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MZ's 325i sh*tbox build thread (long & LOTS of pics)
I've been pouring my heart, soul, and way too much money into my ****box E30, so I figured I'd share. It's not that cool, but I'm doing what I can to turn the car into what it deserves to be.
I've got a project thread on r3vlimited too, believe it or not this is actually the abridged version. Here's the story. Almost a year ago the maxima met its demise which ended up being the best handling mod of all https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...1/P1030713.jpg Poor max So I picked up a certain girl's 325i that was the only "i" 5 speed in town in my meager price range, here it was sitting at the DMV getting registered, no working heater or AC, no working tach, no working radio, wipers didn't work without you holding the stalk (all of that fixed soon except the AC which had no charge) https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...1/IMG00215.jpg In front of a friend's house a day or so later https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...1/P1030805.jpg Interior was in good condition https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...1/P1030802.jpg First thing I did was a timing belt and water pump outside of my gf's place (no pics) Then I started picking up stuff I found for cheap 3.73 (stock ratio) LSD, old, little noisy and worn out but axle seals seemed to be ok, does the trick with mobil 1 in it https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...1/P1030890.jpg |
And being me I had to have lights that worked well, smileys with european grilles (which really don't make much of a difference)
Smilies on the left, old sealed beams on the right low beam https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...1/P1030989.jpg high beam https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...1/P1030990.jpg I tried out the SEM stuff on some faded plastic trim pieces, worked pretty well https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...1/IMG00288.jpg https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...1/P1040135.jpg https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...1/P1040138.jpg |
Painted some other faded trim and door handles
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...1/P1040049.jpg ECU out of a newer 325i (the "173" ECU, Motronic 1.3 instead of 1.1) running a cloned "mark d" tune and bigger multi-pintle injectors as the stockers are running very high duty cycle https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...1/IMG00312.jpg UUC Swaybarbarians (bday present to myself) https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...1/P1040142.jpg Those were fun to install https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...1/P1040147.jpg Brembo blanks and Textar OEM pads (pretty good pads actually) all around, rebuilt front calipers -#u(k- set screws, $25 craftsman impact driver ftw https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...1/P1040166.jpg |
Magnetic field from metal on metal near ABS wheel sensor, who cares about rear brakes anyway right? :squint:
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...1/P1040170.jpg https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...1/P1040171.jpg |
[this is partially copied out of another thread, so it's not totally up to date]
Turns out I've had a mild blown head gasket for awhile, it reared its ugly head sometimes and sometimes it didn't. I started shopping around and figured maybe I could get a rebuilt head and stick a cam in it, but it turns out that would actually cost more than just doing an M50 swap. Cliffs on the M50 swap: M20 (in the car now), brand new with an intact head gasket: 168hp@5800rpm, ~165lbft@4000rpm 84x75 (2.5L), 8.8:1, SOHC, mechanical lifters (thus the sewing machine symphony), timing belt, cap/rotor M50: 189hp@5900rpm, 181lbft@4700rpm also 84x75, 10.0:1, DOHC, hydraulic lifters, timing chain, coil-on-plug Modest improvement, but a newer motor, hasn't had the oil pan broken, has been maintained and it paves the way for the more powerful S50 down the road Finally, after gathering parts for a few weeks, I started the swap this weekend, mainly since school has just started, I'm going to be swamped with work sooner rather than later, and I was running out of time. Ironically, I only spent maybe 7 hours over the weekend (most else was preparing, loading everything into the car, etc). Here's what I've done so far. Disconnected driveshaft/guibo Removed selector rod Removed radiator Disconnected PS and AC hoses (AC didn't have much of a charge anyway) Removed O2 sensor Disconnected harness Disconnected downpipes Disconnected throttle/cruise control cables Pulled tranny brace Almost ready to pull the motor/tranny, just need to get the clutch slave, heater core hoses and possibly the shift rod. The workspace (courtesy of a really cool guy in Buellton) https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...1/P1040272.jpg https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...1/P1040273.jpg https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...1/P1040274.jpg https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...1/P1040275.jpg Draining coolant https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...1/P1040271.jpg |
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...1/P1040276.jpg
Fuh raze interior https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...1/P1040277.jpg How I left it https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...1/P1040286.jpg https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...1/P1040287.jpg https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...1/P1040288.jpg |
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...1/P1040291.jpg
After I pull the engine, there's a checklist of **** to do: delrin shift carrier bushings/new selector rod/tranny bushing, bend selector rod Amsoil 75W90 GL4 in the tranny Lighten flywheel New control arms/M3 offset control arm bushings for increased caster E36 rack (3.2 turns lock to lock instead of 4) relocate brake booster for intake manifold clearance/new vacuum hose new fuel lines (old ones are cracked to **** and I just cut them) On the M50: remove oil pan, loctite oil pump nut, new oil pan gasket New GRAF water pump w/metal impeller Semi-synthetic 5w30 (got for $3/quart) and new oil filter I'm guessing, realistically, it will take another 2 weekends to finish. [WRONG] |
Got a good deal done this weekend.
How I found her when I returned: https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...1/P1040293.jpg I started disconnecting the few things that were left Got sick of the heater core lines so I just cut them https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...1/P1040294.jpg Look at that, it's got an oil cooler. Goodbye oil cooler (doesn't look like there are fittings on the M50 for this) https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...1/P1040295.jpg Finally! Just using the front bracket since I couldn't get to the rear hoist point. I wouldn't do this normally but others on r3v have swear by it, I only had one hook so I gave it a shot. https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...1/P1040296.jpg Removed the clutch slave while it was more accessible (couldn't do it while tranny was mounted) https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...1/P1040301.jpg I haven't gotten the obligatory "in the engine bay" pic because I've done all of this on my own. I'll try and get one, as it is after all obligatory. |
You can spot the bracket starting to bend, I figure most who've done it this way might not have pulled the long block/IM and tranny all using one bracket.
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...1/P1040302.jpg I kept it going anyway, my entire weekend would be wasted if I didn't (have no other hooks besides the one already on the cherry picker) Success! I had to drop the chassis by a good 4 inches to clear the body. https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...1/P1040305.jpg Separated the G260 https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...1/P1040312.jpg Hey, ***** clip! **** you! [it's called ***** clip since it's almost impossible to remove while the tranny's in the car] https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...1/P1040309.jpg Used the "hack saw" method of CAB removal [pretty self-explanatory, thread the saw through the 3-piece bushing and saw away] https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...1/P1040310.jpg |
Used a bench vice and motor oil (I know I know) to press in the new M3 bushings. This one didn't really have the orientation quite right but I matched the other one pretty well, so at least it's symmetric.
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...1/P1040328.jpg Out comes the M50... First time I'd seen its pretty valve cover since I bought it https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...1/P1040314.jpg Up... https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...1/P1040316.jpg And away! https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...1/P1040318.jpg Bell housing assy was a pain to remove https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...1/P1040321.jpg |
Two of the three bolts that stripped on me, I wound up just hammering a 13mm socket onto them
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...1/P1040320.jpg The flywheel that's going to say goodbye to a few lbs of padding https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...1/P1040321.jpg And the clutch... it's been fine, hasn't been replaced in awhile but has been pretty grabby. Then again I'm not sure how much material is normal, but there's not all that much left. https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...1/P1040325.jpg https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...1/P1040326.jpg I'm going to do the pilot and throwout bearing anyway, think I should just get the full clutch kit? Looks like it's got some life left... but how much I don't know. Anyway my camera ran out of batteries, I took a few pictures with the phone but they didn't turn out. Few other things I did Remove steering rack Reinstall one control arm (although still wrestling to get the lollipop to thread, didn't get it "all the way on" the control arm) Drain M50 oil and start installing accessories. |
Today
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...1/P1040329.jpg AKG delrin shift carrier bushings https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...1/P1040349.jpg These took SO much play out of the linkage, probably about 90% of the play. https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...1/P1040333.jpg Put the new rack in https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...1/P1040335.jpg Dropped it down on the new suspension https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...1/P1040340.jpg It seemed like the CABs froze on the control arms in this position, doesn't look good, but it's better than nothing. |
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...1/P1040341.jpg
Oil pump nut looks good but I forgot the loctite, so we hold back. https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...1/P1040344.jpg After some brakekleen and a razor blade it's almost ready for a new gasket https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...1/P1040346.jpg My ugly mug, obligatory engine swap pic https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...1/P1040348.jpg Lightened flywheel, 12.5lbs https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...1/P1040350.jpg Old water pump and **** Probably going back tomorrow |
Soo hit a few road blocks last night
First order of business was to relocate the brake booster. We'd have to drill new holes, shave away at some of the firewall and change the mounting position from the "arm" of the brake pedal to the pedal itself. First we removed the booster, then we removed the pedal. We drilled the pedal, then cut off the "connecting arm" shaved it down and put it in like a spacer to give the new mounting surface more width. https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...1/P1040355.jpg https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...1/P1040356.jpg Then we started drilling more for the booster. Ran into a big problem: on one hole (top passenger's side booster hole) we'd basically be drilling lengthwise into the pedal support bracket, and on the other side (top driver's side booster hole) we'd be relocating the bolt too close to the bracket. https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...1/P1040367.jpg https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...1/P1040369.jpg Well, fawk. I don't really like where this is going, so I decided just to give up and get a different booster. I just don't like screwing with things that need to hold in order to make my car stop. Anyway, next order of business was loctiting the oil pump nut and just making sure it never comes loose in general. I torqued it on a little too tight, put some red loctite on it and used a chisel to **** up the threads (can't really see in the pic) but I don't think it's going anywhere any time soon. https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...1/P1040360.jpg |
Then the new gasket went on
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...1/P1040358.jpg Well, turns out we were missing two bolts https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...1/P1040373.jpg Couldn't find them anywhere, they weren't in the bag with the rest of them and they're the ones you can't get to when the G260 is bolted to the motor, so no flywheel installation or anything. As a side note, I noticed M20 and M50 flywheel bolts were identical. Exactly the same. Basically most of the day was spent pulling my hair out trying to figure out a way around the brake booster problem and trying to find those two oil pan bolts. Then I tried to reset the control arm bushings for more frustration and got nowhere. Need to get a thread chaser for one of the bolt holes, hopefully that will make it okay because otherwise I've got to go through the floorboards, and that's no fun. https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...1/P1040374.jpg https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...1/P1040372.jpg Going to pick n pull today, hopefully I'll find an E32 booster/MC or something. |
So here's the yield from yesterday at pick the part
Got everything plus the C101 harness connector (that I need to make an adaptor for the M50) for $130 Glovebox in decent condition (on top of the old one that I had sitting around in my room because it was broken as fawk) https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...1/P1040382.jpg E32 B35 brake booster and MC with the weird "neck" design https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...1/P1040383.jpg And a nice crack-free dash https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...1/P1040385.jpg After I cleaned it up... now there are a few places that I scrubbed that seem to be discolored, maybe I need to treat the vynil or something. https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...1/P1040388.jpg That's it so far, now it's up to date. Car's in Buellton, might be able to make it up there next weekend if I'm crazy enough. |
Nice work...you have definitely put a lot of time and heart into your build and for that you deserve respect
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Damn, I didn't even know your max was totalled! Very nice E30, though! I, too, am spending way too much time and money on my E36 325is! It was supposed to be just a DD, but it's turned into so much more. Can't wait to install all the new suspension bushings I have; mine are all reeaaaally blown. And you're right about the shifter bushings. Those made a massive difference in shifter feel; quite unlike my maxima's did.
What are your future plans with it? 5-lug and nicer wheels needs to be on the list :) (Yes, I'm evil and trying to make you spend more money). I hate the basketweaves that came on my car, but they're better than bottlecaps. :P |
Originally Posted by M1RAG3
(Post 7272922)
Nice work...you have definitely put a lot of time and heart into your build and for that you deserve respect
Originally Posted by LA02MAX
(Post 7272923)
Damn, I didn't even know your max was totalled!
Very nice E30, though! I, too, am spending way too much time and money on my E36 325is! It was supposed to be just a DD, but it's turned into so much more. Can't wait to install all the new suspension bushings I have; mine are all reeaaaally blown. And you're right about the shifter bushings. Those made a massive difference in shifter feel; quite unlike my maxima's did. What are your future plans with it? 5-lug and nicer wheels needs to be on the list :) (Yes, I'm evil and trying to make you spend more money). I hate the basketweaves that came on my car, but they're better than bottlecaps. :P https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...Picture094.jpg Right now I've got a set of bottlecaps with all seasons and a set of 14x6.5 basketweaves with RT615s I picked up on the cheap. Not sure if I'll have the $$ for the Koseis or if the guy will even want to sell them any more when I'm ready to buy (he went 5-lug). I'm also piecing together a GC coilover kit with shortened Konis (and probably some camber plates). Not sure if I want to go 5-lug yet, but after this I'll probably chill out for awhile since I'll be back to school-mega-broke mode. |
Originally Posted by MorpheusZero
(Post 7272948)
Yeah, was awhile ago. I can honestly say excessive understeer killed my max. :(
Originally Posted by MorpheusZero
(Post 7272948)
You don't know the MEANING of blown suspension until you've driven an E30 maintained by a woman :D it will all be replaced soon enough though.
Originally Posted by MorpheusZero
(Post 7272948)
Actually 5 lug setups are $$$$, and there are plenty of 4 lug wheels that I'd like. Personally I've got a line on some 15x8 Kosei K1s
Right now I've got a set of bottlecaps with all seasons and a set of 14x6.5 basketweaves with RT615s I picked up on the cheap. Not sure if I'll have the $$ for the Koseis or if the guy will even want to sell them any more when I'm ready to buy (he went 5-lug). I'm also piecing together a GC coilover kit with shortened Konis (and probably some camber plates). Not sure if I want to go 5-lug yet, but after this I'll probably chill out for awhile since I'll be back to school-mega-broke mode. |
Wow you have done a lot of work to it so far. Those are sure some fun cars to drive. Congrats on the work, I know you cannot wait to enjoy it
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wow man what an awesome build nice work!
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God I am so turned on by your car.
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if you repaint it in black, I would really hump it
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not bad, i'm thinking of getting an E30 aswell. are they as hard to work on as i've heard all euro cars are?...
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Kudos on the build ... Pretty involved, but it'll all be worth it in the end.
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How much did the stock flywheel weigh/how much material did you get lopped off? I'm planning on getting a stocker resurfaced for my 5spd swap so I'm :reading: a bunch about it.
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Originally Posted by LA02MAX
(Post 7273002)
Thankfully this hasn't happened with me yet...I do drive pretty psychotically... You had a really nice setup, too, with the SFCs and all. I actually rarely understeer..most of the time the rear tires break loose first and it's pretty scary in a FWD car. lol.
mmmm Kosei K1's. I have my eye set on those as well. I'm not gonna lie though, an E30 lowered correctly on basketweaves is pretty damn hot. I hear you on spending too much, though...I haven't bought anything for a couple months cuz I made myself pretty broke before school started this semester on all the crap I bought for that car...most of which I don't even have time to install! lol. Cheap mods FTW, though. I did what you did and painted all the black stuff and used forever black on the side mouldings. Car looks 10 years newer.
Originally Posted by maximized98
(Post 7273019)
Wow you have done a lot of work to it so far. Those are sure some fun cars to drive. Congrats on the work, I know you cannot wait to enjoy it
I'm waiting with baited breath.
Originally Posted by DrunkieTheBear
(Post 7273271)
God I am so turned on by your car.
if you repaint it in black, I would really hump it
Originally Posted by MaxiNone
(Post 7273277)
not bad, i'm thinking of getting an E30 aswell. are they as hard to work on as i've heard all euro cars are?...
Originally Posted by Conrad283
(Post 7274402)
Kudos on the build ... Pretty involved, but it'll all be worth it in the end.
Originally Posted by EnervinE
(Post 7274545)
How much did the stock flywheel weigh/how much material did you get lopped off? I'm planning on getting a stocker resurfaced for my 5spd swap so I'm :reading: a bunch about it.
Should be noted that resurfacing and lightening are two different things though. Lightening is removing as much non-friction material as you can, and resurfacing is shaving down the friction portion until it's even. Resurfacing generally takes a machine shop about an hour, $65ish. Good luck. |
You have great taste. Keep up the good work.
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you got me looking at E30 M3's :hide:
If one was close and under 15k...the GTP would be gone in a flash...seriously |
Originally Posted by Nrw
(Post 7277401)
You have great taste. Keep up the good work.
Originally Posted by DrunkieTheBear
(Post 7277454)
you got me looking at E30 M3's :hide:
If one was close and under 15k...the GTP would be gone in a flash...seriously |
good god Nate... still working on this thing?? :noes: good luck dude.
btw, the Koni's are just fine... loose in the housings (a cut up 7up can fixed problem) |
Originally Posted by Mr****s95SE
(Post 7278390)
good god Nate... still working on this thing?? :noes: good luck dude.
btw, the Koni's are just fine... loose in the housings (a cut up 7up can fixed problem) Funny though, I never had any problems with rattling or noise in 'em. |
yeah the lower bolt holding em down was loose too. needed another thick washer. done done and done. just wish i had an alignment and camber plates.
id go insane with nothing to drive, public trans sucks here. i couldnt imagine how bad it is up there... |
Huh. I didn't torque the lower bolt down all the way because I had to cut it down a little and didn't want to strip it. It worked fine for me as long as I had the GCs, so for quite awhile.
Seriously I love the E30, tooling around in it was fun even with a motor in the trunk. I need something to drive even if it's just to get away from **** (and go grocery shopping), having nothing is pretty gay. But like I said, fingers crossed, should be done soon. :D |
Originally Posted by MorpheusZero
(Post 7282974)
Huh. I didn't torque the lower bolt down all the way because I had to cut it down a little and didn't want to strip it. It worked fine for me as long as I had the GCs, so for quite awhile.
Seriously I love the E30, tooling around in it was fun even with a motor in the trunk. I need something to drive even if it's just to get away from **** (and go grocery shopping), having nothing is pretty gay. But like I said, fingers crossed, should be done soon. :D |
I love all the Info and Photos !
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Alright, did a lot this weekend. Here she was again, waiting for me.
http://i958.photobucket.com/albums/a...p/P1040390.jpg I got started repairing the threads for the control arm bushing bolts, here's the tap after going through one of the holes. Shavings-a-plenty. http://i958.photobucket.com/albums/a...p/P1040392.jpg After re-tapping both holes I got the bushing on in 10 or 15 minutes: http://i958.photobucket.com/albums/a...p/P1040447.jpg Then I got working on the brake boosters. Here's the original booster: http://i958.photobucket.com/albums/a...p/P1040397.jpg About 5 1/4" from firewall to the center of the pin hole. And here's the E32 booster, I removed the nut and backed the coupler up all the way on the threads to make it as short as possible. http://i958.photobucket.com/albums/a...p/P1040398.jpg 5 3/8". I tried it like this, it fit with some ingenuity but it had preload (with the brake pedal in the non-depressed position it was loading the booster) and I wanted to do it right. |
The E32 coupling bracket worked fine with the E30 pedal and pin, just used some washers for a tight fit.
http://i958.photobucket.com/albums/a...p/P1040400.jpg Turns out, though, that the E30 coupler fits on the E32 shaft just fine. So here was the final setup, plenty of room for adjustment and I didn't have to worry about loctiting it so it didn't back out. http://i958.photobucket.com/albums/a...p/P1040410.jpg Booster's in the car, connected the brake lines to the MC, cut the little nubby for the clutch master cylinder and connected it. http://i958.photobucket.com/albums/a...p/P1040418.jpg Great, I've got to use my old pilot bearing. Check out how much bigger the inner race of the one I ordered is--must be some discrepancy in part numbers or something. http://i958.photobucket.com/albums/a...p/P1040404.jpg So I cleaned the old one off, cleaned and heated the center of the flywheel and stuck the sucker in there. http://i958.photobucket.com/albums/a...p/P1040405.jpg |
Here's the clutch and pressure plate
http://i958.photobucket.com/albums/a...p/P1040406.jpg Brakekleen'd em up http://i958.photobucket.com/albums/a...p/P1040407.jpg On goes clutch and pressure plate (centering the clutch was real fun) http://i958.photobucket.com/albums/a...p/P1040408.jpg It was about 1AM and the old cherry picker was gone so I finished off the night with a new tie rod. Still can't believe these things are 6 bucks when the E30 plates are 1 http://i958.photobucket.com/albums/a...p/P1040401.jpg There, had to use vice grips for the final tightening, used loctite 242 for the hell of it. http://i958.photobucket.com/albums/a...p/P1040402.jpg |
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