Today I did something to my car (volume 2)

shietpilot

Wibbs wrote: »

Ahh right. Duh. Cotcha SP. So lots of lube then(missus!). I've used polybushes in the past on cars, but I'm not really a fan TBH. I suppose it very much depends on the car? So older, more "classic" buses then I'd be all for them alright and they can really tighten things up compared to the original often made from marshmallow original spec ones. I've driven a 71 Lotus Elan on polys and I defy any modern car to keep up in the twisties with that pocket rocket.

Kinda like yourself I'm currently building up the full set of my rear bushes(eBay auctions, cos I'm a cheap bastid. And patient). I've already fired in the main RTA bushes and went OEM. My yoke being a 90's Honda had a very trick setup which introduced toe in under hard braking which stabilises the back end of car and relies on the stock bushes to do this. Polys would stop that and I don't have near enough the driving talent to compensate(it can oversteer as it is, to the point where you're tempted to look under the car for a propshaft going to the rear).

Also went OEM with the drop links and anti roll bar bushings. Got them from the UK so avoided the Paddy Tax(tm). I've a set of Hardrace adjustable camber and toe in arms en route. They're still rubber and were much cheaper than Honda(or spurious) and since I'm running coilovers that sit the car an inch plus in old money lower than standard, I want to be able to align the bits and bobs so I'm not turning my car into a mobile tyre wear indicator. Coming soon the front suspension... The damn thing has more bushes than the Botanical Gardens.

I'll take pics this time.. Though audio of my cursing, and crying, and my mates pissing themselves laughing at my shortcomings would be more amusing.

In the spirit of the thread, kinda... A fortnight ago I did my usual oil regular change, but a week before that I took a pic of the existing oil.

That's after just under a year. My current driving circumstances means lots of very short trips, with a few blasts into to the upper rev band every so often. So not good and the engine's got a smidgen under a 100,000 miles/160,000 Kms under it's belt*. And it looks like new bloody oil. :eek: The engine runs noticeably quieter too. I can't recommend Millar's synthetic Nanodrive enough, at least in my case. YMMV.

Also changed the gearbox oil. Long overdue. Readied up a Heath Robinson funnel to fill it. Replaced the brake and clutch fluid too. Loooooong overdue. It was still Japanese... Noticed no diff with the brakes, but the 'box is way smoother. Went Honda OEM MTF there. Power steering fluid next.


*To be fair I seem to have ended up with an extremely tight engine for the B18c breed. Normally they're like two strokes for using oil. It's not as revvy as most I've tried though.

To be fair, I wouldn't have went for poly bushings in a daily car. I bought this E36 mainly to have a second car that I can track day and have no fear of breaking it and just to get a bit of experience wrenching. The creaking would probably do my head in if I heard it everywhere I went but since the car will mostly be seeing harsh driving, it doesn't really matter.

Most importantly I want it to handle well and the suspension parts to last so poly bushings seem like the right choice.

MetzgerMeister

Using the car as a press....absolute genius idea

MetzgerMeister

MetzgerMeister wrote: »

Using the car as a press....absolute genius idea

shietpilot never ceases to amaze me!

shietpilot

Haha, you have to work with what you have!

Dartz

Got the front brakes done using an old hoover as a breaker bar. Left the rear disks - aside from a score from a stone and some corrosion they're pretty okay inside and outside. Front disks and pads were ****ed.

Also found a seized caliper pin that got a healthy dose of lithium grease.





Well ****ed on the inside.

Voodoomelon

Bonnet in service mode to get easier access to the master cylinder for replacement:



Access is unreal with the bonnet like this:







My first time working with brake lines, got some flared spanners which makes it nice and easy.

Has anyone any experience replacing seals in a master cylinder with a repair kit? Something tells me i'm better off just going with a replacement unit. (Spongy brakes)

Voodoomelon

Never mind, just ordered a TRW one for €60 delivered, not worth the hassle of prying it apart.

DanielGibbons

@Voodoomelon, what engine is in that machine?

Voodoomelon

728i, so 2.8l straight six, M52. Not much low end power, but silky smooth.

DanielGibbons

Voodoomelon wrote: »

728i, so 2.8l straight six, M52. Not much low end power, but silky smooth.

Cool car, looks very clean and tidy.

A guy I know has a '00 740i since new (or very close to it)

Amazing looking car, only has something like 80k miles on it.

Voodoomelon

Very nice, I've the V8 in my E66 7 but never drove a V8 E38. If it wasn't for the I6 in the 728i, i'd probably never sell it.

Slideways

Found a use for my darkness into light tshirt.

Full set of front wheel bearings and seals fitted to the 'cruiser today
Needs new manually locking front hubs. They must have ingested some crap when I was wading through a metre of muddy water :eek:

joujoujou

Got my 3rd set of wheels refurbed, fitted yesterday.



More photos here.

Next - I've to source centre caps for them. Won't be easy though.

vintagevrs

Bought these but might get my Indy to do them. Still undecided. Getting the old ones out without the right tools looks like a pain. Hopefully will help freshen the car up.

Voodoomelon

I love kits like that, you get all you need for a nice refresh at a good price. I take it it's the bushes at the top you don't want to tackle?

vintagevrs

It's the whole lot to be honest. Rear subframe needs dropped which is a big enough job for the home diyer. Then getting the old bushings out without the proper tools looks a nightmare. Lot of fellas burn them out.

Voodoomelon

Yep, it's a ramp job i'd leave it to the pros.

Toyotafanboi

Done a nice few bits today...

Started with a bit of cleaning around the Honda, feeling rather swanky vacuuming the crisp lines in the seats


The car also smelt a bit dodgy since the day I got It, it always smelt a bit like an old people's home or something, but lately it had got unbearably like feet, so I think it was a bacterial thing in the A/C so I splashed out on one of these. Cabin filter didn't look too bad, was expecting to find a dead animal in it, so I gave it a hoover and put it back.




And I done a small bit of "PDR" too, there was a massive but very subtle dent in that door that you could only see from certain angles in a certain light but it was really ****ing me off, so a couple of tugs in the right direction and hey presto! Still a small crese near the bottom but 80% better at least.


And you can read about my brake debacle in the other thread.

Foxhole Norman

Changed the oil, filter and pollen filters in the 540i today, not sure when it was done last other than the books recorded mileage so it was done just in case! Transmission oil and filter next!







Still waiting on the DVLA to send me out an Export Form :mad:

job seeker

Toyotafanboi, I'm impressed with the lavatory dent removal tool!

Voodoomelon

Foxhole Norman wrote: »

Changed the oil, filter and pollen filters in the 540i today, not sure when it was done last other than the books recorded mileage so it was done just in case! Transmission oil and filter next!



Still waiting on the DVLA to send me out an Export Form :mad:

Have you done a trans fluid and filter change before, i'm sure you have at this stage. An infrared temperature reader is a must.

Foxhole Norman

Voodoomelon wrote: »

Have you done a trans fluid and filter change before, i'm sure you have at this stage. An infrared temperature reader is a must.

Not myself but my mechanic, I know the ins and outs though and shouldn't be too much hassle if I use the lift in work but it'll more than likely just go to my mechanic.

traco

Another job off the list, two new rear control arms. Ball joints / bushes like jelly. Hopefully that's the end of the rattling or else it will show up other ones that I couldn't hear before.

Toyotafanboi

Forbthose of you following my rear pads thread ( http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=103623843#post103623843 ) with abaited breath :

This was my first time to work on my brakes on my toblerown having watched it being done around 5 million times previously.

I cut out fibreglass sheets into something that resembled a circle and whacked them onto the inside of the backing plate. Plastered with resin then painted on both sides with straight to rust paint. I had to wait for it to dry before I could trim any strangely fibres.



Put it all back together making numerous novice mistakes along the way.



Made a few lots of novice errors along the way. The biggest one was ****ing around with a pliers to rewind them. Spend another hour dicking around with them, ripped one of the piston boots in the process then and only then decided it was too late and went into town, bought a rewind tool and had both pistons back flush within several seconds of opening the box.

I forgot to put the discs back on in such a fashion as to use the locator screws, but I think they don't do anything after the disc is mounted so I worked away without them.

Took the car out for a spin of around 5k and the brakes still feel a good bit softer than they did before the work I reckon but I hope that will fix itself with a bit of driving.

Handbrake feels very much tighter.

Fibreglass kit €16
Rustolum paint €9
Brake pads €28
Rewind tool set €75

Changing your rear pads yourself - priceless.

Wibbs

Nice job T. And yeah I found the rewind tool is a must with the Honda rears IME. One may succumb to a pliers or screwdriver, but the other will be a cu*t. Beg, borrow or steal said tool. Actually... are you near me?

TBH you had me at trimming your "strangely fibres".

traco wrote:

Another job off the list, two new rear control arms. Ball joints / bushes like jelly. Hopefully that's the end of the rattling or else it will show up other ones that I couldn't hear before.

I'm in the prep stages of doing a couple of mine. Have most of the bits and bobs ready to go. I have replaced a few already, but the new ones made a couple of the previously silent old ones go thunk. Seems to be a given with bushings.

eringobragh

MR2 spoiler delete

Toyotafanboi

Controversial.

There was a whopper big one on yours wasn't there? There are more subtle OEM options?

LawlessBoy

Unfortunately i have no pictures, but i cut the middle box/resonator out of the GTI and had a piece of pipe welded in. Gives the exhaust a nice little rumble down low in the rev range and a nice pop on gear change with the DSG box.

eringobragh

Toyotafanboi wrote: »

Controversial.

There was a whopper big one on yours wasn't there? There are more subtle OEM options?

Im a purest mate - Id a leak in me boot so had it off

Love the Rev5 spoiler personally

New gaskets and protectors! order from Toyota in March only just arrived :eek:



Stuff the hole with tissue or it will wreck your day when taking off thespoiler.



Gap = 80lbs fishing reel was needed to shift the 17 year old very VERY tough sticky

Revision 5 Combat Spoiler back in all its glory

joujoujou

Ms jou complained about keys that came with her car. Ebay got it sorted.

Old vs new: