1985 BMW 318 Stage Rally Build - 1988 Porsche 924S Street Build - Sequoia Build

mrhappy wrote: How does the driveshaft flex disk look? If you have to replace it or the center supper bearing get oem parts. All the aftermarket ones are to soft and don't last very long.

actually just took the guibo off tonight, and it looks brand-new (and I have another brand-new one in the box of parts, still in a Bilstein box, oddly). The transmission rear mounts look new as well. Neither of them has any grease or gunk on them, and EVERYTHING up in that area has grease and gunk all over it.

a few pics and thoughts later tonight. Right now I'm on McMaster looking for a bunch of random nuts and bolts that I'm gonna need, since a previous owner apparently assembled several things using "whatever size/length/pitch/thread of nut and bolt he had sitting around his garage"

HStockSolo wrote:

irish44j wrote: But the diff on this car is a 3.91 LSD. It has the original tag, and it's not a remanufactured/rebuilt unit from the factory, it has an OEM/original number on the metal tag. Tag is S391 590 (the "S" being for LSD). On the top is stamped in white paint "S" also (for LSD), but also "X," which is what the late 325ix would have.

3.91:1 is the ratio of the 325ix rear end. Unfortunately, the 325ix just had a viscous limit slip. It's probably just a stock 318i rear end. 3.91:1 was the ratio from 11/83 on the manual transmission 318i and a clutch pack LSD was also standard.

yep, the ix had a 3.91, but it was a medium case.

we ended up figuring out that it was, indeed, my stock diff. No thanks to wikipedia and 15 other references that are supposedly knowledgeable, haha...

thanks for the comments. I'm trying to stay motivated to document stuff, hoping people are actually reading them or that they'll be of use to someone else!

I'm reading, thinking about how I need to start working on my own Rallycross car.

I'm 99% sure mine is not a limited slip. But you say it was 318i standard?

Taiden wrote: I'm 99% sure mine is not a limited slip. But you say it was 318i standard?

no, it wasn't standard. There were 3 open ratios standard, depending on market. From what I've been able to tell, maybe 20% of them got an LSD, and it was usually a 3.91.

It's easy enough for you to tell, since you're gonna be under there doing brake lines check the metal tag on the diff. If it starts with "S," it's LSD.

PARTS INVENTORY!

So I sat down tonight and took an inventory of the parts I have, since I discovered I've already ordered a couple small things that I already have. The p/o had alot of small stuff still in the OEM/PelicanParts bags and boxes. Other things I have to figure out what the parts are in the near future. This list doesn't include a couple boxes of various interior peices, bags of used hardware (marked on baggy what it is), and other random stuff.

Since I'm doing build threads on several forums, I'm just going to keep this list on one, because it's too much trouble to update on 3!

So it's being kept on my RevLimited build thread here:

http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showpost.php?p=2791749&postcount=2

link broke

oops. try it now.

Nice drain plug. Saw those quite frequently while in the pit at Jiffy Lube.

Nice progress!

Taiden wrote: I'm 99% sure mine is not a limited slip. But you say it was 318i standard?

It certainly looks that way in the BMW parts database (which is up on a few websites.)

3.64:1 open was standard on the manual until 11/1983 then a 3.91:1 with LSD became standard on both 2 and 4 door manual M10 318i.

A few last things before Thanksgiving:

My inventory of parts shows that I have ALL of the replacement pieces to do the shifter linkage, which is really sloppy. I may hold off on that for a month or so since my wife is probably getting me the Z3 shift setup, so I'll do it all at once

It's super-gunky/oily up in there, but seems like its from the shifter linkage seal leaking, rather than the main rear tranny seal - it looks to be new and all the leakage is ABOVE it, so unless this car has been in anti-gravity, that's probably not it lol...

naked chassis

Down at my parents' marina for the holiday, so brought my rear subframe with me to use one of his presses to do the main bushings. A bit of torch heat and it slid right out with little effort. That means that in the next week or so I can put the entire rear end back together...excellent

Happy Thanksgiving All!

Back from Thanksgiving and managed to do a bit of assembly. Pressed the new subframe bushings in (OEM rubber ones), which was super-easy, and then attached the 325i/disc brake trailing arms (with Ireland Engineering poly bushings). Need to get some new trailing arm bolt locknuts, then I'll bolt it all back onto the car and start assembling the rest of the rear end.

also had a package waiting on the porch when I got home.....mostly some small parts that I needed. Included though were some e30 M3 offset LCA bushings for when I do the front suspension in a few weeks

Also started rebuilding the other CV axle with new boots but after replacing the outer boot I'm a bit suspicious with the joint. It feels kind of "notchy" when rotating and movign back and forth. Going to check it out a bit more, and then maybe order a reman from NAPA since they're fairly inexpensive.....we'll see.

a few random pics from the Thanksgiving break - visited my parents who own a marina down on the Chesapeake, so it was a nice relaxing weekend on the water

did some exploring on some of the little local river roads in the 4Runner

didn't have a chance to take the boat out, but did take a nice sunset picture of it!

Nice boat, nice marina, nice day.
I am jealous, here in the most southern point of all the Great Lakes the water temps are down around 45 degrees.
Daytime air temps were around 60 degrees today.

well, the other day there was in the 60s but with 30-knot wind coming from the north. Even the river had large whitecaps and the bay was pretty rough (most of the charter guys came in before the front came through). These pics were taken near sunset (obviously) when it got completely calm.

I've spent some time on the U/P and on Lake Ontario, and man that is some cold water!

Didn't work on the car much today or yesterday, other things to do.

A few things though

First, after putting new boots on the second CV axle, I think it might be no-good....the movement/play on the outer joint doesn't seem smooth so it worries me. Going to look around for a cheap remanufactured unit I think. I have at least a month before the car will be on the ground again, so no rush.

Also, got a package today

I bought a pair of "unkonwn condition" front Bilsteins from a fellow GRM'er. They are what he said, and I knew going in that they'd probably need a rebuild. One has smooth travel (but some brown grease in the seal), and the other seems to be seized up. As it turns out they're the OEM billies from the sport model, I was hoping they'd by HD's, but no big deal. I may or may not get them rebuilt, since they only cost me $30, and just re-sell them.

So was waiting on seeing them, and since they won't do the job I want, I just bit the bullet and ordered some new HDs for the front. I want to get this front suspension taken care of, so don't really want to use the sports, and don't want to deal with a rebuild at the moment. Front HDs is a place where getting new ones is worth it, so I did.

Also in that deal, the seller had a set of OEM offset upper strut mounts (they run about $150/each new). Still new in box, and I got them for $50 for the pair, so that was VERY worthwhile!

Tomorrow's project will be to get the rear subframe back into the car, once I find some M12 locknuts locally for the control arms. I want to torque them down before I put the subframe on, it's easier that way.

got up early to get my yardwork out of the way so I would have some "car time" before football, and got a good bit accomplished today.

First, got the rear subframe back on. It went on a hell of a lot easier than it came off, that's for sure.

also got the stainless rear brake lines (inner and outer) hooked up, cleaned up the springs and repainted them while I was at it, and reinstalled the rear suspension with the 325i trailing arms/rear brakes.

Still have to get the old ebrake lines out (which I still haven't figured out how to do!) and get the new disc brake ebrake lines in.

A few things I noticed: First, a rust-through spot under the wheel well rubber undercoating. It's not structural, just the lateral brace to the rocker panel it appears, so no biggie. I'll just clean it up and paint it most likely, so stuff can't collect in that spot in the future and cause more rust.

And of course the former-mystery cover. On 325's this cover is where the trunk battery cables run. Since the early 318s don't have the trunk battery, took a bit of investigation to figure out what is in there. The cover is all rusted out (and will be replaced), but looks like it is hose for the evap/gas tank overflow "system"....bleh.

the cover

where the hoses enter the gas tank

anyhow, feels like I'm finally making some progress now that I get to put things back together :)

stopped by a local dealer today on my lunchbreak to pick up a couple bolts and a transmision output seal. Oddly, I've never been in a BMW dealer before, and was thorougly impressed by the leather/mahogany smell going on in there, lol.

Anyhow, put the new seal in, cleaned up the diff a bit more, put the stub axles back in, and painted the rusty case with some POR-15, just to prevent more near-term rust.

I know most guys clean up the rear case cover and make it look pretty, but didn't bother much more than a wire wheel, since it'll probably be dirty/muddy all the time anyhow...

Nice to see progress, even if you're making me feel slack about the coilovers sitting in the trunk of the M3 for the last month. That should only be 3-4 hours to install, but I also know how "should be" goes on my cars.

mad_machine wrote: if you are going to update the suspension to put yourself into a different class.. have you considered ditching the E30 stuff altogether and putting in the suspension from a 318ti or a Z3?. Same style suspension, but better brakes and 5 lug hubs.. and it is easier to work on due to the seperate hub/spindle from the strut

I considered it for about 1 second, but 5-lug means the 10 wheels I have sitting here are useless. And in the interest of not spending a fortune when I don't need to, that's not something I want to deal with. Plus the 318 springs are tall and soft and should be good for rallycross. Maybe someday, but I'm already over-budget (of course, lol), so that's not in the current works.

Remember, this car will be around 2200-2300lbs, and I've already switched from the solid to vented front brakes, and the drums to discs in the back (all from a 325), so that should help. The brakes felt fine before anyhow on a car this light!

EDIT: somehow I thought your post was recent, oops....

took off work early to do some Christmas shopping, and that gave me a little time to do some car work while it was still light out for once.

Not coincidentally, got a box of a few needed parts in :)

First had to get the remaining ebrake cable out of the steel tubes at the rear end. Totally seized in there, the only way to get it out was to use progressively larger drill bits until one bit enough to yank it out. After much cursing and some bloody knuckles, they're out!

and the new cables came in. Went with new ones because 1) I like to be safe and 2) getting used ones out of a junk car would have been a MAJOR pain.

had a good laugh at the giant bag thing they came in, lol

installed

now is a good time to mention that setting up the ebrake (internal to the drum) is a major bitch, especially getting the spring pins in with no leverage at all, so the tips of my finger is sore as hell from pressing with all my weight, lol. Still need to get the ebrake actuator for one side, so right now just one is hooked up, but it's not like I"m in a rush. Also permanently put in the new extended wheel studs with red loctite.

so managed to get the new rotor on, and the rebuilt caliper, and that means I'm officially done with the left rear suspension, aside from getting some brake pads and bleeding the lines (and of course installing the CV axle).

I'm also about to pick up a used stock IS rear sway, so will install that before I put the diff back in, hopefully this weekend.

This build thread is awesome! I keep checking it every time it comes up, so much detail and attention to all the small stuff, hopefully in the somewhat near future I will have a project e30 and will be looking back on this thread a lot.

Keep up the good work! Cant wait to see it dodging some cones in the mud!

thanks, though sometimes I wish I could ignore the small stuff. My budget would be much more intact, haha....

was getting something out of the garage and I saw the extra exhaust manifold sitting there, all pretty with silver powdercoat that the previous owner did, but never installed. Then I looked over at the car's engine bay and saw the nasty, rusty manifold sitting there off the engine.

So, since the exhaust is already off of the car, this seems like a quick little project to do. Also having it off will give me a chance to take a good look at the engine mounts and clean up that side of the block and head from all the gunk.....

pimpin'

oddest gasket ever, with a heat shield thingy to protect the plug wires. Looks like I was getting a bit of blow-by on the gasket, so will give a better inspection when I get a chance.

yep, gunky and could use a cleanup. The engine mounts look ok, but since this car's gonna be banging around I might just replace them pre-emptively, since I hear they're a weak point on these cars. Though maybe that's for the heavier engines, not the little baby M10

removing front suspension, and of course the balljoints are the suck, and the bolts are seized. Say hello to Mr.Dremel.

Rather than buy new lemforder LCAs, I'm going to replace the balljoints with Moogs (inner and outer) for half the price, and they'll last longer hopefully. Should be fun....