Overdue build thread

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Das_Prachtstrasse
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Post by Das_Prachtstrasse »

Cheers gents.

Removed the rear subframe today, went quite smoothly. Discovered one of the rear discs has a hairline crack in it, so I'll get some new 540 discs/calipers and EBC redstuff pads for the rear during the week as I never did them when I did the fronts a few years ago. Also realized I forgot to order sway bar links so I need to get those, too. Other than that, it's all out of the car, and now just needs to be disassembled and taken into work to have the bushes pressed out. Was a good afternoons work, and spent the rest of it blowing holes in things with a shotgun. Is also nice to be sharing a shed with a MkII Jag, a Mk8 Jag, and a couple of '46 Dodges.

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harrypalmer
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Übber Level

Post by harrypalmer »

[quote="Das_Prachtstraße"]Cheers gents.

[Removed the rear subframe today, went quite smoothly.]

What a wonderful project your Hartge is. Your dedication, as well as Kohler's and Pedi's on their Alpinas respectively is totally inspiring. You sir are übber level. Thank you!

Maybe you will find this insight helpful now that you are doing the rear: I replaced the original sway bar in my 535i for the one found in the E28 M5. It just feels spectacularly stable and smooth while being firmly planted on the curves. I highly recommend it. All the best.
Das_Prachtstrasse
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Post by Das_Prachtstrasse »

So the subframe and brake work is complete, and the car is driving once again. Rebuilt the driveshafts (one required a new universal joint as it was severely worn and jammed once rebuilt), painted the calipers front and rear, installed the new calipers and rotors in the rear, completely bled the entire braking system, new differential mount, Powerflex bushes and sway mounts, rebuilt the handbrake mechanisms, painted and cleaned the subframe/arms and lines, and fitted a new intank fuel pump.

Feels really nice with the LSD, has a few more balls in 2nd/3rd gear, too. The new rear shocks/bumpstops and moosehead top mounts made one hell of a difference. Even with the poly bushes all through the rear end, it's much quieter than it was with the old worn Sachs shocks, and feels really tight through corners where it used to wander a little in the rear beforehand. I set the perch on the middle setting, and it's kept the ride height as it was beforehand, so I'm happy with that.


The pads have pretty poor cold temperature performance being ceramic, so I'll re-assess the unresponsive pedal situation once I've run in the rears and can get some proper heat into the system. It bled well (and thoroughly using 1L of new fluid), so if it still feels as it does currently after getting some proper heat into the pads, I'll look at replacing the seals in the master as the performance currently is disappointing next to the e34. Overall I'm pleased with the results. It's nice to not have a leaning out issue in hard cornering on low fuel either, that intank pump was something I should've replaced years ago.

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I'd intended on cleaning and painting the entire underside of the car, but due to the severely wet weather we've had lately, and the fact the property garaging the car was located down a 10km dirt/mud road, meant cleaning it at this stage was pointless, so excuse the filth.
NAH
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Post by NAH »

Dang, your car looksreally clean!
:D
Das_Prachtstrasse
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Location: Melbourne, Doooown Under

Post by Das_Prachtstrasse »

It's been a while since my last update, so here it is.

Have been enjoying the car lately, despite it killing a coil recently on a driveday. Replaced that with a new OEM unit, and relocated it away from the exhaust up next to the clutch fluid reservoir. Interestingly, the e34 coil's have changed design, despite the part numbers remaining the same. Well, I found it interesting.

Have also had a change of heart in regards to the engine build, the turbo is no longer.I was never really that enthusiastic about the turbocharging idea, and only went about it as the engine was dropped in my lap. I've come to realise that I don't care for owning a turbo e28, and thus in its place will sit an 11:1 M30B35, with M88 throttles and plenum, and a few other goodies. Should be capable of the same power output I was looking to get from the turbocharged engine, yet with that banshee howl of a high revving NA I6. My take on the H5SP Sport, which I figure does the car some justice given the nature of the build so far. The m106 and associated turbo parts will be sold once the new engine is built.

The most important component has been acquired, now onto the rest..
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In the meantime, I also made and a Hartge spec monowiper, and I'm chuffed. Was a PITA transferring the Hartge specs into RHD, as their monowipers were for LHD only afaik, but it works actually really well, and looks the part.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZuVgwtV ... e=youtu.be

Will have many more updates of the engine build over the next coming months as I begin to build the bottom end, and have the head sent away for some serious work.
Last edited by Das_Prachtstrasse on Jan 04, 2014 11:38 PM, edited 1 time in total.
Das_Prachtstrasse
Posts: 5612
Joined: Sep 10, 2006 7:06 AM
Location: Melbourne, Doooown Under

Post by Das_Prachtstrasse »

Haven't updated this since August. Fancy that.

Well, I have more or less just been enjoying the car the last few months, until the external fuel pump thermally expanded one too many times and flat out died on me. Replaced that with a brand new oem unit off Amazon. Was surprised they had the best price. Bought a genuine Hartge rubber boot spoiler too, but havnt got around to fitting that yet. It's muh softer rubber than the Alpina one, and is in much better condition. I like it.

As far as the engine build goes, I rebuilt the throttles and have left it at that so far, as funds are being directed into the US trip and rally car account now. Ill continue the engine build once I return, although will tear down the b35 before I head over there as Ill need to pick up some rods, a cam and pistons from Paul Burke and need specs from this b35.

Shit photos, but they came up rather pretty.
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Have some wheel arch flares to paint and install, too, but I'm still unsure whether ill like them.

Here a photo from today as it stands.

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rmiddendorf
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Post by rmiddendorf »

You're doing a real nice job with this car.
Das_Prachtstrasse
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Joined: Sep 10, 2006 7:06 AM
Location: Melbourne, Doooown Under

Post by Das_Prachtstrasse »

rmiddendorf wrote:You're doing a real nice job with this car.
Thankyou! It could be much nicer, but I've gotta draw a line somewhere otherwise ill end up single, and bankrupt :laugh:
Drew in NYC
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Post by Drew in NYC »

I love this car! Well done.
mkoepp
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Post by mkoepp »

What a nice car! Great work!

I am surprised I have not seen this thread before and spent most of my early morning reading it. Again, great work!

:alright:
NAH
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Post by NAH »

Man your car just looks beautiful, cant wait to see the engine build get along :D

may i ask, how did you make that monowiper?
Das_Prachtstrasse
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Location: Melbourne, Doooown Under

Post by Das_Prachtstrasse »

NAH wrote:Man your car just looks beautiful, cant wait to see the engine build get along :D

may i ask, how did you make that monowiper?
That my friend, is classified information. It involved some trial and error, some welding and some failure but it works well. I can point you in the right direction, but I can't light the way. Just let me find my pointing finger..
Rav335uk
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Post by Rav335uk »

Nice work. :D
Thatguy087
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Post by Thatguy087 »

Das_Prachtstraße wrote: Image
I like where this is going!
Das_Prachtstrasse
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Post by Das_Prachtstrasse »

Having just committed to a mortgage with the lady, and prioritizing this holiday plus a few other commitments, I've just been enjoying the car lately and trying to avoid spending too much on it at the moment. Seems life is more and more getting in the way when it comes to this engine build, but it WILL happen. Once I've settled into the new house and personalized the garage a bit to make building this engine at home convenient, I'll pick up the engine from my mates shop and start the tear down.

In the meantime I rejuvenated the Hartge rear spoiler and fit that to the car last week, essentially completing the Hartge cosmetic treatment. I've still got a set of wheel arch extensions to rub and paint, and have decided to colour code a spare set of mirrors to see how that looks, but probably won't get around to doing that before I return from the US.

I received an extended leather handbrake and center console front section from Mike Gray, had them colour matched and conditioned by the guy who did the seats, door pulls and parcel shelf early last year and they came out extremely well. I'll have the rear half and HVAC surround leather wrapped after the trip then chuck it all in the car.

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I've also got to have the bonnet repainted due to some imperfections coming through after the last 12 months. That and the fact some deadshit pizza delivery dude chucked a stack of pizza's on there when he was waiting for someone to answer the door, and scratched the shit out of it. I initially thought the bubbles might be solvent boil but I have a feeling it's contamination on the bare metal that has flared up over time. Either way, it'll need to be paint stripped again, so I might just buy a new OEM bonnet and start again given this one does have filler work in it. Gotta get it done in the next 6 months as the leftover solvent based colour I've got a work will start to spoil, and I'll be damned if I'm risking making up another batch that'll turn out a different colour, especially now that since I painted the car we've switched from solvent to water based Glasurit.

Speaking of colour, I got a Canon point and shoot for my birthday in Feb, but I can't yet figure out how to kill the horrible fluorescent lighting effect I've got going in this factory. Oh well, deal with it.

The fuel cut issue between hard shifts and WOT cornering has resurfaced too so ill look into that at some point..

That's about it for now!
cek
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Re:

Post by cek »

Das_Prachtstrasse wrote:
davintosh wrote:Very nice! That engine bay is about as handsome as they get...

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The e32/e34 airbox is a big improvement over the stock, and the powder-coated intake & valve cover add a lot. Excellent work! :up:
I don't really understand why more people don't do the e34/e32 airbox conversion, it's an easy install, more efficient and IMO better looking, especially if you've got a valve cover you want to show off :laugh:
Having said that, I did have an issue with it last week, where Cylinder 1 spark plug lead got worn through after rubbing on the edge of the lower metal heat sheild of the airbox, meaning I had to drive around on 5 cylinders for a day. I wrapped the first 3 spark plug wires (they come in contact with the box) in BMW insulation tape I had left over from my harness build, and moved the mounting bracket slightly over to avoid it happening again.

The wrinkle coating was something I was most pleased about, it's held up well. I just wish I'd been more thorough with my engine bay prep and cleaning when I had the chance! I'll go through and mediablast the throttle body, paint the block and either clean or paint the head once it all comes apart for the turbo install.. THEN it'll be a handsome engine bay.
Bob, can you describe in more detail how you fit the e34 airbox? More pics of what you had to modify?

Thanks!
Chimi-Changa
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Re: Overdue build thread. 9/4

Post by Chimi-Changa »

Hey who's rippin it up on the DH mountain bike? F yeah.
Das_Prachtstrasse
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Re: Overdue build thread. 13/10

Post by Das_Prachtstrasse »

Been a while. Kinda been concentrating on the work/house etc etc lately and have had very little time to do anything on the e28. I did install the M5 boot carpets a few weeks ago after receiving them from Todd (thanks again), and am really happy with them. As the battery is still in the engine bay and will remain there, I built an MDF box to support the carpet where the factory battery box would normally sit, and am using it to carry an assortment of detailing products. I'll trim it in carpet at some point. Still waiting on the LH medikit trim piece as it was missing from the car the carpets came from, a large blue triangle and a set of new cargo net mounts. I need to get around to properly hiding/routing the wiring for the beatcase at some point too and I think I may relocate the amp into the battery box area when I do to tidy things up a bit. I really need to get around to properly fitting the boot seal, too. Wurth rubber adhesive didn't do so well over summer.

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I also brought the B35 home from where it's been stored for the last few months and decided it's time to start the tear down and parts ordering. Pulled the head the other day and began stripping it. Part released the cam, built a hardwood timbre drift and wedged a 10mm socket on the end of it to use to release the rocker shafts. It worked really well. I wish I'd thought of it prior to putting a small crack in the rear exhaust side shaft. I initially starting banging it out with a 3/8ths socket extension, but the end got wedged in the threaded plug hole and damaged it. Oh well, live and learn. The timbre version worked perfectly for the other 3, and although the crack is so minor it wouldn't cause any problems, I'll order a new shaft to replace it as they're quite cheap.

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As of tonight the cam, shafts and rockers are removed and most of the studs from the manifolds and valve cover are removed, too. A few are being swines though, any tips on removing them when the double nut procedure doesn't work?

I'm really enjoying this so far, it's the first time I've done proper engine rebuild work and I'm finding it rather therapeutic. Time will tell if that attitude changes. :laugh:
leadphut
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Re: Overdue build thread. 13/10

Post by leadphut »

great build! looking forward to more.
al1
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Re: Overdue build thread. 13/10

Post by al1 »

seriously, it is a very nice build !!
jodystevens
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Re: Overdue build thread. 13/10

Post by jodystevens »

Das_Prachtstrasse wrote: As of tonight the cam, shafts and rockers are removed and most of the studs from the manifolds and valve cover are removed, too. A few are being swines though, any tips on removing them when the double nut procedure doesn't work?

I'm really enjoying this so far, it's the first time I've done proper engine rebuild work and I'm finding it rather therapeutic. Time will tell if that attitude changes. :laugh:

Looking really good, Bronzit never looked so good :D

Careful when removing the studs, heat up the aluminum really well and try the double nut method. If that doesn't work, use one of these. They work really well but do destroy the stud in the process. I did all that and still managed to break a stud off right at the hole which I then proceeded to destroy further and the machine shop charged me $30 to insert a helicoil. Could have been my lack of patience.
Das_Prachtstrasse
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Re: Overdue build thread. 13/10

Post by Das_Prachtstrasse »

Thanks for the tip. I have ordered a complete set of studs (inlet, exhaust, valve cover etc) so have no problem killing old ones. I've not had another chance to have a go yet, but I've let them soak in rostoff and figured heat would help so Ill try my luck tonight.
Das_Prachtstrasse
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Re: Overdue build thread. 27/3/16

Post by Das_Prachtstrasse »

Time for an update, it's only been a year and a half.. :roll:

Similarly to this thread, things have been moving slowly with this project. Work and house commitments have been eating up a lot of my spare time (and $$) and throwing in my recent wedding on top of that has seen the e28 pushed somewhat to the wayside over the last 12-18months, but it's still there, and still slowly getting somewhere. I've also started a longterm project of building an experimental aircraft with my father, a Vans RV7, so I'm determined to get the e28 finally to a stage I'm happy with before aviation inevitably takes over completely. With that all said, I have been making an effort to drive the car more often and am reminded every time I sit in the drivers seat why I've kept it for 10 years and have persisted with the build in it's various stages for so long. It really is a love affair and it's an absolute beauty to drive even in it's current state.

Firstly I finished off having the center console pieces leather wrapped/dyed and installed them mid last year to complete the interior for the time being. As I wanted to keep as much of the original leather as possible on these pieces, but due to the fact my car has manual seats, I ended up only having the electric seat switch portion of the console re-wrapped and had the seat switch holes filled in the process. The trimmer did a tremendous job, we spent quite a bit of time examining hides to ensure the grain was as close of a match as possible. Sure, it would've been easier and more appropriate given the lack of electric seats in this car to just have the existing manual console wrapped but I like the unique and factory look to the handbrake area now and it works much nicer having the one piece handbrake lever/console boot kept true to the original design. I also had the HVAC control surround wrapped with new leather as an original RHD one was nonexistent, yet again the quality is as close to factory as possible so I'm pleased with the results. This shift boot really lets the interior down at the moment, but that will be amended when I send it and the steering wheel off to be re-done.

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It was also a good opportunity to go over every screw, nut and bolt in the entire center console area to ensure they were correct and in place and having done so I've eliminated 95% of the interior's creaks and rattles. I imagine the leather is much quieter than vinyl too, but it's nice having the car drive without the symphony of misaligned interior trims playing on loop. I had an issue with removing the gearknob, it was new when I installed it and was properly jammed onto the lever so hard that pulling on it with all my strength only caused the lower bushing to separate from the shift arm. Because of this I ended up removing the console with the beige boot and lever in place which was disappointing as I'd have liked to have had it dyed the same colour brown as the console pieces but as I had an event to attend with the car and no time to fuck around with it I left it in place until further down the track. When I got around to replacing the bushing I decided that I was sick and tired of the short shifter in both looks and drive-ability so after acquiring a standard throw e34 shifter from Glen (azure) I ended up releasing the lever with the boot and knob attached from the underside of the car and only once it was placed in a vice was able to pull hard enough to get the knob to release. I'll have the boot dyed next time I'm at the trimmers but in the meantime greased the gearknob shaft so the fucking thing will release without either destroying another bush, breaking the windscreen or resulting in undesired rhinoplasty. The comparison between the short shifter and the standard shifter has made the gearbox feel as though it's brand new. It's really transformed the way the car drives and I'm still not sure why I didn't revert back sooner. It also looks much nicer with the gearknob sitting higher in the cabin.

As for the exterior of the car, not much has changed aside from having the review mirrors painted body colour. This small change keeps true to the Hartge appearance in all the official documents I've got, and I quite like the slightly more modern look it gives although I think I do prefer the black mirrors on a bronzit car. I invested in a really nice quality interior car cover to keep the paintwork free of dust whilst the car has been stored in the garage, and the paint has stayed in incredibly good shape with nothing but an occasional squirt with the hose. Still looks as good as it did when it was driven out of the paint booth.

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The biggest change was really with the rear wheels. It had bothered me for quite a while that due to the offset of these wheels being slightly more proud than the standard 8.5, et25 rear wheel Hartge fit to their cars that it limited me in tyre sizes. I couldn't get a tyre to properly fill out the wheel arch without it rubbing on the inner wheel housing (the qtr lips have been rolled but don't contribute to the problem) so I finally decided to bite the bullet and have the offsets machined. I was quite uneasy about going down this path as I've not ever come across or heard of another set of Hartge wheels with this size and offset since I bought them 9 years ago, but figured what the hell. If they fucked them up at least I had two backups still under the house. They ended up taking off 6mm in total to reduce the offset from -13 to -19, and in doing so allowed me to run the taller tyres I'd already fit to the wheels without any rubbing issues. Currently they're clad with 225/50/16's however a test fit of the correct 245/45 size tyres after borrowing one off a 930 Turbo we had at work confirm they too will work without rubbing. Next time these need replacing I'll track down a set of the 245 sections which for some reason are not available anywhere in this country. I'm not sure what the Porsche guys do, but it looks like I'll be having some shipped from the US. The machinists did a fantastic job of the wheels, beveling the inner hub correctly, load testing the wheels once machined and adding countersunk sleeves to the bolt holes to make up for the modified thickness. It turned out both wheels were also buckled and they re-rolled them straight and true in the process which has also contributed to the sudden absence of squeaks and rattles. Win.
Last edited by Das_Prachtstrasse on Mar 28, 2016 3:14 AM, edited 1 time in total.
Das_Prachtstrasse
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Re: Overdue build thread. 13/10

Post by Das_Prachtstrasse »

In terms of engine work, not a great deal has been accomplished. I caught wind of a complete high comp bottom end that's got very low k's and was built to the exact spec I require which was removed from a car owned by an ex forum member after it was written off in an accident. I put a pause on collecting parts for the bottom end I've got in case this other one works out, but have mostly everything required for the top end and ancillaries. I acquired a set of local made Fritz exhaust header copies which are arguably a better quality fit than the originals after comparing the two. These will be paired with a Euro catless M5 center section I've got on order from BMW with a custom made stainless rear muffler with stock sized exhaust tip outlets. My friend with the B10 and I had a bunch of these made up, baffled and non-baffled, so it'll be interesting to see what the baffled system sounds like as the non-baffled is quite nice. One part of this car that really bothers me is the appearance of the exhaust tips that are currently on there, and the loudness of the exhaust as it is currently so I'm looking forward to returning that to what should be a period looking and sounding system.

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The other major issue that needs to be overcome is in finding a solution to the thermostat housing. The M88 throttles cause a fouling issue with the TPS on the standard rearmost pipe outlet and the housing needs to be modified to re-route the pipe in such a way that it clears the throttles and TPS. I had been told by Paul Burke that his solution was to purchase a sidedraft carb converted housing from Korman Autowerks as they have a similar issue when converting e3's and whatnot. I did this but was disappointed to find that it's angle has not been modified enough and it still fouls on the TPS and the first throttle's runner. Paul seems to think they may have changed their design as he'd never had issues in the past but it could also be due to the fact that I'm using B35 throttles where he has used B36 versions in his conversions. I've still got to work out the best method to get around this issue but it's a bit of a PITA as the converted housing wasn't cheap. Oh well. Hopefully I can come up with a solution that is able to be replicated cheaply as this seems to be the most major hurdle people have when converting M30's to ITB's.

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The other annoying component that I'm having a hard time tracking down are the E26 intake trumpets. These were available new (for $120 each mind you) from BMW up until a year or so ago but have since gone NLA. I'll probably resort to having something similar 3D printed if I end up exhausting all of my other sources that may have some NOS left. If anyone has a lead on a set of these, or even a single piece for the purpose of replication please let me know.
86GT635
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Re: Overdue build thread. 13/10

Post by 86GT635 »

You've really covered all the bases with this build. Beautiful work. That airplane looks really fun.
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