Grey Thunder - 1990 e30 316i

[Olaf 3341]

Lock Cylinder Repair

Well, that's been 'fun'.  Today I tacked the lock cylinder repair.   here's some fun pics, followed by a whole lot of reference pics and info.

Make sure you get the right one for your car.  And yes, it matters if you have central locking!  In my case, drivers (right) door, a post 09/88 model with central locking, it was P/N 51219061344.

 I started with the new kit laid out.  

Here's the cylinder with all springs and tumblers in, ready for the key test....

hold your breath and:

Voila!  I found the barrel tumblers pretty easy, just be systematic and write everything down with a pen and paper, make a diagram.  5 tumblers on one side, 6 on the other.  The bottom four (away from the key) are 'notched' if you have central locking.  Grease (supplied) holds the springs and tumblers in place.

From this point forward, some assembly is required.  Won't bore you with that, it did just about drive me around the twist.  I think I've got it right; tomorrow will tell.

Interesting to see what broke on the old one.  The part that holds the roller bearing in part revision 002 (original had a ball bearing) broke off:

 

 

 

Now the reference material.

Translation of the instruction sheet:

MONTAGELEITUNG
Vor dem zussammenbau Zuhaltungskanäle des Schleißzylinders mit beiligendem Fett füllen.
Zuhaltung mit Zuhaltungsfedern entsprechend Codeliste oder vorliegendem schlüssel in den Zylinder einlegen.
Schleißzylinder lt.Zeichnung zussammenbauen.

HINWEIS
Um die Montage zu erleichtern, Rolle einfetten und in N-Mitnehmer eisetzen.
N-Mitnehmer in den Führungsring einführen. 
Aussparung in dem Zylinder beachten.
Sannstift mit leichten Hammerschlägen einführen.
Totpunktfeder einsetzen und spannen.

becomes:

ASSEMBLY LINE
Before assembling, fill the tumbler tumbler channels with the enclosed grease.
Insert guard locking with tumbler springs into the cylinder according to the code list or the present key.
Assemble the wear cylinder according to the drawing.

NOTE
To facilitate installation, grease the roller and set in N-driver.
Insert the N-driver into the guide ring.
Note the recess in the cylinder.
Insert pin with light hammer blows.
Insert dead center spring and tension.

Best Video I found on YouTube:

 

EDIT:  and also  https://www.e30zone.net/e30wiki/index.php?title=Door_Lock_Repairs

And now a bunch of reference pics for the one that came out, prior to disassembly:

 

 

Edited January 14, 2019 by Olaf
added youtube vidjo

[Olaf 3341]

Okay.  Time for more update.

Date: 17 Jan 2019

Distance: 258648km

1.  Lock.  

The lock drove me bananas.  Barrel was fine, I found getting the springs right was troublesome.  Suggest you photograph every damned angle you know you'll never need, before disassembly.  I had it apart 4 times and still couldn't get it right.  Had to hand it over to Jon with an apology.  He sorted it out, aparrently I had spring in the the wrong place; it's all sorted now and I have full central locking restored, including deadlock.  Woohoo!

2.  Rear End.

• Rear subframe mounts replaced (Meyle)
• Rear trailing arm bushes replaced (Lemforder)
• Differential Bush replaced, along with diff cover gasket and fresh oil
• My freshly-repainted 13.5mm rear antiroll bar installed with Lemforder drop links, BMW bushes, new brackets, bolts, hardware.
• Brakes bled, handbrake adjusted.  It's now AWESOME.

My new 13.5mm ARB bushes will be returned, they're measuring 12.5-12.75 internal diameter!

Jon at Auto38 has done beaut work.  If you're in Wellington - or away from Wellington and want quality work, you know where to go! 

Test drive: 

It took just one T-intersection and a couple of curves to reveal the improvements.  The bushings and bar have really tidied up the rear end up, consistent tracking; but most of all the drive out of the corners!  Though that drive provokes INSTANT UNDERSTEER™. This makes getting that 20mm front bar and the HD endlinks installed (along with new bushings), a priority. I’ve never been a fan of understeer.

I took my neice for a manual gearbox driving lesson yesterday, while she was visiting.  She got her licence with just two pedals.  It went well, no burning clutch, no frayed nerves.  She even managed her first ever manual takeoff without stalling.

Next steps (February):

1. Front ARB - 20mm, endlinks & bushings
2. Gear Shift bushings and short-shift
3. Power Steering Fluid flush
4. Clutch Fluid flush

Need 51mm Front Strut Housings, and make a decision on springs.  Also look into new steering coupling.

I'm ordering more of the cooling system hoses too.

I'm very pleased with progress on Grey Thunder.   Becoming very drivable, and soon will be great fun.

Edited January 19, 2019 by Olaf
link

[Rob HB1 90]

6 hours ago, Olaf said:

Okay.  Time for more update.

Date: 17 Jan 2019

Distance: 258648km

1.  Lock.  

The lock drove me bananas.  Barrel was fine, I found getting the springs right was troublesome.  Suggest you photograph every damned angle you know you'll never need, before disassembly.  I had it apart 4 times and still couldn't get it right.  Had to hand it over to Jon with an apology.  He sorted it out, aparrently I had spring in the the wrong place; it's all sorted now and I have full central locking restored, including deadlock.  Woohoo!

2.  Rear End.

• Rear subframe mounts replaced (Meyle)
• Rear trailing arm bushes replaced (Lemforder)
• Differential Bush replaced, along with diff cover gasket and fresh oil
• My freshly-repainted 13.5mm rear antiroll bar installed with Lemforder drop links, BMW bushes, new brackets, bolts, hardware.
• Brakes bled, handbrake adjusted.  It's now AWESOME.

My new 13.5mm ARB bushes will be returned, they're measuring 12.5-12.75 internal diameter!

Jon at Auto38 has done beaut work.  If you're in Wellington - or away from Wellington and want quality work, you know where to go! 

Test drive: 

It took just one T-intersection and a couple of curves to reveal the improvements.  The bushings and bar have really tidied up the rear end up, consistent tracking; but most of all the drive out of the corners!  Though that drive provokes INSTANT UNDERSTEER™. This makes getting that 20mm front bar and the HD endlinks installed (along with new bushings), a priority. I’ve never been a fan of understeer.

I took my neice for a manual gearbox driving lesson yesterday, while she was visiting.  She got her licence with just two pedals.  It went well, no burning clutch, no frayed nerves.  She even managed her first ever manual takeoff without stalling.

Next steps (February):

1. Front ARB - 20mm, endlinks & bushings
2. Gear Shift bushings and short-shift
3. Power Steering Fluid flush
4. Clutch Fluid flush

Need 51mm Front Strut Housings, and make a decision on springs.  Also look into new steering coupling.

I'm ordering more of the cooling system hoses too.

I'm very pleased with progress on Grey Thunder.   Becoming very drivable, and soon will be great fun.

Great work Richard. Reading this motivates me to get off my arse and do some more on mine!

[Cammsport 390]

I'm in your boat Rob! This thread has given me the motivation to finally start pushing mine through the dreaded cert process.

Keep the posts coming!

[Olaf 3341]

16 hours ago, Rob HB1 said:

Great work Richard. Reading this motivates me to get off my arse and do some more on mine!

Many thanks, Rob.  Have you a project page for your SE?

[Rob HB1 90]

No not reslly my thing. Just rnjoy reading others.lol

[Olaf 3341]

Minor update:

• Sport steering wheel sourced, cleaned, prepped with 2 coats of toner, and protectant, followed by Elephant Leather Preservative.  Waiting to fit it.
• All the parts for the shifter bushings servicing have arrived.
• 14" Style 5 rims secured, and cleaned.  2 tyres to pop off, and rim straightness to assess before prepping and painting.  EDIT:  My sincere thanks to @Rob HB1 for bringing them to Palmy, and @_ethrty-Andy_ for the fifth wheel!
• 51mm housings secured, awaiting their arrival in Welly, before strip down, prep, paint, and build up with Koni Yellows.
• I have a graunching balljoint on the left hand side.  Looking at doing the straightforward wishbones, lollipop bushings, and tie rods - so it's all done and fresh.  I'll do that at the same time as fitting the 20mm front ARB & bushes, and endlinks.
• Still need to decide on springs and source them.  Still biased toward H&R sportsprings.

Question: will e46 horns work on e30?  I want some good Paaarp Parrrp action, not the wimpy peeb peeb it currently sports!

 

Edited February 5, 2019 by Olaf
adding my thanks for the round things

[Young Thrash Driver 1020]

1 hour ago, Olaf said:

Question: will e46 horns work on e30?  I want some good Paaarp Parrrp action, not the wimpy peeb peeb it currently sports!

 

Have a poke around on RealOEM etc, I have further homework to do myself but I have found my E39's horn sounds so feeble because there was actually two tones used between the various markets, it needs a set of NZ "tone generators" I think they call them. Even the wife's Mazda sounds more manly...

[Olaf 3341]

6 minutes ago, Young Thrash Driver said:

Have a poke around on RealOEM etc, I have further homework to do myself but I have found my E39's horn sounds so feeble because there was actually two tones used between the various markets, it needs a set of NZ "tone generators" I think they call them. Even the wife's Mazda sounds more manly...

could be one of your two tones isn't working?  I'll take a squizz now...  https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/partgrp?id=AB12-EUR-05-1989-E30-BMW-316i 

Edited February 5, 2019 by Olaf

[Young Thrash Driver 1020]

Electrical problems, in a Singapore import? Pull the other one, guv!

[Olaf 3341]

seems my little 316 was equipped with only a 335Hz single horn, from either Hella, Bosch, or Klaxon.  Oh wait, there's another horn (2) shown that's discontinued?  Or perhaps ghosted in povo-spec 316's.

my e46 has - if I understand correctly - either a high pitch, or a low pitch. and the e60, well.... boomshankah.  Now that I think about it, it'd be easy to go all 'mod', with relays and a dozen horns...

 

[Olaf 3341]

I guess there are other options.  Not entirely convinced by Hella Sharptone or Supertone Horns around USD30.  

Perhaps Hella Twin Trumpet 007424801 High/Low Tone (around USD22).

... of course there are vidjos... 

sharptone vs supertone https://youtu.be/ngWrNOC5qhM

supertone vs twn trumpet (even Kia owners are at it!) https://youtu.be/FEg1aDsVyHM 

Oh Hang on:  Here it is.  Hella do a Twin Trumpet version for BMW:  HELLA 012010881 Black 12V BX Trumpet Horn Kit (Bmw)

 https://www.amazon.com/HELLA-007424801-Twin-Trumpet-Bracket/dp/B01EG18SAW/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1549399529&sr=1-1-spons&keywords=HELLA%2B7424801%2BTwin%2BTrumpet%2BHorns&th=1 

if you listen to the video on the Amazon page it gives you an idea of the tone.  I think it's perfect.  only USD19.

 

 

[Olaf 3341]

... and I've just been informed by a wise and experienced e30-er that the 325i has dual-tone horns. ??

Backstory:  all this was precipitated by my arriving at a traffic light recently, daughter in car with me.  I'd left a good 5 metres to the car in front, having followed them down the hill (tourists).  They started reversing, couldn't see out the back window for luggage... and my meeeeeeeeeeeEEEEEPP was barely heard, they stopped half a metre short of us in the e30.  

Edited February 6, 2019 by Olaf

[Palazzo 478]

I was wondering. Our e30 has a great horn, as does the 36. 

 

Picka part?

[Olaf 3341]

3 minutes ago, Palazzo said:

I was wondering. Our e30 has a great horn, as does the 36. 

Picka part?

watch this space. ?  I should have a suitable solution tomorrow.  The 316i and 318i was given just the single tone horn.   

Edited February 6, 2019 by Olaf

[_ethrty-Andy_ 2136]

On 2/6/2019 at 3:20 PM, Olaf said:

watch this space. ?  I should have a suitable solution tomorrow.  The 316i and 318i was given just the single tone horn.   

would have to double check my coupe, but pretty sure that has twin horns on it!

[Olaf 3341]

Update.

Department of Beep Beep!

Some horn material, yesterday.  Brought to you by the department of bad puns.

A friend kindly dug these out of his parts stash.  A pair of 325i Fiamm horns, one high, one low, complete with brackets.  Along with a couple of connector shells, sans pins.  (I must be) need a couple of nuts.  And either there will be good fortune when I get underneath it and all the wiring is there to plug into, or I'll find those crazy Germans put in different looms.  In which case I'll need to find the right pins for the connector shells, and make up some cabling to run from the central 'meep meep' horn to these PaaaaarrrrRRRRPPP horns.  One goes on the Right side, and one on the Left (or wrong) side.  Depending on your viewpoint.  Wish me Luck!  @adro next time we catch up I'd like to have a look around your SE to see how it's been done. 

Other things...

Twirly thing

I lucked-out, and nabbed a three-spoke leather OEM Sports Steering Wheel (aka SE wheel) from the book of faces, recently.  It's pretty tidy, was just a bit faded.  I've cleaned it, given it a couple of coats of black leather toner, followed by two coats of leather protectant, and a couple of coats of Elephant Leather preservative.  I'll get it onto the car soon.  Being fastidious, I've ordered a new locknut. ?

Graunch in suspension.

The Graunch of Suspension Wood, has been diagnosed by Jon at Auto38.  Inner tie rod.  I'm going for gold, and we're going to do tie rods, wishbones, lollipop bushes, and replace the steering guibo.  I'll install the 20mm front bar, with new bushes & Meyle HD end links.  That'll do for the next couple of months while I refurbish the Style 5 rims, and then the 51mm strut housings.

This work will get it steering straight and true, and eliminate older (as in 15-20 years, probably) bushings and balljoints.  Jon spanner-checked it, and it's a bit 'tighter'.  The rest of it (excepting the tie rod) is all still WoF standard, though I want the front to feel as good as the rear end now does.

Strut Housings

Of the strut housings, thanks to @gjm & @_ethrty-Andy_ for the Bimmersport Good Bstard Express™  assistance from @nick496's.  I have all the parts for the strut builds, including new wheel bearings.   Just need to sort springs.  Sampling @adro's SE last week, I think I'll be able to live with HR Sport Springs to match with the Koni Yellows 8641-1210 Sport (front), & 80-2522 (rear).

Abrasives and PPE

I've ordered new filters for my 3M mask, and a bunch of abrasives to use with my Dremel and handpiece.  It's going to be slow and steady prepping those buggers for paint.  I've a large box to lash up a paint booth out of, and an old office chair that I plan to make a wheel spinner out of.  Need to figure ensure all rims are true before I start (a precaution only), and cut the valve stems out.

Questions about paint

Now to source paint for the wheels.  Thought about standard Wheel Paint (Felgen Silver) with clear.  Nah, I'll get Granitsilber mixed up in aerosols, and clear coat. I liked the idea of Nogaro Silver, but it's darker and too close to Lachssilber.   I'll pay a lunchtime visit to Union Hardware soon to source paint.  Just thought, though... I have an airbrush compressor, and an airbrush I've little experience with... though it'd probably take an age to paint wheels with an airbrush, eh?  Paint would be going off while I'm still painting.  I'll keep it simple and go with aerosols, no clean-up.  

For the strut housings, I'm going to strip them down, rust preventative, etch prime, and two coats of Rustoleum gloss black.

Questions - Paint:  If you've thoughts or tips about painting my wheels, please let me know.  1k vs 2k, type of paint to withstand wheel heat, etc.

Questions - Horns:  If you know what bolt/nut, or in particular what the connector pins are for the horn connector shells, please let me know!

Edited February 18, 2019 by Olaf
questions formatting, added twirly thing

[_ethrty-Andy_ 2136]

On 2/16/2019 at 2:23 PM, Olaf said:

though I want the front to feel as good as the rear end now does.

prehaps a younger model would be better, they never as good as they once were over 30 years old.

[allan 295]

https://www.e30zone.net/e30wiki/images/1/1c/49_1984_318i_67_1984_e30_84.pdf

[Young Thrash Driver 1020]

2 hours ago, _ethrty-Andy_ said:

prehaps a younger model would be better, they never as good as they once were over 30 years old.

I concur, 31 years old and everything bloody hurts these days

[Olaf 3341]

1 hour ago, allan said:

https://www.e30zone.net/e30wiki/images/1/1c/49_1984_318i_67_1984_e30_84.pdf

brilliant, thanks Allan!

[Olaf 3341]

On 11/2/2018 at 8:02 AM, qube said:

Any nice photo of the read end or 3/4 shot?

Sorry @qube Kyu, it's been so long.  Here's something approximating a rear 3/4 shot, from November 2018...  Lachsilber goodness ?

[qube 3570]

So nice.. wish i kept my E30 coupe

[Olaf 3341]

12 hours ago, qube said:

So nice.. wish i kept my E30 coupe

thanks!  it's not too late, mate.  you'll find another ?

 

[modz 149]

@Olaf - great thread and detail

I think the sport wheel you picked up from the book of faces was from me.  Glad it went to a good home.

I too have an e30 coupe, in delphin.  Build thread to appear shortly

Did you convert your struts to 51mm?