Alpine E30 Convertible Running Log
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Today’s happenings:
Front right shock let go in a mildly spectacular fashion, guess that means that I have a bit of work ahead of me when I get back from school next year. All of the rubber in the front end is worn out anyways, so I’m just gonna do it all at once when I have the opportunity, probably with an e36 rack as well.
I’ve heard that using e36 centered control arm bushings is a good upgrade, any other recommendations? Would e90 drop hats work fine with stock suspension, or is it not worth it? I’d like to maybe reduce the wheel gap a little bit if I can for cheap.
Also, some pics of the euro grilles. The passenger side one is a genuine BMW part, but the drivers one isn’t and I think that’s why it fits kinda weird and was warped.
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I highly recommend a z3 rack over an e36 rack. Drop hats also give you roughly 1/2" drop. If that's what you're going for then it's worth it
Yeah, a z3 would be the ideal choice. If i see one for cheap I'll jump on it but otherwise an e36 would be acceptable I think and probably for a lot less money.
Even a 1/2" lower would make it better I would think, and for $30 it's worth a shot.
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No real update, but got the car out of storage today. Feels weird to be back in the e30 after the e34, steering felt stupid light in comparison. Looking forward to getting in some good miles this summer and replacing the front suspension, I’ll be hitting up @patsbimmer1 soon for that. Also got an e36 rack from @wasnt m3 this weekend, just need to clean it up and machine myself some spacers and we’ll be good to go there.
Requisite potato phone pic:
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Mileage: 195,400
Changed the oil, poked around, made a list of the front end parts to replace after the e30 picnic.
Also repaired the drivers side seat, one of the seat back adjusters wasn't latching so the whole seat would twist and move under heavy acceleration and braking. Just needed a bit of lube and we were on our way, really nice how easy they are to strip and service. No broken tabs even! I unfortunately didn't get any pictures, but if anyone cares or has questions, let me know.
Looking forward to seeing you guys at the picnic!
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Did another thousand or so miles, then got tired enough of the crappy front suspension that I ripped it apart. Parts are on order for a full front end refresh minus tie rods (no play, replaced by P.O. at some point). Went with the KYB GR-2/Excel-G shock because cheap and decent enough, poly fcabs, and stock lemforder for everything else. I almost did the e36 m3 rubber fcabs, but the whole preload thing sounded like a hassle and something I would stress over once it was back together. Went with the softer 75A poly, we’ll see how it feels. It’s not too hard or expensive to upgrade later, and I honestly don’t want to sacrifice too much comfort. Call me a pansy, I don’t care.
Also attempting to figure out where the steering system is leaking to eliminate the fluid slick in the garage, and probably going to delete the charcoal canister while I’m in there. The foam in the bottom fell out and there was oil and schmoo all over the underside, probably going to replace it with a small filter of some sort and tuck it somewhere out of the way. Next on the list is a new intake boot, thermostat, and a couple random odds and ends.
So yeah, another crappy update with no pictures.
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I almost did the e36 m3 rubber fcabs, but the whole preload thing sounded like a hassle and something I would stress over once it was back together.
heh? i've never preloaded CABs on an e30. you have to excessively lube up the control arms to get them in the CABs, so once you put them on the car and set it down, they rotate into the proper position without any special help. regardless, poly CABs are better then rubber anyways, so its a moot point.
Dan
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Toss in some “drop hats” while you are at it and consider it weight savings over the stock steel versions
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Fresh front end components will feel good! Did you get strut mounts too? let me know how you like the KYBs
Yeah, strut mounts too and a strut brace even. New sway bar bushings and end links along with them. I’ll definitely let you know!
heh? i've never preloaded CABs on an e30. you have to excessively lube up the control arms to get them in the CABs, so once you put them on the car and set it down, they rotate into the proper position without any special help. regardless, poly CABs are better then rubber anyways, so its a moot point.
Interesting, guess it doesn’t matter now but I’ll make note of that for future reference. I’m assuming you’ve run poly before by your comment, what did you use for lubricant? I really don’t want it to squeak if I can avoid it.
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Did another thousand or so miles, then got tired enough of the crappy front suspension that I ripped it apart. Parts are on order for a full front end refresh minus tie rods (no play, replaced by P.O. at some point). Went with the KYB GR-2/Excel-G shock because cheap and decent enough, poly fcabs, and stock lemforder for everything else. I almost did the e36 m3 rubber fcabs, but the whole preload thing sounded like a hassle and something I would stress over once it was back together. Went with the softer 75A poly, we’ll see how it feels. It’s not too hard or expensive to upgrade later, and I honestly don’t want to sacrifice too much comfort. Call me a pansy, I don’t care.
Also attempting to figure out where the steering system is leaking to eliminate the fluid slick in the garage, and probably going to delete the charcoal canister while I’m in there. The foam in the bottom fell out and there was oil and schmoo all over the underside, probably going to replace it with a small filter of some sort and tuck it somewhere out of the way. Next on the list is a new intake boot, thermostat, and a couple random odds and ends.
So yeah, another crappy update with no pictures.
Preload you say? I have pretty much a full E36 front end(M3 rack, tie rods, control arms(I think), and FCABS).
Haven’t heard anything in regards to this before.
Guess I should have read @straight6pwr post above mine. I went with the centered FCABs, so I don’t think any additional aligning was necessary.
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Yeah, strut mounts too and a strut brace even. New sway bar bushings and end links along with them. I’ll definitely let you know!
Interesting, guess it doesn’t matter now but I’ll make note of that for future reference. I’m assuming you’ve run poly before by your comment, what did you use for lubricant? I really don’t want it to squeak if I can avoid it.
i've run rubber bushings in the past and currently have solid mounts, so i have no experience with poly. my statement is just reference the fact that poly last longer and is easier to install and that anyone choosing rubber for e30 suspension bits to keep it soft is a ninny.
Dan
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Preload you say? I have pretty much a full E36 front end(M3 rack, tie rods, control arms(I think), and FCABS).
Haven’t heard anything in regards to this before.
Guess I should have read @straight6pwr post above mine. I went with the centered FCABs, so I don’t think any additional aligning was necessary.
Avoiding preload on bushings is a practice that applies to some double wishbone designs too. The control arms need to be torqued while the car is on the ground so that the rubber doesn’t tear prematurely.
The PITA with rubber isnt so much avoiding preload as it is just making a tool out of threaded rods to press the bushing onto the control arm. The delrin bushings are a slip fit and the NVH penalty isn’t apparent
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I use a lot of dish soap and manhandle the fcab onto the control arm without removing the control arm from the car. Just do them both and set it down and the soap will dry with the bushing in the correct position. Clean any rust from the end of the control arm before trying to install the bushing as it can be a fight to get them on, lots of soap and twist while pushing.
For poly bushings I have had good results with the lube powerflex sells, I think I got a 6oz plastic jar of it.
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Wow, been awhile since I updated anything here. Finished last season with 198,3xx miles, shooting for the big 200k this summer. Got the car from storage today, grabbed oil and a reverse light bulb before O’Reilly’s closed, and will change oil tomorrow before a couple-hour shakedown through the driftless area. It’s good to have it back
Summer plans include repair of the fuel tank leak that I planned to fix last year, valve adjustment, exhaust leak pinpointing and repair, a new intake boot, and simplification of the brake booster vacuum lines.
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199,390 miles:
Ran over a bolt or something on the beltline in Madison today and got a flat, it's too far to the outside of the tread to get a plug so I have a pair of RT615k+'s arriving Tuesday from tire rack. I know I should probably replace the whole set instead of having tires with different amounts of wear on the front and rear, but it never gets autox'd or driven in the rain or anything so I'm not gonna worry about it too much and save the money. I'll also be swapping the good takeoff tire to the spare wheel, it has an original 30 y/o Michelin MVX marked with "Made in West Germany" on it now, it was not a fun experience driving on it and wondering if it was going to randomly let go.
I would also like to add that if you have the ability to move over for a car stopped on the side of the highway and you don't do it, you are a shitty person. I was shocked at how many people did not.
In other news, I'm going to finally get to the valve adjustment tonight if it cools off at all, this is the perfect opportunity. I'm unsure what I'm going to do about the fuel tank, I discovered that it's rusting at the welded seam above the filler neck and that's where I'm thinking it's leaking from. I really don't want to pay for the new tank, but not being able to fill the car above half is frustrating, inconvenient and isn't doing the fuel pump any favors. I highly doubt any sort of JB-Weld fix is going to take care of it, but do I have anything to lose? Stay tuned to see if I ever get off my lazy, broke ass and fix it!
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The people who dont move over are watching tik tok videos. Seems like replacing the fuel tank is a rite of passage when owning a midwest e30.
Report back on how the valve adjustment helps!
Seems like valve adjustments either provide no noticable benefit, or they make all the difference and the idle/drivability improve and cure some ailments that werent expected
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The people who dont move over are watching tik tok videos. Seems like replacing the fuel tank is a rite of passage when owning a midwest e30.
Report back on how the valve adjustment helps!
Seems like valve adjustments either provide no noticable benefit, or they make all the difference and the idle/drivability improve and cure some ailments that werent expected
Will do! The last time I did it, it made a big difference since the lash was set too tight and the car wasn’t idling as well, but I also lost a bit of power. More of a checkup than anything else to make sure nothing is up.
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