BMW advice

[The Dark Side of Will]

Got the driveshaft off the trans. I just had to get a prybar and apply a little more grunt.

Slave cylinder and trans crossmember are unfastened. I am working on the bellhousing bolts right now.

How low can I drop the engine? Currently I have a 1" thick piece of lumber between the back end of the oil pan and the tension/compression rod crossmember.

[The Dark Side of Will]

I'm down to the last two bellhousing bolts, the ones high on the right side. These F@#$ing 8mm E10 headed bolts are 3 for 3 as far as rounding off and fucking up goes. I did get the one close to the bottom out. Hex head bolts are definitely going in those locations when it goes back together.

The 10mm E12 headed bolts came out fine, however.

Got a line on a Getrag 265 from an '89 M3 in a yard not far from my parents' place. It's got a taller 1st than 265's for other applications. That's for a follow-on project. Right now I just want to get this car running with the factory transmission.

[S8n]

You can drop the engine as far as it will tilt as long as you take off the fan first. I usually let the engine tilt back as far as it will by itself and then put a pole jack under the front of the engine to get a little more tilt out of it. For the driveshaft, sometimes you have to unbolt the center bearing to get it off easily, other times the guibo will clear the alignment pin. I can't remember if the cat back is held on by through bolts or not, I usually take off the whole assembly as one piece from the manifolds. You might want to try a newer E10 socket, those usually come out pretty easy, unless someone overtightened them previously. Did you undo the shift linkage already? Sometimes it is a bitch to get the clip off of it.

[The Dark Side of Will]

I have the engine sitting on the sway bar/TC strut crossmember. I'll check the fan to make sure it's not in trouble.

I may have to try the jack. We'll see. My dad and I searched high and low and couldn't find his electric die grinder anywhere... now we've gotta snag a new one. Grrr... Not having the tools on hand is more frustrating than having the problem in the first place.

Two more bolts...

[S8n]

Also make sure that your engine mounts are still in one piece. If not, tilting the engine back will be a bad time to find out that they are separated. If I remember correctly, the sway bar drops real easy.

[The Dark Side of Will]

Found the die grinder, so that should go OK. It *looks* like the current tilt will be enough, but we'll see. I'll be working on it over the weekend.

I did pull the exhaust out in one piece, but it's in pretty bad shape. I saw the center joint leaking a little on the test drive, so I know that wouldn't last long. I cut the bolts between the flanges and got it apart, but the flanges are in REALLY rough shape. One of them broke in half as I was trying to get the bolt out.

The catalyst is the front thing in the exhaust, the muffler is the rear thing. The middle thing (resonator? 2nd catalyst?) has an exhaust hanger sticking out each side of it. One of these has broken a weld to rusty steel as is almost broken off.

What's the best way to fix the exhaust? Do I have to snag a replacement? I'll have pics up this weekend.

[S8n]

Found the die grinder, so that should go OK. It *looks* like the current tilt will be enough, but we'll see. I'll be working on it over the weekend.

I did pull the exhaust out in one peice, but it's in pretty bad shape. I saw the center joint leaking a little on the test drive, so I know that wouldn't last long. I cut the bolts between the flanges and got it apart, but the flanges are in REALLY rough shape. One of them broke in half as I was trying to get the bolt out.

The catalyst is the front thing in the exhaust, the muffler is the rear thing. The middle thing (resonator? 2nd catalyst?) has an exhaust hanger sticking out each side of it. One of these has broken a weld to rusty steel as is almost broken off.

What's the best way to fix the exhaust? Do I have to snag a replacement? I'll have pics up this weekend.

The middle part is a resonator. Find a replacement is the easiest but it depends on your budget for it.

[crzyone]

Will, need to start taking some pics!

[The Dark Side of Will]

I have been taking them. I just haven't been posting them.











The studs pictured above are the studs that held the exhaust to the manifolds. They have 8mm threads, but neck down to 6mm in between the threaded ends. Is that just obsessive weight reduction? Is that to make sure that they always break in the middle and give the mechanic (err--sorry... technician) something to grab with vice grips after they break off?

[Aaron]

Nor have you been resizing them...

[The Dark Side of Will]

Nope. I *could*, however, turn my camera resolution down a bit.

[The Dark Side of Will]

Resized the pics. I have the transmission issue under control. I got the trans apart, but the replacement internal parts it needs + the pain and suffering of taking the cluster apart and putting the trans back together functionally make buying another one a preferrable option.

I haven't been too concerned about the exhaust, but since I might have the trans back in this weekend, I need to give that more thought.

How often do the studs that hold the manifolds to the engine break vice unscrewing from the head? How hard, usually, are the studs that hold the exhaust to the manifolds to remove from the manifolds once they break?

[Aaron]

What year is your car?

I've got brand new Bilstein front shocks for a 1990 and later E34 for sale. But if you have an early 1990 (Manufactured before May 1990), they won't work. Only 6-90 and later.

[The Dark Side of Will]

92. It has Bilsteins on the rear. I haven't looked at the fronts hard enough to figure out if they're anything or not. Thanks for the offer. Let me drive it and see how I like it.

[Aaron]

Ok, these would be the right ones. Let me know. I bought them for my car, but they are the wrong ones since mine is an early 90.

[S8n]

Resized the pics. I have the transmission issue under control. I got the trans apart, but the replacement internal parts it needs + the pain and suffering of taking the cluster apart and putting the trans back together functionally make buying another one a preferrable option.

I haven't been too concerned about the exhaust, but since I might have the trans back in this weekend, I need to give that more thought.

How often do the studs that hold the manifolds to the engine break vice unscrewing from the head? How hard, usually, are the studs that hold the exhaust to the manifolds to remove from the manifolds once they break?

I really can't answer that as I live in Florida and down here, salt only goes on margaritas. But, if you soak them down with some penetrating oil for a few days, it would definitely help.

[crzyone]

I just noticed, jackstands on grass/dirt? Brave.

[The Dark Side of Will]

I just noticed, jackstands on grass/dirt? Brave.

Hehe... They're sitting on plywood squares.

[The Dark Side of Will]

Must... not... be... bitten... by... mod... bug...

Must... Resist...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayI ... 0320558177

[crzyone]

$325? Buy it, cheap. Not sure if the turbo is any good but you can use that manifold.