That's awesome Dave! Great job getting it running after that long. What are you getting to next?
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Thanks! I'm pretty stoked about it. I was practically dancing with glee. My wife picked up a bit of my enthusiasm: "So that crappy car in the garage is finally running?" Ahem. She's a pretty good sport about my hobby, but somehow always misses the point...on purpose? Probably.
Anyhow, back to the car: I have a new radiator ordered and a bit of cheap pressure hose should clear up the power steering leaks. I'll likely attempt a leak-down test with some MMO to see if the rings have gotten themselves unstuck yet. After that I'll probably cut out all the wire crimps and permanently solder the harness wires. A little heat shrink tubing and friction tape couldn't hurt, the harness is pretty ugly right now. Then it'll be time for an oil change, some muffler work and road testing.
More updates:
Today's big news is the new radiator. Installed without any drama - no more leaks! It held pressure and bled out perfectly. I don't know what the temp is yet, but I'll get to that E28 gauge sender sooner or later.
Replaced two burned out HVAC bulbs, lubed heater fan. It still squeaks a bit but that's a huge improvement over the incredibly irritating screeching sound.
I'm still working on the wiring, but most of it is correct. Brad's writeup over at MyE28.com makes it so easy! Oil & temp senders are still wrong, but that's due to the early (5/82) Euro C101 I used. Pin-out doesn't completely match the 2/86 US fusebox.
Plugged the ABS unit back in, but didn't see if the light went out.
E-code H4 headlights were blowing fuses. Upgraded 7.5 amp fuses as a temporary fix until I wire up some relays.
Had accidentally swapped terminals in the passenger marker light. Fixed.
Headlight capsules were dirty/foggy. A little isopropyl cleaned that right up. They're crystal clear again.
I've finally had the car out on the road this month, which was truly lovely. Even a pretty stock M30 with a blown out exhaust and worn out rings is still a blast to drive. The single mass flywheel is really a great upgrade, can't believe I've never done one of those before!
I have a few more little problems, but I've been slowly knocking them out one by one.
The car is now stalling after it heats up, but seems to 'catch' itself some of the time. It'll rev just fine, but when it's unhappy it won't idle. I did manage to connect the CEL with the newer Motronic 1.3, it gives the typical 1222 code. I'll be re-testing the sensors and report in later. The WBO2 goes pretty random when the car stalls. I could tell when the stalling was about to happen because the CEL instantly lights up, the WBO2 starts to see-saw from lean (like 18:1) to pig-rich (like 10:1). The whole intake system is brand-new, as are all the intake gaskets. I've replaced the fuel filter, tested the ICV, WBO2, TPS, AFM, and the purge valve. Disconnecting them didn't solve the problem. New relays (main, FP, K5 & K7 unloaders) also didn't help. So I'm guessing it's a temp sensor or crank sensor, or possibly the dist cap & rotor. I hope it isn't the DME. I noted some water incursion deposits, but they were trivial. The DME looks almost brand-new inside.
I also replaced the clutch master & slave. The master was pretty weak, and a new slave is cheap. However, the new master cyl is somehow too short. I measured them up when I had them out, but the pushrod won't let the clutch pedal come all the way back up. It won't even click the cruise control inhibit switch. Odd, isn't it?
I'm still stuck on the 1222 code and the clutch conundrum. I did install some Bosch Design III injectors, but the stalling problem remains. Onto the pics!
IMG_20170625_172513.jpg
Here's a comparison of the stock B35 injector with the updated 746 part. Although the newer injector is a bit shorter overall, they are a direct fit. My picture is a little misleading due to distortion from my phone camera. These have the proper plug, retaining groove, and body length. The o-rings are also the same size, but the Design III injector uses a different nose flange. These are commonly available in Volvo non-turbo models from the late 90s into the early 00s. I seem to find a lot of I5s, but they've often been picked clean. I have my suspicious that I6 Jeep owners are onto the same trick as we are. Regardless, they're easy to get at. Just be sure to get at least two cars' worth of rails, LOL. I always grab them on the occasions when I see them.
IMG_20170625_154406.jpg IMG_20170625_181006.jpg IMG_20170625_181015.jpg
The left-hand picture is the old injectors, the two right-hand pictures are the new injectors after installation.
Last edited by DesktopDave; 06-27-2017 at 09:39 PM.
I've been a little busy with other obligations, but I'll have a little more time for the car soon. I haven't done any major work since the last update, except for replacing the exhaust gaskets. I'm suspecting that the hacked-in O2 sensor isn't working well, so I bought another one. It came with a free car! Check this ugly thing out:
Resized_20170724_195431.jpg IMG_20170802_192014.jpg
It's an '85 735i 5-speed. Despite significant rust and signs of a very hard life, underneath the primer it's not awful. Originally it was Polaris over Pacific leather. I bought it as a parts car, mainly for the Getrag 265. With any luck it'll also have a medium case LSD and a lightweight flywheel. The manual conversion kit and gauges are a bonus. It even came with the dealer-installed head unit for the K40 'Designed for BMW' concealed radar detector!
IMG_20170811_075953.jpg
It ran without too much drama although it will not hold an idle until it's warmed up. Once it gets a little warm, the heater control valve started leaking. I pulled the battery and put it up on jacks:
IMG_20170812_184021.jpg
If the odo is accurate, the car has seen only 99K miles. At some point the engine was replaced with an M106. It's possible that the short block is original, I'm still doing research. Most of the M106 is still there, but much has been updated. ARP studs are a nice thing to have. The original controls are all disabled: it has an eBay air-to-water intercooler and a Greddy BOV vented to atmosphere in the boost junky style. All this is driven by the original DME, it's been adapted to the turbo with an RRFPR and some big beefy injectors. I have the tuner's number, I'll post whatever details I learn from him.
I've done a little more digging, and found that the DME was tuned with a chip from TCD! It's their M30 timing-only chip for the original 059 DME. The RRFPR handles fueling. The M106 exhaust manifold leads me to believe that the original turbo is still there, but I'll pull it off to see if it has the updated compressor too. I'm keeping my fingers crossed, everyone seems to love that upgrade!
Since this poor car is likely to be an engine donor, how about a few pics of the intended recipient?
IMG_20170812_184024.jpgIMG_20170812_184039.jpg
Last edited by DesktopDave; 08-16-2017 at 09:03 PM.
The 735i purchase has already started to pay off. I borrowed the AEM wideband sensor, installed it into the E24, and fired the little devil up. She warmed up, eased into closed-cycle, held an idle, and revved freely. It's running pretty lean, like 16:1, so I still suspect a vac leak somewhere. Doesn't matter, I'm still thrilled by this evening's work!
After a massive struggle with the clutch master cyl, I got it re-installed. Did a reverse bleed on the new slave/old master, clutch feel has massively improved. Highly recommended! I can't wait to try it on my VFR. The car is still slightly balky to shift, still occasionally stalling, but it's easy to live with.
So my 635CSi is back on the road!
In other good news, I found out that the E23 has a 'real' M106. The knock sensor bosses and oil return are all evident on the block. So it's not just a hacked-up M30B34 after all. The only M30 parts are the B34 wiring harness, chipped 059 DME and probably the AFM. I'm going to pull the turbo this weekend and see if it has TCD's upgraded compressor wheel. I'm hoping it does. If so, I'll probably hold onto it and pop it into the E24.
Last edited by DesktopDave; 08-18-2017 at 10:19 PM.
The car has been running pretty well. I actually got a 1444 code today! I couldn't believe it; first "all clear" for this car! Starts right up but still has an occasional hiccup. I'll re-test the position sensor and the fuel pump. So I can't totally trust her yet, but she's so much fun to drive!
I also pulled the defunct Sony Xplod head unit to swap in a nicer Clarion MP3 disc unit I had laying around. Couldn't locate a wiring harness, so I swapped in an ancient (circa 2001?) Blaupunkt 555 CD unit instead. I finally have some tunes! Unfortunately I no longer own CDs, but I cranked the kid's old lullaby CD.
Unfortunately, the "Gold" Advance Auto battery is already dying. I tested current draw, the car pulls almost 2A when the battery is plugged in, then settles down to ~200mA. It's only six months old and it's lived a coddled life on a float charger. It had approx 6VDC the last time, so I attempted a warranty exchange. They opted to recharge it instead. It was under 6VDC this evening. I'll be avoiding that chain for a little while to come, that's for sure.
Wired up the check engine light! I salvaged one of those little plug-in light bulbs and about 2' of wire pigtail from an old E30 Motronic harness. I plugged the bulb into the gauge cluster, then plugged the green wire into a convenient switched + at the power distribution plug. Might have been the sunroof power feed, I'm not sure. Then I fished the grey/red wire up through the bulkhead grommet above the cluster. Finally I spliced it into pin 12 (?) on the Motronic 1.3 C101 pigtail. The colors even matched: it was meant to be!
Geez, its been a year since I updated this! I'd parked the car over the winter, but when I pulled her back out this spring I decided to refresh the engine with a B35 head. Unfortunately, it turns out that the B35 head I was planning to use is significantly warped. It's out by about 0.030". I'm guessing the 535i was severely overheated at some point. I'm still evaluating my options, likely I'll just look for a running B35 to finish that up.
Frustrated, I pulled out my last spare, an ugly B32 head with some bent valves. I'm taking it apart to see if it's worth refurbishing. Feast your eyes:
IMG_20180727_215440.jpg IMG_20180727_220334.jpg IMG_20180727_220358.jpg IMG_20180727_220351.jpg
Looks like #5 had a bad day a few years back. I'm told that this was the original head from my old '81 633CSi. It had snapped a timing chain due to a oil change snafu but was otherwise OK. I sold that car years ago but kept the head just in case.
Save the manuals!
'08 128i 6MT, '86 635CSi 5MT (B32, Motronic 1.3, WBO2, G265, 18# FW, 3.46 torsen)
Past projects:
'96 318iS, sold 4/23 '90 535iM, RIP 1/23 '90 535iA RIP 6/22 '91 318i, sold 7/19 '97 M3 sedan, sold 11/18 '85 735i, RIP 2/18 '92 325iC, sold 7/16 '91 318iS, sold 6/16 '84 745i, sold 10/14 '82 633CSi, traded 9/12 '90 325i, RIP '87 325 sold '89 525i, traded '87 325iS, RIP
I rescued some 740iL calipers today, I'm hoping to clean them up a little and try out the big brake upgrade everyone talks about. I also grabbed the tool kit (it had the blue towel) and even discovered a Peake FCX tool. All in all it was a good day...like nearly every day spent scrounging & salvaging, eh? Pics:
IMG_20180804_172956.jpg IMG_20180804_173001.jpg IMG_20180804_173005.jpg
The car is otherwise 100% complete, although the interior is in pretty bad shape. A window was unfortunately left open to the elements. If anyone needs anything else from that car, LMK and I'll get you in touch with the owner. It's getting hard to find cars of a certain age around here.
Last edited by DesktopDave; 08-05-2018 at 12:03 PM.
Save the manuals!
'08 128i 6MT, '86 635CSi 5MT (B32, Motronic 1.3, WBO2, G265, 18# FW, 3.46 torsen)
Past projects:
'96 318iS, sold 4/23 '90 535iM, RIP 1/23 '90 535iA RIP 6/22 '91 318i, sold 7/19 '97 M3 sedan, sold 11/18 '85 735i, RIP 2/18 '92 325iC, sold 7/16 '91 318iS, sold 6/16 '84 745i, sold 10/14 '82 633CSi, traded 9/12 '90 325i, RIP '87 325 sold '89 525i, traded '87 325iS, RIP
The brakes are in! That wasn't as bad as I though it'd be. I had a set of M6 front rotors with a few miles left in them so I tossed them on too. I think it looks great! BFc has limited my forum quota for pics (I guess I've uploaded too many ).
I've posted it on my blog instead:
http://theiconicbmw.com/2017-project...brake-upgrade/
Last edited by DesktopDave; 08-11-2018 at 06:44 PM. Reason: Links
Save the manuals!
'08 128i 6MT, '86 635CSi 5MT (B32, Motronic 1.3, WBO2, G265, 18# FW, 3.46 torsen)
Past projects:
'96 318iS, sold 4/23 '90 535iM, RIP 1/23 '90 535iA RIP 6/22 '91 318i, sold 7/19 '97 M3 sedan, sold 11/18 '85 735i, RIP 2/18 '92 325iC, sold 7/16 '91 318iS, sold 6/16 '84 745i, sold 10/14 '82 633CSi, traded 9/12 '90 325i, RIP '87 325 sold '89 525i, traded '87 325iS, RIP
Pulled apart my spare B32 today. Just got my OTC leak-down tester. Results were a little sad. I'm not 100% sure that I know what I'm doing...but according to my readings #1&6 looked great, very little pressure loss. #2&5 both had leaking valves, #3&4 were both leaking down the bore. #4 also had a leaky valve. #3&4 also had residual coolant and exhaust valve deposits when I pulled the head.
The head gasket looked good. I couldn't find any cracks in the head; it's also well within flatness specs at 0.006ish. I'm not the first one that's been in here...#5 had evidence of something bouncing around...maybe a loose nut? There were many little pointy impact nicks on the head. Piston looked good though.
The bearings are worn but not totally wasted. Thrust bearing was worst; worn into the copper. Haven't decided what to do about that yet. I'm not planning on keeping this engine n the car for a while so I'll probably just let 'em ride.
Pics are on the blog here.
Save the manuals!
'08 128i 6MT, '86 635CSi 5MT (B32, Motronic 1.3, WBO2, G265, 18# FW, 3.46 torsen)
Past projects:
'96 318iS, sold 4/23 '90 535iM, RIP 1/23 '90 535iA RIP 6/22 '91 318i, sold 7/19 '97 M3 sedan, sold 11/18 '85 735i, RIP 2/18 '92 325iC, sold 7/16 '91 318iS, sold 6/16 '84 745i, sold 10/14 '82 633CSi, traded 9/12 '90 325i, RIP '87 325 sold '89 525i, traded '87 325iS, RIP
Just picked up another fun car, so the E24 is on the back burner again. Couldn't resist...price was right:
1997 BMW M3
It has its share of problems. It'll most likely end up as a winter beater...but won't be much good at that until I can get ABS and ASC working again. Admittedly it is a very neglected high mileage car. It's also an automatic...but it's less awful than I expected.
On the plus side, the car is really festive inside. All those red dash lights remind me of Xmas! A good scrubbing is on the agenda, along with replacing all the little broken E36 parts. They really didn't build these very well...even compared to the E24 they're built relatively cheaply.
Save the manuals!
'08 128i 6MT, '86 635CSi 5MT (B32, Motronic 1.3, WBO2, G265, 18# FW, 3.46 torsen)
Past projects:
'96 318iS, sold 4/23 '90 535iM, RIP 1/23 '90 535iA RIP 6/22 '91 318i, sold 7/19 '97 M3 sedan, sold 11/18 '85 735i, RIP 2/18 '92 325iC, sold 7/16 '91 318iS, sold 6/16 '84 745i, sold 10/14 '82 633CSi, traded 9/12 '90 325i, RIP '87 325 sold '89 525i, traded '87 325iS, RIP
That M3 won't be any more of a distraction: I sold it a few days ago. I can see why people like the E36 M3 though, it's a nice little car for a drive!
Save the manuals!
'08 128i 6MT, '86 635CSi 5MT (B32, Motronic 1.3, WBO2, G265, 18# FW, 3.46 torsen)
Past projects:
'96 318iS, sold 4/23 '90 535iM, RIP 1/23 '90 535iA RIP 6/22 '91 318i, sold 7/19 '97 M3 sedan, sold 11/18 '85 735i, RIP 2/18 '92 325iC, sold 7/16 '91 318iS, sold 6/16 '84 745i, sold 10/14 '82 633CSi, traded 9/12 '90 325i, RIP '87 325 sold '89 525i, traded '87 325iS, RIP
Wish I had some news about the project car, but I've been too busy with work & other stuff. I did come across an '81 633CSi parts car/rust bucket and grabbed a bunch of stuff before it got scrapped. It was arctic blue over pacific leather.
Best of the bunch is a matched set of late model front fenders in fair shape. Might be Dolphin Gray? They need a bit of body work as-is, slightly crusty at the bottom, but they looked pretty straight to me. I also pulled the hood, polaris silver, looks OK.
Manual pedal cluster with vac booster (SOLD), master cyl & clutch master (SOLD), Gauge cluster with 110K miles (SOLD), HVAC controls (SOLD), 4-spoke leather steering wheel (SOLD), steering column with key (SOLD), some of the switches (window, sunroof, defrost, hazard) (SOLD), pacific leather rear seats & armrest (SOLD), rear Premium speaker pods in blue (SOLD).
I'm looking for $400 ish for the front fenders, will separate, LMK if you think that's reasonable. The rest is open for offers. I'm willing to ship, accept PayPal, etc. etc..
I try to keep the best stuff listed on my website For Sale page.
I don't always have a complete selection listed on eBay, but you can always check my stuff out here for more details.
Here's my local E24 CL ad. Feel free to make offers!
Last edited by DesktopDave; 08-14-2019 at 08:22 PM.
Save the manuals!
'08 128i 6MT, '86 635CSi 5MT (B32, Motronic 1.3, WBO2, G265, 18# FW, 3.46 torsen)
Past projects:
'96 318iS, sold 4/23 '90 535iM, RIP 1/23 '90 535iA RIP 6/22 '91 318i, sold 7/19 '97 M3 sedan, sold 11/18 '85 735i, RIP 2/18 '92 325iC, sold 7/16 '91 318iS, sold 6/16 '84 745i, sold 10/14 '82 633CSi, traded 9/12 '90 325i, RIP '87 325 sold '89 525i, traded '87 325iS, RIP
I see you've got a lot of parts so I have to ask about something I need. I'm needing a a good non rusted set of front bumper ends. '87 and back are the same as far as I know. The rubber bumper ends with the orange/yellow reflector. Thanks Dave
Surprisingly, I actually did check those parts. I managed to save two of the red reflectors, but all four of the rubber bellows/end pieces had been literally pried off the car. The fastening studs were still bolted into the bodywork!
Save the manuals!
'08 128i 6MT, '86 635CSi 5MT (B32, Motronic 1.3, WBO2, G265, 18# FW, 3.46 torsen)
Past projects:
'96 318iS, sold 4/23 '90 535iM, RIP 1/23 '90 535iA RIP 6/22 '91 318i, sold 7/19 '97 M3 sedan, sold 11/18 '85 735i, RIP 2/18 '92 325iC, sold 7/16 '91 318iS, sold 6/16 '84 745i, sold 10/14 '82 633CSi, traded 9/12 '90 325i, RIP '87 325 sold '89 525i, traded '87 325iS, RIP
Thanks for checking it out. I appreciate it.
Hi Dave,
finally I read through your project pages, how far away is Persephone from being registered into traffic? And will you get a respray when all mechanical work is done or is that not needed? Let me know what your MVP is and what the ultimate goal is for this car, as in, when are you done?
Undergoing restauration; my 1982 628CSi: https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...628CSi-rebuild
There aren't many updates yet, I've been busy with other projects. I did have her on the road last year but never managed to unstick the piston rings. Also had some minor transmission trouble. With any luck another engine and transmission combo will solve those problems. Details to follow!
IMG_20180117_171940.jpg
Save the manuals!
'08 128i 6MT, '86 635CSi 5MT (B32, Motronic 1.3, WBO2, G265, 18# FW, 3.46 torsen)
Past projects:
'96 318iS, sold 4/23 '90 535iM, RIP 1/23 '90 535iA RIP 6/22 '91 318i, sold 7/19 '97 M3 sedan, sold 11/18 '85 735i, RIP 2/18 '92 325iC, sold 7/16 '91 318iS, sold 6/16 '84 745i, sold 10/14 '82 633CSi, traded 9/12 '90 325i, RIP '87 325 sold '89 525i, traded '87 325iS, RIP
It was a gorgeous week here, finally got a lot of stuff done. The car is prepped for a motor swap, I'll be installing a temporary B32 while I build a nice high-comp B34 hybrid with 1.3 Motronic. Might try a little B35 manifold port matching if I feel ambitious. Pics:
IMG_20190811_132338729.jpgIMG_20190811_132358297_HDR.jpgIMG_20190811_201916981.jpg
Posted a far more detailed write-up at the blog with all the nitty-gritty details, check it out if you have some time:
http://theiconicbmw.com/2017-project...32-motor-swap/
Save the manuals!
'08 128i 6MT, '86 635CSi 5MT (B32, Motronic 1.3, WBO2, G265, 18# FW, 3.46 torsen)
Past projects:
'96 318iS, sold 4/23 '90 535iM, RIP 1/23 '90 535iA RIP 6/22 '91 318i, sold 7/19 '97 M3 sedan, sold 11/18 '85 735i, RIP 2/18 '92 325iC, sold 7/16 '91 318iS, sold 6/16 '84 745i, sold 10/14 '82 633CSi, traded 9/12 '90 325i, RIP '87 325 sold '89 525i, traded '87 325iS, RIP
Going strong!
Undergoing restauration; my 1982 628CSi: https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...628CSi-rebuild
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