Jozi's m52 touring - Rebuilding has started

[Jozi]

Did you make it shorter so the bend is tighter against the rad? I'd appreaciated it if you could get some pics, would much more preffer to run with the airbox.

Plan was to make up something like this for the cone:



And have a hole on the inner wing and the under where the abs pump would be (with ducting from front valance) for fresh air.

[DanThe]

That looks an ok enclosing but look at the state of the inlet boot, it will split after a few thousand miles and hot/cold cycles IMO

I just moved the box backwards

[Jozi]

Don;t like how it sits either, wasn't going to use a bmw boot anyway.

I was going to use a Samco elbow like the one you and Dezzy have, until I worked out it would be around 130euro delivered from the states. Bit much for a 15euro reducing elbow with a port for the ICV and crank case cover, was going to DIY the ICV port onto a elbow I have but have since found out the Samco boot can be got in the uk for around 60-70pounds.

[DanThe]

Yeah they are dear once the postage/taxes are added, we bought 4 iirc and had them sent via a friend in the states, worked out about £40 each

[Jozi]

£40 I'd buy one for alright, thats even pretty reasonable but 130euro is a bit much. The elbow I got (in pics) is 72mm-80mm, the 80mm side is more like 85mm but it was only about 20quid or so.

[DanThe]

Ive got the label from the packet kicking about somewhere and have been meaning to try and order one direct from samco, got to be cheaper

[Jozi]

Around £65, I was onto them a few times and they eventually found the one. They thought it might have been a elbow specially made up for turners, I reckon it might even be from another car that just happens to fit perfectly.

[e30-EVN]

i would most def have one of these for 40 quid..!

[Dezzy]

When we got them the £ was still strong against the $. You have no chance of getting one for that now IMO.

[DanThe]

When we got them the £ was still strong against the $. You have no chance of getting one for that now IMO.

Thats more what did it thinking about it, was pretty much 50p a dollar

[Jozi]

Got a painter sorted, he's to get back to me with a date, will prob be more or less 3 weeks from now before he can pick it up.

Engine bay and a few bits I missed are being treated with deox gel, will start clearing it of this week and get started on the bay.

Any luck with pics Dan?

[Jos]

Coming together nicely mate

[Jozi]

Had a hose delivered this morning, sun was out, got busy trying to make the airbox fit in the bay. It fits but it's very tight! Can't decide if it's to close for comfort and I should do a cone setup or stick with this for the OEM look.

[Jozi]

Small up date...






I've a few stuborn rust spot that needs a bit more gel, going to treat all bare metal again also (until I'm ready to primer it). Need to make up a bracket for the airbox and abs bump. Some how need to get those welds around the strut ground down, angle grinder cant get at them and the dremmel grinding stones I have are rubbish

The underside needs a little bit of attention here and there but mostly it needs a good clean, rub down for a 2nd coat of primer and I can then underseal and stonechip it all

[Jozi]

Spent a bit of time last night making up a card template for the airbox bracket, happy with it I transfered it to steel this afternoon. Many hrs later and a timber mould to help with the edges and one airbox bracket. I just have to figure out a way to transfer it to the red shell so it's in the exact same position

[DanThe]

Looks like you have plenty of space between the airbox and rad mate, that hose you have fitted is wrong, the S50 hose has a tighter bend

[Jozi]

The rad hose? That was the one from the e39 (I think), it's to short, had it there to give me an idea of what kinda room is needed. It all seems to fit quite snug!

[Jozi]

It looks so much better in primer





After chat with the painter last night it was decided to put colelction of the shell of for another week He wouldn't be starting on it until after next week and I just couldnt get all the bits done I wanted to get done before tomorrow morning, I'm not hoping to get my bits and more done before next weekend so I have less to do when I get it back.

Pic of ABS and Airbox bracket (never mind the bad welding )

[Jozi]

For the first time since Dec 2009 (year and a half since I got her)

[fearlessphil]

Proper job!

[Jozi]

Time for a proper update, not had much chance over the last 2-3 weeks to post up pics of progres.

2nd coat of primer


Underseal and then a coat of paint

I'm not to happy with the underseal I got (aerosol from BMW, great for touch-ups though1) so the painter is going to be sealing it up again while he has it.

I had a few of these bits painted with hammerite hammer finish paint, it didn't match the subframes so I cleaned them back again, etch primed and paitned them last week.


All the chassis and suspension parts to go on to get the shell rolling again.


A moment of scratching heads trying to figure out how to get her down of the spit


15mins later :dance:


And finally this morning


Of for paint she went I won't see her back for another 10 weeks now but I'm very confident when she's back it will have been worth the wait.

A thread should appear on autostadt's forum with pics from Marty as work progresses, I'll copy everything across as/when they get posted

[Jos]

I see your Halfords socket set box has split too!!

[Jozi]

Lol yeah I think it split when it dropped 2yrs ago, I'm doing well to have only recently lost 1 13mm socket.

Did you make it down to the big meet last Sunday?

[Jos]

Nope I didn't, did a full alignment check and replaced exhaust manifold and redid the downpipes again! Almost out of Argon just in time for BOC to put the prices up

Not enough confidence in her yet to do any big journeys!

[Jozi]

You should have come down with some of the NI-BMW lads, it was a great show. Some turn out of BMW's and quite a lot of E30's.

I can;t remember the times I ran out of gas when I thought I was done, have a nearly full cylinder if I need it.

[Jozi]

Finally got the lend of a engine hoist this week and started by pulling the engine from the old shell



Nothing could just be straight forward with this build The oil filter cap refused to come of, after trying a few different things I eventually wrung the hex nut and proceeded to remove the cap with a little more violence

If anyone has one spare, I'll take it of your hands

Engine is now back on the stand and I think I'll spend some time cleaning it now and just hope she runs when it all goes in the car.

[DanThe]

I hope you dont end up with overspray all over that clean and tidy suspension!

Nice filter cap

[Jozi]

I hope you dont end up with overspray all over that clean and tidy suspension!

Nice filter cap

Likewise! I was wondering would he remove the shocks to get in under the towers but I doubt it, we'll see when I get it back.

Who ever put that cap on last didn't tighten it to 25nm thats for sure!

[DanThe]

Usually happens when fitterzz cant be arsed to change the O ring so there is no resistance when screwing it down, then they stupidly tighten it up against the plastic..

[Jozi]

Does the o-ring come with a new filter? There may well have not been one, the lid was tight up against the steel it screws down to.

Any replies to you take 10x longer to type cause of your avatar

[DanThe]

It does come with new filters yes, you do screw it down to the shoulder but there is a torque figure on top of the cap as a reminder you dont have to go crazy

[Jozi]

I had a look at the remains of the old cap earlier and it did have a o-ring. This one was more like 250nm instead of 25nm as it says on the cap.

Started cleaning the engine a little today and un-bolting some stuff. I've two pulleys to the front, one I'm guessing was for aircon and can be safely removed.

I'm still in two minds on cleanign the whole engine before hearing it run, it's not as bad to do as i thought now that i've started and got one side done.

[Jozi]

Had the whole block stripped of what ever could be removed only to find she wouldnt rotate by hand any longer. After speaking with a mate (and also briefly Dan) we thought it might have slipped the chain and timing gone out. This evening I kinda forced it a little more than I previously had and she goes round again by hand. Will be assembling the engine so I can fit it and get her running, hopefully no damage was done!

[G-Bear]

Great thread. Have been meaning to read it for ages. Started it a few times but never got too far. Finally sat down tonight and read it start to finish, the battery on my laptop died and i don't have my charger with me, so have moved to my phone to read the last page. Absolute outstanding work. Looking forward to seeing it back from the sprayers.


Christ, twenty to two on a Monday morning.

[Jozi]

Engine is back in the old shell, no clutch on her. Next I need to get the tank back under her and plumbed up, plug in all plugs and stick the battery on the charger before I can see how she runs :dance: Only took 6 attempts, 4 on my own, to get her in, helps if the engine mount is the right way round!

Hoping to go see how the sprayer is getting on next weekend, he's some work done, plastic preped, wings preped, he started on the roof which was painted with a brush at some point.