My track project: 1990 325is

[gearheadE30]

Looks like a fun project. I need to find myself a good beat E30 or E28 to work on pretty soon.

[profbooty]

Updated 5/8/09

Started up a little bit more work on the e30 this spring.

First up I replaced my impulse sensor with one from the junkyard. Car runs better now.

Second I started to work a bit more on cosmetics. Since my model was an early 1990 model, it did not come with shadowlined trim.



I went to home depot and picked up a can of plasti-dip. This stuff works great on the trim, and if you make a mistake it peels right off the chrome. Also the overspray just rubs right off.



The final results!





I tried it on my door mouldings and it did not turn out so well. I am in the process of scuffing up those with 600 grit and applying acetone. Also, the mirrors are being repainted, as they are nearly down to the primer in some areas.

I should be doing a trackday soon, so it will be time to put in my brake ducting and swaybars.

[profbooty]

updated 5/28/09

Factory3 performance brakeduct kit installed

front IE spec e30 swaybar installed




The stud which I was going to mount the host clamp onto broke in half while tightening the nut. Took out the tap and dies to rethread it but no luck. Wound up using a bunch of zip ties connected to an upper sensor mount.



The supplied hardware wasn't much fun to get in, so I just used some washers and nuts n bolts for the inlet ducts. Sprayed the ductings to match the body,makes it slightly less noticeable, but its on the track most of the time anyways.

[Spec E30]

Looks like a fun project. How do these cars do on the track? Do you give a lot of point-bys?

[profbooty]

Looks like a fun project. How do these cars do on the track? Do you give a lot of point-bys?

I run with a number of different clubs. Since I went from tracking my e46 m3, I am giving a lot more point bys since I have to drive the e30 much more like a momentum car. It holds its own and gains in the corners, but on the straights I give plenty of point bys.

In the end I will be a better driver. When I initially started tracking my car I ran a VW passat which really made me learn a lot, then while using my M3 I relied too much on the car (it was way easier to drive).

[profbooty]

Looks like I will be replacing the brake master cylander this weekend, the new one came in today. After that it should be track ready for next weekend.

I will be sure to bench bleed it, and rebleed my brakes.

[Spec E30]

I run with a number of different clubs. Since I went from tracking my e46 m3, I am giving a lot more point bys since I have to drive the e30 much more like a momentum car. It holds its own and gains in the corners, but on the straights I give plenty of point bys.

In the end I will be a better driver. When I initially started tracking my car I ran a VW passat which really made me learn a lot, then while using my M3 I relied too much on the car (it was way easier to drive).

Cool man! I'm turning mine into a track car too and eventually into a Spec E30 car. I currently track my '05 STi so I was wondering how the switch to a much lower hp car would be. It's good to hear the car holds its own in the corners. Have fun with the build :p

Where are you from? maybe i'll see you on the track sometime.

[profbooty]

Cool man! I'm turning mine into a track car too and eventually into a Spec E30 car. I currently track my '05 STi so I was wondering how the switch to a much lower hp car would be. It's good to hear the car holds its own in the corners. Have fun with the build :p

Where are you from? maybe i'll see you on the track sometime.

I live in virginia, outside DC. I will be down at VIR this weekend with mazdadrivers, you heading down that way?

I have no idea if you have tracked anything other than an STI on track, but in my opinion while being a bit slower, rwd is a lot more fun, and a lot more challenging :P

[profbooty]

Update 6/9/09

My brakes were rather spongy at my last track event. After bleeding them they felt firm, but after a couple of hard stops they needed to be pumped up.

Not a very confidence inspiring situation on track.

Anyways, pumping up the brakes usually sounds like a bad brake master cylinder. Before swapping it out, I took my pressure bleeder and checked for leaks. Other than a bleeder valve that needed to be tightened no visible leaks. Tightening the bleeder valve didn't do much either.

Interestingly enough bimmerworld sells an m3 brake master cylinder for much less money than a new stock 325i one. On the other hand it appeared from their website that you would have to swap out a hard line to the ABS to get it to mount up properly. While the m3 part apparently provides firmer pedal feel, that seemed like just too much of a hassle. Just ordered a stock replacement from pelican.

Headed over to a friends house to swap out the brake master cylinder. It was a bit easier after unbolting the power steering reservoir, but a stubby wrench would have been nice. Bench bled the new one, bolted it up and rebled the entire system.

Well the pedal didn't go to the floor,but neither did the old one. The pedal was firmer, but still needed to be pumped up. Scratching our heads, we pulled out the shop manual which stated that ABS cars should be pre-pumped 12 times prior to opening the bleeder valve. I thought this was a bit odd since we were using a pressure bleeder in conjunction with manually bleeding the brakes. Perhaps there was air in the ABS system somewhere.

Anyways rebled the brakes with the same procedure, but no additional air came out. While doing the passenger side rear wheel, suddenly the pedal firmed up, but no bubbles ever came out. Best I can think of is that something which was seized, seized but it seems very weird that no air came out of the system despite putting 2 bottles of super blue.

Pedal feels nice and firm. Not nearly as firm as my m3, but it no longer needs to be pumped up.

On an amusing note, my local enthusiast shop suggested I flush my brakes as my brake fluid was black. Its ATE SuperBlue! They also stated I failed state inspection for motor mounts.


Next up, I head to VIR to do the Grand East configuration. 4.2 miles and 33 corners!

[whiltebeitel]

You may have a small blockage in one line. try disconnecting it, and blowing compressed air through the end.

[profbooty]

Updated 4/14/10

Just completed a number of projects with mixed success

I did some miscelaneous stuff last summer:

Replaced the headlight switch and put in a new bulb that had burnt out.
Replaced all the vaccum lines except the ones going to the brake booster
Seafoamed the engine
Picked up and installed e34 brake handle. I need a new brake boot to match!


In the past two weeks I did the following:

Wiper Nozzle:
I only had one windshield wiper nozzle working, a trip to the junkyard to get a new t-fitting and now the drivers side squirts fluid once again. I assume that the hole on the t-fitting is intentional and functions as a relief mechanism?

Oxygen Sensor: My idle had been eratic ever since I purchased the car and the can was running rather rich, things only got worse after running some sea foam. Likewise I was getting lambda errors with the check engine light coming on and off when I applied variations in throttle. A quick search of the service receipts (which are surprisingly thorugh) showed no sign of the oxygen sensor being changed.

This thing was a pain in the @#@!3 to get off. My sensor became deformed while trying to use vice grips and I oculdnt get an oxygen sensor tool to fit over the misshapen sensor. This was after 5 days in the row of twice daily applications of PB blast. A bodywork tool in combination with a 4 foot long pipe wedged the sensor on and it came off with some difficulty with the breaker bar and the same pipe.

The car now idles great, I havent taken it out of the garage yet to see if there is a bit more pep.

Oil leaks:

1) i was lazy and reused the crush washer last time, a new crush washer and this was cured.
2) Teflon taped my sensors on my TRM oil filter sandwich. I have no clue why they werent taped when I first put them on. An easy fix
3) Oil pan gasket!
This thing had been leaking horribily for 3 years. When I finally got to it, just about every bolt had plenty of play in it. Taking it off wasn't too bad, but as I didnt drop the subframe getting the oil pan gasket to stay in place and have enough clearance to put the oil pump back on was not any fun at all. I also damaged the oil level sender unit with some vice grips while attemping to take off a stuck 10mm nut. I'm going to have to make a junkyard trip to fix that as the check panel states im low on oil, however i just put in 4.5 quarts and its not leaking on the ground.

Brake lines:

I've had a mushy brake pedal ever since I bought the car. I previously replaced 2 of the lines as well as the brake master cylander last summer. while the pedal felt firm, my pedal became soft during my 2nd track session last summer. I finally got around to replacing the final 4 lines. Once again I didnt drop the subframe so getting two of the connectors on/off was not an easy task. There are no leaks at the moment, but I need to rebleed the lines as I only got air coming out of the rear passenger side, but none out of the drivers rear side while utilizing my pressure bleeder.

Hopefully I can get a buddy to help me re-bleed them this weekend. If the pedal is still mushy after that I will try blowing out the front two lines.

Temp sensor relocation:
When I installed my brake cooling ducts for the track, I broke the wires leading to my outdoor temp sensor. A trip to the junkyard and I grabbed one off an e36 which worked just fine, except for the fact that due to poor air circulation lead to inaccurate readings at stoplights (about +8 degrees higher than ambient). I used some zipties and relocated it closer to the foglight assembly so that the sensor would recieve some aiflow from a gap between the front apron and my IS lip.

New washers for MTECH 2 wheel:
I used some split washers when I first installed this as I couldnt find any 16mm washers. This lead to a shaking of the steering wheel when turning the steering wheel past a certain point. A trip to home depot fixed this.

Next projects:
1) Need to get a new oil level sensor from the junkyard
2) I need some new motor mounts as one of them has basically come apart in two pieces, do e34's work well? Might not be a bad idea if I do a motor swap if this motor dies on track.
3) Rebleed brakes
4) Shifter needs to be rebuilt, more slop than I would like.
5) Learn how to do bodywork. There's also a place that does bodywork for $35 an hour. Ill see if I can get them to weld in a new quarter panel for me and I will paint it myself. Its a track beatur not a show car. Probably do some bondo and block sanding as well for some minor dings.
6) Realign my bumpers and sunroof
7) Good polish
8 ) I would like a harness bar for track use
9) I think there is a loose ground somewhere in the radio system. I get a capacative whine that becomes overpowering. Essentially i can't hear anything else and the radio is silent until a certian point afterwhich a loud screetch is emited. This doesn't happen all the time.
10) I need a new air conditoning switch, mine doesn't actuate every time I press it, feels like the mechanical part inside has worn out.

[profbooty]

And my track beatur might have seen its last days. Hit a deer tonight, mechanically felt fine, but the drivers side door won't open more than 3" so I likely have some frame damage.

No injuries to us though.

I don't really want to let this car go after all the work done to it, plus it will take a ton of time to get all the parts off if it is totalled.

[ak-]

Oh man. Sorry to hear that.
You were doing swell on this thing from the looks of it.

[profbooty]

I won't have an estimate till monday, but given the age of the car I assume that it will be totaled.

Anyone looking for a project/spec e30 car?

The pusher fan doesn't work and the radiator is slightly pushed in pinching the hose a bit but other than that it runs and drives straight. If I didn't hae an HOA and my tow vehicle was working I would consider making it a track only car.

The damage appears cosmetic.

FS forum thread

[profbooty]

And nearly 4 years later, it has a new radiator support welded in! In that 4 year span I had a kid, and replaced a transmission in an ML320 too....

Should have it back up and running in a few days. The question is, do I re register it now, or wait until jan 1 when I can get "antique" plates and not have to worry about emissions/safety inspection?