Fiberfast build thread.

[FiberFast]

I will look into that, is there any indication on the hubs themselves? I know they came from a wrecked ltw m3, unsure of the year. Basically the guy replaced the wheel bearings and upgraded his brakes, then proceded to wreck the car on a racetrack.
From what the guy told me it was a total loss, guy rebuilt the ltw into a racecar and flipped it in a turn first time out.

[FiberFast]

Progress, exhaust out. Driveshaft out, csb replaced (someone said you could knock that off with a hammer. no, you will need a press) drive shaft realighned (it was off at least 1 tooth) I have only the starter bolts and the one son of a bitch bolt at the top of the trans.

[FiberFast]

That upper starter bolt though...

[FiberFast]

1493494330040-240522364.jpg

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[FiberFast]

I did not get the upper starter bolt back on. Fuck that thing, it will work fine with one. I know because who ever did the starter only used one. Funny thing is, both times I talked shit (stripped hex heads on clutch and missing starter bolt) about po's work I have gotten learned. Anyway I am going to look for someone to step on my clutch pedal.

[FiberFast]

Its fixed!
I wish the sycros where a little smoother but that probably has to do with how it was treated with the clutch out.
I have the car up and I need an alignment anyway so I am putting in the rear sway bar end links and adjustable controll arms.
After the alignment I will try comuting it.

[FiberFast]

Not fixed... Problem came back but is not as bad (not good though) also now there is a clanging sound coming from the axle/rear. I am getting to the point where I want to take it to a shop and have them fix it. Going to give edge motorsports a call and see if they can sort it out. Considering having my old trans rebuilt and getting a new clutch.

[FiberFast]

0429171021.jpg
Not sure how I am fucking everything up, but I have worked way to damn hard on this for it to not work properly.

[ddtech]

re: the starter bolts, i managed to put them in opposing the other bolts, meaning tops of the torx bolts on the housing are facing the rear, whereas the starter bolts are facing the front, with bolts on the rear. Not sure if this was right, but that's what i did. I would show a pic but I got my stuff all installed with wheels mounted, car on the ground.

re: Edge in dublin,... Dude, think about time vs money.. can only spend so much of both! those guys would get to it quickly and possibly figure out the small detail that seems to be the issue, bummer.

I was shooting to finish my project yesterday, but I still had one more thing to do (change out heater core). So I didn't quite make it. Wanting to take my car to a shop down the road (for speed, time purposes) but I have not yet even started it to see if it runs yet. Im starting a new job in the next day or so.
bmw-rear-low-copy.jpg

[FiberFast]

Yea man, it's been three weeks of griding. End result.
Clutch still not fixed
Driveshaft/rear end clanging.
Ebrake broken (saw the cable was out of it's hole and put it back)
Needs alignment ect.
I am not done working on the car, I am done trying to fix the clutch though.
I'm 36, not 16... That last pivot pin effort took it out of me. I am sure that would have been a lot easier for somone with a lift but after crawling around under the car on jackstands I am seriously hurting.
I did everything solo, putting the transmission back in was me on my back with the box on my chest and the bellhousing between my legs. We aren't doing that again. If I had a lift this would be fixed already.

[samy01]

am i the only one that completely doesn't get what's going on here

[FiberFast]

On the upside the motor runs perfectly. Few minor fixes but all in all it runs like a dream. Making the clutch/trans problem all the more dissapointing.

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am i the only one that completely doesn't get what's going on here

Shit is still broken, my guess is that it had an s50b30 flywheel like the crank trigger this the mass is off 90° also me thinks it is thinner than the 325/328 flywheel and this would need to be replaced. Best guess...

[FiberFast]

Sorry for that last ramble. I had to get surgery done and I am feeling much better now. So the clutch is still not working and I believe the csb I replaced (incorrectly most likely) is causing the driveshaft rattle. (or the rear end is toast)
So first things first I need to figure out what the clutch problem is, then onto the driveshaft.
Clutch and flywheel came off what I believe to be an s50b30 (cause rare obd1 crank trigger) the engine it went on to was an obd2 m52 automatic. Now I am thinking I may need a special clutch flywheel setup for this conversion as I see sites offering "conversion kits" either that or the m3 flywheel is physically thinner.
Any input appriciated.

[JEC928]

am i the only one that completely doesn't get what's going on here

I get about 70 to 80% of FF's stream-of-consciousness posts in his build thread. He's a certain type of engineer whom I am very familiar with: high levels of brainpower, high level of work ethic, high level of technical understanding, low levels of clear communication (i.e., not being able to slow down and lay out all details). Also he's not the type to slow the work down to take pics, a trait I share with him.

The gist of it is this: he willingly tore into a complex project: take an unmolested but worn-out 325is and swap into it a nightmarish mish-mash of mismatching engine and drivetrain parts which he obtained from a $200 car-shaped-pile-of-unknown-parts/ somebody-else's-fooked-up-project.

Now, engine swaps between models and years are very well documented, but what's killing FF is that the level of UNKNOWN coming from the pile-of-parts is high indeed.
If he had gotten an unmolested 328i parts car for the M52 engine donor, he would have had much less drama.
That, and he probably could've done a little more research - example, the M3 brake swap.

So we're at a point now where he's pissed off at things not going right, especially with painful difficult (for the solo DIY'er with no lift) things like transmission.

Fiberfast,
Take it easy on yourself. Don't rush a project car, especially one with this many WTF issues.

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Sorry for that last ramble. I had to get surgery done and I am feeling much better now. So the clutch is still not working and I believe the csb I replaced (incorrectly most likely) is causing the driveshaft rattle. (or the rear end is toast)
So first things first I need to figure out what the clutch problem is, then onto the driveshaft.
Clutch and flywheel came off what I believe to be an s50b30 (cause rare obd1 crank trigger) the engine it went on to was an obd2 m52 automatic. Now I am thinking I may need a special clutch flywheel setup for this conversion as I see sites offering "conversion kits" either that or the m3 flywheel is physically thinner.
Any input appriciated.

You need to start posting pics of these unknown parts.
Use tinypic dot com, it's free although loaded with spam pop-ups.

[FiberFast]

I get about 70 to 80% of FF's stream-of-consciousness posts in his build thread. He's a certain type of engineer whom I am very familiar with: high levels of brainpower, high level of work ethic, high level of technical understanding, low levels of clear communication (i.e., not being able to slow down and lay out all details). Also he's not the type to slow the work down to take pics, a trait I share with him.

The gist of it is this: he willingly tore into a complex project: take an unmolested but worn-out 325is and swap into it a nightmarish mish-mash of mismatching engine and drivetrain parts which he obtained from a $200 car-shaped-pile-of-unknown-parts/ somebody-else's-fooked-up-project.

Now, engine swaps between models and years are very well documented, but what's killing FF is that the level of UNKNOWN coming from the pile-of-parts is high indeed.
If he had gotten an unmolested 328i parts car for the M52 engine donor, he would have had much less drama.
That, and he probably could've done a little more research - example, the M3 brake swap.

So we're at a point now where he's pissed off at things not going right, especially with painful difficult (for the solo DIY'er with no lift) things like transmission.

Fiberfast,
Take it easy on yourself. Don't rush a project car, especially one with this many WTF issues.

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You need to start posting pics of these unknown parts.
Use tinypic dot com, it's free although loaded with spam pop-ups.

Lol, yea that's basically the gist of things.
Now I am trying to figure out how to adress the clutch and what happened. I believe in one of my earlier rants I had said "this clutch will probably bite me in the ass" well, it did. Moral of the story don't cut corners and trust your intuition, research twice install once.
I see there are conversion clutch kits for auto to manual, as the m52 was an automatic, I assume I will need an equivalent type of setup.
If anyone has information on this please advise.

[samy01]

i'm probably talking rubbish now because i can't follow completely what's going on in detail but if you have an engine that had an automatic transmission bolted to it, isn't it enough to take that disc away where the torque converter was bolted on and put a flywheel and then a clutch on it ? what kind of "conversion kit" could be needed ?

[JEC928]

2nd sticky
Have fun scrolling through 1000 dead pictures, 2000 meaningless fanboi posts, and 10,000 key tidbits buried amongst them.
https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...on-Swap-Thread

[FiberFast]

2nd sticky
Have fun scrolling through 1000 dead pictures, 2000 meaningless fanboi posts, and 10,000 key tidbits buried amongst them.
https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...on-Swap-Thread

Ultimate time hole that thread. I got side tracked three times and gave up on it... I don't want to rebuild my trans right now lol.

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i'm probably talking rubbish now because i can't follow completely what's going on in detail but if you have an engine that had an automatic transmission bolted to it, isn't it enough to take that disc away where the torque converter was bolted on and put a flywheel and then a clutch on it ? what kind of "conversion kit" could be needed ?

One would think. I went through everything but the clutch. Now everything but the clutch works perfectly lol

[jc43089]

They main thing with the clutch parts is that they all come from the same combo. The total stack thickness which is a combination of the flywheel and pressure plate is the critical thing. I have done an OE single mass flywheel swap on a late e30 and for that I needed to use the clutch kit that matched the SMF. The pressure plate itself was much thicker than the pressure plate for a dual mass flywheel. On my e36 I have a UUC aluminum flywheel and it is machined to use an e34 m5 clutch and pressure plate, the flywheel is designed so that the stack thickness matches the stock DMF and clutch. Is the flywheel you have a dual mass? If the thickness is different then the pedal engagement point will be different and may not work at all. Also there are different slave cylinders for 325 models with the getrag trans and later cars with the ZF transmission. The difference may only be the bore though which will affect the pedal effort required.

[samy01]

okay i'm confused.

if you have an engine that had an automatic tranny, then you just take the plate for the torque converter away and bolt the normal dual mass flywheel on there and put a stock clutch on it. why shouldn't that work ? or do you want a single mass flywheel ? or a special clutch ?

i'm really not trying to piss anyone off by repeating it again but i would really like to know what's the actual problem because i'd like to help

[FiberFast]

okay i'm confused.

if you have an engine that had an automatic tranny, then you just take the plate for the torque converter away and bolt the normal dual mass flywheel on there and put a stock clutch on it. why shouldn't that work ? or do you want a single mass flywheel ? or a special clutch ?

i'm really not trying to piss anyone off by repeating it again but i would really like to know what's the actual problem because i'd like to help

I hear you, I am not fully understanding the issue myself or I would have fixed it when I had the transmission out. I would start blaming the transmission but I know a clutch problem cause it's dragging when the clutch is fully pressed. The clutch is a simple system with only 5 moving parts (excluding the hydraulic system) flywheel, friction disc, pressure plate, throw out bearing, and clutch fork. I have replaced the pivot pin and clutch fork, does not leave much but the clutch and flywheel. I may be able to cheat it with a custom slave tip, but that's a bit jank imo.

[samy01]

well i had the same issue once and it was the tangential leaf springs, 2 of 3 broke.

but you would've seen that if that's the case, i'm sure. (as far as i know you put a new clutch in ?) then it might really has to do with the slave.

how do you know it drags when you fully press the pedal ? because a little bit is nor dragging but momentum thar keeps the tranny spinning inside. but that should stop after a few seconds after pressing and holding down the pedal.

[FiberFast]

I have the pedal spacer removed and the clutch pedal spring is broke. I am thinking about having that entire system replaced. Then I will replace the clutch as well cause fuck it.
I am wondering if this will do the job.
http://gripforce.com/fx-racing-stage...e1494017864675
Grip force stage1.
Not going to order it until I fully understand what's going on. When I say Its dragging, I mean 1. it's difficult to get into gear 2. While I have it in gear running with the clutch fully pressed in the car starts rolling forwards slightly, increases with throttle.

[ddtech]

I don't have enough experience to offer anything for the clutch issues you are having, but I did see something in the Bentley regarding driveshafts. Here is the table for troubleshooting.


Pg 260-2 "Driveshafts"

Symptom Probable cause Corrective action
1. Vibration when starting off (forward or reverse)
a. Incorrect preload of center bearing a. Check preload of center bearing. Readjust preload. See. Fig. 6
b. Center bearing rubber deteriorated b. Inspect center bearing and rubber. Replace if necessary.
c. Flex disk damaged or worn c. Inspect flex disk. Replace if necessary.
d. Engine or trans mounts faulty. d. Inspect engine and transmission mounts. Align or replace, if necessary.
e. Front centering guide worn, or driveshaft mounting flanges out of round. e. Check front centering guide and replace if necessary. Check run-out of driveshaft flanges.
f. Universal joints worn or seized f. Check universal joint play and movement. Replace driveshaft if necessary.
g. Sliding coupling seized. g. Remove driveshaft and check movement of sliding coupling. Clean coupling splines and replaces parts as necssary.
h. Driveshaft misaligned. g. Check driveshaft alignment.

On my side, car finally runs but I have an overheating issue. Super annoying since most stuff is new. Probably (or hopefully) because I overlooked installing a new tstat when I had the perfect opportunity to do so. It's the only thing i didn't replace with new. It is sitting on the shelf with a gasket. Hmm. :/

[FiberFast]

I don't have enough experience to offer anything for the clutch issues you are having, but I did see something in the Bentley regarding driveshafts. Here is the table for troubleshooting.


Pg 260-2 "Driveshafts"

Symptom Probable cause Corrective action
1. Vibration when starting off (forward or reverse)
a. Incorrect preload of center bearing a. Check preload of center bearing. Readjust preload. See. Fig. 6
b. Center bearing rubber deteriorated b. Inspect center bearing and rubber. Replace if necessary.
c. Flex disk damaged or worn c. Inspect flex disk. Replace if necessary.
d. Engine or trans mounts faulty. d. Inspect engine and transmission mounts. Align or replace, if necessary.
e. Front centering guide worn, or driveshaft mounting flanges out of round. e. Check front centering guide and replace if necessary. Check run-out of driveshaft flanges.
f. Universal joints worn or seized f. Check universal joint play and movement. Replace driveshaft if necessary.
g. Sliding coupling seized. g. Remove driveshaft and check movement of sliding coupling. Clean coupling splines and replaces parts as necssary.
h. Driveshaft misaligned. g. Check driveshaft alignment.

On my side, car finally runs but I have an overheating issue. Super annoying since most stuff is new. Probably (or hopefully) because I overlooked installing a new tstat when I had the perfect opportunity to do so. It's the only thing i didn't replace with new. It is sitting on the shelf with a gasket. Hmm. :/

I'm going to go with incorrect preload. Thanks for posting that.