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Pimpsolo posted:Yeah, I don't believe you need to worry about the bottom one so much as the top two. You should keep in mind that all Loctites are not created equally, and there are versions which create a very minimal bond that is relatively easy to break with a standard ratchet, but not easy to accidently unscrew. The shock only has one locking nut on the upper mount,t hen the mount itself is secured to the car in two places. There's no way to get a nut on the lower bolts, since they thread completely into the (whatever the suspension piece is) and doesn't come out the other side. See above picture. I'm going to leave it alone, and periodically make sure the bolts are still tightened. 100 miles and they're as tight as ever.
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Nov 17, 2008 05:16
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CornHolio posted:I'm going to leave it alone, and periodically make sure the bolts are still tightened. 100 miles and they're as tight as ever. Yeah, those bolts don't need locktite, just from my memory they're torqued to like 80ft-lbs, which is more than enough to keep them in place. Just think of it this way, they went 100k miles without ever backing out, what will make them do it now?
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Nov 17, 2008 05:20
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Doctor Grape Ape posted:...they went 100k miles without ever backing out, what will make them do it now? Rumblestrips.
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Nov 17, 2008 05:23
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As I mentioned a couple pages back, I picked up a really awesome 2002 530 a couple months back. And I did promise pictures: full glory But then I was charged by a deer. BMW isn't so pretty anymore:  full glory Made for fun stories at the wedding. Anyone got a body shop in DC they would recommend?
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Nov 17, 2008 13:36
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CornHolio posted:The shock only has one locking nut on the upper mount hen the mount itself is secured to the car in two places. Err, I fear that I'm not communicating effectively here, as I said, the bottom bolt you can ignore, however the two nuts that hold the shock mount to the chassis are supposed to be locked using some method (such as loctite) or the self locking bolts that they use from the factory. So long as you know which bolts I'm talking about, I suppose periodically checking them would work, or if you ever hear clunking back there. Keep in mind that this is a point that is prone to failure, and they even make reinforcement kits because of that fact. Doctor Grape Ape posted:they went 100k miles without ever backing out, what will make them do it now? I mean honestly, who knows? Maybe it was German engineering overkill to use locking nuts there? I don't know. I'm sure there's a really good chance you could get by without locking those nuts for the duration of your car's life. I'm just telling you what Bilstein and BMW are saying.
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Nov 17, 2008 15:20
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predictive posted:Is it reasonable to get a nice E46 for $10,000 (this doesn't include the $1,500 I'll spend to get the car ready to drive)? Anyone got a line on one near Columbia, SC?
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Nov 17, 2008 15:25
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Pimpsolo posted:Err, I fear that I'm not communicating effectively here, as I said, the bottom bolt you can ignore, however the two nuts that hold the shock mount to the chassis are supposed to be locked using some method (such as loctite) or the self locking bolts that they use from the factory. So long as you know which bolts I'm talking about, I suppose periodically checking them would work, or if you ever hear clunking back there. Keep in mind that this is a point that is prone to failure, and they even make reinforcement kits because of that fact. ah ha, I thought you were talking about the strut itself. I do have reinforcement plates (previous owner put them on, I had bought some assuming I didn't have them but now I get to happily return them). The Bentley manual only states that these bolts need to be torqued to a mere 17 ft-lbs. I reused the non-locking nuts that were on there because I didn't have anything on-hand to replace them with. I can go grab some locking nuts (we have thousands here at work) and replace them, that's not bad at all (though I think I'll have to remove my speaker and CD changer AGAIN to get to the passenger side).
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Nov 17, 2008 15:38
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wwb posted:really awesome 2002 530 What the hell? I have never heard of being charged by a deer that is crazy. Ive personally been charged by some wild boars while on an ATV, but what the hell did you do to piss off the deer??
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Nov 17, 2008 16:05
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Captain Cannabis posted:What the hell? I have never heard of being charged by a deer that is crazy. Ive personally been charged by some wild boars while on an ATV, but what the hell did you do to piss off the deer?? There was a hilarious movie (The Ring 2 or something like that) where the protagonist gets charged by hundreds of deer in the forest. Needless to say my stomach hurt from laughing for 5 minutes straight.
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Nov 17, 2008 16:13
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I finally got the thermostat installed after waiting an extra day due to Advance Auto not ordering the gaskets for the thermostat and housing. On the way home from the shop where I was working on my Mustang the fan exploded and took out the radiator. gently caress BMW's and their cooling systems. To recap, my waterpump went out, so I ordered one and waited a week for it to arrive. When I went to install the waterpump I noticed that the fan was wedged under the fan shroud, toasting the fan clutch. I ordered a new fan clutch and waited another week for it to come in. I got the new waterpump and fan clutch in, topped off the fluids, and promptly discovered the thermostat had stuck closed. I wait another week, plus a day, for the thermostat to come in, get everything all buttoned up, and the fan explodes taking the radiator with it. Looks like I get to take apart and drain the cooling system for the third time next weekend. I think I'm going to go ahead and replace the expansion tank and all of the hoses while I'm at it because gently caress doing this again for a fourth time. Remeber kids, if it's been 80k miles since your last cooling system over haul and any one component needs to be replaced, save yourself the time and effort and just replace the entire cooling system.
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Nov 17, 2008 16:23
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frozenphil posted:Remeber kids, if it's been 80k miles since your last cooling system over haul and any one component needs to be replaced, save yourself the time and effort and just replace the entire cooling system. Your direct experience confirms all forum lore I've ever read and only serves to reinforce my belief that, when it comes to BMWs, spending the extra few bucks to "do it while I'm in there" is always a good idea. Sorry for your suffering, but thanks for sharing it with us.
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Nov 17, 2008 16:33
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Sterndotstern posted:Your direct experience confirms all forum lore I've ever read and only serves to reinforce my belief that, when it comes to BMWs, spending the extra few bucks to "do it while I'm in there" is always a good idea. Sorry for your suffering, but thanks for sharing it with us. Yeah, I've always chalked it up to exactly that, forum lore. The funny thing is that I had told my wife I should just go ahead and do it all while I'm in there. That idea got shot down due to financial reasoning. Why spend $500 when all I need is a $70 part? In the end I'll be spending a little more due to not qualifying for free shipping on a few orders because they were under the price threshold and I'll have wasted four weeks of downtime on a job that otherwise would only have taken an afternoon.
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Nov 17, 2008 16:40
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Captain Cannabis posted:What the hell? I have never heard of being charged by a deer that is crazy. Ive personally been charged by some wild boars while on an ATV, but what the hell did you do to piss off the deer?? Driving down it's road? Honestly I don't know, but the thing just t-boned me. Was pretty lucky in the end--I was at a wedding 500 miles from home, and the groom-to-be was sitting shotgun when the assault took place. Would be tough to explain groom with stitches or worse to bride.
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Nov 17, 2008 17:01
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Captain Cannabis posted:What the hell? I have never heard of being charged by a deer that is crazy. Ive personally been charged by some wild boars while on an ATV, but what the hell did you do to piss off the deer?? I hear of this all the time around here (northern Indiana/southern Michigan). In fact around this time a year, someone I know hits or is hit by one nearly once a week. Fuckers do a lot of damage for their size, thats for sure.
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Nov 17, 2008 17:31
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Pimpsolo posted:I mean honestly, who knows? Maybe it was German engineering overkill to use locking nuts there? I don't know. I'm sure there's a really good chance you could get by without locking those nuts for the duration of your car's life. I'm just telling you what Bilstein and BMW are saying. Ohhhh, yes, those 100% need locking nuts. I was talking about that big son of a bitch bolt that goes into the rear trailing arm assembly, which is what CornHolio was talking about too.
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Nov 17, 2008 17:41
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Doctor Grape Ape posted:Ohhhh, yes, those 100% need locking nuts. Indeed.
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Nov 17, 2008 17:51
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frozenphil posted:Remeber kids, if it's been 80k miles since your last cooling system over haul and any one component needs to be replaced, save yourself the time and effort and just replace the entire cooling system. Yup. Even the dealers are doing this now. I was worried about the cooling system when I had my 530i and asked what they would do if something blew up. "Replace the entire thing under warranty" was the reply. The service adviser said they had enough of people coming back 100/1000/5000 miles later with ANOTHER cooling related failure that their SOP (with blessing from BMW) is to replace all the common cooling system parts if anything fails on higher mileage cars still covered.
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Nov 17, 2008 18:37
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Okay, this is going to sound really loving stupid I know, but the little cop bit that goes below the shock mount, does it cave up, as if to cup the shock mount, like so Or as if to cup the bump stop, like so (item 6)  Either way I got it wrong, I have one pointed one way and the other pointed the other way  I swear sometimes I shouldn't be allowed near a spanner.
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Nov 18, 2008 00:34
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Xenoid posted:I'd probably just get a cheap car if you don't want to put a lot of money into it. You could get an E30 or E36 in decent shape and fixed up for under $5,000 or so and be happy. If you want to spend $10,000 you might want to look at E36 325s and maybe E36 M3s with high mileage but you're running the risk of an E36 M3 being more abused and needing more fixing. Does this qualify? http://columbia.craigslist.org/cto/922077643.html I'm sure it must have been wrecked due to the salvage title and new paint, but I figure for $3500 if the frame's not bent I can probably fix what ails it. Edit: Seller's reply to my inquiry: no damage, the hood had a coupe dents, put new hood, it had dents, no wreck damage, all the dents were fixed then it was painted, it was NOT wrecked, i personally replaced the parts listed, one of the tires does not have much thread and the brake pads light just came on so the front brakes will have to be changed eventually 25.99 with lifetime warranty at autozone and a 30 minutes job if you are familiar with these cars. I have done a good bit of work on bmw's mainly e30's but this is my 2nd e36, go to bimmerforums to learn about them, they have sort of a cult following with great resources on basic maintenance and common issues, the engine itself is fairly bulletproof especially when coupled with a 5 speed, one guy on this forum has 601000 miles and counting (his is a 93). They are a true joy to drive The 600k mile claim aside, it's got four doors, looks pretty clean, and the price is right. So barring anyone here telling me to run away for some reason, I'll be going to drive it tomorrow and perhaps bring it home. predictive fucked around with this message at 02:14 on Nov 18, 2008 |
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Nov 18, 2008 01:12
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predictive posted:So barring anyone here telling me to run away for some reason, I'll be going to drive it tomorrow and perhaps bring it home. Just be SURE you want that color before you buy it -- not many other people will. Also, don't kid yourself -- it was wrecked/damaged somehow when the guy bought it. If you're positive about the color, I'd check it out in person with a jack. Look at the dampers for leaks and the LCA bushings for wear. Point out worn pieces to negotiate with. I'd ask for a list of everything maintenance-related that he has records for or can remember that he has done to the car.
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Nov 18, 2008 04:51
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Sterndotstern posted:Also, don't kid yourself -- it was wrecked/damaged somehow when the guy bought it. If you're positive about the color, I'd check it out in person with a jack. Look at the dampers for leaks and the LCA bushings for wear. Point out worn pieces to negotiate with. So it turns out this car is a hassle to view, so I'll look elsewhere. This is good advice though, and I appreciate it. Back to trolling the classifieds.
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Nov 18, 2008 05:47
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Is there an easy way to tell if my E30 has a dual mass flywheel? The car is an '85 but the trans is an '87 (not 100% sure about the engine). I'd like to get a new flywheel and clutch by the end of winter and I really have no interest in removing my transmission just to figure it out. That being said, in 8 hours I get to drive my car for the first time in 3 weeks, I can't loving wait 
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Nov 18, 2008 07:39
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two_beer_bishes posted:That being said, in 8 hours I get to drive my car for the first time in 3 weeks, I can't loving wait It obviously was pissed at me for leaving it for 3 weeks. The battery was completely toast and my summer tires did not like the 20F weather...
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Nov 18, 2008 17:42
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two_beer_bishes posted:It obviously was pissed at me for leaving it for 3 weeks. The battery was completely toast and my summer tires did not like the 20F weather... This (the battery problem) has happened to me on a number of occasions. A couple years ago when I was sick with mono and hardly moved, let alone had need to leave the house, my battery went completely flat. I couldn't just not start it, but the powered lock system went dead, too. Yeah that was very interesting...that's the one real problem I still have that re-occurs every once in a while.
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Nov 18, 2008 19:10
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My dad drives an E30 and i'm praying to god he hands it down to me when he upgrades to a newer 3 series. I've been bugging him about it for years. I've been working double shifts and foregoing my social life in order to work up the money to buy a cheap one of these beasts and prepare the inevitable (expensive) repairs that will come with it.
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Nov 18, 2008 21:57
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Well, I'm buying this tomorrow: http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1120885 It's a friend of mine's car and well, I guess I need another car.
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Nov 19, 2008 00:07
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Saw it on the forums, it's a lovely car. Let us know if/when you want to pass it on!
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Nov 19, 2008 00:12
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Sterndotstern posted:Saw it on the forums, it's a lovely car. Let us know if/when you want to pass it on! $10k she's yours.
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Nov 19, 2008 00:19
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Hey new member here but fairly long time BMW owner, right now I have a '95 325is that's in the shop and a'95 M3 that's waiting for for the 325 to come back so it can go into the shop for a ton of work. The M3 is of course Cosmos Black and I refuse to believe that the 95s were ever produced in any other color  Anyways, I tried to read through all 40+ pages but got sick of it around page 10 or so, any Boston area people up for a meet before winter hits or some time after the snow finally melts and the roads aren't deathtraps anymore?
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Nov 19, 2008 08:36
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I'm kinda sad, next week I give away my M3 to my dad to hold for the winter. I mean it sucks driving a truck for a few months (till April at least), but it'll make next summer when I have all the goodies I'm buying this winter all the better.
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Nov 19, 2008 08:49
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exempt posted:I'm kinda sad, next week I give away my M3 to my dad to hold for the winter. I mean it sucks driving a truck for a few months (till April at least), but it'll make next summer when I have all the goodies I'm buying this winter all the better. Yeah, I'm not looking forward to having to drive my M3 in this coming winter. I'd use the regular 3, but I'm hoping to sell that when I get it back from the shop
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Nov 19, 2008 08:55
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What do you guys think about cheap-o ebay M50 headers like these? I realize they're not as nice as some equal length long tubes, but they have to flow and sound at least a little better than the stock cast manifolds right? Even if they're not really stainless, poo poo doesn't rust where I live, and they're dirt cheap compared to anything else I can find.
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Nov 20, 2008 02:20
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Welp, fixed my suspension (the consensus elsewhere was that they cup down, as if to cup the bump stop) and replaced the main belt tensioner on my E36. The tensioner was really pretty easy, and now my car runs so silent its almost eerie. Before it squealed pretty bad (after replacing both belts in August)
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Nov 20, 2008 03:07
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Those won't be a direct bolt on, you'll have to cut your stock mid pipe to make them fit. Other than that, they'd be a great, cheap upgrade for an E34. Would the E36 SS Long Tube Reps work? You have to cut the E36 mid-pipe to make them fit so it's possible. They're also cheaper. the ones I'm talking about E36 guys rave about these things, some have even run them for 2 years and they still look brand new.
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Nov 20, 2008 05:07
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Hey, I'm looking at replacing my 330Ci's rear trailing arm. I got some pages out of the E36 bentley manual, and checked some stuff on the TIS, looks like 300 Nm to torque down the axle. Any tips, advice to doing this? Do I need loctite on say the diff output bolts? Is silicone spray acceptable to lubricate the bushings? It's my first time doing anything like this, so I'm looking for any advice. Also, I was wondering if it's possible to lock the upper control arm to the subframe or something so I don't have to deal with decompressing/compressing springs? I've got some high gauge wire from work, do you think a bunch of runs of that would be acceptable for supporting things?
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Nov 20, 2008 06:33
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Why are you replacing the trailing arms? I would just go ahead and take the springs out of there. Go rent the tool from Autozone, it will really make the job a lot easier. As far as I know, no loctite is needed on the diff output bolts, but if you're worried about it a little dab of blue loctite on each bolt couldn't hurt. The bushings don't really need lubed, only the inside part that the bolt goes through really needs it. I've always used white lithium grease for that and it has worked great, plus it doesn't eat through rubber. I've always taken huge torque figures like 300Nm to mean "use a breaker bar and your calibrated elbow." Torque wrenches that read that high are usually hugely expensive, the cheapest one being around $70 at HF.
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Nov 20, 2008 07:16
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Doctor Grape Ape posted:Those won't be a direct bolt on, you'll have to cut your stock mid pipe to make them fit. Other than that, they'd be a great, cheap upgrade for an E34. Wow nice. Yea with those I'd for sure have to mod the mid-pipe, but I'm pretty sure I'd have to do that with those other shorty headers. As far as I can tell, it looks like there's the same amount of room on the passenger side of the e34 engine bay as the e36, so I don't see why they wouldn't fit. Would be pretty nice if I could just get flanges on the headers and the mid so I could still unhook it easily if needed. They end up being the same price after shipping, but I'll probably end up getting a set of these, thanks! Would those bungs on the collectors of the new headers be a good spot for some wide-bands? I probably wouldn't bother with them for a while, just curious if they usually go earlier or later in the exhaust stream. I guess I'm going to have to drop my exhaust to do my O2 sensor, drat thing is like impossible to get a good angle on. If I try to do it with u-joints and extensions, then the angle ends up so off it will just rip the u-joint in half, and if I do the ratchet right on the socket, there's like a mm worth of room in there and I can't move it anywhere. I didn't try taking the huge heat shield between the exhaust and the driveshaft, but I don't think it would give me the room in the right places. Anyone know any tricks for doing it on an m50 e34? Lowclock fucked around with this message at 10:08 on Nov 20, 2008 |
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Nov 20, 2008 07:35
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Alright, so, my trunk latch won't engage. When I close the trunk, the latch doesn't get pushed far enough to move to the locked position. I can push it all the way with a key and it will lock and it unlocks as well. What, if anything, can I do to get the trunk to close and stay closed properly? Short of buying a new mechanism.
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Nov 21, 2008 02:58
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JaySB posted:Alright, so, my trunk latch won't engage. Are you sure the catch didn't just move off to the side? I don't think there's any room to adjust the mechanism itself up or down. What car?
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Nov 21, 2008 03:57
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Lowclock posted:Are you sure the catch didn't just move off to the side? I don't think there's any room to adjust the mechanism itself up or down. What car? E36 M3. I tried moving the catch, there's 2 bolts that hold it in place, I loosened them and moved it around a bit to try to get it to latch, no luck. edit: with some pliers and more moving around of the "catch" I got it fixed. JaySB fucked around with this message at 05:33 on Nov 21, 2008 |
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Nov 21, 2008 04:30
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