What did you do to your E28 today?
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- Posts: 379
- Joined: Nov 11, 2010 6:53 PM
- Location: Vancouver BC
Cleaned up the battery terminals and connectors this afternoon - warm water, baking soda, rubber gloves, tooth brush, steel wool... the works.
Removed negative first, then cleaned serious 'doughnut' corrosion on positive before removal of connector (faux pas?). Baking soda, then warm water... scrub, then rinse... and repeat.
Found the positive connector to be brass after the cleaning was done. Wiped off all excess water from the battery, steel wooled both posts as well as insides of connectors. Almost see my face in the reflection.
Then proceeded to clean up ground contact.
All this in the attempt to "bring back" the front passenger amber (seemingly getting weak juice).
Went ahead and reconnected positive first... tightened it. Then re-attached ground and tightened negative connector.
Added dielectric grease to both terminals/connectors.
Spun her up - unreal... no prelim hesitation whatsoever; hit the windows and no change in headlight brightness as previously experienced.
Hit the lights - one amber left still going. Figured I'd go for a quick run and evaporate any excess moisture in the car's engine bay. Hit the sunroof, off I go.
On the way, started to rain. Hit the switch to close her up - just about done, and she dies - an inch before the wind deflector.
But hey... all three out of four originally working ambers are back...
Having fun investigating this new issue.
Should have known better - what's the phrase? Let sleeping dogs lie? Or, if it ain't broke, don't fix it?
In short, I [expletive]'d it up.
Removed negative first, then cleaned serious 'doughnut' corrosion on positive before removal of connector (faux pas?). Baking soda, then warm water... scrub, then rinse... and repeat.
Found the positive connector to be brass after the cleaning was done. Wiped off all excess water from the battery, steel wooled both posts as well as insides of connectors. Almost see my face in the reflection.
Then proceeded to clean up ground contact.
All this in the attempt to "bring back" the front passenger amber (seemingly getting weak juice).
Went ahead and reconnected positive first... tightened it. Then re-attached ground and tightened negative connector.
Added dielectric grease to both terminals/connectors.
Spun her up - unreal... no prelim hesitation whatsoever; hit the windows and no change in headlight brightness as previously experienced.
Hit the lights - one amber left still going. Figured I'd go for a quick run and evaporate any excess moisture in the car's engine bay. Hit the sunroof, off I go.
On the way, started to rain. Hit the switch to close her up - just about done, and she dies - an inch before the wind deflector.
But hey... all three out of four originally working ambers are back...
Having fun investigating this new issue.
Should have known better - what's the phrase? Let sleeping dogs lie? Or, if it ain't broke, don't fix it?
In short, I [expletive]'d it up.
Went outside in the -2F weather, into an unheated garage.
Put some new SS washers and 10mm acorns on the throttle assemblies. Screwed the little oil drainback fitting into the bottom of the manifold (with hose attached -- hose is too short. this sucked!)
Re-installed the airbox+afm
Attempted to fire the engine after sitting since nov of 2009. It has a reman starter in it that i put in 2 weeks ago to fix the tired starter solenoid. This new starter is serious business.
Engine fired right up! I saw the oil press light not going out so after a few seconds i shut it off. Checked a few things, refired engine. Engine was running rough and eventually it died.
Engine has not fired since, cranks for a while and occasionally stumbles, but won't fire. Guess the cold temps and year (or more) old fuel is the culprit.
Just came inside and added the following items to the "to do" list:
- tighten oil-drainback screw at bottom of intake manifold that has hose attached to it
- get longer hose for intake oil drainback
- fix wire sheathing on AFM electrical connector
- fix the coolant hoses and double-T intersection
- replace coolant bottle overflow hose
- fix the alternator B+ boot
- replace alternator bushings
- replace partially rounded off 10mm nut on intake manifold on cylninder 4
- replace the hose that goes from head to ISV (hides under throttles). it is cracked and leaking
- defroster button sticks
Also, since i swapped in drivers front seats a week or two ago, for the first time in 10 years of E28 ownership, the headrests move up and down
Put some new SS washers and 10mm acorns on the throttle assemblies. Screwed the little oil drainback fitting into the bottom of the manifold (with hose attached -- hose is too short. this sucked!)
Re-installed the airbox+afm
Attempted to fire the engine after sitting since nov of 2009. It has a reman starter in it that i put in 2 weeks ago to fix the tired starter solenoid. This new starter is serious business.
Engine fired right up! I saw the oil press light not going out so after a few seconds i shut it off. Checked a few things, refired engine. Engine was running rough and eventually it died.
Engine has not fired since, cranks for a while and occasionally stumbles, but won't fire. Guess the cold temps and year (or more) old fuel is the culprit.
Just came inside and added the following items to the "to do" list:
- tighten oil-drainback screw at bottom of intake manifold that has hose attached to it
- get longer hose for intake oil drainback
- fix wire sheathing on AFM electrical connector
- fix the coolant hoses and double-T intersection
- replace coolant bottle overflow hose
- fix the alternator B+ boot
- replace alternator bushings
- replace partially rounded off 10mm nut on intake manifold on cylninder 4
- replace the hose that goes from head to ISV (hides under throttles). it is cracked and leaking
- defroster button sticks
Also, since i swapped in drivers front seats a week or two ago, for the first time in 10 years of E28 ownership, the headrests move up and down
Adjusted and lubricated the throttle mechanism end to end. The pedal has always been a bit heavy and even after lubing everything was heavier than can be good for it.
That throttle pedal spring is a little on the industrial strength side and must put more stress than necessary on the pedal and shaft bushings, so I've replaced it with the same length spring of slightly lighter wire size ~ the difference is totally amazing.
That throttle pedal spring is a little on the industrial strength side and must put more stress than necessary on the pedal and shaft bushings, so I've replaced it with the same length spring of slightly lighter wire size ~ the difference is totally amazing.
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- Posts: 4163
- Joined: Feb 12, 2006 12:00 PM
- Location: Richmond, VA
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- Posts: 467
- Joined: Sep 20, 2008 10:27 PM
- Location: Ohio
Been busy in the last week or so.....
New DEC cat. & o2 sensor Got the CA version with better warranty and flow.
New CSB.
New guibo.
New clutch slave.
New flywheel sensors. (Old ones worked, but the connectors were disintegrating....)
New TPS.
New CTS.
Plugs, ignition cap, rotor.
Cleaned AFM track and de-oxidized all under hood connections.
Oil & filter change. + trans and diff.
New RS LCA
Michelin X-Ice II's just in time for snow. Truly amazing traction.
Used all OE parts except for the cat.
I love my car. Wouldn't trade it for anything BMW makes these days.....
New DEC cat. & o2 sensor Got the CA version with better warranty and flow.
New CSB.
New guibo.
New clutch slave.
New flywheel sensors. (Old ones worked, but the connectors were disintegrating....)
New TPS.
New CTS.
Plugs, ignition cap, rotor.
Cleaned AFM track and de-oxidized all under hood connections.
Oil & filter change. + trans and diff.
New RS LCA
Michelin X-Ice II's just in time for snow. Truly amazing traction.
Used all OE parts except for the cat.
I love my car. Wouldn't trade it for anything BMW makes these days.....
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- Posts: 5616
- Joined: Sep 10, 2006 7:06 AM
- Location: Melbourne, Doooown Under
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- Posts: 5616
- Joined: Sep 10, 2006 7:06 AM
- Location: Melbourne, Doooown Under
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- Posts: 6135
- Joined: Aug 05, 2007 4:57 PM
- Location: 24477
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- Posts: 697
- Joined: Jan 20, 2010 7:21 PM
- Location: Portland OR
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- Posts: 5616
- Joined: Sep 10, 2006 7:06 AM
- Location: Melbourne, Doooown Under
Last night spent about 4 hours under my brother's eta doing his clutch and r&r-ing the transmission and shift bushings. The PO stripped one of the torx bolts and replaced it with a POS grade 2 Allen headed bolt, which rounded almost completely. It's a miracle we were able to get it out, slow going with a big impact saved our asses.
Then on top of that, the transmission input shaft was damn near seized in there. After about an hour of pulling and prying we had only opened up a 1/4" gap...
Bruised, beaten, and exhausted we put a couple of the bellhousing bolts back in, cracked a couple beers, and called it a night. I'm at work right now, he's working on it, hopefully he's having better luck.
The first addition I'm doing when I buy a house is to put in a lift.
Then on top of that, the transmission input shaft was damn near seized in there. After about an hour of pulling and prying we had only opened up a 1/4" gap...
Bruised, beaten, and exhausted we put a couple of the bellhousing bolts back in, cracked a couple beers, and called it a night. I'm at work right now, he's working on it, hopefully he's having better luck.
The first addition I'm doing when I buy a house is to put in a lift.
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- Posts: 1317
- Joined: Feb 12, 2006 12:00 PM
- Location: Aiken SC
Check this out first.Xenocide wrote: The first addition I'm doing when I buy a house is to put in a lift.
http://www.ezcarlift.com/
Discovered it on Rod Paine's web site.
http://www.mye28.com/tech/rods_pages/index.html