1989 325i Rescue

[jeenyus]

It's not broken, it just doesn't have it's brake pad carrier fitted..?

Most certainly something was wrong. Good call on replacing them

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

[Poorhouse]

Yeah, carrier was off on the old one.
It was pretty manky, glad I got "new" ones.
The fronts came powder coated red for more stopping power.

[Poorhouse]

Front suspension and brakes done.

Brakes bled easily. Pedal feels really good, albeit with no vacuum.

Clutch bleeding was a fiasco. Blew out the slave seals by operator error. Replaced with spare slave and gave myself a serious brake fluid shower.
I think the clutch is fully bled. Ran out of time to hook up shift linkage and try to put it though the gears.

[Poorhouse]

This thing is about ready to be a roller.
Filled the diff and trans with fresh Redline fluids.
Hooked up shift linkage. Got all 6 gears (5 + reverse) and the linkage feels fantastic!
Still not sure I have clutch. I'm going to hook up the driveshaft and test it.

Got the Ronals mounted with Yoko S drives. They look properly meaty.

[laidback93]

Nice progress.

You’re going to love the Ronals with the S Drives. I sure do.

[dmanb2b]

Nice progress.

You’re going to love the Ronals with the S Drives. I sure do.

That's what I just got installed too!!!

[Poorhouse]

Outside! :)





But, not running. :(

I had to shift from the engine to suspension, brakes, driveshaft, exhaust, basically everything under the car.



It needed to be a roller because I had it on stands blocking the shop door so none of the summer stuff could come out.



Now I can shuffle some things around and get the car in the back of the shop.

It's a good motivator to see it outside. It looks pretty sweet. A 20 footer but I don't mind that. The ride height is perfect and the Ronald's with meaty tires.

Really want to hear this.



It's pretty close. Install engine harness, radiator and hoses, intake mani with air box vac hoses, etc.
plus whatever I'm forgetting.

[Poorhouse]

Attempted to crank it for the first time last night. Sounds like the Bendix gear is hitting the flywheel. Makes a couple good hard whacking sounds when I turn the key.
Turned engine over to try it in other spots with no change.
RHD flywheel and reman starter marked "Delco".
Pffffhhhh.
Hopefully it's the wrong starter. Going to swap in the original.
Good thing is I don't have everything back in the car.
Bad thing is I don't think the trans had threaded holes so I need to figure out how to hold the nut.

[Poorhouse]

Pulled starter. Looks identical to the original.
Bench tested both and they are working.
The Bendix engagement on the original starter is more solid and it extends slightly further.
Installed the original and still not working.

Revd my pics. Flywheel is on correctly. I check the teeth engagement with the original auto part and it matched.
Not sure what the issue is.
I'm going to pull it again and see if the sheet metal spacer piece got out of alignment and isn't allowing the starter to sit high enough.

[Reichart12]

Flywheel looks right to me too. Did the original starter make the same banging noises the reman unit did?

[Poorhouse]

Yeah sounds identical.

Maybe the trans didn't seat all the way, or the spacer is off?

[2mAn]

While you're frustrated, might as well hit the grille and some other parts with some SEM trim paint... at least it will look better sitting there lol

[Poorhouse]

LOL I've been tempted. But I know if I start on that I'll have the whole front end stripped to repaint the valence and front bumper. I would manage to stretch that job out for 2 or 3 weeks.

I'd like to be driving this son of a bitch this summer.

[Poorhouse]

Success!

My buddy who is a mechanic came over today to see what was going on.
He tried it once and said it wasn't hitting the flywheel.
Diagnosed a bad engine ground. He said they used to double up engine grounds on BMWs as they are weak.

Cleaned up the contact points and ran a new wire. Turned right over. So stoked the trans doesn't have to come out.

Now to figure out how to get the top bold on the starter back in...

Any one else run additional grounds? Where did you run them?
I have the one from driver chassis leg to alternator only at this point.

[Poorhouse]

It drives!

Spent the morning bleeding the cooling system and buttoning things up.
After purging the air and making sure it wasn't leaking important fluids at to fast a rate took it for a drive around the neighborhood. No insurance so didn't go on public roads.

Felt fantastic! Amazing to drive it after so much work. Needs some more clutch bleeding, has a massive exhaust leak and some other little things. But the end is in sight.