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Mark92131

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Blog Entries posted by Mark92131

  1. Mark92131

    Fresh Nevada Paint

    By Mark92131,


    Fresh Nevada Paint
    This car was delivered to Classic Auto Body and Collision in Ramona, CA on May 27, 2020.  I got it back yesterday on my birthday, November 17th, 2021, almost 18 months later.  Carlos the owner told me it was probably the last 2002 he would work on.  He was painted numerous cars for Bill Holmes at Bavarian Rennsport, he painted my Mintgrun 75, but will now concentrate on insurance work which is significantly more profitable.  Originally, we negotiated $4800 for a complete paint job with some minor rust repair (there was rust in the front valance under the battery and under the rear side windows).  This was a little more than the Mintgrun paint job, but that one didn't include the trunk, interior, underside or engine bay.
     
    When we started, there was another BMW 2002 in front of me in the queue and that delayed the body work on my car.  It was a Tii and required tons of metal work which took months to complete.  Eventually that Tii's owner decided to paint his car elsewhere, so I was next, right?  Wrong, the Pandemic was in full tilt and my car sat languishing under a tarp in the yard.  Even after the Covid-19 case load numbers improved, Carlos couldn't find anyone that wanted to sand primer and weld metal for a living, thanks Biden!
     
    When things returned to some semblance of business as usual, my car moved from the yard to the garage and the body work started.  Once the car was is primer, it was time to finalize on the color.  This was the most difficult part of the process, what color should I pick now that a full paint job provided the freedom to change to any color I wanted.  Part of the decision was based on the interior color, (Tobacco), which isn't as universal as Black, but not as limiting as Marine Blue.  So I had Carlos spray out samples in the following colors (E21 Reseda Green, E21 Opal Green Metallic, Baikal, Florida, Turkis, Derby and Nevada)  The first five paint codes were available in PPG, Derby and Nevada however, were only available in Glasurit.  Of course the $4800 price was for PPG paint, so sourcing Nevada and Derby, if picked, was going to be on my dime.  It was close, but I decided to go with the original color of the car, Nevada, to give myself some wiggle room on a later decision for going the restored original look, or full resto-mod.  Of course, Glasurit had just introduced some new water-based paint lines (Glasurit 90 Line) that were less expensive and offered the Derby paint code, but not Nevada.  Nevada was only offered in their most expensive paint (Glasurit 22 Line) which ran about $1500 with Activator and Reducer for the 1.5 Gallons Carlos needed to paint the entire car.  Remember the guy that had the Tii in front of my car?  Apparently, when he pulled his car from the shop, he left a gallon of 3M Dynapro undercoating that Carlos used on my car as a credit (+ $200) for not having to buy the PPG paint.  So total cost was $4800 (Less $200 + $100 Undercoating) + $1500 in Glasurit paint, activator and reducer, so $6000 all in.
     
    I must admit, the Glasurit 22 Line looks great, like it was dipped.  The paint has that slight hint of olive undertone that really sold me on this color.  I am really happy with the result.  It took more time than I ever imagined, but I am smitten to have it back in the garage and excited to get farther down the road to restoration.
     
    Mark92131











  2. Mark92131
    So, in order to get my car finished, I needed to address the beltline trim issue... buy new or restore the original pieces.  I had the original set from the car and a spare set that I purchased earlier.  Between the two sets, I had enough pieces for a relatively ding-free complete set, but far from something that was shiny and new.  I looked into having King of Trim restoring these pieces, but at $60 per piece, $600 seemed pretty steep for used trim.  I looked into buying new and the best deal I could find was around $900 from Wallothnesch after shipping.  There was also the issue with the new trim curved pieces not fitting properly for the hood and trunk.  So here's what I did.
     
    I ordered new trim from Wallothnesch for all the straight pieces for about $315 shipped DHL, (the 2 curves pieces for the hood are about $200 each) and decided to restore the curved pieces for the trunk and hood myself.  So I did a lot of research on stripping the anodized coating off of aluminum and came up with a plan.  First off, I needed something to immerse the long trim pieces in a bath of Caustic Soda (Drain Cleaner)... my solution, a $9.00 inflatable kiddie pool.  I positioned the pool outside my house, half on the curb and half on the street to create a pocket for maximizing the depth of the water,  Fortunately, I have a storm drain right in front of the house to support emptying the pool after I was done.  I filled the pool with 8 Gallons of hot water and 2 cups of Drain Cleaner from Lowes to achieve an approximately 2.5% solution.  Even at 2.5%, this stuff will dissolve the skin off your bones in short order so be careful, rubber gloves, eye protection, etc.
     
    I popped in all my trim and watched it bubble for 30 minutes.  After the 30 minutes were up, I dumped the water down the storm drain, rinsed the pieces with water, refilled the pool with clean water and poured in 8OZ of white vinegar to neutralize the Caustic Soda.  This was probably overkill, but I didn't want the Caustic Soda to continue to react with the now bare aluminum.  The trim was re-rinsed with water and left to dry in the sun.  The dry trim had a smooth dull white finish.  Now comes the fun part...
     
    I took each piece inside and polished them with Mothers  Mag and Aluminum Polish.  The trim will turn black as the polish does its job and then can be buffed to a shiny mirror finish, just like new.  I thought about spray painting the finished trim with Clear, but decided to just wax them to keep the aluminum from oxidizing over time.  That way, I can polish and re-wax as needed, without worrying about the clear coat going dull over time.
     
    I hope this helps someone else facing the same issues.
     
    Mark92131
     
     






  3. 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











  4. Mark92131
    So I received a huge box from Bridgewater BMW last week containing the now back in stock Rain Gutter Trim.  God knows how much it actually cost to ship because they only charged me $18 from CT to San Diego, CA.  The price with shipping was $199, but I think the car looks naked without the full compliment of trim, so money well spent.  Installation was challenging to say the least.  I started with the driver's side, removing the radio antenna mast so I would have room.  I used some silicon grease on the newly painted gutter and after reading multiple posts on this process, started at the curved "A" portion.  This didn't work well for me, the bends down the "A" pillar and down the back of the car seemed radical with the curved portion attached.  What did finally work was starting at the back of the car and working forward to the curved section, carefully positioning the trim so it matched the curve at the "A" pillar.  The trim at the rear sticks out about a half an inch from the end of the gutter when the curve is lined up correctly.  Once the trim is correctly positioned on the "A" pillar curve, it can be rolled and forced on to the gutter as it goes down the "A" pillar.  Both the hood and door need to be open to have enough room to get the trim pushed down on the gutter.  I did notice that as the gutter moves below the level of the hood, it turns in slightly towards the "A" pillar and hook the end of the trim, holding it securely. After doing the driver's side, the passenger side was a snap. I am still debating if I need to buy a tool to pinch the trim on the gutter for a tighter fit, but I think it looks so much better than the naked look.
     
    Thanks,
     
     
    Mark92131

  5. 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




  6. 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



  7. 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
     
     







  8. Mark92131

    Bumper Refurbish

    By Mark92131,

    The car has been sitting inside at Bavarian Rennsport in Ramona for a couple of Months while Bill works on cleaning out some of the backlog.  The windows are in, front lights, grills, front turn signals, marker lights and seals replaced, but the bumpers needed some attention before re-installation.  I picked them up last Friday, brought them home and was planning on sanding off the annodized finish and re-polishing.  After cleaning them up, they were in remarkably good condition, so I waxed them and will be returning them for installation and a tuck job.
     
     

  9. 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
     
     




  10. 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











  11. Mark92131

    Wrapping up the Rear Subframe

    By Mark92131,


    Rear Subframe
    The car is getting closer to the paint booth, so I got busy finishing up the rear subframe.  I powder coated both subframes in RAL 7043, a nice grey green that should look great against the fresh Nevada tinted undercoating.  I also powder coated the ST Sway bars a black metallic for some additional contrast.  Everything went back together relatively easily with the exception of the trailing arms that I inadvertently pressed the bushing in too much and caused some issues aligning the bolts.  With that sorted, they slid right in.  The ST Sway Bar in the rear also was a bit of a headache.  The outside bolt on the driver's side had some overspray from powder coating and I had to order a thread chaser from Amazon to get it cleaned up.  I went with Allen Socket Head Bolts to attach the sway bar brackets to match the front sway bar and bought new hardware for the connection of the sway bar to the trailing arms.
     
    I finally figured out my process for DIY yellow zinc coating, I zinc plated the ST spacers and original hardware to match the new stuff.  I'll cover my DIY Yellow Zinc plating setup in a future blog, very satisfying and easy to do.
     
    The last step was the brakes.  As you may remember, the 1600 had been updated to Tii brakes in front and 320i brakes in the rear.  Reassembly wasn't too bad until I realized that you must install the pin for the brake pads (closest to the front of the car), before you install the brake backing plate.  You cannot get that pin through the back of the backing plate after the backing plate has been installed, so off comes the nut, hub and four backing plate bolts to install the stupid pin.
     
    The 320i rear brakes are simpler that the OEM 2002 rear brakes, but still took some wrestling to get everything lined up and installed correctly.  I cleaned up the original brake hard lines and used a set of BMW NOS rubber lines I had in stock for the rears.  Brake lines, wheel cylinders, brake backing plates, sway bar brackets torqued to spec, the rest I'll torque with the subframe in the car.  Now sitting in my office waiting for my car to return.
     
    More to come!
     
    Mark92131






  12. Mark92131
    So, for people that are contemplating a "lite" restoration for their BMW 2002, I created a spreadsheet of the parts I needed after a repaint of my 1975 BMW 2002.  It is not a comprehensive list, but covers most of the items needed to re-install trim and seals after a windows out re-spray.  All in all, I spent about $2000.00 in parts including shipping and taxes.  The spreadsheet includes part #'s and sources after some extensive research on trying to find the best price on these items.  I hope you find it useful.  I also included some pictures of the re-assembly process as it slowly progresses.  Ironically, there was another 1976 Mintgrun BMW 2002 49 State Car in Bill's shop keeping mine company during the re-assembly process.
     
    Thanks,
     
    Mark92131
     
     
    75MintGrunBMW2002Parts.xlsx




  13. Mark92131
    So I made one more trek to Carlos' shop in Ramona to check out the corrected paint code for MintGrun. The car was out of paint and getting a final cut and buff. The sections that were complete (roof), had a very nice smooth shine in a color that was a very spot on match to the original paint color. We elected not to paint the trunk interior and blended the top of the engine compartment with the original paint on the sides. The paint in the trunk and the engine compartment blend well with the new fresh paint. It does look slightly lighter than the MintGrun paint on the CoupeKing restoration, but it could just be the photos.
    The car needs some serious clean-up after all the work performed. After cutting and buffing the paint, it's going back to Bavarian Rennsport to have its trim, glass and bumpers re-installed so I can drive it home to finish the interior and engine bay clean-up.
    I took some pictures of the car out of paint to share.
    Thanks,
    Mark92131
  14. 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
     
     
     
     








  15. 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
     
     
       



  16. Mark92131

    DIY Yellow Chromate Zinc Plating

    By Mark92131,


    DIY Yellow Chromate Zinc Plating
    I promised some details on my attempts to do my own Zinc Plating, figuring "How hard could it be?".  Well, if you have oodles of time like I do, (recently retired), it can be a fun and satisfying part of your restoration journey.  The hardest part is ordering all the supplies and pieces you will need to get the results you want.  I learned some things that should save you time and money if you decide that this process is for you.
     
    Supplies
    There is a laundry list of things you will need to secure before you are ready to plate.  I will provide links to some of the items I purchased, but feel free to shop for better pricing.
     
    DC Power Supply, I ordered mine on Amazon, no longer available, but there are comparable ones for around $50.00 Crock Pot, I ordered one to heat my degreaser before the Zinc bath, but found that cold degreaser works just as well.  This crockpot was 1.5 quart and not appropriate for large parts.  If your wife has a bigger one, buy her a new one and use her old one. Zinc Anodes, I bought these zinc sheets off of Amazon and cut them to size.  Lots of options on Amazon. Timer, You can use your Iphone, or buy one of these.  I found that most of the plating process, except for the Zinc bath is under 30 seconds, so one thousand one, one thousand two works good. Drying Hangers, I have some low steel racks in the garage, so I used these hooks to hang plated parts for drying on the underside of the racks.  You just need space to hang your parts while they dry. Copper Wire, You need lots of wire to connect your parts to the Negative side of your power supply.  I use 14 Gauge the most, easy to bend, fits into small holes. Zinc Sulfate Monohydrate, adds Zinc to the Zinc bath, speeds up the process of activating your bath. Disposable Gloves, keeps the oil on your fingers off of your parts. Fish Tank Pump, I run a cheap Amazon Fish Tank pump in my Zinc Bath to keep the solution flowing over the part. Distilled Water, you can't have enough distilled water.  Buy 6 gallons to get started. Distilled White Vinegar, you need a 1/2 gallon, found in most grocery stores Epsom Salts, I bought some at WalMart, you will need at least 16 Oz. Karo Lite Corn Syrup, found in most grocery stores, you will need at least 1/2 cup. Caswell Zinc Brightener Additive, this makes your Yellow Chromate pop. Caswell Yellow Chromate, you can get other colors, but Yellow works great, 4 Oz makes 4 Gallons Buckets, I bought 2 gallon buckets with lids, you will need a minimum of 5. Muriatic Acid, you don't need a lot, you'll need a 5% solution for etching the fresh zinc part and a bath of full strength for removing the zinc from old parts. I got mine at Home Depot. Degreaser, you need to degrease your parts before plating. Spray Bottles, I use distilled water in spray bottles to eliminate the need for rinse buckets. Tupperware, I used several sizes to degrease and acid strip parts prior to plating. Copper pipe, I bought a piece of 1/2 inch copper pipe at Home Depot, cut it long enough to stretch over the 2 gallon bucket and flattened the ends with a hammer. Bench Grinder with Wire Wheel, I had a cheep 6 inch Harbor Freight Bench Grinder and bought a wire wheel for it. Media Blaster, I bought the Harbor Freight freestanding cabinet during one of their sales, they have a portable one that is pretty reasonable.  
    Preparing the Zinc Bath
    Take one of your 2 Gallon buckets and fill it with 1 gallon of distilled water and a half gallon of distilled white vinegar.  Slowly add 1.5 cups of Epsom Salt while stirring until completely dissolved, (you can add more Epsom Salt as long as it dissolves completely).  Slowly add 1/2 cup of Zinc Sulfate Monohydrate while stirring until completely dissolved.  Add 1/2 cup of Karo Corn Syrup and 2 teaspoons of Caswell Zinc Brightener and stir.  You can drop a piece of Zinc in the bottom of the bath and wait a few days until the vinegar dissolves the Zinc into the solution or you can speed up the process by taking a sheet of Zinc, securing it to the inside of the bucket (I cut a 1/2 strip on the side of the sheet with a 1/2 inch remaining on the cut and folded the strip to create a hook over the lip of the bucket).  Attach the Positive and Negative leads from the power supply to the Zinc sheet and immerse it in the bath making sure the power supply leads are above the water line.  Turn on the power supply, dial in 2 Volts, you should see bubbles coming off the Zinc sheet as Zinc molecules are released into the solution.  You can run this until the entire sheet is dissolved.  Turn off the power supply, prepare a new Zinc anode sheet on one side of the bucket, and connect this Zinc sheet to the positive lead on your power supply.  Take the 1/2 inch copper pipe, place this across the top of the bucket and connect it to the negative lead on your power supply and you are now ready to plate.
     
    Preparing the Etching Bath
    Take a 2 Gallon bucket, fill it with 1.5 gallons of distilled water and slowly add 1.2 cups of Muriatic Acid for a 5% solution.  Take a felt pen and write 5% Muriatic Acid Solution on the Lid and Bucket.
     
    Preparing the Yellow Chromate Bath
    Take a 2 Gallon Bucket, fill it with 1.5 gallons of distilled water and add the appropriate about of Caswell Yellow Chromate concentrate for 1.5 gallons.  Take a felt pen and write Yellow Chromate on the lid and bucket.
     
    Preparing the Yellow Chromate Rinse
    Take a 2 Gallon Bucket and fill it with 1.5 gallons of distilled water.  Take a felt pen and write Yellow Chromate Rinse on the lid and bucket.
     
    Preparation, Preparation, Preparation
    Like painting, plating is 90% preparation.  Here's the steps I use...
     
    Take the part that you want to plate and put it in glass bowl or tupperware container filled with enough Muriatic acid to cover the part.  This will strip any old Zinc coating from the part.  When the bubbling stops, carefully remove the part with a plastic spoon and place it in a strainer and rinse with water, blow dry with compressed air. Media blast the part to remove any rust, scale, etc. Use the wire wheel on the bench grinder to clean the part until is shines like new. Take a 10in piece of 14 Gauge Copper Wire and twist it around the part so it makes a solid connection with the least amount of copper wire actually touching the part.  The copper wire prevents the Zinc from bonding with the part, so keep this in mind while securing the part with the wire.  Also consider how the part will drain, you will want solutions to flow off the part. Set the part aside until you have enough parts prepared to run a reasonable batch.  
    Let's Plate
    Take the parts you are going to plate in this batch and place them in a container of degreaser.  If you went the crockpot route, bring the degreaser up to temp and place the parts in the heated solution for 15 minutes before plating.  Instead of having a separate bucket for each rinse step, I use one bucket and a spray bottle filled with distilled water to rinse each part.  Take the first part out of the degreaser, hold it over the bucket and spray it clean using the spray bottle of distilled water.  Put the part in the Zinc Bath about 6 inches from the surface and wrap the end of the 14 Gauge wire around the 1/2 copper pipe, suspending it in the middle of the bucket under the solution.  Check to see if the positive lead is firmly on the Zinc anode plate and the negative lead is firmly on the copper pipe.  Plug in the fish tank pump and secure the discharge air hose so it doesn't hit the part or pop out of the bucket.  Turn on the power supply and set the Amps between 100ma to 1 Amp depending on the surface area of the part (80 - 150ma per Square Inch of surface area).  The Volts will be typically under 2 Volts at that amperage.  The key to this step is there is no set time for the plating process, you need to monitor your part carefully by pulling it up and observing how the process it progressing.  Put on your gloves, if you see that the copper wire is preventing the plating process, move the wire and put it back in the solution.  What you want is an even, bright grey coating of Zinc without dark spots.  The longer you leave it in, the heavier the coating and this will lead to parts that are dull and rough.  The process happens quickly (usually under 2 minutes) so you need to check it constantly and put it out often to check when the part is fully coated and at the peak of bright grey.  When you reach this point, pull it out of the solution and turn off the power supply.  Unwrap the wire from the copper pipe, suspend it over the rinse bucket and spray it with distilled water.
     
    Next, open the 5% Muriatic Acid Etch bucket and immerse the part swirling back and forth for no more than 5 seconds.  Immediately pull it out and spray it over the rinse bucket with distilled water.  Put the lid back on the Muriatic Acid Etch Bucket, open the Yellow Chromate Bucket, immerse the part and s l o w l y swirl the part back and forth for a count of 15.  This leaves a "gel" coating of Yellow Chromate on the part, but it is fragile at this step and can be easily scratched or dispersed.  Pull it out on 15, it should be yellow, but not too dark yellow and luminous, not dull.  Carefully dip the piece in the Yellow Chromate Rinse bucket (1.5 Gallons of Distilled Water) for three dips and then hang it up to dry.  You can use a hair dryer or heat gun on low to speed the process of removing the excess water and drying the part.  Wait 24 hours before installing.
     
    Conclusions
    I have 2 boxes of Fasteners, nuts and bolt, brackets and assorted hardware from several 2002's I have parted.  If I could find a plater that I could ship this hardware in a flat rate box and get it back in yellow chromate at a reasonable price, I would do that.  But for this restoration, it was more the challenge of could I get some reasonable results at a reasonable cost if I was willing to take the time to learn something new.  Mission accomplished.  I hope this writeup helps someone fulfill their DIY dreams.
     
    Mark92131
     
     
     











  17. 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





  18. 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
     
     
     
     







  19. 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








  20. Mark92131
    It would be hard to install nice new seats and stare down at the tired original carpet, so I splurged and bought this World Upholstery Tan Carpet Kit from Captain Manly on the FAQ.  It arrived today and I think it will look good with the new seats.  When I get the car back from Bavarian Rennsport, I'll strip out the old carpet, remove the tar, lay down some FatMat and install it.  Hopefully, it isn't too different than Esty's Kit.  Thanks Captain Manly!  The scope creep continues...
     
    Thanks,
     
    Mark92131
     
     



  21. 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
     
     





  22. 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
     


  23. 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
     
     
     
     
     
     



  24. 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
     


















  25. 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
     









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