E36 318iS - The loud, low and slow project
Discussion
Hey gang I've been on here a while and I though it was about time I put up a project thread
I'm copying this straight from bimmerforums.co.uk so if there is anything that does'nt quite make sense then just ask, I will be happy to answer any questions.
alrighty
ive had the 318is since november 2008 and i have done a fair amount of work to her already including:
one full service
one coil pack
one set of ht leads
camshaft sensor
lambda sensor
full exhaust
rocker cover, front plate and oil filter housing gaskets
thermostat
mtec front and rear bumpers
mtec side skirts
and not to mention the fairly disaterous results from when i sent it to the bodyshop (it will get sorted on friday)
in the recent weeks i have fitted a set of height adjustable suspension and some new brakes here are some photos
here it is before work started the rear had been lowered before i bought it -60mm i think and standard suspension on the front, it looked pish
here it is with the front suspension done and lowered as much as they would go, it was still the standard rears with the lowering springs
then due to the front springs taking lumps out of my alloys they had to get raised to 4x4 esque comedy suspension (i should have my other wheels back soon so i will be able to lower it properly then)
the car was raised high enough so the spring platforms would clear the tyres on the front. even with the helper spring totally compressed there is only a balls hair of space between the front tyres and the spring platform
the other night if fitted some new front discs and pads as they were fandangoed
whilst doing that i tried to check the state of the abs sensor and found out as soon as i touched it, it fell apart in my hands :hissyfit got to sort that this weekend
the photos are post bodyshop
when i bought it, it didnt have the mtec kit on it
I'm copying this straight from bimmerforums.co.uk so if there is anything that does'nt quite make sense then just ask, I will be happy to answer any questions.
alrighty
ive had the 318is since november 2008 and i have done a fair amount of work to her already including:
one full service
one coil pack
one set of ht leads
camshaft sensor
lambda sensor
full exhaust
rocker cover, front plate and oil filter housing gaskets
thermostat
mtec front and rear bumpers
mtec side skirts
and not to mention the fairly disaterous results from when i sent it to the bodyshop (it will get sorted on friday)
in the recent weeks i have fitted a set of height adjustable suspension and some new brakes here are some photos
here it is before work started the rear had been lowered before i bought it -60mm i think and standard suspension on the front, it looked pish
here it is with the front suspension done and lowered as much as they would go, it was still the standard rears with the lowering springs
then due to the front springs taking lumps out of my alloys they had to get raised to 4x4 esque comedy suspension (i should have my other wheels back soon so i will be able to lower it properly then)
the car was raised high enough so the spring platforms would clear the tyres on the front. even with the helper spring totally compressed there is only a balls hair of space between the front tyres and the spring platform
the other night if fitted some new front discs and pads as they were fandangoed
whilst doing that i tried to check the state of the abs sensor and found out as soon as i touched it, it fell apart in my hands :hissyfit got to sort that this weekend
the photos are post bodyshop
when i bought it, it didnt have the mtec kit on it
Edited by disco!!!! on Saturday 27th November 19:27
got the wheels back
good times
i finally got the wheels back after 4 1/2 months of shenanigans to be honest they aren't that great there is pitting in the polished sections of all of the wheels and the paint isnt fantastic, he did do a good job of getting the dunt out though.
but im not to fussed at the moment im going to fire them back together and i think about christmas time im going to strip them and redo everything
they look good from a distance though along with the rest of the car :rofl
good times
i finally got the wheels back after 4 1/2 months of shenanigans to be honest they aren't that great there is pitting in the polished sections of all of the wheels and the paint isnt fantastic, he did do a good job of getting the dunt out though.
but im not to fussed at the moment im going to fire them back together and i think about christmas time im going to strip them and redo everything
they look good from a distance though along with the rest of the car :rofl
i got a bit more work done tonight in the form of new rear discs and pads
the handbrake needs adjustment but im going to do that tomorrow, whilst i was doing the rear brakes i waxoyled the arches (dont buy the spray one as it went literally everywhere incuding my face) and i removed the original sill covers in preperation of the mtec covers being fitted but i need to drill the front wings for the mountings :eek
i stripped the style 5s again and started on the pitting. I have started to flatten back the polished sections with p80 :frown its going to take me ages so i bought another set of wheels which should be getting collected tomorrow all going well
and that will mean i dont have to put up with the style 27s and all of their shenanigans and i can finally lower it :thumbsup
good times
the handbrake needs adjustment but im going to do that tomorrow, whilst i was doing the rear brakes i waxoyled the arches (dont buy the spray one as it went literally everywhere incuding my face) and i removed the original sill covers in preperation of the mtec covers being fitted but i need to drill the front wings for the mountings :eek
i stripped the style 5s again and started on the pitting. I have started to flatten back the polished sections with p80 :frown its going to take me ages so i bought another set of wheels which should be getting collected tomorrow all going well
and that will mean i dont have to put up with the style 27s and all of their shenanigans and i can finally lower it :thumbsup
good times
Edited by disco!!!! on Wednesday 11th September 00:18
today i have mostly being: bypassing my hazard lights, fitting a pair of arb links and getting down to sanding the style 5s
i jacked up the arse of the car and bolted up a wheel but after a wee while of sanding i stopped and realised it’s a bit too much work so i might see about getting a company to finish them off depending on the cost
i purchased a set of E46 flavour style 32s
to be fair i did quite like them however due to the suspension setup i am running i would require spacers for these wheels and as far as i am concerned thats a big no no, so these wheels are back up for sale
i jacked up the arse of the car and bolted up a wheel but after a wee while of sanding i stopped and realised it’s a bit too much work so i might see about getting a company to finish them off depending on the cost
i purchased a set of E46 flavour style 32s
to be fair i did quite like them however due to the suspension setup i am running i would require spacers for these wheels and as far as i am concerned thats a big no no, so these wheels are back up for sale
Edited by disco!!!! on Wednesday 11th September 00:20
whilst i was at home over the festive season i managed to replace the rear trailing arm bushes with some meyle bushes from all german parts http://www.allgermanparts.co.uk/
they seem to be alright a big difference from the saggy originals and they only cost £12 each so there is no complaints
other than that nothing to report just keeping it topped up with oil and water and trying to smash the sump off it :rofl
they seem to be alright a big difference from the saggy originals and they only cost £12 each so there is no complaints
other than that nothing to report just keeping it topped up with oil and water and trying to smash the sump off it :rofl
well i was a bit busy over christmas with the rta bushes but on the night before i was due to return to inverness my radiator took a b:censoredh fit and decided to burst on me, this would not normally present a problem but i was due to catch a ferry at 6.15 am the following day and it was 7.30 pm
being unable to source a new rad me and a mate pulled the burst rad out of the car cut back the fins and the pipes and then looked for the first thing we could plug them with
which happened to be a tub of fibreglass and a tub of filler, and here are the results
a bit of a bodge to say the least but it managed the 65 mile trip from ullapool to inverness then the 40 mile round trip to work and back the next day when it started to leak again, thankfully a new rad had arrived and was waiting for me when i got home and was promptly thrown in
being unable to source a new rad me and a mate pulled the burst rad out of the car cut back the fins and the pipes and then looked for the first thing we could plug them with
which happened to be a tub of fibreglass and a tub of filler, and here are the results
a bit of a bodge to say the least but it managed the 65 mile trip from ullapool to inverness then the 40 mile round trip to work and back the next day when it started to leak again, thankfully a new rad had arrived and was waiting for me when i got home and was promptly thrown in
well unfortunately the loud, low and slow project took a bit of a turn for the worse this morning
whilst on my way to work this morning, i overtook a lorry or two and didnt think anything of it untill i came off a roundabout, about 2 miles down the road and looked in the rear view mirror to see clouds of steam coming out of the back of the car and to be confronted by a temp gauge needle aiming for the red
once i got stopped i opened the bonnet and saw the hose connecting to the thermostat had popped off and it had spat out all of the water
the engine had started ticking about a week ago and i just put it down to the exhaust manifold had cracked but i was wrong, so wrong
anyways taking the rough with the smooth i now dont have to do the crankshaft seals (they were leaking), i can give the engine bay a good scrub, change the gearbox oil, and get that Z3 shortshift i have been promising myself
oh and just to rub salt into the wounds bmw called me today to tell me my parts have arrived and i was to come in and pick them up
now i had better get hunting for an engine
whilst on my way to work this morning, i overtook a lorry or two and didnt think anything of it untill i came off a roundabout, about 2 miles down the road and looked in the rear view mirror to see clouds of steam coming out of the back of the car and to be confronted by a temp gauge needle aiming for the red
once i got stopped i opened the bonnet and saw the hose connecting to the thermostat had popped off and it had spat out all of the water
the engine had started ticking about a week ago and i just put it down to the exhaust manifold had cracked but i was wrong, so wrong
anyways taking the rough with the smooth i now dont have to do the crankshaft seals (they were leaking), i can give the engine bay a good scrub, change the gearbox oil, and get that Z3 shortshift i have been promising myself
oh and just to rub salt into the wounds bmw called me today to tell me my parts have arrived and i was to come in and pick them up
now i had better get hunting for an engine
some more progress has been made with the loud low and slow project
had the engine running for a few mins and it seems alright so far but some further testing is required
got the clutch bled tonight and started putting some more of the body work back together
im aiming to have it back on the road at the weekend
had the engine running for a few mins and it seems alright so far but some further testing is required
got the clutch bled tonight and started putting some more of the body work back together
im aiming to have it back on the road at the weekend
well I had a productive day today
got a few more bits of trim put back on, front splitter etc
and took her for a drive with no fecking bonnet
she ran pretty well, it got up to temp bloody quickly just a few minorish issues like the hunting at idle which is a suspected air leak and the clutch is slipping slightly but i think it just needs time to bed in again as i used the friction plate from the blown up engine and used the pressure plate and flywheel from the new engine, well i hope thats what it needs
i also changed the pin for the door latch so now my interior lights go off when i close the door
so now i just have to put the bonnet back on, fill up the power steering fluid and just a generally keep an eye on it for a while
good times
got a few more bits of trim put back on, front splitter etc
and took her for a drive with no fecking bonnet
she ran pretty well, it got up to temp bloody quickly just a few minorish issues like the hunting at idle which is a suspected air leak and the clutch is slipping slightly but i think it just needs time to bed in again as i used the friction plate from the blown up engine and used the pressure plate and flywheel from the new engine, well i hope thats what it needs
i also changed the pin for the door latch so now my interior lights go off when i close the door
so now i just have to put the bonnet back on, fill up the power steering fluid and just a generally keep an eye on it for a while
good times
well a week and half in and a couple of hundred miles on the motor and all seems well so far, need to have a look for a possible oil leak and replace the slipping clutch (why didnt i do it when the engine was out )
ive put the 8" style 5s back in for refurb No2, well im just having the outer lips redone
going to takle a few small jobs this weekend a bit of painting here and there, i also retained the old exhaust manifold so thats going to have session with the grinder and i have to replace one of the 4 studs on the down pipe side as it snapped when i removed it (i might just do all 4 with normal bolts) and cut the plate so the 4 pipes are seperate, elimenating the possibility of it cracking but there is no rush for this to be done at the moment
ive put the 8" style 5s back in for refurb No2, well im just having the outer lips redone
going to takle a few small jobs this weekend a bit of painting here and there, i also retained the old exhaust manifold so thats going to have session with the grinder and i have to replace one of the 4 studs on the down pipe side as it snapped when i removed it (i might just do all 4 with normal bolts) and cut the plate so the 4 pipes are seperate, elimenating the possibility of it cracking but there is no rush for this to be done at the moment
last night i fitted my painted rocker cover and inlet manifold :cool
but it didnt come out as i expected, it was supposed to be metalic black but it has turned out to be a grey/silver colour. im not too happy with the finish at all, suppose thats what i get for buying stuff from halfords :hihi
ill try to get a better pic up later
but it didnt come out as i expected, it was supposed to be metalic black but it has turned out to be a grey/silver colour. im not too happy with the finish at all, suppose thats what i get for buying stuff from halfords :hihi
ill try to get a better pic up later
censored
yesterday was a rather productive day
i got the car down to a mates work and fired on to the ramp and set about changing the front wishbones, lollypop bushes and a new clutch
i swapped the front wishbones for E30 items (they have solid mounted ball joints) and fresh pair of rubber bushes, what a difference it has made to the handling
the front suspension was stripped and we unceased the mounting plates, what an arse of a job this was, they were caked in grease, the same for the rears as well and i dropped her back to the ground again
we fired in a new clutch as the old one was slipping like a beast and whilst the box was out we changed the gearbox oil
the old oil was as black as the night i dont think it has ever been changed which was a bit of a worry seeing as the car has done over 120k
again what a difference with the clutch ive nearly stalled it so many times im not used to it biting right from the floor
when we got it all back together and got the car back on the ground i went to test it and i couldnt get the gearstick out of the reverse position and it wasnt in gear, after a few worried looks and getting the car back on the ramp we removed the gear linkage and put it back on but it was now sitting too far over to the right
it would hit the centre console when in first and third and when it was in fifth the linkage was hitting the propshaft
after a bit more head scratching the linkage was removed and i turned the gearstick around and we replaced the linkage and this sorted it
when we took off the gear stick, linkage and the mounting off as one piece and put it aside and when we replaced it we didnt realise it was the wrong way around
oh a word of warning guys if you are working on your E36 and reconnect the battery with the doors closed. Make sure the keys are in your pocket
i left mine in the ignition and the car automatically locked itself
there was enough swearing to turn the whole of the highlands blue what made it worse was the fact its the only key for the car
we managed to lever the window open and after many failed atempts of using a bit of copper brake line to try and hook the internal handle open i got a hold of a pair of pistol gripped long nosed pliers and slide them down between the window and the seal and just managed to grip the door lock pin and lift it up, a massive releif
well if you managed to read this far, well done have a pat on the back
i got the car down to a mates work and fired on to the ramp and set about changing the front wishbones, lollypop bushes and a new clutch
i swapped the front wishbones for E30 items (they have solid mounted ball joints) and fresh pair of rubber bushes, what a difference it has made to the handling
the front suspension was stripped and we unceased the mounting plates, what an arse of a job this was, they were caked in grease, the same for the rears as well and i dropped her back to the ground again
we fired in a new clutch as the old one was slipping like a beast and whilst the box was out we changed the gearbox oil
the old oil was as black as the night i dont think it has ever been changed which was a bit of a worry seeing as the car has done over 120k
again what a difference with the clutch ive nearly stalled it so many times im not used to it biting right from the floor
when we got it all back together and got the car back on the ground i went to test it and i couldnt get the gearstick out of the reverse position and it wasnt in gear, after a few worried looks and getting the car back on the ramp we removed the gear linkage and put it back on but it was now sitting too far over to the right
it would hit the centre console when in first and third and when it was in fifth the linkage was hitting the propshaft
after a bit more head scratching the linkage was removed and i turned the gearstick around and we replaced the linkage and this sorted it
when we took off the gear stick, linkage and the mounting off as one piece and put it aside and when we replaced it we didnt realise it was the wrong way around
oh a word of warning guys if you are working on your E36 and reconnect the battery with the doors closed. Make sure the keys are in your pocket
i left mine in the ignition and the car automatically locked itself
there was enough swearing to turn the whole of the highlands blue what made it worse was the fact its the only key for the car
we managed to lever the window open and after many failed atempts of using a bit of copper brake line to try and hook the internal handle open i got a hold of a pair of pistol gripped long nosed pliers and slide them down between the window and the seal and just managed to grip the door lock pin and lift it up, a massive releif
well if you managed to read this far, well done have a pat on the back
hey kids
after a bit of faffing about i managed to pick up a silencer from a cbr 750 (i think) for the grand sum of a tenner
i got it fitted on the weekend and now i have my diffuser back on again
however as was the problem before i think the heat from the backbox is still deforming the diffuser but im going to give it some time and see how it goes
oh and it sounds like someone farting through a wet towel but its got to come off again so it can be welded in properly
here is another pic just for the hell of it
after a bit of faffing about i managed to pick up a silencer from a cbr 750 (i think) for the grand sum of a tenner
i got it fitted on the weekend and now i have my diffuser back on again
however as was the problem before i think the heat from the backbox is still deforming the diffuser but im going to give it some time and see how it goes
oh and it sounds like someone farting through a wet towel but its got to come off again so it can be welded in properly
here is another pic just for the hell of it
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