Zen and the Art of e30 Maintenance

[ZM Blue Devil]

im restless for an update. Nothing in a while, is there another massive update coming? I hope so!!!

[fiftytakedowns]

im restless for an update. Nothing in a while, is there another massive update coming? I hope so!!!

Seriously, you make me feeli like I neglect all my cars

[Simon S]

Thanks again guys. Very much.

Im curious to see how well everything shakes out and settles once you drive it awhile.

You and me both!

im restless for an update. Nothing in a while, is there another massive update coming? I hope so!!!

Currently, I'm one of the one-in-ten.. so there will be a wait. May or June of '10 (?). Definitely won't be touched until Spring considering un-heated/insulated garage.

And yeah, the next one will feature more maintenance and commentary on what it's like to drive – maybe a photo or two..

Please feel free to pm me with any questions. Happy to help when I can.

[rafiki]

you are a badass. inspiration for sure. i cant wait to do some of this

[Ray Smoodiver]

Incredible write-up! Keep them coming!

Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance is one of my favourite books of all time. You should read "Zen and Now" which is a follow-up of Robert Pirsig and the authors struggles.

[Mike]

I haven't had the luxury of breaking the ole' lollypop bolts yet, but I promise that I won't sleep as good tonight after seeing what had happened with yours. Top notch resto, too bad no m20, but I would still be proud to own it.

[Simon S]

Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance is one of my favourite books of all time. You should read "Zen and Now" which is a follow-up of Robert Pirsig and the authors struggles.

That book definitely inspired the thread title. I remember really enjoying some parts, and trudging through others. The message I took was that getting involved with the ‘maintenance’ of life can lead to a greater level of satisfaction, appreciation, and enjoyment of what is going on. Pirsig relayed this message vis-à-vis taking care of his motorcycle. My hope or aim is to gain an elevated feeling of satisfaction by getting so involved with the care and feeding of this car. So far, so good.

Thanks for brining “Zen and Now” to my attention – I look forward to checking that out. Some of the greatest moments in my life have been out on the open highway astride a motorcycle.

I haven't had the luxury of breaking the ole' lollypop bolts yet, but I promise that I won't sleep as good tonight after seeing what had happened with yours.

Lol. That was entirely my own fault. I remember being low on sleep and was somehow disoriented on “lefty-loosy” due to being on my back and double-compensating for my position. “Man, that one’s in there good” I thought to myself as I put full strength on the breaker bar..

[evil_twin]

Wow, this thread is SICK!

[ck_taft325is]

I think this is one of the only threads that has three pages + of praise with no update... (hint hint and G'job!) Quite a feat ;)

[Simon S]

Because there are more than 1200 photos hotlinked over 25 individual posts – this post is being edited into a Table of Contents.

For some – visiting each post separately will yield better results on bringing pictures up.

I. Preface. Initial interior.
II. Undercarriage assessment.
III. Shift linkage. Transmission seals. Rear suspension.
IV. Transmission seals. Rear subframe.
V. Stereo. Side molding. Rear suspension. Front suspension.
VI. Exterior cosmetics. Lollipop bolt. Wheels. Brakes.
VII. Brakes. Front lights. Cup mirrors. Transmission removal.
VIII. Cup mirrors. Dual mass flywheel.
IX. Pilot bearing. Rear main seal. Oil pans. Brakes. Interior. Rear taillights.
X. Cup mirrors. Squirrel. Engine bay.
XI. Engine bay. Trunk.
XII. Coolant system. Front sway bar. Drive shaft.
XIII. Cruise control. Engine bay. Interior/external photos.
XIV. Exhaust. Engine bay/start-up. Blower resistor. SI reset.
XV. Front exterior. Clutch stop.
XVI. Misc. electrical. Initial COP.
XVII. Door cards. HVAC detail.
XVIII. Interior final assembly.
XIX. Fuel supply. COP detail.
XX. Chip. SRS delete. Front wheel bearings.
XXI. Front subframe. e36 rack. Battery. Bay shaving.
XXII. Dash vents. m42 dismantling.
XXIII. m42 maintenance. Rear wheel bearings & axle boots.
XXIV. Troubleshooting. Timing. Lifters.
XXV. Sunlight! Skid plate. Old parts pile.
XXVI. Thank you and credit post.
XXVII. Hard line replacement. Finishing touches. On the road again!

[evil_twin]

Nice job with the summary!

[unicorn]

Nice job!

Bravo. Excellent. You are definitely a Mastermind extraordinaire. Fantastic write-up. I like this!

[Donkeyshins]

With regard to Bentley - you pretty much need to own both the E30 and E36 manuals when you have an E30 318i / 318iS. Unfortunately, there are still decent-sized swaths of information that fall between the cracks for both. :-(

-D

[rafiki]

did you just use regualr high temp black spray paint for the valve cover?

[YAN-3]

awesome work. inspires me to get out and get another e30