The One That Didn't Get Away [100K Mile E30 325is]

[SteelBlue]

YoungCR said:

The conti unit is the best choice unless you want to shell out money for the “Blaupunkt” Bremen SQR 46 DAB. The Clarion FZ-102E has been discontinued which sucks because it just needed updates like modern Bluetooth.

I was gonna suggest contacting Car-Feteria in milwaukee but looks like they finally closed up shop. Maybe r3v or elsewhere might have suggestions for old school stereo shops that still repair OEM units. 

I purchased the Conti unit last night.

Also, my matching shift boot arrived this morning. Think it ties in nicely without being gaudy.

I also added a tube of the Lucas fuel treatment someone had suggested.

[SteelBlue]

I knew this was the case but had forgotten until I got underneath the car. One of my donut gaskets in the mid section is broken. My assumption is that I can not replace this because the end of the pipe is flared for it to pull the sections together when it’s tightened. Or are they not flared at the end of the mid section? The RealOEM diagram shows it as if it's not. I understand that this should not be taken as gospel, the way it's extruded in this makes me think it can be removed. Regardless of that fact, the pipe looks super corroded, what is the likely hood I could even get a new one over it.

Might have to bring it somewhere for this to be fabbed.

 

it’s dripping because I was soaking all bolts and nuts in rust penetrate

[P_Roloff]

I believe the donut gaskets can both be replaced, however I have only ever done the one that sits loose between the flanges on the cat and cat back section. 
 

I’d like to preface this by saying I have an aftermarket muffler so it might not be the same, but on mine, one donut is pressed onto one of the pipes on the cat side, with an inch or two of pipe extending beyond it, and the other cat side pipe ends in just a flared flange. On the cat back side, both pipe ends are flared. Thus, when you put them together, the small protruding pipe section on the cat side serves to line everything up, and once it’s nearly in place you slip the other donut in between the two flared flanges on the second side and then bolt everything together to hold it all in place. 
 

So yes, you should in theory be able to replace them both. The donut that is pressed on will probably have to be cut off, however, if your exhaust is anything like mine was. 
 

I also just took a closer look at your pictures, and it appears one of your bolt flanges is broken in half on the cat side, so that’ll be your bigger issue here. That’ll require fab work of some sort because those wont come off/go back on due to the flared pipe ends.

[SteelBlue]

P_Roloff said:

I believe the donut gaskets can both be replaced, however I have only ever done the one that sits loose between the flanges on the cat and cat back section. 
 

I’d like to preface this by saying I have an aftermarket muffler so it might not be the same, but on mine, one donut is pressed onto one of the pipes on the cat side, with an inch or two of pipe extending beyond it, and the other cat side pipe ends in just a flared flange. On the cat back side, both pipe ends are flared. Thus, when you put them together, the small protruding pipe section on the cat side serves to line everything up, and once it’s nearly in place you slip the other donut in between the two flared flanges on the second side and then bolt everything together to hold it all in place. 
 

So yes, you should in theory be able to replace them both. The donut that is pressed on will probably have to be cut off, however, if your exhaust is anything like mine was. 
 

I also just took a closer look at your pictures, and it appears one of your bolt flanges is broken in half on the cat side, so that’ll be your bigger issue here. That’ll require fab work of some sort because those wont come off/go back on due to the flared pipe ends. 

Yes, the flared bolted flange is the issue. I was incorrectly using the donut gasket and the flange terms backwards for what I was trying to describe. But yes, I'm starting to look around for local shops that could cut the flared end off after the cat and weld a flared piece back on, or just weld the flange on.

I am using the Ireland Engineering catback exhaust which is pretty much a factory replacement with just a slightly different muffler(only in sound, dimensions appear the same).

[SteelBlue]

Well, the biggest issue with the car(incredibly), has been resolved. I have never had a working stereo system in this car since I bought it. I’ve used a Bluetooth speaker on my dashboard, and that shit was getting old.

I went with the tried and true Continental head unit. This was my first time doing any kind of stereo work(other than the speakers in my truck). The install was pretty straight forward, but was a little confusing at first because there weren’t some of the wires that were mentioned in the install. Realized I had to peel the loom back a little to exposed them.

Was great to hear actual music come from the speakers instead of the R2D2 noises. Heard a little bit of thump coming from the rear deck speaker. Pulled it out, realized that the little rubber seal that sits on the metal frame of the speaker had come undone in one portion. Used some flexible super glue to get it set in place.

Sounds great for what it is, and really glad to no longer use a Bluetooth speaker.

[P_Roloff]

Looks great, definitely a worthwhile improvement!

[Jdesign]

SteelBlue said:

Also, my matching shift boot arrived this morning. Think it ties in nicely without being gaudy.

Where did you order from?

[SteelBlue]

Jdesign said:

Where did you order from? 

Condor speed shop

[SteelBlue]

Haven’t really done much with this other than drive it, which is good. Would like to change up the wheels at some point, but these fit the car so well and there’s not a lot of options for 4x100, or they’re $5,000.

[SteelBlue]

Got the car out of storage two weekends ago when it was warm just to circulate the fluids and what not. Car started in half a crank, so no issues there thankfully. Also, very little fluid underneath the car for sitting in the same place for almost 6 months.

Really no big plans for the car this year other than some continued maintenance. I addressed a big portion of things on top and front of the motor last summer. Aiming to target the lower portion and the rear.

Now that I’m thinking about it, I still have this Ireland Engineering cat back I bought last summer and never had installed, so that will be a big thing I’ll look to have done. 

OFHG for sure, and possibly looking at having the RMS and crank seal done. Have the trans resealed, new guibo, trans mounts, slave cylinder, drive shaft CSB, etc. Starting to build out the shopping cart on FCP.

Hopefully just a lot more miles this year. I’ve owned this car for 4(5?) years now and I think I’ve only put on like 2-3K miles.