Repairable? Or am I looking for a donor body?

[440Interceptor]

Starting on the engine bay now. Not sure why it's taken me this long to notice.. but isn't my battery supposed to be on the driver's side?? The car was UK car originally brought to Australia in 1996 I think, so I wonder why is it setup this way around?

[mrzigazaga]

Hi mate...Some were on opposite sides....By the way i love that pic...

[440Interceptor]

Ok Zig thanks, probably depended what day of the week it was... Well if you liked that you'll like this too:

Refitted the K-Jet and airbox. Having the air intake 3 inches behind the radiator can't be very sensible can it?? I'll look at improving that later but lets just get it moving under its own power first..

Next jobs:
Engine compartment hoses (including heater bypass) and wiring connections. I reckon half of the wire I pulled out of the engine bay wasn't connected to anything...hope I have enough photos!

[mrzigazaga]

Cant wait to see the finished project...Looking lovely...Ziga

[440Interceptor]

Thanks Zig, getting there slowly. Next challenge is the engine bay hoses. I think I have a reasonable idea of how the water hoses work but need to run something by the forum. I want to delete the heater circuit completely. It doesn't get that cold here and I want the centre console space for other things. I will retain the fan for demisting purposes required to re-license the car.

Should I route the heater inlet hose straight into the T piece (usually the heater matrix outlet, or should I blank off the water outlet at the source - the Auxiliary air device (AAD) and just delete the T piece from the heater outlet hose (so I just have a hose from the underside of the expansion tank to the thermostat housing)?

Cheers.

[adam quantrill]

Why not just fit a tap? heater can come in handy of the radiator gets iffy and you want to dump the heat.

[mrzigazaga]

440Interceptor said:

Should I route the heater inlet hose straight into the T piece (usually the heater matrix outlet, or should I blank off the water outlet at the source - the Auxiliary air device (AAD) and just delete the T piece from the heater outlet hose (so I just have a hose from the underside of the expansion tank to the thermostat housing)?

Cheers.

Hi mate


I by-passed the matrix on mine as even in winter the 280i seems to be warmer that the 350i...I would leave the AAD plate connected though as its part of the warm up..Unless you fit a manual choke...

[440Interceptor]

Adam, the valve died years ago and the rad and water pump are new so it better not overheat. Zig thanks, not takling about removing the whole AAD unit, just blanking the spigot that goes to the heater matrix OR running it to the T on the other side of the matrix. I think either would work equally well.

So when you say you bypassed the heater what did you do, the latter?

[mrzigazaga]

440Interceptor said:

So when you say you bypassed the heater what did you do, the latter?

Hi mate...I joined the in and out of the matrix together.....

[440Interceptor]

Thanks Zig. Thinking through this a little further, if I join the heater inlet and outlet together aren't I creating a secondary circuit of water hoses that bypasses the radiator? Whereas if the heater inlet is blocked off (like the normal setup with the valve closed) all water is sent through the rad.

So I need to find out how to block the heater inlet line at ot after the AAD spigot at the top of the engine, and then not reinstall the T piece where the heater outlet joins the water supply from the expansion tank to the thermostat housing.

[440Interceptor]

Heater hoses sorted, progress.

Next - clutch. Does anyone have any photos/diagram/advice on the gearbox end connections for the 280i cable clutch please? Plus, I'm pretty sure my firewall shouldn't look like this (bush missing?)

:


Thanks!

[mrzigazaga]

Hi mate


There should be a nipple...(Ooo missus) on the cable end to the clutch arm....There should also be a large grommet on the cable bulkhead opening...Mine was missing so i used a ton of black tac...You should be able to source one thats a close fit...Not sure what they were originally...Maybe Ford?....

[440Interceptor]

Thanks mate. Yep, no grommet at the firewall.

[440Interceptor]

Any close up pics of how it connects up to the gearbox? Another photo I omitted to take when taking the body off!

[mrzigazaga]

Hi mate

I haven't got any pics of that area, All i remember was that there was an adjuster just under the oil filter...Which had to be removed and the cable end went into a clutch arm with a hole in it for the nipple to fit in...

There might be something in the bible...Ill have a look and see if i can scan it in.....


Cheers


Ziga

[440Interceptor]

Hi Zig thanks, the Bible page 181 has a basic diagram (with a box-like covering over the bottom end which I don't have..) but doesn't show how the cable runs through the bell-housing and into the clutch lever on the gearbox. I will keep fiddling.

Edited by 440Interceptor on Monday 13th June 10:54

[440Interceptor]

Fiddling was successful. Clutch cable now in. Will need adjustment, and I don't know what the firewall grommet looks like or what it does, but these are details.

Far more exciting is that I have new (black) carpet to replace this lot:



The Brown is the car and the grey the boot carpet. Adds up to 6m x 1.8mm.

Keeping the cream vinyl interior so black should go well with the red paint.

[mrzigazaga]

Hi Toby.


I see the dog likes the carpet...Lol

Could i have the old carpet or would it weigh too much in postage to send to the UK?....Unless your skills could extend to making paper ones...

I will pay for the paper and postage....


I could even make the dog a nice comfy mat-bed....Unless he has one already....


Cheers


Ziga

[440Interceptor]

Hi mate, of course. There's the complete set. Once I've used it as a template for my new pieces, it's yours for the princely sum of 1 x roof panel bag if you're still making them?

It's not very heavy so it should pack up into a biggish box.

[mrzigazaga]

440Interceptor said:

Hi mate, of course. There's the complete set. Once I've used it as a template for my new pieces, it's yours for the princely sum of 1 x roof panel bag if you're still making them?

It's not very heavy so it should pack up into a biggish box.

Would you like a red or black targa bag...