E30 Zone

Hi guys, my name's Stephan, I live in London and this is my first BMW - e30 325i.

I bought in August 2012 and I actually started a project thread on another forum, but decided to switch to e30zone, as the info and the whole atmosphere here is just amazing. So here it goes...

It's an SE, registered in 1990, black in colour, full black leather, OBC, A/C, sports steering wheel, 14" basketweaves (except one is buckled, so I'm using the spare wheel) and overall in pretty good condition, but no radio lolz (do you really need it with this engine? )

Most importantly, it's rust-free with an exception of some really tiny bits here and there.

Did a full service last week (oil, oil filter, air filter, plugs, fuel filter) and changed the brake pads well, as they were quite low. Discs are good for now.

Got loads of plans for her, i.e. original 15" Motorsport alloys , M-Tech2 steering wheel, the kit, recaro seats, cat-back exhaust, suspension, restore the body, possibly re-spray/wrap and many other things.

But for now, since the money is a bit tight, I want to get it mechanically perfect, as the rest is not so important.

Changed the viscous fan coupling (34 quid from GSF) this weekend, since the car is overheating in slow traffic, but that didn't really make much difference. Plus it seems like, the fan got louder too.

So the next thing on the list is the thermostat. Also want to check/change the timing belt, as god knows when it was changed last time.

Here are some pics for you and stay tuned for more updates:









*Original update from 20/08/2012.

I'll slowly add the old updates and then post some of the recent stuff as well, so stay tuned

Welcome to the zone, look forward to the updates.

Looks a nice example, in fact looks identical to mine

personally id just put the Se skirts on, rather than the whole kit but thats just me.

Looks really straight and clean

Keep it original

Thanks for the nice comments guys Rich, it is an SE, so I would think the skirts you're talking about are already fitted? Anyway, Mtech 2 kit is a long-term goal, as for now I'm more focused on the mechanical side of things...

*Here's another update from 28/08/2012:

Passed MOT on Friday, clean emissions and generally good all around. Got a few little things that need sorting, but nothing major.

Went to a local scrapyard yesterday and picked up a few bits and pieces

Found a front splitter that was missing on mine and fitted straightaway:



Also my gear knob was very loose and was coming off almost regularly, because it was knackered inside, so I replaced it with a genuine BMW leather knob I removed from a E36 Compact

Was lucky to find one as usually these are always missing in the scrapies...They are just pull-up to take off and push-on to fit, simples

I admit it's not in the best condition, but will do for now:



I have no stereo atm, so I decided to have a quick look at the wiring today to see what's what... and it's a complete mess there:



That will definitely need a bit of tidying up.. Planning to get something original from the same'ish period, but with a CD player. I know E30's only had cassettes, but the right CD stereo will look good anyway

More updates coming soon

ha your right mate, yours already have a set fitted

personally id leave it at that, so many cars have tech 2 now its abit samey, good find on the splitter the IS splitter also looks good its a bit deeper than the standard one.

sounds like you v bought a decent motor there bud, looking forward to the updates.

on the ICE side of things iv got a Kenwood head unit with tape and CD changer in the boot, fitted from new, not OEM but the colour it illuminates to, is identical to the colour of the dash board lights, may be one to look out for bud.

*Update from 02/09/2012

My original wipers were pretty much dead, so instead of replacing them with the same ones, I thought it would be a better idea to get new-style aero blades (7 quid from eBay), so here they are:



Straight swap and the fitment is MEGA-simple, money well-spent I think.

Also my cigarette lighter wasn't heating up, so I checked/replaced the fuse (should be 30A, fuse number twenty eight) and also got a cigarette lighter from a E36. It fits a bit deeper, but it works and it's original BMW, so all good



One little annoying thing that I need to sort out, is the offside screen wash nozzle that doesn't work, because the water doesn't reach there, since this shitty pipe is leaking:



See that tiny whole on the right of the pipe? For some reason the water comes out from there when you try to spray the screenwash. Strangely enough, the left side works, eventhough there's a whole as well? Weird. Anyway, will probably get the part from BMW. Not 100% sure, but the part number should be: 61 66 1 374 978

You can find loads of part numbers here, awesome site >>> http://bmwfans.info/

And now the BEST news:



As I said, I wanted to get something that will look right for the age of the car and after looking around, this seemed like the ultimate option

They originally come on Rovers 25/45 and the display is BMW orange, so perfect for my E30.

The only thing that I need to figure out is how to fit it lolz. I managed to get 2 plugs for it and they have 13-14 coloured wires, while I have only like 7 in my car (see picture in previous update)

Here's how the plug looks like and even says BMW on a side:



And here are wires for one plug:



And the other one as well:



Don't know why, but the wires are slightly different? The first plug has 14 wires including big fat black one, and the 2nd one has only 13 and colours are a bit different too. Can't wait to get it fitted, although I have no idea where to start

Noticed my water pump is leaking, so going to replace it, as well as the timing belt, 3x other belts and the thermostat. Big jobs coming...

*Original update from 09/09/2012


I managed to install Rover Blaupunkt CD43 radio in my E30, yeahhhhhhhhhhhhh. I was sooooooooo mega-excited when I connected everything and it all worked! So here's how I've done it...

I ordered this plug from eBay, which is called "SOT-060 BMW Parrot/Bluetooth ISO Adaptor Lead":



Then I cut off the Parrot/Bluetooth plug since I didn't need it and I also cut off the female ISO plugs from it, so I could use them for connecting the car's wires. Make sure to cover any loose wires with an electrical tape just for extra safety.

So basically what you're going to have is a BMW plug (the big one with 17 pin and a sliding lock) connected to the radio and ISO male connections sticking out, which means you can connect the radio to any car with ISO plugs

After that I started connecting the car's wires and ISO plugs to the 30A terminal block. I know, you could simply crimp the wires, but I decided to go the terminal block way...

This is how it all looked like when I finished:



I spent a good few hours around E30 forums to find out how to wire everything up, so to make your life easier, here it is:

CAR WIRES = ISO WIRES

BROWN = BLACK
PURPLE = RED
RED/GREEN = YELLOW
RED/GREY = ORANGE

PLEASE NOTE: On the picture the ORANGE wire is not connected with RED/GREY, but it should be, as it's for the radio illumination. I realized I made a mistake when wiring everything, but forgot to take a new picture with the orange wire connected.

Btw, no need to do anything with the blue wire, I just taped it.

Then you simply have the wires for the speakers, which have matching colours, so just wire them up and you're good to go.

Once you've done all that, you can actually use any aftermarket radio in your car, which has ISO euro plugs, so if your radio wiring was a mess like mine, then the above is a good way to tidy everything up.

After that I simply connected the ISO plugs from the radio to the car and the CD43 came back to life! It asked for the CODE and fortunately there's a good site called (http://www.radio-code.co.uk/) which I used to get the code for my radio.

You just put in a few things, like make/model and serial number, then pay and instantly get your code online. Mine was around 9 quid and most importantly it worked, so can't complain.

Oh almost forgot, you will need a DIN to ISO adapter (PC5-55 DIN Aerial to ISO) for the radio plug, because the one on the car doesn't fit the radio, as it's too big.

Here's the beauty fitted in place:



Fitting was a bit fiddly, as it didn't want to go in, so I opened the glove box and removed a small plastic piece on the right which sits between the glovebox and the radio/heater panel. It's held by one little philips screw attached to the dashboard, so you can easily put it back. That gave me access to the back side of the radio, so I could move around the cables and push the radio in properly.

Then when it's in, you just tighten up the little screws on each side of the radio and you're done!

I do have the little plastic "door covers" for the screws, but I'm scared to break them when fitting lolz

Next time I go to a scrappy, I'll try to find a volume knob and I also ordered M stickers from eBay to cover up the Rover sign, which seems like a popular choice for those who install CD43 in their BMWs.

Oh, I also went to BMW on Saturday and ordered the "E30 T Washer Valve" (part number 61 66 1 374 978), which is the tri pipe that I posted a picture of in my previous reply. Cost me 7 pounds, so not a biggie.

Next thing on the cards are the mechanical jobs, i.e. timing belt, drive belts, water pump, thermostat, ignition system, clutch and a few seals...unless I get distracted by silly things, like new wheels or a M Tech2 steering wheel

Happy days!

16/09/2012 Update

Right, so the job for this weekend was to change the thermostat. I got the thermostat (Part No.: 209440120) from ECP with a gasket (Part No.: 369440130) for just over a tenner and after reading around on forums decided to do it myself as it didn't seem like a big job....And indeed it was pretty easy

First, locate the thermostat housing, which is right between the fuel pressure regular (FPR) and the huge OBD plug. Luckily, you don't have to take off the whole housing to change the thermostat, because you just have to remove the front assembly that is held by 3 bolts.

MAKE SURE THE CAR IS COLD BEFORE YOU START DOING ANYTHING.

1. Remove the little water hose, which connects the assembly and the bottom metal pipe. Some coolant will come out, which is normal.

2. Then undo 2 small fuel pipes - one is connected to the FPR and the other one is just to the right of the thermostat housing's bleeder valve. You will have to wiggle/pull them quite a lot, as they are pretty tight to come out.

Here's a pic for you after all the above has been done:



3. Now you can start removing the assembly. As you can see, it's held by 3 bolts (10mm). I sprayed some WD40 on them before removing to make the process easier, but they come out pretty smooth. You'll have to use a ratchet extension for the bottom bolt as it's too far in.

That's it, you're done! Carefully pull the assembly from the thermostat housing and it's out

No wonder why my car wasn't warming up properly, because here's how my thermostat looked like...



Take the thermostat out and clean the assembly from any rubber that the gasket may have left and just give it a good clean. Then just put your new thermostat it (make sure you do it the right way round lol) and check that the hole or the arrow on the thermostat is pointing to the bleeder valve (the little bolt on top of the assembly).

Put everything back in and since you've lost some coolant, you'll have to top it up and bleed the cooling system.

Once you've refitted and reconnected everything, top up the coolant to the max (I just used water) and DON'T put on the coolant cap yet.

1. Now start the car, put the heaters on HOT, open all the vents and make sure the heaters are on max (4).

2. Wait for the engine to warm up to normal operating temperature, which is 90 degress when the temp gauge needle gets right in the middle.

3. You may need to top up the coolant a few times during the "warming up" process, making sure it's always at the max level. Once you start seeing steam/water burbles in the coolant expansion tank, put the cap back on and tighten it properly.

4. Then go for a quick drive (30 mins - 1 hour?), come back and let the engine COOL DOWN COMPLETELY.

5. Check the coolant level, which will most likely be a bit lower than max, so just top it up, put the cap back on and you're done!

I know you can use the bleeder valve on the thermostat housing for bleeding, but no harm in using the above method either...

It's all good now and the car takes about 10-15 mins to get to normal temperature, but for some reason the needle struggles to get to the middle (no matter how much or how hard I drive) and it sits kind of in the middle between 2 marks...Here:



I guess that's just how it's supposed to be.

Apart from that, I got the "E30 T washer valve" from BMW and it made no difference at all? The screen wash is still pissing from the pipe and doesn't reach the right hand washer nozzle?

Also I put on the ///M sticker for the radio and celotaped the side covers on. The tape is minimal and not too visible, so doesn't look too bad. Still need to find a volume knob, so will take a final pic of the radio once I get that.

Hopefully will get all the parts for the timing belt change + some other stuff and get it all done by the end of the month

Will keep you updated!

Update from 30/09/2012

I've done quite a bit of shopping this month and here's how it looks like:



That's ContiTech timing belt kit, x3 ContiTech drive belts, BBT ignition leads, Bosch ignition coil, Bremi rotor arm, AirTex water pump (not sure if it's a good make?), 2ltrs of blue coolant, crankshaft seal (timing end), BERU distributor cap and I also got an OEM quality BERU viscous fan coupling, so really happy about that.

Hopefully I'll get all of the above done in October, after that I'll need to change the clutch with a few other things and then finally move onto tasty mods...

Also I managed to find an original 14" 6.5J BMW BBS alloy wheel, so I can fit it on the car and chuck the spare one in the boot. Will get a pic later on.

And that's it so far.

Thanks for following.

Original update from 07/10/2012

Not a huge update, but I finally bought and fitted the original 14" BMW alloy wheel, so the spare one that I had on the car, is now in the boot, where it should be lolz



As you can see, the alloy is pretty clean, so I'm happy with that, and the tyre has about 3-4mm of life left, so it's not too bad either.

Also I washed and t-cut the whole car on Saturday, but forgot to take any pictures

Oh, I managed to fix my offside washer nozzle as well. Turns out, because there was a clip missing on the hose that attaches to that tri pipe which I bought from BMW earlier, the water was leaking from there, not from the pipe itself. And strangely enough, I had to use an original clip like the one below, because the metal jubilee clip that I tried, wasn't tight enough...



Had to clean the nozzle with a needle properly, as it was badly blocked, and now both sides work like brand new

Hopefully will do the timing belt change and all the other stuff the coming Saturday and will take a few pics as well!

21/10/2012 update:

Amazingly I still haven't had the time to do the timing belt and all the other stuff, but I messed up my NS mirror glass when I thought that cleaning it with a wirewool was a good idea lololol

So here's how to change mirror glass on e30. First, have a look at the underside of the mirror housing and you'll see a tiny little hole there, like this:



What you need to do, is push the bottom part of the glass fully in and then put a thin flat head screwdriver in the that hole and try to push the teeth mechanism anti-clockwise to release the glass.

Have a look at the picture below, where I've removed the glass, to see how the teeth look like...



See those 4 cuts at the bottom? That's what you use for releasing and fixing back the glass as well. Be careful not to drop the mirror and if you have heated glass, then make sure to remember how the wires were connected.

Once you get the mirror out, it's easy to see that it's just a twisting mechanism, but it's really fiddly to get it moving with a screwdriver when you can't see anything

Also I realized that you can also fit E34 glass mirrors - they are a bit bigger, yet they fit perfectly fine.

And here's what happened to my old one after an unlucky cleaning session...



Lesson learned Will keep you updated, thanks for following.

Original update from 03/11/2012:

All the parts that you've seen on the picture that I posted a few posts back have been fitted!

Took a few pictures along the way, so here they are.

The work has just begun, so all the water hoses are off, the radiator, the distributor cap, the ignition leads, the fan with the coupling and the 3x drive belts. Got the air box out of the way for easier access as well.



Everything nicely sorted on the table



A bit later this is how the front looked like. While I was there, I also replaced the front crankshaft seal, the intermediate seal and the camshaft seal (including the o-ring).



Spent a good while cleaning all the parts from oil/dirt and finally we got the new timing belt, adjuster pulley and the water pump on:



Once the main job was done, the rest was a quick replacement, i.e. the rotor arm, a new dizzy cap, leads, ignition coil and all the accessory belts.

Then we got the coupling on with the fan and I'm really happy with it. Made by BERU, no silly roaring when accelerating - as good as original.

I gave the engine bay a good clean and here it is:





The car was sitting in the garage for a while, so it collected some dust. So after a quick wash, I polished it and took a few shots:









The power delivery is very clean now and the engine works smooth as silk. I LOVE IT

Most likely, the next job will be clutch, gear linkage and a few other things on the gearbox side, but I'm guessing that will be early in 2013. As for the rest of the 2012, I might do a few little mods here and there, depending on funds, but nothing major probably.

Thanks for following and enjoy your weekend

Scratch that bloody rover sign off that stereo......

Nice car mate,keep it up

macas, I covered it with an M sticker, like you see them on BMW alloys, so no more Rover sign there lol

Update from 14/01/2012:

My rear demister wasn't working, because the electrical grid around the corners was burnt, so the power was only right where the metal connectors were and it wasn't going further up to be distributed through the whole screen.

This pic should give you an idea of what I'm talking about:



The whole stripe along the edge should be light brown, like it is in that small section, but as you can see, it goes dark brown/black further up, so the power stops there. It was exactly the same on the other side of the screen.

After doing some digging around, I found out about "demister repair kits" and got one of these from Halfords:



I thought I would try to use the electrical-conducting paint over the burnt stripe, which hopefully would make it come alive again, but it didn't work...Well anyway, according to the instructions on the box, it's only good for repairing broken stripes, so I guess it was my mistake to buy it in the first place. Nevermind.

Was lucky enough to find a good condition rear windscreen with working demister on eBay that wasn't too far from me, so picked it up and the guy gave me the weatherstrip and the locking strip as well, although you can simply re-use your own.



Then after doing some research, I found out what tools you needed to do a windscreen change on cars where the screen is held in place with a lockstrip, rather than glued on like with modern cars.

The main thing that you need is the so called windscreen diamond tool (see pic below), which is required for putting the lockstrip back in place. Apart from that, a hook screwdriver (or a thin flat-head screwdriver might work too) and loads of WD40



1. First, disconnect the demister wires connected to the screen from inside.

2. Spray WD40 all around the rubber weatherstrip to soften it, so it will be easier to work with.

3. Then you need to pry off one of the metal "cups" on the bottom corner of the windscreen. The reason I say one, is because the other one will come off itself, when you remove the locking strip.



Use a hook screwdriver to get the it off. No matter how careful you are, it will get slightly damaged, so if you're really fussy, then you can get a new one from BMW for about 8 quid, otherwise you could re-use the old one, but it won't look 100% perfect.

4. These cups connect the top lockstrip, which goes around the top of the windscreen, with the horizontal piece that sits at the bottom. Once one of the cups is out, simply remove the top lockstrip, and then the bottom piece and the other cup will come out easily.

Everything is out:



Here's a close-up for you:



5. Now you can start to slowly push the windscreen out from the INSIDE. Start from bottom corner on one side and then work your way round. Get someone to help you at this stage to handle the glass. Keep in mind, the rubber weatherstrip stays in place, so don't remove it, otherwise you might get water leaks, if you don't fit it properly.

You're half-way through now:



6. Spray some more WD40 inside the weatherstrip all around, so the new glass with slide in more smoothly. Now you want to get the new windscreen inside the weatherstrip. This is pretty simple, assuming there's someone helping you. One person is holding the glass, while you go around the screen pushing it into the rubber. Some people use a rope to feed the glass in at this point, but I managed to do with my fingers and it wasn't hard at all.

7. Once the glass is in, it's time to put the lockstrip back. This is where you will need your diamond tool. Find the right size diamond head for the locking strip, so you can feed the strip inside the head.

I started with the top lockstrip, but I guess it doesn't really matter, as you could do the bottom one first too. So what you do, is feed the edge of the locktrip through the diamond head in the bottom corner where you put the metal cup and work your way around.

The way it works, is the head of the tool stretches the rubber of the weatherstrip, so you can push the lockstrip back in place. You simultaneously pull/push the tool and squeeze the locktrip into the rubber. It's quite easy, once you get the edge in. Then you do exactly the same thing with the bottom piece.

8. When it's all in place, make sure the gaps in the bottom corners of the lockstrips are even, and if so, then put the metal cups back in the corners (a bit fiddly), re-connect the demister wires and you're done!



A dark picture, but you can see the new windscreen is fitted lol. Notice the solid, light brown demister stripe across the edge.

It's about a 30 min job, if you've got the necessary tools and definitely worth doing, if your demister grid is burnt.

Hope the above info will come handy for you.

The next thing on my "to-do" list is the still the new clutch/gear linkage that I haven't come around doing yet, due to it being quite a big and pricy job. I'll see how it goes in the next few weeks/months and will keep you updated.

Thanks for following!

17/02/2013 Update

Decided to upgrade my stereo to something more modern and got myself a Sony CDX-GT26. I'm no audio-freak, so I just wanted something not too expensive, decent looking and most importantly with orange/amber display, so it would go well with the rest of the in-car lightening.

Here's how it looks in daylight:



And I tried to take a pic in the dark, so you would see the color match, which is pretty much perfect, although on the pic it looks a bit brighter:



Also noticed a bit of oil around my rocker cover, so planning to change the gasket next weekend and clean up all the oil mess.

Stay tuned...

Original update from 03/03/2013

I changed the rocker cover gasket, blind plugs and the breather hose yesterday. Pretty quick and simple job, so here's a quick guide on how to do it.

First, you'll need to make sure you've got all the parts necessary for the job...In theory, you only need the rocker cover gasket, but the blind plugs (little rubber seals that sit on the sides of the rocker between the cover and the head) and the breather hose are recommended to be replaced while you're there.

1. Rocker cover gasket - I got my one from EuroCarParts (made by Victor Reinz), but I'm pretty sure the one from GSF would be fine too.

2. 4x blind plugs (part number: 11 33 1 264 519) - get from BMW directly, as they are only about 5 quid for all four.

3. Breather hose (part number: 11 15 1 708 801) - same thing here, genuine BMW, the hose was something like 10 pounds.

So here's what you should have:



Now when you have all the parts ready, let's get started.

1. Remove the bracket that connects the rocker cover with the intake manifold - it's 10mm 4 bolts.



2. Undo the jubilee clips on both ends of the breather hose, so you can take it out. Keep in mind, it's quite fiddly to get it in/out and you will also have to remove the short fat pipe (pic 2) that runs on top of the other end of the breather hose, which connects to the throttle body.





3. Once the hose and the bracket are out of the way, you can now remove the 8 nuts (10mm) that hold the cover in place. There's no need to disconnect the plugs, as you can simply push the top part away, once you've undone the 2 nuts that hold it to the rocker cover.



When all the nuts are out, you should be able to easily lift the cover off. If it's a bit stuck, give it a gentle tap with a flat screwdriver around the corners or use the oil hole to stick your fingers in there and try to lift up.

Now you will see this:



My rocker cover was looking pretty sad underneath...



After a quick cleaning session with a brake cleaner, it looked like this:



Not exactly brand-new, but definitely a lot better than it was before.

The 2 pictures below show you where the blind plugs are. I haven't removed the old gasket there yet, but you can still see the plugs - 2 on the timing belt side and 2 on the opposite end:





Note how they are sitting in place, so you don't place them wrong way around, when re-assembling.

4. Remove the old gasket and the blind plugs. However, before you put the new plugs in, put a tiny bit of black RTV all around them - some people say it's not necessary, but I think if you don't go too crazy with the amount, it won't do any harm.

Here you can see where the plugs go:





5. Once the new plugs are in, slot the new gasket into place (no need for any RTV here) and put the cover back on. When tightening the nuts, tighten them in a criss-cross pattern for an even/better seal all around and DON'T OVER-TIGHTEN them. I didn't go as far as tightening them to a certain torque number, but just be gentle with them...



The breather hose and the bracket are the opposite of the removal and you're DONE!

Hope you're not too bored with my mega-exciting updates, but these things have to be done before you go all out on wheels/lowering or exhaust systems, etc

Also I think I found my coolant leak, as I noticed tiny water drips underneath the thermostat housing, so could be the gasket or the housing itself - anyway, not too bothered about it now, but will get to it eventually.

If plans go right, then the next weekend I'm doing my handbrake shoes, as something has broken inside the NSR hub (one of the springs/pins?) and it's making an annoying noise when driving.

I've already ordered the Bosch brake shoe kit (part number: 1 987 475 088) and still need to get the shoes themselves, probably from ECP.

The clutch/gear linkage is still on the do-to list, but god knows when it's going to happen lolz

Will keep you updated.

Thanks for following.

Finally, this is the last post from the current project thread on another forum, so the next update will be for the most recent progress

Original update from: 06/04/2013

I was planning to simply get a handbrake shoe kit to sort out the problem with the noise in the NSR hub, but then I thought it would be a good idea to replace a few other things while I'm there...

So I bought the handbrake shoes and the cables, then I found out that the disc brake covers were all rusting away, so I got them as well, but I didn't know that you had to take the bearings out to replace those plates. In the end, I had to get 2x new rear wheel bearing too.

Also I did brake pads last August, when I just bought the car and serviced it, but didn't do the discs and since they are pretty knackered now, I decided to do the rear ones and leave the fronts for later.

Plus I purchased new bleeder valves from BMW, as mine are pretty much rounded, hex bolts for the discs and the bolts for the backplates as well.

Now I've got all this waiting to be fitted



And here are some part numbers which may come handy for some of you:

Bosch handbrake shoe kit - 1 987 475 088
Rear brake disc cover left - 34 21 1 162 061
Rear brake disc cover right - 34 21 1 162 062
Rear bleeder valve - 34 11 1 153 197

The discs, handbrake shoes and cables are all made by Pagid and bought from EuroCarParts. The wheel bearing were displayed as SKF on ECP's website, but the ones that arrived are made by FAG, which is still a top manufacturer for wheel bearings - don't go for some cheap shit, choose only stuff like SKF, FAG, Ruville, etc. You'll thank yourself later on.

Due to the pain in the ass fitment of wheel bearings, the work will be done by a local specialist, so I won't be able to take any pictures for you...However, when all this is sorted, most likely the next job will be clutch/gear linkage and I will take a few snaps there for you.

Also need to remember to change gearbox/diff oil...By the way, found this useful guide on choosing the right oil > http://www.redlineoil.com/news_article.aspx?id=13

Will keep you updated!

Alright, so all of the above has been fitted by a local BMW specialist and I was pretty pleased with their work.

Before I show you some scary pics, I decided to show you what should be included in the rear wheel bearing kit, as there are plenty of makes/brands around and they all contain different things.

Apart from the bearing itself, there should ideally be a lock-ring, a securing plate and if you're lucky a collar nut - although the nut is not really crucial, because you can re-use your existing one, since they are usually in decent condition.

The kit that I bought from ECP is made by FAG and it has the bearing, the ring and the securing plate - that's a good combo, as I explained above the nut is not a biggie.



Ok, the reason I had to do all this work, is because the mounting point on the backplate for one of the pins, that holds the handbrake shoes together, has rusted away and caused the pin to come loose.

So when driving, you could hear something moving around/creaking in the hub. Also the handbrake wouldn't hold the car on a steep hill, because obviously the shoes were no longer mounted properly.

All this came off:



Now look at this massive hole on the left side and compare it to the other side, which is pretty bad too:



And this was the state of one of the shoes - no need to mention that it was basically flat:



Now it drives nice and smoothly, no silly noises and the handbrake works perfectly. Shiny discs and plates:



Visited the National Motor Museum in Beaulieu last Sunday and it was definitely a great day out Recommend to check it out for everyone! And took this pic on the way out to remember:



Next on the list are 4 tyres, as mine too tired - fronts are pretty close to the limit and the rears are about 3mm, but cracking around the edges, so decided to replace them anyway. Will be getting part-worn tyres, as you'll be surprised how cheap you can get them for 14's

Now need to save up some cash to do the clutch and gear linkage. Would be useful, if you could tell me what else should I do while I'm there...Gearbox mountings and the crankshaft seal are already on the list.

Thanks for reading!

Did you find the Missing part of the thermostat????

There's nothing missing there, it's just split

11/05/13 update

Not much happened lately, but decided to replace all 4 of my tyres, as they were pretty close to the limit and cracking around the edges.

It's amazing how cheap you can pick up used 14's...Talking numbers, this set cost me 50 quid



1st one is a literally brand-new Kwik-fit tyre (8mm)
2nd tyre is Firestone, which has around 7mm tread
And the last two are Evergreen EH23's with 6-7 tread as well (matching tread tyres for the back wheels)

Surprisingly, the steering is a bit lighter now, which is definitely a good thing, and the acceleration/braking has slightly improved as well...Still need to do my front discs and backplates!

Also I've started to slowly order all the bits and pieces for my clutch/gear linkage job, so hopefully will get this finally done by the end of May.

Pics and more info about that should be coming next weekend

P.S. Thanks to Rtaylor2208 and Brianmoooore for the help regarding the required parts.

18th of May Saturday update!

All the parts for the clutch/gear linkage overhaul have been purchased, with an exception of the clutch kit, which should be coming next week

I've taken a few pics for you and will provide all the part numbers for the stuff that I'll be doing.

Ok, so let's start with Febi parts:



Now what we've got here...The propshaft centre carrier with the bearing, gearbox mounts, propshaft guibo, rear crank seal and some gearbox seals. Here they are in more details:


Febi propshaft centre carrier, including the bearing (02823) - BMW part no: 26 12 1 226 723, bearing size 55x13x30

Febi gearbox mounts (07999) - BMW part no: 23 71 1 175 939

Febi propshaft guibo disc (02562) - BMW part no: 26 11 1 225 624, dimensions 78x110

Elring crankshaft seal (transmission side) - 90x110x12

Gearbox shifter shaft seal (15x21x5) - BMW part no: 23 12 1 282 394

Gearbox input shaft seal (35x52x7) - BMW part no: 23 12 1 220 619

Gearbox output shaft seal (40x55x8) - BMW part no: 23 12 1 205 340


When searching for Febi parts, I came across this site, which made it A LOT easier finding the right parts for the car > http://www.febi-parts.com/

It also has BMW part numbers, so you can cross-check with BMW parts catalogue and make sure you've got the right parts.

And now the "E30 gear linkage kit" that cost me around £130 to get from BMW:



Unfortunately, it's not sold as a kit, so you have to find all the parts one by one yourself and then order everything you need. The guide which is available here is quite useful and I got loads of info from there as well...Here > http://www.e30zone.net/e30zonewiki/inde ... ar_Linkage

This picture gives you a good idea of what you'll need > http://bmwfans.info/parts/catalog/E30/4 ... ing_parts/

So here are all the parts required to restore your E30's gear linkage to "as new" condition


No. 2: Bearing sleeve - 25 11 7 519 669

No. 4: Bearing, shifting arm ”“ 25 11 1 220 707

No. 6: Shift lever - 25 11 7 527 246

No. 7: Bearing, shift lever ”“ 25 11 1 220 600

No. 12: Plastic washer ”“ 25 11 1 220 439 ”“ Quantity required: x3

No. 13: Securing Clip ”“ 25 11 7 571 899 - Quantity required: x2

No. 14: Gearshift rod joint ”“ 25 11 7 503 525

No. 15: Rubber o-rings - 25 11 1 221 243 ”“ Quantity required: x2

No. 18: Dowel pin ”“ 23 41 1 466 134

No. 19: Tension bush ”“ 25 11 1 203 682

No. 20: Plastic washer ”“ 25 11 1 434 194

Check the gear linkage link on BMWFans.info I've posted above, where you'll find all the parts I've listed here.

And that's it

Now just got to wait for the Sachs clutch kit to come and hopefully will get all this done by the end of May!

Thanks everyone for your help re parts.

really enjoyed reading your thread mate, i love arm chair restorations

Thanks Jim

Finally managed to find the right clutch kit and bought it from GSF for just over £130.

It's the one made by LUK (part number 62 303 2700). I was going to buy the Sachs one (3000 132 002), but apparently it's no longer in production, so I went for LUK instead.



If all goes well, I should get everything done next weekend, as I got all the parts now!

Happy days

jimbom30cab wrote:really enjoyed reading your thread mate, i love arm chair restorations

+1

Finally, a MEGA update Got all my clutch, gear linkage and few other bits done today!

NO more shaking in 1st/reverse gear after long driving, gear shifts are strong and also I cleaned all that oil mess around the gearbox too...

Here's how it all looked like before we started:



The exhaust was quite a bitch to come off, because of those fiddly rubber mounts at the back, but managed to bring it down pretty quick. I took a pic of the manifold pipe to double-check the fitment for a new exhaust (long-term plans), so now I know it's the octagon shape with 8 sides...



Don't worry, we got the missing top thread - it came off with the nut lol

Then the heatshields came off and I saw the propshaft centre carrier which was definitely past its best:



Prop came down, so I checked the guibo and although it wasn't completely knackered, but worth replacing for sure:



Got the gearbox out of the way and surprisingly the old clutch didn't look that bad. All genuine BMW as well



Took the flywheel off to inspect the rear crank seal and like Brian said, it was proper dry...However, looks like I'll need to change the sump gasket in the future, because that seems to be the point of the leak on the front:



Since the seal wasn't leaking, we decided there's no point of replacing it, so we left the original one as it was. Smoothed the flywheel a bit with a rough sandpaper, put that back on along with the new clutch and the plate:



Now moving to the gear linkage. The black bush you see on the left was in pretty decent condition (note it got damaged when removing), but the shifter and the metal mount were gone:



Didn't take any pictures when putting all the bits and pieces together for the linkage, but just check the diagram on this page and you should have a good idea of what goes where > http://bmwfans.info/parts/catalog/E30/4 ... ing_parts/

Here's a snap when we put all the linkage in:



With the gearbox on the floor, we got the shifter seal replaced and put the new rod joint in. Got the release bearing replaced here too. Remember how all the washers and rubber o-rings go, when re-assembling:



Also took off the output flange to replace the rear gearbox seal. You'll need a thin-wall 30mm socket for the nut and then a fat screwdriver with a hammer for the flange:



Now the clutch and gear linkage done, we started putting things back in. Here's Febi's new prop centre mount - good that it comes with the bearing installed (ignore the loose bolts):



And one last picture of the gearbox that I took with the new mounts, before we put the exhaust and all the covers back in place:



Not exactly crystal-clear there, but not so much gunk anymore, especially on the gearbox itself

Finally all the major jobs have been completed now - oil service with all the filters/plugs last year, timing belt and water pump with all the ignition side of things in November and now the clutch + gear linkage. I'm well happy!

That's not to say that the car is mechanically perfect now, but at least quite a big chunk of work has been done so far...

Most likely the next few updates will be for some minor things like sorting the oil cooler leak, front brake discs and covers, but the future plans are suspension overhaul and full exhaust system.

No promises of when it's going to happen, but we'll get there one day I'll see how it goes and might be able to squeeze in some new alloys inbetween all this...

Thanks for all the advice and help guys, especially regarding the parts. This forum is golden!

June 15th 2013 - gearbox and diff oil change

Make sure to check out this article in the Wiki section, as there's loads of useful info > http://www.e30zone.net/e30zonewiki/index.php/Oil

Right, so I've decided to buy Fuchs Sintofluid 75W for the gearbox and I went for Castrol Syntrax 75W140 for the diff, as I have a LSD. Quite pricy fluids to be honest, all together about 50 quid, since I bought 2L of each.

I needed 1.25L for the gearbox (Getrag 260) and 1.7L for the diff (medium case).



Let's start with the gearbox.

The filler plug is on the driver's side and it's a 17mm hex bolt. Make sure you take this out first, before touching the drain bolt. As you guys say, "dirty oil is better than no oil" LOL



Once you've managed to take out the filler plug, the drain plug is right underneath the gearbox, same size as the filler one:



I was shocked at how little fluid there was in the gearbox. After I took out the drain plug, probably about 200-300ml of fluid came out and that was it - black/grey-ish colour, blah.

Anyway, drained the dirty crap out of it, filled it up with fresh fluid, tightened the bolts and moved to the diff.

The bolts on the diff are torx and they also have washers, so be careful not to lose them. I sprayed some WD40 on them, thinking they would be tight, but came out pretty easy...



Drain it, fill it up, put the bolts back and you're done!

Quite simple job, I would say about 30 mins or so. Now the gearbox and the diff are all sorted.

The next thing I'm planning to do is sort out the leak from the oil cooler, get the front brake discs and covers replaced, then move on to more expensive things, i.e. suspension, exhaust, etc.

Stay tuned!

Subscribed for top tips!

Top work ! Great to see somebody concentrating on the important stuff instead of spending all his efforts nailing tat on.

Let this thread be a warning to those that think they can buy a cheap E30 and run it on a shoestring ! The serious amount of work (and money) that the OP has spent on this car getting it up to scratch is needed on nearly all of these cars now and he has not even started on the suspension yet !

Cheers guys, doing my best

Purchased BG 44k fuel system cleaner the other day - people say good things about it, so I thought why not give it a try? 20 quid for a 325ml can, not too bad...



The car was on a ramp last week and we noticed one of the clamps that holds the rear backbox has snapped and is hanging loose.

I ordered new rubber o-rings (Febi) and will probably have to get the clamps and all the brackets directly from BMW, as it seems like no one does them no more...

Tried ECP, GSF, eBay, nothing.

Will do a more detailed post, when I've got all the parts.

First update in July 2013

As I mentioned in my previous post, one of the clamps that holds the backbox has snapped, so today's job was to replace both of the clamps and put new rubber hangers on as well.

Here's what you'll need:

18 21 1 707 923 - inner top clamp
18 21 1 178 126 - outer top clamp
18 21 1 176 713 (2x) - bottom clamps
18 21 1 712 838 (2x) - rubber o-rings for the brackets on the clamps or you can also buy Febi (07006), which I did.
18 21 1 105 635 - rubber ring for the rear bit of the backbox, I bought Febi (01620)

One thing I'd like to mention is that Febi o-rings for the clamps were quite a lot thicker, than genuine BMW, so they were a bitch to fit. If you're going to do this, then I'd recommend getting the rubber hangers from BMW instead - I think they're about £5 each. However, the Febi rubber for the rear bit of the box was fine.

All the shiny bits here:



Here you can see where the top clamp has snapped. The box was still supported by the other clamp, but sooner or later that would give up too:



And this is the rubber hanger I mentioned for the rear bit of the backbox. It did look quite tired:



This picture shows how fat is the Febi rubber when mounted on the bracket. It sticks out quite a lot, compared to BMW one, but the most fun part is trying to fit them lol. Good luck with that...



One last picture of the rusty bits...



By the way, the top clamps come with pre-installed bolts, so you'll just need 4 nuts and washers for fitting.

Now that's done, I bought some AFM spray cleaner and also need to get a carb cleaner, as hopefully will be cleaning up my ICV and AFM next week. Then the plan is A/C, oil cooler leak, front brakes, etc. There's always something to do

A quick Sunday update!

I realized that I already had a carb cleaner, which I bought few years ago for my previous car, so I decided to clean up my ICV and AFM today



Ok, so let's get started. First disconnect the ICV plug, then undo the jubilee clips on both ends of the big rubber intake pipe, and also there's like a rubber clip thing that holds the ICV in place, so you squeeze its ends and pull up the ICV.

There's a fat short pipe that goes from ICV to the throttle body, so that simply pulls out as well. I decided to remove the ICV still attached to the rubber intake pipe, because it was then a lot easier to undo the metal clip that connects ICV to the rubber boot. The end result is this:



It was a bit gunky inside, but I wouldn't say it was too bad:





Spray the carb cleaner on both ends properly, shake it thoroughly and let it dry. While it dries, you can move onto the AFM.

For this you'll have to remove the air intake box. It's really simple, as it's held just by 2 nuts on the passenger side of the car. There's one rubber pipe and 2 cables attached to the box, so just un-clip them away.

Now pull out the box and separate the top bit from the bottom part. There are 4 metal clips that hold them together. It's a good time to have a look at the condition of your air filter too.

This is the bit that attaches to the rubber boot that goes to the throttle body:



Get your MAF cleaner out and go mad with it here. Then if you have a look underneath the top part of the box, you'll see there's a small plastic intake pipe, which just pops out if you pull the catch at end of it.

That will reveal the sensor, which looks like this:



Again spray the MAF cleaner here, but don't try to clean the sensor with a cloth or anything like that, as you might damage it...

When everything has dried, you can start putting things back together. By the way, I would recommend replacing that metal clip between the ICV and the rubber boot with a new jubilee clip, because no matter how hard I tried I couldn't get it back on lolz



And while you're there, you might as well clean the throttle body. Use the carb cleaner here and then wipe the dirt with a cloth.



Now the most interesting part...I don't think all this cleaning made any difference at all Sure, it's better to keep it all nice and shiny, but the main reason I thought of doing it, was to cure that weird sputtering/hesitation issue when you blip the throttle on idle.

However, the problem is still there, so I believe it's something on fuelling side of things (FPR?), as the intake is all perfect now.

Anyway, was worth giving it a try, since the cleaners cost pennies and it's a simple quick job.

Whatever happens next, I'll keep you updated Thanks for all the tips.

Excellent thread really enjoyed reading through this. A good approach to this project.

Those OEM exhaust brackets were a good option. I had trouble finding brackets to recently. The build quality on a lot the are awful. Bought some from a local motor factors paying £30 for the kit (rubber 'O' ring etc) which isn't much less than from BMW I believe. It had terrible welds on the brackets, one of which broke when I was fitting it. Ended up welded it back on myself.

How did the BG 44k fuel system cleaner work? Always thought those things were a bit of a gimmick.

Anyway, cracking solid work. Looking forward to more updates..

Hey G-Bear, thanks for the comments. To be honest, I can't really tell if BG44k made any difference, because the car drove pretty well even before that. I agree most of these things are just a waste of time or they might give you a tiny little improvement over fuel consumption/performance, but it will be so minimal that you won't notice anything.

That said, BG44k is not some Tesco crap like Redex, so it could be doing its job inside the engine, but I think you shouldn't look at it as some kind of a magic all-problems-fixer. Just pour it in and forget about it

Little update: Most likely that checking noise on cold starts I mentioned before, is coming from the timing belt tensioner, NOT the AC compressor. However, need to take all the drive belts off, then start the car to be sure. It's pretty much a brand-new tensioner, which was replaced in November 2012 along with the timing belt (ContiTech kit) and the water pump, so seems strange that it would fail so quickly, unless it wasn't installed properly... Anyway, we'll see how it goes.