TriggerFish

As of yesterday: *Sobs quietly* Found whilst attending to the leaky coolant in the throttle body, which lead me to notice a lot of coolant in the inlet tract, and next thing you know... Need to pull the head as either the gasket has gone, or the head has failed. It's nearly ready to remove, just need to disconnect the cambelt. The sump needs dropping (a pain on these as it straddles the subframe) to get the debris out. I've managed to retrieve everything apart from the nut that secures that part of the rocker. At least parts are cheap. New contitech cambelt (I don't like the idea of retensioning one) is £12, new Elring HG ~£20, new Elring head bolts ~£20, new FEBI or Elring sump gasket, under £5. Everything needed for a head gasket change, except coolant, for under £55. I did slightly dread entering BMW ownership due to parts prices, but so far, they've been cheaper for most things than my old Polo and my parents Focus (including brakes, and service stuff), much to my surprise.

A few problems skipped over here, but... Wooooooooooo! And back safely tucked away with the exhaust facing out so I didn't suffocate myself for the final bits of bleeding. Didn't get to drive it more than about 50m, but I think the Speedo is dead (later confirmed to be working after all), and the half torn off heat shield needs fully tearing off as it's catching the floor and the steering rack. Otherwise, not much else you can tell in 50m! The coolant system, the single biggest dread of mine in the build, has been tackled. All bled up - heaters blow hot, water out of the bleed valve. I've left it to cool, and will check/add too the level tomorrow. (Shame i need to do it all again when I add coolant, not just water.) Anyway, it's finally done after all this time! Just as I was bleeding it the other day, it cut out. I'm hoping it was just a lack of fuel. I came back to it a few hours later with a 5l jerry can, and it fired up OK after being topped up. I got it out again today, and actually managed to drive it a little (only around the farm track). First impressions: it goes. Well. Nice and revvy/spritely compared to before, and there's no nasty clunks or bangs from anything. I did noticed it's dripping coolant from the throttle body, so I'll get that bypassed when I flush the coolant after the MOT. However, it did cut out again today and refused to restart. I went to get another 5l of fuel (if it had burned a gallon in under 1 mile then ) Sadly, it didn't restart. I'm hoping like mad there's not a hot running problem! I did notice that the starter motor had worked loose (I clearly cut corners putting that back!) and while it was spinning, it wasn't engaging right. I think the engine was turning over though, but I can't be sure from memory. I'll tighten it back up, add another 5l of fuel and let it idle at temperature for a good length of time to check it isn't a hot running issue. Proof though, that it did briefly managed to move! I did take a video of the speedo, but it doesn't really show much, and the exhaust sound video is boring (as are most/all exhaust sound videos!)

Volvo, BMW, Vauxhall, Hyundai (or some other fake 4x4 - maybe a Kia Sportage?) and one of the other 'smaller' Asian makes. I've certainly seen a few unexpected choices recently - which is good, and the point.

Some awesome work here! Does it still run (wiring aside), or is there mechanical work to do after the interior/body work? Is the headliner fabric too like the c-pillars? Have fun, if so! The fabric one on my E30 took aaaages and was a nightmare and needed two people. :( I'd suggest buying a load of bulldog clips if you've not got some already (assuming it tucks under the window/door seals? We glued it to the lip on those apertures, and then held it in place with the clips while it dried)

I need to SORN the car, so I was trying to find the logbook (I failed), but it also seemed like a good time to tidy up the invoices I had lying around. I also totalled them up. This doesn't include stuff like the £80 for brake hoses, £250 for the engine, ~£275 for the camshaft, the £*00 for the engine work, the £120 for rocker arms, the £80 for a new carpet, the ~£300-400 for the audio system etc. Anyway, it's £1,440.62! What's that look like in invoices? In less depressing news, I found, in the original BMW booklets something I'd overlooked before - a map of Europe circa 89/90, when the car was new. I never new a separated Germany (the Wall fell before I was born), but this map includes the German Democratic Republic! And Yugoslavia! History is alive! The map of Berlin even has a split down the middle.

I bet that must surprise quite a few people!

And it runs properly now! It sounds nice and healthy, no tapping noises from the head (which drove me mad before) and I'm impressed with how quickly it revs up compared to before. Maybe I'm just remembering it wrong, but it seems a lot more lively than I recall. Either that or the slow revving 330d engine has me impressed by anything capable of more than 3k rpm! The cause of the ICV not starting/the previous poor running? Well... I noticed the ICV wasn't working, so removed it took it home to test. It gave good resistance readings. It worked well directly connected to a power source. There was good power to the plug in the loom. I figured the ICV/wiring was OK - it must be getting a bad signal from the ECU/TPS. So having worked out how to test the TPS, I set about doing so. When the throttle position sensor reports that the throttle is closed (idle), then the ECU tells the ICV to kick in. Likewise, the TPS has a WOT mode, to tell the ECU to go to max. power mode. Anyway, I unplugged the TPS ready to poke with a mutlimeter and what's that? It's also a three pin socket too! Could it be the same as the ICV one? Why, yes. Yes it is! I can't have been that stoopid surely? But yes, it turns out I'd just plugged the ICV and the TPS into the wrong plugs. Once that was fixed, it fired up and idled near instantly and near perfectly, as shown in a (rubbish phone camera) video...

Oh wow, didn't realise the E36 diffs were so long! I can see why you didn't go for the 4.10 in that case. Was first worth bothering with the 4.27, or just like a low range in a Landy? 130 should be more than enough - not sure I'd want to go that fast in an e30 anyway, but you've got a cage so...

Awesome! I love a proper Land Rover. What power does a mapped TD5 kick out?

Awesome. I was surprised to see the small case in your photo, and then, boom! Problem solved. You weren't tempted by the 4.10? Or would that be too short with the M52 gearbox? I don't really know much about what diff. ratio suits what, other than that I've got a 3.91 LSD, and that a little longer would make cruising nicer.

The crappy rta bushes are FINALLY out. I've bought polybushes to replace them with as they're easier to fit. Finally got the parts needed to fire it up (a length of fuel breather pipe and an o-ring for the oil housing). IT LIVES! Connected to a jump starter (hope the ABS relay survived..) as the battery gave out cranking it over with the fuel pump disconnected (to try and build oil pressure - although it was caked in assembly lube, so should have been OK anyway). Not too shabby given it's a brand new fuel tank and fuel lines, so had to push fuel through too in that video. No exhaust at the moment, just a manifold, so it sounds amazing, but runs like a dog if you touch the throttle. No coolant either until I knew it would start. Now I know it's OK, and that the clutch works, I'll fit the exhaust and the cooling system. I'm happy, to say the least Never done anything more in depth that a service/brake change before I bought this car, and to have successfully done all of this, and build an engine that works (seemingly!) is a great sense of achievement for me - even more so given my day job is in IT, so isn't that 'technical' (in an engineering sense) at all. I even make a rare (and brief!) video appearance too https://youtu.be/sNEFO8ytqg0

That's what they're there for - there's no guarantee you'll like the car. I've recently found I really have to work for a test drive (SEAT, VW, Peugot, I'm looking at you here - why would I agree a price before I know if I like the car?!) But I'd not feel bad about it. I'd never do the same to a private seller though.

Tada! Installation is a lot harder than removal! Massive thanks to my dad, as always. Lots of cleaning required now. Annoyingly, I damaged the paint on the top, and front, of the bumper including a small chunk out of the actual fiberglass itself. Oh well, at least it's now got an engine, and it's not metal, so won't rust. I'll blow it in at some point. Maybe. The last remnant of the PO's hamfisted bodgery defeated me today, and the car hasn't yet started. The oil filter. 'Hand tighten only' is written clearly on it, yet I can't shift it with two hands, and stabbing it with a screw driver just tore a biiig hole in the cartridge. I've just bought a strap wrench to try and remove it, but failing that, I'll try a different oil cooler. Once that's done, then it's ready to start... Also in need of some fuel pipe and an o-ring, so I doubt it'll be starting until Friday. I'll work on the propshaft, underbody etc. in the mean time. In good news - the new gearshift parts have made a massive difference - it's lovely now! Nice and short (a little shorter woulda been nice, I think), a bit notchy, and incredibly precise compared to before. Should be even better once I've put the washers/circlips in place.

Praise doesn't get much lower than that!

Superpro bushes here too. I got some of the standard rubber ones too, and they're just as much of a pain. I'm hoping that the new shackles will help! I had to use clamps to get the rarb shackles on too, although they were much easier (superpro as well). Here's the finished back end section with the underseal in, and my first ever attempt at bending brake lines. I started using a bender, then realised it was slow and didn't really do the angles I needed, so gave up and did them by hand. I was pleased with the brake lines, at first, until I fitted the fuel tank and promptly crushed them all! Cue removal and some rebending so that they weren't touching anything. Fitting the fuel tank itself was a painful job too. The passenger side has to go in first so that it clears the brake pipe, but due to the width of the car and the placement of the jacking points/axle stands, you have to somehow get both in at once, while making sure that the passenger side goes in first. Very tricky with just one person! And after all that, I found that you have to put the front of the tank in first, otherwise it catches on the bulkhead and doesn't raise up properly (I scraped some underseal off finding this out, so I need to address that!). Still, it's in at last, and I just need to sleeve up/extend the breather pipe to the petrol expansion tank, as that got damaged/shortened during removal. I went to BMW this morning, and all the parts I need are on order and should be in branch by 1300, including new news/bolts for the propshaft flex disk - just in case the originals try escaping (I'm sure I read that they were single use on the 330d, so I figured these are likely the same too). I also noticed that my exhaust pipe is longer than an entire Caterham. Really puts their (lack of) size into perspective!

330d is borked again. I can get it to start by unplugging the fuel rail pressure sensor, so I did consider running a switch to the earth feed, and locating it the cabin. Then I released that was just too pikey! I've borrowed 6 (unknown origin) injectors off a friend, so I'll swap them all over, see if it's still struggling to start. If not, then I'll swap them out one-by-one with my originals until I find the culprit. If it's still screwed, I'm thinking it must be the FPR. --- Anyway, E30. I've finished underseaing it now after applying another 2 bottles - although it's still not dry, which is a bit worrying! I learnt from last time where I got it all over my face and in my hair. The propshaft CSB is now fully fitted, the rear brake lines are all bent up and attached to the flexis, awaiting the arrival of the rear trailing arms and the callipers. I finally managed to get the gubio off the propshaft and swapped that for a new one. I tried to refit the RARB, but am struggling with the bush brackets - they're a mm or two away from lining up with the bolt holes, so I'll open them up a little with a file. The FARB is proving a pain. I think I'm going to try new bush brackets as there's some weird rust-like bubbling reducing the ID on mine, so the bush is a really, really tight fit. I started fitting the flywheel/clutch/gearbox after having got hold on an engine hoist to lower it off the engine stand, but realised that there's a bearing that should be in the crankshaft to locate/support the input shaft of the gearbox. For some reason, this isn't there on my new crank, so I'll need to get a new one from BMW on Monday (their parts depts. are very good/fast, usually. If it's in the UK, it'll be in branch by lunchtime/end of the day/next morning, depending on when you order). It's annoying, as getting the engine in is a two person job really (so it doesn't smash into everything in sight!), and I was hoping to do it this weekend with some help from my dad or a friend. As it stands, I'll have to rope someone in one evening to get it done instead. I've got this week off work to work on this thing, so hopefully it'll be back on the road before the MOT expiry on the 23rd June... If it's not done by the end of this week, I'm sure I can take another week off. I have 22 days of leave (not including this week!) to take by 1st Sept... Still, the end is in sight!

Audi's do the same thing (one undertook me in a bus lane and than flashed his hazzard when he pulled in front of me. As you do...) It's one of those features I kinda like on the previous Mustang, but when the entire light does it, I'm not convinced...

I'm not happy with the coverage I've achieved above (i only sprayed from the back of the car, so any ridges have missed sections on their front face). I've ordered another 2 litres, which should be here Tuesday. (I've used 3 so car.) I should be getting the engine crane back on thursday, so can get the clutch fitted and then get the engine into the car. Front brakes are all fitted with new braided lines. Front arb bushes have been defeating me for weeks now. Turns out I've been supplied the wrong ones, so I've ordered another set of poly bushes. Hopefully these will fit! I've been practising bending brake lines, and got it good enough to bend the proper lines up now. Old csb is off the prop shaft, I just need a piece of pipe to whack the new one on without damaging the bearing itself. The bleed valve is now out of the thermostat housing thanks to a propane torch, so I can get that replaced and fitted up the head again. Annoyingly I'm on another training course (second one in a few weeks) this week, so not sure how much time I'll be able to put in, as while I'm not having to stay away for this one, it does finish later than my usual working day. --- And the 330d is fixed! Goodbye gutless 1.6 Focus! I took the injector that failed the leak back test to a specialist, who tested it, and said it came back healthy (which is promising for the state of the rest : ) ), so I took it home and did another leak back test, which it passed. I therefore put it back together and started it up. I snapped one of the fuel return connectors, but found what I thought was a suitable alternative, only to find it wasn't (cue lots of leaking fuel and misfiring). I replaced it with a proper BMW part from a local breakers and fired it up. It was still misfiring horrifically, which I narrowed down to injector 4 (the one that I had tested). I thought I'd swap it with injector 3 to see if the misfire moved (injector) or stayed in the same place (loom). On removal of both injectors I noticed that injector4 had a copper washer on it, which i3 didn't. I went to fish the washer for cylinder 3 out of the engine head, but then noticed that there was another washer in cylinder 4, meaning that that injector had two washers on it. I removed the new washer from the injector and it fired up perfectly straight away. So it turns out 2-3mm of difference in injector placing can wreak havoc with a common rail engine. I'm not sure what caused the problem in the first place, but it's sorted for £24 (+£25 for a reuseable test kit), so not the £000/£0000 bill I was dreading! So all in all, I'm happy, esp. as I found out its tax is due, as is the insurance on both cars, and the MOT on the E30 - so a large expense would not be welcome. A well timed set of renewals there! -_- I also discovered that without the engine covers/acoustic silencing the turbo makes some awesome (for a derv) noises - the flutter/blow off is incredibly fun. Sadly, it also made it quite loud inside, and left the air filter very exposed/vulnerable to bouncing loose (and deprived of a cold air feed), so I refitted them.

Aylesbury to Colchester - about 200 mile round trip. Not sure I'd do anything that would require a plane/boat trip though. I'd rather up my budget by that cost and see if that netted any better results (although I'm sure you've done that). I did leave my car in Katowice, Poland on a road trip last year and take an unplanned flight to Kiev and back if that counts?

Yeah, they're not bad. The whole car is nice to work on tbh - very well designed with everything being easy to access without having to take loads of other stuff off. (Steering rack: prime example. On my Fabia, drop the whole front subframe. On the E30/E36/E46 [+others?], remove two bolts holding rack in, remove from car. Both after removing track rods/linkages, of course.) Ony codes are 'low fuel rail pressure on startup'. Thanks for the offer - much appreciated, but I have INPA - BMW's dealer software for scanning. And DIS too, which gives graphed outputs of injector pulses etc. Very, very useful software. I will need the L shaped injector return feed - mine snapped off in the injector today. -_- I'll use one from the leak back test as a bodge until I find the correct plastic part. On E30 news: And now undersealed. I can see some bits I've missed, but I've run out of underseal. Given its location, I'm not too concerned as it's out of the way, and an area that was barely protected from the factory. I watched a YouTube video on how to apply it by a southern American. When someone with such scant regard for health and safety says to wear skin protection, listen to them. Its all over my arms, my face, and matted the hair on the left side of my head together. Opps!

Not sure, but it doesn't start on its own. Low fuel rail pressure. It needs 250bar to even fire the injectors, and I'm cranking at around half that. The HPFP should be able to generate about 450bar of pressure while cranking. All three fuel pumps seem to be working fine once the engine is started (lift pump, LPFP @4bar, HPFP @300-1400bar). I did a leak back test, and one of the injectors looked really, really bad. I took it for testing, and it passed without any problems. I'll repeat the test (I did it with the injectors plugged in, which was wrong, apparently, but given they don't fire below 250bar, I doubt it really made a difference), and then try moving the suspect injector to a different cylinder and trying again to see if the excessive leaking still exists/follows the injector. (Given it's common rail, I can't see any reason why it would be on just one cylinder - I'd have thought it must be injector related.) All I can think of now is maybe the fuel pressure regulator on the end of the common rail has died, so it can't shut the flow down during startup, hence low pressure. For now, I'm borrowing my parent's Ford Focus. It's soooo sloooow. Handles well though, but no power to do anything with the grip. Interesting fact: to remove the injector, I loosened the nuts a couple of turns, and then started the engine so that the compression pushed the injector out of the head. Even with 5 cylinders and a blowing head, it still sounded more refined than my old Golf GT TDI (I loathed that car!) + my neighbours Touran. PD isn't quiet!

Ever regret starting something? Underside is all prep'd for undersealing and the lower section of side skirts are masked up to protect from potential overspray (maybe tomorrow, if not, Thursday - depends on the weather and how inclined I am to fix the 330d's non-starting...). For all the bits where the factory underseal looked suspect, I took it back, and where there was clean metal, celebrated. Where there was surface rust (only very light, nothing of any concern, apart from the handbrake cables, but I've seen the world of pain they can induce!) I ground it back to clean metal, treated it with some Bilt Hamber rust killing stuff, and then Hamorite'd it ready for underseal/stone chip. The white blobs are bits of masking tape over threaded holes or bolt heads.

xDrive is meant to be understeer-y, I thought? Not that I've driven one, so can't comment. I've found parts to be very reasonable on the most part. Brakes and tyres are cheaper than for my parent's 1.6 2007 plate Focus for example...

They like to rust. That's all I know, although I'd guess (like the E30, and the E46) that the 6 cylinders all give much the same MPG, and you only improve if you drop to a 4 cylinder. I'd stick with 6 for the noise and the smoothness, myself. Early models had LSDs, but I don't know if that was for the 'verts, so just the tin tops.

Can go a bit fluffy though. I've got fabric centers with alcantara bolsters in my 330d (after removing/selling the leather seats it came with) and while they're miles ahead of the leather seats for comfort/everything, the bolsters can get a bit bobbly at times. Otherwise, it's a very nice material.