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The electric fan I used would push or pull. I hat it on the front of the radiator, should have installed it on the engine side as a puller. Think it just wasn't powerful enough.
Fan shroud came with the car. Plus, I have a stuck open thermostat. I don't think that makes any difference, because a thermostat' purpose is to warm the engine faster, and it is set to keep the amount of water flow sufficient to keep the engine at some certain temperature.
Actually, my stuck open thermostat keeps my engine cooler because it's not opening and closing all the time to keep one water temp. My gauge is usually somewhere between 1/4 and 1/2 with the pulley fan. Whether this is good or not so good, I haven't had much luck buying thermostats. The end of summer I'll buy another thermostat for the winter, I'll want that one to work properly.
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It can be bad for the engine to NOT come up to proper operating temperature sometimes too. I'd for sure put a proper thermostat in your car. Also, the thermostat does not open and close all the time to keep one water temperature. It opens slowly once the water temp starts warming up and stays open until after you shut your car off and the temps slowly come back down.
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Thanks bassboy3313 for your comment. Good advice. I'll get a new thermostat, a reputable brand this time. The last thermo I had stuck closed after working properly about two months ago, I had another one, the one I'm using, that was stuck open, so I installed this one. I needed a thermostat right away at that moment. I drive maybe less than 20 miles a week anymore, being retired.
I've owned the car for about 20 years, before that I had a '74 2002 for 8 years that ended up a rust bucket. Besides having rebuilt the front suspension last month, rear shocks, a new guibo, a clutch when I bought the car, alternator and a few odds and ends, that's about all I've spent on the car in those years. Plus, I bought the car for $250.
The fuel injection system was not working when I bought it, so I installed the intake manifold and carb from the 2002. Should have kept the 2002 engine and trans and various parts, but I didn't.
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Tonight I finally got started on my rod and main bearing job. I got the front of the car way up on stands, pulled the radiator, removed the 400 oil pan bolts and pulled the pan (aided by removing one top motor mount nut, jacking up one side of the motor a bit, and removing the oil pump).
The old oil had about a thousand miles and looked pretty black already. No visible sign of silvery sheen or glitter. Drain plug magnet is clean.
I turned the motor until the #1 and #6 pistons (front and rear) were all the way down and removed just those two caps and bearings for starters.
I have plastigage, new rod bearings and rod bolts ready to go for my next session tomorrow eve. (main bearings after).
As expected the rearmost bearing shows more wear and pitting than the front, and although they're clearly ready for replacement, I didn't really find anything scary, and the crank journals look perfect so far.
So far so good!
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Well, between the rain and rat-related home repair I hadn't gotten back to the car for a few days.
So yesterday I'm excited to get back to it, open up my pack of new rod bearings and... *@U# - I ordered 4-cyl bearings instead of 6
I'm pretty certain they're identical, but I'm not about to mix bearings from different packs just to get a head start on it.. So I ordered the proper set this time, one more week added to THAT task.
Doubt I can return the bearings because I opened it all up and removed one before noticing I didn't have quite enough of them!
Member
Oh, that's awful. On the bright side, at least you'll have spares? Probably.
Found this fun monstrosity on Imgur while avoiding all the work I need to do to my car : The 240'E' Datsun
A forklift motor? Who knew. Gives some options for an engine swap if ever needed
-John
Member
Picked up the bottom hose that goes in between the the gas tanks and the ventilation top hose connecting the two gas tanks on top. called a dealer $43 for the top hose(1 meter 12x18mm) same bmw hose I paid $17 delivered. I have renewed all ventilation hoses except the top one and the hose that connects the twin gas tanks on the bottom. Both these hoses are from BMW.
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Randy
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Now retrofit r134 expansion valve from different car and figure out the compressorOriginally Posted by SilverPuddle
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My recent project
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nice............and damn little over spray!
Member
Getting ready to change coolant to bmw blue coolant, got a new radiator cap , a stant with pressure release tab. The weather here heating up, 88 F today 100's on the way.
Randy
Member
This week. Fabbed up oil distribuition block. Pulled small case lsd from e36 and disassembled e21 diff to prep it for lsd unit.
Today. Engine bay prep work for paint. Front subframe cleaning and painting.
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Last edited by Retoropak; 06-06-2017 at 06:01 PM.
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Is that an oil groove that supposed to be cut in that one bearing, or is it scored really badly?
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GOSH! It was late when I took those photos and I didn't realize the rod bearings aren't supposed to have oil grooves!
I rechecked it, and yes, it's really deeply scored in that one spot (and a very thin line next to it) (both #6 cyl bearing shells):eek: :eek:
However, I also re-checked the crank journals and they really do look perfect and feel smooth to the fingernail. I'm thinking I dodged a bullet..IMG_1377.jpg
Today at long last the proper set of SIX pairs of new rod bearings arrived (and not just FOUR) so I can get on with it already.
Also, today I paid a visit to a local junk yard with an 80s 528e and 3 e30s to scope out.
I was just looking for a glove box light button (and miraculously found one unbroken one that I think I can use to fix mine with), but picked up a nice handful of bmw-specific hardware that someone else had left behind on the carpet, plus several mini-bulb sockets of the kind that is missing from my ashtray, and an oil and a gas cap with the right look.
Not bad for $9.
I'll be going back soon for the sanden-style a/c bracket and some intact harness clips like the cold-start injector uses (mine are all cracked and loose).
Member
Changed my mind running distilled water with water wetter, already noticed the temp gauge is running cooler, end of fall-colder season moving in back to antifreeze 50/50
Randy
Member
Tonight I finally started installing the new rod bearings, and as expected, the first two took me 2 hours to clean, plastigage, re-clean, smear with assembly lube, and re-tighten rods #1 and #6 to 14.7 ft lbs. (no 70 degrees yet).
I was not able to complete the torque angle step because I realized that the new rod bolts are reverse-torx head and not simply 12-pt like the old (presumably original) ones. - and of course I don't have one of those sets!
This is my first time using the torque angle gauge, using a 1/2" one from the parts store, finding it pretty fiddly just trying it out. wish I had a torque value I could just use already and be done with it. dreading dealing with the rods up above the subframe. assuming ill have to unbolt the rack to move it aside as well, but ill put that off until I dont have a choice.
meh
Plastigage seems to have measured out on the tight end of expected, which seems fine to me (0.02-ish.. just a hair wider than the gage line for 0.025) - factory manual says kolbenschmidt 0.021-0.067mm (glyco 0.029-0.079mm) in Chapter 11 p 11-0/14. For this measurement I only tightened the old rod bolts to 40 ft lb.
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Last edited by cgifool; 06-08-2017 at 11:41 PM.
Member
Yesterday I bought the reverse-torx sockets I needed for the new rod bolts, so tonight I continued the job...
I removed the rod bearings for #2 and #5, as before, one had several deep scratches (to the copper), but the crank journals seem to be unblemished and perfect.
(working from the outside in), I plastigaged cylinders #2 and #5 (#1 and #6 done previously), and they came out seemingly perfect, at the tight end of the acceptable range, 0.2mm
I struggled for a while with the torque-angle gauge but it's really just too much of a pain to use, inaccurate, fiddly, and so on. I finally realized I could just make two marks, 70 degrees apart on my socket. Then, putting the socket on the bolt (once it's torqued to 14.7 ft lbs reference pt), make a mark on the rod corresponding to the socket mark. Then just turn the bolt until the SECOND mark lines up with the mark on the rod. Boom, 70 degrees.
In this way I final- torqued #1, #2, #5, #6 with a little assembly lube.
rod bearings #3 and #4 are still remaining to be done, as well as all the main bearings.
The other day I also picked up the rest of the used sanden-style a/c bracket from the junk yard, as well as a brand new sanden style compressor.
Pretty sure at this rate my a/c won't be together and back in the car before the weather cools off.
Fortunately I planned ahead and made sure the car wasn't actually driveable for the past month. My Honda Element's a/c works exceptionally well, so I'm okay with driving it for a while longer
Member
Lucky break on the crank journals! And good improvisation on the angle
Total aside, but you should make a restoration thread
-John
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Installed new studs
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If I start a thread for my car can I somehow insert references to all my past messages on this thread?
Tonight I finished plastigaging and replacing the rod bearings (#3 and #4, both worn but no scratches, slightly more than the minimum clearance, all good).
Just for fun I finished by loosening all the main bearing cap bolts, and removing #1 to inspect - looks decent, with wear but no evident copper or gouges at least.
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Tonight I spent an hour replacing the first main bearing (working very slowly because it's the first!). I "rolled out" and back in the top bearing shell using a bent cotter pin in the crank oil hole.
I decided not to plastigage the mains, at least if they keep coming out looking as decent as the first set did - after first looking up the part number on the old ones to make sure they weren't oversize for some reason.
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Last edited by cgifool; 06-15-2017 at 01:26 AM.
Member
Argh! Another case of ordering the wrong parts
I got halfway through replacing the main bearings and realized all I had left were 2-tang shells, and all the ones in the engine are 1-tang!!
So, I'm stuck on that for now.
I was very pleased with myself prior to this discovery, for getting two more mains done.
My bent cotter pin only works well, as it turns out, for removing old "top" shells. An unmodified machine screw of appropriate size works much better for installing the new ones.
I inspected the bearings in the remaining caps, all are worn smoothly but down to the copper in some areas - this kind of stuff always helps keep me motivated, I hate going to lots of trouble to replace things that already look perfect, ha ha.
If anyone ever had the same problem in reverse, and happens to have 3 extra pairs of 1-tang m20 bearing shells, send me a PM
Otherwise I guess I'll go order another set. This time it doesn't really matter if I get early, or late, either set will have enough for my needs!
Last edited by cgifool; 06-15-2017 at 11:27 PM.
Member
There is no legitimate reason for skipping the plastigage on any bearing. Plastigage all the bearings. Don't forget to check the thrust clearance too. No skimping!
Tbd
Member
My Locks were getting very sticky to no work, checked out one key system,,its NLA,, tried 3 in 1 Lock dry lube, they now work really well, dodged one there..lol
Randy
Member
Fine fine fine.. .. I'll do itThere is no legitimate reason for skipping the plastigage on any bearing. Plastigage all the bearings. Don't forget to check the thrust clearance too. No skimping!
Problem in my mind is the assembly lube.. Since I have to "roll" the top bearings in, I would have to install the top ones dry to plastigage properly, then remove and reinstall with a smear of lube afterwards (I don't use a lot, but i'm certain it would affect the measurement). But, there's always some tiny risk I'll damage something in the process, since I can't do it properly with the engine out of the car this time.
I guess I'll try checking them with the top shell lubed (sparingly), bottom shell clean, and only re-check fully dry if the result is completely out of range one way or the other.
Hope my other strips arent totally dried out. I wasn't careful about keeping them in the bag they came in, and am already paying the price after a few weeks.
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