Non-BMW Stuff on a BMW Forum

[Jdesign]

Looks great!

[gilber33]

Jdesign said:

Looks great!

Thank you! 

Started assembling the head last night. Got a bunch of dremel buffing pads which made cleaning the valves and head pretty easy work. Dusty and dirty. But easy. 

[gilber33]

Looking for some insight here. Pulled the pistons out last night. My plan was have the block honed and then do new rings and bearings. There's some light scratches on the side skirts - you can't feel them. There's also no vertical scratches on the cylinder walls and the cross hatching is still very visible. 

I've read to take an emery clutch or scotch Brite pad or something to clean up the pistons. Think I'm okay to move forward with my plan? 

[B C]

The one side of the piston is a bit more scuffing that I have usually seen on an M20. When I asked the machinist/engine builder about it he said it is no concern/as long as the cylinder bores are clean.

[gilber33]

B C said:

The one side of the piston is a bit more scuffing that I have usually seen on an M20. When I asked the machinist/engine builder about it he said it is no concern/as long as the cylinder bores are clean. 

That's kind of what I've read too. The cylinders are all clean and there are no visible vertical scratches in them. The cylinder I took pictures of is the cylinder that 2nd piston came out of.

[jc43089]

Just polish them up and use new rings.  Check the ring gaps.  The cylinders look nice.  Any lip at the top where the rings don't touch?

[gilber33]

jc43089 said:

Just polish them up and use new rings.  Check the ring gaps.  The cylinders look nice.  Any lip at the top where the rings don't touch?

Zero lip on the cylinders. They're in really good shape, which is why I just wanted to hone, new rings and bearings and put it back together. 

I've never done a full rebuild on an engine before, so there's really no reason for this other than its something I've wanted to do. And the m20 is so affordable to rebuild.

[jc43089]

gilber33 said:

Zero lip on the cylinders. They're in really good shape, which is why I just wanted to hone, new rings and bearings and put it back together. 

I've never done a full rebuild on an engine before, so there's really no reason for this other than its something I've wanted to do. And the m20 is so affordable to rebuild. 

The cast iron used is very high quality.  The one I rebuilt that had unknown miles higher than 280k before the odometer quit working still had no lip at all and just needed a light honing and new rings.

[gilber33]

Crank out. Block mating surface cleaned up. And valves are all lapped. 

Next I’ll pull the block out into the driveway and pressure wash and then drop it off to get honed. Finish assembling the head. 

I think I’d like to get this back together before December so it can go into the car between the end of year and next June. Some big life events that will make car time limited.  

[gilber33]

Took a pressure washer to the block tonight. 

[gilber33]

My clunky drivetrain is getting a little clunkier. 

Gonna jack it up and check the mounts and make sure nothing’s loose. If there’s nothing obvious then looks like I’ll be tackling guibo, CSB, and diff bushing. 

Edit - checked the engine mounts, transmission mounts, guibo bolts... all tight. So, I’m not sure. It has gotten progressively worse. It used to be a single clunk where now it several. Happens when I’m rolling slow and push the clutch pedal in. Really sounds like it’s coming from the transmission/clutch.

[Jdesign]

Axles? CSB is backwards? Diff is loose? My diff was backing the bolts out all the time and then I realized the CSB was backwards. 

[gilber33]

Jdesign said:

Axles? CSB is backwards? Diff is loose? My diff was backing the bolts out all the time and then I realized the CSB was backwards. 

Sounds like it’s coming from the front, I’m going to assume it’s not axles.

It happens when I push clutch in while rolling slowly, so the only “jerky” movements happening to the car is the clutch. It’s not like I’m engaging the clutch and the car jerks where there could be noises generated from play in axles or something. 

If that makes sense. That’s why I think it’s something with the clutch. Flywheel coming loose or something.

[SteelBlue]

gilber33 said:

Sounds like it’s coming from the front, I’m going to assume it’s not axles.

It happens when I push clutch in while rolling slowly, so the only “jerky” movements happening to the car is the clutch. It’s not like I’m engaging the clutch and the car jerks where there could be noises generated from play in axles or something. 

If that makes sense. That’s why I think it’s something with the clutch. Flywheel coming loose or something.  

Guess everyone’s dropping their transmissions this summer

[gilber33]

SteelBlue said:

Guess everyone’s dropping their transmissions this summer

I just wanted to be like the cool kids.

[gilber33]

Has anyone done a removable core support on their e30? As I get ready to pull the engine for the 3rd time to check the clutch and to put in the rebuilt m20, a removable core support sounds awfully tempting.

[Jdesign]

gilber33 said:

Has anyone done a removable core support on their e30? As I get ready to pull the engine for the 3rd time to check the clutch and to put in the rebuilt m20, a removable core support sounds awfully tempting.

I think @Sam_Holzmann has?

[KaiserRolls]

Jdesign said:

I think @Sam_Holzmann has?

Didn’t @GunMetalGrey make one as well? 

I also would like to do this lol

[gilber33]

Well if any one can chime in with some pointers or if it's worth the work that would be greatly appreciated.

From what I could dig up it doesn't look like there's one way to do it and you kinda have to dive in, cut it out, and then figure it out from there.

[KaiserRolls]

gilber33 said:

Well if any one can chime in with some pointers or if it's worth the work that would be greatly appreciated.

From what I could dig up it doesn't look like there's one way to do it and you kinda have to dive in, cut it out, and then figure it out from there.

blast from the past