Joined the Club Today

[m42b32]

SteelBlue said:

I did try with a torch, but maybe I need to keep the heat on it longer.

Keep in mind you are trying to heat a very large piece of aluminum, which is a great conductor of heat. It will spread the heat throughout the entire piece so you may need to hold the torch to it for quite a while to have an effect.

[Jdesign]

By awhile, he means a minimum of 5 minutes. You should see the casting start to glow and hold color in the grains. Also, Mapp gas is hotter than propane if you arent already using Mapp..

[SteelBlue]

Jdesign said:

By awhile, he means a minimum of 5 minutes. You should see the casting start to glow and hold color in the grains. Also, Mapp gas is hotter than propane if you arent already using Mapp..

Oh shit, didn't know it needed to be that much. I'll have to grab another propane tank on the way home.

[jc43089]

If it hasn't come out yet then it hasn't been long enough or you need a bigger torch.  Really with enough heat it will just about fall out.

[SteelBlue]

So I probably need a bigger torch. I was heating the area of the reaming stud for a good 5 minutes, the entire trans was warm to the touch, but no dice on getting it out. Tried two different punch sizes on both ends, used penetrating fluid while it was hot. Maybe I just need to cycle it more with the heat and fluid. Or need to utilize a friends bigger torch.

I replaced the selector shaft seal as well as the input shaft seal on the trans. Also did the carrier rod(what ever the thing is that the shifter sits in) bushing where it meets the trans as well as the shifter bearing. Need to rent a three prong puller for the output shaft.

I found the problem with my trunk. The lever in the picture below was getting stuck on the housing of the latch housing. I believe this is because the spring that this lever is on is not as taught and giving it some play. The lever would catch the side of the housing and not allow the latch to open. So for the time being, I have shaved the portion of the housing to make sure that it would not get caught. The picture below shows the lever pushed as far over, you can see how it would over lap.

My plan is to go to the junk yard on Saturday and find a new male trunk latch(the part that was stuck in the latching mechanism that I cut off to get the latching mechanism out of the car) and possible a new latching mechanism all together to see if it is in better shape. The lock itself I believe is completely toast. I'm pretty sure it's supposed to spring out when it's pushed in but it just says. So I might just buy a new one off eBay with a key as my last lock rebuilding experience did not go to plan.

[Jdesign]

SteelBlue said:

Oh shit, didn't know it needed to be that much. I'll have to grab another propane tank on the way home.

You mean Mapp Gas? lol

[SteelBlue]

Jdesign said:

You mean Mapp Gas? lol

Yeah, I'll have to see if my buddy has that at his shop as all I have is a little propane torch lol

I used eBay for its actual intended function for once and won an auction for a trunk lock and key. Was searching last night and came across an auction with no bids and 11 hours left. $10 later and I've got a new lock and key. Hell of a lot better than buying a new one or any of the other ones I've seen going on eBay.

[Jdesign]

SteelBlue said:

Yeah, I'll have to see if my buddy has that at his shop as all I have is a little propane torch lol

They use the same tank and threads if you are using a standard torch nozzle. 

Otherwise if you want to really heat that fawker, Get one of these kits, I have one that I paid $40 for from Ace hardware.

[jc43089]

Jdesign said:

Otherwise if you want to really heat that fawker, Get one of these kits, I have one that I paid $40 for from Ace hardware.

I need that!  Are there different tips?  How does it compare to Oxy/Acetelyne?  It's a huge plus that it is just a small kit instead of big tanks.

[SteelBlue]

Jdesign said:

They use the same tank and threads if you are using a standard torch nozzle. 

Otherwise if you want to really heat that fawker, Get one of these kits, I have one that I paid $40 for from Ace hardware.

Oh, I wasn't aware you could buy that in one of those cans. I have the propane one on the right. I'll stop by HD or somewhere on the way home and give that a try.

[HipMF]

I had one of those oxy-mapp setups many years ago. The "regulators" don't work well, and the oxygen tanks don't last long. I did manage to melt some copper with it, so they do work...

[Jdesign]

jc43089 said:

I need that!  Are there different tips?  How does it compare to Oxy/Acetelyne?  It's a huge plus that it is just a small kit instead of big tanks.

I dont think they make different tips but I never really looked or needed one. The best part is that you can get a really small, intense, and controlled flame with a good focal point. Its perfect for heating bolts near soft parts you might not want heated such as bushings and boots. 

HipMF said:

I had one of those oxy-mapp setups many years ago. The "regulators" don't work well, and the oxygen tanks don't last long. I did manage to melt some copper with it, so they do work...

The one I have works just fine, but yes, you need to be aware of the flame size, you will go through the oxygen fast!  

Also you will need to (or should) wear tinted eye protection.

[SteelBlue]

Wheel stud conversion done

Was able to get a trunk latch from Gibson’s. E32 trunk latches are the same as E30s. My trunk lock mechanism should be here tomorrow so should hopefully have the trunk wrapped up tomorrow.

Mtech 1 spoiler also came today. Gonna paint it and install it tomorrow hopefully. Got a wedding and some buddies back in town so might have to wait until Monday. Gonna buff and polish the trunk before installing the wing. 

[SteelBlue]

Did some paint correction work before installing the wing. This is clay bar, three stages of buffing/polishing, and wax. I'm going to just post the pictures as I don't remember the exact order of everything.

Figured I'd use my T3i since I have it. 

Starting point was pretty rough:

Materials for the job:

After clay bar, pretty rough still:

After first compound:

Think this was after the second compound with the medium pad

Polished and waxed:

I'd say it's like a 6/7-10 for condition of paint. A wet sand could probably help a good amount but thats for another day.

Found a spot to start putting some of my stickers:

Got my trunk lock mechanism, trunk closes and latches now. This is really small in the grand scheme of the car, but feels like such an accomplishment for this to work lol

Figured I'd participate in a WIBIMMERS tradition:

Waiting for the paint to dry on the Mtech wing before installing.

[YoungCR]

new mtech spoiler? Is that gonna cover up the horrible dent from me tipping over a transmission jack? 

[SteelBlue]

YoungCR said:

new mtech spoiler? Is that gonna cover up the horrible dent from me tipping over a transmission jack? 

Lol, it perfectly covers the dent.

[jc43089]

Pretty sure you skipped the last frame because it missed the trash can...  It's the small things, I need to replace my drivers door handle so I can get in the car without reaching in from the passenger side to unlatch it...

[GunMetalGrey]

The trunk looks real nice! 
I'm excited to see this thing cleaned up and lowered with your new wheels!

[SteelBlue]

Don’t feel like I’m making enough day to day progress. Waiting on my hardline to replace the one I accidentally cut. Shipped from Germany and is shipping from ECS Friday so should be here early next week hopefully. Really want to do that before the motor goes in any capacity.

Still need to do the RMS, but the motor needs to be off the stand and I’m not gonna ask to borrow the crane before the motor is ready to go in. Really now just debating on wether or not to put it in with or without the wiring harness attached. I think for potential clearancing issues it would be helpful to not have it attached. I still need to figure out my body harness to motor harness, as I have not even touched that. This is by far the most daunting task of the car so far, the wiring, as I’ve never done it before.

I did order a new VANOS oil line and washers as I did notice it was looking cracked around the fittings. Also got a few of the small trans parts I needed(bitch clip, U clip).

So in the meantime I’ve started doing some of the body work. I wanted to get the front bumper to fit better so I pulled it off to work on the fitting. This car has definitely been in an accident. Driver bumper shock was probably an inch and half higher than the passenger. You can also see that there is a gap that widens toward the driver side between the bumper and the thin piece of body underneath the grilles. Gap between bumper and fender is pretty noticeable on the driver side but I got the bumper on the tracks. 

Went to pull the rear bumper and got the first torx bolt out, sheared my socket on the second one.

Not sure if I should try it on an impact instead of breaker bar with my jack handle next time?

I pulled the door molding and didn’t brake any clips! Put a fresh coat of paint on the euro grilles and the head lights rings. I also took the IS lip off and got it painted.

This I am super stoked on. I love the knick-knacky shit and this is definitely that. I see a lot of the Porsche guys with these at RA and really wanted to get one for the E30, I think it adds a lot of flare to the front of the car.

Installed with the fresh painted grilles. Need new headlights ASAP.

[straight6pwr]

the rear bumper shocks can be unmounted from the car attached to the bumper via the two bolts that hold them to the car, if for some reason that torx bolt is stubborn. then you can get in there with some spray/heat. 

an impact is always a better choice than a long breaker bar