BMW 2002Tii (ish)
Discussion
Been awhile since i've updated, i've been driving it when i can but the one thing i wasnt keen on was the lack of effective handbrake. I've had the odd steep hillstart to do and it wasnt very pleasant without one! I started looking into other disc conversions instead of figuring something out with my current set-up in the typical man maths fashion of this project build!
IMG_20190803_124357 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
The only rear disc conversion i found that i really liked was the Ireland Engineering one, this utilises an aluminium caliper with an integrated handbrake mechanism with steel carrier on a slider. It's a nice package and allows use of the standard handbrake cables. On top of this the kit comes with alu cnc brackets and 2 piece vented discs with alu hats.
Now i was really happy with the front brakes on the car but i couldnt have 2 piece discs and alu calipers on the rear and steel calipers and 1 piece discs on the front could i? And whilst im ordering the rear kit from USA it would surely make sense to get the front kit too? So 6 weeks later (i was told 2 weeks but nevermind) the brake kits arrived and i got it all unboxed and laid it all out:
IMG_20190917_195034 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
The front kit is also great, it comes with billet alu hubs and all new bearings etc. as well as the 2 piece vented discs to match.
IMG_20190917_195302 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
IMG_20190917_195150 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
IMG_20190917_195334 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
IMG_20190917_195405__01 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
IMG_20190917_195423 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
I'd already got the car up in the air and stripped everything off 5 weeks previous in anticipation of the 2 week stated delivery time so sadly missed any driving over August.
IMG_20190808_190345 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
IMG_20190819_210551 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
IMG_20190816_201435 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
I'd also ordered some new studs and nuts to go with the new parts, again, went slightly overboard!
IMG_20190910_190329 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
IMG_20190910_184948 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
IMG_20190910_184919 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
Also pressed the rear ones out and fitted some extended ARP ones, sadly not titanium like the front ones but nice all the same.
IMG_20190917_194152 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
Hubs built up with the new bearings and wheel studs:
IMG_20190918_200047 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
Fitted on the front:
IMG_20190918_204914 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
IMG_20190918_205838 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
IMG_20190919_200740 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
IMG_20190919_200757 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
Rears all sorted and fitted, these needed brake lines making up too:
IMG_20190921_092956 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
IMG_20190921_092921 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
IMG_20190921_092913 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
Whilst up in the air i decided to try a tunnel mounted short shifter. The one i chose is based on the e30 DTM shifter and is a nice simple bit of kit. I'd have loved a CAE shifter but i'd have lost my beloved cup holders and the cost was nearly 3x as much!
IMG_20190913_163123 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
IMG_20190915_140336 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
All finished up and topped off with the OEM dogleg 5 speed gear knob i've got:
IMG_20190915_154349 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
IMG_20190915_154435 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
To test all of this out it only made sense to head out and do one of my favorite semi-local roads. I did a few laps of the village and checked things over first then set off for the hour and fifteen minute journey to pick up the a686 (if you havent done this road, try and work it into a trip sometime!). There was lots of cars and bikes out, the petrol station in Alston had about 20 bikes, 2 Atoms, an M2 Comp and a few others bits and bobs, its always busy when the weather is nice! The stop off at the old Hartside Cafe location at the peak of the pass had even more bikes and even more cars!
I got chatting to the guy in the M2C at Alston and said we'd catch up at the Cafe spot, luckily i got a spot next to him to get some pictures. In reality the 2002 is the great great grandad of such a car, a great opportunity for a couple of snaps. The size difference in person is crazy!
IMG_20190921_142444 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
IMG_20190921_142432 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
IMG_20190921_142533 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
Halfway back down the pass towards Melmerby, as you can see the conditions were amazing:
IMG_20190921_150150 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
Days like this are why i built this car. Work and life stresses just melt away and its just you and your little money-pit car for the time you're out in it. It's fantastic on the b-roads, some of which are quite bumpy and lumpy and the Nitrons are just magic, the car is just so compliant yet handles like nothing else i've been in, the induction noise is both ridiculous and intoxicating and the odd pops and bangs from the exhaust remind you that that end of the car also makes some noise!
Sadly the year has ran away with me and i STILL need to go and get it mapped properly and the plan for at least 1 track day is ebbing away. Luckily the base map is that good it's about 90% there, with 1500 miles on it now though i really do need to go and get it sorted!
The gearbox has a bit of a weep so im going to pull this out over winter and sort, this is also another reason im not pushing to get it on track this year, however much i'd like to! Im hoping it will be a fairly quiet winter on the 2002 front where i might even get the odd day out in it!
Thanks for reading,
Scott
IMG_20190803_124357 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrThe only rear disc conversion i found that i really liked was the Ireland Engineering one, this utilises an aluminium caliper with an integrated handbrake mechanism with steel carrier on a slider. It's a nice package and allows use of the standard handbrake cables. On top of this the kit comes with alu cnc brackets and 2 piece vented discs with alu hats.
Now i was really happy with the front brakes on the car but i couldnt have 2 piece discs and alu calipers on the rear and steel calipers and 1 piece discs on the front could i? And whilst im ordering the rear kit from USA it would surely make sense to get the front kit too? So 6 weeks later (i was told 2 weeks but nevermind) the brake kits arrived and i got it all unboxed and laid it all out:
IMG_20190917_195034 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrThe front kit is also great, it comes with billet alu hubs and all new bearings etc. as well as the 2 piece vented discs to match.
IMG_20190917_195302 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrIMG_20190917_195150 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrIMG_20190917_195334 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrIMG_20190917_195405__01 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrIMG_20190917_195423 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrI'd already got the car up in the air and stripped everything off 5 weeks previous in anticipation of the 2 week stated delivery time so sadly missed any driving over August.
IMG_20190808_190345 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrIMG_20190819_210551 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrIMG_20190816_201435 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrI'd also ordered some new studs and nuts to go with the new parts, again, went slightly overboard!
IMG_20190910_190329 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrIMG_20190910_184948 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrIMG_20190910_184919 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrAlso pressed the rear ones out and fitted some extended ARP ones, sadly not titanium like the front ones but nice all the same.
IMG_20190917_194152 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrHubs built up with the new bearings and wheel studs:
IMG_20190918_200047 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrFitted on the front:
IMG_20190918_204914 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrIMG_20190918_205838 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrIMG_20190919_200740 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrIMG_20190919_200757 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrRears all sorted and fitted, these needed brake lines making up too:
IMG_20190921_092956 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrIMG_20190921_092921 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrIMG_20190921_092913 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrWhilst up in the air i decided to try a tunnel mounted short shifter. The one i chose is based on the e30 DTM shifter and is a nice simple bit of kit. I'd have loved a CAE shifter but i'd have lost my beloved cup holders and the cost was nearly 3x as much!
IMG_20190913_163123 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrIMG_20190915_140336 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrAll finished up and topped off with the OEM dogleg 5 speed gear knob i've got:
IMG_20190915_154349 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrIMG_20190915_154435 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrTo test all of this out it only made sense to head out and do one of my favorite semi-local roads. I did a few laps of the village and checked things over first then set off for the hour and fifteen minute journey to pick up the a686 (if you havent done this road, try and work it into a trip sometime!). There was lots of cars and bikes out, the petrol station in Alston had about 20 bikes, 2 Atoms, an M2 Comp and a few others bits and bobs, its always busy when the weather is nice! The stop off at the old Hartside Cafe location at the peak of the pass had even more bikes and even more cars!
I got chatting to the guy in the M2C at Alston and said we'd catch up at the Cafe spot, luckily i got a spot next to him to get some pictures. In reality the 2002 is the great great grandad of such a car, a great opportunity for a couple of snaps. The size difference in person is crazy!
IMG_20190921_142444 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrIMG_20190921_142432 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrIMG_20190921_142533 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrHalfway back down the pass towards Melmerby, as you can see the conditions were amazing:
IMG_20190921_150150 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrDays like this are why i built this car. Work and life stresses just melt away and its just you and your little money-pit car for the time you're out in it. It's fantastic on the b-roads, some of which are quite bumpy and lumpy and the Nitrons are just magic, the car is just so compliant yet handles like nothing else i've been in, the induction noise is both ridiculous and intoxicating and the odd pops and bangs from the exhaust remind you that that end of the car also makes some noise!
Sadly the year has ran away with me and i STILL need to go and get it mapped properly and the plan for at least 1 track day is ebbing away. Luckily the base map is that good it's about 90% there, with 1500 miles on it now though i really do need to go and get it sorted!
The gearbox has a bit of a weep so im going to pull this out over winter and sort, this is also another reason im not pushing to get it on track this year, however much i'd like to! Im hoping it will be a fairly quiet winter on the 2002 front where i might even get the odd day out in it!
Thanks for reading,
Scott
Brilliant. I'm not far from the Alston road so when I get a new car, I tend to do a trip. Such a shame about the cafe burning down. The car looks gorgeous. I'm trying to work on the man maths for an M2 comp next but man I didn't realise just how big modern cars have become. I see the M2 as quite a small car but it really isn't looking at that. Great pics.
toon10 said:
Brilliant. I'm not far from the Alston road so when I get a new car, I tend to do a trip. Such a shame about the cafe burning down. The car looks gorgeous. I'm trying to work on the man maths for an M2 comp next but man I didn't realise just how big modern cars have become. I see the M2 as quite a small car but it really isn't looking at that. Great pics.
Thank You and yeh it really was a shame, good to see there are plans to rebuild now though! It's rammed when the weather is nice, must pull some money in on a good day!The m2 comp is awesome, definitely a car i'd like to own as far as modern cars go but certainly couldnt sell the 2002 for one, it would have to be as well as and sadly i dont think ill get in that position unless they depreciate a massive amount!
RC1807 said:
As Aaron Kaufman says, "If you've got serious 'go', you need some serious 'woah'!"
Those Wilwood calipers look HUGE!
haha yes they are pretty big compared to the small car but surprisingly they arent much bigger than the bmw e12 ones i had on (they were 4 pots too) but less than half the weight.Those Wilwood calipers look HUGE!
g3org3y said:
What a great project, lovely car. 
I notice you've got a 'QuickJack'. How do you find it? They look very useful albeit on the pricey side.
Thanks appreciate it and i absolutely love the quickjack, wish i knew about them at the beginning of the project. It was on sale at Costco and the amount of times i've been getting the car up on axle stands and thought this could quite easily go horribly wrong, its an absolute no brainer. I notice you've got a 'QuickJack'. How do you find it? They look very useful albeit on the pricey side.
It used to take me about 45 minutes to get the car up high enough to work under and its really awkward to do on this car so when small bits needed doing i couldn't really be bothered and would save up a list of small jobs/ checks to do all at once whereas now its up higher than i ever had it on stands in a few minutes and its perfectly safe and level and im not wringing wet from the anxiety of dropping the car off stands (i used to get quite bad jacking it up!)
scottos said:
Thanks appreciate it and i absolutely love the quickjack, wish i knew about them at the beginning of the project. It was on sale at Costco and the amount of times i've been getting the car up on axle stands and thought this could quite easily go horribly wrong, its an absolute no brainer.
It used to take me about 45 minutes to get the car up high enough to work under and its really awkward to do on this car so when small bits needed doing i couldn't really be bothered and would save up a list of small jobs/ checks to do all at once whereas now its up higher than i ever had it on stands in a few minutes and its perfectly safe and level and im not wringing wet from the anxiety of dropping the car off stands (i used to get quite bad jacking it up!)
Thank you for that feedback. I've noticed them on various forums and also on YouTube videos and they seem a quick and safe solution to getting the car up. Might treat myself to a pair at some point in the future.It used to take me about 45 minutes to get the car up high enough to work under and its really awkward to do on this car so when small bits needed doing i couldn't really be bothered and would save up a list of small jobs/ checks to do all at once whereas now its up higher than i ever had it on stands in a few minutes and its perfectly safe and level and im not wringing wet from the anxiety of dropping the car off stands (i used to get quite bad jacking it up!)
Keep up the good work.
Awesome car Scott , as I have said before. Got beaten to the Quick Jack questions too. Was contemplating getting a set for my E86 coupe now that the eibachs have sunk, I cant get the trolley jack underneath and is a faff to get in the air for tinkering. Hope to get them in the next couple of months . You do have some lovely roads to drive. Lovely ..................
Justin S said:
Awesome car Scott , as I have said before. Got beaten to the Quick Jack questions too. Was contemplating getting a set for my E86 coupe now that the eibachs have sunk, I cant get the trolley jack underneath and is a faff to get in the air for tinkering. Hope to get them in the next couple of months . You do have some lovely roads to drive. Lovely ..................
Thank You, appreciate it! Yep, drive over ones were out of the question for that reason. I can use these on my daily as well! They are low profile at around 75mm when flat so pretty good, just shove them under and press the button.Yes very lucky with the roads, thats why i dont end up doing any shows or anything, id just rather be out driving it haha
Simon182 said:
Looks great Scott.
We should try organise a track day sometime next year, I'll see if Fonzey with his Exige S is up for it...
We should try organise a track day sometime next year, I'll see if Fonzey with his Exige S is up for it...
Fonzey said:
TRACKDAY INVITE DETECTEDWell a bit more graft on the 2002, the brakes are pulling to one side a tad under HARD braking so ive been looking through this but i think it'll be on going and its hard to test them out properly now with the greasy roads as its easy to lock them up if you stand on them.
The calipers come so you can use them leading or trailing so i linked up the chambers on the bottom and they bled up much better but still appear to be pulling a tad:
IMG_20191107_190050 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
(Also been to Munich recently and to the BMW museum, had the buy the mug!)
IMG_20191107_200336 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
Another modified tool!
IMG_20191107_200426 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
I was about to start taking the gearbox out as its crunching into 2nd still and its really bugging me. Literally as i was about to start my mate called to say he had fixed his truck and we NEED to get the 2002 mapped. Game on! I was dreading getting the box out anyway so it was the best excuse!
I changed the oil and filter for fresh stuff, very little gunge on the magnet now and 1600 bedding in miles seems to have done it really well. I've been using full throttle since around 750 miles and revving up to 6500 odd and as much engine braking opportunities as possible. Nearly all these miles have been on twisty b roads in the Pennines, the perfect bedding in roads! I also changed the low pressure and high pressure fuel filters and made sure the car was topped off with V-power 99. Spanner check all over and just general checks although i left the valve clearances as i've done them twice now and checked a further time without change:
IMG_20191102_135619 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
IMG_20191027_144623 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
IMG_20191102_135326 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
I even gave it a quick clean, which involved removing a lot of died out 3 month old flies!
IMG_20191117_142312 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
IMG_20191117_142241 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
I needn't have bothered as i drove it 6 miles to my mates garage to get it loaded up (note my daily driver in the back ground which needs a new diff!):
IMG_20191118_175253 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
Early start yesterday morning and plenty of coffee stops:
IMG_20191119_144103 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
It's funny in the truck, you forget whats on the back and wonder why people are staring as they go by, lots of thumbs up and nods which are always appreciated!
Arrived at Chipwizards in pretty good time and Wayne loaded it onto the rollers:
IMG_20191119_115518 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
Wayne had done a great job of the base map and spent a further 2 hours or so perfecting it. He did 5-6 power runs and i couldnt believe how much angrier it sounded. He got to the stage where adding or taking away fuel didnt make any difference and commented that the combustion chambers must be doing their job very well (compliments to the chef, i only built it!). He said the small dips that were showing on the graph could be altered by adjusting the cam timing on the vernier slightly but as this isnt so simple on this engine i was happy to leave it for what it was (plus i didnt have gaskets etc with me!).
Revving up to 7000rpm he had it cracked but said it was still making power. We decided to take it up in 250rpm increments and i was secretly relieved that 7250rpm was the sweet spot! It looked like the graph would be heading for another dip so suggested there wasnt much point taking it higher. soft limiter is 7250, hard limiter 7500 and max power at pretty much 7000.
Video of the final power run below:
https://youtu.be/SH--NLYnMjE
and the end result!
IMG_20191119_131847 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
Was genuinely surpised by the result. I went a different way with the engine build as there's a lot of info on these engines on the net and most of the typical recipes didnt seem right to me (rightly or wrongly!) and this included exhaust design and size as well as the actual engine build. I resigned myself to achieving 150-160hp and i wouldnt be disappointed (we all say numbers dont matter but then we all know in our heads they do haha) so 180hp i just laughed out loud. On the face of it it's still a standard bottom end, its got a cam in it and head work and choice modifications/ components throughout based on calculations or being honest just winging it based on things i've picked up!
I got a 6 mile drive home from my mates on dark greasy salty roads so didnt get chance to push it but the response is amazing now and it picks up loads better. I didnt realise the final map would be so different to the base map and i've always enjoyed driving it on the base map. Really looking forward to enjoying it!
Thanks for reading,
Scott
The calipers come so you can use them leading or trailing so i linked up the chambers on the bottom and they bled up much better but still appear to be pulling a tad:
IMG_20191107_190050 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr(Also been to Munich recently and to the BMW museum, had the buy the mug!)
IMG_20191107_200336 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrAnother modified tool!
IMG_20191107_200426 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrI was about to start taking the gearbox out as its crunching into 2nd still and its really bugging me. Literally as i was about to start my mate called to say he had fixed his truck and we NEED to get the 2002 mapped. Game on! I was dreading getting the box out anyway so it was the best excuse!
I changed the oil and filter for fresh stuff, very little gunge on the magnet now and 1600 bedding in miles seems to have done it really well. I've been using full throttle since around 750 miles and revving up to 6500 odd and as much engine braking opportunities as possible. Nearly all these miles have been on twisty b roads in the Pennines, the perfect bedding in roads! I also changed the low pressure and high pressure fuel filters and made sure the car was topped off with V-power 99. Spanner check all over and just general checks although i left the valve clearances as i've done them twice now and checked a further time without change:
IMG_20191102_135619 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrIMG_20191027_144623 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrIMG_20191102_135326 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrI even gave it a quick clean, which involved removing a lot of died out 3 month old flies!
IMG_20191117_142312 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrIMG_20191117_142241 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrI needn't have bothered as i drove it 6 miles to my mates garage to get it loaded up (note my daily driver in the back ground which needs a new diff!):
IMG_20191118_175253 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrEarly start yesterday morning and plenty of coffee stops:
IMG_20191119_144103 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrIt's funny in the truck, you forget whats on the back and wonder why people are staring as they go by, lots of thumbs up and nods which are always appreciated!
Arrived at Chipwizards in pretty good time and Wayne loaded it onto the rollers:
IMG_20191119_115518 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrWayne had done a great job of the base map and spent a further 2 hours or so perfecting it. He did 5-6 power runs and i couldnt believe how much angrier it sounded. He got to the stage where adding or taking away fuel didnt make any difference and commented that the combustion chambers must be doing their job very well (compliments to the chef, i only built it!). He said the small dips that were showing on the graph could be altered by adjusting the cam timing on the vernier slightly but as this isnt so simple on this engine i was happy to leave it for what it was (plus i didnt have gaskets etc with me!).
Revving up to 7000rpm he had it cracked but said it was still making power. We decided to take it up in 250rpm increments and i was secretly relieved that 7250rpm was the sweet spot! It looked like the graph would be heading for another dip so suggested there wasnt much point taking it higher. soft limiter is 7250, hard limiter 7500 and max power at pretty much 7000.
Video of the final power run below:
https://youtu.be/SH--NLYnMjE
and the end result!
IMG_20191119_131847 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrWas genuinely surpised by the result. I went a different way with the engine build as there's a lot of info on these engines on the net and most of the typical recipes didnt seem right to me (rightly or wrongly!) and this included exhaust design and size as well as the actual engine build. I resigned myself to achieving 150-160hp and i wouldnt be disappointed (we all say numbers dont matter but then we all know in our heads they do haha) so 180hp i just laughed out loud. On the face of it it's still a standard bottom end, its got a cam in it and head work and choice modifications/ components throughout based on calculations or being honest just winging it based on things i've picked up!
I got a 6 mile drive home from my mates on dark greasy salty roads so didnt get chance to push it but the response is amazing now and it picks up loads better. I didnt realise the final map would be so different to the base map and i've always enjoyed driving it on the base map. Really looking forward to enjoying it!
Thanks for reading,
Scott
Bobberoo99 said:
That is just superb!! Sounds fantastic!!
Thanks, appreciate it, thats the main thing for me really, adds to the occasion when you're out in it!RC1807 said:
Very good numbers, OP!
Thanks!Legacywr said:
It's about what I expected you to get, based on what my Pinto is putting out 
Never thought to compare against one of those old boat anchors 
but i suppose the m10 is BMW's pinto now you say that!With time off over Christmas i decided to finally get the gearbox out to sort the second gear crunch. Previously we had it stripped and it needed 4 new gears, 5 new syncro rings and all new gaskets, seals etc. You can drive around the second gear crunch but when youre proper on it you dont want to drive around it and i thought when i finally get it on track it would become frustrating and i didnt want to risk any damage to the box, if it explodes i couldnt afford another one of these gear boxes!
I think the car spends more time like this than on its wheels!
IMG_20191027_144623 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
Full exhaust off, propshaft out, semi stripped the intakes off, starter motor out, gear linkage separated and i could get it out:
IMG_20191218_140140 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
IMG_20191218_153257 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
IMG_20191218_150033 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
All the parts removed just to get the gearbox out:
IMG_20191218_155351 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
I took my time doing this and as i've mentioned before i certainly couldnt make any money doing this for a living, far too slow!
It also had a slight leak, which was causing some anxiety (probably shouldnt have a 70's BMW if i cant deal with oil leaks!) Luckily when i got the box out it jooked like the seal plug inside the bell housing just hadnt sealed fully. I had thought it might have been the crank seal on the engine so im glad i dont have to take the clutch and flywheel off to do this as well.
IMG_20191218_150740 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
You can also see some witness marks from where the uprated Helix clutch had been catching on the bell housing, this all stopped after the first time we started it up so its not a problem but something i wish i'd have known about before balancing the rotating assembly as i cant simply shave weight off the pressure plate now.
With all of this in mind i decided to take the box down the specialists i bought the spare parts off in the past (Retro Engineering). To says there's a fabled 2-3000 of these gearboxes ever made it is great news that this specialists exists! Even though they are some 210 miles away i was keen to head down in person and meet Nigel and Tom in person. A coffee was offered on arrival and a tour around their new facility went underway, their time much appreciated and i was so in my element i didnt manage to get any pictures! NK based race cars galore, 2002 retro mod's, group 2 triumph sprints, e9 csl, 2002 turbo etc. awesome stuff! If i had the money its the sort of place id want to be building my car is all i can say.
The hope is that it is just an engagement sleeve for 2nd gear that may need replacing and RE had these on the shelf. They also rebuild the gearboxes with straight cut gears with dog engagement as an option for the race cars. Luckily the more of these they build means the more OE spares become available for the likes of the riff raff like me! So the box is with those guys and I await the good or bad news, whatever it may be.
In the meanwhile i have a list of jobs that became apparent whilst stripping the parts off:
- Exhaust stud on No.4 leaking oil, need to remove and re-seal
- Exhaust primary flanges to be surface ground flat now they've had some heat through them
- Exhaust primary No.3 could do with a bit more clearance against the body but may have to do for now!
- Re-check valve clearances
- Order new rocker cover and exhaust gaskets, new Wurth copper lock nuts (12mm flat to flat m8) and new propshaft lock nuts.
Ontop of this i have the brakes pulling to one side issue. First port of call was to be to get the geometry checked up front but whilst the box is out i have better access to strip out the brake lines to the front calipers and do them again. When i initially remade them i was running the dual circuit M535I bmw calipers, which i then left but converted to single line for the Wilwoods. It's a job i dont like doing but this allows me to get the lines done better and re-route the drivers side away from the exhaust manifold, so i will be doing this.
Once its back together its just the geometry to adjust then fingers crossed it will be all sorted and ready to hit the track and potentially road trip. 2020 looks like a busy one but i hope ill get many miles in it this year!
Thanks for reading,
Scott
I think the car spends more time like this than on its wheels!
IMG_20191027_144623 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrFull exhaust off, propshaft out, semi stripped the intakes off, starter motor out, gear linkage separated and i could get it out:
IMG_20191218_140140 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrIMG_20191218_153257 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrIMG_20191218_150033 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrAll the parts removed just to get the gearbox out:
IMG_20191218_155351 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrI took my time doing this and as i've mentioned before i certainly couldnt make any money doing this for a living, far too slow!
It also had a slight leak, which was causing some anxiety (probably shouldnt have a 70's BMW if i cant deal with oil leaks!) Luckily when i got the box out it jooked like the seal plug inside the bell housing just hadnt sealed fully. I had thought it might have been the crank seal on the engine so im glad i dont have to take the clutch and flywheel off to do this as well.
IMG_20191218_150740 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrYou can also see some witness marks from where the uprated Helix clutch had been catching on the bell housing, this all stopped after the first time we started it up so its not a problem but something i wish i'd have known about before balancing the rotating assembly as i cant simply shave weight off the pressure plate now.
With all of this in mind i decided to take the box down the specialists i bought the spare parts off in the past (Retro Engineering). To says there's a fabled 2-3000 of these gearboxes ever made it is great news that this specialists exists! Even though they are some 210 miles away i was keen to head down in person and meet Nigel and Tom in person. A coffee was offered on arrival and a tour around their new facility went underway, their time much appreciated and i was so in my element i didnt manage to get any pictures! NK based race cars galore, 2002 retro mod's, group 2 triumph sprints, e9 csl, 2002 turbo etc. awesome stuff! If i had the money its the sort of place id want to be building my car is all i can say.
The hope is that it is just an engagement sleeve for 2nd gear that may need replacing and RE had these on the shelf. They also rebuild the gearboxes with straight cut gears with dog engagement as an option for the race cars. Luckily the more of these they build means the more OE spares become available for the likes of the riff raff like me! So the box is with those guys and I await the good or bad news, whatever it may be.
In the meanwhile i have a list of jobs that became apparent whilst stripping the parts off:
- Exhaust stud on No.4 leaking oil, need to remove and re-seal
- Exhaust primary flanges to be surface ground flat now they've had some heat through them
- Exhaust primary No.3 could do with a bit more clearance against the body but may have to do for now!
- Re-check valve clearances
- Order new rocker cover and exhaust gaskets, new Wurth copper lock nuts (12mm flat to flat m8) and new propshaft lock nuts.
Ontop of this i have the brakes pulling to one side issue. First port of call was to be to get the geometry checked up front but whilst the box is out i have better access to strip out the brake lines to the front calipers and do them again. When i initially remade them i was running the dual circuit M535I bmw calipers, which i then left but converted to single line for the Wilwoods. It's a job i dont like doing but this allows me to get the lines done better and re-route the drivers side away from the exhaust manifold, so i will be doing this.
Once its back together its just the geometry to adjust then fingers crossed it will be all sorted and ready to hit the track and potentially road trip. 2020 looks like a busy one but i hope ill get many miles in it this year!
Thanks for reading,
Scott
Legacywr said:
I’d expect parts for that box to be very expensive?
Pretty much but i got the gearbox with the car and money spent on the box is money in the bank (read this as man maths if you want haha) The gearboxes have gone from commanding around £1500 to £3-5k since i bought the car, when they even pop up for sale. With rebuild history and receipts this would be towards the mid-upper end i suspect. As i say, if i blow it up then i cant afford another one 
Last bill for parts when we stripped and rebuilt ourselves in 2018 was a few quid sort of 4 figures. That was 4 second hand but as new gears, 5 new Porsche baulk rings (the fact they run Porsche baulk rings isnt a good thing!), gaskets, seals etc. Engagement sleeves appear to be around £150 per gear so im hoping its just that alone on second gear. That would be best case! The engagement sleeves looked as new but Nigel has said this is often the case even when they are worn and that they dont look worn, if i knew this at the time i would have replaced that too but this is the sort of knowledge you'd only really know from experience building them.
mumbojumbo1 said:
Nice update. I too have see Nigel's workshop and it's really impressive stuff. Fingers crossed for you it's not too expensive to fix.
Thanks, i always meant to go down when they were in Redditch but time ran away. Im not a guy that gets envious typically but i couldnt help it when they showed me round the current spot. Must be awesome working on those sorts of cars right out of the way in peace and quiet!Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff