JackBenny's 1991 318is Project

[jackbenny]

very nice build. I worked stress analysis on JSF in Fort Worth for 2 years. I currently work in Hurst at an aerospace company called D3 Technologies.

Oh and I totally agree about the treatment of engineers at LMCO. Couldn't get out of there fast enough.

wing or forward? I was on wing along with my wife. I have a bunch of friends at D3 right now so I'm sure we know some of the same people.

[jackbenny]

Aww, no love since my last update? :(

This weekend was put the front suspension back together time. Numerous items would make this a difficult weekend, however in the end, there was some success.



first was the subframe. After a quick clean and a shot of paint, it bolted right up.

Next came the control arm:



I elected to go with the Treehouse Racing CAB's mainly for clearance but they are a pretty nice piece...once I installed them the correct way. We can ignore my stupidity for now.



Next came the front strut:



This took a bit of fiddling, especially by myself. Luckily I can scream real loud so when my wife came out into the garage assuming I had cut my arm off, I recruited her to start the nuts on the strut tower while i held the strut housing in place.

Throw on a wheel to see what it looks like...



Camber seems reasonable (although the alignment on this is all out of whack) and no, that snow shovel is completely useless in Alabama. Come to think of it, it was pretty useless in Texas. Why do I have a snow shovel?



Rinse and repeat for the other side.

Next was the M3 steering rack. RobertK's write-up is a great thread to reference and answered most of my questions. But it was still a massive pain in the ass for some reason. As a result most of my time was spend cursing instead of taking pictures. Here are some highlights:





Since I hadn't incurred enough damage to my knuckles this weekend, I though, I know, I'll remove the M42 engine harness...



Mmmmm, cleaner.



But all my knuckles aren't scraped. Isn't there something I could do to remove copious amounts of skin from my hands? I know, I'll swap the brake booster!





Getting to the 4 nuts that hold the booster on was a chore. I ended up removing the drivers seat so i could lay on my back to get to the nuts. It was a similar struggle putting them back on.



The treehouse booster is shorter than the 318is booster so some bending of the lines at the master cylinder were required. But everything is all hooked up.

And I finally got around to taking apart the LH rear caliper and giving it a coat of paint. I should be able to finish it up a bit later this week.



And that's it for this week. Next week will be working on cleaning the engine bay in preparation for dropping the 3.2 in. There's a lot of cosmoline that needs to be removed. So far I'm finding that steam cleaning works pretty well. There are some scapes and peeling paint so I might have to spot those guys in. I can't say I'm lloking forward to that but I've come this far, right?

Til next week.

[dude8383]

amazing progress. did the s52 have an oil leak around cylinders 4, 5, and 6?

[Gnarles]

wing or forward? I was on wing along with my wife. I have a bunch of friends at D3 right now so I'm sure we know some of the same people.

I worked on forward. If you were on the wing, then you probably know most of the people at D3 as the majority of them came from JSF wing :).

I am really impressed with your attention to detail and the quality of parts you are using in your build. I hope to do a 24v swap sometime next year...

[FL318is]

Nice project. Personally, I like the rims!

[TexasTerp]

Wow this is a great build! I have a bunch of buddies living up in the DFW area now. I'm originally from Houston. I look forward to seeing the rest of the build and the final product!

[jackbenny]

amazing progress. did the s52 have an oil leak around cylinders 4, 5, and 6?

You had me worried there for a second so I went back to the picture you are referring to. That stuff was penetrant oil when I was trying to get the remaining studs out of the head. I could see how that might look like a nasty leak! I haven't found any leaks ... yet.

[ian e30 318is]

Subscribed to an awesome build thread. Keep up the good work. No work for an aerospace engineer? Man am i in trouble when i graduate next year :|

[dude8383]

You had me worried there for a second so I went back to the picture you are referring to. That stuff was penetrant oil when I was trying to get the remaining studs out of the head. I could see how that might look like a nasty leak! I haven't found any leaks ... yet.

glad that its nothing serious :)

[Cobra Jet]

What are you doing on here posting highly detailed updates with high quality photos - is it RUNNING yet? :)

GOOD PROJECT BUILD!


Great informative thread w/ great pics and fine details! The wheels look great! If you don't mind me asking, how much were just the wheels? Any spacers needed?

[jackbenny]

What are you doing on here posting highly detailed updates with high quality photos - is it RUNNING yet? :)

GOOD PROJECT BUILD!


Great informative thread w/ great pics and fine details! The wheels look great! If you don't mind me asking, how much were just the wheels? Any spacers needed?

Between friends visiting this past weekend and this coming weekend, working 11 and a half hour days at work trying to get a project finished and a constant barrage of allergens ruining my ability to breathe, not much has gotten accomplished since the last batch of pictures. it's most definitely not running. Once things calm down, i'm hoping to push through and get engine in the bay next month. So far I put another coat of paint on the last caliper and started experimenting with plasti-dip on some interior pieces. I may get ambitious and pull the dash to either repair or replace.

lol at the camera comments. It's my wife's old powershot. You have to hit it to get the shutter to open. I'm just trying to document as much as possible because I like to see that in other's build threads but mainly so I can remember how everything goes back together!

The wheels were purchased at 18racing.com.

http://www.18racing.com/wheel_rb.html

At the time they were the last set in the states but that was two years ago. they are the 16X8 ET20 RB's. Looks like they are 600 bucks shipped. If you run the 245's like I have they will barely clear to just graze the strut. I have acquired some 3mm spacers from Massive Lee that go with my brake kit to fix that issue. 225's or less should be ok. There are lots of pictures of guys on here running the slipstream with the same specs and 225's.

That being said, I got word that my wheels I ordered 2 months ago overseas have cleared customs and should be here soon. These might elicit a reaction by most and I hope it is favorable.

[constructor]

This is an exceptional and inspirational thread. Terrific project, terrific work, and terrific photos.

Subscribed.

[Cobra Jet]

Josh -

I was only being a little sarcastic w/ the comments - LMAO.... your thread is great as well as all of the details & pics!

Are you getting new wheels to replace the RB's already, if so, what kind? Do you not like the RB's due to the clearance issues?

Thx for the link/info on the RB's too!

[jackbenny]

Josh -

I was only being a little sarcastic w/ the comments - LMAO.... your thread is great as well as all of the details & pics!

Are you getting new wheels to replace the RB's already, if so, what kind? Do you not like the RB's due to the clearance issues?

Thx for the link/info on the RB's too!

oh i know. i'm just frustrated that i've gone close to two weeks not being able to lay hands on the car and felt like complaining.

I'm trying to keep the wheels a secret though some may have figured out what they are from some of my other posts. (Search the Wheel and Tire forum if you really are sleuthy ;)...wait a minute, is that even a word?)I stepped up to 17" for two reasons. One: It does a better job of replicating the touring car look I'm shooting for. Two: Tire sizes just seem to be more plentiful in the 17 inch diameter. I still like the RB's. But the 245's have created some fitment issues that I knew were going to be difficult going in. I think the RB's with 225's would be the best compromise. Especially with the RS2's. On the new 17's, I'll step down to 235 and that will fix some of my issues. Given that the car is going to be repainted down the road, I was able to be more ....forceful with the rolling of the rear fenders and not worry about cracking paint.

But, I will have to save money to get those tires so I'll be rolling on RB's for a little while. Don't get me wrong, I still love the RB's. But sometimes it doesn't hurt to switch it up a bit every once and a while.

I did get confirmation that the wheels have cleared customs so I'm just waiting on them to show up at my house. pictures will be posted immediately after that happens.

<edit>
just got a call from the wife. The delivery truck was getting ready to leave when she pulled up. Disaster averted and all 4 are in the garage. I'll try and get pictures posted after I go see Watchmen tonight.

[structured]

this thread is cool.

that is all.