E46 Things

[B C]

Boris3 said:

Re PS fix. Well I'll be. Beats the zip tie fix on mine.  Dorman part#?

[B C]

Shoutout to my Harbor Freight “ 8” Universal Radiator Hose Pick” for being a bro and removing yet another bitch clip with ease

 

The UUC components were loaded onto the shift carrier. I still need to determine how to remove the rear rubber mount for the shift carrier from the chassis to install a new one and get the selector rod joint off to install the new one.

After getting the shifter install buttoned up , most likely this next weekend, this is what is left on the list before I drive it:

-Bleed clutch/brakes 

-unmount/rotate tires

-Mount electric fan with different mounting brackets to make it more easily removable. (Was mounted with zip strips that were not accessible without removing the radiator or condenser)

-Replace CPV o-ring (oil leak)

-Replace Dipstick tube o-ring (oil leak)

-Replace crankcase vent return line (oil leak) it should be 100% leak free after this???

[KaiserRolls]

I remember having to torch my old rubber bushing out of the carrier that bolts to the car

[straight6pwr]

just pry it off the chassis.

look at the new one, it should have two slots in the sides. the bracket on the body just tabs into those.

[KaiserRolls]

KaiserRolls said:

I remember having to torch my old rubber bushing out of the carrier that bolts to the car 

I was totally in the e30 mindset with this. Dans photos have enlightened me.

[straight6pwr]

KaiserRolls said:

I was totally in the e30 mindset with this. Dans photos have enlightened me. 

i only remembered the e36/e46 part because the dingleberry that did the swap in my car couldnt wrap his dinglebrain around the different styles and I ended up having to fix his hack, which included the e36 bushing:

[B C]

So the PO just sort of jammed the E36 bushing between the E30 bracket and chassis? Did the shifter have freeplay as a result?

[straight6pwr]

B C said:

So the PO just sort of jammed the E36 bushing between a random scrap metal bracket and chassis? Did the shifter have freeplay as a result? 

fixed, and yes my shifter be like

[B C]

Progress this week:

-Asked @Jdesign which shop near me wont scratch my wheels during a rotate/balance, he suggested Midcoast Auto in West Allis so I dropped them off there. They seem like a nice operation. Should be picking them up tomorrow.

-Removed shift carrier bushing (thanks to @straight6pwr for the image)

-Removed the selector rod joint. This is much more challenging with the transmission in the car and the driveshaft installed. Who could have imagined!?!?

-Installed new selector rod joint with pre-installed DSSR. This seemed like a good way to go and I think it was an easier way to hold onto the joint with the limited visibility and access.

The compression set of the foam on the old joint vs the new joint:

The stock rear carrier bushing shows no cracks or obvious signs of wear but it is so flimsy and has a ton of radial movement by design. The Turner Motorsports bushing is gon b’ gud.

I need to drop the trans crossmember 1/2” again to get the rest of the shifter installed (for bitch clip clearance) so I will save that for later.

 

....plugging away 15 minutes at a time

[Boris3]

What did you get charged at Midcoast? And do they mount used tires?

[B C]

Boris3 said:

What did you get charged at Midcoast? And do they mount used tires?

***Updated:$111. and yes.

I need to ask them if they do emissions testing. I’m not sure why I am required to have an emissions test for a second consecutive year but would prefer not to watch someone stall and slip the clutch as they pull it in and out of the shop

[gilber33]

B C said:

$75 and yes.

I need to ask them if they do emissions testing. I’m not sure why I am required to have an emissions test for a second consecutive year but would prefer not to watch someone stall and slip the clutch as they pull it in and out of the shop

Where do you go for emissions testing? I've gone to two places and both I drove into the bay, they plugged it in, and I drove out when they were done.

[B C]

gilber33 said:

Where do you go for emissions testing? I've gone to two places and both I drove into the bay, they plugged it in, and I drove out when they were done. 

The first place I tried last year was Fast Track oil but the pipes that surround the inspection pit combined with the entrance ramp were just too aggressive for my stants.

The second place was an indy shop similar to a Car-X but they wouldn't let me pull it in.

[Boris3]

E46 was also back to back years (first when I bought it and then the year after). I used Wilde Toyota since it was close and fast and they had worked on the Tundra. They drove the car.... came back clean with no mileage run up so I guess all good.

F150 last year was at a shop just west of Moorland on National Ave (north side of street). I think it used to be a Firestone or MIdas? No inspection pit, the bay they drove into was just a slab.

[straight6pwr]

the Lakeshore Mobil station in Shorewood just has you pull up to the service door in the lot.  They didnt even move the car, just plugged in the device and  boom goes the dynamite.

[B C]

Boris3 said:

What did you get charged at Midcoast? And do they mount used tires?

update: I picked them up today and they charged $111 out the door A little different than the $75 quoted on the phone but i’m not going to make a big stink about it. I think I usually pay $90 for this sort of work and I am just happy they took care to not scrape them

[B C]

Shift carrier partially installed. I burned a lot of daylight getting the bitch clip aligned and installed.

My hands and wrists feel like I wrapped them in pork chops and stuck them in a cage of hungry dogs.

The rear carrier bushing (blue urethane piece from Turner) is a jerk to install. I much prefer the E30 style. I did not get that in, it is the last step of the shifter install.

I moved on to:

- Replaced dipstick tube o-ring in oil pan

-Replaced o-rings on plenum to oil pan connector hose

-Bled brakes

-Installed wheels/tires **NOTE TO SELF, TORQUE LUGS ONCE THE CAR IS ON THE GROUND***

Tasks remaining:

-CPV o-ring (has not arrived due to shipping problems)
-bleed clutch

-install rear shift carrier bushing, reinstall shift boots

-install exhaust (section 1) with new gaskets and hardware

-install undertrays

-put car on ground

-Torque wheels + strut brace

 

[B C]

Good news:

-Shifter is in!

-Shifter sits lower!

-Shifter feels great fore/aft, very snickety!

Not the best news:

-Turner shift bushing could not be installed with the driveshaft in the way. I will hang on to it and install it some other time.

-some  side to side play still exists due to the selector rod joint pin. If I ever replace the clutch/have the trans out (lets hope not) I will have a pin custom machined to fit tighter.

[Jdesign]

Not to be a dick, but.. you couldn't get the driveshaft out? Isnt it 4 bolts?

[B C]

Jdesign said:

Not to be a dick, but.. you couldn't get the driveshaft out? Isnt it 4 bolts?

Dick.

3 for the flex disk

2 for the center support bearing

6 for the section 2 exhaust flange which would require new gaskets

6 for the diff flange to the driveshaft (interestingly its a constant velocity joint instead of a u-joint)

a couple for the remaining heat shield

This is all very do-able but my garage time/family time balance has been a little lopsided lately and I just need to be done wrenching for a while. In an attempt to make a  make some sort of improvement I filled the voids in the bushing with silicone to help firm it up.