tire

Manual conversion done. Drove it about 10 mins (not me driving I've lost my license) to my new place tonight and it worked a treat It makes the burble burbly noise when you get off the throttle Phase one over.

....And really old ones like mine (1983) have normal bolts all round.

ben!

On monday night I was supposed to be chucking the gearbox back in with the dowels but my helper to lift the box in bailed. I was eating my self up so I just said f**k it and did it myself. Last time I tried the danger of dropping the vtec on my face was too much but I managed to do it this time, somehow, and bada bing it started! So it was those poxy little dowels all along, amazing how fine the tolerance is. Last night I bolted up the rest of the stuff and tonight drove it out of the garage for the first time In like 3 months Better go update my project thread. Thanks for the help all and full credit to Deano for the correct diagnosis!

$12 a tyre? u4real?

Gah. I'l go try pry them out of the auto now.

Surely the 4 bolts take care of that?

Box back in, starter mounted, did the same thing. Readjusted the starter, still did the same thing. I've got someone to charge the battery for me overnight, if that dusnt fix it my only other avenue is to get the starter from the car that this manual conversion came from. Deano - I found those 2 locating dowels, they were attached to the auto. not going to bother with them as I cant see how they will help? oh yea one more thing - you know that big thin metal plate that goes between the motor and gearbox... is that meant to be there with manual boxes? It was there with the auto. Guessing yes but I thought I mightaswell ask. Gunna go get wasted now

I bought an m10 for $100. Took it to bits, mucked around etc. Sold it for $100 when I was done.

Cool, I didn't know they had bonnet heat shielding like that.

Could not mount the starter with any confidence without the gearbox so I just started reassembling. I've got an extra pair of hands to help me lift the box back on this weekend so by sunday arvo everything should be back together for take 2. Oh and I tested the starter to see if the solenoid was pushing the gear out properly - tick. Thaks, will try this if it doesn't work this time around Hmm I cant remember any such dowels, cbf going out to garage again but will check when I do. Ta I'm hoping this is the case. Will update Sunday / Sat if I'm fast. Cheers all

Got everything apart last night and discovered the spacer was in fact installed on the correct side! So that leaves me somehwat perplexed. I think the next stage is to mount the starter somehow without the gearbox and crank it with the fly attached to see whats happening. Oh an I counted the teeth of the auto flexplate that was in and the fly I'm using - both 137. Will update again after tonight..

Ok I'm pretty sure I've put that spacer on the wrong side of the flywheel. sigh, out comes the gearbox! I'm pretty sure the fly is from an m20, at least that's what the guy told me. He got the kit from a 323i, I've even seen the engine. Wish me luck eh.

Thanks my friend, I had just made arrangements to get a new starter motor but I will try just taking this one out and putting it on again first like you'v e said, it is a peicapiss with 2 people anyway. Spacer? No I don't remember any spacer, unless your talking about that big metal plate that sort of acts like a gasket between the gbox and the motor (this)? I'm trying to find what you might be talking about on realoem but everything is dual mass flywheel - can you throw up a pic of what you mean?

Why cant you just directly link the auctions and stop fking round with these silly auction numbers? ps I don't mean that as angrily as it sounds sorry.

Behind the passenger side grille. Poke a flathead screwdriver in the hole and push down. Sorry I don't know where to look for a pic but you will get it.

I am able to turn the motor over by hand via the flywheel (took the inspection plate off) if that helps. Edit (to save the triple post): I've compared the auto flexplate thing to the flywheel I've got, and the teeth on the flywheel are further towards the back of the car than the flexplate, so I'm thinking the I need to change starter motors to one from a manual car? That or I've got the flywheel on back to front - is that even possible?? lol.

How did you sort this in the end man? I'm having a similar issue

1983 e30 323i, g240 gearbox. So I've recently completed converting my e30 to manual. Today I went to start it for the first time since the conversion. I got a loud and some what high pitched grinding noise from the starter motor, the engine itself would not turn over. The noise continues for as long as I've got the key turned. The battery has plenty of power. And I have the inhibitor wired up properly (well I assume it's proper as the starter wouldn't fire if it wasn't) Where should I start looking? FWIW, the starter is the one that was on the car when the auto was in. I'm kinda desperate as I'm moving house in 5 days so I don't want to have to get a trailer! Thanks in advance Max

Needs bigger kidneys

MHmmmmhmhmhm the news is good. Sorry I pissed off mid convo the other nite, my neighbours decided to use their internet.

Nice update fella.

Just watched the vid. wow Just read the bfc thread. double wow Your brave!

Give degreaser a go before you go out and buy the relatively expensive clay. With the clay getting stuck in the stone chips, just use degreaser to get it out when your done. Just dont get any degreaser on the clay block cause itl ruin it. gl

Marvellous.