Just (re)joined BFc, figured I'd introduce myself and my '84 745i

[DesktopDave]

I played hookey today and worked a bit on stuff. The fuel pump has been squared away, and I checked out the noisy P/S pump. It's foaming in the reservoir...looks like a freshly poured Guinness in there - lots of air in the system. Is that a symptom of a plugged filter in the reservoir?

- - - Updated - - -

BTW - anyone have some of that pretty blue braided clutch hose they'd like to sell? Just enough for one clutch job? Mine is a cracked, frayed mess that's about 1/2" too short.

[Hit Man X]

I played hookey today and worked a bit on stuff. The fuel pump has been squared away, and I checked out the noisy P/S pump. It's foaming in the reservoir...looks like a freshly poured Guinness in there - lots of air in the system. Is that a symptom of a plugged filter in the reservoir?

- - - Updated - - -

BTW - anyone have some of that pretty blue braided clutch hose they'd like to sell? Just enough for one clutch job? Mine is a cracked, frayed mess that's about 1/2" too short.

Pretty sure I have a mile of that hose left as you can only buy it by the meter. How long do you need?



Doubt the filter is the issue. Sounds like porous hoses or maybe those switches on the pressure accumulator body. The return lines are easy, the small one to the booster is 5/16"... the others are OE BMW size only. :/ A competent hydraulic shop could easily rebuild the pressure lines, I had that booster one redone for $30. Big money!

[DesktopDave]

One of the switches is definitely leaking. I've ordered replacements, happily they weren't that much. I'm sure the hoses are cracked too, I'll be buying a bit of the BMW OEM stuff for overhauling the system once the switches get here.

If you have some of that clutch line, LMK what your paypal address is, and how much you'd like for it including shipping to 15102. I'd figure I need less than a foot. I'll head out with a tape to get a real measurement.

- - - Updated - - -

Yep - just as I thought. A little extra for waste and easy removal later is just under a foot. LMK how much you'd like and where to send the money - no hurry.

[Hit Man X]

Okay I will measure out what I have left and see if it can be chopped up. I figure the meter allows for three cars.

[DesktopDave]

Parts arrived today. Spent like two hours trying to get the new brake light switch to NOT keep the lights on! The replacement is a bit larger than the original was...anyone else have this problem?

Also found that my reverse light switch must be sticking - the light is on regardless of shifter position. Not a great day for fixing things, but at least I got to work on it a bit. I'm hoping to knock a few things out this Labor Day weekend, but I have a buddy's motorcycle that's taken priority. His bike is in worse shape than my car, if you can believe it!

[DesktopDave]

I'm of two minds about this car. Do I mod it with modern bits for better performance, update the car with non-original OEM parts, or do I try to keep it as original as possible?

Taking a car like this and updating it with OEM bits to make it more liveable or a DD is a fun and absorbing hobby. I've done that to my poverty-spec 318i. It was sold in '91 as the "bargain basement BMW" for up-and-coming Yuppies while BMW sorted out the E36. $19,900 out the door, only available in 1991. Offered in four colors, mandatory manual transmission, steel wheels, sold as-is from dealer stock. So I've been slowly adding every E30 sedan option I come across. Updated injectors, silicone hoses, 3.73 medium case LSD, cruise control, power sunroof, rear bench with headrests & ski bag, BBS rims, Blaupunkt bluetooth head unit, etc. It's a lovely car now, no garage queen by any measure. The 745i would really benefit from this, I suspect.

I'm struggling with BMW's casual attitude during the 70s & 80s. They really hadn't gotten their act together on production regularity. These cars slowly evolve over their lifetime...even from month to month they can have quirky differences. I had this struggle with an E24 recently and I'm not sure I want to do it again with an E23. My 633CSi was NOT fun at times. The 6-series car had a major update in 4/1982, but my 11/1981 car already had a few of the later mods. It cost me quite a bit of frustration - I must have bought three different transmission cross-members before I finally got it right. BMW offered seven different transmissions in the E24 IIRC. I kept that car as original as possible, but parts are scarce and expensive for the E23 and E24. The kicker is that a nice E23 isn't worth 1/4 what the sexy E24 goes for, despite the fact that it's so much more liveable.

So there's my dilemma. Original, tasteful OEM, or custom?

[DesktopDave]

More progress!

Tonight's fun learning experience was the power steering system. It had two problems - ATF leaks and a pathetically groaning P/S pump. Armed with a 24mm socket and brand new high & low pressure switches, I marched out determined to repair the problem. I didn't think I needed both switches, but I bit the bullet & ordered both. Good thing I did, too - turns out both old switches had sprung leaks. Probably some dumb internal o-ring crimped into the switch body & specifically designed not to be repairable. Who the heck designed those?


Being an eternal optimist, I Fired Her Up (IFHU?). Needless to say, the glass wasn't half full. The P/S pump was even louder , but there were no visible leaks! I don't know about you ("all yinz" as we say in the 'burgh), but I'd say the glass was 1/4 full, eh?

You know a pessimist would be worrying about a pricey rebuilt P/S pump here, don't you?

I popped the hood, cleaned up the ATF I'd managed [not] to spill everywhere, and found my surprise of the evening. The return hose off the booster was crimped between the bomb and the high pressure metal feed line to the regulator. Re-routed said hose, massaged it gently with lineman's pliers, and added maybe five ounces of good clean ATF. After a little lock-to-lock steering action, the pump slowly calmed herself down, and started to behave.


I'll go back and check over the next few days, but the system seems to be holding pressure now. The moaning P/S pump is finally quiet! The only bad news about the situation is that I'd run myself out of Latitude 48. Turns out that glass is totally empty, no quaffs of victory here.
So I drove her around my estate's closed course for a minute or two (other people might call that turning around in the driveway ). I was oh-so-sorely tempted to take her out for a run tonight...but going out with known problems like four year old brake fluid, a disconnected clutch reservoir and the infrequent whiff of raw gas vapor is foolhardy at best! She felt really good though, I could tell the little temptress was begging me for a good long run...


I'll be replacing the rear fuel lines & fuel filter this week (hopefully), and flush the brakes & clutch. Then a little research into correct vacuum line routing and high idle (potentially related). After that she should be basically roadworthy.

[Hit Man X]

Raw fuel smell is probably those vapor lines... word to the wise, order OE metric sized and two meters of each. Trying to use others is a waste of time to save a buck. Learned that the hard way. I just finished this on my black 745, can grab you pictures if needed.



You have a Motive power bleeder right? Makes flushing that system a breeze... do the clutch too. You will be surprised how much better the shift action is after a clutch flush (and how quickly that fluid turns black!). I just use DOT3 and flush every fall due to my climate.



Valvo mod in yet?



Vacuum:

Intake plenum to fuel pressure regulator
Intake plenum to 'T' with check valve. One to vacuum pump (with ACC), one to tit beside heater valve
Intake plenum to knock box check valve tit beside heater valve

Lower magnetic valve to tit on suction pipe between AFM and turbocharger inlet
Upper inner magnetic valve tit to compressor housing hard line of turbocharger (pressure line)
Upper outer magnetic valve to wastegate hard line


Make sure those three damned hoses by the TB are good. Parts 3, 7, 9.

http://realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?...79&hg=11&fg=35

[DesktopDave]

Raw fuel smell is probably those vapor lines... word to the wise, order OE metric sized and two meters of each. Trying to use others is a waste of time to save a buck. Learned that the hard way. I just finished this on my black 745, can grab you pictures if needed.

You have a Motive power bleeder right? Makes flushing that system a breeze... do the clutch too. You will be surprised how much better the shift action is after a clutch flush (and how quickly that fluid turns black!). I just use DOT3 and flush every fall due to my climate.

I've learned the same lesson. I have about a meter of BMW 8x13mm left, so vapor lines might have to wait. I do have a Motive unit - they're decent, but the universal cap model I bought is inadequate - when I bought it they didn't offer the universal set yet, and new caps were surprisingly pricey. Poor choice and timing on my part. I modded up a reservoir cap that made it a bit easier, but it's not optimal.

I did see a great little youtube video about using an old-fashioned oil squirt can to reverse-bleed the clutch...have to try that out sooner or later. Our climate isn't very humid, and the car won't see much winter use. I end up flushing it almost every year anyway, if just to keep the calipers in decent shape. They're not fun to rebuild.

Valvo mod in yet?

Alas, it isn't. I'll splice in the new silicone lines when I do the Valvo mod.

Vacuum:

Intake plenum to fuel pressure regulator
Intake plenum to 'T' with check valve. One to vacuum pump (with ACC), one to tit beside heater valve
Intake plenum to knock box check valve tit beside heater valve

Lower magnetic valve to tit on suction pipe between AFM and turbocharger inlet
Upper inner magnetic valve tit to compressor housing hard line of turbocharger (pressure line)
Upper outer magnetic valve to wastegate hard line

I'm not even close to that. As it's sitting now:
Lower intake plenum #1 is tee'd twice - one leg to RRFPR and FPR, other leg to nipple by the cabin heater valve
Lower intake plenum #2 is tee'd to boost gauge and check valve. Check valve main line continues on to knock sensor, the small tee is not connected. No vac pump at all.
Upper intake pipe to lower chamber of wastegate (upper chamber of wastegate is not connected)

Lower magnetic valve to nipple on suction pipe between AFM and turbocharger inlet
Upper inner magnetic valve heads across the engine and possibly into the car. Haven't found where it ends up yet. It doesn't seem that it ends up on the compressor pressure line.
Upper outer magnetic valve not connected

Make sure those three damned hoses by the TB are good. Parts 3, 7, 9.

Parts 3, 7, 9 were in poor shape - they're currently held together with vinyl tape, Shoe Goo and pixie dust. I decided to ignore that bit because that little PITA thermo ICV is stuck closed. I'll be tackling that little bit of nasty once I get the vac lines completed.

[Hit Man X]

Upper intake pipe?

RRFPR and FPR I can see on the same line.

Odd why that wastegate is not hooked directly to the compressor housing.

Yes, no vacuum pump on your car as you have more manual style climate. If the system is not working properly (I forget), then just plug it off for now.

I replaced that old, rotty larger Knock Box hose with some 1/4" silicone... worked great. All the others are now 1/8" silicone.



You sure have a mess.

[DesktopDave]

Upper intake pipe?

RRFPR and FPR I can see on the same line.

Odd why that wastegate is not hooked directly to the compressor housing.

Yes, no vacuum pump on your car as you have more manual style climate. If the system is not working properly (I forget), then just plug it off for now.

I replaced that old, rotty larger Knock Box hose with some 1/4" silicone... worked great. All the others are now 1/8" silicone.



You sure have a mess.

Upper intake pipe - the bit that crosses the motor, upstream manifold...before the TB.

I'm figuring the PO's buddy was trying to get it to run and either disconnected or swapped some hoses. I'll be reading up on turbo layout & theory to see what the system is supposed to be doing. I don't want to risk the motor with a malfunctioning system, that has to be corrected.

I'm pretty sure the magnetic valve upper nipple connects to the vapor expansion tank. I'll know more once I get back there to replace all those lines.

Thanks for the tip about 1/4" line to replace the check valve lines. Is that small tee on the one-way connected to anything on your cars?

[Hit Man X]

Upper intake pipe - the bit that crosses the motor, upstream manifold...before the TB.

I'm figuring the PO's buddy was trying to get it to run and either disconnected or swapped some hoses. I'll be reading up on turbo layout & theory to see what the system is supposed to be doing. I don't want to risk the motor with a malfunctioning system, that has to be corrected.

I'm pretty sure the magnetic valve upper nipple connects to the vapor expansion tank. I'll know more once I get back there to replace all those lines.

Thanks for the tip about 1/4" line to replace the check valve lines. Is that small tee on the one-way connected to anything on your cars?

So you have a vacuum tit on that upper intake pipe? Only ones that had that factory are Ljets for the overboost Hobbs switch.



Basically the triple ECU system, in stock form, is there to shift the auto trans, control fuel/boost delivery, and monitor knock. It uses the magnetic valve for a few reasons, one a rudimentary electronic boost control system and the other is to dump boost in the event of extreme knock (I am pretty sure) or overboost situation. When working, it works quite well with a stock wastegate... full boost on my end is about 2900rpm and 2-3psi around 2300rpm. When in limp mode (like yours), the cars are absolute dogs. Mine was like that for the longest until I figured out it was dead, so was the local buddy's car I rebuilt this past late winter into spring... took about six months. Ya, it was that bad. The vacuum layout I told you is right on the money. Just eliminate the bit for the vacuum pump due to your specific climate system...you will still need that one way check valve to prevent from putting boost into your HVAC.

I think they use a different timing map when there is a fault in the EFI system (think overboost, dead magnetic valve, knock, etc). I cannot prove this as I only have limited data on the system.



Are you referring to the 1/8" to 1/4" one way valve on the passenger firewall that feeds the knock system? If so, no the tit that points up is open to the atmosphere. My 1/4" line to the knock box was very perforated on the end as was the other local car. There is a nice pressure leak. I buy my silicone stuff from ATP turbo.



http://realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?...46&hg=64&fg=99

[DesktopDave]

Today's update:

My 5mm wedge bulbs arrived! Slow boat from China, literally. Given the spotty QC I've grown to love from the East, so I ordered plenty. Some bulb bases were too narrow, and a few bulb sockets were a little loose.

Now the HVAC, dash, control and cluster panel lights are all new - I'm not planning on taking that all apart again anytime soon. I was going to do LEDs, but these were really cheap.

I also dismantled a few HVAC buttons to replace those internal bulbs. Figured I'd lube the slides as well. A little 1500 grit, pencil erasers, contact cleaner, silicone lube and dielectric grease has them working very nicely.

Reward for a job well done? Of course...we're off for sushi!

[DesktopDave]

I finally took her out today! She did OK, not 100% though. Very vague suspension, some thumping, brakes drag to the left, etc.

Pics to follow...

[DesktopDave]

Not sure if anyone checks out Rusty but Trusty? Great blog, IMHO. I talked to Chris about our cars and he ended up doing a post on my car. Check it out here at today's posting.

It's been a month since I posted anything! Updates include tearing up a seat, getting some good deals in a salvage yard, and not really driving the car. In related news, we went pick & pulling and found a nice Burgundy Red E28 528e 5-speed with some goodies. It's a shame the car ended up there, it didn't seem too far gone to save. I snagged the cluster, DME (with a MarkD chip), and most of the cruise setup. While the leather was shot, the BMW power sport seats seemed straight & complete. They had that lovely llama leather. It also had an M-Tech wheel, nearly-new front brakes and recent Bilstein Sports with BavAuto front springs.

Does anyone know if the E28 struts can fit the E23? From my limited understanding of Bilstein's catalog, the strut diameter is the same (39mm) but the valve and strut length are different. I'm told that the E28 rear shocks would fit if they had the wider perch to suit the larger diameter E23 springs. Do E28 seats swap right in? I might be heading back if they do. I'm going to see if I can get the seats, suspension and a 5-speed swap out of it.

One more thing - does anyone have a comfort seat side mechanism? The thing that reclines the seat back? My passenger seat is missing the outer one (on the right side if you're sitting in the seat).

[Hit Man X]

Yay updates. I just installed my rebuilt valve body on the trans finally and the resealed 3.91:1 diff... no more lameass 2.93:1 Sicstang sent me a DS I should be back on the roads by November.

Fronts do not fit, rears do but travel is limited.

I think the seats drop right in. E30s require adapters.

[DesktopDave]

Yay updates. I just installed my rebuilt valve body on the trans finally and the resealed 3.91:1 diff... no more lameass 2.93:1 Sicstang sent me a DS I should be back on the roads by November.

I'm betting that will perk the car up - that's a substantial difference! What's a DS? You're not playing a Nintendo, are you?

Fronts do not fit, rears do but travel is limited.

I think the seats drop right in. E30s require adapters.

While I do like the comfort seats, the sport seats make for a very different driving experience. Add a different steering wheel and the car becomes a whole different animal. I'm going to head back and grab those parts this week. Come to think of it, that E28 has more goodies - a 2.93 LSD and manual tranny. Wish it was an '88 super eta; I'd have made them an offer on the whole car. I could sell off the 5-speed swap as a kit if their price is right.

[Hit Man X]

Ooo, nope driveshaft. Center bearing mounting ear arrived bent (thanks again UPS ) so now I have to order one. I do not trust straightening the thing which could still bind the center u joint. Otherwise shaft has good joints, so now I am really starting to make progress.

Yah, the 2.93:1 with the EH on the 745i is just not a good combo for street driving. I have a 3.46:1 laying around and I skipped that for the 3.91:1 (also have a 3.91:1 in my 735i). Now first gear only goes to about 45mph versus 60mph. Kent up in Canada just did the same.

Going to order new CV boots and reboot some axles where the boots have not ripped. Took SIX SETS to find two good rear axles where the boots have not split and the internals been exposed to the elements.



Sat in a nice set of sport seats in an E28 a few years back, I agree they are nice. Too bad not available in the E23 here in the US. Yes, that E. German transit bus wheel these cars came with here in the US is crap too. My black 745i came with that three spoke sport job and I slapped one on the 735i PDQ after I bought it. Just the aesthetics alone are worth it.

Manual swap kit would be worth grabbing, not sure about that 2.93:1 LSD.



Fix your vac leaks yet? What about a replacement knock box valve?

[DesktopDave]

Spent a little time on the fleet over the last weekend. My '91 318i is a daily driver, so she tends to get more attention. She needed a new odo gear; I ended up rebuilding the whole gauge cluster. Now it has an unscratched cover AND works 100%. New front rotors completed the job; it's amazing what a few little changes can do to a car!

After wrapping those jobs up, it was the E23's turn for some attention. I've noted that she has some condensation inside the windshield on cool mornings. The car was smelling a bit musty too. I left the doors and sunroof open for a few hours to let her dry out & ran some errands. When I returned, I noted that the sunroof tray was still pretty damp on the driver's side. On a hunch, I pulled out one of my BMW OEM tools - a spool of RG6 coaxial cable. It's the best tool I've ever used for clearing sunroof drains. The front is easy, and with some blind finagling it's possible to snake the co-ax into the rear drain. Turns out that both the front and rear drains were plugged. They might not be totally clear, but at least I saw a bit of water dripping out of the frame rail - that's progress! After a few days, the car is still nice and dry - no more fogged windows.

I also pulled the power sports from that 528e at the P&P. I'm sure most of you will understand what a bitch that job can be without a battery hooked up! A long-shank phillips bit on a power drill fits in the motor drive shaft and will VERY SLOWLY move the seats. It does seem these seats will fit into the E23 (though the funky Llama leather won't match, LOL). They desperately need re-covered and I'm not sure they work yet. I'm not even sure if the E23 & E28 buttons work the same way yet...but they sure are comfy. I'll compare harness plugs & wire colors and post my findings. Buttons look exactly the same between comforts & sports. I'm taking a buddy back with me tomorrow to get the Bilsteins, the seat harnesses, the spare wheel and anything else useful!

- - - Updated - - -

I have a 3.46:1 laying around and I skipped that for the 3.91:1 (also have a 3.91:1 in my 735i). Now first gear only goes to about 45mph versus 60mph.

Sat in a nice set of sport seats in an E28 a few years back, I agree they are nice. Too bad not available in the E23 here in the US. Yes, that E. German transit bus wheel these cars came with here in the US is crap too. My black 745i came with that three spoke sport job and I slapped one on the 735i PDQ after I bought it. Just the aesthetics alone are worth it.

Fix your vac leaks yet? What about a replacement knock box valve?

I'll have to check on the diff ratio in my car. There has been a lot of work done to the car, I'd be surprised if it was the stock ratio. The car has a three-spoke 633 sport steering wheel now that's OK (sans leather, unfortunately). There's a Nardi three spoke in the spare parts bin destined for the car. It needs re-covered first.

I haven't finished up the vac leaks yet. I'll be pulling the dash to repair a few of those vac pods; hopefully it's just a split vac line. It'll be nice to have functional HVAC. I have the knock box valve, haven't installed it yet.

[Hit Man X]

Pull the dash? No need man! Well, unless that front feet one is dead... no idea on how to R&R that yet with the heater box still in car or maybe you have a bad hose between the firewall. The recycle and defrost just need that blend door stepper motor along with its arm removed (few small bolts and a plug, easy).

Ever seen a place to recover these wheels? I have one I would like to redo.

[DesktopDave]

Pull the dash? No need man! Well, unless that front feet one is dead... no idea on how to R&R that yet with the heater box still in car or maybe you have a bad hose between the firewall. The recycle and defrost just need that blend door stepper motor along with its arm removed (few small bolts and a plug, easy).

Ever seen a place to recover these wheels? I have one I would like to redo.

I could swear I hear a leak on top of the driver's side. I'll be putting my Mityvac on the system to narrow it down again. Did you ever get a hold of that guy that sells replacement diaphragms?

I know I've seen a place that does leather wheel wraps. If I find it I'll post their info.

I've decided to pull the dash to check that leak and the windshield seal. I'll be removing the rest of the interior sooner or later, no big deal.


In other news, there's another E23 for sale in my neighborhood. I'll take a look if/when he gets back to me...anyone need parts? Euro trim...

[kmunz]

In other news, there's another E23 for sale in my neighborhood. I'll take a look if/when he gets back to me...anyone need parts? Euro trim...

I'm going to need to replace my entire interior. If it's decent, I'd be interested.

[Hit Man X]

I could swear I hear a leak on top of the driver's side. I'll be putting my Mityvac on the system to narrow it down again. Did you ever get a hold of that guy that sells replacement diaphragms?

I know I've seen a place that does leather wheel wraps. If I find it I'll post their info.

I've decided to pull the dash to check that leak and the windshield seal. I'll be removing the rest of the interior sooner or later, no big deal.


In other news, there's another E23 for sale in my neighborhood. I'll take a look if/when he gets back to me...anyone need parts? Euro trim...

The guy in TN? Yah, I just rebuilt the center vent pod in my 300SEL last week

Dash removal is not that hard, I recall about six, 10mm nuts only.



Orly on the E23? Maybe it is a true ECE car. Keep us in the loop and snag the last seven of the VIN. My 735i needs a good straight, skinny rear bumper. If an '86, I need the condenser for my 745i...going to just toss together the A/C for now. Worry about upgrading the evap core later, at least this way in humid weather the interior will be bearable.

[DesktopDave]

Orly on the E23? Maybe it is a true ECE car. Keep us in the loop and snag the last seven of the VIN. My 735i needs a good straight, skinny rear bumper. If an '86, I need the condenser for my 745i...going to just toss together the A/C for now. Worry about upgrading the evap core later, at least this way in humid weather the interior will be bearable.

It's a real ECE car from what he's told me; he called it the "Autobahn Edition." I'll post the VIN, build sheet and some pics when I go over later today. He thinks it's an '82, but the front trim & grille say facelift model to me. He's the 2nd owner; his father imported it in '86.

No doubt it'll be a lot of work, here's the listing:
http://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/cto/4199991944.html

Looks like he's tacked on some E21 side lights; it was last running eight years ago. Bottlecap wheels, no passenger mirror & cloth interior. BMW poverty spec FTW!

- - - Updated - - -

Definitely the poverty spec. Crank windows! It's most certainly a 1982 735i with the 5-speed. I should have written down the VIN; my pictures were overexposed and I can't read it. The velour upholstery and wood trim seem to be the only options.

Worst news:
The car was involved in a flood. Fortunately it was fresh water, but there's a water line nearly up to the rear bench. It'll need totally taken apart to be cleaned.

Bad news:
Sapphire Blue metallic paint is a memory. The blue velour interior is sun faded and the rear bench is torn. Missing first aid kit. The car doesn't run and it's all questionable due to the flooding.

Good news:
Euro dirty M30, spare Euro and NA grilles, car is very straight. Very little rust, frame looks quite good considering her age and situation. Toolkit is nearly complete (though very rusty), no TRX rims.

[Hit Man X]

LOL wow, eight years ago. That motor could be stuck depending on the humidity in the air. A junkyard would offer $150-250, show up and start at $400. The body scrap and the 265/6 manual swap are worth that alone...even more if the bottom end is decent.

I would probably try to make it a runner, unless it is in awful shape.