Still my favorite body style 5 series. Looking great. Now go post it on the E39 board since you figured out the photo posting. They will love it.
dj Roo
‘87 325is, ‘06 Z4
Roger that. I fell in love with a 98 that I am now years ago it’s got almost 400 K on it…
Every time I thought about selling it I drive it and it would change my mind. Not sure what I’m gonna do with it. Might become a resto project with some nasty nasty blower or supercharger or something. Going for the “sleeper”
I like those E 30s they’re bulletproof from what I understand
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Stripped an axle bolt. WOO. 5/6 went sooo smooth. 11/12, actually. Then I got cocky trying to beat the sunset. Decided to button up before I did anymore damage, and lost a guide pin for the e-brake hardware I'd removed from one side. Double WOO.
My bad for forgetting to douse that *REDACTED* in PB blaster.
At least I got 1 of 2 bearings out today. Should have called it at that moment and relished in the victory, instead the victory is muddled with uncertainty. And I won't have time to tackle anymore until Saturday, so I get to grovel in extended uncertainty for a solid 36 hours.
Anyone ever tapped an axle bolt before? can't be worse than a TPS bolt resting in the engine.
Now let's all take a moment and cry in unison.
Following morning edit: considering all the work I've done the past few months, and this being my first stripped rolt (rusted bolt), I'll take solace in knowing it could be worse.
I'm imagining some nice, toothy vice grips and 2 cans of PB blaster to perhaps solve the situation.
Last edited by OMGE30; 03-04-2022 at 09:12 AM.
Joke of the day: how many hackjob mechanics does it take to reuse a stripped suspension bolt?
Answer: 2. The first one to have the idea, and the second one to say "oh yeah, thread some loctite and that puppy ain't goin' nowhere"
I had to solder and fiddle with the headlight connector on the cap for my elipsoids. One of the posts that the connector slides on to has come unsecured so when I plug it in it presses the post in to the cap. Just need to plug it in before screwing it on and we’re good!
Apparently if you beat on a stripped size 8 hex bolt with a size 10, it will crimp the metal in enough for the proper size 8 to grip properly. After some encouragement from a sledge.
YMMV, I do not recommend this practice.
Wait, what? How...? idgi
Sorry I wasn't around to cry with you the other day, was tearing into the timing belt situation yet again to replace that intermediate shaft gear, which ended up taking two days because 1) somehow we forgot to set it at TDC before we removed the belt and 2) somehow we misaligned the lower radiator hose and the alternator chewed a hole in it and 3) somehow we misaligned something else and the belt moved off center, and we just had to sort all that out before doing a 700-mile 2-day road trip.
Hahaha I appreciate your support, Clio sometimes in life, we need to work through our emotions ourselves without the assistance of friends. Perhaps it offers better/different lessons and character-building than when someone else is willing to sympathize.
Your situation with the timing belt sounds like a nightmare and a half, great job and perseverance between you and your wife to rectify that as swiftly as y'all managed!
I shall continue to take solace in the fact my manhandling of the axle bolt managed to work, because what has happened since then, is the revelation that my hub is gauged AND scratched. I removed the inner race of the wheel bearing (they seem to like to break upon removal), and discovered damage that I cannot ignore. Perhaps this is relevant to the noise I've been experiencing, and could have had an impact on the previous Chinesium bearings failing.
Not sure who would use a Chinese bearing on a German car, but I swear it wasn't me Febi is about to support my wheels for another 3+ years.
Unfortunately, I cannot in good conscience put this hub back on. I've been in a bit of a mental funk due to such realizations, but it's fine because this too shall pass and I have 2 OEM hubs on the way that I scoured off eBay. What worries me a little more is the e-brake cable that's seized in its channel, but I've dug up some information that might assist with the extraction, come Wednesday when I have the time to tackle the insanity.
I feel kinda bad that I swiped these hubs out from the fingers of someone else trying to restore their E30, but there's solace in knowing that the seller got a better price due to my input.
You're dealing with stuff we have been lucky enough to *not* have to address yet. I know it's not easy nor fun but your efforts are inspiring, particularly in the perseverance department, which, yes, we have that (thank you!) but luckily we haven't yet had any irrevocable screw-ups or issues that completely sidelined the car for any length of time. While I'm crossing my fingers we'll get to wait until better weather before we have to dig in to suspension and brakes, Q400 is also really jonesing for a tighter feel to the steering, shifting and suspension... my thinking is, let's replace one set of bushings at a time (why? idk I guess I just want to really know what effect each component has?).
Best of luck with those hubs and ebrake!
in other news, since we're tired from 3 straight months of reaming on this car, today we turned no wrenches and got rubber floor mats. At least now, our own shoes won't be the source of water and mud on the footwell carpets...
After almost 4.5 years since the last rear brake job, did brake pads, rotors, and wear sensor at 309,771 miles.
On Christ the solid Rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand. (Edward Mote 1797-1874)
On Sunday we drove into DC with around 25-30 other E30s and 20-30 other classic and new BMWs for the Cherry Blossom Run.
Amazing to see that many well kept E30s all together and meeting fellow enthusiasts.
dj Roo
‘87 325is, ‘06 Z4
Found out I was right about there being a backwards throttle switch.
Backstory; I have an 89 325I coupe, 5 speed that was my daily for 20 something years. Started having a drivability issue about the time I bought a new toy, a 65 Ford F100 with a big block V8 that is so much fun that I parked my E30. Had some spare time and diagnosed a bad throttle switch on the bimmer. I have a longtime relationship with a BMW/Porsche dismantler here in town so I hit him up for a good used switch. $40 out the door. Pulled the throttle body, swapped the switch, but when trying to adjust it, it would not show closed throttle on the correct two wires, seemed backwards, like it lived on top of the throttle body. Called my guy, he said "They are all the same, I don't see how that could be. bring it by" So I dropped it off and waited a month before contacting him because, even though I am a top notch professional mechanic, This guy is an authority on German car parts, and I felt that I might be wrong in my condemnation of his switch being backwards. So, long story short (I know it's too late for that) I called today and he told me that 99% of the switches are the same, but he had given me the 1% that was different. Well I'll be dipped in sheepshit. Now I just have to pick it up and put it on. Hopefully soon because these gas prices are killing me in the Big Block Ford.
Dan
Dirty Dan
2nd that, dj, your car is really really pretty Nice to see a little E21 in there too!
painted each other's toenails with Mtech stripes. Clio320i mixed up a custom batch of Bronzit nail polish
A family that paints together...
During that snow, instead of drifting I was sifting through 3 inches of snow to find the tools I left out literally did not believe that it was going to happen bahahah
I've drifted enough with this E30 years back... backcountry roads with sheets of black ice laying in wait around the blind corners. I think I've had my fill of tingly spine sensations.
I've since learned the value of sandbags in the trunk.
I think you are missing something. I mean, I appreciate all the technical stuff about switches and whatnot, but the real issue is your E30 became upset with you when you stopped driving it in favor of an old truck. You need to talk nicely to it in German, wash and wax it maybe. Mind you, that has NEVER worked for my 89e30, but maybe yours is an exception.
1989 BMW 325i Coupe
1989 Suburban 4x4
2014 Ram 1500 4x4
1945 Willys MB Jeep
1959 Triumph TR3A
you have to speak its language! we have an gmail account for our car and we forward emails to it when we order parts and offer soothing encouragement in German
Buying it, going to be a bit of a restoration project. This is my first post over here in e30 land I usually reside in camp e39. Have seen the fantastic e30 wiki and read about every page on it. This is a 86 325e with a m20b25 swap, t04e turbocharger fitted with ms2 pnp ecu. Few other goodies in there as well. The interior is well, ugly. The engine bay isn't all that beautiful either. Heater and ac have been yanked but allegedly the heater box is still there.
Gentleman selling it says it has rust in the battery box and when I asked if it was rusted though or surface he said "about 50/50". Wonder what that means. He's out of town on a job right now and will put it on a lift and send more pictures when he gets home this weekend.
Anybody by chance know where a man can get a fender....
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Last edited by seagreen323i; 04-27-2022 at 01:12 AM.
I started the process of putting my M20B25 engine back together. The engine was taken out for rebuild several years ago. I'm going to be asking what may seem like silly questions.....ha.
I say that because I have little memories of the disassembly. So, "where or how does this part fit", may not be out of the question for me to have to ask. Be kind guys!
Last edited by tdf; 06-28-2022 at 06:27 PM.
In the process of upgrading sound system in the coupe. Today I glued on new black carpet on my rear parcel shelf to replace the faded blue one. Also have my new
speakers in the original premium sound system enclosers but finished that part a few weeks ago
Screenshot 2022-07-02 203829.jpg1DB3C990-D288-4AFE-8677-6AB9E0843A71.jpg
Simple stuff, new windshield washer pump and grommet for the washer fluid tank.
On Christ the solid Rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand. (Edward Mote 1797-1874)
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