E30 325i Rag-Top 2963 Report post Posted May 19, 2018 Burnt a lot of 98 fuel driving around Hawke's Bay following around lots of other BMWs that are in the Targa HB. Also spotted two nice E30 M3s in the car parks, one Henna Red with fishnet recaros and one Alpine White with ACS wheels. it was a good day!! 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
M3AN 4016 Report post Posted May 20, 2018 (edited) Discovered that the massive rock or brick I hit on the motorway in the dead of the night in the 328 did indeed do some damage... Sump is split... any tips? Replacement seems like a bitch. Edited May 20, 2018 by M3AN 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Drea//Mer 30 Report post Posted May 20, 2018 1 hour ago, M3AN said: Sump is split... any tips? Replacement seems like a bitch How bad? i've had moderate success using permatex cold weld epoxy to temporarily patch a small sump crack (overtightened sump plug cracked along the bottom of the sump) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
B.M.W Ltd 950 Report post Posted May 20, 2018 (edited) Sump replacement on the E36 is only easy on a hoist with the right gear. Engine support and drop the cross member. Claim on your insurance and get a professional to do it. Edited May 20, 2018 by B.M.W Ltd 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Olaf 3341 Report post Posted May 20, 2018 On 5/17/2018 at 8:19 PM, kiwi535 said: winters comin...you dont want a five series with a dodgy battery in the winter...... No indeed, a sage recommendation. The batty in mine is less than two years old, and was tested by my workshop last year when the IBS was replaced. I'm happy it should go the distance! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jacko 2158 Report post Posted May 20, 2018 (edited) Gave the 130 (and 330) a polish and wax. Got some of that Bouncers Check the Fleck wax, like $180 a container (on sale for $30)... Im normally at the meguairs/mothers end of the wax spectrum, but for $30.. Ill give it a go. Clay bar'd, cut and polished using DA and a range of grades (finished with meguairs ultimate polish), spent the majority of the day, so the surface prep was pretty decent! It smells really nice, it goes on really nice, but OMG the buffing to get rid of holograms. Took forever and the end result is at the level of meguiars ultimate/carnauba Its shiney, but, seriously, too much work. No way could I justify the full price. "check the fleck" is apparently for metallicpaints, 130 is black saphire metallic... honestly, the fleck look better checked after the polish and before the wax Edited May 20, 2018 by Jacko 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
M3AN 4016 Report post Posted May 20, 2018 1 hour ago, Drea//Mer said: How bad? i've had moderate success using permatex cold weld epoxy to temporarily patch a small sump crack (overtightened sump plug cracked along the bottom of the sump) Not bad enough to dump all of the oil. I wasn't able to get get it up today so will do so tomorrow and have a closer look. I do have a stick of JB Weld... 1 hour ago, B.M.W Ltd said: Sump replacement on the E36 is only easy on a hoist with the right gear. Engine support and drop the cross member. Claim on your insurance and get a professional to do it. I'll call insurance tomorrow, IIRC I have a $500 excess and if that's the case I'm likely to attempt it myself, I do have access to an engine brace/support though. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
M3AN 4016 Report post Posted May 21, 2018 21 hours ago, Drea//Mer said: How bad? i've had moderate success using permatex cold weld epoxy to temporarily patch a small sump crack (overtightened sump plug cracked along the bottom of the sump) It's really small actually... I wonder what my options are? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Drea//Mer 30 Report post Posted May 21, 2018 5 hours ago, M3AN said: It's really small actually... I wonder what my options are? Looks about the same size as the one i patched. First drain oil, i used an air compressor to blow all the oil out of the sump. Then i hit the area with a dremel to score the surface and give the epoxy something to adhere to, i grooved the crack line very slightly so it would fill and hold. Mix and apply epoxy; then to be extra sure it would hold i repeated the dremel step around and over the dry epoxy and put another layer of epoxy over it. Mine has held out for over 6 years now, no oil drips. 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dirtydoogle 383 Report post Posted May 21, 2018 Confirmed that the wiring loom I'm my 325 race car is buggered. Trying to get another for it without sacrificing the 316 If I can't get one I'll swap the motor and brakes in to the 316. But then I'll have a good chassis sitting around doing nothing. It's a hard life! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kepes 231 Report post Posted May 24, 2018 (edited) The E30 wasn't stopping very well, so it was time for a brake overhaul. New pads, rotors, rebuilt calipers, braided brake lines, and brand new master cylinder originally fitted to the bigger 7 series of the same era. Oh, and new tyres, Bridgestone RE003. Car stops much better, success! Off for a WoF on Tuesday. Unpainted one is from the E32, noticeably beefier Edited May 24, 2018 by Kepes 3 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
M3AN 4016 Report post Posted May 24, 2018 Got under the 328 today to start taking it apart to replace the sump. What a PITA job getting access, lots has to come out to drop the subframe and even then access to some of the oil pan bolts is difficult. Really very messy too! Got as far as I could without an engine support brace which I'm hoping to pick up on the weekend. Still can't work out if I need to re/move the power steering pump, there are conflicting opinions and some even go so far as to drain the fluid and disconnect the lines. The BMW official procedure doesn't require this but they lift the engine a couple of inches which I can't do. Let me know if you know for a fact what's required. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gjm 3258 Report post Posted May 24, 2018 Hopefully prepped the 318i for a WoF. Merc 190E went straight through earlier this week... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BMRBOI 8 Report post Posted May 24, 2018 12 hours ago, M3AN said: Got under the 328 today to start taking it apart to replace the sump. What a PITA job getting access, lots has to come out to drop the subframe and even then access to some of the oil pan bolts is difficult. Really very messy too! Got as far as I could without an engine support brace which I'm hoping to pick up on the weekend. Still can't work out if I need to re/move the power steering pump, there are conflicting opinions and some even go so far as to drain the fluid and disconnect the lines. The BMW official procedure doesn't require this but they lift the engine a couple of inches which I can't do. Let me know if you know for a fact what's required. Hi Dave, Ive done this on an M50 before, from memory: I used an engine crane. A combination of support brace and trolley jack may do it, Undo steering shaft coupler at rack end, There's a bracket on the power steering pump to sump which needs to be unbolted, Undo engine mount bolts into sub frame then sub frame bolts and lower down for clearance, Work your way around oil pan bolts (don't forget the two into the rear main seal cover), Not sure about the dipstick tube, believe there's a bolt half way up on the M50 but M52 uses a different dipstick tube (one bolt, some breather tubes and its pressed in with an o-ring). I didn't disconnect any lines for the power steering, however taking the power steering reservoir out of the bracket does help in getting the sub frame lower. Hopefully that's some help! 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gjm 3258 Report post Posted May 25, 2018 15 hours ago, gjm said: Hopefully prepped the 318i for a WoF. Merc 190E went straight through earlier this week... 2 for 2. 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
M3AN 4016 Report post Posted May 29, 2018 Dropped the front subframe out of the 328 today... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
M3AN 4016 Report post Posted May 31, 2018 2 hours today to get the final sump bolt out... ? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BreakMyWindow 1878 Report post Posted June 1, 2018 No more stone chips.... until next road trip. have had a good run out of this car in the nearly 3 years of ownership. Some niggly things but no massive bills. It must be able to read my mind as the diff will be coming out soon. 7 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Michael. 2313 Report post Posted June 1, 2018 Automatic rust proofing of the diff. God BMW really think of everything!! 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gjm 3258 Report post Posted June 1, 2018 Changed the front tyres on the 318i. They may have passed the WoF, but that doesn't mean I'm entirely happy with them. And I'm learning how to use a tyre-changing machine. And a wheel balancer. Fun times. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
M3AN 4016 Report post Posted June 1, 2018 7 minutes ago, gjm said: And I'm learning how to use a tyre-changing machine. And a wheel balancer. Fun times. You have these? At home? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gjm 3258 Report post Posted June 1, 2018 43 minutes ago, M3AN said: You have these? At home? My landlord does... But I am a mere padawan. I have much to learn. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
M3AN 4016 Report post Posted June 1, 2018 Still, nice hookup. Is the tyre machine contactless? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gjm 3258 Report post Posted June 1, 2018 10 minutes ago, M3AN said: Still, nice hookup. Is the tyre machine contactless? Contactless? Hardly! And being a little older it has it's 'quirks'. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hqstu 780 Report post Posted June 2, 2018 I pulled apart the radar receiver on my (ancient) Escort Passport SR7 (permanent install) the other day, cleaned all the contacts, etc etc, put it back together, but was not optimistic that I had addressed the continual "self calibration error" on startup... Today I drove it including multiple starts and the device performed without hitch - which is a first since owning the car.. Optimism grows... 4 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
