Beemerlad's M52 Chromie

[daimlerman]

Stilsons not nesessary for removing inserts,I use a cold chisel and large Birmingham spanner. Tends to destroy the collar nut,but you get a nice shiny new one with the new insert...

[Daf318is]

Stilsons not nesessary for removing inserts,I use a cold chisel and large Birmingham spanner. Tends to destroy the collar nut,but you get a nice shiny new one with the new insert...

I did this on mine, but when I tried it on Lee's all I did was muller the top of it!

Have you got photos of the "modified" bulkhead?

[daimlerman]

Think that at least one of Lee's problems has been corrosion related,every nut seems to give him hassle,and it's not as if he is a 7 stone weakling In what,4 or 5 years of E30 playing I struggle to remember a nut/bolt that refused to seperate on any of my cars.Steery rack is a case in point,swapped in a s/h rack in minutes on the white touring,bolts just unwound and were re-useable,same when I pulled the current one to bits,almost every bolt gave in with suitable leverage.Can only think that the current issue with the rack mounting is alloy corrosion on the rack body,causing the bolts to stay attached to the rack.And if they are fitted bolt head down,it will be difficult to apply the birmingham spanner to the end and belt the perishers out!One the current project,one strut insert came out in bits,the threaded part was well mangled,but it gave way eventualy and the mangled bit was scrap anyway.Just a thought about the rack,Lee,if the bolts are in head down,can you get a hacksaw between the mounting tab and the bolt head? Or just use Mr Angle Grinder to take the head off? Try not to destroy the lower mounting tab,though...

[Omi]

no rot on bulkhead, just sound deadening removed and a very small bit of the bulkhead was knocked back, nothing like 2" that is being mentioned here. i did all of the work myself so i know what i am talking about.
whats wrong with knocking the bulkhead back a bit anyway?
i would rather do that than spend £1200 on a manifold for a car thats worth half that.

No way you were using the same setup as the rest of the 24-valvers...

What engine arms/mounts did you use? Got any pics?

[Daf318is]

There is no way that fannymould is going on Lee's car without some significant bulkhead "modification". If you have any pics I think all of us that went up there that day would love to see them!

[baptie0]

do you think i am telling lies?
i have taken a picture of my bulkhead today and will post it this evening. i am using e36 mounting arms and the same engine mounts as lee. so tonight you will be able to see for yourself and gaze in amazement at my bulkhead and wonder how it was possible to carry out such a "modification"

[Jesus325iTouring]

Lee, what's it doing in the box? it's no good in there ;)

Not got the old inserts out yet, off to buy some stilsons

Stilsons FTW Lee,these b4astards will undo ANYTHING from a bleed nipple to hub nut
I've got a pair from my late dad's tool box,proper farmer jobs,their the boss of my tool box!

[Bob_S]

do you think i am telling lies?
i have taken a picture of my bulkhead today and will post it this evening. i am using e36 mounting arms and the same engine mounts as lee. so tonight you will be able to see for yourself and gaze in amazement at my bulkhead and wonder how it was possible to carry out such a "modification"

Not saying your a lier but that manifold was way off fitting.. I saw it so did dafs, lee, omi and buster....

[Simon13]

bolt the strut to a wheel, fat man stands on wheel whilst you stilsons and half a prop shaft undo the worst collar nut in the world!

Lee i can't believe this ain't done yet!

[E30BeemerLad]

Cheers Si, by the way, i found the collar nuts still bolted to the B6's hidden under the rubber boots

[Bob_S]

bolt the strut to a wheel, fat man stands on wheel whilst you stilsons and half a prop shaft undo the worst collar nut in the world!

Lee i can't believe this ain't done yet!

ah good shout I usually pop them in the vice and get them off that way

[baptie0]

here is a picture of my bulkhead from inside the drivers side.

this was all that was required to get the manifold on to my car.

[Omi]

http://img23.imageshack.us/img23/3531/p3170122p.jpg

This is full size... - Something must be different, Baptie, we'd have needed the bulkhead bashing in by about 2". - Wonder if the shell was different somehow, as Lee's was a 4 pot tourer. Hmmmm.

[Daf318is]

Have you any photos from under the bonnet?

I'm also pretty sure Lee's car would need a lot more bulkhead bashing than what isshown here

[baptie0]

my shell is an 87 model 316, but i dont see any reason why the bulkhead would be any different from one model to another.

[E30BeemerLad]

New front wishbones were waiting with a neighbour tonight when I got home, just a few other little bits to get and I should be ready for a rebuild. Bought some stilsons tonight so I'll give those front strut housings the good news soon.

Waiting to hear on my M52 manifolds, I've paid for them but the seller has gone quiet & I don't know if he has posted them yet.

320 gear stick locator arrived today too, cheers Chris-W

[Daf318is]

New front wishbones were waiting with a neighbour tonight when I got home, just a few other little bits to get and I should be ready for a rebuild. Bought some stilsons tonight so I'll give those front strut housings the good news soon.

Waiting to hear on my M52 manifolds, I've paid for them but the seller has gone quiet & I don't know if he has posted them yet.

320 gear stick locator arrived today too, cheers Chris-W

Must be getting close to having all the parts now Lee! How much needs cutting from the gear leaver was it 56.something !!!!!!!!!!!!!

[E30BeemerLad]

56.54867629mm IIRC

I thought bollox to that and bought the 320 shifter thingmebob

need a wheel bearing and some brake flexi hoses and then I think that's all the bits for the suspension overhaul at the front.

I did look at the lump hammers for a good few minutes tonight in B&Q

Also was looking at a varied selection of aerosol cans, was liking the satin chocolate brown. I had planned to go green but the nato track slag got there first

[Bob_S]

56.54867629mm IIRC

I thought bollox to that and bought the 320 shifter thingmebob

need a wheel bearing and some brake flexi hoses and then I think that's all the bits for the suspension overhaul at the front.

I did look at the lump hammers for a good few minutes tonight in B&Q

Also was looking at a varied selection of aerosol cans, was liking the satin chocolate brown. I had planned to go green but the nato track slag got there first

Lee, you have seen the various uses of a lump hammer, including "cutting" that piece of wood that was probably a handy length before I mullered it - cue dafs laughing like a kid lol

[Daf318is]

[quote="Bob_S]Lee, you have seen the various uses of a lump hammer, including "cutting" that piece of wood that was probably a handy length before I mullered it - cue dafs laughing like a kid lol[/quote]

That was hillarious watching Bob try and cut a piece of 2x4 with a junior hacksaw! you soon saw sense and cut it with a hammer!

[E30BeemerLad]

M52 manifolds arrived today.

Had a quick trial fit when I got home, the rear branch goes straight on with room for the steering column, but as Dan advised, the front one won't go on without modification to the angle of the downpipe and flange being removed.

[DanThe]

How much room between the steering link and rear manifold Lee? I will be making myself a solid ally linkage up for the chromie

[baptie0]

alright lee, hows it going?
get the hammer out and give that bulkhead of yours the message
have you removed the sound deadening yet?

[Daf318is]

M52 manifolds arrived today.

Had a quick trial fit when I got home, the rear branch goes straight on with room for the steering column, but as Dan advised, the front one won't go on without modification to the angle of the downpipe and flange being removed.

At least that means there is significanty less work involved than chopping the main 'to head' flange off that normally needs to be done!

[E30BeemerLad]

How much room between the steering link and rear manifold Lee? I will be making myself a solid ally linkage up for the chromie

I'll take a pic tomorrow mate

[E30BeemerLad]

alright lee, hows it going?
get the hammer out and give that bulkhead of yours the message
have you removed the sound deadening yet?

I'm really reluctant to smack that bulkhead back Jonny, I may get the S50 manifold modified at the back or I may just move it on, don't know yet.

[baptie0]

alright lee, hows it going?
get the hammer out and give that bulkhead of yours the message
have you removed the sound deadening yet?

I'm really reluctant to smack that bulkhead back Jonny, I may get the S50 manifold modified at the back or I may just move it on, don't know yet.

ok mate. stick in

[E30BeemerLad]

Started having another go with the S50 manifold this morning as I was determined to get the slag to fit, but I just can't get it to go on despite doing what I said I would not and removing the soundproofing and giving the bulkhead a good smack.

So I dragged out the stock M52 manifold and bolted that on, the manifold is just held on with a few bolts here and the engine is not sat properly because I jacked it up a bit when fannying about with the S50 manifold (can't get the engine to sit back on the mounts again properly now

But I'm not happy with the lack of space for the steering column so I have to stop kidding myself and get the M52 manifold modified. I can see why Malcolm (Daimlerman) decided to buy a bolt on solution here, if somebody managed to make up a batch of M52 modified manifolds which they could sell on at say £250 a time they would clean up.

These are a couple of pics I have taken to show my bodgery. Will move on now and find something else to destroy.

[DanThe]

How close is it Lee? Can you get your finger inbetween the manifold and steering linkage?

[E30BeemerLad]

How close is it Lee? Can you get your finger inbetween the manifold and steering linkage?

Less than 5mm with the engine now sat on the mounts

Currently dismantling the front legs instead

[Jhonno]

Lee my steering coupling is tighter than that to my S50 manifold... It has contacted a bit a few times, but not locked the steering up

[daimlerman]

Called to see Dan on Saturday whilst out and about in the new toy he agrees that my manifold will clear an E36 rack....that chromie he is playing with is a lovely thing,BTW.How are the front struts doing,Lee?

[Bob_S]

good work lee, it's coming along now kidder!!

Lee, getting an m50 on the mounts can be a right fiddle.. as you know.. my solution is always good for a giggle lol

[E30BeemerLad]

Got both front struts down to bare assembles, both have had a bath in TFR along with the front calipers. Have refurbed one strut housing and it is currently drying from a few new coats of black smoothrite. Caliper has had a good clean off and dusting with the Smoothrite too.

Got some front wheel bearings to order and backplates, then it can all go back together once the other housing and caliper have been cleaned up and painted.

The old boge shocks had both leaked very well into the strut housings, was a lot of fun getting the old collar nuts off (smacking stilsons with a hammer) and I also had to go and buy another 36mm socket as mine was too wide to fit inside the recess.

Some progress made, albeit painfully slow as normal.

Engine is sitting back on the mounts again properly.

[Bob_S]

Lee, oil shocks should be placed in the struts with a bit of oil around them to aid cooling, this is what the oil was

as for painting things!! just slap them on!! it'll be dirty soon enough!!!