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Information on modifications and repairs to Body and Interior of your BMW 2002 and Neue Klasse car. Hoods and bonnets, trunks and boots, fenders and wings. Submit an Article if you have something to share.
hegedus
Two Piece Dash Removal Procedure
Written by Chris Blumenthal Monday, 05 September 2005
Disconnect your battery by removing the ground cable and securing it out of the way so it can't spring back and make contact. Safety first!
Instructions:
Disconnect your battery by removing the ground cable and securing it out of the way so it can't spring back and make contact. Safety first! Remove the fiberboard underdash panels. Put your safety glasses on before this part of the procedure... you would not want an errant screw falling in one of your eyes. First, label or mark the panels with numbers on masking tape or the like. This will help you remember which panel goes where when it is time to reinstall the panels. Alternately, if you have a digital camera, taking pics of the layout before removal will help you get everything back in straight. Remove the screws holding each panel in place, put the screws in a container like a coffee can or plastic margarine tub, and put the panels in a safe place. This advice regarding putting fasteners and other small bits in a secure container applies to this procedure in its entirety. You will find that reinstallation of your dash will be infinitely easier if you haven't lost any of the bit and pieces, and they are all in one, convenient location. Remove the glove box. Remove the three small (8MM head) bolts that attach the glove box hinge to the sheet metal bracket attached to the firewall in the passenger footwell. You will be able to see these bolts if you lie in the passenger footwell with your head as far toward the firewall as possible. Look straight up and you will see the bottom of the hinge at the rear of the glove box. You may have to move the right dash vent hose slightly to have a clear view. Access is somewhat difficult because the hinge is at the top of the rear part of the glove box, but a 1/4" socket wrench with a 6" extension will do the job. Remove the console. The console can be removed as a unit. It is held in place by only 2 screws- one in an angle bracket that attaches and locates the upper right side to a sheet metal finger at the bottom of the dash. The other screw is hidden beneath the inner console base, which is the flat piece that fits inside and forms the bottom "deck" of the console. The base is just sitting in the bottom of the console (no screws). After you remove the locating screw from the top of the console, you should be able to move the console from side to side a bit and insert your fingers or some flat object between the transmission tunnel and the side of the console, pushing the base panel up several inches at the end toward the shifter. Then, you will be able to see where the "console tray" (the piece on which the shifter boot mounts) is attached by a single screw to the sheet metal of the transmission tunnel. After you remove these 2 screws, you can pull the console back a bit, and then use a screwdriver to pry off the connector from the back of the emergency flasher button (Note: in early cars the hazard switch is not mounted in the console, so disregard this step). Remove the shift knob by unscrewing it counterclockwise, and pull the console back, up and over the shifter. Remove it from the car and put it in a safe place. Remove the screws that hold the front of the dash to the underdash sheet metal. All are obvious except for the two behind the upper steering column trim piece. Remove instrument panel. Get on your back in the footwell on the driver's side of the car with your head pushed up against the clutch and brake pedals, and shine a flashlight straight up under the dash. Still have your safety glasses on? You should be able to see the round aluminum nuts on each side behind the instrument panel pod, and the spot where the speedo cable is held to a threaded attachment point on the back of the speedo with a round, aluminum end piece. Both the aluminum nuts and speedo cable end piece are intended to be removable by hand- you should be able to stick your hand up under the dash, loosen and remove the aluminum nuts and the speedo cable end piece with your fingers. First remove the speedometer cable attachment, and then the round, knurled, aluminum finger nuts that hold the instrument panel in place. If you cannot loosen by hand, use an appropriate tool (a simple pair of pliers may work best). After you have removed the nuts and speedo cable, pull the instrument panel gently forward, just enough to gain access to the back of the panel. You will need to remove the wiring harnesses attached to the back of the instrument panel (a circular plug connected to the left rear of the panel, and a wire connected to the right rear) before you can completely remove the panel. These wiring harnesses can be gently pried off with the end of a long, thin flat blade screwdriver inserted between the connector and the instrument panel. It may help to shine a flashlight behind the panel to get a better view of the wiring attachments. After the wiring harnesses have been removed, you can pull the instrument panel up and out of the dash board assembly. Remove the 8MM dash attachment nuts from behind instrument panel. There are two studs from the upper part of the instrument panel that insert through the sheet metal on the right and left side of the instrument panel pod- remove the small nut on each. Note that you will have to remove the lower switches from the dash around the instrument panel in order to gain access to these nuts. Remove the wiring harnesses from behind the switches around the periphery of the instrument panel area. If you are removing the upper part of the dash completely, you will need to disconnect and remove all of the switches that are mounted in the dash around the outside of the instrument panel area (e.g., switches for lights, wiper speed, rear window defroster, etc.). Grasp the connectors on the rear of each switch and pull off toward the front of the car. It should be fairly self apparent how the switch assemblies come out, but here are a few clues: for most of the switches, the knobs screw on and off. After you have removed the knob, you will see that there is a bezel with slots at the base of the shaft of the switch. These bezels are nuts that are threaded on to the switch and hold it in place in the dash. Take a small, flat blade screwdriver and a hammer and carefully thread the bezel off of the switch by lightly tapping against the left side of the upper-most slot (you will want to move the bezel off the switch in a counter-clockwise motion). Note: extreme caution is appropriate with this procedure; if you slip with the screwdriver, you may damage your dash. After you have removed the threaded bezel from the switch, the body of the switch assembly will pull out from the rear of the dash into the instrument panel pod area. You can then remove it from the car. The power socket (OK, cigarette lighter as it was known in the day...) can be removed by unscrewing the cylindrical piece that is mounted on the rear of the socket. Remove the nuts from the studs on the far right and left of the upper dash piece. These studs are part of the upper dash piece, but point toward the floor and extend through two holes in the lower dash piece and the sheet metal under the dash. Look under the dash at the far right and left, approx. 3" from the side and front, and you will see a small nut attached to each stud that must be removed. Hint: you will have to lie on your back and look straight up at the bottom corners of the dash to see these studs/nuts. Note that you cannot remove the lower dash piece until you have removed the nuts from these studs, and pushed the upper dash piece up on each side to move the stud out of the way of the hole in the lower dash piece. Loosen the clamps from the vent hoses attached to the front of the dash. On each side of the dash, there are vents that provide the defroster air at the base of the windshield. These clamps are attached to a sheet metal extension behind each plastic vent; the vents are attached to the dash. Let the clamp drop off of the vent so that vent is no longer constrained by the clamp/sheet metal. You are now ready to pull the top piece of the dash up. You may find the front of the dash (toward radiator) to be a bit wedged under the windshield, but the bigger problem in getting the dash out may be that the far right and left sides of the upper dash piece are stuck in. You may need to get under the dash and push up on the studs in order to break each side loose. Then, you can tilt the front of the top piece up a bit toward you and pull the whole thing up and out. You may have to move the dash around a bit to get the lower part of the vents on each side (which remain attached to the dash when you remove it) to clear the sheet metal underneath. After you remove the top piece, the bottom piece should just pull right out toward you. Installation, as they say, is the reverse of removal. Note, however, that there are two locating pins attached to the dash near the center. These pins fit into sheet metal slots that are attached to the bulkhead at the base of the windshield. You will see them when you remove the dash. When you reinstall the upper part of the dash, you will need to align the two pins with the slots and tilt the front of the dash down so that it fits under the windshield seal. Note: on later cars, the dash is attached at the same points with two screws; it is necessary to remove the windshield in order to gain access to these screws.
Good Luck! If you have any questions please post them on the FAQ message board!
1Eighteen
I really struggled installing these seals, they are a real barsteward to fit and there are a few tricks that are not immediately obvious.  So, I have decided to share "my" method, it may differ from your method, but it works, so please if you've done it a different way, that's fine, so long as it works for you.
 
Firstly tools I used:
 
Nylon hammer
Razor blade
Plastic trim tool set (Ebay - less than $2)
Sharpie pen
Hole punch tool
 

 

 

 

 
By far the most difficult and most important part of this installation is getting the 'kink' part of the frame installed correctly.  If you don't do this, it will fail, when you install the interior 'U' trim, as the pressure will pull it back out of the frame and you'll have to start over !!  Not funny, trust me, I know...... it really pisses you off !!
 
So, the basic method is as follows:
 
I won't go into removing the old glass in detail, but if you haven't yet done this, beware of the retaining pin, that holds it in behind the B pillar rubber seal, if you go pulling and then pull harder because it won't budge, it will eventually shatter.........I know.......I just know OK.  There is just one pin and it is towards the top of the B pillar.
 
If you have fitted the metal B pillar glass channel, remove it.  You will see why later.  Take the seal and first, fit the lower horizontal portion into the chrome trim, this is generally a good fit and shouldn't need trimming, just ensure it is a nice fit and you have pushed it into the recess of the chrome trim.   DON'T TRIM THE SEAL AT ALL YET AT THE B PILLAR END.
 
                                                           
 
I found the next bit crucial if you want the seal to remain in place.  You need to take the razor blade and trim the seal, on the inside edge, where it sits in the kink, otherwise when you bend it to fit, the inside edge splays out and makes it virtually impossible to fit into the frame.
 
Just mark the area where it kinks, and shave off the edge.  Don't worry, it won't affect the seal, or be noticeable once installed.
                                                          
 
You are now ready to start installing the seal into the frame.  Don't do this in isolation, push the interior 'U' trim into place on the inside, at the same time, working a few inches at a time, this will ensure the seal fits correctly and means you find out right away, if something isn't right, rather than wait till after you thought you'd finished !!!  Use your plastic trim tool, to start pushing the seal into the frame, starting at the very bottom.  Work a couple of inches and you'll almost be up to the kink area, then stop and go about 3 inches above the kink and start working back down towards it, pushing the rubber into the kink at the same time.  It is vital that you now ensure the interior 'U' trim, is fitted correctly and snugly and as it should be, use your nylon hammer to tap everything into place and don't move on until you're happy that this area is fully fitted and won't pull out later.
 
 
                                                I used this tool, it takes quite a bit of force to push the seal behind the frame.
                                                          
 
                                                                  You should now have something resembling this
                                                        
 
So, now you're happy with this area, go ahead and work the rest of the seal into the frame work up towards the B pillar.  Just work it slowly and remembering to also fit the interior trim as you go.  Stop every 6 inches and give the seal and trim a few taps with your hammer, to settle it into position.
 
                                                     
 
Once you get to the B pillar, you'll need to trim the seal.  I just used my razor blade for this, it was easy.  You need to judge where to cut for yourself, but for obvious reasons - don't go cutting I too short !!!!
 
                                                 
 
Once you have the seal in place, pat yourself on the back, go and make a coffee and rest your hands, because they'll most likely be killing you from all that pressing in of the rubber !!!
 
The next bit might differ from other people's methods, but trust me, it works and it makes life easier.
 
Basically, rather than fit the B pillar glass channel and rubber to the car and then fit the glass.  Fit everything TO the glass, then the whole lot to the car in one hit.
 
So, take the metal channel and temporarily refit it to the frame, with a couple of screws, then fit the new rubber piece and centre it between the other seal, you'll notice the outer bit of rubber will need to be trimmed, do it later when the glass is fitted, so you know it's correct.
 

 

 
The reason to fit these now, is to mark for a new hole, for the glass retaining pin, as the holes in the new rubber are most likely not in the correct place !!!  So, go ahead and mark where the pin would go through the rubber.
 
Then take your hole punch tool and punch a couple of new holes for your new split pin (not supplied).

 
Now fit everything to the glass, including the opening handle (if it was removed).  The pin is inserted from the inside, as shown, but I don't think it would matter too much which way !!
 
                                                                                 Scuse the grubby fingers !!

 

 

 
Now carefully push the glass into position on the B pillar, paying attention to the rubber seal sitting correctly. Once inserted, whilst holding the glass, reattach the opening handle to the C pillar (thus ensuring the glass won't fall out).  I did mine without a rear window, so it was simple, but if you have a rear window installed, you might need someone in the car to help out.
 

 
Now, on the inside of the car, pull back the B pillar rubber trim to reveal the metal channel and the holes to secure it, using the self-tapping screws.
 

 

 
              Refit the four screws and push the rubber seal back into position, then trim off the excess rubber on the outside.
 
                                                                                            Hey Presto.....You're done.... Congratulations !
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
mlytle
I am putting in an Esty carpet kit, so i figured i would take some pics along the way. any suggestions to make this process better are appreciated!
When you get the box with the kit in the mail, open it up and check out all the cool pieces.
Do not lose or misplace one and think Esty forgot to put it in the box. She didn't, you lost it.
🙂
I used Esty's posted instructions as a guide.
Things you need:
-the carpet
-3m super 90 spray adhesive
-set of misc clamps from Lowes
-razor knife
-good pair of scissors
-marker
assuming you already removed entire interior, put down Rammat and put down a layer of Ensolite..

Start with the back piece that goes under the rear seat. you will have to trim the center tunnel
opening to make it 1/4 in larger. once you get that to fit, trim the outside edges as they will
need to conform to rocker shape. the top of the piece will be too tall. fold it over the top of the metal wall,
mark where the back part of the wall is, and trim off the extra. will be around an inch.

now get out the super 90. spray back of carpet and reat seat support (including the top). wait two minutes.
CAREFULLY place the carpet in place, starting with the center. work out to the sides. this adhesive is
unforgiving. once you touch it together, it is stuck. once the front is stuck, clamp the top vertical part, then
fold over the top and clamp it down. in about 10min you can pull the clamps off.

next comes the rear side rocker pieces. this did not need much trimming. i just aligned the top unfinished edge
with the door edge. needed to cut about one inch slit at front and rear of the seat support to allow carpet to
fold down. kit i have put carpet all the way accross the seat mount with the vinyl hanging on the inside. now is a
good time to cut the hole for the seat slider lever....and poke holes for the seatbelt bolts!
the gluing part of this...i only put glue on the top and first inch or two down the sides. this makes the side
panel sort of a flap that allows access to wiring and gas line without ripping up the carpet.


next is the front rocker pieces. on these the only trim i did was cut a "V" for stress relief in the top front
part about 6in back. if you test fit you will see why. the back of this piece should overlap the rear piece by
about 1/2in. i glued this the same way as the rear rocker piece, just the top and about an inch or so down the
sides.


next comes the kick panels. these in clipped the top back 1/4in of the nice edging off to make it fit easier under
the pinch welt. install is pretty easy. jam it as far up as it will go and align the back edge with the door
opening edge. on the drivers side don't forget to mark and poke holes for the hood release lever. the upper bolt
for this actually needed a little "V" cut in the edging. it helped to clamp the back edge until the glue set.



that is as far as i have got so far. more tomorrow when i put the center tunnel piece down....
carpet install....part 2
ok, so the side pieces are in, time to do the mother of all carpet pieces the center tunnel section.
first, go buy a second can of super 90 adhesive. the first one is about to run out.
next, look at the area around the gas pedal on the floor and the center tunnel. do not layer on the padding or
sound deadener in either place, especially if you have or ever want to put a 5 spd in. the extra thickness will
interfere with the gas pedal and the room for your shoe between the brake and the tunnel.
esty's center piece is pretty close, but you will need to make a bunch of adjustment all around. start at the back.
the back of the piece against the rear seat support is the reference. i had to elongate the brake lever opening at
the back of the opening. be careful if you widen the opening, it is deceiving, you really don't need much.
i also had to make some cuts around the seat support to get it to rap nicely.

the gear shift hole was right on.
the front and around the edges is where you need to get creative. a number of stress relief slices and "v"'s need
to be cut to allow the carpet to lie semi flat.

also need to make cut to fit around the gas pedal mounting points.

now that you have all the trim and shaping done...here comes the fun part. how to you get this ungainly big piece of carpet covered in glue and place accurately? the trick is not all at once, and don't cover everthing with glue! you really only need glue on the top of the tunnel and slightly down the sides. i laid out the piece upside down and marked in cross-hatch where the glue will be eventually be needed.



when putting the piece in, start from the back and apply the glue in sections. don't cover the entire thing with glue! i first did the section from the e-brake back. sorry, no pic's of this part. my patient wife was getting the camera when i stuck it down.
next did the rest of the piece. put the tranny in 4th gear to give the hole in the carpet a clear shot on down.
adding glue



and sticking it down



it really helps to have a second set of hands at this point to carefully place the carpet and hold it down until the glue sets.
end part two.
-------------------------------
carpet install - part 3
at this point you have two options. you can flip up the sides and spray glue under there to stick them down, or you can leave it as is. i think i will leave the center section as is. i made enough stress relief cuts that it actually hangs nicely. once the center console is in, it will be fine. leaving the flaps unglued also makes it easier to run wires underneath.

the floor mats really don't need to be glued at all, the set nicely in place and don't move around.
here are some pics with the floor mats in place.




note, getting the drivers side around the pedals is not that bad. clutch on first, then brake, then push it way down and twist it 45deg to the left. gas pedal stub should slide on at this point. once the mat is down, use a razor knife to make two front to back slices over the gas pedal studs to let them poke through the carpet.
there is one place where i will ask Esty for her opinion on fit. maybe it is my car. the pass side front floor mat looks like it could be an inch thinner on the tunnel side with maybe a little more curve. as you can see from the pics, it bunches up just a little. since is is nicely trimmed in black,i did not want to make a stress relief cut in it.


there are still some details i need to finish, like poking holes for the seat belt bolts and the seat mount bolts, but the install is 95% done. i will refinish the seat mounts before getting to the little details.
------------------------
with the exception of the pinch welt, I finished the carpet install. wow, what a difference!! Esty's carpet kit came out great.



overall, very happy with the Esty Carpet Kit! It was not that difficult to install, and her sense of humor in her blog instructions was great! highly recommended if your 02 needs new rugs...
🙂
hegedus
Written by David Duncan
Wednesday, 07 September 2005
Repadding the stock '02 seats is a time-consuming but worthwile procedure. While most people will simply upgrade to some nice Recaros when their original seats have had it, many prefer the original look or simply can't yet afford to go with some replacement Recaros. For these people, restuffing the original seats is a great option.
In my case, I repadded the front seats in my 1975 2002 for about $35 worth of foam and a few evenings of work in my spare time. The first seat I tried took about eight hours, and the second one was about six hours. Although it took a while, the results are great and I got to clean and condition the seats while they were out of the car.
Parts/Tools Needed:
Foam pads from upholstery shop or crafts store (more on these below) X-acto knife Needle-nose pliers Flat head screwdriver Phillips screwdriver FAT Phillips screwdriver for the side screws Sockets, spanner set, or crescent wrenches Optional: some 1/4" car headliner foam to put under horsehairs (if you are refitting them) For new foam pads, I bought some 2" foam from a fabric/crafts store. Measure your seats & backs and add a couple inches either way- you will be trimming them to fit. For me, it cost approx. $35, which isn't bad compared to the cost of Recaros. This was the very flexible upholstery foam...the kind you can squeeze to "zero." They had white and green, and I went for the green, which seemed denser. The thickness of the foam will depend on the condition of your existing horsehair pads and whether you want to reuse whatever is left of them. Mine were close to gone, especially the driver's seat, but still all one piece. I chose to refit the horsehairs under the foam, so I only needed the 2" thick stuff. If your horsehair pads are completely gone, then you will want to get thicker foam.
Restuffing Procedure:
The following assumes that all '02 seats are constructed basically the same, but as I mentioned my car is a '75. First you want to take the seats out, remove the rails, and then dismantle the hardware. There is a reason why this took so long, and that is because you want to be careful with your old seat materials!
Pull the covers off slowly...they are attached by a series off metal hooks on the frame. Pry the hooks up to make it easier, and be careful, they're sharp 'n' rusty! I just used my hands to pull the vinyl back, afraid that pliers would tear it.
Cut the foam to fit, with a little overlap. If you want (I didn't think of this till after I was done) you could get even thicker padding & custom cut the "wings" of the seats, for a more "Recaro" feel.
I took some car headliner foam (about 1/4" thick and a few extra bucks) and sewed it to the spring frame to make a base for the old horsehairs so they wouldn't shed into the car.
Refit the horsehairs (if you are re-using them), then place the foam into position. Putting the seat covers over the stuffing is a wrestling match, so get yourself pumped up! I managed not to tear the vinyl, but you should check your covers and their seams and make sure they're strong enough for the stretching. If they're dry & brittle, it might be a different story. I wasn't able to repad the headrests (the stems were pretty rusty & didn't want to move...and they are still semi-comfy, so I skipped 'em).
Start with the front of the seat, and then work your way to the back, hooking along the way. You have to work with the material and the foam to keep it in place. When you're about three-fourths of the way back, grab the front of the seat and pull the cover towards the back, coaxing it into place. At first, I didn't think there was much leeway at all for stretching. Then I got a little brave and figured out how to coax the cover. It does give a bit...you just gotta work it along. By far, this was the most aggravating part; I found talking to the seat helpful!
Before you put the seats back into the car, it's a good time to clean 'em up a bit with a brush and your cleaner of choice... not to mention a GREAT time to crack a cold one! Reassemble the rails hardware, then bolt the seats back into car. I used a couple of washers under the front rails to 'lift' the front of the seat slightly (provides a better driving support...a cool tip I got from the message board).
If you want to try extra padding in the lumbar area, go for it. But the funny thing is that when the seats were back in place, the lower half of the seat back felt much thicker and supportive. I don't know how that happened, but the lumbar support was instantly built-in and noticeable! It was such an extreme difference at first, I didn't think that I could lean all the way back and drive at the same time! Shows how bad off the original padding was! Now, I sit upright and drive, and it feels GOOD!
Anyway, one size of foam did the trick for support and comfort. Though I did think of getting 1/2" or 1" pieces to add to specific areas, I just went for one size and it worked out fine. It also followed the natural design of the original seat, which isn't exactly the most ergonomically fine specimen, but it's adequate enough for straight posture (and the '60s design rules!).
I do want to try beefing up the bolsters sometime, especially now that I've done it before. It's a "crazy" project, but well worth it on that next drive...very comfy! I plan to do the rear bench next...and can't wait! I'm just amazed that I took on the project, and it came out nice! I still dream of Recaros, though. I hope this helps and if you have any questions, please post them to the Message Board!
COPYRIGHT 2002, BMW 2002 FAQ, Rob Shisler and Steve Kupper. All Rights Reserved.
 
Additional detail for beginners like me (mataku527):
- I used a combination of the green foam mentioned above and nu-fiber, which is reportedly similar to horsehair.
- Detailed breaking down of the seats procedure below, I found this order to be best:
 
First take the seats off the rails, there are two 10mm bolts on the front and 2 on the back rails:
 
 

 
Remove the side covers on both sides.  They are quite fragile.  The upper is held by a small tap, pry it off carefully.  
 

 
Remove the larger screws on the upper half:

 
Remove the wired connection from the upper half to the bracket.  For this part, it is easiest if you keep the upper half of the seat upright and open up the bracket away from the seat:

 
Pry up the circled part, it is only pressure inserted into the bar going across the bottom of the seat.  You have to line it up when reinstalling.:

 
Remove the spring clamp:

 
Once you do that, you can pull the whole bracket off and remove the rails.  
David Layton
While we have driven my 73 tii a bit this summer with the revised the ride-height, suspension and wheels tires; the motor was not quite right.  Performance was down and Jacob Marley was rattling the timing chains. 

In late September, my chief mechanic and brother Chris decided for various reasons to pull the motor, drop the sub-frame and transmission.  This was going to give us the opportunity to clean up the engine bay, revise any questionable wiring, totally clean the accumulated oil and grease and make any repairs prior to repainting the engine bay in Atlantic.  This will resolve the issues around painting the engine bay when the car was to be painted this winter.   (The hoist he put in his garage a couple of years back has been a great investment.)

While the motor has been out, the timing chain and oil pump chain and sprocket were replaced; after the timing marks, including the K-fischer pump, were painted in yellow.  We suspect that Scrooge’s late partner was rattling the oil pump chain as there was a full knuckle’s slack and back stagger in the alignment with the oil pump sprocket.  The stagger was from the sprocket which had been attached with the spacer between it and the nut in front causing wear on the back side of the teeth.   Chris found the correct answer on the FAQ, the spacer goes behind the sprocket and the planets were now aligned.
 
While the motor is sitting on the stand, we replaced all of the Kugelfischer hoses with Ireland silicone items.  Replacing these would have been ‘difficult’ if the motor was in the engine bay.  The Oil pan was in need of paint, so it was removed, stripped and repainted as were the sides of the block.  The oil pan was clean of metal and the crank looked fine.  Crank and bearings looked good, so these were not disturbed. 

We have also attached a new Sanden 509 AC Compressor on a Hobie Dave Bracket.  The AC will be new items under the hood flowing to a Behr Evaporator and Console.  The car had a Frigiking unit with a Sanden compressor that had a packed up clutch on a heavy dealer bracket.  As the Frigiking lines run dead center over the transmission, we are going to seal these up, clean up the metal and paint.  The lines for a Behr run a few inches to the right of the heater box (also being rebuilt).  We are taking many suggestions from Rob Siegel’s book and will use hose fittings on the firewall rather than running the AC lines straight through the firewall.  

Now to what’s behind the curtain where Carol Merrill is standing…..

The old firewall padding was pulled away revealing a rust area above the pedal box that had been partially patched from behind.  There is a bit of surface rust all along the firewall with bits of the foam and glue residue.  The firewall matt has been the perfect sponge to hold water against the firewall for the last 45 years.   I figured that somewhere in the project, there was going to be a rust surprise, here it was.   Left unnoticed it would have been a nastier surprise sometime next year when the pedal box would have begun to flex.
 
I now know why the engine was so loud.   Pedal box rebuild and shift linkage kits were ordered.  This will also lead to the pedals, pedal box, brake booster and support getting cleaned and painted.

Fortunately, Chris has a 72tii project (0440 – Colorado) which entailed the acquisition of a couple of parts cars.  One of these is a ’74 carburetor that is slowly returning to nature but the piece of the firewall above the pedal box was sound.  So a patch was made with this cut of firewall flank steak and pedal box surround was cut from 16 gauge steel.
 


 
 
And the patch is welded in and primed and surrounded in 3M paintable sealant.
 
We also put down the sealant in all of the crevices where water likes to collect and sit on both sides.
 
The sealant excess will be cut away and after it is painted over will blend it and keep the water out of the seams.
 
Inner Fender cleaned up.  Note the bead of 3M sealant where the inner fender and the frame rail meet.  This was done throughout to eliminate the collection spots.
 
The Firewall repaired with POR rust converter on the surface where water collected behind the firewall padding.  (In the background is one of the two parts cars.)
 
 

Primed Firewall.  The 2 new vertical holes are for the firewall fitting for AC lines.  System will use Behr Evaporator and Console.  Two holes over the transmission were from the earlier Frigiking AC and these will be plugged.    
 
The Painted Inner Fender.  The garage lighting and the camera flash makes the color appear lighter than it actually is.  In the sunlight, the color compares well with an original Glasurit paint chip book.
 
Engine Bay ready to sit for at least a week before we start re-assembly.  We have a new factory firewall pad and the various gaskets and clips.  Throttle linkage is being upgraded with one of Harry’s play-less Pull Rods, new return spring and bushings.  This will also be the time to sort out the wiring and add the wires for the new air conditioning.  Other items to tackle before the engine comes back include replacing the parking brake cables and the rear transmission mount.  
  
02 FAQ Blog on firewall.docx
Pramono
How to Reuse Heater Motor Metal Fan Blades
 
The replacement heater blower motor is no longer available as a complete assembly; only the blower motor itself. Many of us would like to keep the original metal or aluminum fan blade, but it’s almost impossible to remove the fan blade from the old/seized motor without destroying the pressed in the plastic bushing that the fan sits between. By this decade, any of these bushings have also become brittle and separated. If you have a very early metal blade that came with the set screw, then you may be able to transfer and reuse the blade if the set screw is not rusted out.
 
PRDesignSF has been proud to offer you the plastic fan blade that adapts to the new motor. Since there is a lot less weight for the motor to turn, it puts less stress on the motor, allowing it to last longer while providing almost the same airflow.
 
For those who would like to save and reuse the metal/aluminum blades, we have created an adapter screw from stainless steel that will work. Now you will be able to reuse the metal blade and make it look more original.
 
Here's a quick guide to removing the blade safely without destroying it. The one thing that you do not want to do is attempt to yank the blade off the shaft; you will damage the blade. The metal shaft needs to be cut off and press out. You could reuse the plastic bushing if they are still in good condition, or if you do not want to take a chance for the bushing to become separated in the future, you can use the new adapter screw that we made.
 

With the motor out, separate the plastic body housing by prying the tabs and they will split up.
 
Remove the press-in clip at the end of the shaft and cut the upper support arm bearing housing. This is to create some space for you to be able to cut the shaft.
 
 
Now you can pull the internal parts out, including the stator, from the housing. There is a square clip at the back of the bearing support arms; pry it with a screwdriver and the support arm will become loose, but still attached to the shaft. It’s seated in a spherical race. You should be able to move it around to create enough space to cut the shaft now.

 

 

With the shaft cut off, turn the fan upside down and support it with a 14mm deep socket. Now, you can use a punch to drift the shaft out. The bushing will be separated and the fan will be free.
 
The plastic bushing consists of two separate parts, the top half features a built-in key to lock the blade, and the bottom half to keep the upper bushing from coming off the blade by pressing into it.
 
You can clean up the blade, but be very gentle with an aluminum blade: It’s very easy to deform the blade.
 

 

 

 

The adapter screw is very easy to install. Twist the adapter through the fan center hole and tighten it with the nylock nut. Use an 8mm Allen and 14mm socket to tighten the adapter screw. Tightened to 16-18 Ft-Lb.
 
 

Mark approximately 5 mm from the upper fan body to the shaft; too far out and the fan will interfere with the fresh air flap. You can also tell if you’ve put the fan at the right depth if you have the chamfered edge slightly sticking out from the adapter.
 

Tighten the set screw using a 2mm Allen into the shaft. Because the set screw is cupped, it will bite into the shaft and secure it. Be sure to use thread locker (medium strength) on the set screw to prevent it from backing out. You could also apply a dab of paint on the top of the set screw to provide additional protection from backing out.
 

Optionally (Recommended), you can also cut a divot into the shaft to provide a flat area for the set screw to sit in; it’s still a good idea to apply thread locker onto the set screw.
 

 
To test proper blade orientation, power up the motor (Male -, Female +). When the blades are facing you, they should be turning counter-clockwise. If you feel a lot of vibration (Light vibration is acceptable), then most likely the blades were not straight. Looking from the side of the motor, check if all the blade’s center ridges are 90 degrees (perpendicular) to the shaft motor, otherwise, they are out of balance.
 
With this, now you have the option of reusing your metal/aluminum blade or plastic blade. Either metal (Used) or plastic fan blades can be purchased from our store as well. Contact us at www.PRDesignsf.com or email support@prdesignsf.com. Happy ’02 motoring!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
mlytle
first, cut small three sided access hole in kick panel. this has been detailed on faq before.


next, create new support for bracket from some flat stock and bolt the bracket to the flat stock.


then paint it, of course

drill holes in A-pillar to mount it to

bolt it in from the back. i put two washers between the bracket and the A-pillar to match the distance the oem bracket holds the flat bar away from the body.


hook it up

done..door works good as new, and may be stronger than a weld job....
NOTE - update several years later, this mod is still working fine. no issues.
Stevenc22
Having recently completed my air conditioning system, i thought i would layout what it takes to install your own modern air conditioning system. Air conditioning is one of those mysterious things that everyone is afraid of when in actuality its not much more complicated that the coolant system on an M10. There is a liquid that gets pumped around a sealed system and as it expands it cools and then we compress it again through the compressor, lower its temperature though the condenser and then repeat the process.
A basic air conditioning system is made up of the following components.
Evaporator (The unit that mounts in the vehicle and has your AC controls and vents)
Compressor and mounting bracket
Condenser (The radiator that mounts at the front of the car in the engine bay)
Electric push fan
Hoses and dryer
I will discuss what you need to know about each component:
 
EVAPORATOR
This is going to be the toughest component to track down because you cannot buy a new unit. 2002 did not come with air conditioning from factory and so you have to track down an aftermarket unit from the 70's that was installed into the cars by the dealer. You need to source a used Clady, Behr or Fridgeking evaporator / center console though the for sale forums. Any unit you get should be pressure tested and the expansion valve replaced.

This is my Behr system. The systems all look different and different people prefer the looks of different systems.
The evaporator produces a large amount of water when it operates and the evaporators have a water drain hole in the bottom. You will need to drill a hole through the top of the transmission tunnel to install a rubber drain hose so that the water doesn't flood your interior. The switches for the evaporator should be cleaned, checked for electrical function.
 
Remember old evaporators use flare fittings. Modern hose kits are O ring kits. You will need flare to O ring adapters that are used with flare fittings in order to convert the flare fittings to O ring fittings. #6 and #10 flare adapters.
https://nostalgicac.com/fittings-hose-kits/flare-adapters/6-flare-to-o-ring-fitting-adapter.html
https://nostalgicac.com/fittings-hose-kits/flare-adapters/10-flare-to-o-ring-fitting-adapter.html
 
You can also buy copper crush washers which go into the flare adapters to help with the seal if your flare ends aren't in pristine condition.
 
 
COMPRESSOR AND BRACKET
We will keep this simple. The old system compressors are much larger and heavier than modern rotary style compressors. Dont even bother with an old compressor. Buy a modern Sanden 508 compressor. You can buy genuine Sanden for $250 or a chinese knockoff for $130-$150. You will need a V belt model and these can be gotten from Ebay or http://nostalgicac.com/.


Very important. The Compressors must be filed with oil. There are different types of oil and some oils are compatible with old style freon (R12) and some are compatible with new style freon (R134a). Since R12 can no longer be obtained you might as well plan on using R134a freon which mean Pag or Ester oil.
 
Compressor uses 6oz of oil after you fully drain all the shipping oil from the unit.
 
The bracket is easy. The Clardy system came with a bracket that fits the Sanden 508 compressor but also luckily a 2002faq member is now making an excellent bracket which can be bought from hobiedave.
http://www.bmw2002faq.com/topic/82340-custom-made-ac-compressor-brackets-sold-out/?hl=hobiedave
 
CONDENSER
The condenser is simply a matter of size. The bigger the better but you need to factor in how big can you fit into the nose of the 2002 and whether or not you are willing to cut the support bars to fit a larger condenser.
A 9" x 12" condenser fits perfectly with no cutting however that is definitely considered on the small size. They make 10" x 18" condensers which might just fit without cutting but i have not tested this. You will need to decide how big you want to go here.

You will need to mount this to the front of the nose, there are condenser mounting straps or you can zip tie it in depending on how much drilling and modifying you want to do.
 
FAN
You will need an electric fan on a relay kit to blow air through the condenser. The fan should be sized appropriately to fit into the nose of the 2002.


I used a 10 inch fan which in my opinion fit perfectly. Don't forget to power the fan directly from the battery with a relay kit since it draws a lot of amps.
 
HOSES AND DRYER
People get scared by the plumbing of the AC system, but its actually very simple. There are standard AC hose sizes and certain sizes go between certain components.
You will use #10, #8 and #6 size hose in your install.
The #10 runs from the evaporator to the compressor. The #8 runs from the compressor to the Condenser. The #6 runs from the condenser to the dryer and then back to the evaporator.

Ebay and http://nostalgicac.com/ sell "Hose Kits" which include the hoses, connections, safety switch and the dryer. Buy a universal kit and it should have everything you need!

The safety switch measures freon pressure levels and cutoff the system if levels get too high or too low. It gets wired in series with the AC controls and compressor.

To make your own AC lines you will need a crimper tool. I used this one and it worked great.

 
 
I also used a substance called Nyloc with all my o ring fittings. Its a type of AC sealant and you coat the O rings in it before tightening and it helps to minimize any leaks. This stuff is option but recommended.
 
Once everything is installed you will need to have the system charged with freon by a professional AC shop. But if everything goes to plan you will have good cold AC for under $1000.

 
 
 
EDIT:
 
If you wish to charge the system your self, you will need a proper 3 line gauge set ($35 on ebay) and a vacuum pump ($50 on ebay)
 
Attach the low and high pressure lines to the AC system, attach vacuum pump to yellow line and start vacuuming. Open low pressure side valve on gauge and allow pressure to drop to -30psi. Vacuum for 30 minutes to remove moisture and air from system. Close low pressure valve and remove pump. Make sure system holds negative pressure for 30 minutes to ensure no leaks. Afterwards attach a can of Freon to yellow line. Start car and turn on AC to max. Open low pressure valve and let Freon into system. Low pressure should jump up to 60 psi but then the compressor should kick on and pressure will drop down to below 20. Note that the compressor pulley always spins but only when the clutch kicks in and the center part of the pulley is spinning is Freon being pumped!
 
System will likely need 2 cans of R134a Freon (Maybe a little more. 3 cans is too much). We want low pressure of about 30-35 psi and high pressure around 250 on a nice day. (Pressures vary by day time temperatures). Remember to close the low pressure valve when switching Freon cans. Also the gauges pressures sometimes take a while to settle so add the 2 cans and then rev the motor up and let the system cycle a bit before deciding if pressures are right or if more is needed.
 
A system with too much Freon will not cool! More is not better!
 
HENRYNBMW
I was very happy with the results of "Flock It", a kit for restoring the interior glove box surface. Cost 25.15 and looks like I have enough flocking for another glove box. I picked gray flocking, and the kit comes with a simple pump and some glue. Cleaning the surface was the hardest part, and I used "Goof Off" adhesive cleaner, and sand paper and a metal putty/spreader scraper. They recommend to cover surface with latex paint before using the glue, I used black. Spread the glue and used the pumper to disperse the fine gray flocking evenly and generously. After letting it dry for a few day I cleaned off the loose flocking. I have been very happy with the result and the flocking is not flaking or lifting and looks a ton better.
http://www.flockit.com/index.php/products/suede-tex/mini-flocker-kits.html


Driv3r
So I know that the heater valve/fresh air Bowden cable is still available but I couldn't find the two flap cables. So initially I restored my heater box with old cables because they were working. But the thought of those cables getting rusted and stuck again, was daunting.
 
I've decided to do a research on alternative options. The oem metal wire has 1.4mm diameter and it's not so strong. The wire cover itself is made of metal spring and vinyl skin but over time, rusty metal cause friction and eventually wire or lever get stuck.
 
I decided to search for a stainless steel wire in bigger diameter that would strengthen the lever force and basically won't rust. So I went to local hardware store and bought stainless steel wire in 1.6mm diameter.
 
To replace the old wire cover, I chose Shmano brake line sleeve. It's made for mountain bike application with extreme brake use conditions and is much more resistant and durable than the oem cable. It's available in most colors (of course I went with inka!) for around $6 meter. The brake sleeve has 5mm external and 2mm internal diameters. Be aware of fake copies out there!
 

 
After using the stainless steel wire with Shimano sleeve, I notice a complete improvement with almost no friction. Here is a comparison:
 

 
The hardest part of copying the oem wire was the swirled attachment tip to the lever shaft. Stainless steel wire was really hard to bend and it came coiled under tension which made it harder to bend in opposite direction but I finally figured it out. Using a screwdriver with same diameter as the lever shaft, hold the wire with a plier over the screwdriver and use your thumb to bend it around the screwdriver.
 

 
Then cut the excess with wire cutter. Once you master these, the rest is self explanatory.
 

 

 

 

 
The lever movement has improved to better than the oem part and will last longer. I can move levers with my finger nails. I hope this help so many of members out there looking for better, more reliable and cheaper alternative.
 
Cheers.
 
 
heinemann
These are some photos of my repair of the badly damaged 3 piece dash in my 1600 project. I wasn't willing to spend $1500 on a new old stock dash, so dropped less than $200 to fix the old. Plus, I just wanted to see if it was possible.
Items needed:
1 x horrible Dash
Breather filter, mask rated for toxic fumes
2 x Cans Padded Dash filler
Glazing putty – your preference
Assortment of putty knives and body filler spreaders
Metal mixing tray
Assorted grits of sand paper 300-800
Texturizing spray. (I would not go this route again, but rather spray the dash matte black and then flock it.)
The dash in the sunlight really shows the extent of the damage. Thing about southwest cars is the body tends to hold up well, but everything else goes to pot -- rubber parts, seats, gaskets, dashes, etc.








Large pieces needed to be removed to get down to a stable foam base.








The dash was very badly damaged. I picked off the overlay material and worked down until I found stable foam underneath.


More deconstruction


The nitty gritty -- used Padded dash filler. This stuff does exactly what it is designed for. It is quite expensive though. A small can is $24 and I needed two. Additionally, you must wear a carbon filtered respirator / air filter. The fumes are very toxic. I used putty knifes and body filler tools to apply the product.


After filling and worked with fine grit sand paper, can’t remember the exact grit, but don't get too aggressive, or you'll undo all your work.


Here is the instrument cover reworked with the padded dash filler, glazed and sanded.
Applied glazing putty to provide a nice, smooth surface.


I also used a texturizer spray from SEM called Clear Texture Coating. It is probably the worst product in the world - the nozzle clogs constantly, and it sprays fine mist and large globs at the same time. So I knocked it down with a few brisk swipe of fine grit sand paper and then finished the dash in an interior matte paint that sprayed a little too glossy for my taste, but...


The end product. I gave it a good test squeeze and couple of good pokes to see if the stuff would crack and it holds up really well with a good deal of pliability. The padded dash filler really is an impressive product. I may use it to repair my sun baked Nardi Steering wheel. I may still flock the dash board, if it’s cost effective.


Xhrismar
my new exact fitment stereo console... check out the construction planes if you want to inlcude it on your car!... hope it be usefull for you!...
Dear '02 followers.... Im new in this site and i didnt have idea that you were writing on my post!.... Im gonna put more photos of the console and about the other questions.
I used MDF wood of 10mm thickness....
Covered of syntethic leather, easy to found in my country (ECUADOR).
The stereo support is secured to the side panels with two fasteners in each side.
If you guys have any question let me know!...

Driv3r
Yes, I've been trying to source this spring part number 54129634112 with no success.
 
So I've decided to make my own. Credits to Harold for telling me that he also made his own and it's been working great.
 
I visited the local store and the only thing that matched the mechanical description was a zinc plated "R" clip in 3/16".
 
Using a picture I had of a genuine W Spring, I used two pliers and bent the R to W spring. It might not be a perfect W, but it's W enough! Just remember, the key is to use a good quality R clip.
 
It works perfectly as it should.
 



Another step closer! [emoji482]
Pramono
For those of you who attempt to fix your own heater box, I’m pretty sure you know what I’m going to be writing about.. A while back, I wrote an article about how I created a heater valve reinforcement bracket (you can see it by clicking this link). Since I’m still in this area of repair, I just wanted to give some ideas on how to repair the broken ribs on the heater fan cage.

This is what a fixed fan rib cage looks like.
 
The heater fan is mounted on the top section of the heater box with four clips. It is seated in a housing that we called the fan cage housing, since it looks like a cage. The cage consists of protective plastic ribs to prevent large debris entering the fan/ heater box, however, leaves and small debris are still able to go past these ribs. The factory did not make a screen or smaller openings to block the debris, thinking that airflow would be restricted. The ribs are made out of plastic, and as we all know, they become brittle from age and break, leaving even a larger opening (See picture below). Now there’s going to be even more debris entering the box! Nobody wants leaves and dirt blowing into their cabins, so I have found a way to fix these, that will make it look like the original again. I didn't like the idea of installing a screen, since it might restrict the airflow and is tricky to install. Besides, this way, it will make it look almost original again.
 

This is what the heater box looks like before being repaired. Imagine all the debris and leaves that have gotten through over the years!
 
Here is an inexpensive and simple way to fix it, and hope you may have some of these common tools. These what you need:
 
Materials required
• Coat hanger
• Epoxy/adhesive
• Paint/ Spray Paint
 
Tools required
• Cutter
• Pliers
• Marker pen
• Dremel Tool
• Burring bit

You will need to do this repair while the box is out of the car. Besides, I’m sure you wouldn’t want plastic bits flying into your box and core!
 
Step 1. Get a coat hanger and cut the straight part (this is what you will be using for this repair). Using either your hands or pliers, bend the section to match the curvature of the missing/ broken rib. Mark and cut the rod slightly longer than the length required (You will need to trim this later to the exact length). Cut and make as many as you need to replace the broken ribs. (See picture below)

Note: There are none of the shortest ribs where the fan motor mounting clips are located; they were left out on purpose to leave clearance for the clips.
 
Step 2. Get your dremel tool and attach the bit to cut/make an indentation on the vertical cross section on both sides where the ribs were connected once. Cut just deep enough so that the coat hanger will seat flush into the cut. (See picture)

 
Step3. Using your cutters, cut the rod to make it fit between the two cuts that you made earlier. (See picture)
 

 
Step 4. Place the new rib and align it so that it will line up both from top and side, and then apply epoxy to the end piece of the new ribs (see picture…).

 
Step 5. Sand, clean, and paint the new ribs (or the whole housing if you plan on doing a refurbish), and voila, you now have a new “unbroken” fan cage again! (See picture)
 

 


 
This is the final product - A fan housing without anymore broken ribs on the cage!
 
Thanks for looking, and have fun repairing your fan cage!
Driv3r
I've used the whole afternoon trying to restore my vent window mechanism. As you all know, the unit is sealed and generally replaced with an alternative working mechanism when it stops working or become harder and harder to turn. I had 6 pairs of these in my spare part stash so decided to pickup the worst and try to refurbish it. This method worked for me and made the mechanism movement feel like new. You're welcome to follow this process if you decide to refurbish your window vent mechanism. Please ensure you clean the unit from any dust, oil or rubbish before this overhaul. Here it goes:
 

 
1) So the unit is sealed. The main housing is made of aluminum so you cant just pry it trying to remove the sealed cap, it will brake the housing (trust me, I wasted 2 units already!). Grab a small flat head screwdriver and a small hammer. Gently tap the aluminum edge around the sealed cap to widen the edge. Be gentle or it will crack.
 

 
2) Try distributing the pressure evenly. Once the edge is wide enough, use a screwdriver to pup the cap off. (Note where I use the screwdriver, its the strongest point)
 

 
3) Once the cap is off, use a small screwdriver or a nail and patiently pick all dried out grease. I used a brake cleaner (spray can) to get rid of old stubborn grease.  It wont leave any residue since it will all evaporate almost immediately. You don't have to do this. You could just clean by picking what you see.
 

 
4) I used a heavy duty, water resistant, long lasting general purpose grease with extreme temperature rating (non petroleum). The vent mechanism is very similar to steering box mechanism. Apply moderate amount of grease and push it in between the gears then move gears back and forth using the knob.

 
5) There is a small grease pan under the horizontal gear shaft. Repeat step 4 until you see grease coming out of the top of horizontal gear shaft. This means the bottom grease pan is full. (Try not to over fill). The vertical gear shaft has a small play (moves up and down by 1mm). Using your small flat head screwdriver, try getting some grease under the vertical gear shaft by pushing the other end of the shaft from outside of the housing. This will help smoothing the movement.
 

 
6) The vertical gear shaft is supported by a small tension bar from outside where the vent window frame is inserted. Remove the holding screw and tension bar, use small amount of grease on the inside of the tension bar and reinstall (do not over tighten the screw).
 

 
7) Now put the cap back on and gently tap the edges inward with a hammer. You're Done!
 

 
Now, when I finished doing this, I noticed a small amount of grease under the vent mechanism housing where the horizontal shaft is. Looked closely and noticed there is a small hole possibly made for inserting grease occasionally or in major service intervals.
 

 
But you need to clean out the dead grease before using this grease hole. Most currently available used vent mechanisms have dried out grease and in need of complete clean out anyway and you wont need another overhaul anytime soon!
 
I hope this process is useful to any member. Cheers
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
hegedus

Tii Clock Repair

By hegedus, in Body and Interior,

Contributed by Mars Friday, 22 December 2006
Here's how to repair your Tii's dash clock. This method only applies to the early 2002tii clocks (1972-1973). 1974 Model Tii's used a newer electric version. Typically these clocks hold up very well and are quite reliable (although not very accurate when in operation). The most common cause of failure is a fused wire that blows over time. The following below will show you how to fix this most common of causes. This is to be used for reference purposes only. This instructional how to is not to be held liable for any damages caused to your vehicle. Use at your own risk!
 
First thing needed to be done obviously is to remove the clock from the dash. This can be rather difficult as there is limited room to work with. There are a number of ways to try and get in from behind the clock and which one you choose will vary on how big or small your hands are. Access from behind through the glovebox is the most common, but certainly not the easiest.
 
Another option is to move out the console. This is the best way as you will be able to get in from behind the clock and underneath better.
The third option for those with small hands (or who have an assistant with small hands) can reach from the top of the dash through the buzzer hole cutout (if your model has the buzzer, not all do) and loosen the screws that hold the clock together.
 
The clock has a small bracket that holds it in place and uses two plastic (or metal) thumbscrews. To remove the clock reach behind with one of the methods above and loosen the thumbscrews. Be ready to catch them as they most likely will fall due to the limited hand room behind the clock.
Here is a view of the clock from the floor up and behind the console. The glove box was also removed for this picture. This pic shows the black plastic thumbnail screws that hold the clock in place.
 
Once you successfully loosen the screws the clock will simply pop out towards you. Be sure to grab the bracket the screws go into so it doesn't get lost behind the console. This is another reason I recommend removing the console. After popping it out, simply undo the light bulb, power and negative wires.
Take note of which wires go where. The ground wire (brown) goes to the left of the bulb if you are looking directly from behind the clock. The bottom wire (red) with the spade connector is the power wire (12v +). It can be confusing as the ground connection has a 12v engraving below it. This is not an indicator of which connection goes where but rather an indication that it runs on 12v +. This usually confuses most folks.
 
Once out, the next few steps that follow are the most difficult. To gain access to the clock's internal workings you will need to remove the front bezel. This is usually a black trim ring in front but for some it may be silver (such as on the early Ti models). Carefully using a thin flat head screwdriver begin to pry up from under and behind the bezel. Take your time. Patience will be your friend here as you don't want to damage the bezel ring.
After slowly going around a few times you should be able to pop the ring off of the clock. Here is a pic of the clock with the front bezel removed. Take note that the ring has notches in it that match a notched area on the inner bezel of the clock.
 
Next, loosen the nuts at the rear of the clock. The nuts are made so that the screws run through them so you will not be able to just use a screwdriver. You can use a small flathead and get at the nuts from one of the sides or a lightweight set of pliers to remove them if they are stubborn. Then, after loosening the nuts slide the clock from out of it's metal casing.
Now with complete access to the internals of the clock begin inspecting the clock slowly. Look over the clock near where the copper coil is and around that area but towards the top of the clock. You should see two small tabs. If they are not connected chances are this is the cause of your clock's failure. These tabs normally have a small wire that connects the two and acts as sort of a "fused jumper".
 
All that remains is to solder the two connections back together with a small wire. Use a low temp solder and take your time. I recommend using an 18-20 gauge wire. After that, make sure that you clean the clock well. Use canned air spray to blow out small particles and be sure to check the needles in front as they can sometimes bind and prevent the clock's movement. In the pic to the left you can see where the solder was made and where the tabs referenced above are located.
 
Putting it back together is the reverse of the steps you took above to take it apart. When reinstalling the front bezel, again, take note of the notches and line them up to the clock. With the notches in place I used a small set of needle nose pliers and very carefully crimped the bezel back over the casing.
With the notches in place I used a small set of needle nose pliers and very carefully crimped the bezel back over the casing. Here is what it looked like after it was reassembled.
 Reinstall the clock to the dash. Make sure your ground connections are sound as poor ground is also another common cause for the clocks not to work properly. That's it!
ClayW
How to Install a Headliner in a BMW 2002

*All the typical warnings apply. Be careful. Don't cut your fingers off. Read the labels on all tools and chemicals and try not to maim yourself.

If your 2002 is in need of a headliner, a professional shop can do the job for $500-1000. I've heard of people bringing their stripped car in with the parts in hand and only paying $100, but I haven't yet found that shop. So, the following is a guide to install a headliner in your 2002 in your garage. It's entirely within the ability of a moderately capable mechanic. What I'm getting at is: If I can do it, so can you. I suggest that you read through this entire guide before getting started on this XX-day job.. Gauge for yourself if you want to take it on.

To begin, there is only one variation in the headliner: sunroof or no sunroof.

Tools, Materials and Parts Needed

Parts:
1X Headliner
-Sunroof p/n 51441804085
-No Sunroof p/n 51447480140
10X Headliner Bow Grommets p/n 51447780135

Materials:
Contact Cement
2X Small Cheap Paint Brushes
5X Cable Ties
1X Pack of Stick-on Cable Mounting Tabs (next to the cable ties in Home Depot or Lowes)
Epoxy or JB Weld
183X 1" Binder Clips - Yes, 183 of them. I suggest buying in bulk from an office supply website
A few 1/2" binder clips - Not entirely necessary, but you'll see how and where they can be helpful
 
http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o143/clayweiland/1967 1600/100_1428.jpg

Tools:
Wire Cutters
A Good Pair of Scissors
Latex or Nitrile Gloves
Exacto or Small Utility Knife
Patience
Relative Sobriety

Day One:

1. Remove the front and rear windshield - Remove the lockstrips and gently push the windshields out. this might be a good time to consider new seals and lockstrips, if they're old.
 
***EDIT: Once you remove pull handles, visors, etc. put their mounting screws back in and install the headliner over them. This will make locating them MUCH easier later.

2. Remove the rear side windows.

3. Pull the window and door seals out of their tracks. You can leave the bottom half in. You'll notice that the door seals are glued in below the beltline. As far as I can tell, BMW designed them this way so that you can replace the headliner without having to buy new door seals.

4. Remove the handles, sun visors, dome light and the rearview mirror. Take note of their positions for installation later.

5. Remove the existing headliner. It's held up with glue along the edges and five bows that span the underside of the roof. Be careful not to bend the bows too much. For the non-sunroof models, there is a cardboard piece along the top of the rear window. The headliner attaches to this ans the gap between it and the roof creates a vent for positive air pressure in the cabin to escape; in the sunroof models, it attaches to the window edge. If your cardboard is damaged, find or make a replacement.

6. Install whatever soundproofing you may have had in mind. You don't really need it; BMW didn't use any. But hey, who doesn't like upgrade overkill?

Optional but recommended step: Bow Retainers

The headliner bows have the ability to swing down and sag the headliner if everything isn't perfectly installed. Mounting tabs to the roof allows the securing of the bows. This makes pulling the headliner tight a lot easier and ensures that the bows won't sag. In short, do it.

7. Peel the sticky backing off five of the plastic mounting tabs. You'll be using a better glue than the weak adhesive backing.





8. Install the grommets and the bows without the headliner.

9. Mix up the epoxy and glue a single mounting tab directly above the middle of each bow.

10. Remove the bows and leave the tabs to cure overnight.


Day 2: The Quickening

1. Put on the gloves. Keep changing them if they get dirty. The headliner is off-white cloth, so it will pick up dirt with ease. Unlike the rest of your 2002, the headliner is not easily cleaned.

2. Lay out the headliner and slip the bows into the loops.





3. Measure the bows and the headliner to center them in the loops. Cut the loops to expose the ends of the bows. You'll see later how you'll need to cut the the loops further, but just cut enough to expose the ends for now.





4. Insert the middlemost bow, with the headliner hanging from it, into the grommets and mounting holes.



5. Make a tiny slit with the utility knife just below the mounting tab.



6. Slip a cable tie through the slit and through the mounting tab. Tighten the tie to a loose loop. This is not a mounting point. This tie is meant only to limit the rotation of the bow.



7. Repeat steps 4-6 for the rest of the bows.





**You are now going to stretch the headliner into place. DO NOT USE GLUE DURING THIS STEP.**

8. Get out your stash of binder clips and start clipping the headliner WITHOUT GLUE along the top of the rear window cardboard piece. Start at the center and place a clip every six inches or so. Make your way along each side, moving from the center, down each of the C-pillars (the rear roof supports).





9. Next, move to the front. Stretch the headliner forward and clip every six inches or so, starting from the center. Don't pull everything too tight; incremental progression is the key.

10. Clip the door and window edges along each side.

11. Where you are clipping to curves, you'll need to cut slits perpendicular to the mounting edge. Start the cuts one per curve, understanding that minor adjustments will be made. Be careful not to cut too far. Cut short if need be; you can always cut more later.

12. Continue adding more clips; go for one every 3 inches, all the way around, making minor stretching adjustments to take the wrinkles out.

13. When it comes to the places just below where the headliner bows meet the edges, the loops will create undesirable "tents".



You need to further cut the loops some more from above the headliner. You can carefully use the knife or carefully pull the headliner to tear the existing cuts. Either way, go incrementally so that you can work out the wrinkles.



14. For the non-sunroof models, at the top corners where the cardboard ends, carefully cut the headliner to transfer from the cardboard to the C-pillar edge.



*Note that I glued some green foam to the C-pillar to go under the headliner. This isn't necessary, but I thought it created a nice, smooth detail.

15. Continue clipping and incrementally stretching until the clips are side-by side, leaving no gaps. This is where you may use a few,smaller clips in tight edges. Be sure to have all of the wrinkles worked out before moving forward. TAKE YOUR TIME. You want the headliner to be properly tight by the time you finish.







**For sunroof models, you will need to cut out the sunroof section and clip throughout this section as well. I have never done one of these, but I suggest completely stretching and clipping the entire headliner before cutting the sunroof hole. When you have the entire headliner stretched and clipped, cut from the top and start at the corners, creating an “X” in the sunroof section of the headliner. Making this hole will likely create a few wrinkles; restretch and clip from the sunroof section only until everything is as smooth as it was before you cut the “X”. I would guess that this would require an extra 90-100 clips.

Now to start the gluing.

1. With the contact cement and a brush ready, remove only five clips at a time. Brush the glue on both side of the edge, as well as the cloth. This is very important; gluing should be on both surfaces before re-clipping.

**IMPORTANT!** The glue tends to make the headliner "swell" a little, so be prepared to make small adjustments to remove new wrinkles. Be patient and take your time.

2. Move along the windows, doing only five clips at a time. Do the rear windshield first, then the sides, and finish with the front. TAKE YOUR TIME.



*For non-sunroof cars with the cardboard edge, glue the entire excess headliner onto the top of cardboard. You might need to use a screw driver to shove it in there; just make sure that you don't glue the headliner to the roof.



*I used a method of flipping one arm of the binder clips up once they had been re-clipped onto a glued section. This was, I could keep track of how far I had gone.



3. Once you finish, marvel at your accomplishment and reward yourself with a beer.



A and B Pillar Sections:



The factory way to mate the white headliner to the pillar was to glue the headliner in first, then glue the black pillar sections over them. In the case that you a either reusing your black sections, or just don’t want to pull them up, you can carefully tuck and glue the headliner under itself. Be careful and use gloves.

I folded the black part over to make a nice edge, then glued and clipped them.





The B Pillar transition will be covered by the C-shaped molding, so pull it tight to get rid of the wrinkles, trim it and cover it with the moulding. You might put a little glue in there, just for good measure.



Days 3&4: Wait.

Resist the urge to move forward until the glue has dried. Really, don't touch it. If you remove the clips too soon, you run the risk of having the edges come undone. If that happens, you'll never get all the wrinkles back out. Be patient and find something else to do.

Day 5: Unclipping Time!

1. Now that the glue has dried for a few days, remove a few of the clips and test the dryness of the glue. Due to varying temperatures and humidity levels, the glue may be completely dry or it could still be wet. Be your own judge of just how dry it needs to be.

2. Remove all of the clips.

3. Using a good pair of scissors or a utility/Exacto knife, carefully trim the excess headliner just beyond the glued-down part.



4. Reinstall the rear side windows and their seals. *Install the seal first, then the window.*

5. Push the door seals back into their slots.



6. Reinstall the black C-shaped moulding that presses over the headliner edges.

7. With clean hands or gloves, find the places for the handles, sun visors, dome light and rearview mirror. use the knife to cut a small “X” where each screw will go. For the rearview mirror, cut an “X” across the small, rectangular hole; the mirror pops in with little carefully articulated pressure. I you have a 1966-67 1600 (like mine in the pictures), you’ll have pulled the headliner over the plastic mirror receiver. You’ll need to cut a slit through which the blade of the mirror will slide.

For 1966-67 1600’s only











The late-1600 and all 2002 mirrors mount with a press-in style mount. Just cut an “X” over the rectangular hole and press the mirror in.

8. You may have some wrinkles left in the headliner from the material being folded up in the packaging. To get rid of this, you can use a hair dryer. I suspect that steam would work even better, but I had no steam-gun, so I used a hair dryer.







This takes a little time, so be patient.

9. Reinstall the windshields, being careful not to pull your new headliner out while pulling the seals over the edges.

 
 
hegedus
Written by Bob Hildebrand Wednesday, 07 September 2005 Installing Late Shoulder Belts in Early (pre-'72 Cars)
Parts Needed:
Set of late Inertial-Style '02 seatbelts (STRONGLY! recommend buying a new set, for say, a 1976 model)
Set of eight nuts and bolts (SAE 7/16" / 20tpi bolts and nuts will work just fine)
Four pieces of 3/4" x 1/8" flat steel stock about 3" long each
Access to a welder

The benefits of installing later-style inertial-reel three-point belts in early cars are obvious once you've lived with the early belts for a while! It is definitely a worthwhile upgrade, but there are a couple of things that may cause you to hesitate: 1) drilling, and 2) welding.
The first thing you need to do is get some late-style seatbelts from a '72 or later car. It is probably worthwhile to get a NEW set of belts, or at least ones that you have checked thoroughly for wear, fraying, signs of stretching. You also will need the metric nuts that will fit the anchor bolts that are stock to the 02. You will need eight of them total, as well as the bolts to go with them (in case the belts didn't come with hardware). [We will be getting exact specs on the hardware ASAP -Ed.] Also, you'll need some flat steel stock approx. 3/4" wide and 1/8" thick, about a foot worth of it which you will cut into four 3" pieces. You'll also need access to a welder. I prefer a 110v wire-feed MIG, which are available for rental or you might enlist a buddy who has one and knows how to use it. MIG welding really isn't that hard, it just takes a little practice and basic knowledge on how to use the machinery.[Watch for an upcoming feature on basic welding techniques! - Ed.]
To get down to it, remove the carpet, front seats, and rear bottom seats from the car. Also remove the black vinyl "fabric" that covers the "B" pillars where you will be mounting the shoulder belt anchors. Measure down from the headliner retaining strip about 6" and mark for drilling along the centerline of the pillar. You may want to individually adjust where you put these if you are an especially large or small person, or even put more than one hole so you can move the anchor from one to the other for some adjustability later on. (It's probably best to make these measurements, etc., before you remove the seats.)
Next, mark the inside rocker/frame rail near the floor, just behind the front seat. Use the new seatbelt retractor as your guide for marking this hole. Try to get it lined up on a vertical plane with the hole you're drilling above in the "B" pillar for the shoulder anchor. At the same time, try to mount it as low to the floor as possible so that it is out of the way of rear-seat passengers as they enter/exit the car.
You are going to have to drill four holes that will be big enough (5/8?) for the metric nuts to pass easily through but smaller than the 3/4 inch steel plates. I used a step bit and drilled progressively larger holes just until the nuts fit through.
Once you've got the holes laid out and drilled, you're going to practice weld. If you're already a decent welder, then you're just going to WELD, but for those who are just learning, this is a great way to get a little practice in before you melt any actual '02 metal. The idea is to weld the metric nuts to the 3/4" x 3" pieces of steel. These will in turn be welded to the various mounting points in the car. If you're wondering why I don't just use 1" stock instead of the 3/4" it's because the 1" would be too noticeable once installed. On my car, the 3/4" is barely detectable. Up until now, I'm the only one who knows it's there!
Before you begin, drill a hole in the center of one of the strips just big enough for the retaining bolts to pass through but leaving enough material to weld with on the flat stock. Secure the nut to the flat stock by tightening a bolt on. This will serve to both clamp and center the nut for the welding. Then, weld away! Make four of them.
Now all that's left to do is weld them to the car. This was the hardest part for me. Welding in an un-stripped car is Very Scary. BEWARE of the plastic FUEL (!) line running next to the pass-side rocker! You can either remove it or just make sure it is sufficiently shielded/covered/ or sent on a nice holiday to The Bench. Take the time to ensure that EVERYTHING is covered/protected. I mean EVERYTHING: windows, floor, any and all plastic, even the windshield! (I have some bizzare pits in mine that I can't account for so maybe it was the welding!)
Go overboard with covering and you'll never regret it. I used cardboard, which worked well for me. [spray with some water!?! - Ed.] The sparks cool pretty much immediately but not so fast that they won't melt the hell out of any uncovered carpet. Don't ask me how I know that.
Naturally you'll want to grind down to bare metal any area to be welded. A clean weld is a strong weld. I started with welding the "B" pillars because they were easier to get to and got me into a rhythm for the rest of the work in the car. Use the big C-clamps to place the anchor bars/plates (whatever you want to call them) with the nuts well centered and sticking into the inside of the pillar itself. This will come close to providing a "flush" appearance once everything is ground clean and covered up.
Welding two different-thickness pieces of metal together is probably one of the most tricky operations. But by playing with the recommended settings on your particular welder, you should be able to get decent results. Remember that at this stage the prettiness isn't as important as the ultimate strength of your anchors. You are going to grind/contour it to make it more flush-appearing anyway, so don't kill yourself trying to get a "perfect bead". Next, do the rockers. Carpet will be covering this area, so just go for the strongest result. CLEAN and rustproof both sets of welded areas with some good rust-killing primer and then paint it.
Now you're done with the scary part! The existing point of attachment down low on the rocker just in front of the rear seat for the original seatbelts works well to attach the fixed end of the new seatbelt assembly. The new point just ahead of that one is for the inertial-locked retractor assembly, and the new mount on the "B" pillar is for the shoulder loop. Be sure that when mounting the retractor that it is as level as possible and very tight so that it works smoothly. I had a 73 and this installation on my 72 appears identical other than the unused point of attachment along the side interior panel in back. Once I replace that with one from a 73 it will look totally stock.
On a final note, be aware that this type of surgery on a perfect original car will probably affect its collector value. Just something to think about if you have a particularly nice original car. That said, I plan on keeping mine and am very happy with the far superior/more convenient seatbelts! If you have any questions, please just post them to the Message Board!
COPYRIGHT 2002, BMW 2002 FAQ, Rob Shisler and Steve Kupper. All Rights Reserved.
Pramono
A few months ago, I wrote an article about repairing the heater valve bracket. You can see that article by clicking the link here. I really thank all of you for reading and all the responses received from the 2002 community. I had a tremendous request on the parts that I designed. Therefore, I decided to make some improvements to the bracket as well as additional parts that make rebuilding the heater box easier.
 
I have gathered and made some special components/parts for those who want to rebuild the box themselves, starting with a new design heater valve bracket. I was fortunate enough to find a heater box top with an intact bracket. I was able to follow the shape of the original bracket, and because of that, the new design will be almost identical to the original bracket. The kit will also available with the other following items:
• Heater valve lever with pinch bolt
• Rubber grommets and delrin bushings (custom made)
• Pre-cut foam kit for the flaps, heater core and perimeter box seals
• Heater motor with a new fan blade

Those who are interested in the parts can contact me at infous@autodynamiksf.com.

This is the picture for the foam & grommet kit. On the left are foam strips for the perimeter box seal (furthest left), and then the heater core seal. In the upper middle area is the foam for the defroster and heater air flaps. Underneath that are two big rings for the heater core outlet. Below that are the flap grommets (the 7 small circular ones). Beneath that is the four relay shaft delrin bushings for the defroster and heater flaps. Beneath that is four spring clips that also go onto the flap shafts. To the right of that is the foam for the fresh air flap. To the furthest right is the foam for the outer box.
 

Version 2 of my heater bracket reinforcement! I’ve updated it so that it looks very similar to the original bracket that was created from the factory. This time, the bracket is made in aluminum, making it lighter than the previous version.
 
If your heater fan motor is seized or making noise, you don’t need to worry. I will show you how to get a replacement parts or you can get it from me. The heater fan motor is still available from Bosch, part # 0 130 007 002. The fan motor comes with a 6 mm shaft, or just slightly under ¼ “. If you buy a ready made fan blade with a ¼“ bore, it will be loose. The only option is to buy a plastic fan blade from Grainger, part # 5JLL6. It should be 5-9/16” Dia, CCW, with a 3/16” bore.

This is the closest fan blade to the original aluminum fan blade, except that it is made of plastic and is lighter. Enlarge the bore with a 15/64” drill bit, but make sure that you drill it straight and on center, otherwise it will end up having a wobble (slight wobble is acceptable). I made a special jig to perform this job, since I do quite a bit of these repairs. Once the fan blade is done, press fit it onto the shaft with the clip facing away from the motor, and if you want, you can drop a little glue to make it more secure. You don’t need to balance it, since the blade is so light. It should provide you with plenty of CFM - I think it blows slightly stronger than the original motor. See the pictures below.
 


These images show how I align the fan so that I can drill the fan perfectly centered.

 
The grommets for the heater core outlets are very difficult to acquire. Even though the part is still being made by BMW, they are not available unless someone has old stock (NOS). Most of these grommets are dry, brittle, and torn after 30+ years. You can use sealer or putty to keep it together and seal the box from leaking out air, but it won’t look pretty. I found a replacement heater core outlet grommets (¾”x1/4”x1-⅝”) that were very similar/ acceptable to the original ones, and with slight modification, it would look like almost an oem part (see pictures). The rest of the parts are straightforward, except for the fan blade which was a little bit tricky to do. If you look at the pictures below. I put together a kit for what is necessary to rebuilt the heater box. This is the same kit I use to rebuild heater boxes.

These are the grommets for the heater core outlets. The white area is where it is going to be trimmed - Without trimming this, the grommet won’t fit. It would need to be cut ⅜“ from the inside diameter. What you should get is this

You should fit it onto the box with the flat side facing to the outside of the box, as shown. But from here, there is still some further modifications that need to be done. Unless you cut out a groove for the pipes, you will have a hard time putting the top cover onto the assembly. This is why I modified the grommets, grind the inside diameter following the outlet heater core pipes by using a die grinder or round file. It should be approximately ground at 30º - 45º. Both the top and bottom of the grommet will need to be cut, but on the opposite sides! This will help the top cover fit easier.
 

After you grind out the groove, it should look like this:
 
 
 

On the left side is the outer side of the box; the right image shows what it looks like on the inside. Note that both cuts are opposite from each other! This should make it a lot easier to install the top. Trust me on this.
 

I hope this articles will help whoever wants to do their own Heater Box rebuild. If you need help, just email me on the address above. Keep yourself warm during winter season. Happy Motoring!
 
mlytle
I bought one of the first IE pedal box bearing kits several months ago and finally got around to installing it.
here is the pile of parts

tools needed include:
17mm open end wrench
17mm closed end wrench (not the same as above)
19mm wrench
needle nose vice grips
small flat blade screwdriver (to poke the washers when installing pedals
start by :
remove gas pedal
pull carpet out. twist 45 left to get it off pedals. gas pedal arm first.
pop the little cover by the gas pedal so the pedal bolt can slide out
use vise grips to pull spring off brake pedal
remove brake pedal pin to linkage. c-clip comes off by hand or with vice grips.
pull out your pedals. two bolts, 17/19 on clutch bolt, 17/17 on pedal bolt.

while in there, might as well clean up/paint pedal box if needed..

here is the order the parts go in

with stock bushings for reference

assembled (spare pedal box used for demo purposes)

NOTE - the "stack width" of all the IE parts was just a touch too wide to fit in either of my pedal boxes. i ended up using a center washer that was thinner than the stock one and shaved a few thou off the clutch pedal spacer to get the width correct. here is pic of thinner center washer when i was mocking up in demo box.

and yes, you can do this by yourself... it is a major PITA to line up all the little pieces while pushing the bolt through, but doable. hard part is getting nut on end of bolt with the tight space. the paper towel visible is to prevent an ooops moment if i bobbled the nut or washer and it was going to run down the frame rail. i used needle nose vice grips to hold nut on end of bolt with left hand

while reaching in car with right hand to rotate bolt to start thread engagement on the nut.

soooo....was it worth it? yes. much less play in the pedals (this is compared to the new stock bushings i had in there NOT to old trashed bushings)
HOWEVER...the major slop in the 02 brake system remains at the booster pivot. send your cards and letters to IE to ask them to make a similar bushing kit for this part of the system!!!!!

ClayW
Parts:
Windshield Seals
Front - p/n 51317440154
Rear - p/n 51311817764
2 X Lockstrips - p/n 51311803265
2 X Lockstrip Cup p/n 51317440106

Materials:
Clear Silicone Caulk
Spray Bottle of Soapy Water
25 ft. of 3/16” Cotton Rope
Masking Tape

Tools:
Caulk Gun
Small Flathead Screwdriver
Lockstrip Tool (I used this one from Aegis Tools.) Apparently, AEGIS Tools no longer sells the roller lockstrip tool. You can get it here now: https://www.hitechglazing.com/product/2781009/40273


*The installation steps are identical for both windshields.*

1. Lay the windshield down and slip the seal over the edges.



2. Wrap the rope twice around the seal, pushing it into the slot. Tape the ends against the inside of the glass.



3. Spray the seal edges to soak the rope with soapy water.

4. Lift the windshield and seal into the opening, being careful not to allow the seal to come out.





5. With one person applying pressure from the outside, pull the rope from the inside, being careful not to pull any of the headliner with it.



6. Once the rope has been entirely pulled and the seal is in, use the caulking gun to run a small bead of clear caulk inside the inside and outside edges of the seal.





7. Once the caulking is in, use the lockstrip tool to install the lockstrip. This is a bit of a challenge and requires a little skill. Go slow and be careful. If you have a small section (1” or less) that pops out of the seal, use the small flathead screwdriver to pop it back in.





8. Trim the lockstrip after installation to fit with as small a gap as possible.

9. Slip the lockstrip cup over one end of the lockstrip and use the screwdrivers to pop it in, using the soapy water to help with lubrication.



You’re done!



Screw in your visors and handles and pat yourself on the back.



This post has been promoted to an article
Pramono
The heater box of the BMW 2002 is simple, yet also a little challenging to rebuild. You really need to pay attention to how the system works before taking it apart. If the car doesn't have an A/C unit, removing the entire box from the car isn't too hard. There are a few common problems that all of us probably have with this box after 40 something years: 1., the blower fan has probably frozen or has become noisy; 2., the heater valve mount has broken and 3., the control cables are frozen, therefore unable to divert the air from defrost mode to heat mode. Your heater box may have one of the above problems or all of the problems. Many of us decided to live with it due to high cost of repair, and now replacement parts are no longer available; perhaps we took on the challenging task to rebuild one these boxes.
 
    I own a reputable shop in San Francisco. Me and my employees have been working on many of these beautiful '02s for quite some time. One of the many requests I receive is to rebuild the heater box. Rebuilding the box is not that difficult, but it’s just a little challenging due to small amount of parts available. Some parts are still available fortunately, however some are not. While the heater valve (without the lever) is still available new (but at a very high cost), replacement blower motors are also available, but it doesn't include the fan blade anymore. The heater lever and cable holder screw are also no longer available, and that means you can't get them anywhere except searching for used parts. Therefore you have to be creative. 
 
Heater Valve Mount: This is the plastic bracket area which is also part of the box. They break due to age and stress from the valve being opened and closed all the time. Because of weather exposure and rusty coolant, the valve starts to build up resistance when being opened and closed, making the plastic mount prone to breaking where the valve is mounted. And once it breaks, there’s not much else that can be done since the plastic tab is molded together with the whole enclosure. Although it may still work because the valve is supported by the two heater hoses, it doesn't feel solid anymore, and often the heater control cable kinks or bends.
 
    However, not all is at loss: I have designed an L shape bracket with spacers. The bracket is mounted and reinforced by rivets directly into the box, and the spacers are there for the heater valve to be mounted inline with the heater core. The bracket is made of steel, and will last much longer than the original plastic bracket on the box.
 
Blower Motor: Replacement motors still available online, but you need to find a replacement fan blade. The motor shaft is 1/4" diameter, so you can buy a 5-9/16" dia plastic fan blade with a 3/16" bore diameter online, but you would need to drill (15/64") it slightly. After that, you can then press fit the fan blade into the shaft. However, the really important part of this is that you need a drill press to drill it on center. Otherwise, if it’s off center, the fan blade will wobble/ vibrate, ruining the whole rebuild process. I’m sure that all of you wouldn’t want to have that!
 
Heater Valve Lever: This part is not available and you need to reuse the old one, but the bigger problem here is the screw that holds the cable. The screw has a hole drilled in the middle for the cable to go through, later being secured with a nut. Over time, the screw becomes rusty and is very easy to break when you try to remove the nut - Usually the nut has become frozen. This is a special screw: it's a 4mm step screw with a hole. The step is there for the screw to rotate freely when the cable push the lever back and forth. Fortunately, for all of us now, I have designed a special screw with a spacer to adapt to a custom heater valve lever that I have designed myself as well.
 
    The rest of the process of rebuilding the heater box is straightforward, as long as you pay attention to the flaps and cables operations during removal. Cleaning, painting and repairing cracked boxes is a tedious job. And even then, you would still need to replace the sponges that prevent air leaks from happening. You need to replace the sponge with a good material so that it doesn't degrade quickly. Neoprene sponge/foam is a good material for insulating all the flaps. You can see the pictures below from the beginning of the process to the final rebuild, including the reinforcement bracket and heater valve lever. If anybody is interested in getting these brackets and levers, you can email me at infous@autodynamiksf.com.
 
Thanks for looking!
 
Note: More photos can be seen in the Google document at this link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1iMB3TRTFj-hLOTmeSdKWDUFvIdDqwqSx3cPiBtHYHw8/edit?usp=sharing
 




CubbyChowder
So it's time for an update that I've been working on for the past month or so, it's a long one so be prepared! I recently wrapped up this big project and wanted to share it with everyone.
Last year I designed and built a few custom metal/wood roof racks that were compatible on the BMW E10 (1600/2002) and E30 chassis. In total I built three rack systems but eventually decided to pursue other ventures.
I was recently approached by Andrew Adams at Ireland Engineering who was interested in having a custom rack built for his 2002 project (which is an awesome build by the way, check it out here: http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=211891). After a few messages back and forth I was happy to take the project on and decided it would be a good opportunity to thoroughly document every step of the way to shed some light on how I build things the way I do.
Andrew was very lenient and gave me full creative freedom on the design with one request being that it could mount three sets of snow ski's in some way. With this in mind I went to the drawing board, came up with a few renderings and got to work. I used the same mounting solution that I designed last year for this build, but everything else is custom and one of a kind. This project was a lot of fun and VERY time consuming. I'm really looking forward to seeing this rack on the completed 2002 project in person in August! A big Thank You to Andrew for being so easy going and open to my ideas.
A quick note I'd like to add: while I was happy to take this project on, I am currently not taking on any other custom roof rack projects at this time.
To show where this build is headed, here are a few renderings I came up with which gave me the general design that I wanted (feel free to make fun of my ski's I drew haha):



So now, let's get started!
The very first step is to bend these tabs into the shape pictured below. They start off as flat CNC plasma cut pieces that get bent in my press brake, I carefully measure them out so they are all the same:


This random little tool I made serves two purposes and it helps me make sure every mount and bracket are exactly the same:

For one, it helps me set the "sleeve" coupler on the main mount. I line the bottoms up, clamp it onto the mount body and then set a 5/16 coupling nut in the right place:

From there I clamp the 5/16 coupling nut to the mount body, it is now ready to weld into place:

Welded up on all four mount bodies:

Then come the CNC plasma cut pieces that make up the sides of the mounts:

I create a very simple jig that helps me set them in the correct spot for welding:



Once both sides are welded on, the mounts look like this:


Now that the mounting feet are done, it's time to move onto the mounting tabs. They actually secure the mount to the roof of the BMW by clamping around the rain gutter. They start off as flat CNC plasma cut pieces:

I custom built a simple brake out of some scrap 3" angle iron to create the profile of these mounting tabs. Here's how it sits before and after the bend:


4 mounting tabs bent up:

Here's where that random little tool from earlier comes back into play, it helps me set the mounting tab coupling nut. I clamp it in a specific spot so it acts as a guide for the coupling nut to sit perfectly centered on the tab, which then gets welded up:



After some clean up the mounts and tabs are complete and ready for powder coat. I'll show how they actually work at a later time when they are mounted on a car:

Now that the mounts are finished up it's time to actually build the rack itself, so I started off by cutting up these pieces. This is 1"x0.5" rectangle tubing and these will act as the main basket "runner bars".



I then welded everything up and ground all the welds smooth to achieve a seamless look:


Cut a few pieces of 1"x0.25" flat strap:

These will act as supports for the runner bars. Welded them in and ground everything smooth:


Next up, I built this frame out of 0.5" square tubing:

This connects the runner bars and creates a basket:

Added top bars and ground all the welds smooth. The basket is now complete:



Now it's time to create the cross bars which consist of two pieces of 1"x1.5" rectangle tubing, each having 8 precisely measured and drilled holes in them:

I welded these bars to the bottom of the basket:

Flipped right side up. Here you can start to see why the holes are drilled the way they are:

It's time to build the ski mounts. I cut up two pieces of 1.5"x.025" flat strap:

I put a rounded 90 degree bend in them with my compact bender:


The ski mounts will be integrated into this part of the roof rack:

Clamped them into place, ready to weld:

Welded up:

I needed to figure out a way to strap the ski's down to the bars, so I tossed some ideas around and eventually came up with these little hoops that I bent on the compact bender:

Which eventually led to this:



At this point, the roof rack is finally complete and ready for powder coat!


With the metal working portion of this build done, it was time to send everything off to the powder coater for a shiny metallic silver finish and set my focus on the wood working segment, which requires a whole different set of tools and consumables. I chose redwood because it is lightweight and handles the elements pretty well. After figuring out what I needed, I went out and bought two long boards of it:

I needed 4 wooden slats at a specific length, width and thickness, so I started to mill them down. The first step was to cut each board in half so I had 4 separate pieces, and then I ran them through the planer so that everything would be 0.5" thick:

Once the thickness was spot on, I ran each board through the jointer to create a perfectly straight edge:


The straight edge allowed me to achieve an accurate cut on the table saw, bringing every board to the desired width:

Alas, I have 4 properly sized boards:

I wanted to put my new router to use, so I busted it out:

I then proceeded to give all the top edges of the wooden slats a 45 degree bevel to add some detail:


Carefully measured, drilled and countersunk the holes to mount the wood slats to the roof rack:

Gave everything a final sand and applied a coat of stain to the redwood to get the color I was after:


Protection. Now that I had the color I wanted, I needed to protect it while not compromising it's appearance. I purchased an oil-based exterior grade polyurethane and created a "wipe-on" application by diluting it 50/50 with mineral spirits:


Applying this is a VERY tedious process. Since it's goes on thin, you have to put on extra coats. In total I laid on about 10 coats over the coarse of the next 2 weeks. This is definitely not the most efficient way to do this, but I wanted a hand rubbed finish. If I were to produce these on a more consistent basis I would figure out a better solution to this step:

This concludes the wood working portion of this build!
The rack came back from powder coat and looked great, I personally love this metallic silver finish.
Since a wood slat sits over the driver's side mounting feet, I have to mount them from the underside of the rack so that all of the wood looks cohesive on top. This is why I have these two larger holes drilled in the cross bars pictured below:

These are rivet nuts, and they are the solution to my problem:

To install a rivet nut, I thread it onto the tool and place it into the hole as shown:

I then pull the handles together, which crushes the rivet and forces it to clamp itself to the wall of the steel tubing very tightly, leaving a threaded insert:

This allows me to bolt the mount in from the underside only, so there are no signs of a bolt on top. You can also see here how the mount is designed with a slot to adjust the width of the rack for different sized roofs:

At last, the time has come to install everything and see it all together for the first time! Very happy with how it turned out and I cannot wait to see it on Andrew's awesome 2002!









Thanks for looking and please let me know what you think!
dasfrogger
What you need:
Dry ice: 20-50 lbs. While you can do the job with 10-20 lbs, the more you have the quicker it'll go. It's worth the extra money. I used 40 lbs.
Hammer: ball peen is the way to go. A heavy dead blow hammer was also particularly effective.
Razor knife
Razor scraper
Safety glasses
Shop vac
Pillow case/nylon drawstring bag: 1 for every ten lbs
Thick gloves: dry ice will give you frostbite and a chemical burn if you handle it with unprotected skin. Be careful and don't let it ruin your day.
Step 1: use your razor knife to score lines in the tar. Make sure to press hard as to cut as far thru the tar as possible - this makes life easier later. Cut lines horizontal then vertical across creating squares. The smaller the better - but still a decent size piece maybe 3x3 or so. Go ahead and cut all the tar in your car now and be done with it.
Step 2: take 10 lbs or so of your dry ice and put it in your bag and seal it up. Use your hammer to break it into small bits - think the size of refrigerator ice cubes or a little bigger.
You can use the solid slabs of ice, but they aren't as effective on curved areas like trans tunnel.
Step 3: place your bag on the tar. Work dry ice bits out evenly over the area.
Step 4: Let sit for 25-30 minutes. Use this time to walk the dog, enjoy The weather, work on another part of your project, or something else that's awesome. PRO TIP: nestle a few bottles of your favorite beverage on the ice and come back to ice cold goodness.
Step 5: STOP! ... HAMMER TIME! Time to hammer the crap outta the frozen tar. I found that if you give the tar lots of little taps all across the tar it helps to free the tar and leave you less clean up later. The give some good whacks and the sections will start to pop up leaving clean painted metal. Use your shop vac to clean up the small shards/dust left behind. If you run into a piece on the fringe of your area covered by your bag that doesn't willingly pop up you can scrape under it to free it - but I'd suggest re freezing it and then hammering to leave less clean up. ***Don't forget to wear your safety glasses. I don't know about you but frozen tar in my eyes doesn't sound like fun. ***
Step 6: once all the big pieces are up use your razor scraper to remove what's left over. I've heard WD-40 helps at this stage but didn't try it myself. Of course, if the colder the better.
Voila! You're done! Now clean up the rust that you've uncovered with a abrasive wheel and POR-15 and recover with your choice of sound deadening and carpet!
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