What did you do to your e21 today?

[JDTable]

I've been slowly restoring the engine bay and front trim/bumper and broke a bunch of the small plastic expanding nuts that hold the grill on the car. I made a 3d model and 3d printed the replacements.

[amarino]

I've been slowly restoring the engine bay and front trim/bumper and broke a bunch of the small plastic expanding nuts that hold the grill on the car. I made a 3d model and 3d printed the replacements.

Very cool. What material did you print with and mind sharing the file? I have a 3d printer on order and would be looking to try and model some things to replace like that.

[JDTable]

Very cool. What material did you print with and mind sharing the file? I have a 3d printer on order and would be looking to try and model some things to replace like that.

Yes, I just uploaded the STL file to thingiverse:
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4354017

I printed it in PETG at 100% infill, takes around 30 minutes to print 12 pieces so its pretty quick. I printed in PETG for a little more flexibility and heat resistance compared to PLA. Hopefully I'll be able to print ABS soon and be able to print a few more parts.

[Somjuan]

I have an ABS printer if you have the files

[JDTable]

I have an ABS printer if you have the files

I don't have any other parts right now, just in general would like to be able to print in ABS for future part needs. I just have to finish my 3D printer enclosure so that I can print ABS without part warping.

[JDTable]

Cleaned up and painted the metal parts for the headlights. Here are a couple of pictures. I used VHT epoxy paint which has a nice satin black finish.

[Somjuan]

Do you have to heat treat PETG at all? I work almost exclusively in ABS. Mostly curious because it seems like a nice alternative, I don’t think I could get away with the layer line alignment there relative to the screw without heat treating it first.

[JDTable]

Do you have to heat treat PETG at all? I work almost exclusively in ABS. Mostly curious because it seems like a nice alternative, I don’t think I could get away with the layer line alignment there relative to the screw without heat treating it first.

I didn't heat treat the PETG, I understand the concern with the layer lines. I'm not too worried about it though, PETG does have some flexibility and doesn't really break apart like the original ones do (though this is probably due to the age of the original parts). When I try bending the two tabs apart I can get it to start separating at the inner seam, but it stays together and I don't see it falling apart in the vehicle since they won't bend that much when the screw is installed.
IMG_20200511_151723586.jpg

[Somjuan]

I’d be pretty surprised if it did fail from regular loading, mostly thinking of thermal/vibration. I doubt it will be a problem though, like you said, the old ones just fall apart by looking at them, and I’ve never seen one fail on the car

[320iAman]

The Control Arms with Sway Bar Bushings work well for a time then the rubber holding the metal cylinder for which the sway bar end goes thru ages and vibration starts with the accompanying wheel wobble at 55 MPH or so. What I did was to fill this gap all the way to the end of the bushing where the Big Washer is locked in by the Sway Bar in this way when installed the washer will contact the filled compound and secure it in. The compound I used is 3M Glass Adhesive - its a one step polyurethane. Its has the same properties as Hard Rubber with a Hardness of 50, this way it will flex more and give a softer ride and longevity and strength of polyurethane, this same compound has been cast in motor mounts for BMW cars and has been used in suspension gaps here and there to stop vibration and add support where it was needed with good results. I filled the gap by wrapping the outside circular edge of the Lemförder sway bar bushings and then squeezing the compound into the gap all the way to the top of the metal tube of the sway bar bushing and then a small amount more so the washer would contact it and press it in when sway bar nut was attached to the other side and tightened it all up with its washer, also I tamped the compound down. I also installed new BMW Dust Boots , I have a second pair in bound, one dust boot had broken so i replaced them both. The sway bar bushings were brand new and then filled and then driven in to the control arms. This is my spare back set for that day. At earlier times I installed rubber pieces in the gap and as long as they where in there wheel wobble was gone, this way its more permanent with the same results.

s-l1600.jpg s-l1600a.jpgDSCI0486.JPGDSCI0487.JPGDSCI0488.JPG

Randy

[TomRamakers]

Hi, can someone help me figure out how to detach the 4-plug heater box connector from the in- and outside of the cover panel?
I'm trying to get the carpet out and would like to remove the heater housing so I can get to it.
I've got the panel free, but the connector I can't figure out:
HeaterBoxConnector.jpg

[320iAman]

The 15T Hydraulic Puller is in , its a Beast, it weighs nearly 26 pounds in the case and pulls/presses by 3 legs 120 degrees a part or 2 Legs 180 degrees a part.

Randy

[320iAman]

Just picked up this tool, 1 left at $50 plus change/ shipping USPS Priority Mail. Universal Hub Puller with Striking Wrench 12022.

s-l1600.jpg

Here is a video of using this type of Hub Puller , in the case of BMW E21's, pulling the drive flange from the side shaft in the rear trailing arms to change out the dual rear bearings to new ones. Note using a breaker bar with socket the breaker bar snapped, using a sledge hammer to the hit the striking wrench got the job done, its a persistent application, with hydraulic and strike wrench puller the job is doable easier. The 15T puller I bought is good to pull the gears and bearings off transmission shafts as well to renew these..





Update 0 left at ~$50 sold out.

Randy

[amarino]

Something easy today. Battery cut off switch.

[320iAman]

Tried out the hub puller on a side shaft with the drive flange knocked in almost to flush, even though it has three arms - 2 arms are what doing the pulling 180 degrees apart, 3rd arm is loose, it worked quite well, the drive flange installed on the car that will be a tougher job on that day. Also there three different side shafts for e21's they are not interchangable, they are specific for certain model years.

Randy

[ibarr]

I salvaged a grill from the junkyard to replace the current broken one, replaced the valve cover bolts (since i snapped the old ones), tucked the front bumper, added an aux chord to the radio, and am currently trying to figure out why my car dies at cold starts after a couple minutes of weird idling, will be replacing external fuel pump and fuel filter next

[320iAman]

Rocker Arms or Shafts are in : BMW Genuine 11330634100 and 11330634105,, intake shaft-100 (NLA) , exhaust shaft-105, a seller of genuine BMW parts on eBay in Athens, Greece has several sets available- 8 of them left. -105 is around yet not -100. It took 1 month from Athens, Greece..

DSCI0492.JPGDSCI0493.JPG Top in the Picture is intake and bottom exhaust, collecting parts to re-manufacture the cylinder head-all new parts- not a rebuild.

Randy

[okieflats]

And you are supporting the Greek economy which is near bankrupt; so that's very good. I've never been to Greece, but met many nice people from Greece around here.

[320iAman]

And you are supporting the Greek economy which is near bankrupt; so that's very good. I've never been to Greece, but met many nice people from Greece around here.

This seller in Athens, Greece is only one I found that has BMW intake shafts, he is advertising a set-intake and exhaust, so yes small support, yes I have met a few here as well-good people.

Just Got Main Bearing Shells in standard size, now I have KS- Main and Connecting Rod bearing shells both std size. I did all the micrometer and computational work ,straightness of crankshaft-measured thru the 3rd Main journal rotating, ect,, - zero deflection, sensitivity of run out gauge measurement - 0.01 mm or 0.0004 "- 4 ten-thousandths or 0.0003937 " Three Thousand- Nine Hundred & Thirty- Seven Ten Thousandths of 1 inch depending on how one looks at it. All good in the neighborhood.

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Randy

[320iAman]

My New BMW Intake Valves (11341254625) came in from the Land of the Pharaohs, ordered May 29th rec'vd June 2th, 3 days, DHL World Express. valve 46.0/8.00 mm, standard size.

DSCI0496.JPGDSCI0498.JPG DSCI0497.JPG Looking closely you can see the ground angles on the valve face, looking even closer there is another angle on the bottom of the valve- this slight angle is called " Kick, the Kick or Kick Angle"-this angle is ground in so that the carbon accumulation is "kicked" from the valve when it snaps shut after clearing the cam lobe via valve spring-recoil and goes out the exhaust port.

Randy

[320iAman]

I just got in 16 New Valve Spring Keepers,113109651A , 11341710975..

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Randy

[cgifool]

I just got in 16 New Valve Spring Keepers,113109651A , 11341710975..

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Randy

Are you stocking up to rebuild another head for a spare?

[320iAman]

Are you stocking up to rebuild another head for a spare?

Yes, except it will have all new parts with a few added items, same with the M10 short block for an install later on with a few added items.

Valve Guides in
DSCI0501.JPG

11121263642 , 14.05 x 8 mm

Randy

[bwesty]

https://imgur.com/N1E9trl

First time reupholstering. Not perfect but not terrible!

[Somjuan]

Nice! Where’s the kit from? Did you sew it yourself? Also, I see a lot of audio in that picture, have any of the full setup?