My BMW 325

Thrashing

2011-03-23T11:57:00.000-05:00

I think that is the word I want to use. Now that the weather is getting nicer and snow is almost a memory for the year (still might get some next week) I have enjoyed driving the 325 a little more aggressively. Problem is it doesn't drive like the 02 did. I saw a 3-series commercial the other day on TV and at one point an early 320 can be seen easily being throw around a corner with a bit off over-steer. The 02 did this with ease also, even with the little power that it had. The e36 325 so far can only do this on wet roads and that is if the traction control is off. It has to much grip. Maybe it is the wider tires and the better suspension, or maybe it needs more power?

I'll be replacing the spark plugs this week along with the thermostat. While the plugs probably won't do much for the power it might be interesting. Stock this car only had 189hp new. I'll be looking horsepower upgrades in the coming months.

2002 Sold

2011-02-06T11:25:00.000-06:00

Last week I sold the 2002. He also bought my spare doors, 1 hood and fenders. We were able to clear out the garage enough to get our pop up camper in there and rearrange things to make everything fit better. But the 325 still has to be outside. It is doing alright although the rear tires are too bald for the snow and with the 24" or so we have had in the last few weeks have made me take the Trailblazer to work a few times. One of the things that the I've noticed with the cold weather is that the temp on the 325 barely gets above the blue. The thermostat is stuck open and needs replaced. It is quite a procedure to replace it since the fan and shroud have to come out to get to the bolts that hold in the thermostat housing. Once I get a 32mm wrench I'll tackle this one, hopefully later this week. Definitely not as easy as replacing it in the 02.

Control arms

2010-09-20T23:17:00.000-05:00

Yesterday afternoon I replaced the driver side control arm and bushing. Took around 3 to 4 hours. There is not a lot of room to work in there and being the first time it took some figuring out. Of course I did have to run to the store to get a fork to knock the ball joint out so that counted for a little bit of time. Today I replaced the passenger side in half the time. I pretty much knew all the tricks now and it was a plus that the middle ball joint on the control arm has more room to work with on the nut. The driver side has A/C lines in the way. Oh, even though these are 22mm nuts, a 7/8" wrench works just fine in there.

I also replaced the bushings with urethane ones, getting the old ones out didn't take too much since I had a saws-all, made a couple of cuts in the old bushing metal ring and a few blows with a hammer and it was out. The urethane one can be a pain to get in, but if you have a old rotor laying around it is the perfect size to put the mount on there and knock the bushing in.

Now that the brakes and the controls arms are done its almost like a new car. The handling is much tighter and braking is great. Can't wait to see what it will do tomorrow.

Replaced rear brakes

2010-08-24T22:33:00.000-05:00

Last week I got the new brakes for the rear on the 325. Today I had a chance to put them on. The driver side was easy once I got the little things figured out. I did smash a finger, but it only hurts a little right now. I replaced the rotors and the pads. The rotors were probably the originals. The passenger side rotor was a little tough, actually not really since it broke. Picture later. The thing was stuck on there really good, so I tried using a hub puller. It ended up bending the rotor until it snapped. The thing still wouldn't work so then I tried the tire method. This is where you put the tire back on the car and try to wobble it loose. Nothing. So then it was to the old heat method. Got out my trusty propane torch and heated the disc around the hub for a good 5 minutes. Although with some well placed knocks from a hammer in between the stud holes and a little later one good whack on the back of the rotor and it came off.

Got everything back together and took it for a drive. The difference in the brakes is amazing. Now I can't wait until the front rotors arrive tomorrow along with the new control arms, and urethane bushings.

325 oil service reset

2010-08-10T11:58:00.000-05:00

As I am working through things on the 325 I came across the oil service gauge on the cluster. I changed the oil on Sunday night (it really needed it), but the gauge still showed that it was bad. There is a tool that cost about $70 that will reset it, or you can go to a shop and they'll do it for $25 or more. Or as I found on one website you can easily reset it yourself in a few minutes. Actually seconds. Tools required - a paper clip or piece of wire. I have copper wire laying around from having to run wiring in the 02 so I took a small piece, striped the ends of it and went out to the car. The procedure is this, put the ignition into position II (just before start) so that the dash lights come on. Pop the hood and go to the front of the car, open hood. Look to the passenger side of the engine bay and right behind the left strut tower there is a circle thing. Unscrew the cap and look for pin 7 and 19. They are labeled. Stick one end of the wire or metal piece in 7 and then the other end in 19. Hold it there for about 4 to 5 seconds. It took me a couple of times. Don't go too long though. Once the time as elapsed pull out the wire. Now go check the dash, you should see all green on the oil indicator.

Not done yet

2010-08-06T08:57:00.000-05:00

I'll be picking up the 325 tonight, just in time for some really hot weather to come in. Since I'll be able to drive and work on it at the same time I'll be able to dig into somethings the 02 needs. I saw the comments from other posts and thank you for the advice. I'll be pulling the transmission off to check the main rear seal and the clutch. The transmission also needs the selector shaft seal replaced and some linkage issues fixed. I'll also replace the guibo at that time.

I took the 02 in last week to get an inspection. In Missouri you need a safety inspection every time you renew the license plates. Well, it failed. I have to replace brake pads on the front left, probably both. The brake lines were custom jobs and I forgot the brackets for them. I have to redo that and hopefully get it bled right too. The back brake lines need fixing also which mean I need to run longer metal lines so they can go through the control arm. Also the center linkage needs replacing and they recommended the tierods also get replaced. Since I'll need that done I might as well replace the idler arm bushing at the same time since I already have them and it will be apart. The good thing is there is no hurry. But this will give me experience for the next time I get it an 02. I think I need a countdown clock.

I'll be inventorying my parts too so I know what I have. Right now I plan on selling the 02 and all parts for around $3000.

Good-bye 02, hello 325

2010-08-05T17:00:00.001-05:00

A couple of weeks ago it became apparent that we needed a new car that had A/C and seats 5. Because of my involvement with Boy Scouts (Scout Master) I from time to time need to take our Trailblazer on camp outs to tow the scout trailer. When I do this, my wife needs a car to be able to take the kids places and run to the store if she has too. She would not be able to do this in the 02 since it a manual and has a slipping clutch and no A/C. Plus the 02 can't be driven long distances. So I made the decision that the 02 needed to be replaced. So the search began and this week I found the replacement car. A 1995 BMW 325i black on black leather with sport package. It does need new brake pads all round and new rear disc and front outer ball joints. But for only $3500 it is a good deal. The best part is it is an automatic which will make it easier for my wife to drive. I pick it up tomorrow evening. For now here is a picture from Tuesday.

More troubleshooting

2010-06-17T11:08:00.000-05:00

Well, I finally got some new plug wires and I think this should help. I found that the ones on the car had corroded to the point that the wire wasn't making connections on all of them. I also think the fuel pump isn't doing enough at the higher RPMs, so I'm going to rehook up the electrical one in the trunk to give it just a bit more.

Gas filter

2010-06-06T22:00:00.000-05:00

So I think I finally got it. I removed my trunk filter that I put on when I first got the car running so that anything in the tank wouldn't go into the electric fuel pump. After removing the pump I left it there. I replaced the one in the engine compartment and after getting a mouth full of gas from a hose that I tucked next to the carb and came loose flinging gas into my mouth. Anyway the filter had bits of stuff in it and was nasty. After getting the new one on there and it taking forever for it to start, I finally got it going and took it out for a quick spin. It rev'd to 4000 with no problem. Clutch still slipped of course, but it feels more powerful now.

Which reminds me, on Thursday evening I finally took it on the highway at 65 mph for a 10 minute trip. The driveshaft held and it ran okay. It should do better now.

Another thing I did the on Thursday was to replace the brake booster hose that goes from the valve thing to the manifold. The one was dirty and too short. When I got it off I also noticed a small hole. With the new one on there the brakes are much more responsive.

what to do?

2010-05-30T22:36:00.000-05:00

So, I'm still tweaking it. After getting the #2 plug cleaned up and adjusting the valves it wouldn't want to go over 3000 without missing, or maybe it was knocking. I ran some seafoam into the vacuum line and it seemed to help a tad, I think the carbon built up in there causing it to burn the fuel at the wrong time. On Friday I adjusted it so that the idle mixture screw is way in and readjusted the timing by ear. It is still off, but it runs. But the clutch is getting worse I think and don't have the time or money to do anything about it right now. Of course I do have a spare clutch and pressure plate, problem is I need the car to get to work and my wife needs the Trailblazer. The summer is already busy enough. Not only does the clutch plate need replaced, but so does the shifter linkage, the seal for the shifter and possibly the main rear seal.

Sometimes I wish I had a new car that didn't have problems and I didn't have to worry about this. AC would be nice too. But, I don't and it will be at least 3 years before we buy another one. So the 02 will have to make it and I'll have to find the time to tear it apart again.

Tuning Update

2010-05-06T11:31:00.000-05:00

Over last weekend I tore into the car a bit. I was tired of the rough running, wobbly engine and the sucky 19 mpg that I had been getting. First step was to see if I could get the car to start easier and take care of the surging problem when I know the timing is right. So off comes the top of the carb (Weber 32/36 DGAV) and I get down to the float, apparently this thing can cause all sorts of issues if it isn't set right. Well, mine was set around 30mm, should be 41mm. So I got that set correctly. Just had to bend the floats down a bit. I put the top piece back in place and then went for the choke. I'm pretty sure it had never worked properly. I started by lining up the marks on the choke and the carb and then tweaking it to where it actually closed the flaps at the right spot. Then I adjusted the screw to stop the linkage at the right spot for high idle, it was backed out to where it wasn't even touching before.

The next day after letting the engine cool over night I pulled the plugs and the valve cover. #2 plug was fouled, that explained the rough running miss firing engine. But why? I put the car in fifth gear and starting rolling it to adjust each of the valves to .006. When I got to #2 intake, there was no gap, when I loosened the nut it actually came up some. I think it was too tight, not letting it close all the way. With all of them set, I cleaned up the plugs, put them back in and went for the timing.

First I put the carb to the proper setting than got the timing set to the "dot" on the flywheel. My car is one of those that doesn't have the marks on the pulley. Then I set the carb to where it was running smooth and sounded good. Took it out for a drive and was very pleased by how much smoother it was. Lacked power though.

On Monday I tweaked the timing a little to bring the power up and haven't touch anything sense. It has been great. My biggest issue with it now is getting the high idle to set when it is cold.

The next thing I need to work on is the transmission. It still leaks, hopefully a seal for the shifter will fix that. Also the clutch is slipping, luckily I have a new one, just need the time to tear it apart. Also the right front brake is squeaking. Probably need better pads up there.

Even more tweaking

2010-04-21T10:27:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I messed with the timing and the idle mixture to try to smooth out the engine. After trying one way after lunch and it running worse on the way back to work, I decided to go even farther clockwise on the distributor when I was almost to work. I also put the idle mixture screw farther in. The result is a smoother running engine, nice power, and higher revving (got it over 5000 RPM this morning). Plus no bucking when not on the gas. It still likes to back fire out the carb before it is warmed up. Before adjusting the idle speed screw this morning on the way to work, it was idling around 400 RPM, now I have it around 900 RPM. The next thing to see with these settings is what will the MPG be.

A few things that I know need to be fixed are an oil leak near the oil filter (but not the oil filter gasket), a coolant leak, probably from the intake manifold to water pump hose and a leaky transmission, hopefully from the selector shaft seal.

New wheels and more tweaking

2010-04-01T22:51:00.000-05:00

I had to rotate the tires on the 02 today and while I was at it I decided to try on the wheels my older brother gave me. Well, they fit and I think the ride is actually better with them. They definitely look better than the stock ones.

I've also done some more tweaking on the engine. I backed out the idle mixture screw some because it was still running a tad rough. I tried about 1/4 turn at first which improved it, but I did another 1/2 the next day just to see and it was a ton better. Surprisingly the idle speed lowered to about 400 RPM. I didn't think that was possible in an 02. There was some jerking though when lifting off the gas so I tweaked the timing a little clockwise (I can't remember if that is advance or retard). This smoothed out the engine more and then I brought the idle speed up to about 700. Can't wait to see how it goes tomorrow.

20 mpg

2010-03-19T11:33:00.000-05:00

I've finally got the 02 up to 20 miles per gallon. I think that having to idle less because of the cold is helping, but also I believe it is just running better. I'll be putting in a new cap and rotor today to try to smooth it out some more and that will hopefully improve the mileage even more.

Dirty plug

2010-03-18T15:27:00.000-05:00

So my 02 has been running a little rough for the past few weeks. At low RPMs the engine would wobble and shake the whole car. Last night I took out the spark plugs to inspect them and regap them to a small gap. I did have them at about .035 and regapped them to .028. Also most of the plugs looked fine, but #2 had a bunch of carbon build up that I had to clean off. These were new plugs, less than 500 miles. It seems odd that it would do that.

Anyway, after taking care of that and adjusting the timing at lunch today it is running so much better and much less engine wobble.

I'm thinking about connecting the breather hose to the carb. The fumes that it lets off are dizzying at times. Plus when I am stopped sometimes it looks like the 02 has a major issue with smoke coming out of the hood vents. The good thing is that it really isn't loosing much oil anymore with the longer hose.

Engine wobble

2010-02-28T10:35:00.000-06:00

So my 02 developed an engine shake or wobble that was getting really annoying. I wasn't sure what it was. I thought maybe timing, maybe a misfire. Someone else had the problem and it turned out to be low voltage and a better alternator fixed it. I'd like a new one, but there are things that are more important now. I adjusting the timing and it fixed it somewhat, but it really helped with the jerking feeling when cruising along. But what I think really helped it was oil. I was dangerously low because it was all blowing out the breather filter, making a mess too. I extended the hose to 2 feet and put the filter on the end. It has done so much more than reduce the engine wobble. The throttle response is better and it feels like it has more power. Picture to come later.

I need to do a front end alignment really soon. The front tires are wearing the insides down and if I don't do something soon the tires will be toast.

5000 miles

2010-02-03T11:13:00.000-06:00

Since getting my 02 together a couple of years ago and finally getting it back on the road this last year after the 5 speed upgrade my 2002 has hit 5000 miles. It was actually a pretty good drive into work this morning. Hit 4000 RPM in second and third with little effort, then I realized I was doing 50 in a 40. But I had to show off, there was a 1 series sitting at the intersection that I had to show up. :)

On Monday the clunking noise came back and after messing with the car for hours (couldn't get the lug nuts off the left rear) I finally found that the diff bolts were just loose enough to get it out of alignment just a bit to cause the inner CV joint to bind. Once that was taken care of the clunking was gone. I also adjusted the e-brake so it was more effective and adjusted the rear brake pad adjusters so that the brakes weren't dragging, right rear was a little.

On Tuesday I noticed that it was jerking a little when off the gas cruising. Normally this is a timing issue. So I started timing it and got it to were it sounded good. Then decided to lean it a little more and noticed that a vacuum cap was missing on the carb. Replaced it and it immediately sounded and ran better.

On Saturday I was able to adjust the valves which quieted the engine noise down. It also allowed it to start much easier. The rear seat belts are installed and the new clutch master cylinder is on the way. Luckily the current one isn't leaking a ton, its just enough to make it soft and drip fluid.

Until I find the keys for my other doors I can't put them on, no idea what happened to them. As for the shift linkage, I'll replace it when the clutch master comes in and I can do all that at the same time.

67

2010-01-29T11:28:00.000-06:00

After running the timing with it spot on the "ball" I found that I had to change it. Start-ups were harder and the low end had stalling issues. Power was good above 2000 RPM, but with the other issues I had to change it. So I tweaked the timing a little counter clockwise (advancing it). This improved the start ups and low end issues plus didn't take away on the power. So since everything seems to be going good with it right now I decided to try another speed run. I managed to run it almost to 70 while following some other cars, but the good thing is that it could have done more. The biggest thing is that there was no vibration from the driveshaft that I could tell, although the steering wheel had a little, but I think this is because I need an alignment.

Tomorrow I'll be tearing into the car to do some much needed maintenance tasks. Rear seat belts will be one of the first things on the list. I need to adjust the rear brakes and e-brake. The shift linkage will get some new pieces also. If time permits I'll adjust the hood and maybe replace the doors. Oh and a valve adjustment.

Sweet spot

2010-01-26T10:03:00.000-06:00

I got the timing light out last night to finely tune the 02. Got it to where the "ball" was steady in the opening and took it around the block. It felt good. This morning it was a little hesitant until it warmed up. But once warm the throttle response was great. I think I also found the valve tick issue. Sounds like it is coming from cylinder 3 intake side. So sometime this week I'll have to get in there and take care of that to quite the engine a little.

Loose CV bolts and retiming again....

2010-01-24T10:02:00.000-06:00

This last week my 02 starting making a terrible clanking noise from the rear end. It started on my way back to work after lunch so I had no clean garage to check it out. I first stopped at Lowes and couldn't see anything. Then about half mile away stopped at a Chevy dealer. This time I noticed the bolt on the left outer CV joint was coming out. I did my best to put it in by hand, but could only go so far. I went to ask if I could borrow an allen wrench, but was denied for 2 reasons. The techs don't loan out their tools and they only had standard sizes. So using the trunk boards as a barrier between me and the wet ground I got under there the best I could to try to get it a little farther in. I knew we had some allen wrenches at work so the next thing I did was drive it slowly to work hoping nothing would break. After work I was able to get the bolt all the way in and found at least 2 others that were loose also.

With those in I figured I'd better get home. The clanking was still there though. I couldn't believe it. My next thought was, oh crap, my diff is going. I made it home and was able to check it out that night. Making sure to tighten all the bolts and double check the diff bolts and the driveshaft. Everything seemed okay. I took it around the block and the clanking was gone. So far, it has not returned. My guess is that the exhaust had come loose because of the tranny bracket and it was causing it to hit on something in the rear end, probably the inner CV joint. I did find on Friday that the rear exhaust hanger had also come off lowering the exhaust there also, so this was most likely the cause.

On Thursday I had a little time before work to see what I could do about the timing. I hadn't reset it since the new spark plugs. It felt a little off, like I had to get it to much gas pedal to really get it going. So I tweaked it until it sounded like it was better. It was. Now it revs much easier and faster with less pedal travel. I actually pushed it over 4000 RPM in 1st, 2nd and 3rd with ease.

There is still a little engine noise I'd like to take care of, so I'll be working on the valves again to make sure there isn't too much play in them. It could also be the timing chain making the noise. I also need to replace the guibo with a good one and some shifter linkage and find the low RPM squeaking.

02 is running Great

2010-01-05T10:52:00.000-06:00

Since completing the spark plug replacement and oil change and a couple of other needed repairs the 02 has been running great. Also for some reason the front right turn signal is working like it should now. Just out of the blue it started working normally. The last time it did was almost 3 years ago. Also found out that my LED taillights weren't working good. One was dead and the other only had one LED working. I replaced both with regular 1157 bulbs and was amazed by the brightness. When I first started on this project I cleaned and repainted the taillights with chrome paint to increase the reflectivity. It definitely helped. Now I just need to make sure the bulbs stay seated correctly, going over bumps causes the left one to go out.

The 02 is definitely up on power, but gas mileage will suffer since I have to let it warm up before driving in these temps. Good thing it stays in the garage at night. Oh, it also starts much easier now too.

Running great

2010-01-03T17:25:00.000-06:00

Last week I had some issues with the 02. The oil was foaming and it started running really rough by Thursday, even though the day before it had been running great. Well, it is now back to running great. The foaming was caused by not driving it enough. My trip to work only takes about 15 minutes normally depending on traffic lights. Apparently when it is dang cold (tomorrow it will be 0) the 02 needs to run a little longer for the oil to heat up properly to burn on condensation. Plus I was running 20W50 which is to heavy for these temps we are having. So I changed the oil to 10W40 Valvoline High Mileage sythentic blend. Also last week I had tweaked the spark plugs to .040 because of my setup I thought it could handle it. Well, it started running really rough and I thought that it had to be the plugs. So those got changed too. And I found out I had the wrong ones in before anyway. I had the BPR6ES not the BP6ES from NGK. I set these to .035. Also I found that probably when starting the car Thursday morning I must have blown a vacuum cap from one of the nipples on the intake manifold causing the rough running. After replacing it and rerouting the fuel line from the firewall to the fuel pump I took it out for a spin (after letting it warm up).

Wow! It hasn't felt that alive since I first got it running almost 3 years ago. Actually it feels even better than then. Now I can't wait for the snow to be gone so I can really see how it goes. I but I could hit 65 easy now.

.040

2009-12-29T23:30:00.000-06:00

I've regapped my spark plugs to .040 up from .032 to see if it helps with idle smoothness and acceleration. Also hoping it gives it a better high end. I'll find out tomorrow. I'm also looking to connect the valve breather to the carb as it is making a mess on the engine with the filter. Another thing I need to do is get into the valves and recheck gaps. The valve tick is getting annoying at times.

New rear sway bar end links and more tuning

2009-12-21T14:02:00.001-06:00

I recently bought some new sway bar end links for the rear of my car since the old ones looked really bad. I never imagined how much it could improve the handling of the car.

These came from Ireland Engineering. Urethane and thicker bolt.

I had some trouble getting the old ones off. The right side one came off after some work. The left one did too but required a little more work.

This is what is left of it. I had to cut it because the metal sleeve that goes over the bolt had rusted to the bolt. I ended up cutting through the washer below the upper bracket to get it to come out.

Installation of the new ones was simple and I would have taken the car right out afterward but I decided I needed to move the vacuum advance line and tore the vacuum plug I had. Once I got some new ones and got everything in place I took it out for a run. Handling is much tighter, no more slop in the rear. It feels like the back end stays in place better now as it should.

As for the vacuum lines. Before I had the vacuum advance going to the manifold, apparently it should go to the base of the carb. I do believe it made a difference too. This morning idle was around 400RPM. Too low for my liking. Power was better but I need more so I advanced the distributor a little. It made starting a little easier and there is more power now. Along with that I adjusted the idle screw to bring it to about 800RPM.

New guibo and other shifter parts are on the way now and once those are on I'll finally try to get it up to 65mph.

Running good

2009-12-15T13:58:00.000-06:00

So yesterday we got new tires put on the van. The old ones were quite worn and made the van shake and turning was hard. With the new ones on there, it feels like a new van, everything is so smooth. I actually liked driving it yesterday to work at 9:00pm to fix a server problem. I also now feel safer driving it long distances.

As for the 02, it is running great too. The engine is right on with the timing, I'm tweaking the carb still to help with the starting problem and it is getting closer. With the transmission and drive line all straight now there is no vibration, nothing coming loose and I'm almost forgetting that I should still take it easy until I can replace the guibo. I do have a slight coolant leak that I need to find and take care of. And an exhaust manifold stud that leaks some oil, I have the replacement one, just have to do it.

Parts ordered and snow driving

2009-12-11T08:29:00.000-06:00

I've got parts ordered to fix the sloppy shifter and replace the slightly torn guibo. Also replacing the rear sway bar end links since the ones on there are toast. Actually they look like squished black marshmallows. I finally replaced the battery the other day after it got into the single digit temps and the 02 wouldn't start. Now I just need to figure out the hard starting problem since the timing is pretty much perfect, I think it is a fuel issue.

In my 75 I didn't seem to ever have a problem driving in the snow, probably because I learned to drive in the snow in it. That was 14 years ago. Now I'm relearning everything about how the car handles and what it can and can't do. It is getting better, but when the streets are complete ice there is nothing you can do. Although a limited slip might help and I do believe from my experience with my 75 I'm pretty sure it had a 3.91 limited slip, why didn't I pull that from the car?! I didn't know at the time I got rid of it unfortunately.

Drive line is better

2009-12-08T08:35:00.000-06:00

I have everything straight now, I still think the drive shaft is a tad short and I need a new guibo and to figure out where the fluid leak is coming from. The only other place I can think of for the leak is the selector shaft opening.

Another thing that had been happening was the speedo was jumping all over and noisy. So I pulled the instrument cluster out and sprayed some lube and graphite into the cable and the speedo hole. Reinstalled the cluster and reconnected the speedo, making sure it was seated properly. This morning I got to test it and it works great, no noise and nice and steady. But now the tach doesn't work. I must have pulled the cable for it.

Oh, I did check the nuts and bolts at the guibo and 2 were loose. I tightened them back down. I think any time after you work on something like that, you should definitely check it a number of times in the next week or 2 to be sure everything is tight. Even the diff bolts needed some tightening.

60

2009-12-03T15:30:00.000-06:00

Last night I was able to get the 02 up to 60 mph. Barely. I was going into a head wind so I had that against me and I'd realized the day before that the 02 seemed under-powered. It was only for a short run, maybe a mile. When I had to slow down for my turn it suddenly had the clanking sound again. But it went away and didn't come back the rest of the way home. Best of all there was no drive line vibration that I could tell.

So, today I decided to try tuning it a little better. At lunch I got the timing light out and got it so I could see the ball in the opening and put the idle mixture screw in a little more. I still need to verify that I have the correct vacuum port hooked up. I was told it was right before, but I have to double check on it.

On the way back to work the clanking came back, so I know another bolt has come loose. So I'll be fixing that one tonight. Oh, the other night I got under the car and found that 2 of the diff mounting bolts were loose. Took care of those ones and double checked all the others.

Comments are open to anyone now

2009-11-25T15:59:00.002-06:00

I've opened the comments to anyone now, hopefully I don't get a bunch of spam, but I figure there will be a way to take care of that.

02 sighting

2009-11-25T15:58:00.000-06:00

On my way back to work after lunch today I spotted another 02. This one was on a trailer. I've never seen that one around before that I know of. It was Verona (that's the color for non 02 readers). Unfortunately I didn't see if good enough to know if it was a early or late model. More than likely it had probably been sitting in someone's garage for years had just been sold, hopefully not to the junk yard.

As for my 02. It is running really good. The stuff I listed yesterday in no way keeps it from running, it mainly stuff that will allow it to run better. I need the alternator if I ever put a radio in the car. I have realized that at cruising speed (45) the exhaust is not loud at all (in the car). So I think a radio is in the future. The sway bar bushings will help stiff the ride and keep the 02 more level in the turns and allow better control of the rear end. The door panel will help keep out the cold in the winter and make it look better.

The M3 starter would be nice, but isn't needed. It's lighter weight and helps start the car quicker. Big front brakes would really be nice and this is one that will hopefully happen sometime, but I need to redo the brake lines first.

For now though, I just need figure out why the temperature keeps going up, not to the red, but about 3/4 up the gauge. Probably an air bubble that I need to get out of it. Also need to check the spark plugs to make sure they are gapped right and tweak the timing a little more.

Rumblings

2009-11-24T08:45:00.000-06:00

Now that the 02 is in the garage I don't have to worry about it getting cold and wet. I still need to find the leak that allows the water to pool up in the drivers side foot well. And the battery will still have to be replaced soon. Right now we are waiting on the money from the Sunfire before I can do anything with it. Here is a list of things I need soon for the car

Rear sway bar bushings
Driver side door panel
320 alternator

Other things I would like to do are:

M3 starter
Stiffer front struts
Redo the front brakes

I did manage to tune it again yesterday and got it running really good. It had been running rough and jerking when coasting, plus the engine didn't want to rev higher than 4000 very easily. Now it is smooth and the power kicks in at 2200 and can easily go to 4000 and beyond. But, I'm also trying to save gas at the same time so I am taking it a little easy on the accelerator.

02 doesn't like the cold

2009-11-19T15:09:00.000-06:00

Apparently my 02 doesn't like the cold much. Could be the older battery, might be the linkage is cold. But for whatever reason it is hard to start. I did finally get it started yesterday after messing with it for an hour off and on. I found that pressing and holding gas pedal all the way down allowed it to finally start. Someone had mentioned once before that to engage the choke on a water choke 32/36 you just press the gas to the floor and it opens, they didn't say leave your foot on it. So I had been pressing it then pumping it and I couldn't figure out why it didn't want to start until I realized that the butterfly valves were basically shut if I didn't hold the gas pedal to the floor.

But because I have a rental right now and the weather has been nasty I haven't driven the 02. Why the rental? The Sunfire has some damage to the rear thanks to snow/slush covered roads.

Another loose bolt

2009-11-12T21:56:00.000-06:00

Last night I tightened all the bolts. Today another one came loose. So I replaced it with a non-nylock nut. Let's see if this one works.

As for the engine tuning. I'm still tweaking it. I can't seem to find the happy spot. It either runs great and hard to start or easy to start and runs like a tractor. In a few years maybe I'll do the mega squirt setup. By the way, has any one put together a list for one of these for the 02?

5500

2009-11-10T13:30:00.000-06:00

Got the 02 up to 5500 RPM today. Wasn't sure if it would do it with its state of tune, but it managed. It was in second gear, not sure how fast I was going but I think it was about 40 to 45. I think it also managed to clean the cylinders out a little when I did it because it seemed to run a little better afterward. Hopefully tonight I will be able to replace that nut and washer and double check all the bolts again.

Running even better

2009-11-09T17:35:00.000-06:00

I managed today to get the 02 running even better than before. It now idles around 1000 RPM and starts somewhat easy. I had to turn in the idle mixture screw about 1 turn and then backed out the idle screw just a tad. Still has plenty of power through the range, yet is much quieter when at the lights. Should be able to catch more people off guard now. :)

Still need to replace the nut and washer on the guibo, but so far it is holding. It's so nice when things work.

Tuned again

2009-11-07T21:11:00.000-06:00

After work on Friday I spent a little bit of time trying to smooth out the engine. It was running rough even though it was easier to start. I turned the dizzy clockwise a little more to smooth it out and it doesn't seem to have affected the starting. It definitely helped, it drives a lot smoother and even sounds better I think.

I know, I still need to get some more pictures. I'm hoping tomorrow will be a good day for it and maybe even some driving video so I can finally share what it sounds like. My wife says she can hear me coming from over a mile away.

I did have another thing. I had noticed a couple of weeks ago that quick turns and maneuvers made it feel like the back wheels were helping turn the car. Turned out that the tires were low on air and once aired up it took away that feeling and tightened it up. Also the other day it got below zero and the 02 wouldn't start, had to charge the battery at lunchtime and then could drive it. Apparently I had forgotten that the battery that is in there was bought about 5 years ago and had been used not only while building this car but also in a Sentra SE-R and a Porsche 944 for a while (both had issues). I might be needing a new one soon.

Loose bolt

2009-11-05T18:27:00.000-06:00

It was a loose bolt, pictures don't show much so I didn't put them on here. Not sure why it loosened up but I think I need to get some different nylock nuts. Guibo doesn't look damaged either so that is good. Need to take it out for a test drive now.

Ticking sound

2009-11-05T16:54:00.000-06:00

So yesterday a sound started coming from the shifter area. Today it got worse. There really isn't any vibration with it so I don't think it is the flex disc going out, but instead I think it is a bolt coming loose. I need to go out and look at it and see if it caused any damage. Other than that it has been running great for the last few days. Well, here I go with the camera to see what is wrong this time.

Tuned and ready

2009-11-01T22:18:00.000-06:00

I was able to get under the car and under the hood today to make sure everything is still tight, most of it was. The nut that connects the 2 drive shaft halves together was slightly loose (hardly at all). Everything else looked good, no cracks in the rubber pieces. Once that was done it was under the hood to get the engine running a little better. I made sure the distributor was working well and oiled and then adjusted the timing. The 02 will now pretty much start right up and idles even when semi cold. Had to top off the coolant too as it had dropped a little. Now I can't wait for the morning to take it to work and push it a little more. I love Mondays.

50 mph

2009-10-17T19:18:00.000-05:00

I got it up to 50 this morning with no vibration, of course it was only for a couple hundred yards. I would have taken it out again just now but the battery still isn't fully charged and doesn't want to start without a jump. I did notice while tightening the rear drive shaft bolts at the diff that the upper sway bar bushings are pancakes, I don't think they are supposed to be like that. Luckily, this is not something that will keep me from driving the car, but I know what is next on the list. Also on the list

320 alternator
drive side door panel
replace both doors and paint them

Finally, the drive shaft is in

2009-10-16T21:29:00.000-05:00

After weeks of waiting and working to get the drive shaft apart and then back together with the good rear half I finally had a chance to finish putting it in the 02 tonight. Bolting it up doesn't take long when you've done it a number of times in one year. After getting it in, and charging the battery I managed to get the car started and took it for its first drive in probably 2 months around the block. Up to 20 mph there is no vibration, that's good. Maybe tomorrow I'll have a chance to get it out on a road and push it to 40 to see how it will do when it comes time to go to work Monday. Now that it running and driving, I'll have more to update on here so stay tuned.

Pulling the drive shaft tonight

2009-09-11T15:02:00.000-05:00

I plan on pulling the drive shaft tonight so that next week I can take it to a friends house (he has a vise) to get it apart. I haven't really been pushing it since I'm afraid of what will be next that will take it off the road. I guess though that this is the life of an 02 driver, my first one was kind of like this too. But at least it ran for long periods of time.

Drive shaft

2009-09-02T12:05:00.000-05:00

As for the drive shaft on my car, I tried to get the nut off to take it apart while on the car, but it won't budge there. So I'll have to remove it and somehow get it so that it won't move when really torquing on the nut. I remember the last time I had to do it on the other drive shaft and it took a long time to get to even move. Since I don't have a vise this time, I'll have to come up with some other method.

Porsche 356C

2009-09-02T12:02:00.000-05:00

Ever since playing Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed I have wanted a 356 Coupe.They are such a cool little car. While they aren't high on the horse power chart they can be modified. Along with the 356 I love the PGO remake of it that is a modern version of it. To see more info about the PGOs go here, http://www.pgo.fr/models/speedster/index-en.html

And another one

2009-08-27T14:09:00.000-05:00

This is the just released (yesterday) MINI Coupe Concept. Today we learned that it will be available in 2011. Pricing is estimated to be around $35000, a little high, but that is with the John Cooper Works engine putting out over 200HP in a car that is lighter than the Cooper and Cooper S. I want one. Some of the next cars on the list will not be new ones, I need some classics.

I might have a solution

2009-08-26T13:30:00.002-05:00

I remembered yesterday that I have another drive shaft. Since the u-joint is on the back part of the drive shaft I should be able to take the 2 drive shafts apart and use the shortened end on the good back end. Not to mention my old drive shaft has a brand new center bearing that I installed a year before the 4 speed came out of the car. My problem though is getting the thing balanced, I have to find a place that could do this. The good thing is that the tempatures are dropping to more comfortable levels to be able to work outside on the car.

Here's another

2009-08-26T13:19:00.003-05:00

This is one that I've wanted for quite sometime. It is a classic that is still going up in value. The BMW 328, from the 1930s.

The 1938 BMW 328 had a 2.0L straight 6 cylinder engine that produced 80hp (which was a lot for its day). It had all round drum brakes and a 4 speed manual transmission. Total weight for the car was 1800 lbs. Power was sent to the rear wheels like all BMWs.

Which one is next?

2009-08-24T22:04:00.002-05:00

The Lotus Exige is the ultimate driver car. Bare bones and lots of horsepower. Okay, not lots of horsepower but for how much it ways it is a lot. Most of us that own the BMW 2002 know exactly what light weight with enough horsepower means, really fun driving. So add more horsepower and more grip and it must mean even more fun. And the price isn't that bad either. Plus it looks great.

Here's the next car

2009-08-23T21:50:00.002-05:00

This is a brand new car that just looks awesome and apparently can back up those looks with performance. The Devon GTX.

If I could buy it

2009-08-23T15:45:00.003-05:00

A post on BMW2002FAQ about if you won the lottery what would be the first car you would buy got me thinking. If was pretty easy for my first one. It would be something that I wouldn't have to search much for that offered a balance between economy (that is fuel economy) and power. The BMW 135i would be my first choice. I would be able to get the one I want in a couple of months (I tend to prefer to order my new cars rather than pick it out from the selection on the lot). But after that car, what would be next?

I'll post my top 20 over the next few days. Hopefully by then I'll have been able to get the u-joint welded and the 02 running again.

It was fun

2009-08-20T22:22:00.002-05:00

I had a blast driving the 02 today. Unfortunately on the way to Walmart to pick up somethings the U-joint started to come loose. One of the caps had backed out some causing a bad vibration. Luckily I was able to get the car parked and knock it back in with a screwdriver. Managed to get to Walmart, get the stuff and get back home with no further problems. But I'll have to park it until I can get it to a shop that can weld the cap in there good. I have to check out my other drive shaft to see what kind of weld it is supposed to be. The ones that were on this one are just small spot welds that apparently weren't good enough.

The write up on the drive shaft stuff will have to wait a little bit.

It's back

2009-08-19T21:40:00.002-05:00

The rain held off long enough today for me to get under the car and take a look at what could be making the noise. Right off I think I found part of it. One of the bolt was loose and starting to come out, it was probably hitting something. I knew the locking collar for the flange nut was not in there right so I took everything apart again and made sure I got it right this time. Also I needed to take some pictures so I could document it since it appears there is no other information out there about some pieces. That will come tomorrow.

As for now, having done this a few times now it went much quicker this time. Once I got to the locking collar I found it just barely sitting in there. First thing I did though before putting the collar in was to make sure the flange nut was tight enough, it wasn't, it actually had a bit more to go. With it on I used a screw driver and hammer to tap the collar into place farther into the opening than before, it's in there good now. (There is a small area on the flange that allows you to get a screw driver down in there to remove it later if you need too).

With that done I put it all back together making sure to put molly grease into the end of the drive shaft. All the nuts and bolts are nice and tight now and the exhaust pipe doesn't hit the rear sway bar or the back of the car. I took it around the block once I charged up the battery and it ran great with no clanking or any sort of noticeable problem. Tomorrow I'll take it to work and find out just how fun it really is. I think I'll finally be able to drive like it is meant to be driven.

Clanking noise

2009-08-18T22:12:00.002-05:00

So the noise is most likely the locking collar for the flange nut. I must of not got it installed properly and now I need to take it apart to get it in there right. At least this way I can document the removal and replacement of the output shaft seal. Just need it to stop raining. If the rain lets up early enough tomorrow I hope to get some work done on the car and promise to get some pictures to help explain a few things.

Obviously this blog is fairly new. But I have had a website about my 02s since 1997 in some form or another. The current site is at http://www.lovingeveryminuteofit.com/bmw2002.

While mine is down...

2009-08-14T15:34:00.004-05:00

Figured I find some 02 related stuff to share with everyone.

This definitely shows why the 02 is such a good car. Awesome driving too. Keep up the good work Pete.

WOW!

It's fixed, sorta

2009-08-06T10:25:00.003-05:00

I got everything back together and drove it on Monday and Tuesday, but there is a rattle noise coming from the driveshaft area that increases with speed. I need to get back in there and take it apart to see what might be causing it. The good thing is the vibration is gone. The bad thing is, it was leaking from somewhere else.

Bringing up to speed

2009-08-01T17:20:00.002-05:00

Now to bring you all up to speed on what has happened since mid June. The flex disc between the drive shaft and the transmission came apart. Luckily it held together until I could get home, but when I inspected it and took it out it fell apart in 3 pieces. I had another but rather than put it on and have it fail also I needed to do something about the alignment of the driveshaft. So I ordered the rear mount that 2002 haus makes.

I now have this installed on the 02, but the alignment is just off a little still, mainly the drive shaft is too short and has to be moved forward about 4mm. This can me done by moving the diff forward.

Another note to make is that the 02 has been outside for the last 2 weeks and there is no visible sign of water getting in when it rains. My 75 would flood every time it rained.

Oil

2009-08-01T17:19:00.001-05:00

Originally from June 10th 2009

I changed the oil today in the 02 and cleaned up some of the oil on the engine to try to see where oil might be leaking from. I know one is the front exhaust stud and the fix should be easy as long as I don't have to remove the manifold. But even that isn't too bad, I've done it enough. Actually the exhaust manifold was the first major work I ever did on an 02, actually on a car in general when the one on my 75 02 broke and the dealer wanted over $400 for the replacement. My mom actually found a junk yard in Colorado that had one and shipped it out to us. It took me probably 3 to 4 hours to replace it, but that was when I realized that I could do the work rather than paying someone else too.

14 years later and I have built an 02 from the ground up. Sure the body work isn't good, but it runs and it hasn't fallen apart on me.

So the oil was black and only about 2 quarts came out. That is all that was in there, I know not good. Hopefully it didn't harm it.

While I was checking things out under the car I noticed a lot of fluid at the end of the transmission. Looks like the rear seal on the 5 spd is bad and needs replacing, hopefully it is something that can be done with it in the car. That is not a fun job trying to get the transmission in there.

20 mpg

2009-08-01T17:18:00.000-05:00

I managed to pull 20 mpg with this last tank of gas in the 02. Not bad but I'm going for better. I'm trying really hard to keep it under 3000RPM like I did in the Sunfire, but this is a 2002, it is meant to be driven. With it tuned a little better I'm sure that will improve things. It does start much better now and it still has plenty of power, although it doesn't like going up a hill in 5th gear.

Now I need to change the oil, it is the same oil I put in when I put the engine in the car 5 years ago, but it only has 3000 miles on it, if that.

It started easier

2009-08-01T17:17:00.002-05:00

Originally from June 7th 2009

I was able to get a little time today to start the car and get it out of the garage, although not drive it since the other cars were blocking it and we were getting ready for a bike ride. It actually started much easier than it had been, I think I am close. Also once it was able to stay running with out it being rev'd to 2000 RPM it idled at about 800 RPM, much lower than it has been able to in the past (well, since I put everything together). Tomorrow should be a good time going to work, roads will be a little wet from the storms tonight, makes it easier to break the rear end loose.

More tuning the 02

2009-08-01T17:17:00.001-05:00

Originally from June 6th 2009

Among all the stuff that was going on today I had a little time to test out the 02 while going to Taco Bell to get lunch. While it drove really nice, it was really hard to start. I think I went a little to far on the timing.

So a little later while waiting to go pick up the 2 oldest daughters I had a little more time to try to get it right. I backed the timing up a little bit and then backed out the idle mixture screw 1/4 turn. Then I took it around the block, while it drove nice I will have to wait until Monday to see how it starts.

2002 Update

2009-08-01T17:16:00.000-05:00

Originally from June 5th 2009

This last week I have been able to drive the 02 everyday to work. What a great feeling, so much more fun than the Sunfire. The engine still ran a little rough, but so far have over 140 miles on this tank of gas and it still has some to go. I know, that isn't great but I'm still tuning it.

Speaking of better mileage, I managed to figure the fuel problem with the Sunfire too. Apparently is was a heavy foot. Letting up and almost never going over 3000RPM allowed me to go from 240 miles per tank to 315 per tank. But the car is boring to drive and hot with no A/C.

So back to the 02, it was having a charging problem, I thought. Turned out something was draining the battery fairly quickly. I figured it must have been one of the add-ons that I had put on so I started by putting a voltmeter on the battery and then disconnected the electric fuel pump. Volts were still dropping. Disconnected the electric fan, still dropping. Disconnected the coil to carb solenoid line and it was still dropping. So I went into the cabin and disconnected the switch for the electric fuel pump. Volt dropping slow down and eventually stopped. I still can't let the car sit for more than a couple of week without starting it since the drainage problem damaged the battery over the winter when the car just sat in the garage. The switch had a light that burned out soon after installing it and I didn't think much of it, I wasn't really using the electric pump any way after replacing the mechanical one with another that I had. Apparently that light had shorted it out and caused the drain.

The 5 speed is great, but the rear cross mount and the exhaust pipe rub each other. Not bad, but can be annoying.

Earlier tonight I tuned the car a little more and improved the throttle response and acceleration and the engine sound. Hopefully it improved power and fuel economy also. I back out the idle mixture screw half a turn and turned the distributor just a little more clockwise (I can never remember if that is retarding it or advancing it).

Moving 02 stuff

2009-08-01T15:11:00.000-05:00

Hi, I'm moving my 02 stuff to this blog to setup my other blog as an technology information blog. I figured the stuff would just get to cluttered having it all on one.