Poppy the Brilliant red 318iS

[ah]

LOOKING GOOD

[martauto]

It`s like brand new Rich, I would love to see her , maybe some day

Mart.

[rix313]

Doesnt start like a new one though Went for it today but she isn't playing the game. Being very intermittent at giving a spark and it doesn't seem to be firing the injectors. Spent about 4 hours arsing around with it today and not much further ahead. Currently thinking (hoping) the immobiliser is causing the problem. When fitting the throttle cable I may have leaned on a few of the wires. Given how badly other stuff was lashed in, I suspect a crappy connection. I plan to lay a spare loom in and hope for the best. If that works I know where to start looking.

[rix313]

After muchos dicking around, she runs.




After spending 4 or so hours going through the motions on the first day I slept on it and went back the next morning to have another crack at it. She was being very inconsistent which is just the worst thing possible to try and diagnose. I ended up laying a second engine loom in which didn't have an immobilser installed. After only 2 goes it went (thank fuck). So I wanted to check the loom in the car was also ok so I took the time to remove the immobiliser and reinstate the loom. Low and behold, it worked. I buttoned everything back up and set about bleeding the cooling system. I thought there was a huge air pocket in the system as the radiator was not getting warm, or rather, it was staying cool. With a brand new rad, fan, clutch I think it was just doing a perfect job of cooling as the gauge sat nicely. I did have an issue before with the heater valve sticking which appears to still be happening as the heater hoses are warm but shes not blowing hot yet, so need to have a play with that.




Next jobs are to fit undertrays, rebuild and fit the headlights, a very other tidying jobs and I'll be getting her MOT'd.

[BenHar]

Make sure the heater hoses are connected the right way round.

Back of head to lower stub.

Ben

[rix313]

Thanks Ben I’ll give it a double check. It did play up on me before it was stripped. Hopefully either way a simple solution

[martauto]

I`m coming down for lunch......................in the engine bay
I love it when people dont take second best !!!

Mart.

[rix313]

A few years ago I bought some Gtechniq trim rejuvenator. It has held up well to be fair, I took the time to re apply it to the grilles to give them another lease of life.




I then fitted the headlights which I bought from Paul_TV last year. Long story short they actually went missing for a while but luckily they showed up and it's amazing how fresh glass lenses can lift the face of the car.




Finally I did a job I have been putting off and I hope never to do again, removing the bonnet foam and glue. Christ what a labour of love that was. I used brake cleaner and a small plastic scraper to do the bulk of the work. Then lots of old rags to clean off all the residue. I will be getting the inside of the bonnet painted when I have the rest of the paintwork looked at later in the year, so for now I won't apply any new foam.

[martauto]

Brand new Rich, absolute credit for NOT taking second best
I put aftermarket lights on mine and it really does make a big difference.
Mart.

[rix313]

Thanks Mart, on the subject of getting over excited with daft shit, today I changed the right hand front strut. Why you ask, because I noticed that when I pull the ones that are fitted to the car from stock, one was an ABS strut and one was a non ABS strut. I have only just noticed this. Frankly, I am still a bit confused with myself but it annoyed me so I stripped the one off the car and built it up onto a matching non ABS strut so now they both match. Anyone would think, I have too much time on my hands....

I also spent some time sorting out the front left fog light. Although I thought I had sufficiently repaired the wiring it turns out that the core of the wire I had attached to was so corroded it was giving a load of resistance and only 6v was getting to the connector. I ended up chasing the wire back to almost up the strut housing to find some decent solid copper. Once I did I ran a new wire down to the fog light and got it working.




Another small job I needed it back on the ramp for was to sort one of the rear heat sheilds. I was convinced the exhaust was having me over but it turns out the aftermarket fuel tank I have, has the link pipe spout sitting really low so it was putting pressure on the heat sheild. I didn't want to just wrestle it into place so a bit of fettling and 'dressing' to create a 'bowl' for the fitting to sit in, so it didnt rub and it fits nicely now.


I then got all nervouse and excited, put the wheels on and went for a quick test drive down the country lane and back. She is, for all intensive purposes, finished








I'm really happy with how it has turned out. A couple of small finishing jobs to do inside, do the tracking, set the headlights ahead of the MOT. ANNOYINGLY, the power steering doesn't seem to be working. I will be very miffed if its the pump as I rebuilt that but the steering rack is second hand, so I will swap the pump just to check. I'll probably end up sending a spare Z3 rack I have off to be serviced as it is the ONLY part which hasn't had a recon on the whole car now.

[martauto]

Beautiful to say the least !!!!!
I am listening to "close to the edge" by Yes and what more can a guy ask ?????

Mart.

[tha881]

It's looking mint, just in time for summer. You must be itching to get some miles on it!

[Tzantushka]

Looking great for the test drive!

Congrats.

[rix313]

I moved the MOT forward a day as I was getting too itchy about just getting it done. Morning of the MOT, a short shifter I bought on ebay turned up. The car was still on the ramp so up in the air she went and I fitted it. It's one of the Z3 1.9 ones. I want to try get the Wiki updated but for reference the centre of the ball to the centre of the joint is 40mm. Also the part number on the shifter is 21 11 143 41 48, turns out this is the number which was replaced by the number on the zone wiki. So it's the same item essentially. Was a nice thing to quickly fit and it is just so much nicer to operate.




And popped the strings on to adjust the front toe.




Wheeled her outside for the 'group shot'.




And then off to the MOT, which obviously she passed So then, off to the pub!






I have become very self aware though, I've done about 130 miles now, steady away to let everything settle in. But people litterally stop and watch her go past looking, which is satsfying, I just wish I could show how good she looks underneath too, the beauty is far more than skin deep.

To recap the complete list (sure I'll forget something )

• Engine rebuild
  Gearbox rebuild
  4.1 LSD built with billet end cap
  All suspension powder coated and rebushed
  Z3 2.7 quick rack
  Z3 short shifter
  All new brake and fuel lines
  More vapour blasting than I can kep track of
  Dash swap
  Engine bay repaint
  Eibach Pro Line springs
  Bilstein B4 dampers
  New fuel tank and refurbished filler/breather system
  Tech 1 spoiler
  New plactics and under trays
  Fritzsbits full stainless exhaust
  All brakes reconditioned
  Replacement original headlights

[flybynite]

Good result

Is that your E34? What flavour?

[rix313]

Cheers man. Yep she is, 525 TDS manual, bought it on a right whim but I'm so chuffed with it. I fitted a tow bar and I plan to use it to tow the race car It's a little rough around the edges but its a dream to drive www.e30zone.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=34&t=283162

[martauto]

Absolute quality Rich.
Nothing else to add.

Have one for me mate.

Mart.

[BenHar]

The rear camber looks a bit odd?

Is it standard?

Ben

[rix313]

I know what you mean but I think it's because it was a wide angle photo cropped so it looks a bit odd.

I've been doing quite a bit of driving in the girl. Sadly though, when being...spirited...this happened:



So I am running an open 4.27 which is far from ideal on the long runs. Currently trying to find the bits to fix it, harder than it sounds, especially with jokers selling 'damaged' spider gears on ebay. I do have my hands on a 3.91 medium case which I'm keen to try in it to make the longer journeys quieter.

[flybynite]

I've been doing quite a bit of driving in the girl. Sadly though, when being...spirited...this happened:

Bugger! was it a small case? The small case didn't last long behind my B23 (although it had been breathed on a bit from new). I put a medium case in but then the 245 dogleg went bang just after. Never really drove it that hard either.

G260 and medium-case LSD did over 100k miles with no issue after that before it was put off the road.

[rix313]

Yeah a small case. I had hoped a standard M42 wouldn't have put that much agro into the diff but here I am

[flybynite]

Yeah a small case. I had hoped a standard M42 wouldn't have put that much agro into the diff but here I am

They were always known as weak but if your M42 is standard then it does surprise me a bit. Has anyone rebuilt that diff? That failure looks awfully like too much backlash, as if it was not set right (or at all) when built.

Caterham tried to use them but found out the same thing, you can hear the excessive backlash on some of them.

Nothing on an E30 bothers me to rebuild but diffs are one thing I give to someone else to do. Small gaps have big consequences with those things.

[steve_k]

how's the z3 shifter feel? compared to the likes of the B&M one?
did you couple it with a DSSR & new bushings?

[rix313]

They were always known as weak but if your M42 is standard then it does surprise me a bit. Has anyone rebuilt that diff? That failure looks awfully like too much backlash, as if it was not set right (or at all) when built.

Caterham tried to use them but found out the same thing, you can hear the excessive backlash on some of them.

Nothing on an E30 bothers me to rebuild but diffs are one thing I give to someone else to do. Small gaps have big consequences with those things.

From experience I'm not sure how back lash would cause that kind of failiure? Be interested to know what you had experienced with the Caterham? But yes I did have this one sent away to be shimmed and set up. I have done my race and track car ones in the past but just didn't have the time or energy this time around The diff has a billet end cap as those are normally the first parts to fail, I guess once that was strengthened the next weakest component has made itself clear.

how's the z3 shifter feel? compared to the likes of the B&M one?
did you couple it with a DSSR & new bushings?

It's the Z3 one just a superseeded part number to the ancient Wiki one. But it's very good and I am keeping an eye out for another one. When I put the shifter together I fitted all new bushes.

[flybynite]

From experience I'm not sure how back lash would cause that kind of failiure? Be interested to know what you had experienced with the Caterham? But yes I did have this one sent away to be shimmed and set up. I have done my race and track car ones in the past but just didn't have the time or energy this time around The diff has a billet end cap as those are normally the first parts to fail, I guess once that was strengthened the next weakest component has made itself clear.

It is quite simple, if there is play then you get shock loading, that can break stuff in a dramatic way. Where it breaks will depend on where the play is and where the weak spot is. My 168 went differently but just as spectacularly but it did have a TWR-built M20B23 giving it grief. BMW did put the 188 back on the 323i before it stopped production though.

I have never dealt with Caterham myself, just followed the agro a mate of mine has had on his car when they went from Ford 8" to the BMW 168. Quite a lot online about it if you look.

[rix313]

What’s happened is the tyres have gripped, the plates have been compressed and the bit in the middle wasn’t happy with it. Just a shamed it didn’t machine the splines off the clutch plates rather than detonate both the spider gears. Cracks me up people selling damaged and broken bits for these on eBay. Looking at racing diffs replacement parts but also thinking about putting a Blackline in there.

[flybynite]

What’s happened is the tyres have gripped, the plates have been compressed and the bit in the middle wasn’t happy with it. Just a shamed it didn’t machine the splines off the clutch plates rather than detonate both the spider gears. Cracks me up people selling damaged and broken bits for these on eBay. Looking at racing diffs replacement parts but also thinking about putting a Blackline in there.

Problem is you only need a single solid bit to break off and get picked up and wedged in the wrong place and it can grenade the whole thing, seen it in a few things over the years.

There is a guy on the south coast that knows his stuff with these, you probably already know but if not you can PM me if you want his details.

He is the only one that will be touching my 188 1.5 way motorsport diff as they are not 2 a penny these days

No experience with Blackline but a helical should be fine on the road where you won't be picking up a wheel. I have a Z3 Torsen to go in my second but I don't think the ratio would suit the 318is. The 168 and 188 seem to be priced identical from what I see so for the sake of a medium case shell you have problems solved.

[rix313]

Mine go to Heasman, he’s Bedford way. My race and track diffs are played for the very reason you keep ruin but for the road car a helical would be fine, I don’t anticipate picking up a wheel with it haha.

I bought a 188 LSD blind some years ago and a drifter had managed to snap the cross pins and it was carnage inside. I still have it for the good spares that were left. I have just bought a medium case 3.91 which I need to collect from Telford. Actually keen to see what it would be like lengthening the gearing a little. Really it is a cruiser I have the other cars to drive quickly in the proper environment.

In other news, my engine bay stickers FINALLY arrived in the post

[martauto]

Hi Rich, where did you find the "ATF" sticker ?
I could use one for the e46

Mart.

[rix313]

All of them came from Puka but I wouldn't hold your breath waiting for them to arrive.

[rix313]

Two years slightly overdue checking in here. Not a great deal to say other than she didn’t get much use in 2023.

I had a few days out. Local classic car tour, back and forth to work in the summer and trips down to Wiltshire to see my parents.








She still had a vibration I was chasing which I was losing the will to live with. I got the flywheel and clutch rebalanced, as well as the propshaft. None of it made a huge difference. I noticed when putting it back together the new centre bearing I fitted seemed a little off. It was a Meyle one and the carrier is sat in and a lot of flex in it. I decided to swap it for a Febi one which was much more sturdy when it arrived. Lo and behold it solved my problem!! So, a weak prop centre bearing housing was the cause of all the problems I’d experienced!!

I also sorted the diff. Ended up getting a 168 Blackline spool and having my 4.1 rebuilt with that. So far so good on that front.




Cut to this year! I decided to take the old girl on a well over due road trip to Le Mans. I was working there and it seemed good excuse to make a detour on the way and have an adventure.

Started near home in Brackley.




A night in Ashfield before an early train.






First stop on Luxembourg.




Day two heading through Saarburg to Technik museum Shinsheim.








Stayed over in Heidelburg and then onto Technick museum Speyer and stumbled on a classic car gathering. Made a friend.








From here to Reims. A night and then stopping through the old circuit in Reims before heading to Le Mans.






Finally to Le Mans.






And home

[martauto]

I bet that was one hell of a trip Rich
Lovely looking car

Mart.

[rix313]

So last year I was told one of the inner joints had play and put off doing it, for no reason other than being lazy. I found some old arms stashed away that were original bmw ones so I stripped them (my god it took some pressure to get the old ones out), blasted and had them powder coated. I then rebuilt them with Lemforder joints.






I didn’t quite get to do an extended trip as per last time but I did take Poppy for another trip to Le Mans this year. Working as usual, decided to take my bike and another Lego set so she was well loaded up. Took the train down once again.








One evening I managed to get out and get some cool photos around Le Mans town before the masses showed up.












One evening near our hotel I stumbled across some French lads who were in town to watch the race so spend a couple of hours with them bonding


Sleeper ferry home.




When I got back I decided to pull my finger out and for some Focal speakers I’d bought a couple of months back. Because of the tweeter they didn’t fit behind the standard covers so I had to do some modifications. The grilles they’re supplied with look rubbish so I found some much more pleasing ones. IMO they don’t look out of place and the sound is improved over the old speakers.












And FINALLY I fitted my new washer bottle.

[e30newman]

Looks mega, cleans up nicely!

Focal highly rated as well, how are they? Something I need to get round to on mine as well my audio is so quiet.

You spannering at le man?

[rix313]

Looks mega, cleans up nicely!

Focal highly rated as well, how are they? Something I need to get round to on mine as well my audio is so quiet.

You spannering at le man?

They're an improvement on what I had. I like listening to good audio but don't really have the patience or time to fanny about with it so it sort of is what it is now

This year I was working as a track support engineer with Goodyear but in previous years I've been spannering for a team.