Beemerlad's M52 Chromie

Sun Aug 30, 2009 7:33 pm

I bet it proper moves. Be a nce quick car I reckon lee. I want a go when it mot'd mate please

Mon Aug 31, 2009 1:55 am

DanThe wrote:It moves!

Under it's own steam,as well!

Mon Aug 31, 2009 6:48 am

Wow, I just read most of the 40 some odd pages in here and this is a great thread! To the op Lee I believe, great job here on the touring! Great car, and even greater persistance shown by the owner!

I am very excited for this build as I am currently in the procces of swapping an m52 into my little e30.

Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:35 pm

Car is booked for MOT on Monday, got a few jobs to do on it this weekend, it will need a windscreen which I plan on getting & fitting plus other bits & bobs. Filling out the VIC check application as we speak

Hopefully still on course for an outing at the pod

Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:50 pm

Any joy with door locks mate.

Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:49 pm

yeah the central locking is all working fine.

My theory is that because the car has spent most of it's life with no battery connected since I got it, once the battery has been connected for a few hours, it all seems to work. When i last disconnected the battery it played up, but a few hours later (having done nothing to it) the locking worked. Hasn't failed since.

Fri Sep 04, 2009 10:15 pm

A few small jobs done tonight after getting in and ditching the pinstripe for my oil stinking rags.

Replaced a blown fuse which was stopping the electric fan from working, ran it up to temperature and the mo-fo kicked in about a needle width after half way on the gauge, so super happy with that.

Went for another quick spin down the road (well about 5) and it was farty at low engine speeds and on light to half throttle. Decided to check the 2 lambda sockets on top of the engine and discovered I'd plugged the wrong sensors into the wrong plugs. Rear branch sensor goes to the front plug. Took it for another quick blat and it was instantly different and much improved. Reminds me I need to bleed the brakes lol.

Fitted the bonnet back on to the hinge at last.

So the list now is as follows:

1- Adjust handbrake
2- bleed brakes
3- bleed clutch
4- Connect rear ABS wires now I can get the seats up
5- fill the washer bottle and check that works
6- find out why front indicators are not working (probably haven't plugged them in after having front bumper off)
7- tighten straps on rear silencer
8- work out why I have a horrible clunking noise when turning from lock to lock (I suspect I am going to end up taking off the front struts and checking the collar nut on the dampers - should I put some oil in the strut housing? Remember I'm using inverted B6 front dampers)
9- Collect replacement windscreen from Steve & fit
10 - final check over before driving the car to the MOT station Sunday night
11- Await the news to what it has failed on

Fri Sep 04, 2009 10:23 pm

Bet you're excited now it's this close - good luck with the MOT, shouldn't be anything major as you've replaced nearly everything

Fri Sep 04, 2009 10:25 pm

I was thinkng the same thing. Everything is new isn't it lee? Straight through mate. Fingers crossed

Fri Sep 04, 2009 11:35 pm

yeah it's pretty much all new underneath so the usual brake pipes and bushes etc should not cause any bother. It'll be daft things like headlamp aims etc.

Need to see how quickly this VIC check lark can be sorted, but the pod is still looking possible.

The exhaust manifold is bloody noisy with all the sound deadening missing around the transmission tunnel and the rubber grommets missing from where the engine loom and clutch master cylinder come through the bulkhead. Need to sort that as it'll get on my tits after a while.

Are reversing lights not working an MOT failure?

Fri Sep 04, 2009 11:37 pm

E30Beemerlad wrote:Are reversing lights not working an MOT failure?

Nope

Fri Sep 04, 2009 11:48 pm

ImysE30 wrote:
E30Beemerlad wrote:Are reversing lights not working an MOT failure?
Nope

Nope - not had any for 2 years- as my rear bumper will testify

Sat Sep 05, 2009 11:10 am

Daf318is wrote:
ImysE30 wrote:
E30Beemerlad wrote:Are reversing lights not working an MOT failure?
Nope
Nope - not had any for 2 years- as my rear bumper will testify

Really? Learn something new every day. Makes me wonder why I bothered buggering about cleaning contacts before the touring's last MoT! Ho hum...

Best of luck with the MoT Lee - really hope to see this car at the pod.

Sun Sep 06, 2009 3:36 pm

E30BeemerLad wrote: 8- work out why I have a horrible clunking noise when turning from lock to lock (I suspect I am going to end up taking off the front struts and checking the collar nut on the dampers - should I put some oil in the strut housing? Remember I'm using inverted B6 front dampers)

The bentley manual says to put some neat coolant in the strut to aid damper cooling, a bit of oil should be ok.

Glad to hear this is up and running, good luck tomorrow

Sun Sep 06, 2009 6:35 pm

I used air tool oil in my struts

Any updates Lee?

Sun Sep 06, 2009 8:50 pm

Well it is currently parked outside the MOT station waiting for the onslaught.

I picked up a windscreen today from a breaker for £8, surprisingly easy to remove. Didn't get round to fitting it though and as I expect failure on the MOT anyway I'm just using this as a way of generating a final shortlist of things to be done.

It had a bit of a brief caining on the way to the test station

I used some compressor oil in the strut housings. Still got a bit of a clunk going on, rather annoying.

Utterly wierd coming back home and being able to see all the way up the driveway. Feeling genuinely anxious.

Sun Sep 06, 2009 8:55 pm

best of luck e30beemerlad

Sun Sep 06, 2009 9:01 pm

It will be fine mate. Is it a free re test mate? I feel a bit nervous for you ha ha. Got my fingers crossed for you dude

Sun Sep 06, 2009 9:04 pm

This car has had more hands work on it than Ark Royal.

Best of British Lee.

Sun Sep 06, 2009 9:07 pm

yeah it's a free re-test

Sun Sep 06, 2009 9:11 pm

There can't be much to worry about mate.

Sun Sep 06, 2009 9:26 pm

The handbrake is a bit feeble, I've got a brake pad wear light on, but the new pads I have put in don't have the wear sensors so what's the score there? Also, the damn ABS light came on after a few hundred yards, may get away with that one as at least it goes out after startup and they may not move it far

Sun Sep 06, 2009 9:55 pm

I would have removed the pad wear sensor bulb in the dash as they normally come on with half the pad left when working properly. Also i have eyes. I hope its only fails on what you know about mate

Mon Sep 07, 2009 2:39 pm

Pad wear sensor needs a continuous loop of wire to put the light out.
ABS is more of a worry,all sensors connected?Toothed rings on the hubs clean?

Mon Sep 07, 2009 2:48 pm

E30BeemerLad wrote:The handbrake is a bit feeble, I've got a brake pad wear light on, but the new pads I have put in don't have the wear sensors so what's the score there? Also, the damn ABS light came on after a few hundred yards, may get away with that one as at least it goes out after startup and they may not move it far

The last set I bought didn't come with wear sensors - I removed the old sensor and fitted it to the new pad.

I think that was on the E30 though I've worked on so many cars recently

Mon Sep 07, 2009 3:57 pm

Well we have a failure gentlemen, but nothing major it sounds.

I've forgotten half of what they were but from what I recall the main ones were

PAS pipes kinked and restricting flow and also rubbing on engine mount
Emissions (no cat on a 1993 car) - may have agreed a work around solution with him.
Headlights out of aim and one not as bright as the other- he wasn't too impressed with the yellow headlights and I may stick the stock ones back in
brake pipe T piece not secured
Seatbelt buckle on passenger seat dodgy

That's all I can remember for now, will look at the list when I pick it up tonight.

Could have been worse though

Mon Sep 07, 2009 4:10 pm

E30BeemerLad wrote:Well we have a failure gentlemen, but nothing major it sounds.

I've forgotten half of what they were but from what I recall the main ones were

PAS pipes kinked and restricting flow and also rubbing on engine mount
Emissions (no cat on a 1993 car) - may have agreed a work around solution with him.
Headlights out of aim and one not as bright as the other- he wasn't too impressed with the yellow headlights and I may stick the stock ones back in
brake pipe T piece not secured
Seatbelt buckle on passenger seat dodgy

That's all I can remember for now, will look at the list when I pick it up tonight.

Could have been worse though

Shame - Still it could have been much worse Lee

There isn't much work to sort those few bits and bobs out.

Major step forward that it's been for an MOT though

Mon Sep 07, 2009 4:28 pm

Yeh mate sounds like your happy with that. A few daft jobs then back in for a re test end of the week? Ready for pod you lucky man

Mon Sep 07, 2009 6:18 pm

What year is the engine from? Goes by which is older..

Mon Sep 07, 2009 6:37 pm

Jhonno wrote:What year is the engine from? Goes by which is older..

the first m52b28 engines were registered in 95.

Mon Sep 07, 2009 6:38 pm

Balls.. Forgot he'd dropped a B28 in

Mon Sep 07, 2009 8:52 pm

Yeah it could have been worse, got the failure sheet infront of me now.

1- Offside headlamp light output severely reduced - fit the standard ones

2- both headlamps matched pair incorrect colour - fit the standard ones

3- Nearside headlamp aim too low - fit the standard ones

4- PAS hoses fouling parts of the vehicle (one of them is rubbing on the engine mount) - A trip to Pirtek to get a hose made up

5- PAS pipe leaking - A trip to Pirtek

6- Rear brake pipe T piece inadequately supported - drill a hole and self tapper - job jobbed

7- Emissions too high - no idea - but I think it'll get sorted

Mon Sep 07, 2009 8:56 pm

Emissions.. Get it properly hot on the way

Mon Sep 07, 2009 8:58 pm

well done

thats not bad at all Lee

Mon Sep 07, 2009 9:03 pm

What about windscreen mate? Not needed? Easy jobs there. What's the crack with no cat? Some mot testers can be talked round this problem. Is that an option?