bravo

About half an hour to 45 mins. Mine were harder because the airconlines get in the way.

In case most of you are no longer reading my "oh-so-boring" gearbox thread, I am after the following for next to nothing (a beer in it for you maybe?) Bracket that holds the rear of the pressed steel shift console to the car - I have the rubber mount, but no bracket or bolt. Rubber firewall grommet where master cylinder goes through. Accelerator stop. Clutch stop - if there is one (I'm not sure). Cheers

Ah - sorry Andrew, but no. the reason you torque flywheel bolts is not to make sure they are tight enough, but to make sure they are all the same tightness - this stops warp and unbalancing. If you don't torque your flywheel bolts you will probably end up with clutch shudder. Wheel bolts can be the same - 100Nm or 85 ft/lbs is about right, but the important bit is to get them even so you don't warp your brake discs in the long term. Most tyre and wheel outfits I've talked to say it is their policy to torque wheel nuts - whether they actually do or not is another story... You will prob get away with it, but I'm torquing mine, and although 80ft/lbs is not FT it is pretty tight and loctite aswell of course.

Flywheel bolts. Don't worry - on advice from a friend in the know I did them to 80ft/lbs. May not be correct to spec but should do the job.

Update: 1. Removed flex disc from engine and installed flywheel. 2. Installed metal clutch line that snakes along firewall. 3. Installed clutch reservoir. 4. Installed new pedals. I didn't bother switching pedal boxes - I just removed the bolt holding the brake pedal on, and used the longer bolt from the manual pedal box and installed the pedals in. Saved alot of hassle removing and reinstalling the pedal box. I have discovered I am short a couple of things. If anyone can help me with these so I don't have to buy new ones I'd really appreciate it. a. Grommet for the firewall where the master cylinder passes through. b. The rear bracket that holds the shift console to the car (I have the rubber mount piece, just missing the bracket and bolts. It is a sheet metal type console.) c. Accelerator stop. I think the auto one with its two-stage kickdown will piss me off. d. Does anyone know if I need the clutch pedal centre-over spring and guide. It is shown on r3v limited's write-up, but I don't see the point. Thanks a million to the person(s) who can help me out. Box is away getting cleaned so ts all shiny when I put it in, and if my clutch etc arrves to day all of that will be going on tonight. Must remember to get my clutch align tool from BNT - I assume that any old generic one will work - doesn't have to be BMW specific??? Cheers

I'm going to tell them. Just so there's no argument later on. Won't affect my insurance - my auto died, was more economical to replace with manual as they cost less in the long run. The fact I was planning to do it eventually anyway is irrelevant.

What about if they are on highs in the permanent high position? When they go, do all four light up or just the inside ones? I'm trying to eliminate fired lows or low-beam circuit. Do the park lights work? Don't know about the relay - will have a look tonight but I do know there are separate ones for low and high beam. Haynes manual shows wiring diagram, but no diagram of physical placement of relays

Yes we know. And as I was writing the above, I made a wager with myself as to how long it would take for you to post up something like that. Slower than expected - you're slipping Damian...

Waffle waffle! Why can't it be simple! I move that we make White the new white, black the new black and silver the new silver. Edit: I like pink

stock e30's look a bit off too. In fact all unoptioned stock BMW's are a tad ugly.

chrome

The haynes one posted on here is missing two chapters - one of them being transmission. I'm wingng the g/b change, but wouldn't mind getting some of the torque figures. **Goes to start Bentley manual group-buy thread.**

Hmmm - e36 M3 side grills look good to me on black (probably look good on red f/l too as long as it had mtech2 kti I think) But the rear wheels look too wide IMO. Pretty cool loopking e30 though - just being picky Edit - not sure about the single wiper conv either can look good, but looks weird there Nice leather!!!!

There's bound to be someone closer to you. I went to euroitalian because I was recommended them, and they were priced very much the same as SD European and one other place I rang. Probably not the cheapest, but I like to shop at places that have been recommended to me as they usually provide better service. If you go to euro italian, the guy's name is Gavin and he is heaps of help, knows what he is about and was able to give me some good advice regarding what I was doing. Say Graham from Paihia gave you his name and he may give you a better price since I've just spent a big wad with him. 09-4449817 Parts should arrive tomorrow - yay!

That is so wicked - excellent start to the morning - nothinglike a good laugh to help get rid of a hangover.... :beer:

Andrew's jamex's weren't supalows, just lows and they are now on Gus's car unless he's changed them again. Also as DNZ said - bounciness is as much a factor of your shocks as your springs. And there is a difference between bounciness and hard ride.

Get a 2nd hand flywheel - no idea of the cost (get the guy who is supplying the g/b to give you one maybe) I was quoted $343incl. for my clutch kit from euroitalian in Auckland. I ordered a shitload of other parts and he is cutting me a slight discount, so don't know what I actually going to end up paying.

There used to be a white e30 parked in the jaycar carpark for awhile - guy works upstairs (I know because I was peering through the window and set his alarm off and he leaned out the upstairs window to "bleep" it. Anyway - if that one has gone - maybe he upgraded?

Answered a few of my own myself.1. Don't know, but I purloined a set from a mate who runs a tyre shop, so prob solved. For those of you doing this there are two sizes. One holding the g/b bumpstop/bottom plate over the torque converter to the g/b bellhousing, and a larger size holding the g/b to the motor. Also you witll need about 18in of extensions, and I'd recommend 1/2" drive as the bolts were pretty tight. A universal may come in handy due to the angles involved. I dropped the g/b as much as I could and I still had to put the torx socket on the bolt by hand (lucky I've got small arms) and then feed the driver onto it as torx don't feed well into sockets. (I didn't have a universal) 2. Remove the torque converter with the g/b if you can - it is easire to remove the g/b if you do as it struggles to fit out otherwise. by removing the g/b with the torque conv. still inside I was able to leave the dipstick attached as the bolt holding this on is hard to reach. Just be aware the auto is a heavy bitch and the torque converter is really heavy too, so it's a bloody mission to get it out by yourself - I enlisted help from a mate to make things easier. The torque converter can be a nasty whore to get off the spigot. I used a screwdriver to rotate the flywheel to access the three bolts holding it to the flywheel, then used a pinch bar, hammer, larger screwwdriver, CRC and a fair bit of swearing to pop it out. But it was worth it in the end I think. 3. Thanks mike - I'll have a look. Other advice: MAKE SURE YOU REMOVE THE THROTTLE CONTROL CABLE AT THE MOTOR END BEFORE DROPPING THE G/B ON YOUR CHEST. Because it is f**king heavy and once there is tension on the cable there is no way you can detach it - that is if you can raise the g/b again so you can crawl out from under the car. Somehow I forgot about this - luckily I had previously mentioned mate nearby and he was ble to undo the bolts on the bracket for the adjustment part of the cable and then get enough slack to disconnect it. So old g/b is out - tonight I'm swapping flywheels and that'l be about it because I'm going to my sisters 17th. Ordering new clutch etc today, so will keep you all posted. BTW I paid $750 for my conversion kit. It simply worked out cheaper than trying to find a donor car. But did at least include more than just the g/b. Also, slave cylinders are only about $75, so instead of repairing it, buy a new one and a master cyl repair kit.

Courtesy of the E30 Network: link

New questions: 1. Does anyone know what size the torx-head bolts holding the g/b to the bell housing are - I want to go buy an appropriate sized socket. 2. Carls how-to shows the auto being removed with the torque-converter still attached to the flywheel. Rv3limited's one removes the torque converter with the g/b. Which is easiest to do? 3. The g/b I've got has the bracket-type shift selector. Can I convert this to the aluminium arm-type, or do I just install it as-is into the car? How does this affect my z3 shifter conversion. 4. The flexible joint on my driveshaft is badly cracked. Has anyone got the part no. for this? Thanks all.

Huge dirt floor garage jacked up as high as I can with blocks, cast-iron axle stands etc underneath. Raised whole vehicle about half a metre - so far enough room. Considered digging a shallow pit with the tractor first, but couldn't be bothered - hope I don't regret it. BNT just opened in Kerikeri last week and my dad opened an account so I'll be paying him a visit to purloin that. I went in there on Saturday and they were talking approx $400 odd for clutch repair kit. Carls thread lists OEM price at $460, so not a huge saving.

Yup - its actually gonna happen - manual in the 320. Got a family member who was going to auckland to pick up my g/b with all associated parts for manual conv. this afternoon. So jacked up the car and out with the exhaust and driveshaft. Will get onto removal of auto tomorrow probably. Starting this thread because I know I'm going to have lots of qu's and trying to keep them in one place. First one: Can anyone find the torque wrench thread for me (I can't) - my ones fooked and so I need a new one for this project. Second one: Can anyone find one of the exhaust threads - while its out I may aswell remove the cat and throw a couple of coby's in. Third one: Where is the best place to purchase the following: Spigot bearing, Slave cylinder, master cylinder repair kit, clutch repair kit (disc, press. plate and release bearing), clutch alignment tool, shift lever, flexible joint on driveshaft (its pretty much had it), gearbox mounts - they're toast - totally split in half - box was just sitting on them - not held in at all! Cheers.

bem-on has an entire car (520). The gearbox and engine are the same as your car. I was considering it (very reasonably priced at whole car for $600) but I was not able to make it to palmerston North, and have since found a 'box and all sundries for $750 from Ray in Orewa which I had picked up for me today. Good luck - look at traderpoint.co.nz - I was looking on there and found heaps of good cars, boxes and motors, but the were all in canterbury - so you should be sweet.

Yeah I think repco charged me $11 for one including a new washer.