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Mark92131

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  1. Mark92131

    Chasing Leaks and Tuning Idle

    By Mark92131,


    Chasing Leaks and Tuning Idle
    Well, one good thing about getting the motor running, it does provide some quick feedback on if you have any leaks.  After going through the mis-adventure of the leaking heater core, (turned out to be just the hose clamp to the heater core on the driver's side), I did identify 3 leaks while running the motor.  I had an oil leak at the oil filter housing, a coolant leak at the thermostat and a transmission leak at the back of the transmission (output shaft seal, shift selector seal, or both).  Two leaks I have successfully fixed and one remains until I have enough motivation and help to complete the task.
     
    The oil and the coolant leak were first on my list.  I started with the oil leak at the oil filter housing by pulling that part and inspecting all the connections (oil filter, AN fittings to the oil cooler, oil pressure sender for the aftermarket gauge and the oil pressure switch for the oil light on the dash).  My inspection uncovered my mistake pretty quickly, I used the wrong type tape to seal the threads on the AN fittings and the oil dissolved it and started leaking.  Cleaned up the threads and decided to use a proper thread sealer (Gasoila) to prevent future leaks.  I had a "while I was in there" moment and decided to replace the electric oil pressure gauge with a mechanical one.  Not because it was leaking or not working, but because it seemed to be always near pegged at 80 Lbs, the limit of the gauge.  I found a 52mm mechanical oil pressure gauge from Dyno Racing on Amazon that reads up to 150 Lbs and bought it and the Dorman Universal installation kit.  When it arrived, I thought I would just use the original M12 to 1/8" NPT fitting I had for the electric oil pressure sender to install it.  I pulled the original adapter from the oil filter housing, coated the threads in Gasoila and screwed it back in.  As I was snugging it up, I suddenly snapped in two, leaving the threaded section in the housing.  Turns out, it was cheap aluminum and many people had the same issue.  I did manage to find a stainless steel version and installed it instead.  With all the fittings installed, I reinstalled the oil filter housing, ran the oil hose through the firewall and installed the gauge in the console.  
     
    Now the coolant leak.  I never liked how some of the hose connections to the thermostat fit, lots of strange angles and hose clamps that didn't quite fit square on the fittings.  For good measure, I reworked the lower hose from the thermostat to the radiator (longer) and the hose from the thermostat to the water pump (also longer).  I replaced some of the clamps that weren't tightening properly with new and that seemed to correct the issues.  The thermostat has two M14 fittings for sensors.  I had one fitted with the sensor for the 52mm water temp gauge in my console, the other had a plug that I tapped for a ground wire for the other sensor.  Well, this arrangement was not leaking, but when I was running the motor, the water temp gauge never seemed to register anything.  I decided to replace the electric water temp gauge with the matching Dyno Racing mechanical gauge to see if that would solve my issue.  When the gauge arrived, I found 2 issues, the probe was larger than the hole in my M14 adapter and that the connector for the probe was 1/2" NPT.  I ended up drilling the M14 to 3/8" NPT hole larger so the probe fit through and then adding a male 3/8" NPT to 1/2" female NPT adapter to secure the temp probe.  After everything was installed, I started the car and brought it up to temp (170 F out of the head).  This equated to about 155F in the thermostat where cooler water from the bottom of the radiator mixes with hotter water from the head which was now showing on the new gauge.  The old electric gauge was probably working, but the scale was such, that 150F didn't move the needle much.  I completed the cooling system repairs with the correct radiator cap.
     
    After firing up the motor after these repairs, no more oil and coolant leaks, but the motor still idles very high during the warmup cycle.  After warm up enrichment is off and the idle control valve is closed, it should idle around 850 - 900 RPM.  My motor idles around 1200 RPM when warm and nothing I have done seems to change it significantly.  My theory is that I have too much air entering the motor which requires more fuel to get a decent AFR, which drives up the RPM, which increases the advance, which drives up the RPM.  Here is a list of things I have done to work on this issue.
     
    1. Verified the duty cycle of the IVC (20% closed, 85% open)
    2. Restricted the air flow on the input side of the IVC (rubber stopper with a hole in it)
    3. Cleaned the Air Bypass Screws, changed the O-Rings, reinstalled and adjusted with Carbtune (see video)
    4. Turned in the idle speed screw (no change)
    5. Modified the ignition map to run 3 degrees at idle (did drop the idle slightly)
    6. Modified VE table at idle to produce 14.0 - 14.5 AFR
    7. Performed smoke test on ITB vacuum ports and noted air leaking from throttle plates (Don't know if this is excessive, but will reset throttle plates at .1mm)
     
    Things left to do
     
    1. Pull throttle levers and verify proper length
    2. Remove current TPS and adapter (Massive)
    3. Reset throttle plates to .1mm
    4. Reinstall throttle levers
    5. Replace Massive TPS adapter with VAC Motorsports version (adjustable to remove signal delay to ECU)
    6. Check and recalibrate Air Bypass screws with Carbtune (if needed)
     
    Hopefully, getting me to a reasonable idle speed will be the end result of these changes so I can move on to other tasks, interior, suspension sitting too high, transmission leaks.
     
    Thanks for reading!
     
    Mark92131
     
     
     
     








  2. Mark92131

    Installing Seatbelts in my 1970 BMW 1600

    By Mark92131,


    Installing Seat Belts
    This subject has been covered a lot, but after searching through dozens of posts, some key questions never seen to get answered.  My car originally had Klippan's installed front and back.  I originally thought about finding a nice set of Klippan seat belts and installing them for the originality, but couldn't find a set that was nice enough and had all the original hardware, covers, hooks, etc.  While searching the endless posts on Klippan seat belt installation, I determined that there is no roadmap for the combination of bolt lengths, bolt types (shoulder, full thread),  washers, wave washers, bushings, covers, bolt caps, and hooks needed to install the Klippan seat belts, because the Klippan system isn't covered in RealOEM.  So I needed to move on from that option, which takes me to my next issue.
     
    Many have converted their Klippan system to the "no-weld" Peacock method by mounting the 3-point retractor under the back seat and using the 2 original Klippan mounting points (below the rear side window and on the rocker between the seat mount and the rear seat) to connect the other 2 belt mount points.  I didn't go this direction because I felt the belt would sit too low for me (6'3") and the anchor connection on the rocker between the seat mount and the rear seat would interfere with access to the back seat.
     
    So this leaves me with either a generic 3-point solution or something OEM like a Repa.  Both will require adding anchors to the "B" pillar and on the rocker directly below the "B" pillar, but I am good to go on that front.  I found some 7/16-20 fine thread spot weld nuts that I will weld directly to the "B" Pillar and rockers to provide anchors for the seat belts.  I ended up drilling 13.5mm holes in the "B" pillars exactly 42mm above the bottom of the rear side window frame and 13.5mm holes in the rockers directly below the anchor point on the "B" pillar.  I'll weld these anchors in next week.  See test fit picture below.
     
    Now here's where it gets confusing.  Everyone references RealOEM for how the hardware is arranged for mounting seatbelts in the car.  It does provide some details on this hardware, but not important aspects like the size of the NLA bushings and what material they are made of.  The most perplexing issue with RealOEM, is it doesn't show where the retractor fits in the stack of 10 hardware pieces?  Does it sit between #17 and #18 bushings in the RealOEM diagram?  I have also found that some installations have a plate that keeps the retractor vertical to the "B" pillar anchor with tabs that fit in slots on the back of the retractor.  Is there a part number for this plate?
     
    I will probably be asking Santa to bring me a set of TRW / REPA seatbelts from Germany.  I've been a pretty good boy this year,
     
    Thanks,
     
    Mark92131
     
     




  3. Mark92131

    Slogging through the Electricals

    By Mark92131,


    Electrical Testing
    I promised myself that before I started messing with the ECU setup and the related electrical systems to support it, I would sort out all the electrical gremlins that were original to the car.  Little did I know that was going to a lot harder and take longer than I could ever imagine.
     
    When I hooked up the battery for the first time after completely removing the wiring harness, I had some pleasant surprises and some "what the hell" moments.  First off, when I turned the ignition key for the first time, lights on the dash lit up and the wiper motor started running and not parking.  You could tell it was trying to park, but the momentum would take it through the park gap and it would restart and park again.  I unplugged the wiper motor and started going through the electrical system.
     
    Headlights
    The headlights on the early cars are not wired through relays for the low and high beam operation, but I thought why not upgrade!  I found a super easy fix for adding relays by ordering a pre-wired solution on Amazon that plugged into the driver's side headlight socket and provided relays for both low and high beams.  I just connected a ground wire, mounted the relays and connected the passenger side headlight socket. Pulled the headlight switch, low beams came on, pulled the dip switch on the steering column, high beams came on, the blue dash light came on, everything working correctly!
     
    Flashers
    I mounted my emergency flasher switch in the hole on the lower steering wheel shroud that normally houses the manual choke.  With the ignition off, pulled the emergency flasher knob and the knob started to flash and the front and rear turn signals were flashing and the turn signal indicator in the dash was flashing, all good here!
     
    Turn Signals
    This is where things started to go south.  When I signaled for a right turn, I might get single flash or a couple of flashes and then nothing, and nothing on the left turn, nothing at all!  I had read that if the emergency flashers work, then the flasher relay was probably good and something else wasn't working.  Well the flasher relay was original and the cardboard on the back was torn in half, exposing the circuit board, so I started with an EL-13 Flasher upgrade.  I bought one off of eBay and a relay harness, wired it up and plugged it into the stock flasher relay connector.  Nope, still no turn signals.  OK, let's check the turn signal switch!.  Pulled off the upper and lower covers on the steering column, pulled the switch, got out the multi-meter and checked the continuity between pin "54" and the "R" and "L" pins.  The "R" was good, but there was no continuity between "54" and "L".  Tried cleaning it, still no good, bad switch.  So back on eBay looking for a replacement.  Wow, pricing on used parts is getting stupid high!  I finally found two switches on German eBay at a reasonable price, but no shipping to USA.  I tried contacting the seller, but crickets.  In desperation, I reached out to @Seb on the FAQ and asked him for a favor.  He agreed to purchase the switches for me and ship them to me in the US.  I can't thank him enough for helping me source these parts.
     
    A couple of weeks later they arrived.  I check the continuity on both switches, all working properly!  I installed and connected one of the new switches, turned on the ignition and pulled the switch, nothing, now what?  After checking and re-checking the wiring diagram, there had to be an issue in one or all four of the inter-related systems that controlled the turn signals (Emergency Flasher Switch, Flasher Relay, Turn Signal Switch, Ignition Switch).  I eliminated the Turn Signal Switch, because I just checked it, and worked backward from there.  In order for the turn signals to work, power needs to get to pin #54 on the turn signal switch.  I tested this with the ignition on and got nothing on pin #54, so something wasn't working on the flasher relay or the emergency flasher switch.  I decided to pull those 2 components, remove the wires, re-verify the connections and clean and re-crimp all the connections.  The "AHA" moment was the connector to the flasher relay, it was really dirty and loose.  I popped the female spade connections out of the plastic connector and cleaned them up and squeezed them for a tighter fit.  When I was all done, right and left signals worked, flasher relay clicked and the light in the dash flashed, all good right?
     
    Not quite, this car, like the Euro cars has a parking light feature, which allows the user to illuminate the right or left side of the turn signals when parking the car on the side of the road in the dark.  The bad part of this feature is that one can accidentally set it during the day and not notice and come back to a dead battery.  It runs off power through the ignition switch and operates with the key off.  For some reason, my parking light feature wasn't working.
     
    Ignition Switch
    So, in order to get the parking light feature to work, I need power at the turn signal switch pin "P" with the key off.  I checked the continuity of the wire "grey" between the ignition switch  and the turn signal switch and it was good. So, maybe the switch was bad?  I bought a used one from @BLUNT just in case, and pulled the existing switch to inspect the wiring.  Well none of the wires were on the right terminals, except for the "grey" one.  I put the red wires on the "30" terminal, green wires on the "15", black wire on the "50" terminal, and the grey wire on "P".  With the ignition off, pulled the turn signal stalk down and the left turn signals came on, moved the stalk up and the right side turn signals came on.  I may wait until the used ignition switch arrives and compare the key position detents between the 2 switches and see which one is better before buttoning the dash up.
     
    Wiper Motor
    Back to the wiper motor now that the turn signals are sorted.  I pulled the wiper switch out of the dash to test the continuity in the various positions.  Pin "53a" the blue/green wire is always hot with the ignition on, it provides power to the green wire on the motor.  When the wiper switch is pulled out to the first (slow) position, there is continuity from "53a"to pins "53" (black wire) and "53b" (yellow wire).  When the wiper switch is pulled out to the second (fast) position, there is continuity from "53a"to pin "53" (black wire) and NOT to"53b" (yellow wire).  This didn't make a lot of sense assuming the yellow wire was the slow circuit, so I assumed the switch was bad and only pin "53b" should have power in the first (slow) position, so I bought another switch I found on eBay.  I also begged @AceAndrew to sell me one of his spare wiper motors just in case mine was bad, and he came through as always.
     
    While I waited for the new/old parts, I tested a couple of old wiper motors I had that I assumed were bad because the yellow wire (slow circuit), would not spin the motor when power was applied, but would when the black wire (fast circuit) was powered.  When just the green wire was powered, the motor would spin, but you could hear the motor try to park as it spun past the break in round parking mechanism.  Duplicating the conditions of the switch, I powered all three wires (green, black and yellow) and found that the motor would spin slowly.  I pulled the yellow wire and the motor spun faster.  I powered all three wires again and then pulled the black and yellow together, simulating the switch being pushed in to off, and low and behold, the motor spun a second and parked.
     
    So why was my wiper motor running when I turned on the ignition?  Well, it was turning because it wasn't in a "parked" position when the green wire got power, and the momentum of the motor kept taking it past the break in the round parking mechanism.  It also had a break in the hair-thin yellow wire that connects inside the windings of the motor, but I didn't discover this until I installed the new motor.  With the new motor installed, I turned on the ignition, pulled the wiper switch to the first position and the motor began to spin slowly. Pulled the switch out to the second position, the motor spun faster.  Back to the first position, the motor spun slower and switch pushed all the way in, parked and stopped.  All good?  Not so fast...
     
    Windshield Washer Pump & Delay Relay
    On the early cars, the turn signal switch stalk operates the windshield wipers and the windshield washer pump by pulling it towards the driver.  This action grounds the Delay relay which triggers the windshield wiper motor to activate for 10 seconds, and also grounds the windshield washer pump so it squirts fluid on the windshield.  Pulling the turn signal switch stalk towards the driver did nothing on my car.
     
    So I started testing the system components starting with the Delay relay.  My car was missing this relay when I bought it, but I managed to source a used one, but never tested it.  I checked continuity to pin "31b" from the ground wire on the turn signal switch and it was good.  I built a quick bench test with a relay connector, a light bulb and my 12V power supply to test the function of the delay relay and it was working great.  I also bought a delay relay replacement for the courtesy light in a Dodge that also works well (stays on a little longer than the BMW unit.  Hit me up if you have the same issue and I'll get you more information.
     
    https://youtu.be/nHdE3jCRns4
     
    With the Delay relay sorted, it was time to look at the pump motor.  My VDO washer reservoir was not typical.  Instead of having a hose connection and nubs on the bottom to hold the pump platform, my pump motor screwed directly into a hole in the bottom of the reservoir.  The motor was toast, with power through it, it would not spin.  How was I going to find a replacement, it obviously wasn't a BMW part.  Technology to the rescue!  I downloaded the Google Lens app to my iPhone, took a picture of it and up came pictures of the exact motor.  Turns out it fits many Ford and Dodge models from the 70's, so I ordered a replacement for a 1970 Thunderbird from eBay.  When it arrived, I screwed it into bottom of my VDO reservoir and hooked it up to the Delay relay.  When I went to test it, I would pull the turn signal stalk and after a second delay the wiper motor would engage, run for 8 - 10 seconds and stop, but I couldn't understand why the washer pump motor wouldn't run for the 8 - 10 seconds.  Typical operator error, I finally realized that you must pull and hold the turn signal stalk to run the washer pump motor until enough water was on the windshield and then when you released it, the delay relay would let the wiper motor run for an additional 8 - 10 seconds.  DUH!
     
    Miscellaneous
    While I was waiting for parts, I did manage to install my oil catch can.  On the S14, the OEM Oil Separator sits on top of the bolts for the driver's side motor mount.  I removed the Oil Separator, but still needed a solution for the valve cover vent.  I took the stock hose that runs from the valve cover down to the oil separator and cut it in half.  I plugged the cut end with a 10 A/N barbed fitting and then made a custom 10 A/N hose to run between the 10 A/N barbed fitting to the 10 A/N fitting on the oil catch can.  Turn out nice and matches the oil cooler.
     
    On to the Fuel Pump and ECU Testing and Setup.
     
    Mark92131
     









  4. Mark92131

    MVP Rear Bumper Installation

    By Mark92131,


    MVP Rear Bumper Install
    So originally, the car came to me without bumpers.  But I wasn't worried because years before, I traded a spare LSD for a complete set of newly re-chromed bumpers for a pre-74 car.  These bumper pieces came to me in a custom-made wooden crate and although I had seen pictures, I didn't actually take them down from the rafters and out of the crate until just recently.  So after un-crating them, I realized that it was a mixed set of beautiful chrome bumpers, the front bumper was from an early car (no rubber strip holes on the end pieces) and the rear was from a later car (long end pieces and rubber strip holes on all three pieces with matching bumper horns).
     
    Well the rear bumper wasn't going to work from my 1600, I wanted the short ends with no rubber strips.  So now what?  Here's what I did.  I ordered the rubber strip and clips and rubber pads for the rear bumper horns from Wallothnesch so I would have a complete rear bumper.  I sold that complete rear bumper on the FAQ and ordered a custom bumper from MVP.  MVP only made the early bumpers with the euro license plate lights in the center section.  I got them to make me a set without the license plate light holes, (new product now available).  Unfortunately, they were backlogged from Covid and these would not be available until March 2022.  So I went ahead and ordered my set in early January.  So now I needed the correct rear Bumper horns.  Fortunately, a gentleman @Sgtskid was selling/parting 2 1600's and I was able to purchase a set of correct rear bumper horns from him.  While I was waiting for the MVP bumper to arrive, I sent the bumper horns to Chrome Plating USA for refurbishment and ordered all the necessary mounting hardware from Wallothnesch.
     
    After a few weeks of delay, I finally received my new bumper from Taiwan and was very pleased with the quality of this part.  I did have some issues with the assembly that should help others with this task.  First, I forgot to order new rubber for the rear bumper horns, which delayed my assembly while I waited for these from Germany.  Second, the Wallothnesch nuts and bolts kit had the wrong length carriage bolts for the bumper horns, so I found some stainless steel ones on Amazon (US Bumper Horns need M8 x 70mm).  Also, I ordered Part # 51125470060 from Wallothnesch.  If you are using MVP bumpers, you don't need to use 51125470065, MVP welds these pieces to the center section of their bumpers.  I suppose you could use 51125470065 on top of the welded piece, but you would need even longer bumper horn carriage bolts and the bumper would sit an additional 1.5" from the body.  I had 2 sets of 51125470060 brackets, one black and one silver zinc.  I went with the zinc set because the M8 hex bolt was easier to thread than the set with black overspray, more on that later.
     
    Now that everything was here, I decided to bench assemble the entire bumper and then mount it to the car with the four M8 hex bolts that hold it from inside the trunk.  The space between the inner two mounting holes on the body is 32.75 inches center to center.  When I assembled the bumper for the first time, with the end pieces snug against the edge of the recess on the center piece, the inner holes on the 51125470060 were only 32" center to center.  What I had to do was loosen the carriage bolts holding the end pieces and pull them outward until the bumper horn carriage bolt was positioned on the far outside of welded in 51125470065 piece.  This leaves a gap between the center piece and the end pieces that is barely covered by the bumper horn.  I was able to stretch the distance between the mounting brackets to the required 32.75" using this method, but this would not be required if MVP welded their 51125470060 part farther out on the center piece to provide 32.75" between the inner mounting holes on the bracket with the end pieces tight against the center piece.  This would allow the bumper horns to sit correctly on the end piece and the center piece.
     
    With help of my son, we slid the bumper on to the end piece carriage bolts and rubber spacers on both sides and secured the bumper with the four M8 hex bolts inside the trunk.  We did have some issues securing the last outside bolt on the driver's side.  It turns out that one side of the bracket that holds the captive nut was not tacked down and bent out allowing the nut to spin inside the cage.  I was able to bend it back enough to get the nut to stop spinning until the M8 hex bolt caught the threads.   Polished it up with a soft cloth and admired our efforts.
     
    Thanks,
     
    Mark
     
     
     
     
     
     



  5. Mark92131

    Odds and Ends, The Never Ending List

    By Mark92131,


    Odds and Ends
    So I haven't posted in a while because after the Euphoria of installing the motor came the depression of all the tasks that lie ahead.  I still haven't installed the driveshaft, mainly because it takes two people and my brother has been busy with his Triumph GT-6 build.  Other sources of depression were self inflicted, as I was staring up at the transmission and thought, may as well hook the clutch line to the clutch master and promptly cross threaded it.  Just more things to fix!
     
    Ford EDIS-4 Wiring
    Now that the motor was in place, it was time to finish wiring it up.  I made three Deutsch connector harnesses so I could quickly drop the engine without removing connections to 4 bus-bars on the firewall.  1 connector handled injector power and triggering, 1 connector handled power and signal and grounds for the TPS, PWM ICV and MAP, the 3rd picked up all the remaining sensors, (IAT, CLT, sensors for 3 aux gauges and instrument panel gauges, oil, water temp).  I ran the VR Sensor output separate from the engine harnesses because of the shielding requirement.  With careful planning upfront, every wire had a home, so this task only took about a day to complete.  Of course, I'll get around to testing it later.
     
    Coolant Water Pipe Shortening
    Once the engine was in, it was pretty apparent that the coolant pipe above the exhaust header was too long to support a hose connection to the radiator.  All the cool boys and girls chop out a 40mm section of this pipe to correct this issue.  I could cut the pipe no problem, but my TIG skills are non-existent, so I found a welder in the area and paid too much to have this done.  Cleaned up the rewelded pipe, primer and paint in Hammered black and it was better than new.  There are 4, 22mm x 2mm o-rings that need to be replaced before installation, 5 days later they arrived and I installed the shortened pipe.
     
    Thermostat Installation
    Now that the coolant pipe was in place, the thermostat can be installed.  I have a box of spare hoses and cobbled together the pieces I needed to make the three connections, (coolant pipe to top of thermostat, thermostat to water pump, bottom of thermostat to bottom fitting on radiator).  Some trimming with an Exacto knife and we were in business.  My box of assorted hose clamps finished the job nicely.
     
    Spark Plugs
    When I order the 22mm x 2mm O-rings for the coolant pipe, I ordered 2 sets of spark plugs (Bosch and NGK) for the S-14.  I also ordered the Hazet spark plug socket at the same time from Amazon, (wow, very expensive part).  I pulled the original plugs, (Bosch), looks like the motor was running rich and replaced them with the new Bosch set.  I didn't want to change out the 8mm Mallory spark plug wires or cut them and install new distributor boots, so I ditched the spark plug loom and installed them on the EDIS-4 Coil pack on the firewall.  This should work for initial startup and I'll look into something more elegant later.
     
    Remaining Tasks
    I still need to figure out how I am going to marry the passenger side heater core hose to the bigger connection on the back of the head.  To make matters worse, the connection on the back of the head is just below the Deutsch connector for all the wiring to the ECU.  I'm still trying to figure this one out.  The driver's side connection is straight forward for the heater core.  I ran a new booster hose from the intake to the brake booster and installed the one-way valve.  Both the fuel lines are connected.  Next week I'll be fabricating a throttle cable linkage so I can test and calibrate the TPS.  As soon as I finish these tasks, I'll install the steering wheel, driveshaft and prep the car for initial start.
     
    Thanks for checking in,
     
     
    Mark92131
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     









  6. Mark92131

    Major Milestone - The Motor is In!

    By Mark92131,


    Major Milestone - The Motor is In!
    So last blog post tracked the issues relating to the first test fit in the 1600 and a whole bunch of stuff that needed sorting after that test fit.  As you may remember, the lips on the inside of the frame rail was preventing the S14 header and the steering box from clearing and lifting straight into the engine bay.  So while I was waiting for the injectors to arrive from the UK, I decided to use my angle grinder to notch the inside lips of the frame rail.  When you do this procedure, it requires you to weld the top of the frame rail back to the inside of the frame rail to insure a solid structural connection to the front subframe.  I borrowed my brother and his welding equipment to complete this task.  Not pretty, but structurally sound.
     
    The injectors from UK finally arrived and I went to work on removing the old injectors from a motor that has sat for quite a while.  They did come out with some effort, but left some residue in the injector ports that I cleaned up with some Q-tips and acetone.  I bought a new 3 Bar fuel regulator to replace the original one and cleaned and painted the fuel rail.  Re-installing the new injectors was simple and straight forward with a little silicone grease on the o-rings to help slide them in place.  
     
    Now the fun part, lets install the subframe for good.  My brother came over for support.  We installed some guide pins in the back bolt holes on the body, (bolts with the heads cut off and slotted for a screw driver), raised the body up, slid the motor and trans under the car, jacked up the motor and trans on the modified motor cycle jack until it was high enough to work under, and lowered the body down.  The whole assembly passed straight between the notched frame rails and up into the engine compartment as we carefully guided the strut bearings into their holes.  We locked down the strut bearings and continued lowering the body until the guide pins hit their holes in the subframe.   We pulled the guide pins, replaced with bolts and washers and torqued the subframe bolts to 52 ft/lbs.
     
    The transmission mount turned out to be an issue.  The 1600 had been modified by the PO for a Getrag 245, with the original transmission mounts cut out and moved back.  The cross member I was using for the Getrag 245 turned out to be for a 320i and was too short to span the transmission mounts.  I sent my brother home with the dimensions and he with fabricate a new cross member to fix this issue.
     
    Some other issues appeared during the motor install that will require so creative thinking.  First is how the transmission sits in the tunnel.  When you press the transmission up into the tunnel, should it be centered, or does it naturally sit to one side?  Even with the transmission pressed all the way up into the tunnel, there appears to be a clearance issue with the passenger side idler arm and the S14 header.  I also noticed that I have a clearance issue with where I placed the EDIS module on the firewall, it interferes with the vent hose connector on the valve cover, I'm going to need to put it somewhere else.  Lots of work remains to finish the wiring, but with the subframe in I can finally take it off the lift and roll it around.
     
    Thanks for checking in!
     
    Mark92131











  7. Mark92131

    Solving Problems With More Cash

    By Mark92131,


    Radiator and Injectors
    So, after sorting out the S14 flywheel, clutch, pressure plate clearance issue with the Getrag 245 transmission debacle, I decided that it would be wise to test fit the motor/trans and subframe installation and see if any adjustments would be needed.  Well, turns out adjustments are needed.  First off, while lifting the subframe, motor and trans on the motor jack while subsequently lowering the car it turns out that S14 header and the steering box hang-up on the inside lip of the frame rails on both sides.  Now I could have suspended the motor from the top with the engine hoist and tilted the whole assembly to clear the frame rail lip, but it might be easier to just trim the lip on both sides to clear these components.  So that is my plan going forward.
     
    I reached out to @jimk with some questions on how he was running his coolant lines without the stock reservoir and he provided the answers I needed to make the conversion.  Basically, you need to remove the pipe that primes the water pump from the reservoir and replace the hose from the thermostat to the water pump with a straight hose (like the 2002).  The 8mm hose that runs from the back of the head to the reservoir needs to be rerouted by removing the pipe that runs to the back of the head and adding a hose from the fitting at the front of the head to the radiator.  He also provided his schematics for the custom radiator he designed and built to provide the fittings needed for this change.  I sent an inquiry to C&R Racing to build the same radiator for my installation but $1,249 was beyond my budget.  My original plan was to run a BMW 320i radiator for cooling, but with plastic tanks and no way to run the 8mm line to the radiator, this was going to be a problem.
     
    On a whim, I sent a message to an E-Bay manufacturer in China (winner_racing_radiator) that builds aluminum radiators for the BMW 2002.  Their stock BMW 2002 dimensions are way off and in some cases too thick for the S14 conversion.  I asked if they could do a custom radiator and they said yes, they could build me a custom radiator and ship it to my door (DHL) for $350.  OK, lets take a chance!  So I started measuring the radiator support opening, original mounting holes, top of the radiator support, thickness target, and connections and bungs required to build a custom radiator and produced a drawing for them to use.  The only thing we changed during production was the fitting for the head drain (moved to the filler neck) and the height of the top tank (reduced to 60mm) so we could use a larger core.
     
    The BMW 320i radiator originally had an electric fan attached directly to the radiator using a zip tie kit.  While waiting for the new radiator to arrive, I fabricated a more elegant solution for mounting the fan using a couple of strips of 3/4" aluminum stock.  The radiator arrived today and I did some test fitting.  Everything lines up exactly as expected.  I elected to not have the manufacturer drill the mounting holes so I could finalize placement, but it seems to fit perfectly.  I'll report back when this engine has fired for feedback on any cooling issues I experience.
     
    When I was removing the 8mm pipe to the back of the head, I noticed that it looked like the stock injectors were installed.  A little creative camera work confirmed this fact.  I did some research on the specs for the stock and injectors and their use with aftermarket ECU's.  Turns out that MicroSquirt has 2 injector drivers, each capable of driving 1 Low Impedance injector or 4 High Impedance injectors.  The stock injectors are Low Impedance, so they need to be replaced with High Impedance replacements with similar flow characteristics.  I went through the Bosch catalog and came up with multiple high impedance injectors that flowed near 240CC/MIN.  Lots of these were super expensive or out of stock.  I eventually ended up with new 0 280 150 728 Blue Tops that I ordered from AutoFirma in the UK at just over $27 each.
     
    Here's the specs...
     
    PART NUMBER: 0280150728 BLUE TOP.
     
    INJECTOR BODY: METAL & COMPOSITE PLASTIC WITH FACTORY FITTED UPPER AND LOWER O-RING SEALS.
    DESIGN: BOSCH EV1
    STATIC FLOW RATE: 24LB/HR @ 43.5PSI OR 248CC/MIN @ 3.0 BAR
    ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR: EV1 2 PIN.
    LENGTH: 3 inches, 74 mm
    DIAMETER: 24 mm
    O RINGS: Top and bottom, 14.5 mm
    RESISTANCE: 14.5 Ohms/HIGH IMPEDANCE
    FILTER DESIGN: BASKET FILTER AT INLET
     
    Lot's of work remaining, but making progress.
     
    Thanks for checking in.
     
    Mark92131















  8. Mark92131

    Scope Creep

    By Mark92131,


    Scope Creep
    The longer I take to finish this project, the greater the opportunity for scope creep.  While perusing the FAQ Classifieds, I saw a post from @Ian that he was selling his BluntTech Ultimate 5-Speed conversion kit.  Well, I already had purchased an IE 5-Speed conversion kit for my Getrag 245 OD Box, so obviously, I don't need that part, but the nagging voice in my head kept telling me, "The BluntTech kit was better".  When Ian adjusted his price, I jumped at the chance to get the "better" of the two choices.
     
    I never liked the IE's approach to securing the back of the shift platform, (drilling a hole in the tunnel and using a bracket and rubber bushing to support the shift platform).  Although, the 320i uses this same approach, I didn't want to drill yet another hole and felt the support rod is  better approach.  So I bought the BluntTech kit from Ian and sold my IE kit on the FAQ.
     
    The BluntTech kit arrived in the mail yesterday and today I decided to install it.  I was very impressed with the quality, however, there were a few things I need to adjust to get it installed on my Getrag 245.  First off, the Allen bolts that secure the mounting blocks to the transmission as massive and I needed to deburr the holes in the mounting blocks with a rat tail file to get them to slide in place.  After some thread locker, I installed them without issue.  The shift cup bushing has two tabs that are suppose to snap into 2 slots on the shift platform.  Even with the shift cup bushing fully seated, it was hard to tell if these tabs were fully engaged.  I think the shape of the 2 slots could be modified to get these tabs to snap into place when the cup is fully seated.  The Double Sear Selecting Rod DSSR tolerances are very tight when using the Z3/Z4 shifter.  One side of the DSSR seems slightly wider and I used the wider side to attach to the shifter and the smaller side on the shift rod joint.  With a little wrangling it all came together.  Seems to shift into all 5 gears and reverse on the bench.
     
    I am confident that there is more scope creep in my future as I inch closer to completion on this build.
     
    Thanks,
     
    Mark92131




  9. Mark92131

    Moving Slowly to Front Subframe Install

    By Mark92131,


    Front Subframe Installation Prep
    I haven't posted in a while, but I've made some progress towards getting the engine mounted in the subframe and the subframe reattached to the car.  First off, the flywheel debacle is finally complete.  My 2 week flywheel lightening project at IE took over a month to return, (my fault for expecting a quick turnaround during the Thanksgiving break).  Then there was the issue of the 22mm vs 28mm ARP flywheel bolts, ordering the wrong size (needed 28mm version) set me back $75 and 2 weeks.  But with all the parts arriving last week, I installed the flywheel, torqued it to ARP spec (105 ft/lbs) and installed a new Sachs pressure plate and clutch disk.
     
    So now that the motor is getting closer to being buttoned up, it was time to figure out how to get it installed.  The body is up on the MaxJax so my plan was to install it from the bottom, but how to raise it up?  Well, I could of raised the body up, pushed and dragged my new shinny subframe with motor into position, drop the car body down, and then use the engine picker to pull it up into position, but that would be too easy.  Why not build something elegant to do this job because I have so much time waiting for my flywheel to come back from IE.  So I bought a used motorcycle jack on Craigslist for $50 and modified it.  Basically, I was worried that the motor and tranny would be unstable on the motorcycle jack, so I dragged the jack and subframe over to my brother Brian's house and we built a removeable fixture that attaches to the motorcycle jack and picks up the front torsion rods on the subframe to help steady it during installation.
     
    For Christmas, I asked my wife Deborah for a set of Velocity Stacks for the S14 Motor and gave her explicit instructions and the link for ordering exactly what I wanted, (Grey, 75mm Velocity Stacks for 45mm, Mikuni, Solex, OER, Weberset of 4) from Thechnotoytuning.com.  Bless her heart, she didn't use the pulldown menu and ordered the first option, (Grey, 75mm Velocity Stacks for 40mm, Mikuni, Solex, OER, Weberset of 4).  So I had to send them back and have them ship me the 45mm version.  During the wait, I took the S14 to Weber adapter plates I bought from Lee at Massive Brakes and drilled and tapped them for 6mm studs.  I mocked up everything and temporarily installed it, looks sick, very "Son of Cobra".  I still need to drill and tap the #4 Velocity Stack for my 1/8 NPT IAT Sensor so MicroSquirt will have something to work with.
     
    Finally, I decided that before I install the motor and while I have gobs of space in the engine bay, I should completely finish the engine wiring harness.  I finished the mating Deutsch connector on the engine side and grouped the wires in 3 bundles, (1-8, 9-16, 17-22).  These bundles will be wired to 3 terminal blocks (8, 8, and 6 respectively) on the firewall.  All of the direct connections from the engine to MicroSquirt will run through these terminal blocks.  When I am done with this task, the motor is going it!
     
    Thanks,
     
    Mark92131











  10. Mark92131

    Slow Progress is still Progress

    By Mark92131,


    Trunk Gasket Install and ECU Power-up
    I try to do something every week to get it closer to installing the front subframe with motor and transmission.  This week I continued to edge towards the S14 engine installation by figuring out what I was missing to complete that task.  One of the hurdles would be ignition and running EDIS-4 wasted spark, what to do with the S14 Distributor.  Now had I planned better when I bought this motor, I would have purchased on of Lee's S14 Massive Distributor block-off plates, but of course I didn't, and now they are NLA.  So there's that issue. 
     
    Progress for the Week
    I needed/wanted to run a 1 BAR MAP sensor with my ITB's, so I cobbled together the correct vacuum hoses to get a 4 to 1 connection to the MAP sensor, (later I found a more elegant solution which I probably order down the road).  I mounted the MAP Sensor on the firewall and plumbed the ITB's with my temporary fix.
     
    The S14 uses a Bosch 3 Wire PWM Idle Control Valve to regulate the amount of air entering the motor at cold and warm idle.  MicroSquirt can control the PWM ICV, but it requires a monster 50W, 40 Ohm resistor on one of the ground wires to control it properly.  I ordered a couple from Amazon and will install it when it arrives.  I also ordered the proper EV-1, 3 wire pigtail for the connector that sits between the 2nd and 3th throttle bodies.
     
    Turns out, I'm not going to have a ton of wires to pass between the ECU and the engine compartment.  So I ordered a Duetsch HDP20, 29 pin Bulkhead connector to keep things clean and tidy.  The HDP20 comes with an assortment of 12/16/20 AWG pins to address the wire gauge differences on the ECU and the various sensors.
     
    While I was sorting out the wiring harness on the ECU, I decided it would probably be a good idea to power it up and determine if it would talk to my ASUS laptop running TunerStudio.  So I hooked up the power and ground leads to my battery, fired up the laptop and started TunerStudio.  I created a new project and Eureka!, TunerStudio recognized my ECU and brought up the control panel.  OK, now things are getting real.  While I was counting the number of ECU wiring connections that stay inside the car, I noticed I might someday need a bootloader switch to load new software for the MicroSquirt ECU.  So I wired a 2-pole momentary button Switch and installed it inside the glove compartment, so I could ground the bootloader switch on power-up and get it in diagnostic mode.
     
    Because EFI, I needed to run new fuel lines (feed and return)  I ordered some 5/16 Copper/Nickel Fuel Line and ran it from the trunk through the cabin and into the engine compartment.  I'll run the return line under the car when I get it back on the lift.  The Copper/Nickel Fuel line is great, super easy to bend, form or straighten without tools, just by hand.  I used my brake flaring tool to put 1/2 a bubble flare on the end to give the EFI fuel line more security.
     
    My daughter is home from Boston College for the Summer, so I pulled her out of her room to help me install the OEM trunk gasket that I bought months earlier.  We tag teamed the installation in sections; I painted the 3M Weather Strip adhesive on the trunk and she painted it on the bottom of the gasket.  I installed it on the car and she secured it with 4" clothes pins I bought on Amazon.  I cleaned up each section with paint thinner and we moved on to the next.  Turned out nice!
     
    Next up, I managed to assemble the short center console I purchased from @FunElan years(?) ago and test fit in the car.  Stay tuned for more progress as I fill it up with gauges and a radio as I march on to getting the drivetrain installed.
     
    Mark92131
     
     
     
     







  11. Mark92131

    Oil Pan Progress

    By Mark92131,


    Oil Pan Progress
    So while I was waiting for IE's machine shop to finish weight reducing my S14 flywheel, I decided to button up the oil pan.  As you may remember, I thought the oil pump chain was a little stretched, so I bought 3 of the .25mm shims from IE and ended up only using 1 of them along with the two, .1 mm shims already installed.  The new shim did the trick and I was ready to install the baffled oil pan and crank scrapper.
     
    I had already gotten my brother to weld in the IE Baffle and after shimming the oil pump I did a quick test fit.  WHAT THE F*$%?  The front of the pan was hitting the oil pump and preventing it seating correctly.  Apparently, if you weld it in the pan using the bends as shipped from IE, it doesn't sit low enough to clear the oil pump.  I ended up cutting/chiseling the spot welds, bending it so the baffle edge at the front of the pan was touching the bottom of the oil pan and had my brother spot weld it there.  Of course the new spot welds wrecked my paint job and the pan required some deep cleaning to remove every speck of metal, but I finally did get it sorted and ready of installation.
     
    So the recommended installation of the crank scrapper was slather it with RTV and sandwich it between two gaskets before bolting on the oil pan.  But after doing a little on-line research, I found a video of the installation of a crank scrapper on a small block Chevy and decided to try it on the S14.  Instead of two gaskets, they only used one, but basically glued the crank scrapper to the block with RTV Gasket Maker and then using the oil pan bolts to secure it to the block as it setup and dried.  The next day glued the oil pan gasket with RTV, waited 30 minutes for it to set and did a light coat of RTV on the gasket surface and bolted it to the block/crank scrapper and torqued the bolts to spec.
     
    Now if only the flywheel would come back from the machine shop, I could get that transmission and motor in the subframe and eventually back in the car.
     
    Mark92131
    IMG_3447.MOV IMG_3521.MOV




  12. Mark92131

    Finishing the Gas Tank Install and a New Project

    By Mark92131,


    Finishing the Gas Tank Install and a New Project
    So while I wait for my S14 flywheel to return from the machinist, (I dropped it off at the IE booth during the SoCal Vintage).  I figured I would finish off the trunk by completing the installation of the gas tank.  All that was remaining was to simply install the rubber fill pipe and figure out how I was going to vent it.  Well, things are never simple with this car.
     
    First off, the rubber fill pipe is the longer one for the early car and the original one I removed from the car was in great shape, but unfortunately, hard as a rock.  I did want to shell out $80 for a new one because I was afraid the new ones were equally hard as rocks from sitting on a shelf all these years.  So I did some research on refreshing rubber parts and went down the wintergreen path.  Maybe I didn't use the correct wintergreen to water ratio, but after 45 minutes of cooking the rubber fill pipe on my barbeque there was some softening, but not enough to install the part on the flange and the mouth of the gas tank.  Disgusted, I left the rubber fill pipe in the wintergreen solution for a week while I worked on other projects, (more on that later).  I finally decided that this task needed to be completed eventually, so I pulled the rubber fill pipe out of the wintergreen solution and rubbed it down with brake fluid, (also suppose to soften rubber), put it in a plastic bag and left it in the sun for an hour.  When I pulled it out, it was marginally better, but not really pliable.  I finally got it installed by installing the gas tank side first, then heating the lip of the fill pipe with a heat gun until it was pliable enough to slip over the flange.  Installed the two clamps and this chore was done.
     
    So, originally I was going to just run a line from the rubber fill pipe to the floor of the trunk and out to the atmosphere, but I decided not to drill another hole in the trunk.  This 1970 1600 came equipped with a vapor canister and carbon filter.  I decided to vent the tank fumes to the original vapor canister under the hat tray in the trunk, but instead of running the blue plastic line up to the engine compartment, I would run it through an existing hole under the back seat and out to the atmosphere.  This way, it could be easily retrofitted to the original stock configuration if I decided to go back to stock, (yeah right).
     
    Other Projects
    So, I have a 18 year old son, Dylan,  that has been saving his nickels and dimes for his own project.  While I was dropping off my flywheel at the SoCal Vintage, he spotted a 1991 BMW 318IS for sale at the show.  I must admit, it was very well presented, enthusiast owned and tastefully modified with all appropriate upgrades.  The owner, Paul M.  was super nice, answered all our questions and we eventually shook hands on a price everyone was happy about.  The next weekend, Dylan and I had a campus tour scheduled at LMU and after the tour was over, we drove to Studio City and picked up the car.  Now I have another project to work on, but this one comes with a dedicated helper.
     
    Thanks for reading.
     
    Mark92131








  13. Mark92131

    Brake Lines, Fuel Lines, Gas Tank, Oh My!

    By Mark92131,


    Fuel Lines, Brake Lines, Gas Tank
    Work continues on the 1600 S14 Motor Swap.  I switched positions in the garage with my M2 Competition and put it up on the MaxJax in anticipation of finally installing the motor, trans and front subframe.  Several tasks needed to be completed before getting to the motor installation, notably the brake and fuel return line.  I had already run the fuel feed line (5/16 copper nickel) through the cabin in the same routing as the plastic line.  I used what was left of the 25' coil to run the return line back to the tank.  Instead of running it down the driver's side on the outer edge of the floor pan, I decided to route it inside the transmission tunnel using some of the tabs for the rear brake line.  I was always worried that side impact at the driver's door could rupture that hard line, so running it through the transmission tunnel seemed safer.  The 1970 BMW 1600 doesn't have a return line to the gas tank, so I needed to drill a hole to route the 5/16 fuel line into the trunk at the gas tank.  I terminated the hard line near the driver's side rear wheel.  There was a hole in the structure that supports the rear differential which I used to install a 6mm Rivnut.  I used this to secure the hard line to the body using an insulated clamp.  I ran the 5/16 rubber line in the gap between the rear differential supports and the muffler support and into the trunk through the hole and grommet I installed.
     
    GAS TANK INSTALL
    I purchased a new MVP Short Neck Tank from Ireland Engineering after discovering my original tank was full of pin holes.  Now that the return line was in, I decided to install it.  To seal the gap between the tank and the body, I used some XFasten Butyl Sealing Tape (3/4 inch wide) I bought from Amazon.  Before installing it, I stuck it in the fridge overnight so it would be easier to work with.  I tried doing this by myself, but it was hard to stick the tape to the edge of the opening and get it to stick while unrolling the tape, so I enlisted my son to help.  We managed to get it stuck evenly around the opening and installed the tank, securing it with 6mm bolts and small fender washers.  I ran new rubber hoses to the E30 325IS fuel pump for the feed and return lines, wired the power and ground for the pump motor and hooked up the ground and feed for the fuel level sender.  The tank fit perfect and looks OEM expect for the "MVP" pressed into the top sheet metal.  I was going to scuff up the bottom and spray it with bedliner, but it looked so pretty I left it alone.
     
    BRAKE LINES
    When I rebuilt the rear subframe and front struts earlier, I used the original hardlines after cleaning them up and treating them to some clear enamel to keep the rust at bay.  All the lines out of the master cylinder were pretty badly mangled and oxidized, so I bought a set of unbent lines from Wallothnesch.  They are steel and painted black with the 2 lines to the front passenger side caliper and the rear line bent in half to fit the packaging.  So how do I straighten these lines before attempting to bend them in the shape I need to install them?  So I took a piece of scrap 4 x 4 and used a small rat tail file about the same diameter as the brake line and made a straight groove in the end of the 4 x 4 until the top of the brake line was even with the end of the 4 x 4.  I slowly stretched out the bend by hand, put the bent line in the groove and used a rubber mallet to slowly beat it down in the groove straighten it out.  When I was done, all 3 lines were pretty straight (the connectors would slide from end to end).  
     
    Bending them to shape was pretty hard and time consuming.  I used a cheap tube bender I found on Amazon to make the 90 degree bends which worked pretty well after I figured out which line on the bender put the outside of the bend at the right distance.  I ran the rear line first to the splitter and then made the lines to the 2 rear hoses connected to the lines on the rear subframe.  Then I did the 2 driver's side front master cylinder lines to the hoses for the caliper and finally the 2 longer passenger side lines from the master cylinder, across the firewall and to the hoses for the caliper.  I installed new rubber grommets for the holes in the inside fender well for these lines and will hook them up when install the front subframe.
     
    WHAT IS NEXT?
    It is time to get the S14 off the stand and mount the Getrag 245 5 speed transmission.  Before I do that, I need to replace the oil pan (oil separator delete) and secure the 2002 oil pickup.  I started prepping the new oil pan, but need to install the windage tray, crank scrapper, and confirm everything clears before putting it in the subframe.  Stay tuned!
     
    Mark92131
     


















  14. Mark92131

    A Couple Of Steps Forward

    By Mark92131,


    S14 Prep and Dash Wiring
    Between Kid's Soccer games and an Epidural in my spine I made some progress the last two weeks.  My back feels so much better, I tackled the under-dash wiring and started prepping the S14 for installation.
     
    S14 Work
    I started out by flipping the spark plug wiring harness so the terminals face the EDIS coil on the firewall instead of the the OEM distributor.  Next I pulled the distributor cap to verify I was still at TDC with spark plug #1 and my 36-1 crank wheel VR pickup was indeed 9 teeth if front of the missing tooth, SANITY CHECK.  Next, I test fit the motor mount brackets on the S14 block, Mission Control we have a problem.  The Oil Separator and the driver's side motor mount are trying to share the same space.  I could rig something with a spacer and mount the oil separator vertically instead of horizontally, but plumbing it might be challenging.  I never liked my solution for running the oil discharge back to the pan, so I may ditch the oil separator and run a catch can instead.  I just need to source one with the appropriate fittings.
     
    Now, this leaves me with the problem of hole in my oil pan.  Not to worry.  I needed to pull the pan anyway because I forgot to secure the oil pump pickup with the brace that fits on the middle crankshaft cap.  I ordered all the oil pump brace pieces from IE and decided it is probably a good idea to weld in a oil pan baffle and add a windage tray to the order.  I'll work on putting those pieces in place next week.
     
    I pulled off the airbox to the ITBs to get a better look at what mods would be needed to run it with a stock brake booster and how to cap it for the missing Oil Separator and noticed some things that were hidden from view that I didn't realize were there or where they are suppose to connect to.  One was a metal tube/line at the driver's side back of the head that runs under the fuel rail and goes into the head at the front of the motor (What does this connect to?).  The other was a rubber hose that connects into the hose connection out of the Idle Control Valve (ICV) that I think may be emissions related.  I think I may be OK just capping this one.  Speaking of the ICV, I noticed that the Son of Cobra car switched from that beautiful carbon fiber airbox to individual carbon fiber intake velocity stacks (air horns).  I was thinking that maybe an option for me instead of hacking up my OEM air box to clear the brake booster.  I could still run the ICV, but instead of plumbing it to the air box, I could just add a valve cover breather filter (or does this connection require some vacuum?).  The only thing I also need to solve it the Intake Air Temperature (IAT) Sensor.  If I go with individual air horns, I could always drill a hole in one and use a rubber grommet to mount the IAT sensor. otherwise if I stick with the OEM air box, it will probably be mounted in the elbow for the air filter.
     
    I also added the 10AN fittings to the oil filter housing for the oil cooler and bought an adapter to convert the oil pressure sensor to 1/8" NPT for the oil pressure gauge sender.  Unfortunately when I test fit the sender, it is going to interfere with the oil cooler fitting, so there's that issue to deal with.  I may end up using a 1/8" NPT male to 1/8" NPT Female 45 degree adapter to move the sender to the right and up.
     
    Gas Tank
    Some of you may have seen my request for an early gas tank in the Parts Wanted section.  My original tank, although pristine on the outside was plagued with rust and pin holes in the inside.  I ended up ordering a new MVP tank from IE.  Of course it arrived with a ding in the lip from shipping.  I e-mailed Kevin at IE, crickets!  No refund on the over-charged shipping.  It looks like tank lip repair and some painting are in my future.
     
    Dash Wiring
    Getting closer to finishing the wiring from inside the car to the engine bay.  The only loose wiring left dangling belongs in the center console.  I made all of the pin connections for the Deutsch connector and staked them into their proper holes.  I added a few extra wires to run the oil pressure and water temperature gauges.  I was going to install this connector through the firewall, but found out the retaining nut doesn't screw down completely and won't hold the connector tight in the firewall.  Apparently there are gaskets and a washer required to tighten this retaining nut properly.
     
    While I was on my back under the dash tucking wires, I decided to install the glove box.  I used the best one I had, needed to move the Boot Loader switch to get it installed, made a few adjustments and turned out great.  I also decided to install my instrument cluster.  While attempting this I managed to pop off the retaining ring that hold the glass for the tach.  Out it came and I decided to fresh it up some more before reinstalling.  I had a re-chromed ring for the Speedometer that was left over from my Cab cluster so I used that.  I repainted the outside rings and repainted the cluster housing, re-assembled everything and went to install it.  It seemed to fit good, but when it went to attach the speedo cable I noticed something strange.  The studs on the speedometer were not long enough to attach the 2 round retaining nuts.  I made sure the cluster was seated properly, but the studs aren't even close to going through the slotted holes.  So I am not sure if this is an old cluster in one piece dash issue or something else I did wrong.
     
    Thanks for viewing.
     
     
    Mark92131
     
     















  15. Mark92131

    Getting Closer to Finishing the Electrical

    By Mark92131,


    Center Console and ECU Wiring
    In my last post I mentioned buying a Deutsch 29 Pin bulkhead connector to handle the wiring between the engine compartment and the MicroSquirt ECU.  This week while waiting on the endless list of parts, I decided to get the connector installed so I could start wiring the pin side from the ECU.  The Deutsch connector only has 4, AWG pins, so I'm going to use 2 pins to power the 2 banks of injectors (1 & 3 and 2 & 4).  I originally had 12V+ Switched power off the Main Relay running to a 2 post junction block under the dash, but I decided to switch it up and ordered a Blue Sea ST Blade ATO/ATC Fuse Block instead.  This will allow me to add a 5 Amp fuse for the injector power feeds and and a 2 Amp fuse for the ECU.  The other 2, 12 AWG Pins will be used to power the EDIS-4 Module and the Bosch PWM Idle Control Valve.
     
    The rest of the connector Pins to the ECU Wiring will be 14 AWG in this order.
     
    Fast Idle (Fidle) Control Signal (Pin 5) Firing Ground for Injector #1 & #3 (Pin 6) Firing Ground for Injector #2 & #4 (Pin 7) Sensor Ground for CLT, IAT, MAP & TPS (Pin #8) MAP Sensor Signal (Pin 9) Coolant Temp Signal (Pin 10) Intake Air Temp Signal (Pin 11) Throttle Position Signal (Pin 12) 5V Ground Wire from TPS and MAP (Pin 13) OPTOIN+ Signal for VR EDIS-4 Feed (Pin 14) ING1 Output to EDIS-4 SAW Pin #3 (Pin 15) OPTOIN- Signal for Ground (Pin 16)  
    I also considered that I could also use the Deutsch Connector to pass the Sensor feeds for my Gauges, So I will add 2 more to the mix (Oil Pressure, Water Temp).  Speaking of Gauges, I ordered a 3 gauge and radio panel from Koogleworks.  While considering some Classic Instrument "Silver Dollar" gauges, I found a company on E-Bay that reproduces "Smith" gauges for British sports cars in India.  I ordered a set with sensors and shipping for under $30.  When they arrived, I tested the Volt gauge with my Multimeter and it was spot on, so these will work for now.
     
    In keeping with the frugal theme, I looked at using the Continental tr7412ub-or radio for my console but was put off by the price.  I ended up buying the Alondy Single DIN AM/FM radio with Bluetooth.  Cheap as chips, control it with your phone, plays every media known to man, is only 3 inches deep and weighs nothing.  The volume control knob is flimsy, but for $33 it will do.  Now I have enough budget left to afford those Koogleworks under-dash panels with speakers.
     
    The 2 holes under the gauges will be used for my manual fan switch and a nice 12V USB Charging Socket I found on Amazon.
     
    Progress continues...
     
    Mark92131
     






  16. Mark92131

    Cool Oil Cooler Idea Theft

    By Mark92131,


    Oil Cooler Installation
    So, no matter which engine ends up in this car, I was going to use the oil filter housing from the S14 and convert it to 10AN fittings.  The stock S14 Oil Cooler is too long and large to mount anywhere it can get decent air flow, so I figured that something aftermarket was in the cards.  After watching a Jay Leno's Garage Video posted by @NYNick on a 1972 BMW 2002 Restomod, I was inspired by how @Shad (the Builder), fit an aftermarket Earl's Oil Cooler in this beautiful car.  I reached out to Shad and he provided some very useful information that I shamelessly copied.
     
    I had some different constraints that changed a few things.  One, I didn't want to cut up my original sheet metal, drill a few holes, OK, but I am not handy with a Sawzall.  Two, I didn't need race track, high capacity oil cooling, just enough to increase capacity and keep it cool for my street build.  Three, complete this task with a reasonable budget.  Here's what I did.
     
    I went on Summit and looked at the 19 row Earl's Oil cooler Shad used, wow that's a big one and not cheap.  I took a piece of card board, mocked up a number of these Earl's oil coolers and found one that pretty much covered the hole in the radiator support for the battery (now under the seat).  This was a 13 row, approximately 4" x 8.25", part number #213ERL.  So how to mount it?  Shad fabricated his brackets, I went to Home Depot.  I picked up a couple of "L" brackets in the lumber department, (The same ones I used on the bottom of the radiator).  I started with the bottom bracket, measured until the oil cooler was positioned in the middle of the hole in the radiator support and the upper mounting tab was tucked up against driver's side fender support.  I cut the mounting tab on the bottom bracket down, drilled out the 4 mounting holes for M6 bolts, drilled holes on the top of the frame rail at the very end and installed 6mm RivNuts to secure the bottom bracket.  Once I had the bottom bracket installed, I mounted the oil cooler and then measured for the upper bracket and the hole to secure the oil cooler to the driver's side fender support near the headlight.  Once everything was mocked up, I disassembled everything and prepped the brackets for a Satin Black paint job.  Because the driver's side fender support was curved, I used a 6mm nylon spacer to square up that mounting point and assembled all the connections to the oil cooler with rubber o-rings to isolate it from vibrations.
     
    The Earl's Oil Coolers don't come with flare connections so you need to order 2, 10AN O-Ring to Flare Fittings.  I also ordered all the parts I needed to make the 10AN hoses and convert the S14 Oil Filter Housing to 10AN.  See Links...
     
    I was pretty happy with the results, thank you Shad for sharing your build details.
     
    Mark92131





  17. Mark92131

    Changing Directions

    By Mark92131,


    Moving the Hazard Switch
    Sometimes you plan and things don't go exactly to plan, so you need to change directions.  So I installed my clean one-piece dash in my 1970 BMW 1600 and have been struggling trying to get the older style switches around the instrument cluster installed because the original lock nuts are too short and the dash is too thick.  I was also planning to install the old style hazard switch in the original position, in the dash cubby just left of the instrument cluster.  While I was waiting for my WTB ad for longer lock screws to work, (thank you @RichenFamous, @jgerock, @davidhayes), I started assembling the covers for the steering column.  When I finished, I was admiring my work and noticed the empty hole for the manual choke.  Now the 1600 is headed for EFI, either S14 ITB's or a E30 318i throttle body depending on what engine I go with, so no need for a manual choke.  So I started thinking about what I was going to plug that hole with?
     
    What if I plug it with the Hazard switch?  What would I do with the hole in the dash left of the instrument cluster?  AFR GAUGE!  So that's what I did.  I cut the wrap on the Hazard switch wire and stretched it over to the hole for the manual choke and rewrapped it.  I found a 52mm, 2" deep gauge pod on Amazon, trimmed the base so it fit in the dash cubby and ordered the AEM 30-4110 Gauge Kit.  Originally, I was going to use an Innovate LC-1 I had on the shelf from another project, then considered buying the LC-2.  I ended up going with the AEM because it was significantly cheaper with the gauge and easier to interface with MicroSquirt.  I did have issues, like others, that the AEM was shipped with a generic brand O2 sensor and not the Bosch LSU 4.9, but got it sorted out in the end.  The AEM wires were long, so I routed the O2 sensor wire from the passenger side near the firewall, up to the nose panel and across to the driver's side and through the firewall on that side.  
     
    I'm still waiting on one of the lock nuts, but my dash should be completely done soon.
     
    Thanks for reading,
     
    Mark



  18. Mark92131

    Bling from Germany

    By Mark92131,


    Bling from Germany
    With so many of the remaining tasks fighting me at the moment, it is nice to have one project go exactly as I planned it.  Although I don't have a radio plan in place for the 1600, I did have the issue of what to do with the 4 holes in the passenger side "A" pillar that supported the original radio antenna.  I figured I'd just find a old school antenna and install it in the existing holes and be done with it.  Turns out, there doesn't appear to be a universal mounting standard for 1970 radio antennas and nothing I came up with was going to fit my existing holes.
     
    Bring on the Internet!
    So after deciding that the defacto standard for radio antennas was most likely a Hirschmann, I started doing searches on Hirschmann antenna installation documents and came up with the drilling template for a Hirschmann Auta 360 that matched the 4 holes I had in my "A" pillar, 3 holes for the base with the mounting holes 20mm apart and a single hole for the bracket to support the mast.  So where to find a Hirschmann Auta 360 at a "reasonable" price?  Why Germany, of course!
     
    After looking at a few at crazy prices, I found one for sale at a small classic radio shop called Königs Klassik-Radios in Haan, Germany.  They had a website, so I ordered it for 142.02 Euro + 20 Euro for shipping.  They sent me some follow up e-mails in German (Thank you for Google Translate) and shipped it with tracking via Deutsche Post.  20 days later it showed up in my mail box.
     
    It literally took me 10 minutes to install it.  I pushed the cord down the "A" pillar straight down to the large hole in the bulkhead at the floor.  Then I connected the end to a piece of copper wire and pulled it up to the small hole for the overhead light switch on the passenger side.  I screwed on the mounting base, screwed on the mast bracket and installed the mast.  I love it when things work the way they were designed.
     
    Mark92131
     
     
       



  19. Mark92131

    Heater Box Restoration

    By Mark92131,


    Heater Box Restoration
    Now in theory, living in California I could have just re-installed the original heater box and prayed it didn't leak.  But this wasn't going to work in the anal retentive world I live in.  So time to crack open that box and get it right.  Chris Blumenthal documented this process in a beautifully illustrated article in 2006 and Auto Dynamik in San Francisco has assembled a restoration kit with all the parts you need to get this job done.  Now the Blumenthal article outlines the process on a later heater box, and my heater box is the early 3 lever version with the smaller valve, so there were some differences that I had to adjust for.
     
    Cracking it Open
    Right off the bat, there were some issues.  First, the plastic bracket that holds the heater valve was cracked and when I gingerly removed the valve, a large piece between the hole for the lever and the lower bolt hole fell off in my hand, not good!  Second, I could barely turn the fan blade on the motor, so I either needed to get it freed up, or a new fan motor was in the cards.  I drilled out the rivets holding the top panel, removed the three clips that holds the rear panel to the front panel and opened up the box.  What a mess, leaves, spider webs, dead bugs and surface rust everywhere.  All the rubber grommets/bushings for the flaps were gone and all the foam on the flaps was missing in action.  I didn't want to completely strip the box, just wanted to clean it up, so I carefully pried up the 8 "washers" holding the control rods to the flaps on the front and rear box sections and left the cable coils on the control rods intact.  I did remove the cable coil on the long fresh air flap on the rear box section so all three sections could be separated.  Lastly, I removed the cable clamps on both sections so the heater control levers could be worked on separately.
     
    Fixing the Issues
    Now I could have dropped some change on the restoration kit from Auto Dynamik, but along with the anal retention is a bad case of frugality.  I bought a $10 set of grommets off Amazon which had the 6 grommets I needed for the flaps and the 2 grommets I needed for the holes for the top where the heater core outlets exit.  I started with fixing the heater valve bracket on the top section.  I used JB Weld to glue in the missing piece and repair the cracks.  Although it went back together fine and seemed pretty ridged, I though it needed additional support so I came up with a clever fix.  If you go back to my radiator hack, the two bottom brackets I used to hold the radiator are exactly the right width to fit the plastic bracket for the heater valve.  It isn't tall enough to cover the top mounting hole, but my repair was lower on the bracket.  I took this bracket, did some bending, trimming, drilled holes for the lower valve mounting hole, the lever hole, mounting holes and installed it on my top cover.
     
    The motor was toast.  No amount of lubrication was going to get it to spin again.  When you applied 12V, the bushes would spark, but no joyful spinning.  I used the Auto Dynamik fix to purchase a Porsche Fan, Bosch, part # 0 130 007 002 for around $60 and the $6 Granger plastic computer fan, part # 5JLL6 and drilled it 15/64 for a press on fit.  Worked perfect and used the original clips to mount it back in the top section of the Heater box.  Replaced the wiring and this piece was done.
     
    After washing out the front and rear sections of the heater box, I stuck them on the blast cabinet and cleaned up the metal pieces, checked the heater core for leaks and cleaned and painted it.  I found a grommet that fit the flaps, beveled one side to a 45 degree point and popped them in.  I bought a roll of 3" x 10', 5mil adhesive-backed neoprene foam on Amazon and cut out all the pieces for the flaps and installed them.  I had some 1mm neoprene that I used for wrapping the edges of the heater core.
     
    Re-assembly went pretty smooth. I reattached the cables to the front and rear sections and control rods to there appropriate flaps.  The 3 clips connected the front and rear sections and the top was reattached using 5mm hardware.  The heater valve was assembled last using some 5/8 heater hose to make the connection between the valve and the core.  I needed to do some trimming on the plastic bracket to allow the lever to swing freely because the support bracket increases the thickness, but only a couple of mm.
     
    Installation
    I'm waiting on some parts (defroster nozzle for the driver's side and some bezels) so I can finally install the dash, but the heater box will go in next week.
     
    Thanks for reading,
     
     
    Mark
     
     
     
     








  20. Mark92131

    2 Steps Forward, 1 Step Back

    By Mark92131,


    Odd and Ends
    In my last blog post, I covered some of the work I did on getting the Pedal Box and brake system sorted.  Then I saw a FAQ post on firewall insulation and thought that I should probably install one while I have room in the engine bay.  Unfortunately, most of the Pedal Box work needs to be removed to get the firewall insulation pad under the brake booster bracket on the firewall.  While I waiting for parts, I was tempted into bolting on some shiny bits to make it look more like a car.
     
    Beltline Trim
    I went through my stash and managed to cobble together a complete set of beltline trim.  I had new trim pieces for the trunk and used pieces for the rest of the car.  I was originally planning on stripping the Anodizing and polishing the used pieces, but ended up ordering a new set from Wallothnesch and a beltline clip set so everything would match on my fresh Nevada paint.  I found a nice video on the process of installation from RS Garage and used most of their tips.  I ran into an issue with my clips, they would not install in the holes because my painter was too zealous with the paint gun and added too paint.  After some careful drilling and re-sealing, I was able to open up all the holes too their proper diameter to successfully install the clips.  There is a issue I discovered with the RS Garage video.  At the curve in the trunk and hood, you need the long metal clip to connect the center pieces to the curved side pieces.  The next hole on the curved side pieces also gets a short metal clip, (the video shows a plastic clip in this hole.  You can tell which one it is, because it has a smaller diameter than the rest of the holes.  After I figured this out, everything went smoothly and there is nothing better than hearing that trim snap on.
     
    Rear Tail Lights
    The original tail lights were faded and did nothing for the new paint, so I sprung for some Uro replicas.  I ordered the Red center ones because they looked more 1600/Euro and they were significantly cheaper than the amber centered ones.  So here's the rub... I couldn't see putting new lenses and seals on the tired tail light housings, so I began the anal retentive task of restoring the housings as well.  I stripped them down, sand blasted the housings, masked them off and shot the back with Hammer Textured Silver and the insides in Chrome.  New bulbs and new white plastic mounting nuts and back on the car.
     
    New License Plate Lights, Emblems and Script
    I bought these a while back so on they went.  Another very pleasing installation.  The MVP License Plate lights were good quality, but I modified them to use the proper hardware to bolt them on the car, (required drilling out the light assembly).  I wish they would use the proper single slot screws to secure the covers, instead of the philips.
     
    LSD and Half Shafts
    Next week I am finishing the setup of my MaxJax, so I should be ready to get these subframes in the car.  I anticipation of this, I need to get the Differential ready for its final home.  I drained out the old 90 Wt and added fresh Redline.  I installed the rebuilt Half Shafts with spacers and ordered all new hardware to secure the Differential to the subframe.  I didn't like the bolt length specs off of Realoem, so I just measured the original hardware and ordered new stuff.  I sand blasted the differential support bracket and gave it a nice coat of Krylon Satin Black.  Ready to go next week.
     
    Left and Right Water Deflectors (Rain Gutter Trim)
    I ordered a new set of Water Deflectors.  The driver's side was on in 5 minutes, the passenger side took me 2 hours.  Apparently, somebody at Wallothnesch decided to have a sword fight with the right side piece and it was twisted in the section that curves down to the "A" pillar.  I did finally get the piece untwisted enough to make the curve down the "A" pillar and hook at the bottom.  Some very slight stressing of the Anodized coating, but only I can see it.  E-Mails to Wallothnesch suggested I file a claim through UPS, but the packaging was unmolested.
     
    Rocker Trim
    Years ago, I ordered a set of Rocker Trim by mistake thinking I was ordering Water Deflectors, (they are on the same diagram on RealOEM).  I pulled down the box in the rafters, expecting those rocker pieces to be in there... Nope, one ugly driver side rocker trim with overspray from a car I parted 10 year ago.  Where were my new rocker trim pieces?  I think I sold them because I thought I wouldn't need them.  I even though I could clean up the ugly driver side rocker trim and order a passenger side.  Nope, I can find Drivers side pieces for $70-$80 new, but the passenger side piece is $150+.  I will probably try the MVP reproduction set, but they look very shiny compared to the OEM pieces.
     
    I try to do something on the car everyday, but mostly I spend my time just ordering parts and cleaning parts I can't order, or can't afford.  I hope to get the subframes in the next couple of weeks, but we'll see.
     
    Mark92131
     
     







  21. Mark92131

    Radiator Installation

    By Mark92131,


    Radiator Installation
    So I didn't have a stock radiator, but I did have one out of a BMW 320i that I bought on the FAQ several years before.  After reading some posts on the FAQ about how people install this radiator, I came up with a plan.  The mounting tabs/ears are slightly wider than the stock radiator.  I decided to use the top mounts and then add brackets to the bottom to hold the radiator in place.  I used the existing mounting hole on the top passenger side and drilled a single hole on the driver's side for the top bolt.  I turns out the 320i radiator has square mounting holes, so I used 2, M8 carriage bolts that were left over from my bumper install, purchased a bag of 25mm M8 nylon standoffs, (ordered black ones, but they sent me white ones and refunded my purchase), and cut the 2nd one to size to cover the approximate 40mm I needed between the radiator mounting tab and front support.  
     
    For the bottom brackets, I went to Home Depot and found some "L" shaped brackets in the section for building wooden decks ($.85 each), painted them black and lined them with some neoprene gasket material I had left over from making the pedal box gasket.  I measured and mounted these brackets on the bottom.  I wired the 320i radiator temperature switch in the bottom of the tank as a ground trigger for my relay, connected 12V power out from the relay to my electric fan, and ran a ground wire back to the grounds at the power distribution block on the driver's side of the engine bay.  I was going to rig some additional brackets for the fan but got lazy and ordered a zip-tie kit off of Amazon to mount the fan directly on the radiator.
     
    With everything tightened up, the radiator and fan are rock solid.  Next step, heater box rehab...
     
    Mark92131






  22. Mark92131

    Electrical Progress

    By Mark92131,


    Electrical Progress
    One of my biggest fears on disassembling this car for paint was pulling out the wiring harness.  So many connectors and wires, how was I ever going to re-install it correctly.  Well, here's how I did it...
     
    First off, this car was missing a "shit-ton" of parts (like turn signals) when it arrived on my driveway and the PO had it set up for extras (electric fan, electric fuel pump, etc.) so I spent a lot of time sorting things out.  Before I pulled the wiring harness out, I labeled most of what I recognized and guessed on some of the wiring based on where it was on the car (passenger side, firewall, driver side, front grill) or what it was near, (hood release, heater core, etc.).  I started with the front and pulled those wires into the cabin, then pulled the wires in the trunk into the cabin, and finally pulled the wires for the dash switches, turn signals, dipswitch, emergency flasher, ignition, interior light, heater fan, and warning buzzer into the cabin as well.  I took this mass of cables and connectors and stored it in a box for a couple of years while my car was being painted.
     
    A few weeks ago, I opened up that box and laid it out on the carpet of my office with the wires in the approximate locations they would be installed in the car.  Thankfully, I had a PDF of a US 12V BMW 1600 that matched my wiring harness.  Using a combination of documenting the connections in my notebook and comparing these to the PDF of my wiring harness, I was able to identify all the missing components.  There were some hard to find pieces (Delay relay for the Windshield Washer pump, and the Emergency Flasher switch) and others that could order on-line (voltage regulator, and brake light switch).  While I sourced these missing pieces, I spent a lot of time rewrapping the harness, fixing bad connectors and correcting the documentation on things I guessed on, (temperature sensor wire). 
     
    When everything arrived I started the process of re-installing it back in the car.  I put the entire harness in the cabin (driver's seat area), and pulled the rear section back into the trunk.  I did the under dash stuff next, (dash switches, ignition, heater fan, turn signal and dipswitch stalks). Then finally the passenger and driver side wiring and the fuse box.  In the last week I have managed to install and hook up most of the components that were stock to the car, (lights, switches, relays, etc.), but haven't finished hooking up everything because there are major pieces that need to be restored and installed, (heater box, windshield wipers, engine, etc.).
     
    Extra Electrical Stuff
    So I haven't decided what engine will go back in the car M10 or S14, (probably M10 to start), so while I am completing the electrical stuff, I decided to add a power distribution and fused relay box to drive the things I might need going forward.  The car originally had the battery mounted in the trunk, but I never liked giving up trunk space, so I decided to go Odyssey 680 and a combination Power Distribution and Relay Box under the back seat.  I had the 1/0 Power cable from the original build, so I ran it up the driver's side from the back seat, through the firewall and to a busbar endpoint at the normal battery position.  I cut off the cable I didn't need, used it to make a negative cable and put new lugs on both cables.  I also ran a switched 12V line from fuse #5 to a Bus Bar under the seat to feed the relays.  I am going to set up one of the relays for an electric fan for my Behr 320i radiator and the then run 2 harnesses to the front (fan and ECU) and one to the back (fuel pump).  The ECU harness will power a Microsquirt controlling ignition (wasted spark) on the M10 to start.  Later I then have the option to add fuel injection to the M10 as a stepping stone to swapping it out for the S14, (which adds additional complexity, oil cooler, exhaust, etc.).
     
    More Progress
    So I didn't like the position of the bus bar I added for the negative trigger feed for the Fan relay.  Basically the temperature switch in the bottom of the 320i Behr radiator and the manual switch in the center console will ground the relay and power the fan.  I also needed 12V power from the relays controlling the MicroSquirt ECU and the Innovate LC-1 O2 sensor, so I added to more bus bars and moved everything up under the dash along with the MicroSquirt ECU as well.  I haven't figured out if I will pull all the sensor wires and EDIS wiring into the cabin or run the ECU wiring out to these components in the engine bay, but I drilled a hole in the firewall that should allow me to go either direction.
     
    I also mounted the coil pack and the EDIS controller on the engine compartment side of the firewall and included some new pictures.
     
    Mark92131
     
     



     





  23. Mark92131

    MaxJax Installed, Rear Sub-frame is In!

    By Mark92131,


    MaxJax and Rear Subframe Install
    I have been working more and posting less, so I thought I would share some progress.
     
    I finally got my MaxJax installation finished.  I had to wait until my wife was out of town because she usually parks her Cayenne in the middle spot of our three car garage and that's where I was planning on putting the MaxJax.  So while she was out, I bolted the two lifting posts into the holes I drilled the last time she was out of town, moved her car to the far right spot, and finished installing the other pieces, lifting arms, hydraulic pump, etc.  When it was operational, I rolled the 1600 out of it's spot on the left and pushed it into the middle bay, positioned the lifting arms and up she went!  When my wife got home, she wasn't happy about being displaced, but now she's closer to the door to the house and I reprogrammed her garage door opener to open her new spot, so no going back.
     
    With the car in the air, installing the subframe was a snap.  I bought a cheap motorcycle jack/lift with wheels and with the help of my son, lifted the assembled rear subframe on it and positioned it place.  Using the combination of lowering the car and lifting the subframe up on the motorcycle jack/lift, we managed to get the subframe and differential, and shocks bolted in place.  After the installation, I did notice that the passenger side spring had slipped off the lower spring pad.  Unfortunately, there isn't enough of a drop with the shock removed to slide that spring back in place, so I am going to need to fix that when I'm ready to torque the trailing arms with weight in the trunk.
     
    Here's some pictures of the subframe installed.
     
    Thanks,
     
     
    Mark
     


  24. Mark92131

    Pedal Box Progress

    By Mark92131,


    Pedal Box
    Since the car has returned from paint, I have been trying to wrap my mind around the tasks, and order of tasks, required to re-assemble the car in a timely manner.  I would like to get this project to the roller phase, so re-installing the subframes seems like a good idea.  I am still on the fence with S-14 or M10 motor choices, but lately have been thinking that selling the S-14 and using money to build a nice injected (Jenvey) M10 with MicroSquirt for engine management might be a better strategy.  So while I contemplated on these choices, it was time to start on something, soooo Pedal Box!
     
    The pedal box currently in the car was in decent shape, no rust holes or corrosion.  It was missing the lower rubber cover, the brake pedal return spring, booster, master cylinder and stop light switch.  I disassembled everything, media blasted the parts and painted the pedals, box, and booster brackets in Satin Black.  I had a spare non-Tii Booster from another car, so media blasted it and painted it Flat Black for some contrast.  I used RealOEM to order the missing hardware, ordered new nylon bushings for all the pedals, clutch master connection, and new nuts, bolts and washers from Belmetric.  I splurged and bought the brake booster pivot upgrade from IE an a new FTE Clutch Master Cylinder from eBay.
     
    After all the appropriate hardware arrived, I reassembled the box, only to disassemble it again to use it as a template to make a gasket out of a sheet of 1/4 inch neoprene I ordered from Amazon.  With the gasket made. I reassembled the pedal box for a final time and with the help of my son, installed it in the car.  I assembled the booster on the booster brackets loosely, installed the brake booster pivot and connected the booster to the pivot (easier to install the "bitch" clip).  I took this entire booster assembly and installed it loosely so I could adjust the position of the brake pedal in relation to the clutch pedal by screwing the brake pull rod in and out of the forkhead at the pedal box.  This took some trial and error to get the clutch and brake pedals in the same plane with the brake booster pivot pin installed, but worth the effort.  With everything lined up, I tightened up the nuts and bolts, installed the stop light switch and declared job done.  I need a gas pedal and will probably splurg for the lower rubber cover from Wallothnesch, but those will need to wait.  Next project, brake lines.
     
    Mark92131
     
     





  25. Mark92131

    Front Subframe Restoration

    By Mark92131,


    Front Subframe
    I took my rusty front subframe over to my brother's house and he welded in the IE subframe reinforcement plate.  The front subframe received the same powder coat treatment as the rear, RAL 7043.  I had both of them done at Anocote Powder Coating in Mira Mesa.  They also did the ST Sway bars and knocked the surface rust off of my rotors and drums for about $300 all in.  Assembly was pretty straight forward, new rubber stock bushings, new heavy duty IE control arms, new OEM Idler Arm bushings, DIY Yellow Chromate Zinc coating on the hardware, new IE Sway Bar End Links, and new center link track rod.  The steering box wasn't leaking, so I cleaned it up, installed a new rubber steering coupler and remounted it.
     
    I disassembled the front struts, gave the tubes and hubs a nice repaint in Krylon Satin Black.  I installed new races and wheel bearings and ended up installing new Bilstein HD struts, Eibach springs, new upper strut bearings and fixed front camber plates.  I used the POR-15 Caliper Refinishing Kit in Silver.  I was a long multi-step process and I was not blown away with the end result, but it should keep them protected and looking nice for a while.  I cleaned up the hard brake lines and installed new OEM rubber brake hoses.
     
    I won't install the front struts and the new IE Tie Rod Assemblies on the subframe until I'm ready to put it in the car.  With those pieces installed, the front subframe is too heavy to move it by myself.  My plan is to assemble the subframe on a rolling cart, install the motor and trans in the subframe, roll it under the car on my MaxJax lift and lower the car into position to bolt the subframe back in.  The other option would be to assemble the subframe, motor and trans on the floor under the car on the MaxJax, lower the car and then use the engine picker to pull the whole subframe up into position to bolt the subframe back in.  We'll see which method wins out in the end.
     
    Mark92131







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