1996 BMW E36 328i Coupe - we have history...
Discussion
There's no update on P956 BVJ (although I did just order four Nankang Sportnex NS-2Rs for it, in anticipation of booking a track day in the not too distant future).
However, looking through an old HDD I found some photos from when I sold the old black one, so I thought I'd treat you to those. This would have been in about 2010 I think.
Clearly, I wasn't a fan of having the wheels pointing straight. And I don't think black is a good colour for these.
[url]
|https://thumbsnap.com/K9Q6sgJT[/url][url]
|https://thumbsnap.com/YAnSZuUa[/url][url]
|https://thumbsnap.com/7EoYXVu9[/url][url]
|https://thumbsnap.com/josRdo1a[/url][url]
|https://thumbsnap.com/W2kNueQb[/url][url]
|https://thumbsnap.com/snqgHtqE[/url][url]
|https://thumbsnap.com/RNjRxtw1[/url]
However, looking through an old HDD I found some photos from when I sold the old black one, so I thought I'd treat you to those. This would have been in about 2010 I think.
Clearly, I wasn't a fan of having the wheels pointing straight. And I don't think black is a good colour for these.
[url]|https://thumbsnap.com/K9Q6sgJT[/url][url]|https://thumbsnap.com/YAnSZuUa[/url][url]|https://thumbsnap.com/7EoYXVu9[/url][url]|https://thumbsnap.com/josRdo1a[/url][url]|https://thumbsnap.com/W2kNueQb[/url][url]|https://thumbsnap.com/snqgHtqE[/url][url]|https://thumbsnap.com/RNjRxtw1[/url]This is the first job I have done on the car since starting this thread, so there are photos! Hooray!
A few months ago, when I was getting ready to take it to a track and dominate, or something, I started changing fluids. I thought, it being an old and fairly unloved vehicle, that if I hadn’t changed a fluid, then it probably had never been done. I changed the oil about 5 years and about 1k miles ago. I think I’ll leave that for a bit. Maybe I’ll change it after my first track day. The power steering fluid was changed when I had that problem with the steering, that turned out to be a stiff UJ. The brake fluid was changed when I did the brake overhaul a few months ago, and the gearbox oil was new when I put the gearbox on the car.
The diff was one thing that stood out as probably still having the fluid that Gunther in the BMW factory put in there in 1996 (probably wearing a hairnet to keep his mullet safely away from the oil). So, back in October (I think) I had bought all the bits and pieces necessary to change the diff fluid. That was, approx. 2 litres of Redline MT-90 gear oil, some new crush washers, and a 14mm hex bit for undoing the plugs. I already had an oil catch pan, some oil-absorbing pads, a big syringe, a 14mm spanner, some penetrating fluid and a large hammer.
One tricky thing about this job is that the fill plug is high enough that the spare wheel well is seriously in the way if you try to undo it in any conventional manner. There’s certainly no room to plug your breaker bar into the back of your 14mm hex bit and undo it as you may wish to. Instead, it is necessary to insert your hex bit into the plug so that there is some hexy goodness still protruding, and then apply a 14mm spanner (and probably a large hammer) to it to crack it. I took to inserting the hex bit through the ring end of my 14mm spanner, and then into the plug. That had the advantage of making sure it didn’t fall off whilst I was taking my runup with a lump hammer.
It seemed a good idea to try and warm up the diff a bit before I started, given that it was a little on the chilly side this morning. So I went for an essential drive in the fog (only one of my front fog lights works, apparently, but I’m considering terminating their contracts at some point and using the holes for brake ducts, so I’m not too fussed). Before I went, I lined up my jack and axle stands, and all my tools and bits and pieces, so that on my return I could get it straight up and drain the oil whilst it was still warm.
As it turned out, my trolley jack under the front subframe couldn’t get it high enough to get the axle stands under the jacking points, so I reverted to the standard E36 jack (a new one because I bent my old one after finishing the manual swap. Chocks? What are chocks?). As it turned out, that couldn’t get it high enough to get the axle stand under the jacking point either. You’d think I’d never jacked up my car before, wouldn’t you? A bit of 18mm MDF under the jack gave me the extra height I needed to get the axle stands under the front. I used the trolley jack on the diff to get the rear up, which just about managed to get it high enough. I’m not sure the car was quite as level as I’d like it to be for this job, but it was as close as I was going to get it. Plus I hadn’t crushed myself to death under 1400kg of Bavaria’s finest steel yet, so I quit while I was ahead.
Why have I recounted this tale of jacking incompetence? Because it made my masterplan to warm up the diff somewhat less effective than it might otherwise have been. By the time I got under the back of the car with my spanners, I would estimate that the diff oil was about half a degree warmer than it was before I started the car this morning.
So, under the car. A bit of engine degreaser, a wire brush and some blue roll were necessary to clear the muck from around the fill and drain plugs. I don’t really want that sneaking into my diff. Then the Now for the key bit – to undo the fill plug before undoing the drain plug. This is me heeding the warnings of people more experienced than I. It is worth knowing that you can undo your fill plug before you drain the oil, otherwise you could end up a bit stuck. Also it allows air in the top whilst the oil falls out the bottom, making for a lovely smooth stream. Very important.
My fill plug put up a fight. Even applying my hammer with gusto was insufficient to overcome its reluctance. Time for the penetrating fluid. A liberal squirt for both plugs. Whilst I waited for this to take effect, I took the wheels off. This wasn’t just for fun (though it is always fun). The Nankang NS2Rs that I ordered the other day have now arrived, so I will take the wheels and tyres to my friendly local tyre fitter to unite them with each other, and say goodbye to the aged Teflon Pirellis.
By now, the advantage I had gained from warming the diff this morning was definitely questionable.
Back to the fill plug. Ring end of the spanner on the hex bit. Hex bit inserted into the plug. Hammer in hand. 30 metre runup, full backswing, and… it turned. Not very dramatic, but that was sufficient to get it undone. I thought the car was slightly lower at the back than it was at the front, so was expecting a little bit of oil to come out of the fill hole at this stage. It didn’t, which either means the car was more level than I thought, or the level was a bit low. Most likely the latter.
Once that was out, I applied the same level of vigour to the drain plug, which also gave up the fight quite nicely, and the oil streamed out very pleasingly. The old washers did not look very happy.
I left the oil draining for a while, and had a couple of brownie bites and a drink. Once the flow had stopped, plug back in with a new washer and out comes the big syringe. The diff swallowed most of the 2 litres of Redline before it started dribbling from the fill hole. I let the dribble slow a bit before I put the fill plug back in, fairly confident that the level is close enough. Plug back in (new washer), a quick wipe, and job done.
It’s a very straightforward operation, complicated only by the proximity of the spare wheel well to the fill plug. Forewarned is forearmed, though, and as long as you’re prepared for this, it’s all good. I had bought a 14mm hex bit that turned out to be too short, so once inserted in the plug there was no room for the spanner. Fortunately I checked this when I got the bit, and so had ordered a longer one. As it turned out, both were useful, as the long one only just fit in the space, so was only good for the first half turn or so before it got in the way. The short one then became useful – call it foresight!
That’s all for now. Pictures of wheels and tyres to follow soon.
A few months ago, when I was getting ready to take it to a track and dominate, or something, I started changing fluids. I thought, it being an old and fairly unloved vehicle, that if I hadn’t changed a fluid, then it probably had never been done. I changed the oil about 5 years and about 1k miles ago. I think I’ll leave that for a bit. Maybe I’ll change it after my first track day. The power steering fluid was changed when I had that problem with the steering, that turned out to be a stiff UJ. The brake fluid was changed when I did the brake overhaul a few months ago, and the gearbox oil was new when I put the gearbox on the car.
The diff was one thing that stood out as probably still having the fluid that Gunther in the BMW factory put in there in 1996 (probably wearing a hairnet to keep his mullet safely away from the oil). So, back in October (I think) I had bought all the bits and pieces necessary to change the diff fluid. That was, approx. 2 litres of Redline MT-90 gear oil, some new crush washers, and a 14mm hex bit for undoing the plugs. I already had an oil catch pan, some oil-absorbing pads, a big syringe, a 14mm spanner, some penetrating fluid and a large hammer.
One tricky thing about this job is that the fill plug is high enough that the spare wheel well is seriously in the way if you try to undo it in any conventional manner. There’s certainly no room to plug your breaker bar into the back of your 14mm hex bit and undo it as you may wish to. Instead, it is necessary to insert your hex bit into the plug so that there is some hexy goodness still protruding, and then apply a 14mm spanner (and probably a large hammer) to it to crack it. I took to inserting the hex bit through the ring end of my 14mm spanner, and then into the plug. That had the advantage of making sure it didn’t fall off whilst I was taking my runup with a lump hammer.
It seemed a good idea to try and warm up the diff a bit before I started, given that it was a little on the chilly side this morning. So I went for an essential drive in the fog (only one of my front fog lights works, apparently, but I’m considering terminating their contracts at some point and using the holes for brake ducts, so I’m not too fussed). Before I went, I lined up my jack and axle stands, and all my tools and bits and pieces, so that on my return I could get it straight up and drain the oil whilst it was still warm.
As it turned out, my trolley jack under the front subframe couldn’t get it high enough to get the axle stands under the jacking points, so I reverted to the standard E36 jack (a new one because I bent my old one after finishing the manual swap. Chocks? What are chocks?). As it turned out, that couldn’t get it high enough to get the axle stand under the jacking point either. You’d think I’d never jacked up my car before, wouldn’t you? A bit of 18mm MDF under the jack gave me the extra height I needed to get the axle stands under the front. I used the trolley jack on the diff to get the rear up, which just about managed to get it high enough. I’m not sure the car was quite as level as I’d like it to be for this job, but it was as close as I was going to get it. Plus I hadn’t crushed myself to death under 1400kg of Bavaria’s finest steel yet, so I quit while I was ahead.
Why have I recounted this tale of jacking incompetence? Because it made my masterplan to warm up the diff somewhat less effective than it might otherwise have been. By the time I got under the back of the car with my spanners, I would estimate that the diff oil was about half a degree warmer than it was before I started the car this morning.
So, under the car. A bit of engine degreaser, a wire brush and some blue roll were necessary to clear the muck from around the fill and drain plugs. I don’t really want that sneaking into my diff. Then the Now for the key bit – to undo the fill plug before undoing the drain plug. This is me heeding the warnings of people more experienced than I. It is worth knowing that you can undo your fill plug before you drain the oil, otherwise you could end up a bit stuck. Also it allows air in the top whilst the oil falls out the bottom, making for a lovely smooth stream. Very important.
My fill plug put up a fight. Even applying my hammer with gusto was insufficient to overcome its reluctance. Time for the penetrating fluid. A liberal squirt for both plugs. Whilst I waited for this to take effect, I took the wheels off. This wasn’t just for fun (though it is always fun). The Nankang NS2Rs that I ordered the other day have now arrived, so I will take the wheels and tyres to my friendly local tyre fitter to unite them with each other, and say goodbye to the aged Teflon Pirellis.
By now, the advantage I had gained from warming the diff this morning was definitely questionable.
Back to the fill plug. Ring end of the spanner on the hex bit. Hex bit inserted into the plug. Hammer in hand. 30 metre runup, full backswing, and… it turned. Not very dramatic, but that was sufficient to get it undone. I thought the car was slightly lower at the back than it was at the front, so was expecting a little bit of oil to come out of the fill hole at this stage. It didn’t, which either means the car was more level than I thought, or the level was a bit low. Most likely the latter.
Once that was out, I applied the same level of vigour to the drain plug, which also gave up the fight quite nicely, and the oil streamed out very pleasingly. The old washers did not look very happy.
I left the oil draining for a while, and had a couple of brownie bites and a drink. Once the flow had stopped, plug back in with a new washer and out comes the big syringe. The diff swallowed most of the 2 litres of Redline before it started dribbling from the fill hole. I let the dribble slow a bit before I put the fill plug back in, fairly confident that the level is close enough. Plug back in (new washer), a quick wipe, and job done.
It’s a very straightforward operation, complicated only by the proximity of the spare wheel well to the fill plug. Forewarned is forearmed, though, and as long as you’re prepared for this, it’s all good. I had bought a 14mm hex bit that turned out to be too short, so once inserted in the plug there was no room for the spanner. Fortunately I checked this when I got the bit, and so had ordered a longer one. As it turned out, both were useful, as the long one only just fit in the space, so was only good for the first half turn or so before it got in the way. The short one then became useful – call it foresight!
That’s all for now. Pictures of wheels and tyres to follow soon.
I’m on the slow road to track-preparedness. To start with, I’m concentrating on tyres, suspension and brakes. Seems sensible.
Tyres - the Nankangs are on the wheels, but haven’t quite made it onto the car yet.
Suspension - just ordered some HSD Dualtechs with the slightly harder springs (10kg/mm front and rear). My rationale is that, as a beginner, there’s no point spending £££ on top-notch kit, but wanted something half decent, so no auction site skip-fodder. HSD seem to have a reasonable reputation. I went for Dualtechs because I’m unlikely to be able to tell the difference between them and the Monopros. I went for the harder springs because the car is predominantly for chucking around tracks, it’s not my daily (the Skoda can look after my spine), and I’d probably get bored of the standard springs after a couple of track days. This is all guesswork, but I’ve got to start somewhere.
Brakes - I’ve got ATE Type 200 fluid and EBC Yellow Stuff pads, which I will insert/fit in the near-ish future. I thought about stainless braided lines, but then, as a test, tried to undo the unions on my rusty lines. Lots of penetrant was sprayed. Mole grips and flare-nut spanners were engaged. Things moved. Other things didn’t. At that point I decided discretion was the better part of valour and put off that idea indefinitely. What if it all goes right? I get shiny braided brake lines that might make a difference to my pedal feel. What if it all goes wrong? The car is off the road for weeks while I try to find the time and space to learn the art of bending and flaring brake lines and dismantling however much of my car would be necessary to replace the ones whose rusted ends I accidentally twisted off. I’m not averse to learning new skills, but as there is currently nothing wrong with the functionality of my braking system, the risk involved in attempting the braided lines is too great to bother with right now. That’s a future-BCPL problem. Racing fluid and funky pads will see me right for my first track day. Whenever that might be.
Hopefully soon there will be some photos of shiny new coilovers in a box. Then on a car. The amount of swearing involved in the transition from one to the other is yet to be determined.
Tyres - the Nankangs are on the wheels, but haven’t quite made it onto the car yet.
Suspension - just ordered some HSD Dualtechs with the slightly harder springs (10kg/mm front and rear). My rationale is that, as a beginner, there’s no point spending £££ on top-notch kit, but wanted something half decent, so no auction site skip-fodder. HSD seem to have a reasonable reputation. I went for Dualtechs because I’m unlikely to be able to tell the difference between them and the Monopros. I went for the harder springs because the car is predominantly for chucking around tracks, it’s not my daily (the Skoda can look after my spine), and I’d probably get bored of the standard springs after a couple of track days. This is all guesswork, but I’ve got to start somewhere.
Brakes - I’ve got ATE Type 200 fluid and EBC Yellow Stuff pads, which I will insert/fit in the near-ish future. I thought about stainless braided lines, but then, as a test, tried to undo the unions on my rusty lines. Lots of penetrant was sprayed. Mole grips and flare-nut spanners were engaged. Things moved. Other things didn’t. At that point I decided discretion was the better part of valour and put off that idea indefinitely. What if it all goes right? I get shiny braided brake lines that might make a difference to my pedal feel. What if it all goes wrong? The car is off the road for weeks while I try to find the time and space to learn the art of bending and flaring brake lines and dismantling however much of my car would be necessary to replace the ones whose rusted ends I accidentally twisted off. I’m not averse to learning new skills, but as there is currently nothing wrong with the functionality of my braking system, the risk involved in attempting the braided lines is too great to bother with right now. That’s a future-BCPL problem. Racing fluid and funky pads will see me right for my first track day. Whenever that might be.
Hopefully soon there will be some photos of shiny new coilovers in a box. Then on a car. The amount of swearing involved in the transition from one to the other is yet to be determined.
I hope I don't disappoint you but the first thing I did on my E90 M3 was ditch the HSD coil overs it came with and put standard suspension back on. They were really crashy on the road and I really didn't like the ride. Having said that I've not used my car on track, so they may have been ok there. Fingers crossed for you!
Thanks for sharing your experience. Like everything with this car, it’s a learning experience. They may be horrible. Hopefully they’ll give a good experience on the track, but if not, I can always take them off and try something else. I might even be able to recoup some of the cost by selling them on, unless they’ve turned to orange dust, as some internet users have suggested they might.
Either way, I’ll learn something and have fun along the way. That’s the plan!
Either way, I’ll learn something and have fun along the way. That’s the plan!
Yes exactly, give them a go and hopefully they'll do the job for you on track! Mine looked almost as new after about a year on the car and 6k road miles before I bought it, so if you need to take them off and sell you shouldn't have any worries there.
Keep up the good work, E36's are becoming rare these days. They all seemed to be drifted around roundabouts and crashed a few years back
Keep up the good work, E36's are becoming rare these days. They all seemed to be drifted around roundabouts and crashed a few years back
Yes, I guess that’s often the fate of cars like these when they reach their point of lowest value. They become accessible (to people like me...) and, because they’re so cheap, are seen as disposable. Plus easy to write off as they’re worth pennies.
When I got mine you could find an E36 for less than £1k without even trying. You’d be hard pressed to do that today.
When I got mine you could find an E36 for less than £1k without even trying. You’d be hard pressed to do that today.
Yes I remember those times. E30's were worth hardly anything either. I actually did a straight swap with my E30 320 two door with sport kit and a sport interior that I fitted, to an E36 323 Alpina replica. They were both brilliant cars but I really did love that E36. It felt so solid, and also I was sure it felt quicker than the standard 170bhp a 323 was supposed to have. I ended up selling it for just over £1000. Another one I should've kept!
I've been buying stuff.
If you've been keeping up with my verbose nonsense, you may remember this:
More power is probably unnecessary, but as the ECU is ready to accept an M50 manifold it’d be rude not to add that to the list for some future occasion.Well...
More power may be unnecessary at this stage, but I managed to convince myself that the Latvian M50B25 manifold I was watching on the Bay was probably the last one in the world, and that if I didn't buy it then I'd never get one. Or at least, if I did buy it, then at least I'd have one squirrelled away so if no other ones ever appeared for sale, I could, at will, smugly produce my Latvian one and set about strapping it to my engine.
As I clicked 'definitely confirm totally unnecessary and almost certainly overpriced purchase' or whatever the phrasing is, I noticed a little picture pop up under 'related items' which looked suspiciously like an M50B25 manifold, with a fitting kit. That, as it turned out, was precisely what it was. My searching skills had clearly let me down catastrophically, and as I had been talking myself into believing my Latvian friend was holding the Holy Grail, this one (in Wales) was sitting there all along. At the point at which I noticed it, the auction had about an hour left to run.
What does one do in this situation?
I bought it, obvs.
I mean, they might be the last two ever in existence, and if I own both, then I am a rich man!
Just call me Mr M50B25.
If you've been keeping up with my verbose nonsense, you may remember this:
buy_cheap_pay_later said:
More power is probably unnecessary, but as the ECU is ready to accept an M50 manifold it’d be rude not to add that to the list for some future occasion.
More power may be unnecessary at this stage, but I managed to convince myself that the Latvian M50B25 manifold I was watching on the Bay was probably the last one in the world, and that if I didn't buy it then I'd never get one. Or at least, if I did buy it, then at least I'd have one squirrelled away so if no other ones ever appeared for sale, I could, at will, smugly produce my Latvian one and set about strapping it to my engine.
As I clicked 'definitely confirm totally unnecessary and almost certainly overpriced purchase' or whatever the phrasing is, I noticed a little picture pop up under 'related items' which looked suspiciously like an M50B25 manifold, with a fitting kit. That, as it turned out, was precisely what it was. My searching skills had clearly let me down catastrophically, and as I had been talking myself into believing my Latvian friend was holding the Holy Grail, this one (in Wales) was sitting there all along. At the point at which I noticed it, the auction had about an hour left to run.
What does one do in this situation?
I bought it, obvs.
I mean, they might be the last two ever in existence, and if I own both, then I am a rich man!
Just call me Mr M50B25.
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=62...
Also, there’s a snorkel inside the standard airbox that reduces intake diameter. It literally unslots. Should improve things a bit and still looks totally standard.
Also, there’s a snorkel inside the standard airbox that reduces intake diameter. It literally unslots. Should improve things a bit and still looks totally standard.
A bit of tinkering on a glorious sunny day. Although the car was up on stands inside the garage, so I spent most of this morning lurking in there like some sort of daylight-shunning cave-oik. Annoying, but there you go.
My intention this morning was to change the brake fluid and pads for my racing-spec mega-fluid and pads. Well, of course that simple-sounding task didn't go remotely to plan. Fortunately, I decided to do pads first. This was complicated somewhat by a lack of a suitable tool to compress the pistons in the calipers - what comes of having my life, and therefore tools, split across two locations. I say fortunately, because as I was doing the front left, I discovered a tear in the caliper piston boot. I must have pinched it or caught it somehow last time I was messing about with the brakes. I didn't take a picture of it, but will do next time I go back in there. If I'd done fluid first, I'd be pretty annoyed, as I'd have to do it all over again once I'd remedied the caliper issue. The fluid can wait.
The other three corners were ok, and the pretty yellow pads went on fine. Proof (also proof of pretty orange discs):
So, what to do about the torn piston boot? I considered a rebuild kit (pretty cheap), but to recondition the caliper properly would take me a while (not least because I'd want to do both sides), and I don't really want the car to be off the road for too long. Over the next few weeks I want to be fitting my coilovers and getting it out on a track. So I decided to buy some shiny new calipers for both front corners, and whilst I'm at it I'll go for those braided lines that I considered a few days ago and put off indefinitely. I'll get the full set of lines but only fit the front for now, as I have to get the calipers off anyway. It was mainly the rear lines that gave me pause previously, but I'll leave them well alone for the time being. The front left union between hard and flexible lines I have already managed to break (as in begin to unscrew, rather than the more traditional meaning of 'break' which is what I usually do to things whilst trying to fix them), and now I have some additional vice grips I'm sure I'll get the front right cracked too.
I'll probably get some rebuild kits and have a go at the old calipers in slow time. I think it'd be quite satisfying to get them properly cleaned up and restored. I could then sell them, or keep as spares I suppose.
Then there's the question of what to do with my old brake pads that only have a few hundred miles on them. They're road spec, so I can't see me ever putting them back on the car. Clean the grease off the back and sell them? Not sure anyone buys part-worn brake pads when new ones are pretty inexpensive. I guess they can go to the tip, then. A bit of a shame, but not sure what use they'll ever see in the future.
In other news, I've ordered a new fuel filter and some fuel system cleaner. No idea when the filter was last done, and thought it worth giving the engine the best chance of receiving clean fuel.
I had a look at the snorkel in the airbox. It'd be easy enough to get out, but think I'll wait until I'm driving it more regularly so I can tell if there's any difference between snorkel-in and snorkel-out.
I did promise more pictures earlier in the thread, and realise I have spectacularly failed to live up to that this morning. I've only been changing pads on an utterly filthy car though, so nothing to see here. There will follow plenty of pictures of shiny new bits going on to the car, and of that pesky torn caliper boot.
My intention this morning was to change the brake fluid and pads for my racing-spec mega-fluid and pads. Well, of course that simple-sounding task didn't go remotely to plan. Fortunately, I decided to do pads first. This was complicated somewhat by a lack of a suitable tool to compress the pistons in the calipers - what comes of having my life, and therefore tools, split across two locations. I say fortunately, because as I was doing the front left, I discovered a tear in the caliper piston boot. I must have pinched it or caught it somehow last time I was messing about with the brakes. I didn't take a picture of it, but will do next time I go back in there. If I'd done fluid first, I'd be pretty annoyed, as I'd have to do it all over again once I'd remedied the caliper issue. The fluid can wait.
The other three corners were ok, and the pretty yellow pads went on fine. Proof (also proof of pretty orange discs):
So, what to do about the torn piston boot? I considered a rebuild kit (pretty cheap), but to recondition the caliper properly would take me a while (not least because I'd want to do both sides), and I don't really want the car to be off the road for too long. Over the next few weeks I want to be fitting my coilovers and getting it out on a track. So I decided to buy some shiny new calipers for both front corners, and whilst I'm at it I'll go for those braided lines that I considered a few days ago and put off indefinitely. I'll get the full set of lines but only fit the front for now, as I have to get the calipers off anyway. It was mainly the rear lines that gave me pause previously, but I'll leave them well alone for the time being. The front left union between hard and flexible lines I have already managed to break (as in begin to unscrew, rather than the more traditional meaning of 'break' which is what I usually do to things whilst trying to fix them), and now I have some additional vice grips I'm sure I'll get the front right cracked too.
I'll probably get some rebuild kits and have a go at the old calipers in slow time. I think it'd be quite satisfying to get them properly cleaned up and restored. I could then sell them, or keep as spares I suppose.
Then there's the question of what to do with my old brake pads that only have a few hundred miles on them. They're road spec, so I can't see me ever putting them back on the car. Clean the grease off the back and sell them? Not sure anyone buys part-worn brake pads when new ones are pretty inexpensive. I guess they can go to the tip, then. A bit of a shame, but not sure what use they'll ever see in the future.
In other news, I've ordered a new fuel filter and some fuel system cleaner. No idea when the filter was last done, and thought it worth giving the engine the best chance of receiving clean fuel.
I had a look at the snorkel in the airbox. It'd be easy enough to get out, but think I'll wait until I'm driving it more regularly so I can tell if there's any difference between snorkel-in and snorkel-out.
I did promise more pictures earlier in the thread, and realise I have spectacularly failed to live up to that this morning. I've only been changing pads on an utterly filthy car though, so nothing to see here. There will follow plenty of pictures of shiny new bits going on to the car, and of that pesky torn caliper boot.
I always tend to keep the pads I took out for a couple of months (just in case), replaced a set on the back of a Mazda 3, and a sticking caliper wrecked the new pads in short order (MIL's car, no clue!). I was glad that I had the old pads on a Saturday afternoon or it would have been a weekend with no work for her! Might be worth taking some to a track day as a just in case (not sure if you drive it home or not) that you finish a set while out.
mercedeslimos said:
I always tend to keep the pads I took out for a couple of months (just in case), replaced a set on the back of a Mazda 3, and a sticking caliper wrecked the new pads in short order (MIL's car, no clue!). I was glad that I had the old pads on a Saturday afternoon or it would have been a weekend with no work for her! Might be worth taking some to a track day as a just in case (not sure if you drive it home or not) that you finish a set while out.
Good thinking - emergency spares. I shall hold on to them. 
It’s a bit Christmas-like in the BCPL house. I don’t just mean because it’s still bloody freezing (it’s meant to be spring FFS). I mean because this lot has arrived.
That’s my coilovers, new front brake calipers, braided brake hoses, fuel filter, fuel system cleaner, and my second M50B25 manifold. I wonder if I put both on the car, I’d get twice the HP increase...
I doubt I’ll have a chance to do much with any of it until next weekend. Priority is brakes, then fuel, then suspension. I have no intention of messing with the intake in the near future, but wanted to make sure I had the part (or two of them) to hand when I do want to.
Oh, and I’ve booked Mallory Park for 22 Apr. Plenty of time to get the car sorted.
That’s my coilovers, new front brake calipers, braided brake hoses, fuel filter, fuel system cleaner, and my second M50B25 manifold. I wonder if I put both on the car, I’d get twice the HP increase...
I doubt I’ll have a chance to do much with any of it until next weekend. Priority is brakes, then fuel, then suspension. I have no intention of messing with the intake in the near future, but wanted to make sure I had the part (or two of them) to hand when I do want to.
Oh, and I’ve booked Mallory Park for 22 Apr. Plenty of time to get the car sorted.
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