Jozi's m52 touring - Rebuilding has started

[Jozi]

Did these yesterday, mostly a trial run again, brake res bracket will be used as is though, I might possibly to all brackets and bolts in the bay gold passivated.

Cleaned up as well as I could do them:


Zinc plated


And passivated

[G-Bear]

Good work there Jozi.. looks very satisfying..

[Jozi]

I guess so. I'm not 100% happy with the finish on the brake bracket, so I cleaned back the guide and went through the whole process just now. Only, I dipped the part in the passivate in 3 sections, lowering it every 10seconds. I want to get some sort of an idea how to make the passivate look the same consistently, 30seconds might not have been enough though, I'll have a better look tomorrow when it's bright.

[Jozi]

Been awhile since I did an update. I was getting the hang of the zinc plating and then it went to shit and just couldnt get a nice plate. I cooked up a new batch of electrolite and it's pretty much been working 100% since. For anyone thinking of doing it, you need patience and it's prob less hassle to let the pro's do it :p

This is more or less what I've done so far


Most of the bolts for the door lock, the lock brackets and bit are plated and a few other bolts from around the door also. Have started on doing the subframe nuts/bolts also, eccentric washers and nuts below for the rear arms. They were new but I decided to strip the coating from them and make them more shiny and maybe? more resistant to rust than what ever bmw had on them.



I also gave the rack a good clean, new inner track rods (don't have or can't find outer ones) and new rubber boots, hardlines got some surface rust removed and a coat of paint, likewise with the spline and the two banjo bolts were zinc plated.

[DanThe]

Epic bufftying!

[Jozi]

Small update as progress has been nearly non-existant since starting a new job 5 weeks ago.

Old shell is another step closer to being scrap ready now that I got the last of the shadowline trim removed last weekend and the rear quarter glass.






And yes that one pice of glass missing


Good thing I have spare from the red shell that has been restored.

[Rav335uk]

Very nice Brendan.
Oh, and those bits for the interior are now in the process of being made for you.

[Jozi]

Very nice Brendan.
Oh, and those bits for the interior are now in the process of being made for you.

I'll have to start saving so

[Rav335uk]

[Rav335uk]

[Jozi]

Little bit of progress this weekend, quite happy with what I got done for once

Subframes were looking a bit worse for wear with dust from the paint shop and some paint chipped etc from being moved around. Decided to make use of some of bmw's own stone chip, more like a heavy rubberized paint than anything else, and treat the underside of the front subframe and the whole rear subframe with it, and some satin paint to make it look a little better. Both are ready to be refitted once I do the same with the trailing arms and wishones next time I'm home.





Close up of the slightly textured finish.


I also got the front of the car soundproofing started, made patterns using the old car as a template. Front of the car is done, will be adding more to some of the larger empty areas and I have another product I might use to cover the whole floor pan.

[Jozi]

I've mostly been tidying up small bits here and there before I refit the subframes again. Plan is to also use Bilthmaber underseal in the arches and possibly a few other places under the car, it's a nasty looking black coating though.

I've only so far fitted the front subframe and rack and the rear end can be bolted up once I have brake lines made and do up the clamps on the new cv boots.




Anyone with BC Coils notice the rear rubber above the top mount perishing? I've had them maybe 2 years and 0 miles and the rubber is full of cracks.

[craigieeb]

Yep the rubbers on both sides of my rear BC's are cracking,
(cracks running down the rubber all the way round the circumference? )
I just put it down to "good use"
but if your's are doing that now, with no miles on them, the rubber compound must just be crap!

I should look into replacing them soon tbh just need to find a good replacement.


Good progress btw

[Jozi]

I've emailed them this morning but he wants a part no for the coils which I don't have to hand before he contacts the factory.

What effect does the perished rubber have, if any?

[craigieeb]

If the cracks get bigger, which they will inevitably,

it'll just be like a top mount going and in need of replacing

[Jozi]

Had a look at the rear shock earlier, doesn't look to hard to replace the rubber once it's perished to much. BC have an email with pics in their inbox, maybe they will have a solution or something for me cause I'm not exactly keen on putting them on with the perished rubber.


Just a small update

Got a start made on rebuilding the trailing arms, new kunifer brake lines, stainless brake nuts and stainless goodridge braided hoses



Tools used


One finished brake line


And one trailing arm


I have to zinc a few of the bolts that are used on the parking brake and get some new pads before I can finish the brakes of. Discs also need a bit of de-rusting and if my kit can manage I'll zinc plate them also.

[Jozi]

For the past few weeks I've been prepping the arches for some undersealing and finally last weekend and this weekend I got it done. I had 4L of bilthamber dynax ub lying around dying to be used so, purists look away because this won't be to your liking






And up close


It's a slightly tacky finish, stuff will probably stick to it but I had my reasons for using it and there's no way it's gonna rust under there!

Also, got a few more parts plated, few bolts were new and re-plated and the rest was cleaned up, de-rusted and replated


The diff is in a big tub de-rusting, my attempt at eletrolysis didn't really work, think I used the wrong powder and I couldnt find the right stuff at the time so I've put a load of bilthamber dynax powder in the tub, a little water pump and a aquarium heater to help the process along.

I've a few more parts to plate but I think I might have enough done to start putting subframe's back on the car next weekend :dance:

Anyone know how to remove the top mount bolts from bc coilovers? The look pressed in. They have gone a little grubby and I want to plate them like the nuts on them

[Jozi]

Small update, didn't get as much done as I wanted to over the weekend. Ran out of paint and my handbrake cable doesn't fit

Had the diff soaking in deox c for the past week with a little aquarium pump and heater. Came out nearly spotless with next to no rust


Few little spots like this left but painted it up anyway




Ran out of paint so only one coat, will do another coat next weekend and should be fine. Also got new bolts, yellow passivated them so they are pretty. Just need some washer and zinc the speed sensor plate and it can all go back together.

Also got the diff cover cleaned up and painted



Anyone know the correct orientation for the bush?

[appletree]

The underseal might not be to there liking but your will still be there when there's have rotted away

Did you underseal under the but behind the headlight u underneath to?

Hopefully going to have my front end done in the next week or two.

[Jozi]

Hopefully it helps!

I'm thinking of doing as much as i can as i go along, havent done underneat behind the lights but i probably will do it.

Home again tomorrow eve, might get something rebuilt and on the car. Car show sunday, should have been there!

[craigieeb]

Did you have any joy with the BC's?

[Jozi]

They sell the rubber bush on their site, 6quid each or so. They didnt want to do me any favours saying their out of warranty, even though theres no miles on them.

[craigieeb]

Cheeeky bar stewards!

[Jozi]

Arent they just that.

Some of the nuts and bolts have also seen better days.

Anyone have their bearing hubs go rusty as well? I'll post a pic later if i get a chance

[bigbird76]

Nice work Jozi

Liking the plating process, I wanted to try that myself but did not have the balls, your diff de rusting reminds me of when i did my diff, I used phosphoric acid and made a bath and gave it a good soaking and it was like new, Then i taped up the shaft parts and it had a good blast with a sandblaster and then a few licks of por15, Also the cover was cleaned and licked with aluminium paint.

Anyway keep up the great work,

Leigh

[Jozi]

If I was going to do the plating again, I'd put them all in a big box and pay someone else to do it, cheaper and less hassle, except when you find you forgot some stuff.

I tried electrolisis but it didnt work for me so that was the next best thing, pretty happy with the results though! If I can get por15 I'd use it but no one local does it, hammerite will do for now!

[appletree]

Don't frost post Ireland? Or is it silly expensive? I got my por15 off frosts eBay site which was cheaper than there catalogue.

[Jozi]

They probably do but I'd like it done this weekend. There's etch primer, zinc primer and nearly 2x coats of black on the diff, it should be enough until I get the diff rebuilt.

[bigbird76]

They probably do but I'd like it done this weekend. There's etch primer, zinc primer and nearly 2x coats of black on the diff, it should be enough until I get the diff rebuilt.

That should be sufficient enough, Por 15 is only good if you have a good key for it to bond too, Hence grit/sand blasted, Otherwise its shit stuff that peels off easy. If i was doing it again i would not use por 15.

Leigh

[appletree]

It seams to be better if you use the prep and paint first aswell.

[Jozi]

I just had a few days of tidying up some lose ends and loads of small job which meant I finally made some progress by the end of today

Few touch-ups to the front struts and disc backing plates


I had to get custom handbrake cables made as a result of chopping up 10cm of the metal tube under the car in which it runs. From what I remember I bought a cable in a motor factors and got a company to make me a pair exactly the same only with 10cm added to the outer cable. All well and good till I went to fit it, the little eye let was to wide and to wide Some minutes later on a bench grinder and 40mins in the zinc tank and she fits


When I pulled of the bearing from the struts I found this


Pretty bad I thought for a pair of bearings with no miles on them that has been on a car that was sitting up. Treated them and painted up the worst of it with alloy wheel silver, came up lovely.




I only realised today I forgot the backing plates, luckily I was able to pull the bearings of again, the nearly slid of.

Rear discs were also a bit rust, cleaned them up with a wire wheel and some paint on the bells (I'll pull the masking tape of the brake surface when she's ready to go on the road)


Diff painted up with 2x coats of hammerite after I ran out of spray paint, bit shiny but it will do, diff cover also painted with wheel silver. Just got to zinc the sensor plate and the 2x alen bolts for filling her up.


And finally today with some help of my brother we got the lot bolted up under the car :dance:

All thats left to do it tighten everything up to their torque value's set the camber/caster and a couple more small jobs but she's as good as ready for wheels to be put on.





Front end also all bolted up and ready for wheels after all the bolts are torqued up right.


I zinc plated the rear subframe brackets and painted them silver since I ran out of black, came out fine though.


And here's a little something I've been working on as well

[appletree]

Is you rear beam adjustable? What are you setting the toe and caster to?

[Jozi]

Is you rear beam adjustable? What are you setting the toe and caster to?

Yeah, I have no idea tbh! I was going to go with it being as normal as possible but I want sensible tires on this and might need a little camber to make sure nothing fouls on anything.

Any idea whay camber/caster I should be going for?

[Kedge]

Serious peado levels going on here Brendan, impressive work!

[Jozi]

Serious peado levels going on here Brendan, impressive work!

I kinda realised that as well after I got it all bolted up It got a little out of hand I think!