1996 BMW E36 328i Coupe - we have history...
Discussion
What a cracking day. My expectations were not high. Not because of the track. I've never been to Castle Combe before, so had no reason to doubt the quality of that particular ingredient. I'd been feeling under the weather the last couple of days, the forecast said rain, and I had no friend to take with me on this occasion. All of which factors led me to think that it might be a damp, miserable, boring affair. I very nearly got in touch with Javelin yesterday to postpone my booking to a more auspicious occasion.
I'm glad I didn't.
Looking at the forecast, I was expecting the rain to come at any moment, probably mid to late morning, and be showery for the rest of the day. I had resigned myself to a day of learning how to handle this car in the wet, but after two lots of sighting laps (I thought a good idea on an unfamiliar track), I decided to go out as soon as the pit lane opened and make the most of the dry track while it lasted.
After my most recent track day experience (at Donington with MSV) I was feeling a little jaded about track days in general. I didn't enjoy that one as much as I usually do - too much looking in the rear view mirror and not enough clear track to enjoy. Well, on my first few laps at Combe I thought I'd mistakenly booked out the entire track to myself! I barely saw a soul, and it was perfect to get to know the layout and the lines without having to get out the way of race teams and supercars all the time. I stayed out as long as I could, thinking that it might be my only dry session of the day, and was only stopped by a red flag.
As the morning wore on, and the rain threatened but never delivered, I started to get into a rhythm (and get overconfident and brake too late, of course) and really locked in the sequence of bends in my mind. At no point did I feel that the track was busy. There was the odd car to let through and the odd overtake to execute, but the majority of the time I felt unconstrained and was able to make the most of the track and the car.
I don't know if God is a reader of this thread or something, but my run of scarcely believable luck when it comes to weather on track days continues. It stayed dry well into the afternoon, whilst I was thinking any dry session after about 10am was a bonus! I'm normally a staunch advocate of staying until the chequered flag, and have had some of my best experiences late in the day when many people have gone home and the track is clear, the car warm and I've got my eye in. On this occasion, however, I made the call about 4pm to pack up and go, for several reasons. I was running low on fuel, my rear pads were getting pretty thin (road pads), the fact I was flying solo meant I'd done a lot more driving than I normally do so was pretty tired (plus being ill), and I'd had plenty of clear track throughout the day so didn't feel like I'd missed out. As it turned out, it wasn't a bad call!
Yes, the long-awaited rain hit at that precise moment and there was a bit of a deluge. I drove off into the sunset feeling dry, smug, and very tired!
Interestingly (or not, if you're not into this sort of thing), a certain famous chap was in attendance:
I didn't take any pictures of the man himself, because I think it's weird to go round taking pictures of people you don't know when they're minding their own business. For those of you unfamiliar with The Smallest Cog, it's Richard Hammond's car restoration business/TV show. He has a race prepped MGB which is what they were there testing, film crew and everything. They will be some footage from it in one of his episodes, I presume, and you might just see a tatty old blue BMW puttering past in the background.
I was behind the MGB on track for a few laps, and by pushing as hard as I could I was just able to keep up. Until the car in front of it pitted, and then I lost sight of it pretty quickly
I'm not by any means a celebrity-botherer, but I thought the opportunity too good to pass up while he was there, so I got him to sign my toolbox.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Castle Combe feels more like Mallory Park than Donington Park, in that there aren't a load of race teams with highly-developed fire-breathing monsters, and there wasn't a supercar in sight. What there was was a selection of more or less interesting motors and a load of people there for a good time. Here's a selection of the more interesting ones, starting with the E36s, obviously:
I loved the Alfas. The little red one span out just in front of me on the track. I spoke to the guy afterwards (both Alfas were his) and he said they'd found about half an inch of play between the rear axle and the body of the car. That would make it quite hard to handle, I suppose!
So how did Trixie get on? Well for a start she was sporting her new fake front bumper, and yes, you spotted it, a brand new front number plate. I'd got bored of looking at this:
She was absolutely spot on as usual. The pad rattle did make a brief appearance, but to all intents and purposes has gone. No weird suspension-type noises. There were a couple of random rev-drops that she hasn't done for a while, but in 159 miles on the track (about 86 laps) she barely blinked...
Oh, hang on...
Erm... That definitely looks like something that could be described as 'a blink'! Yes, the indicator sort of... fell out.
I noticed a clunk and a flash of orange on the front right corner, so I thought I'd either hit a cone (was fairly sure I was nowhere near one at the time) or the indicator had fallen out. I didn't know whether it was hanging off, or I'd left it on the track. I thought I'd best pop into the pits to have a look, and fortunately I had indeed taken it with me. I tethered it to the bodywork with some cable ties, and cracked on.
I've started taking less and less kit to track days. I started by taking half the world, but the car's reliability (less the steering rack at Thruxton but that's not her fault) has been such that it feels unnecessary to cart loads of stuff around 'just in case.' Cable ties, however, will always be on the list!
I was interested to see how the overheating issue was, now that I've put the arch liners back in. Unfortunately, the needle was still pushing up above centre when I was really going for it for a few laps. I could bring it back down fairly easily by a bit of short shifting and driving more smoothly than aggressively, which to be fair I probably ought to be doing anyway. I could still enjoy my laps whilst being sympathetic to the old girl, so I didn't feel it was a constraint. I'd like to get to the bottom of it one day but it is not a priority.
One good thing that came from Donington was that I became acquainted with a Sealy jerry can pump, when I borrowed one after yet another jerry can nozzle failed me. What a revelation! I bought one and used it today.
Makes refuelling an absolute doddle.
Anyway, that's probably enough waffle from me. I had a fantastic day that defied expectations, and I would definitely go back to Combe again.
I'm glad I didn't.
Looking at the forecast, I was expecting the rain to come at any moment, probably mid to late morning, and be showery for the rest of the day. I had resigned myself to a day of learning how to handle this car in the wet, but after two lots of sighting laps (I thought a good idea on an unfamiliar track), I decided to go out as soon as the pit lane opened and make the most of the dry track while it lasted.
After my most recent track day experience (at Donington with MSV) I was feeling a little jaded about track days in general. I didn't enjoy that one as much as I usually do - too much looking in the rear view mirror and not enough clear track to enjoy. Well, on my first few laps at Combe I thought I'd mistakenly booked out the entire track to myself! I barely saw a soul, and it was perfect to get to know the layout and the lines without having to get out the way of race teams and supercars all the time. I stayed out as long as I could, thinking that it might be my only dry session of the day, and was only stopped by a red flag.
As the morning wore on, and the rain threatened but never delivered, I started to get into a rhythm (and get overconfident and brake too late, of course) and really locked in the sequence of bends in my mind. At no point did I feel that the track was busy. There was the odd car to let through and the odd overtake to execute, but the majority of the time I felt unconstrained and was able to make the most of the track and the car.
I don't know if God is a reader of this thread or something, but my run of scarcely believable luck when it comes to weather on track days continues. It stayed dry well into the afternoon, whilst I was thinking any dry session after about 10am was a bonus! I'm normally a staunch advocate of staying until the chequered flag, and have had some of my best experiences late in the day when many people have gone home and the track is clear, the car warm and I've got my eye in. On this occasion, however, I made the call about 4pm to pack up and go, for several reasons. I was running low on fuel, my rear pads were getting pretty thin (road pads), the fact I was flying solo meant I'd done a lot more driving than I normally do so was pretty tired (plus being ill), and I'd had plenty of clear track throughout the day so didn't feel like I'd missed out. As it turned out, it wasn't a bad call!
Yes, the long-awaited rain hit at that precise moment and there was a bit of a deluge. I drove off into the sunset feeling dry, smug, and very tired!
Interestingly (or not, if you're not into this sort of thing), a certain famous chap was in attendance:
I didn't take any pictures of the man himself, because I think it's weird to go round taking pictures of people you don't know when they're minding their own business. For those of you unfamiliar with The Smallest Cog, it's Richard Hammond's car restoration business/TV show. He has a race prepped MGB which is what they were there testing, film crew and everything. They will be some footage from it in one of his episodes, I presume, and you might just see a tatty old blue BMW puttering past in the background.
I was behind the MGB on track for a few laps, and by pushing as hard as I could I was just able to keep up. Until the car in front of it pitted, and then I lost sight of it pretty quickly
I'm not by any means a celebrity-botherer, but I thought the opportunity too good to pass up while he was there, so I got him to sign my toolbox.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Castle Combe feels more like Mallory Park than Donington Park, in that there aren't a load of race teams with highly-developed fire-breathing monsters, and there wasn't a supercar in sight. What there was was a selection of more or less interesting motors and a load of people there for a good time. Here's a selection of the more interesting ones, starting with the E36s, obviously:
I loved the Alfas. The little red one span out just in front of me on the track. I spoke to the guy afterwards (both Alfas were his) and he said they'd found about half an inch of play between the rear axle and the body of the car. That would make it quite hard to handle, I suppose!
So how did Trixie get on? Well for a start she was sporting her new fake front bumper, and yes, you spotted it, a brand new front number plate. I'd got bored of looking at this:
She was absolutely spot on as usual. The pad rattle did make a brief appearance, but to all intents and purposes has gone. No weird suspension-type noises. There were a couple of random rev-drops that she hasn't done for a while, but in 159 miles on the track (about 86 laps) she barely blinked...
Oh, hang on...
Erm... That definitely looks like something that could be described as 'a blink'! Yes, the indicator sort of... fell out.
I noticed a clunk and a flash of orange on the front right corner, so I thought I'd either hit a cone (was fairly sure I was nowhere near one at the time) or the indicator had fallen out. I didn't know whether it was hanging off, or I'd left it on the track. I thought I'd best pop into the pits to have a look, and fortunately I had indeed taken it with me. I tethered it to the bodywork with some cable ties, and cracked on.
I've started taking less and less kit to track days. I started by taking half the world, but the car's reliability (less the steering rack at Thruxton but that's not her fault) has been such that it feels unnecessary to cart loads of stuff around 'just in case.' Cable ties, however, will always be on the list!
I was interested to see how the overheating issue was, now that I've put the arch liners back in. Unfortunately, the needle was still pushing up above centre when I was really going for it for a few laps. I could bring it back down fairly easily by a bit of short shifting and driving more smoothly than aggressively, which to be fair I probably ought to be doing anyway. I could still enjoy my laps whilst being sympathetic to the old girl, so I didn't feel it was a constraint. I'd like to get to the bottom of it one day but it is not a priority.
One good thing that came from Donington was that I became acquainted with a Sealy jerry can pump, when I borrowed one after yet another jerry can nozzle failed me. What a revelation! I bought one and used it today.
Makes refuelling an absolute doddle.
Anyway, that's probably enough waffle from me. I had a fantastic day that defied expectations, and I would definitely go back to Combe again.
Scoobydrew95 said:
I feel both indicators and fog lights hold on by a thread most of the time with these. 
Weather is just utterly unpredictable at the moment i feel. Literally not a f
king point looking at anything, as it'll just change! Glad you had a great day at combe anyway. The XJS is bloody cool.
Has maybe your viscous coupling started to fail? Meaning fan not as effective? Maybe worth getting a lower temperature thermostat? Or is it a sign of the water pump beginning to fail? Maybe rad slightly blocked. I guess a few avenues to look at. Probably worth looking at a slightly lower temp thermostat, can't remember which one people generally used. Might have been an E34 one...
Agree about the weather. Makes getting the convertible out a bit of a dicey affair!Weather is just utterly unpredictable at the moment i feel. Literally not a f
king point looking at anything, as it'll just change! Glad you had a great day at combe anyway. The XJS is bloody cool. Has maybe your viscous coupling started to fail? Meaning fan not as effective? Maybe worth getting a lower temperature thermostat? Or is it a sign of the water pump beginning to fail? Maybe rad slightly blocked. I guess a few avenues to look at. Probably worth looking at a slightly lower temp thermostat, can't remember which one people generally used. Might have been an E34 one...
I replaced all the chocolate cooling components a couple of years ago, so I'd be surprised if the fan clutch or water pump were on the way out already. I've given it a good thrashing in those couple of years though, so it's not impossible I suppose!
I think a coolant flush is probably in order over the winter so would make sense to try a different stat and see if that helps. I'm loathe to change the whole cooling system as it seems pretty capable on the whole, and who's to say I wouldn't spend a fortune on fancy new parts and then just end up with the same problem!
In other news...
It's not really news. I'm just loving the convertible.
I used it loads during the hot days of early June. Less so recently, due to the weather and being away a bit. I took the chance today though and did my commute in it. Roof down, naturally.
I've only ever had 2.8 E36s before. Dare I say it I may have looked down on anything less, as 'inferior.' Naive I was, and missing out. Not inferior, different. A different experience, but what a lovely engine. Perhaps (almost certainly) the contrast with my daily-driven turbo diesel Octavia vRS plays a part in my perception of it, but every time I get in and drive the 323 I marvel at how damned smoooooth it is. Like teflon-coated butter. That 2.5l straight six is an absolute joy. It's not blessed with a surfeit of power. Sure, it's not going to smash you in the back of the head and steal your lunch money, but that's not the point, especially in a convertible. It's about the joy of it, the feel of getting from A to B, rather than how fast you can get to B and how terrified you are when you get there.
It just loves to be pushed gently and smoothly up through the revs, and power delivery is beautifully consistent. You can drive around at 5k rpm and not even really notice. It doesn't make a drama about anything, just rewards you with a lovely refined straight six sound. And because it's 'only' got about 170 hp, you've got longer to savour that sound and sensation of sliding your way up through the gears before you become illegal.
Today I left work tired, sore and just wanting to get home. I wasn't looking forward to the commute - who does? I just wanted to be home. I checked the weather forecast and despite the rather threatening-looking sky, it appeared worth the risk. I dropped the roof and went the scenic route (no one wants to go on the motorway with the roof down, do they?).
By the time I got home I'd cracked a rather unlikely smile. I have to say, this little bugger has got right under my skin!
It's not really news. I'm just loving the convertible.
I used it loads during the hot days of early June. Less so recently, due to the weather and being away a bit. I took the chance today though and did my commute in it. Roof down, naturally.
I've only ever had 2.8 E36s before. Dare I say it I may have looked down on anything less, as 'inferior.' Naive I was, and missing out. Not inferior, different. A different experience, but what a lovely engine. Perhaps (almost certainly) the contrast with my daily-driven turbo diesel Octavia vRS plays a part in my perception of it, but every time I get in and drive the 323 I marvel at how damned smoooooth it is. Like teflon-coated butter. That 2.5l straight six is an absolute joy. It's not blessed with a surfeit of power. Sure, it's not going to smash you in the back of the head and steal your lunch money, but that's not the point, especially in a convertible. It's about the joy of it, the feel of getting from A to B, rather than how fast you can get to B and how terrified you are when you get there.
It just loves to be pushed gently and smoothly up through the revs, and power delivery is beautifully consistent. You can drive around at 5k rpm and not even really notice. It doesn't make a drama about anything, just rewards you with a lovely refined straight six sound. And because it's 'only' got about 170 hp, you've got longer to savour that sound and sensation of sliding your way up through the gears before you become illegal.
Today I left work tired, sore and just wanting to get home. I wasn't looking forward to the commute - who does? I just wanted to be home. I checked the weather forecast and despite the rather threatening-looking sky, it appeared worth the risk. I dropped the roof and went the scenic route (no one wants to go on the motorway with the roof down, do they?).
By the time I got home I'd cracked a rather unlikely smile. I have to say, this little bugger has got right under my skin!
Edited by buy_cheap_pay_later on Thursday 13th July 22:24
Scoobydrew95 said:
The OE BMW stuff does seem to be very good, as long as bled up properly. I know a friend who's on his 3rd or 4th aftermarket uprated rad (reputable brands).
Maybe could also utilise the air con fan?
Great photos in any case.
Maybe could also utilise the air con fan?
Great photos in any case.
Dylan318Ti said:
Good journal 
Have you had the mobile welder out yet? I'd ask to have a look inside the sill once they've cut out the rot around the jacking point. It's likely that the inner jacking structure is corroded and probably the inner wing. Once I'd welded mine up I used Dinitrol ML sprayed into the cills through the holes for the side skirt clips to try and prevent further rot. It says it stops ongoing corrosion.
I'm not sure a lower temp stat will help as on track the higher temp stat will be fully open anyway. Do you have an electric AC fan and viscous fan? I run mine with the AC fan only as the viscous fan lowers air flow when the car's moving quickly.
The welder will be in the autumn I think, once I've definitely finished using the car for this year and can put it up on stands for a few months in the garage and strip it down. Have you had the mobile welder out yet? I'd ask to have a look inside the sill once they've cut out the rot around the jacking point. It's likely that the inner jacking structure is corroded and probably the inner wing. Once I'd welded mine up I used Dinitrol ML sprayed into the cills through the holes for the side skirt clips to try and prevent further rot. It says it stops ongoing corrosion.
I'm not sure a lower temp stat will help as on track the higher temp stat will be fully open anyway. Do you have an electric AC fan and viscous fan? I run mine with the AC fan only as the viscous fan lowers air flow when the car's moving quickly.
With regard to cooling, I think I will go for an aluminium radiator, and maybe source an auxiliary electric fan as well (I sold/tipped my A/C fan, oops!). That'll be another little sub-project over winter.
There's quite a lot to report, but I don't have a great deal of time. If I don't write this up right now it's going to be at least a week before I get another chance, and potentially up to three. August has gone bonkers! Anyway, I thought I'd best get something down now, as it's better than nothing, but this will be a less full update than I would really want to give.
I was at Mallory Park over the weekend at Retro Rides Gathering 2023, including having a go at the Quick60 sprint race on the Saturday. I had a great time, however, I will come to that in a bit. First, some E36 things...
What's this?
Experienced E36 owners will probably be able to recognise it as the contents of an M52b25 cooling system adorning the road surface.
I was on my way home from visiting some friends on Friday, in the 323 convertible, kids in the back, and traffic on the A417 near Gloucester was at an absolute standstill. I tried a few detours but eventually realised there was nothing for it but to join the queue and wait it out. It was at this point, as I was waiting to rejoin the conveyor belt of doom, that poor old Derek lost control of himself and dumped his coolant all over the road, overheated and cut out. It all happened pretty quickly so I think/hope that there is no serious damage to the engine. The radiator expansion tank, however, is toast. It's got a big hole in it.
Fortunately I wasn't on the main road and I was just uphill from a field entrance so was able to roll back into it and off the road, with a bit of help from a friendly passer-by. The kids decided it was all a big adventure and spent the time waiting for the RAC man to fight his way through the traffic playing charades, adopting disabled ladybirds, playing tag, pretending to make films, and counting cars that looked like they had moustaches. When questioned later they said it was the most exciting part of the day! About five and a half hours into an hour and a half journey, I arrived back in my road ignominiously, with my fancy convertible being dragged behind an RAC patrol van.
As far as E36 cooling failures go, I've got away pretty lightly. It wasn't a fan blade through the radiator. It wasn't a water pump fracture sending fragments into the block. I know full well that the first thing anyone should do when taking possession of an E36 is to replace the entire cooling system, but I was a victim of my own hubris. I thought I'd at least get a summer of fun top-down driving out of it before doing the cooling system overhaul in the winter. I was wrong. I guess I'll be going on holiday in the Skoda instead, then!
So, with Friday gone to pot and the newer of my two toys now immobile in the garage, I packed up my tools and my camping gear for a dirty weekend away with Trixie the track car. It's about an hour and a half to Mallory from my house now, so I left bright and early on Saturday to get there in time to throw my tent up in the camping area and then go and sign on and get myself and the car sorted for the 0830 drivers' brief and the first practice runs at 0900. That preparation involved application of the snazzy Quick60 sunstrip and the slightly less snazzy vinyl wheelie bin numbers that I'd hastily ordered from Amazon Prime earlier in the week.
With it looking like a race car (sort of), I just hoped it would go like one. Being somewhat familiar with the track, I wasn't too nervous about doing the sprints, though on my first one I did get a bit carried away and did an extra lap. I was pleased to find out later that I was far from the only one! The format was a standing start from the pit exit, one full lap and then once more round Gerrards, finishing half way along the next straight. Timing was live and done by breaking beams at start and finish.
Having never done anything competitive before, I had no idea how I would stack up against any of the competition. Some of the other cars in my class looked a lot more sorted and serious than mine. I think I might have been the only one without a rollcage. As it was, after the first practice run I was sitting 7th out of 26 or so in the class, although one or two didn't do the first practice run. After the second I was 13th. My times were 91.13s and 90.76s. Consistent at least.
I went into the elimination runs in the afternoon feeling relatively confident that I'd at least get past the first round, as it was the top 16 in the class who went through, then the top ten from Round 2 into Round 3. I didn't get a great start in my first elimination run, spinning the wheels far too much off the start, and as I went quite early in the order I then had the agony of sitting watching the other competitors' times come in and my name keep dropping down the order. With four times left to come in I was sitting 14th, and fully expected to drop below 16th and out in the first round. Fortunately I stuck at 15th, with one of the favourites having a bit of a mare and ending up just below me in 16th. I breathed a sigh of relief as I'd at least get two bites at the competitive stuff. My time for Elimination 1 was 90.67s, so even with the bad start it was consistent with my practice runs. I hoped if I put a good run together in Elimination 2 I might scrape under 90s, but didn't hold out any hope of making Round 3. As it was I did put a good run together. I was happy with it, felt good and I was hopeful for a good time... 90.64! Seven hundredths of a second quicker. If there was a prize for the most consistent...
But there wasn't. I was out, as expected, but had very much enjoyed my first foray into competitive driving. For anyone interested, the full results of the competition are here:
https://www.tsl-timing.com/file/?f=SPRINT/2023/233...
The livestream is here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFi0aO-QEzg
My runs are from 29.16 to 30.54 (Practice 2), from 2.35.00 to 2.36.36 (Elimination 1), and from 3.02.20 to 3.04.40 (Elimination 2). Practice 2 is worth a watch, if only because the commentator describes my 328i as 'gorgeous'
Being there by myself I needed to make some friends, which I managed to do with my paddock neighbours in the rather fetching red mk1 Transit and matching Triumph 2000.
I ended up hanging out with them and their friends on the Saturday evening, including at the tat auction.
This was quite entertaining, but I couldn't believe the amount of money people were throwing around. It was for charity I suppose, though which charity was never specified!
After a lovely night's sleep in my tent I was awoken by the Retro Rides dawn chorus as a smorgasbord of exhaust notes rumbled their way into my eardrums. It was a fitting way to start the day. I packed up and drove round to the show area. I couldn't be bothered to find a space in the retro parking area so I just abandoned it near the track entrance and went for a wander. My main concern at this stage was to confirm a conversation I'd had with B'stard Child in person (that's not his actual name believe it or not) the previous day where he'd said there was space in the late afternoon track time slot on the Sunday and I'd whipped out my phone there and then to make an application. I eventually managed to catch up with him in the afternoon (he was a bit busy, understandably) and confirmed my slot. I'd enjoyed wandering around looking at cool retro cars and having the odd chat about E36s, but I definitely prefer being involved in some sort of action rather than being a passive bystander so my track time was the definite highlight. I don't imagine it was anyone else's highlight mainly because most people had gone home by the time I was thrashing my old beemer round Mallory once again!
Anyway, as B'stard Child had predicted, the attrition rate was high. Those of us who were prepared to stick it out to the end got loads of track time, and it was enormous fun chasing various things around the track, particularly a clio and some sort of S13/14 drift rocket, whose driver was very obviously straining every sinew NOT to drift it all the way round Gerrards. I ended the weekend on a massive high and drove the old bucket home happy and tired. Also, I think I'm getting used to the silly exhaust. It didn't bother me much at all really on the way home even though I had the windows down most of the way.
I've probably missed lots of things I wanted to say, but it was a bit of a rushed account of things. A big thank you to B'stard Child for prompting me to go and get involved, and for his part in organising and enabling the event.
I was at Mallory Park over the weekend at Retro Rides Gathering 2023, including having a go at the Quick60 sprint race on the Saturday. I had a great time, however, I will come to that in a bit. First, some E36 things...
What's this?
Experienced E36 owners will probably be able to recognise it as the contents of an M52b25 cooling system adorning the road surface.
I was on my way home from visiting some friends on Friday, in the 323 convertible, kids in the back, and traffic on the A417 near Gloucester was at an absolute standstill. I tried a few detours but eventually realised there was nothing for it but to join the queue and wait it out. It was at this point, as I was waiting to rejoin the conveyor belt of doom, that poor old Derek lost control of himself and dumped his coolant all over the road, overheated and cut out. It all happened pretty quickly so I think/hope that there is no serious damage to the engine. The radiator expansion tank, however, is toast. It's got a big hole in it.
Fortunately I wasn't on the main road and I was just uphill from a field entrance so was able to roll back into it and off the road, with a bit of help from a friendly passer-by. The kids decided it was all a big adventure and spent the time waiting for the RAC man to fight his way through the traffic playing charades, adopting disabled ladybirds, playing tag, pretending to make films, and counting cars that looked like they had moustaches. When questioned later they said it was the most exciting part of the day! About five and a half hours into an hour and a half journey, I arrived back in my road ignominiously, with my fancy convertible being dragged behind an RAC patrol van.
As far as E36 cooling failures go, I've got away pretty lightly. It wasn't a fan blade through the radiator. It wasn't a water pump fracture sending fragments into the block. I know full well that the first thing anyone should do when taking possession of an E36 is to replace the entire cooling system, but I was a victim of my own hubris. I thought I'd at least get a summer of fun top-down driving out of it before doing the cooling system overhaul in the winter. I was wrong. I guess I'll be going on holiday in the Skoda instead, then!
So, with Friday gone to pot and the newer of my two toys now immobile in the garage, I packed up my tools and my camping gear for a dirty weekend away with Trixie the track car. It's about an hour and a half to Mallory from my house now, so I left bright and early on Saturday to get there in time to throw my tent up in the camping area and then go and sign on and get myself and the car sorted for the 0830 drivers' brief and the first practice runs at 0900. That preparation involved application of the snazzy Quick60 sunstrip and the slightly less snazzy vinyl wheelie bin numbers that I'd hastily ordered from Amazon Prime earlier in the week.
With it looking like a race car (sort of), I just hoped it would go like one. Being somewhat familiar with the track, I wasn't too nervous about doing the sprints, though on my first one I did get a bit carried away and did an extra lap. I was pleased to find out later that I was far from the only one! The format was a standing start from the pit exit, one full lap and then once more round Gerrards, finishing half way along the next straight. Timing was live and done by breaking beams at start and finish.
Having never done anything competitive before, I had no idea how I would stack up against any of the competition. Some of the other cars in my class looked a lot more sorted and serious than mine. I think I might have been the only one without a rollcage. As it was, after the first practice run I was sitting 7th out of 26 or so in the class, although one or two didn't do the first practice run. After the second I was 13th. My times were 91.13s and 90.76s. Consistent at least.
I went into the elimination runs in the afternoon feeling relatively confident that I'd at least get past the first round, as it was the top 16 in the class who went through, then the top ten from Round 2 into Round 3. I didn't get a great start in my first elimination run, spinning the wheels far too much off the start, and as I went quite early in the order I then had the agony of sitting watching the other competitors' times come in and my name keep dropping down the order. With four times left to come in I was sitting 14th, and fully expected to drop below 16th and out in the first round. Fortunately I stuck at 15th, with one of the favourites having a bit of a mare and ending up just below me in 16th. I breathed a sigh of relief as I'd at least get two bites at the competitive stuff. My time for Elimination 1 was 90.67s, so even with the bad start it was consistent with my practice runs. I hoped if I put a good run together in Elimination 2 I might scrape under 90s, but didn't hold out any hope of making Round 3. As it was I did put a good run together. I was happy with it, felt good and I was hopeful for a good time... 90.64! Seven hundredths of a second quicker. If there was a prize for the most consistent...
But there wasn't. I was out, as expected, but had very much enjoyed my first foray into competitive driving. For anyone interested, the full results of the competition are here:
https://www.tsl-timing.com/file/?f=SPRINT/2023/233...
The livestream is here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFi0aO-QEzg
My runs are from 29.16 to 30.54 (Practice 2), from 2.35.00 to 2.36.36 (Elimination 1), and from 3.02.20 to 3.04.40 (Elimination 2). Practice 2 is worth a watch, if only because the commentator describes my 328i as 'gorgeous'
Being there by myself I needed to make some friends, which I managed to do with my paddock neighbours in the rather fetching red mk1 Transit and matching Triumph 2000.
I ended up hanging out with them and their friends on the Saturday evening, including at the tat auction.
This was quite entertaining, but I couldn't believe the amount of money people were throwing around. It was for charity I suppose, though which charity was never specified!
After a lovely night's sleep in my tent I was awoken by the Retro Rides dawn chorus as a smorgasbord of exhaust notes rumbled their way into my eardrums. It was a fitting way to start the day. I packed up and drove round to the show area. I couldn't be bothered to find a space in the retro parking area so I just abandoned it near the track entrance and went for a wander. My main concern at this stage was to confirm a conversation I'd had with B'stard Child in person (that's not his actual name believe it or not) the previous day where he'd said there was space in the late afternoon track time slot on the Sunday and I'd whipped out my phone there and then to make an application. I eventually managed to catch up with him in the afternoon (he was a bit busy, understandably) and confirmed my slot. I'd enjoyed wandering around looking at cool retro cars and having the odd chat about E36s, but I definitely prefer being involved in some sort of action rather than being a passive bystander so my track time was the definite highlight. I don't imagine it was anyone else's highlight mainly because most people had gone home by the time I was thrashing my old beemer round Mallory once again!
Anyway, as B'stard Child had predicted, the attrition rate was high. Those of us who were prepared to stick it out to the end got loads of track time, and it was enormous fun chasing various things around the track, particularly a clio and some sort of S13/14 drift rocket, whose driver was very obviously straining every sinew NOT to drift it all the way round Gerrards. I ended the weekend on a massive high and drove the old bucket home happy and tired. Also, I think I'm getting used to the silly exhaust. It didn't bother me much at all really on the way home even though I had the windows down most of the way.
I've probably missed lots of things I wanted to say, but it was a bit of a rushed account of things. A big thank you to B'stard Child for prompting me to go and get involved, and for his part in organising and enabling the event.
Diesel_Nick said:
Loved reading this whole thread (over the last two days!)
I've gone through a similar journey with a (rather less pretty) E46 325ti (Compact). I respect the agile approach you've taking to using and fixing it... I very much took a "fix almost everything before daring to take it onto track", and as a result it has seen one (faultless) track day in the last 3 years...
I do have a couple more booked for later this year, though...
Yes… agile… that’s definitely what it is I've gone through a similar journey with a (rather less pretty) E46 325ti (Compact). I respect the agile approach you've taking to using and fixing it... I very much took a "fix almost everything before daring to take it onto track", and as a result it has seen one (faultless) track day in the last 3 years...
I do have a couple more booked for later this year, though...
Glad you enjoyed reading it. I’m hoping there’ll be more action over the winter months (subframe and bodywork type action) and less musing. I’ll try and keep the musing to a minimum. More pictures of rust and broken parts, less misty-eyed philosophical thoughts.
I’ve been away for a while. Meanwhile, Derek’s been languishing in the garage with a knackered radiator.
I had a bit of time this evening, so, having ordered a new radiator last night, I thought I’d whip out the old one. As I couldn’t figure out how the undertray was fixed on, I ended up taking the bumper off to have a better look. It’s not exactly difficult, and I had an ulterior motive anyway.
Interestingly, when I drained what was left of the contents of the radiator, it appeared just to be water. I applied the powers of my eyes and my nose to determine that, as far as I can tell, it was in fact just water. No coolant/antifreeze in sight (or smell). Weird.
Out came the radiator, and the damage was plain to see. It had blown a big old hole in the plastic expansion tank.
Hopefully my new one will arrive in the next few days and I’ll be able to get out with the roof down before this spell of hot weather passes. I bet it tips it down as soon as I get the car back together though!
I know I ought to replace the water pump,thermostat housing, hoses, fan and fan clutch while I’m in there, but… I still don’t know whether I’m keeping it yet, and I want to get it done quickly to take advantage of the weather. So I’ll stick a new rad in it and continue playing Bavarian roulette with the rest of the system!
Ooh, a game of spot the difference:
The top one is the 323, the bottom one the 328. At some point the 323 appears to have lost its fan cowl, assuming it had one. I’ll check on RealOEM, but can’t imagine why it wouldn’t have had one originally.
What about the bumper?
You may remember that I put a cheapo reproduction lip on it, which ended up all wrong, pointing up at the sky in the middle
I thought I’d have a go at re-fixing it further back so that it sits properly. It had enough flex/movement in it that I could adjust it, drill new holes, and put it back together. I think it looks better, but will confirm with pictures when the car is all back together and on the ground.
Just waiting for that new radiator now…
I had a bit of time this evening, so, having ordered a new radiator last night, I thought I’d whip out the old one. As I couldn’t figure out how the undertray was fixed on, I ended up taking the bumper off to have a better look. It’s not exactly difficult, and I had an ulterior motive anyway.
Interestingly, when I drained what was left of the contents of the radiator, it appeared just to be water. I applied the powers of my eyes and my nose to determine that, as far as I can tell, it was in fact just water. No coolant/antifreeze in sight (or smell). Weird.
Out came the radiator, and the damage was plain to see. It had blown a big old hole in the plastic expansion tank.
Hopefully my new one will arrive in the next few days and I’ll be able to get out with the roof down before this spell of hot weather passes. I bet it tips it down as soon as I get the car back together though!
I know I ought to replace the water pump,thermostat housing, hoses, fan and fan clutch while I’m in there, but… I still don’t know whether I’m keeping it yet, and I want to get it done quickly to take advantage of the weather. So I’ll stick a new rad in it and continue playing Bavarian roulette with the rest of the system!
Ooh, a game of spot the difference:
The top one is the 323, the bottom one the 328. At some point the 323 appears to have lost its fan cowl, assuming it had one. I’ll check on RealOEM, but can’t imagine why it wouldn’t have had one originally.
What about the bumper?
You may remember that I put a cheapo reproduction lip on it, which ended up all wrong, pointing up at the sky in the middle
I thought I’d have a go at re-fixing it further back so that it sits properly. It had enough flex/movement in it that I could adjust it, drill new holes, and put it back together. I think it looks better, but will confirm with pictures when the car is all back together and on the ground.
Just waiting for that new radiator now…
It's been a little while. I have been doing car stuff but lost the motivation to write about it at the time. So I'll summarise for now, which will probably turn into a gargantuan epic anyway as I ramble on. Let's see...
So, Derek. The 323i convertible. Last update was that I was waiting for a radiator...
The old blown radiator had a coolant level sensor in it, which was not plugged into anything. I couldn't see that the loom had any provision for it. This is not surprising as the car doesn't have an OBC and therefore no way of communicating a low coolant signal to the driver. I thought 'no need for a sensor, then,' and left the plastic blanking cap that came with the new radiator screwed onto that hole. I'm a frickin' genius.
This was after fitting the new radiator. I rather optimistically thought, 'maybe I overfilled it and it's just shedding some excess coolant.' Obviously that wasn't the case, and I ended up pulling over on the way home with all my lovely new coolant pissing out all over the road. Rather than calling the RAC (again), I thought a better bet time-wise would be to call my parents, who don't live too far away. They went and bought a brand new tow strap to mark this auspicious occasion, and towed me home. While we were waiting, my son (8) asked me why we kept breaking down. I said it was because I buy silly cars, which prompted him to ask if I could just buy normal cars from now on. I can see I have some educating to do.
When my parents arrived on the scene we reminisced about the last time my dad came to tow me home, which was when I crashed my old mini into several other cars on the A44 when I was 17 and he had to rescue me and my twisted lump of mini. Fun times.
To be fair, Derek is still gorgeous even when he's broken down.
I have since ordered and fitted a coolant level sensor in that hole, which is not plugged into anything but should at least provide a decent seal to stop the coolant falling out again. I haven't done much mileage in it since, but it seems to be holding up ok as far as I can tell.
One drama I had with the new radiator (apart from all the fluid falling out of it) was that the bleed screw appeared to be made out of cheese. Either I'm stronger than I thought I was, or this thing was as soft as fresh snow.
Fortunately, because it was so soft, I was able to sink a screwdriver into what was left and get it out without too much trouble.
This led me to an unfortunate discovery after I tried the screw from the old radiator and the one from the track car in the hole. Radiator bleed screws for the radiators available for these cars have different thread pitches. This is annoying to say the least! I even ordered a new brass one, and did it fit? Of course it bloody didnt.
Oh, I mentioned the front lip. I did re-drill the holes and pulled it back a bit in the middle, and I think it looks much better.
He has now gone into hibernation, but is still really, really, ridiculously good-looking.
Meanwhile, Trixie the track car has gone into the garage for major surgery...
So, Derek. The 323i convertible. Last update was that I was waiting for a radiator...
The old blown radiator had a coolant level sensor in it, which was not plugged into anything. I couldn't see that the loom had any provision for it. This is not surprising as the car doesn't have an OBC and therefore no way of communicating a low coolant signal to the driver. I thought 'no need for a sensor, then,' and left the plastic blanking cap that came with the new radiator screwed onto that hole. I'm a frickin' genius.
This was after fitting the new radiator. I rather optimistically thought, 'maybe I overfilled it and it's just shedding some excess coolant.' Obviously that wasn't the case, and I ended up pulling over on the way home with all my lovely new coolant pissing out all over the road. Rather than calling the RAC (again), I thought a better bet time-wise would be to call my parents, who don't live too far away. They went and bought a brand new tow strap to mark this auspicious occasion, and towed me home. While we were waiting, my son (8) asked me why we kept breaking down. I said it was because I buy silly cars, which prompted him to ask if I could just buy normal cars from now on. I can see I have some educating to do.
When my parents arrived on the scene we reminisced about the last time my dad came to tow me home, which was when I crashed my old mini into several other cars on the A44 when I was 17 and he had to rescue me and my twisted lump of mini. Fun times.
To be fair, Derek is still gorgeous even when he's broken down.
I have since ordered and fitted a coolant level sensor in that hole, which is not plugged into anything but should at least provide a decent seal to stop the coolant falling out again. I haven't done much mileage in it since, but it seems to be holding up ok as far as I can tell.
One drama I had with the new radiator (apart from all the fluid falling out of it) was that the bleed screw appeared to be made out of cheese. Either I'm stronger than I thought I was, or this thing was as soft as fresh snow.
Fortunately, because it was so soft, I was able to sink a screwdriver into what was left and get it out without too much trouble.
This led me to an unfortunate discovery after I tried the screw from the old radiator and the one from the track car in the hole. Radiator bleed screws for the radiators available for these cars have different thread pitches. This is annoying to say the least! I even ordered a new brass one, and did it fit? Of course it bloody didnt.
Oh, I mentioned the front lip. I did re-drill the holes and pulled it back a bit in the middle, and I think it looks much better.
He has now gone into hibernation, but is still really, really, ridiculously good-looking.
Meanwhile, Trixie the track car has gone into the garage for major surgery...
Sammo123 said:
How’s the track car doing? Anymore outings planned for this year?
I’ve finally started back on my E36 getting the rear axle rebuilt. It’s only taken me three years
You asked, so I shall answer. Probably at great length...I’ve finally started back on my E36 getting the rear axle rebuilt. It’s only taken me three years
First of all, what a coincidence!
The SS Rear Axle has been recovered from the sea bed after lying there for several decades. Or that's what it looks like anyway.
It's horrific. Despite the crustiness levels being off the charts, it was actually not that hard a job to get the whole assembly off the car. The rattle gun was my friend. The hardest part was getting one of the handbrake cables to pull back through its tunnel. It was clinging on like a toddler to a doorframe when you're trying to get them to go to bed. I managed to persuade it out in the end though.
I briefly contemplated cleaning up all the parts, painting, re-bushing (with poly bushes) and putting it all back in. Then I thought, 'screw that for a game of soldiers,' and sent A LOT of money to a guy on Facebook, who I'm very much hoping will send me something like this very soon.
It comes (if it comes at all...) fully poly bushed, with wheel bearings fitted, and an uprated ARB. Given the amount of money I was going to spend on bushes alone, let alone the money, time and effort involved in cleaning and painting everything, I thought it well worth spending a little more for the privilege of not having to do all that soul-destroying de-rustification.
The diff was just as dirty/crusty.
That was just after a fairly cursory hack at it with a screwdriver. I've now drained it (DON'T LET ME FORGET I'VE DRAINED IT) and taken it to a local engineering place for them to stick in their parts washer. I'll then give it a rub down and a coat of Hammerite or something. I can cope with doing that to one part. I can't cope with doing a full rear axle!
I contemplated getting an LSD, rather than sticking with the standard open diff that came with the car in the first place (when it was an auto). I just don't think the extra enjoyment I'd get from an LSD would be worth the money they cost though. I quite like the ratios on mine, it works quite well for track work, and the open-ness of it hasn't bothered me in the slightest. So I thought I'd save that upgrade for the future and stick with what I've got for now.
I've been ordering some new hardware to go with the subframe/axle. A lot of the nuts and bolts are ok, and just need a bit of a clean on the heads. Others are relatively new anyway because I've had to replace them in the last few years. I've ordered what I think I need to replace. Next is some new driveshafts because I think separating the old ones from the hubs would be a job for Thanos, plus they're horrible and crusty anyway.
I'm very much looking forward to getting the diff sorted, receiving my new subframe/axle parts, and starting to put it all back together.
Meanwhile, whilst it's off the car, I've had a mobile welder in. The spare wheel well and battery tray had rusted through badly, three of four jacking points are in a pretty bad way, both front wings have rusty holes through them, and the front left inner arch was quite bad too.
All nicely finished and he even undersealed the crap out of everything he could see, which saved me a job. Mind you, I haven't had the bill yet...
The jacking points and outer wings still need doing, but the wings need to come off for that to happen, and it needs to not be sitting on the rear jacking points (because there isn't much else for it to sit on back there at the moment). I'll get the welder back another time when I've made some progress.
I'm excited to get it back together and see how it feels, but I'm also a bit apprehensive. I like the feel and the balance of the car on the track days I've done over the last couple of years, and changing so much all at once (fully polybushing the rear and uprating the ARB) worries me just a little in case I make it too stiff and harsh and lose the handling characteristics. However, I'm committed, so we'll just have to see what happens!
skylarking808 said:
Ah the joys of a crusty E36 
Good write up as usual. At least the work is heading in the right direction. Funny how Deriks good looks mean you can forgive it for breaking down!
He is so pretty. I’ve been thinking quite a lot about what to do next year, whether I should keep him or not, but I think he’s got so far under my skin that there’s not much chance of getting rid of him now. I mean, giving him a name was probably a pretty big nail in that particular coffin! I’ll look forward to the first sunny days of spring when my cheap and cheerful convertible can ride again. Good write up as usual. At least the work is heading in the right direction. Funny how Deriks good looks mean you can forgive it for breaking down!
I suppose that means a full cooling system overhaul then…
Gallons Per Mile said:
I believe you can convert an open diff to an LSD fairly cheaply via the Racing Diffs website. Might be worth it especially as it's a track car!
Fascinating. I had no idea that was even a thing. Turn my diff into an LSD for £200? I think I’m going to have to have me some of that!It looks a bit like Christmas...
Most of the bits are here. They definitely look better than the barnacle-encrusted stuff that came out!
The ARB is on its way separately. Meanwhile, I've had the diff case cleaned and parts vapour blasted.
I've wire brushed and cleaned the main casing and now I'm giving it a bit of paint.
Once that's done I'll do the really exciting bit.
Thanks to GPM for pointing me in the direction of RacingDiffs. This conversion kit cost me £200 including delivery in their Black Friday sale. I then had to pay another £65 import tax, but even then it's a third of the price of a used LSD for one of these (I saw one advertised on FB Marketplace the other day for £750). The installation video makes it look eminently DIY-able, at least until the guy put his output shafts on a lathe to trim 4mm off each of them...
I looked all over my garage but couldn't find a lathe, so I had to get the guy who vapour blasted my parts to do it for me. That's added expense of course. With the cleaning, blasting and machining, I'm about £400 deep into this diff overhaul. I'm happy with my ratio and it'll look fine once it's tarted up, so £400 to turn it into an LSD isn't bad at all. As long as it does what it says it does.
Most of the bits are here. They definitely look better than the barnacle-encrusted stuff that came out!
The ARB is on its way separately. Meanwhile, I've had the diff case cleaned and parts vapour blasted.
I've wire brushed and cleaned the main casing and now I'm giving it a bit of paint.
Once that's done I'll do the really exciting bit.
Thanks to GPM for pointing me in the direction of RacingDiffs. This conversion kit cost me £200 including delivery in their Black Friday sale. I then had to pay another £65 import tax, but even then it's a third of the price of a used LSD for one of these (I saw one advertised on FB Marketplace the other day for £750). The installation video makes it look eminently DIY-able, at least until the guy put his output shafts on a lathe to trim 4mm off each of them...
I looked all over my garage but couldn't find a lathe, so I had to get the guy who vapour blasted my parts to do it for me. That's added expense of course. With the cleaning, blasting and machining, I'm about £400 deep into this diff overhaul. I'm happy with my ratio and it'll look fine once it's tarted up, so £400 to turn it into an LSD isn't bad at all. As long as it does what it says it does.
Court_S said:
Pisser about the vice exploding - was looking forward to seeing the diff rebuilt as an LSD.
Do you think the 323 will stay? Hopefully it won't be too much longer until you can enjoy roof down motoring again.
I'll get to it. My new vice is waiting at home for me now. The first stage of inserting the plates into the diff is to put the springs between them and compress them together. You then secure them with little brackets that screw into the ends of the plates. The brackets then come off again once you've inserted the assembly into the diff.Do you think the 323 will stay? Hopefully it won't be too much longer until you can enjoy roof down motoring again.
I was surprised by the amount of force required to compress the springs, but not as surprised as my cheap bench vice was, apparently!
I think the 323 will be staying. I'm not realistically going to be in a position to get and properly look after an M3, and driving Derek doesn't half put a smile on my face. Besides, I gave him a name. I think after that the deal was sealed, really!
New vice mounted on the bench, enabled this:
Which then went in here:
Everything was liberally coated in diff oil, then I released the grub screws with some trepidation. I thought that once released there would be no moving it, given how stiff those little yellow springs are, and the chances of releasing the thing perfectly aligned with the hole for the pin were about zero. But actually after releasing the pressure, it was possible to nudge it one way or the other with a gentle tap with a lump hammer. So, springs released, holes aligned, and the pin reinserted, again with a bit of help from the lump hammer. It went back together more smoothly than I could have hoped really. Next will be reassembling the whole thing back into the case (including the input shaft seal which was a pain in the backside to get out and it turns out I didn’t need to remove. Story of my life really. I couldn’t find a seal exactly like the one that came out. I think the new one is a millimetre thicker (same internal and external diameter though) so I’m not sure whether I’ve given myself a headache there. I guess I’ll find out.
Which then went in here:
Everything was liberally coated in diff oil, then I released the grub screws with some trepidation. I thought that once released there would be no moving it, given how stiff those little yellow springs are, and the chances of releasing the thing perfectly aligned with the hole for the pin were about zero. But actually after releasing the pressure, it was possible to nudge it one way or the other with a gentle tap with a lump hammer. So, springs released, holes aligned, and the pin reinserted, again with a bit of help from the lump hammer. It went back together more smoothly than I could have hoped really. Next will be reassembling the whole thing back into the case (including the input shaft seal which was a pain in the backside to get out and it turns out I didn’t need to remove. Story of my life really. I couldn’t find a seal exactly like the one that came out. I think the new one is a millimetre thicker (same internal and external diameter though) so I’m not sure whether I’ve given myself a headache there. I guess I’ll find out.
I've been far too lax recently. At this rate I won't have the car back together to do any track days this summer. I finally got round to spending some time on it today though.
My main headache, and probably the sticking point that has prevented me from getting on with it, is what to do with the brake lines. Yonks ago I bought a whole set of braided lines. I put the front ones on, no problem. Getting to the unions on the rears was problematic, however. Especially given how rusted and seized up they are. So they've just been on the shelf since.
Well, now the rear subframe is off, I have unfettered access to all the rear brake line I could want. If I don't replace them now, then when? But... the things are rusted to buggery. I've spent months soaking them in penetrant, and completely mangled a nut or two with mole grips trying to get them to release. I was wrestling with the idea of just leaving them as they are. After all, they work fine. But I can't bring myself to leave them alone whilst I've got the rear in bits. They are exposed now. I have to do something with them.
I drained and dropped the fuel tank (only a bit, I don't really want to go pulling all the hoses and things out, so just enough to give me some space above it). I thought, if I could get the unions just in front of the fuel tank to undo, maybe I could replace everything from there backwards. But would they let go? Would they hell! So I'm a bit stuck. I don't really want to try heat, because I suspect the amount they would need would be extreme, and I don't have much experience of heating things, especially things next to petrol tanks. I'd either half-arse it because I'm scared of going up in a fireball, and still get nowhere, or go up in a fireball. Neither of which would be particularly productive.
But today I have settled on a strategy. I watched a YouTube video of Eric the Car Guy (I'm sure many of you will have come across him) flaring a cut brake pipe on a car using a tool similar to this:
So, instead of undoing anything, my plan is to cut the line, flare the end (without eating the grease), then connect to my nice new (several years old) braided lines. And then probably some new calipers because mine look like they've been under the sea with the old subframe.
I feel like I've overcome something of a mental block. I have a plan now. Once I've sorted the brake pipes, I can lego everything back together again. I'm sure it'll be as straightforward as just bolting it all back on. I can't imagine anything will go wrong, it never normally does.
Beyond having a cunning plan and ordering the bits and pieces I need to achieve it, I have also been putting things back together.
The diff, with the clever LSD plates in:
I have bought a gasket for it but couldn't find it, so used some of this stuff that I bought for something else and hadn't used. Because I'm impatient, and an idiot. No picture of 'in progress' because it looks like it was applied by a toddler. It's definitely going to leak.
Strongflex bushes to match those on the subframe and suspension bits. And a label saying 'no oil,' again because I'm an idiot. I will forget to put oil in it. At least then it wouldn't leak, though.
The diff reassembled, and the cover bolts torqued to the limit of my bravery (which turns out to be almost certainly too much, but at least they didn't snap), I turned my attention to the subframe. There are some threaded holes for the diff to be bolted into, which had been powder coated. I had to break out my taps and got a sweat on.
Then I put some bits together.
Actually, another blocker to my progress was that I had allowed the garage to get into a bit of a state, with stuff everywhere. Now I've tidied and cleaned up, and made a bit of progress, hopefully I can stay in the groove and get on with it. The next update is likely to be when I've cut off the ends of my brake lines and made an absolute hash of flaring them. I'll almost certainly forget to put the nut on the pipe before I flare it. That will be hilarious. For everyone else.
I haven't even thought about track days yet. I'd like to do the Quick60 again if I can get it sorted (hopefully I can by August). That was fun last year.
My main headache, and probably the sticking point that has prevented me from getting on with it, is what to do with the brake lines. Yonks ago I bought a whole set of braided lines. I put the front ones on, no problem. Getting to the unions on the rears was problematic, however. Especially given how rusted and seized up they are. So they've just been on the shelf since.
Well, now the rear subframe is off, I have unfettered access to all the rear brake line I could want. If I don't replace them now, then when? But... the things are rusted to buggery. I've spent months soaking them in penetrant, and completely mangled a nut or two with mole grips trying to get them to release. I was wrestling with the idea of just leaving them as they are. After all, they work fine. But I can't bring myself to leave them alone whilst I've got the rear in bits. They are exposed now. I have to do something with them.
I drained and dropped the fuel tank (only a bit, I don't really want to go pulling all the hoses and things out, so just enough to give me some space above it). I thought, if I could get the unions just in front of the fuel tank to undo, maybe I could replace everything from there backwards. But would they let go? Would they hell! So I'm a bit stuck. I don't really want to try heat, because I suspect the amount they would need would be extreme, and I don't have much experience of heating things, especially things next to petrol tanks. I'd either half-arse it because I'm scared of going up in a fireball, and still get nowhere, or go up in a fireball. Neither of which would be particularly productive.
But today I have settled on a strategy. I watched a YouTube video of Eric the Car Guy (I'm sure many of you will have come across him) flaring a cut brake pipe on a car using a tool similar to this:
So, instead of undoing anything, my plan is to cut the line, flare the end (without eating the grease), then connect to my nice new (several years old) braided lines. And then probably some new calipers because mine look like they've been under the sea with the old subframe.
I feel like I've overcome something of a mental block. I have a plan now. Once I've sorted the brake pipes, I can lego everything back together again. I'm sure it'll be as straightforward as just bolting it all back on. I can't imagine anything will go wrong, it never normally does.
Beyond having a cunning plan and ordering the bits and pieces I need to achieve it, I have also been putting things back together.
The diff, with the clever LSD plates in:
I have bought a gasket for it but couldn't find it, so used some of this stuff that I bought for something else and hadn't used. Because I'm impatient, and an idiot. No picture of 'in progress' because it looks like it was applied by a toddler. It's definitely going to leak.
Strongflex bushes to match those on the subframe and suspension bits. And a label saying 'no oil,' again because I'm an idiot. I will forget to put oil in it. At least then it wouldn't leak, though.
The diff reassembled, and the cover bolts torqued to the limit of my bravery (which turns out to be almost certainly too much, but at least they didn't snap), I turned my attention to the subframe. There are some threaded holes for the diff to be bolted into, which had been powder coated. I had to break out my taps and got a sweat on.
Then I put some bits together.
Actually, another blocker to my progress was that I had allowed the garage to get into a bit of a state, with stuff everywhere. Now I've tidied and cleaned up, and made a bit of progress, hopefully I can stay in the groove and get on with it. The next update is likely to be when I've cut off the ends of my brake lines and made an absolute hash of flaring them. I'll almost certainly forget to put the nut on the pipe before I flare it. That will be hilarious. For everyone else.
I haven't even thought about track days yet. I'd like to do the Quick60 again if I can get it sorted (hopefully I can by August). That was fun last year.
Thank you GPM for the bit of encouragement I needed to give it a go with the heat. Today has been an unmitigated success!
The tools to hand.
And, ta-dah!
I could hardly contain my excitement!
I had read that if you depress the brake pedal and keep it depressed, it will stop all your brake fluid falling out of open lines (closes the ports or something). So...
But it didn't seem to work. No leak from the right, but the left was like a racehorse before the race. I put some of the old plumbing back on it so it wasn't splashing everywhere.
I then started playing with my new brake lines and brackets, getting them bent into shape and assembled.
I did it by eye, so they don't match, but as long as I can get the screws in to attach them to the trailing arms, and they don't leak, I'm not really bothered.
Satisfied with my work on the brake lines, and knowing now that I don't need to dismantle them any further forward than the rear of the fuel tank, I set about putting the fuel system back together. That involved replacing this part, whose spigot I snapped off when trying to unnecessarily dismantle it some time ago:
With both sides reassembled and lines reconnected with new clips, I could get the tank back into place and put the new straps on.
While I was doing all that, the delivery man arrived with my new calipers.
Believe it or not, all that excitement was still not enough for one morning. I had ordered some new brackets for my trailing arms, and discovered that my past self had absolutely sorted me out by buying some new bolts and nuts for them as well. Love that guy. So they went on the trailing arms and torqued up to 110Nm as per Mr Haynes.
Then I stuck my new handbrake cables through the holes, because... why not?
That much excitement is, I think, enough for now.
I turned my brain to what else I need to do or buy before I can actually get the subframe back on the car. The answer is not a lot. My new calipers need guide pins and caliper carriers. I have resisted the urge to buy everything new just because I can't be bothered to clean things. I gave the caliper carriers a go over with a wire brush and cleaned the guide pins with some of the brake fluid that fell out. The carriers could do with a coat of paint I think, but no need to buy new ones. The brakes discs also look ok, just need a clean. And it turns out I had a set of Eicher rear pads sitting on my shelf. I had wondered what that box was. So I think I'm pretty much ready to start lifting the subframe back into place and bolt everything back together.
I've made more progress in one morning that I have in the last six months. And now I can send my flaring tool back to Amazon, because I don't need it any more!
The tools to hand.
And, ta-dah!
I could hardly contain my excitement!
I had read that if you depress the brake pedal and keep it depressed, it will stop all your brake fluid falling out of open lines (closes the ports or something). So...
But it didn't seem to work. No leak from the right, but the left was like a racehorse before the race. I put some of the old plumbing back on it so it wasn't splashing everywhere.
I then started playing with my new brake lines and brackets, getting them bent into shape and assembled.
I did it by eye, so they don't match, but as long as I can get the screws in to attach them to the trailing arms, and they don't leak, I'm not really bothered.
Satisfied with my work on the brake lines, and knowing now that I don't need to dismantle them any further forward than the rear of the fuel tank, I set about putting the fuel system back together. That involved replacing this part, whose spigot I snapped off when trying to unnecessarily dismantle it some time ago:
With both sides reassembled and lines reconnected with new clips, I could get the tank back into place and put the new straps on.
While I was doing all that, the delivery man arrived with my new calipers.
Believe it or not, all that excitement was still not enough for one morning. I had ordered some new brackets for my trailing arms, and discovered that my past self had absolutely sorted me out by buying some new bolts and nuts for them as well. Love that guy. So they went on the trailing arms and torqued up to 110Nm as per Mr Haynes.
Then I stuck my new handbrake cables through the holes, because... why not?
That much excitement is, I think, enough for now.
I turned my brain to what else I need to do or buy before I can actually get the subframe back on the car. The answer is not a lot. My new calipers need guide pins and caliper carriers. I have resisted the urge to buy everything new just because I can't be bothered to clean things. I gave the caliper carriers a go over with a wire brush and cleaned the guide pins with some of the brake fluid that fell out. The carriers could do with a coat of paint I think, but no need to buy new ones. The brakes discs also look ok, just need a clean. And it turns out I had a set of Eicher rear pads sitting on my shelf. I had wondered what that box was. So I think I'm pretty much ready to start lifting the subframe back into place and bolt everything back together.
I've made more progress in one morning that I have in the last six months. And now I can send my flaring tool back to Amazon, because I don't need it any more!
Gallons Per Mile said:
Well done on the brake lines! They're easy once you know how
IIRC Eicher are a Euro Car Parts special and you might want to put some nicer brake pads on, especially for being on track with. Keep an eye on them!
You're right, they are. They're on the back though, so aren't doing much of the heavy lifting. If they only last one track day, so be it. I will indeed keep an eye on them!IIRC Eicher are a Euro Car Parts special and you might want to put some nicer brake pads on, especially for being on track with. Keep an eye on them!
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