1991 316 auto to 328

[Brianmoooore]

Use a 6mm hexagonal screwdriver bit - the type you use with a cordless drill and magnetic bit holder, hold it in place with the tip of a finger, and turn it with a 6mm ratchet spanner.
The offending part of the brake linkage bracket wasn't fitted to early RH drive cars, and only appeared in response to comments about poor brake 'feel'. Unfortunately, BMW didn't think to change the screw to a hex. headed* one at the same time.

*You can, of course, when you reassemble.

P.S. It's not necessary to remove the bulkhead grommet to undo the bolts, unless the rubber has deteriorated. A quarter inch extension bar will push through beside the pipe.
Tape the square nuts in place when you put it all back together.

[Tedswagon]

I realised I don't have a 6mm spanner....... but had started this off with the same and a pair of pliers..... not ideal but guess that's best choice unless a trip to shop is possible!!

Thanks for your advice.

PS, the grommet is quite firm so the socket was impossible to get to the bolt head.

[SeanOB]

great background info on that annoying bracket placement Brian!

I ended up doing a similar thing to get the bottom screw out, I taped the philips head bit into the spanner as it kept slipping out... which lead to much swearing and frustration.

Guess you took the passenger seat out? Makes getting in there a lot easier.

edit: random tip - when you get around to refilling the system with coolant, try get a spare hose (I used garden hose) to feed some into the matrix via those solid pipes, before you hook back up the top coolant hose. Seemed to save some time when bleeding the darn thing again.

[Brianmoooore]

PS, the grommet is quite firm so the socket was impossible to get to the bolt head.

You don't force the socket past the grommet - just the extension bar (about 6mm diameter) from the engine bay. Fit the socket on the bar from the cabin side.

[Brianmoooore]

Guess you took the passenger seat out? Makes getting in there a lot easier.

Definitely! No SRS wiring to worry about on most E30s, so easy job.

edit: random tip - when you get around to refilling the system with coolant, try get a spare hose (I used garden hose) to feed some into the matrix via those solid pipes, before you hook back up the top coolant hose. Seemed to save some time when bleeding the darn thing again.

You can achieve much the same thing by pulling the top hose off the top stub on the bulkhead after filling, and pushing it back on while coolant is trickling from the hose and stub.

Another tip involving a hosepipe: Before taking any of the heater bits apart inside the cabin, disconnect the hoses and use the garden hose, connected to the bottom stub, to flush all the coolant out of the matrix, etc., so that any liquid that escapes onto the carpet is just plain water.

[martauto]

I dont know if this is in the Wiki but it bloody well should be !!!
It has every thing I need to know when my lads do this later on this year. (bones have gone again)
I will look into this and "make it so"

Mart.

[TurtleDesignTech]

Thanks for the insight Brian.

+1 for adding to the wiki.

[Tedswagon]

Thanks for the kind remarks, the little I know I've learned from the knowledgeable folks, like Brian who make this place. I'm just following advice I've received on here and add some photos. I'll try and post more photos, generally always forget.

[magpie]

Scottish car show this year ?? good work mate , nice to see progress .

[Tedswagon]

When is the Scottish car show? If it's late summer / autumn, then maybe! That's my target.

[magpie]

15th july but you need to book now £12 for car and driver , See Mark Leitch on facebook e30's Scotland page.

[Tedswagon]

good reference read

https://oldschool.co.nz/index.php?/topi ... onversion/

[Tedswagon]

Have been unable to get near the car for a while - weather and family have put a stop to my efforts.

[Tedswagon]

Thanks for the advice - got the O ring seals replaced. Here are some snaps! I plumbed for the small hex head in a small mole grips technique . . not sure I can TM that





Also fitted the power steering pipes from Danthe. Does the back pipe need to be tied back to anything? Its just held in place with the bolt connection to the rack.

[Tedswagon]

I went to attach the track rod ends to the struts and realised they dont fit! I wrongly assumed they would just bolt on - but looks like I was wrong. What TREs are you all using?

[Tedswagon]

Another issue I had today, was when I bolted in the clio servo and attached it to the brake bar I tried the pedal.



Obviously I waited until I had put the glovebox back together!! and this is what I noticed!



It is a loud click - like the pinging of a spring and you feel it through the pedal. Please tell me its an adjustment or something simple, rather than a fooked servo!

[Tedswagon]

Ah, video doesnt work through Flickr - I'll put it on YouTube.

[Tedswagon]

[Tedswagon]

I've just read the Wiki, I clearly have e46 tre and I thought they were e36. I've ordered new e36 outter track rod ends.

[Tedswagon]

I ordered new e36 outter track rod ends and they arrived today, feck that's quick! CP4L. Test fitted and all looks good.

[Tedswagon]

We had some nice weather in Edinburgh over the weekend!! So I had to find a job or two I could do outside!

Clutch lines - *I would like to add, i have never bent a pipe for brakes or other before this! - found an old crusty pipe for along the bulkhead from master towards slave and started bending the pipe bought from BMW. I think it turned out pretty good , then went to fit to the car an it needed some more bending.

My tool of choice for all bending was edge of wooden table, hands and pipe bending plyers as in the photo. I found it tricky getting the bend angles correct but happy how it turned out.





I also did all of the small brake lines. Didnt do the ones which go along the trailing arms as I will wait until they are on the car and then see what I can fashion without a template! All the brake lines are Cupro rather than copper.

[SeanOB]

excellent table technique

keep it coming, progress looks steady!

[Brianmoooore]

The tight 180 degree bends can be made by bending the pipe around an appropriate size of socket.
When making up pipes, make the longest ones first. That way, when you mess one up with a badly formed flare or making the flare without sliding the nut on first (I'm sure I'm not the only one!), you can cut it up and make a couple of shorter ones.

[Tedswagon]

The tight 180 degree bends can be made by bending the pipe around an appropriate size of socket.
When making up pipes, make the longest ones first. That way, when you mess one up with a badly formed flare or making the flare without sliding the nut on first (I'm sure I'm not the only one!), you can cut it up and make a couple of shorter ones.

I cheated and bought a pack of pipes already flared with nuts on them.

[TurtleDesignTech]

Good effort with the brake lines. You make it look easy.

How many O-rings are needed for the heater valve job?

[Tedswagon]

Just two.

According to real oem:

64118377824
Gasket ring
D=17.12MM

Item number 8 on this: http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/showpar ... Id=64_1720

[TurtleDesignTech]

Cheers Ted.

[Tedswagon]

With the trackrod ends not working for me last week I started on the rear end!! I got the trailing arms out and the hubs and I went to assemble sitting in the sun . . . it was at that stage I realised my rear hubs from the 316 are not the correct size for the 325 bearings!





So I managed to get another pair from the zone facebook page. Got them during the week.

One of them had part of the bearing race still attached. Pulled that off, gave them some attention and put them on!

[Tedswagon]

With the hubs on I decided to add the bushes and get the trailing arms on . . . . . feck, whats the craic with this . . . got to this point and then decided to put it away - will come back to it. If you have any ideas where I might have gone wrong please let me know.





It might not look like it - but they do not line up!!









Any ideas welcome

[magpie]

that's a bummer ... i bought febi rear bushes , they fitted straight in and all lined up no probs .

[Tedswagon]

I was thinking "bet OEM would fit right in" too

[shedrool83]

With the hubs on I decided to add the bushes and get the trailing arms on . . . . . feck, whats the craic with this . . . got to this point and then decided to put it away - will come back to it. If you have any ideas where I might have gone wrong please let me know.





It might not look like it - but they do not line up!!









Any ideas welcome

I had the same issue after painting and rebushing


Hammer the openings abit wider and get something to put through the holes to line it all up like 10mm threaded rod, that will go .

[Tedswagon]

Cheers. I'll give that a go.

[Tedswagon]

Hi all,
I was scratching my head for ages about this one. With some brute force and hammering I got to here - but was concerned and didnt feel right - and importantly it wasnt fitted!





So I quizzed a zoner on FB and he asked what method i used for bush removal and was it possible I had bent the arms?


Bush removal was force them out from the inside - so that lead to the use of a measuring tape!!!

I had two pairs of arms powder coated at the same time but the second pair were more pitted and not as nice a finish so I had left them to the side. Here are the comparison dimensions;









And here is the one I was trying to get into the subframe . . . .



Thats quite a bit out!

[Topblag]

Dude, as previous, there's a 20 ton press at Gordon’s and it's free for you to use.

Equally if you can persuade it out, you can persuade it back