Another E36 M3 project begins....

[BMWManiac]

Yeah, that is my fear.....

Removed struts, brakes/hoses, hubs from the front, sway bar. Still have to remove control arms and power steering reservoir/lines
Removed rear brakes/hoses. Still need to remove shocks/rsms
Disassembled brake calipers and cleaned. Will spray them with black caliper paint and then rebuild.

Still a lot to do this week and weekend.

As I mentioned, I will not do any of the rear suspension bushings until winter....I know I am right there, but Id like to tackle all at once. Rear shocks are too easy and compliment front struts
IMAG1348.jpgIMAG1347.jpgIMAG1349.jpgIMAG1351.jpg

[BMWManiac]

So today's continuation of the project includes:

Finishing painting (black) and rebuilding calipers
Removing inner race of wheel bearing from hubs
Start reinstalling rear brakes/shocks (probably tomorrow)

What I already learned this morning is:
-1 x inner race just completely slipped off, to my surprise
-The other inner race was removed by renting a valve spring tool from Autozone (just remove the small c clip, inner bracket from tool, throw a 3/8" deep socket in the hub well, place tool in place to remove race, and then take a large clamp/pliars, whatever to hold the arms together, and there you go!)

[BMWManiac]

Finished rear shocks, rear brakes

Will finish front struts, front wheel bearings, tie rods, bleed brakes

I'm probably going to save the control arms for tomorrow....that way, get those installed and I can put the car back on the ground for the control arm bushings to settle in.

I'm still apprehensive about pressing out/in the ball joints. I read I can press out the outer ball joints using a 30mm socket...got it. What do I use to press out the inner ball joint?
I'm also tracking the orientation.....what size socket to press in the ball joints? Or if anyone has a setup they'd like to share, I'm all ears

[Skunk]

So i'm nearing the end of this project you are in the middle of.
The best thing I did for this project and for myself was buying that 20ton press for $150ish. The second best thing I did for this project was constantly PB blast stuff the night before I have to work on anything.

I have my press sitting out in my back yard on dirt. And when this project it over i'll sell it. (But It's so nice to have around!)

Started on my front suspension, pressed out those ball joints on the control arms with and pressed the new ones in with ease. (Money saved from there payed for the press)
I went on to press all sub frame bushings, lower/upper control arm bushings. Wheel bearings in/ out, and hub onto bearings.
You do need arbors/ sockets/ pipe fittings etc for all the different sizes of balljoints and bushings which had me running back and forth to the hardware store but I took pics of everything to one day help someone else out.

Mark and take pics of the orientation before you press out. If you look closely there are these little indent things showing you proper orientation.

https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw...r-31121126254l

second pic shows the indent thing around the edge.
I have quite a few pics on my other HDD if you need reference pics.

[BMWManiac]

So i'm nearing the end of this project you are in the middle of.
The best thing I did for this project and for myself was buying that 20ton press for $150ish. The second best thing I did for this project was constantly PB blast stuff the night before I have to work on anything.

I have my press sitting out in my back yard on dirt. And when this project it over i'll sell it. (But It's so nice to have around!)

Started on my front suspension, pressed out those ball joints on the control arms with and pressed the new ones in with ease. (Money saved from there payed for the press)
I went on to press all sub frame bushings, lower/upper control arm bushings. Wheel bearings in/ out, and hub onto bearings.
You do need arbors/ sockets/ pipe fittings etc for all the different sizes of balljoints and bushings which had me running back and forth to the hardware store but I took pics of everything to one day help someone else out.

Mark and take pics of the orientation before you press out. If you look closely there are these little indent things showing you proper orientation.

https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw...r-31121126254l

second pic shows the indent thing around the edge.
I have quite a few pics on my other HDD if you need reference pics.

Yeah, so right now, I have a 30mm socket....i'll cut the center bearing shaft down so I can use the socket for that as well. to install, I need to find something that can accept the ball joint while applying force to the control arm.

I have access to a press on the military post....an entire $4 to use it! I'll press out the old bearing, CAB, and press all the new ones in.

I also bought a new set of control arms just in case this goes poorly tomorrow!

I managed to get everything done that I wanted to today except for bleeding the brakes. I can handle that tomorrow morning while everyone is still asleep. I have the control arm center bearing nut removed, just don't have the energy to start giving it the beans with the sledge for today and the wife and kids are taking a nap.

[Skunk]

Yeah, so right now, I have a 30mm socket....i'll cut the center bearing shaft down so I can use the socket for that as well. to install, I need to find something that can accept the ball joint while applying force to the control arm.

I have access to a press on the military post....an entire $4 to use it! I'll press out the old bearing, CAB, and press all the new ones in.

I also bought a new set of control arms just in case this goes poorly tomorrow!

I managed to get everything done that I wanted to today except for bleeding the brakes. I can handle that tomorrow morning while everyone is still asleep. I have the control arm center bearing nut removed, just don't have the energy to start giving it the beans with the sledge for today and the wife and kids are taking a nap.

I just took the control arm into Ace hardware and found a super strong iron pipe fitting. You can just take the the balljoint if you have it, just make sure its snug in the pipe fitting. Might even have a bunch over at the post where the press is at. They cost a couple bucks. Are you doing the full overhaul or just the necessities?

[bluptgm3]

I have access to a press on the military post....an entire $4 to use it! I'll press out the old bearing, CAB, and press all the new ones in.

Hope it is a 20 ton press, some are reporting 12 ton press is sporty.

I also bought a new set of control arms just in case this goes poorly tomorrow!

Where? 1996+M3 FLCA or 1995M3 FLCA? The arms are different. 1995M3 has same geometry as ALL E36, but has solid outer ball joint.
1996+M3 FLCAs have been on national ‘backorder’.

1996+ M3 FLCAs are on National Backorder till mid August, at least that was the latest communication from Tischer BMW.
Supposedly, Meyle HD FLCA’s plus Offset FLCABs are one solution.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[BMWManiac]

Hope it is a 20 ton press, some are reporting 12 ton press is sporty.

Where? 1996+M3 FLCA or 1995M3 FLCA? The arms are different. 1995M3 has same geometry as ALL E36, but has solid outer ball joint.
1996+M3 FLCAs have been on national ‘backorder’.






Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I do hope it is a 20 ton press too! I bought a set through ECS

[BMWManiac]

Power steering reservoir and hoses
New door handle gaskets
New "///M3" emblem
Now, trying and failing to install the black trim on the tonneau cover. Have all new clips and condoms but it will not snap in place. When it does and i force others to snap in, others pop out....whats the trick?
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[blckstrm]

Power steering reservoir and hoses
New door handle gaskets
New "///M3" emblem
Now, trying and failing to install the black trim on the tonneau cover. Have all new clips and condoms but it will not snap in place. When it does and i force others to snap in, others pop out....whats the trick?
IMAG1353.jpgIMAG1352.jpgIMAG1354.jpgIMAG1355.jpg

Hmm, I haven't had them pop out like what you're describing, but I haven't had my trim off more than once or twice. Hopefully someone else has.

One idea, though - I've gotten clips before (which were purported to be the same part number) that were actually a different size than what they were replacing. Is that possible in your case? Is the orientation the same?

[BMWManiac]

Hmm, I haven't had them pop out like what you're describing, but I haven't had my trim off more than once or twice. Hopefully someone else has.

One idea, though - I've gotten clips before (which were purported to be the same part number) that were actually a different size than what they were replacing. Is that possible in your case? Is the orientation the same?

I thought that too...maybe I got the wrong clips. I took the part number from RealOEM and it looks like the same ones. The previous own gorilla glued all the rubber caps to the plastic clips so I can't really tell, but they look the same. Maybe the aren't the correct size though....the trim doesn't look bent, but maybe it is. Hard to tell when the plastic piece itself is so flexible

[BMWManiac]

So, down the home stretch for underneath the car at this time....

Front sway bar bushings installed
Sway bar end links installed
Control arms installed
Driver side motor mount installed

I stopped after trying to replace the passenger side motor mount....haven't run into this issue before, but I can't seem to get the height for the passenger side...it gets loose and but not enough to remove it. Plenty of height on the driver side. Lifted with a wood block on the oil pan. All I have left is to replace this motor mount and install the control arm bushings and the car can get back on the ground!

With the passenger engine mount, I read to remove the fan and that seemed to work! Finally, all done underneath...now time for the test drive!

[Skunk]

Nice. Did you end up installing the new control arms you purchased?

All i need to do is figure out how to keep my outer CV axle from coming apart since I decided to service it ( they say its un-serviceable since for that reason) install the axles the drive to the alignment shop.. Then there will be another Techno Violet back on the road.
...But its too hot so i will play video games instead

[BMWManiac]

Nice. Did you end up installing the new control arms you purchased?

All i need to do is figure out how to keep my outer CV axle from coming apart since I decided to service it ( they say its un-serviceable since for that reason) install the axles the drive to the alignment shop.. Then there will be another Techno Violet back on the road.
...But its too hot so i will play video games instead

Yes, to minimize the downtime and prevent any issues from delaying any further, I went ahead and bought new control arms from ECS. On my own time, I can refurbish my existing control arms and either sell them or keep them for down the road.

[BMWManiac]

Completed all the installs and now waiting for an alignment after testing out the drive....car feels fantastic!

Also happy to investigate and find that my passenger side mirror wasn't working because the wiring broke off all the male leads....quick jaunt to the pull a part and was able to see that the regular 3 series motor/wiring is almost the same. The brown lead off the black wire has a larger spade connect for the m3 mirror...but i just wanted a working mirror...don't need the heat function

[BMWManiac]

Alignment getting done as we speak
-Better convertible top swapped (thanks Greg, aka 66 6 who did the swap!)
-Front/rear interior panels removed in preparation for BavSound Stage 1 speaker setup (still couple weeks out!) and the typical adhesion repair
-Carpet/mats cleaned for the most part...will do better job this fall when I take the seats out for new upholstery
-Cluster spot fix
-passenger door lock actuator replacement

That should carry me over until the fall/winter when the rear suspension starts going in.

[BMWManiac]

Good news, Bav Sound speakers are enroute!

So, speaker removal and disassembly:
Tools needed - I use jeweler screw drivers...2 x small flat head screw driver are best

1). Remove speakers from door panels...easy, they are held on by a ring. Apply soft pressure to the speaker face, careful not to break the ring! Twist the back ring lefty loosey and the speaker falls out.
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2) To remove securing plate that snaps into 4 x slots in cover, CAREFULLY apply pressure to one slot at a time. You only need to get 2 tabs out of the slots before you can pry up. MIND THE OUTSIDE RING! You dont want to break it. I used a mouse pad to lay the parts on. You can see the black latches on the securing plate.
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3) Most difficult part for me.....to remove speakers from the actual carrier, there are 2 x plastic tabs in the housing holding the speaker in. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO PULL THE TABS BACKWARD! Unless you dont car and will just use RTV or something else to hold the speaker in. What you do so insert your small screw driver towards the top where the gap is and carefully apply a little bit of pressure to get the lip of the speaker just past it. I found most success using the 2 x screw drivers to do this to both tabs simultaneously. Once the speaker gets past the tabs, barring any crud or silicone, the speakers fall right out.
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The process is the same for tweeter, except you only have the two tabs to deal with. Once I get the speakers, I will document reassembly.

[blckstrm]

Are your original speakers blown, or are you just upgrading?

Every time I've planned to look into the reason my left front speakers don't work, something else breaks and I get sidetracked for a couple months before I think about it again.

So in spite of just having fixed that stupid bronze clutch pin issue (to whom it may concern: DO NOT USE A BRONZE CLUTCH FORK PIN!!!!! The 850 and some E34s use a stainless pin - just please, please use that)... where was I?

Oh yeah, so in spite of potentially jinxing myself, I'm planning to pop the door card off and see what the problem is (power or blown speaker) sometime this week. So if it turns out to be the actual speakers are dead... what are you doing with your speakers?

[BMWManiac]

I have 1 x midrange that is blown...1 x midrange that seems fine. Both rear HK speakers look fine. I don't know if any of the tweeters work...in fact, I don't get how they work because there is a circuit board that they just seem to sit in so, not sure if they work or not?

I'm upgrading as well as fixing them. Any speakers that work, I will sell for cheap

[BMWManiac]

So, one quarter panel HK speaker is good and both rear speakers are good...

Anyone ever run into an instance where the passenger side speaker cover DIDN'T seem to cover the carpet? This is weird...the carpet seems to end TOO SHORT. It doesn't look cut at all, but an actual end. The speaker cover obviously covers this on both sides, but the carpet doesn't go high enough on the passenger side???

- - - Updated - - -

Passenger side vs Driver side. If it were cut, I think it would be obvious?
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Of course, I'm the 9th or 10th owner or so and it obviously couldn't come from the factory like that....but like I said, there is no way or reason for it to be cut and the carpet seems like it would fit perfectly up the the sound insulation AND the hold down trim....

[BMWManiac]

BavSound speakers arrived, started to install in the rear speaker holder.....pretty straight forward

3M window weld ready to start putting the door panels together....
Need to get seats out, then the carpet can come out. Will clean thoroughly and then redye back to a dark grey
By the end of this weekend, car should be looking pretty good!

Debating on purchasing the seat covers from Lseat.com. Read a couple bad reviews, read several good ones....I should wait to let the bank account recover some, but I just want to get it done!

So about the carpet....I removed the hold down and again, this carpet was definitely not cut short. I am going to see if adding some padding underneath will raise the carpet enough and then use some double sided tape to make sure it stays.....definitely weird!

[blckstrm]

BavSound speakers arrived, started to install in the rear speaker holder.....pretty straight forward

3M window weld ready to start putting the door panels together....
Need to get seats out, then the carpet can come out. Will clean thoroughly and then redye back to a dark grey
By the end of this weekend, car should be looking pretty good!

Debating on purchasing the seat covers from Lseat.com. Read a couple bad reviews, read several good ones....I should wait to let the bank account recover some, but I just want to get it done!

So about the carpet....I removed the hold down and again, this carpet was definitely not cut short. I am going to see if adding some padding underneath will raise the carpet enough and then use some double sided tape to make sure it stays.....definitely weird!

Wish I could provide feedback, but a previous owner did a questionable sound system install (12+ years ago, no less), so I have no idea what it's supposed to look like - mine is fairly messed up as well.

[BMWManiac]

-Door panels rebuilt and reinstalled with Bavsound speakers....good sound, easy install, highly recommend stage 1 setup!
-passenger door actuator replaced....always a pain
-Seats, knee panels, glovebox, center console all removed...great time to replace cabin filter!

Tomorrow I will cut the carpet for removal, clean, and dye!IMAG1389.jpgIMAG1385.jpg

[BMWManiac]

So, sure enough....someone DID cut the carpet. I measure from the crease to the end of the carpet on both the driver's side and passenger side. Passenger side is about an inch shorter! I have no idea who or why they would cut it and I can't imagine it would leave the factory like that....so, what to do?

1)I could maybe lift it up a bit and screw some screws into it so it, which would now be cover by the trim...maybe that would work?
2)Find a replacement for a couple hundred dollars, but you'll never know what you'll get
3)Brand new is no longer available

So....what do you all think?

Edit....ok, so now I'm not 100% sure....I went to the junk yard today and the carpet in that car had the same stupid issue! Who the hell put these carpets in the convertibles, ha!

[Skunk]

I'm pretty sure you are keeping this car for yourself..
Good stuff. Keep them posts coming.