route in my opinion. And after you have done it once then it isn't nearly as bad the next time.

When I removed my uncles T-case I also had a few people tell me to go at the bolts from inside the car but... How do you remove the shifter assembly though..? I couldn't figure it out because.. wel the transfer case was in the way haha!

[rzerob]

If the T-case is in the same orientation as a regular ix, attack the upper TC bolts from the top through the shifter hole in the cab after you remove the shifter assembly. It is the easiest route in my opinion. And after you have done it once then it isn't nearly as bad the next time.

[D.Martijn]

- I am missing all the exhaust heatshields. are they the same ix to non-ix?

As far as I know it's ix specific. especially the long aluminium heatshield that sits just after the T-case, you might be able to fit the regular triangular heatshield that connects to it.

They are still available at BMW though, I'm also getting a new triangular one since mine is rusted pretty bad, I already replaced a section of it by welding some new metal in but it is already rusting again..

Triangular heatshield: 16111179644
Brackets for triangular piece: 16111177346 & 16111177347
Screws for the triangular piece: (4x) 07119916966
Sheet metal nuts, these sit on the aluminium cover: (2x) 07129901672
The brackets mount on to the fuel tank, these are hold on by regular M6x16 bolts, washers and nuts.

Aluminum heatshield: 51481933794
Bolts: (6x) 07119915066
plate nut: (2x) 07146949380

Although the covers are some what expensive, around 130€ new.

OR, you could get these for 20€ lol
These guys are located in Denmark, I've ordered some parts form them before.

https://www.ebay.de/itm/BMW-E30-325ix-Waermeisolierung-Tunnel-unten-51481933794-/182587368995

- the TC upper bolts look like a huge pain in the ass to undo.

They are a pain to undo. Before removing the crossmember for the T-Case, support ti with a jack. After removal you just lower the jack until the engine rests against the firewall.
With an assortment of swivel and U joints I was able to break them loose and back them out a quarter of a turn each time after repositioning the arrangements of attachments each time. It's a bitch lol.

[kronus]

I'm embarrassed to say what I paid for my OEM tank.

I'm embarrassed to count up how much I've just dumped on absolutely basic maintenance stuff for the touring.


Project update:
- replaced the valve cover vent hose and ICV-to-TB hose, got mildly better idle vacuum but it's still 5psi off of where it needs to be.
- took the exhaust and front driveshaft off last night in preparation to pull the driveline
- front driveshaft splines are ok
- front driveshaft grease keeper-iner is cracked to fuck. thankfully new ones are cheap.
- there was no centering pin, at all
- I had like 1.5cm of spline engagement into the TC. wtf!
- I am missing all the exhaust heatshields. are they the same ix to non-ix?
- the TC upper bolts look like a huge pain in the ass to undo.
- absolutely everything underneath has aftermarket undercoating on it, and is rusting underneath the undercoating, including stuff like brake lines. I might need to do a full brakeline replacement, which I'm not super excited about. I've done a full car before, and brake fluid is one of my least favorite fluids to be covered head to toe in.
- ix tourings got bespoke CV rear driveshafts. mine has a torn CV boot and they don't even list the part #s for those. ugh.

Ordered parts:
- x5 fat giubo and centering ring
- brake rebuild parts
- SS brake lines
- z3 lever
- new TOB
- new TC mount bushing

Sorry for the lack of photos. It was late and dark and I had maybe an hour and a half to do all this, so I was in a rush.

[hammbone33]

I'm embarrassed to say what I paid for my OEM tank.

[D.Martijn]

I was relieved as well. The tank itself is fine. A little bit of sediment, but nothing terrible.

We can get tanks from Amazon stateside - https://www.amazon.com/Wiggleys-1983...70_&dpSrc=srch

They are kind of ridiculously cheap, and the quality seems to be on par. I have one getting ready to go into my 323i. Not sure if you have a similar option.

Did you see my comment about the 6 bolt rear driveshaft? Turns out I have one as well, and it's toast.

Wow, that's pretty cheap! Although the one you listed is for an early E30.
All the aftermarket tanks seem to look the same, every single one of them is grey and is missing the drainplug.
And yes, I bought one early this week and today it arrived. Quality seems to be good. At first thought it seems a bit heavier than the original one..? Or maybe it just has been too long since I had mine out from under my Touring.

[kronus]

Great news that it fired up! What's the condition of the fuel tank? After filling mine completely this weekend, it turns out I have a leak. Already got a new one for 200€ incl shipping.

I was relieved as well. The tank itself is fine. A little bit of sediment, but nothing terrible.

We can get tanks from Amazon stateside - https://www.amazon.com/Wiggleys-1983...70_&dpSrc=srch

They are kind of ridiculously cheap, and the quality seems to be on par. I have one getting ready to go into my 323i. Not sure if you have a similar option.

Did you see my comment about the 6 bolt rear driveshaft? Turns out I have one as well, and it's toast.

[D.Martijn]

Great news that it fired up! What's the condition of the fuel tank? After filling mine completely this weekend, it turns out I have a leak. Already got a new one for 200€ incl shipping.

[kronus]

Parts came in, and I had some time to get this stupid thing running again.

Old pump came out molested and with no filter. Of course. If I dig into something on this car that ends up having been done well and without bodgery, I don’t think I would trust my eyes.



Walbro assembled, plug soldered onto carrier.



With the Walbro 255 in, m20 has fire in the hole and everything is great again. Low vacuum though, so next up is going through the various seals and boots and fittings. I’ll toss a valve adjustment in there while I’m at it - it definitely needs it.

[2mAn]

am totally serious about it FWIW

MLA or APA format?

ah. That's the O2 sensor connector.

edit: wait, no it's not. who knows! been some time since I looked at an M20.

Thats the injector harness connector