MZ's 325i sh*tbox build thread (long & LOTS of pics)
11-08-2009, 11:24 PM
#41
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Woke up the next morning at 9 when my buddy brought a ghetto cherry picker over
That thing was horrible, the legs were fixed and they didn't even extend to where the hook (the load) was, let alone past it. So the thing was buckling and bending all over the place under the weight of the M50.
Tranny's on and everything
A little argument with a grinder freshens up the mating surfaces pretty well
New clutch slave hanging out
What was wrong with the old slave cylinder? Nothing, until I pumped the clutch pedal a thousand times trying to get the brake pedal in and out and it
ed its piston, plunger and DOT4 all over the ground.
That thing was horrible, the legs were fixed and they didn't even extend to where the hook (the load) was, let alone past it. So the thing was buckling and bending all over the place under the weight of the M50.
Tranny's on and everything
A little argument with a grinder freshens up the mating surfaces pretty well
New clutch slave hanging out
What was wrong with the old slave cylinder? Nothing, until I pumped the clutch pedal a thousand times trying to get the brake pedal in and out and it
ed its piston, plunger and DOT4 all over the ground.
Last edited by MorpheusZero; 11-09-2009 at 12:55 PM.
11-08-2009, 11:25 PM
#42
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Replaced a tiny fuel hose
And a bigger fuel hose, this stuff's expensive
Bending the selector rod:
Get a 10mm deep socket with a big extension on it and stick it over one of the ends
Heat center section thoroughly and use the socket to twist the rod
Result
Pretty good
Finally I get to put the M50 where it belongs
And a bigger fuel hose, this stuff's expensive
Bending the selector rod:
Get a 10mm deep socket with a big extension on it and stick it over one of the ends
Heat center section thoroughly and use the socket to twist the rod
Result
Pretty good
Finally I get to put the M50 where it belongs
Last edited by MorpheusZero; 11-09-2009 at 12:56 PM.
11-08-2009, 11:26 PM
#43
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Yes that's taco bell, better than nothing
Haha, whoops
That's better
Looks pretty good in there
That was the final hour before I had to go. Glad to finally get it in, now to hook everything up and get it running, hopefully that'll happen over the next two weekends. This project has taken waaaaayy more time than I had planned for, and I miss bombing around in my damn E30.
Haha, whoops
That's better
Looks pretty good in there
That was the final hour before I had to go. Glad to finally get it in, now to hook everything up and get it running, hopefully that'll happen over the next two weekends. This project has taken waaaaayy more time than I had planned for, and I miss bombing around in my damn E30.
Last edited by MorpheusZero; 11-09-2009 at 12:56 PM.
11-08-2009, 11:51 PM
#44
just think how much better this baby's gonna run with all the new parts and $hit!! video or 2 when you get her runnin. then, head over to pa and help me work on maxy. need a chain and pump and guides and stuff. 
11-09-2009, 01:01 PM
#45
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Thanks man, I'll try and get some videos when I get it running. Honestly all of that stuff isn't all that hard, just time consuming and you need the right tools.
To everyone else, photobucket took a dump (bandwidth) so I just rehosted the recent pics. Photobucket FTL.
To everyone else, photobucket took a dump (bandwidth) so I just rehosted the recent pics. Photobucket FTL.
11-10-2009, 05:44 PM
#48
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S50 is cost-prohibitive, and I didn't feel like dealing with the 15-year-old rattly VANOS unit on an M50TU. Plus the M50NV has a nice fun "high-end motor" characteristic that the TU lacks.
I will probably do an S50 or S52 at some point in the future, now that the DOHC conversion has been done.
I will probably do an S50 or S52 at some point in the future, now that the DOHC conversion has been done.
11-24-2009, 01:26 AM
#50
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So, I'll admit it. I had a new main seal in my hand and I didn't replace it. I couldn't get the old seal out of the housing, and honestly it didn't look that bad. So I said **** it, threw it back on and called it a day.
Then I got to reassembling the linkage.
I used an idea I read, take a section of new fuel hose, about 3mm long (yeah it's a ****ty cut but it's hard to trim this stuff down with just a utility knife)
And stick it in the coupler like so (in place of the "spring bushing")
Press it back on and reinstall
I didn't do much other than that, replace another fuel hose, reinstall the motor and connect a few things (install shift linkage, clutch slave cylinder, etc) then that was that. Back to slow progress. Still pissed I couldn't get the old seal out.
Then I got to reassembling the linkage.
I used an idea I read, take a section of new fuel hose, about 3mm long (yeah it's a ****ty cut but it's hard to trim this stuff down with just a utility knife)
And stick it in the coupler like so (in place of the "spring bushing")
Press it back on and reinstall
I didn't do much other than that, replace another fuel hose, reinstall the motor and connect a few things (install shift linkage, clutch slave cylinder, etc) then that was that. Back to slow progress. Still pissed I couldn't get the old seal out.
12-03-2009, 02:59 PM
#53
All that work put into making repairs I'm assuming you are planning on minting this car right? If so, then why didn't you take the chance, while you had the engine out, to clean the engine, tranny, bay etc? Just a thought.
Then again if you are just planning on getting the car to run right and nothing more then it is what it is.
Nice work none the less...
Then again if you are just planning on getting the car to run right and nothing more then it is what it is.
Nice work none the less...
12-04-2009, 09:51 AM
#54
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Minting? No, I'm just making it fun to drive, getting it in good mechanical condition. I do like clean engine bays, but also if I get pulled over and my hood popped and there's some dirty old BMW motor under it they're probably not going to give me any ****.
12-04-2009, 10:21 AM
#55
12-22-2009, 12:34 AM
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(shifter in first gear, barely clears the shift console, had to shorten the selector rod by bending it)
second gear
Reinstall guibo
Reinstall driveshaft
Replace/make/install various vacuum hoses, coolant hoses and fuel lines, excuse my ****ty utility knife hose cuts:
second gear
Reinstall guibo
Reinstall driveshaft
Replace/make/install various vacuum hoses, coolant hoses and fuel lines, excuse my ****ty utility knife hose cuts:
12-22-2009, 12:34 AM
#60
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Bend heater core lines to accommodate intake manifold
Install intake manifold and connect everything up
Find a weird-*** short in the oil level sensor that I'm just going to disconnect for now (hopefully there's no bigger underlying problem)
12-22-2009, 12:35 AM
#61
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Install radiator and lengthen aux fan switch wire
My soldering station:
Replace engine coolant temp sensor (middle of pic) with E30 one
Lots of **** I'm forgetting about
**** I still need to do, in no particular order
Make adapter (doing that tonight)
Get various nuts and bolts (throttle body bolts, engine mount nuts, intake manifold nuts, CD's nuts)
Install throttle body, intake boot/MAF (or HFM as they call it) and ricer cone filter
Reinstall brake pedal, this is actually probably going to be the hardest to do, such a ***** to get the big pivot bolt through at the top
Convert to a remote brake fluid reservoir (anyone know where I can get DSM parts? I need some weird fittings) and bleed brakes
Start it
Take it somewhere to get exhaust fabbed
Drive it home and clean the **** out of the workplace I used
Cry deeply when more **** goes wrong
Basically right now I'm just trying to keep moving forward and get it running, the coolant hose isn't pretty but it'll hold for now, I tried cutting the stock one down to size but it was necked down and wouldn't fit over the outlets
I'll probably use zip ties to hold the radiator in place for now since the mounting points are different, nothing's really that pretty, I'll figure it out later.
My soldering station:
Replace engine coolant temp sensor (middle of pic) with E30 one
Lots of **** I'm forgetting about
**** I still need to do, in no particular order
Make adapter (doing that tonight)
Get various nuts and bolts (throttle body bolts, engine mount nuts, intake manifold nuts, CD's nuts)
Install throttle body, intake boot/MAF (or HFM as they call it) and ricer cone filter
Reinstall brake pedal, this is actually probably going to be the hardest to do, such a ***** to get the big pivot bolt through at the top
Convert to a remote brake fluid reservoir (anyone know where I can get DSM parts? I need some weird fittings) and bleed brakes
Start it
Take it somewhere to get exhaust fabbed
Drive it home and clean the **** out of the workplace I used
Cry deeply when more **** goes wrong
Basically right now I'm just trying to keep moving forward and get it running, the coolant hose isn't pretty but it'll hold for now, I tried cutting the stock one down to size but it was necked down and wouldn't fit over the outlets
I'll probably use zip ties to hold the radiator in place for now since the mounting points are different, nothing's really that pretty, I'll figure it out later.
12-22-2009, 01:03 AM
#62
12-27-2009, 11:56 PM
#63
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(This is all from the 21st)
Driving to the car I saw a roofrack'd E39 M5, I'd rock it.
I picked up some metal 90 degree fittings at an auto parts store since I couldn't find any DSM MC fittings.
Fit pretty well, I'm a little worried about brake fluid seeping through the threads but it's not like they'll be seeing any significant pressure, so it'll probably be fine.
With the 2002 reservoir attached.
Since I lost like 3 of those damn intake manifold flange nuts (M7x1.00mm if anyone's wondering) I got some replacements, so the IM is down tight now.
Driving to the car I saw a roofrack'd E39 M5, I'd rock it.
I picked up some metal 90 degree fittings at an auto parts store since I couldn't find any DSM MC fittings.
Fit pretty well, I'm a little worried about brake fluid seeping through the threads but it's not like they'll be seeing any significant pressure, so it'll probably be fine.
With the 2002 reservoir attached.
Since I lost like 3 of those damn intake manifold flange nuts (M7x1.00mm if anyone's wondering) I got some replacements, so the IM is down tight now.
12-27-2009, 11:57 PM
#64
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Got some throttle body bolts since that's what I was missing last time. The old throttle cable was a ***** to get out of the firewall, had to use vice grips from the passenger compartment side, then a sledge and pound down on it from the engine bay. E34 throttle cable was very easy to get in by comparison, now I'm stuck trying to figure out the cruise control.
Intake boot and MAF are on. Don't worry I've got a ricer cone filter to fit on it.
Cool shot
The GF was nice enough to write down the X20 -> C101 adapter while I was typing it out and verifying it
Now here's the final ****ty picture with the adapter installed. I'm going to make sure everything's right on the adapter before I make it look pretty and seal it up.
Now fast forward to today--fixed a ground connection, wired another power connection and I think we're in business. I got a CEL when I turned the key, believe I got a fuel pump relay click and when I went to test the starter I got a solenoid click but it immediately gave up and refused to click again. Will be back tomorrow with some jumper cables.
12-28-2009, 10:00 PM
#67
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It was cranking (slowly) today, but I did something too stupid to post on the interwebs, and was too pissed to do anything else. Hopefully it'll be cranking healthily tomorrow. Cross your fingers with me.
Do it. 318s are darty and get good mileage but the 6 is just so perfect for this car.
Do it. 318s are darty and get good mileage but the 6 is just so perfect for this car.
Last edited by MorpheusZero; 12-28-2009 at 10:09 PM.
12-28-2009, 10:34 PM
#69
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The battery was dead, and I mean D-E-A-D. I left the QX4 running at 2500rpm for 20 minutes with jumper cables attached to charge it up, afterwards it was still cranking slowly.
So, I put the QX4 battery in the E30. Problem is, power and ground on the QX4 battery are reversed compared to an E30 battery. See where I'm going with this?
The worst part was, first, I lackadaisically put the E30 battery in the QX4 too to see if it was truly dead.
Luckily in the QX4 it only blew the main battery fuse and the audio amp fuse, so it was only a $9 mistake. In the E30 I'm not so sure. 
I may need an alternator off of you...
12-30-2009, 09:34 PM
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Got a new starter today, old starter was toast (drew like 2 amps on the test bench).
Cranked over a lot better, but it still wasn't starting. I was getting spark, and it looked like I was getting fuel:
But still nada. Even though I had spent an hour and a half making sure I got the fuel lines right, they weren't.
...It's alive!
**** yeah!
Cranked over a lot better, but it still wasn't starting. I was getting spark, and it looked like I was getting fuel:
But still nada. Even though I had spent an hour and a half making sure I got the fuel lines right, they weren't.
...It's alive!
**** yeah!
12-30-2009, 10:43 PM
#74
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Oh yeah. Thanks bud. 
Looks like I was missing quite a show:
Anyway, I drove it for like 20 seconds to turn it around and drive it back into the garage (no brake pedal or coolant yet) tomorrow comes the exhaust, brake pedal, alignment, etc.
Anyway, I drove it for like 20 seconds to turn it around and drive it back into the garage (no brake pedal or coolant yet) tomorrow comes the exhaust, brake pedal, alignment, etc.
12-30-2009, 11:22 PM
#76
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Couldn't tell in the vid, but is it knocking? I've started mine up a couple times without exhaust and the sound is ridiculously mean. LOL. Congrats on getting it running! I hope everything else falls into place with minimal problems.
01-07-2010, 04:17 PM
#78
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I've had it running for 25 minutes or so with no airflow over the undersized radiator (only aux fan) and it stayed pretty steady at halfway up the temp gauge. So far, no coolant leaks, no oil leaks, no overheating. I'm happy--complete opposite of the engine I pulled out.
Swapped E30 > all, true story.
