Nuthatch

Having been through this drill more than a few times, I now find it preferable to purchase and install rebuilt calipers. They're not particularly expensive.

Many choices are currently on offer at the eBay site. As to the question of whether a particular diff is compatible with your vehicle: some sellers know more than others. Research via the links that mlytle has kindly provided above will likely afford valuable insights. If you really "don't care on price," check the rebuilt diffs offered by Metric Mechanic. They do meticulous work, but their units are seriously expensive. I'll soon be posting an account of the entire diff swap process, with photos. It's all pretty straightforward. http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2050890.m570.l1313.TR1.TRC0.A0.H0.Xbmw+2002+differential.TRS0&_nkw=bmw+2002+differential&_sacat=6000

This is probably not your issue, but I've seen it a couple of times: Weber choke butterflies stuck in the closed position. The car will start, but will not run for long, with backfiring a side effect. The problem in these cases did not involve the choke linkage, but occurred instead because the choke plates had bonded temporarily to the walls of the carb. If such a thing occurs, the fix is easy: tap one or both plates gently to free the mechanism, then apply a very light coating of grease to the rims of the plates, which will prevent this sort of trouble in the future.

You got yourself a very thorough inspection for $150. Whoever did it clearly knew the marque, and knew just what to look for. Money well spent. BUT -- it's hard to know where to start on what is an exceedingly long to-do list. "Strut mounts failing" and "center track rod failing" are especially worrisome items. Not to mention the brake issues, structural concerns, and the ominous "smoke on closed throttle deceleration." There is nothing on the list that can't be addressed, but you (and an expert) should draw up a realistic budget covering all action items, then decide if you want to commit. You could easily be into five figures just to cover the very basics. Upgrades and cosmetic/discretionary things -- extra. Bottom line: buying a car that has had most of these issues addressed is ordinarily far cheaper than buying a neglected beater, then undertaking all the necessary work.

Wegweiser, you are doling out seriously useful information, and MANY thanks. I agree completely with just about all you've said. My adjustable light has been a great investment, and takes all the guesswork out of the entire business. I concur that 32 BTDC at full advance (on my Metric Mechanic 2200 motor) allows the engine to produce its finest music.

You have a water choke, and you should be able to adjust those choke plates relatively easily. You of course want to achieve vertical position when the engine has warmed up fully. The adjustment procedure is detailed in the Haynes Weber book, which is an excellent resource. If you can't get your paws on the book, I can pass on the details from my copy. What is that loose green wire lying across the top of the engine? If it's an unfused positive wire that someone added at some point (does happen), it could lead to big trouble. All under-hood wires need to be properly dressed and secured, and that one definitely isn't -- nor are a couple of others in the video. A new air cleaner element, properly oiled with the correct oil, would be a good idea. You can purchase a complete fuse set, with spares. I would also make sure that all vacuum fittings are properly sorted out, with plugs for any that are unused. One missing plug at a critical location can easily result in rough running.

Just catching up on all this. Sorry that I wasn't clear in the prior post. Yes, my project involved simple removal of a failed 2002 subframe (it gave out at 167,000 miles, from corrosion) and replacement with an identical BMW part, brand new. I never considered trying to work with an E21 or E30 subframe. As Preyupy and mlytle have correctly remarked, the straight swap is relatively uncomplicated. For starters, see the quick summary of steps on page 179 of the Haynes manual. Happy to respond to further questions.

Though there might be a case for having our exchange here, such that others can benefit -- and chime in with their own insights.

Yes, that would be just fine. And that's of course what this truly excellent site is all about: share your 2002 knowledge freely, and assist others to the greatest extent possible. jay.panetta@gmail.com

I've done this task myself, on my 1976. Most subframe replacements are undertaken because the original part fails from corrosion, ordinarily at 150,000 miles or greater. The job is entirely straightforward, and can be done in well under a day. Air tools will be a great help. Depending on their condition, you may decide to consider replacing the trailing arms (and rear wheel bearings) while everything is apart.

Jim Rowe of Metric Mechanic advises that the vent should not be plugged. So I think more research is needed on this topic. A plugged vent wouldn't vent, would it?

Has anyone or is it possible to just unbolt the brake lines form the hard line splitter that is located above the drive shaft? Yes, I had to do this when one of my hard lines developed a blockage. But access there is exceptionally tight, and there is precious little room for wrench throw. Just be patient and you'll get it. This is a spot where the trick wrenches can come in handy. As to the bearings: as long as they're out, you should be considering replacement rather than reinstallation of the old ones. The parts are not expensive, and the procedure is straightforward and well detailed in the manuals. The correct combination of shims must be installed in conjunction with the large tubular spacer, such that the bearings themselves are not improperly stressed when the castellated axle nut is torqued down. Some math is involved, and a digital caliper with depth measurement and metric readout is a must. You'll probably want to order an assortment of extra shims when you order the new bearings. This is not a truly difficult job, but you'll want to go over the math more than once.

Even brand new 38s, however, are very sensitive to fuel pressure, and won't tolerate anything less than full flow from a healthy pump.

I've been there too. You can likely get the part you need from Greenfield Imported Auto Parts. 413-774-2819. A backup plan would be to modify the spacer you received with a Dremel tool.

Please check this recent thread, as there may be ideas therein that will be helpful to you. http://www.bmw2002faq.com/topic/168248-fuel-boiling-in-carb/?hl=+fuel%20+boiling

Rob, you are unstoppable. An interesting find, and well priced.

My usual 02 parts source is Greenfield Imported Auto Parts (Greenfield, Mass.). I have been buying 2002 and 325 parts from them for many years. They know the cars inside and out, carry most things in stock, and can get almost anything they don’t have. Because they operate a repair business also, they can provide tech advice when you need it. I deal with Steve Messer, who is excellent, but that goes for the entire staff. They can be reached at 413-774-2819. As I'm also in Massachusetts, my parts always arrive the next day by standard UPS.

For anyone interested in replacing the charcoal canister: the part number is Purolator 00 701. I found the best price on the part from this source, and ordered one. http://www.bonanza.com What I received was a new/old stock canister from the 1970s, and the seller was unaware of the actual application until I informed him; other 70s vehicles (including Porsches) likely used these as well. As most of you know, hookup of the canister is straightforward: the inlet accepts the line from the vapor tank in the trunk, and the outlet goes to the air cleaner or intake manifold. If you are experiencing a faint but persistent fuel smell in the engine bay, the source may well be a charcoal canister whose odor-absorbing properties were long ago exhausted.

Do be aware that in going from the coil, you're in effect introducing a length of unfused positive wire, one that has to make a big jump (after following passenger side of engine bay, then along firewall) to reach the carb. At the very minimum, the wire must be carefully protected with loom or equivalent. A 2002 pal recently had a short in a length of unfused wire, and he reported that smoke was billowing.

So your problem seems to have been fuel. When the car died, had you just driven away after making a hot start? If so, you may have used up the fuel in the bowl, then encountered some sort of vapor lock situation between tank and carb. These can be tricky to diagnose. And was it a particularly hot day where you are? One 2002 I saw was having this unfortunate problem consistently. It disappeared immediately, and permanently, when I dialed up the fuel pressure regulator (installed between pump and Weber carb) from 2.5 to 4.5 psi. There was a soft but audible pfffft sound, as if pressure were being released. The stalled engine started immediately, and everything was tip top thereafter. All fixes should be so easy! The carb cleaner probably did little or nothing for you. It's more likely that the successful restart occurred because the engine had had time to cool off a bit.

Excellent post from '76Mintgrun'02, and nice photo. I'd heard about the Jeep filter idea, and understand that this has worked for a number of folks. As long as sufficient fuel pressure to the carb can be maintained in all driving conditions, you're good to zoom. As to the overall problem of fuel boiling, all three Webers commonly used in 2002s seem to be susceptible to this problem: 32/36, 38/38 (especially sensitive, it seems), and 40/40. Back in the day, no one experienced these difficulties. Without doubt, ethanol has to be the cause. There are about a dozen stations in Massachusetts that sell ethanol-free fuel, but unfortunately none are close to me. A state-by-state guide to availability can be found here: http://pure-gas.org

Many have grappled with this problem, myself included. 1976 2002, Metric Mechanic 2200 Sport motor, Weber 40/40 DFAV. Ethanol (another term for pure grain alcohol) lowers the boiling point of fuel markedly, and that led to real trouble for me. Fuel makes its way in relatively cool conditions from the tank to the firewall, but once it enters the engine compartment, it has all sorts of time to grow quite warm during the slow journey to the carb. After a good run in any season, and after shutdown of the motor, residual heat atop gathering atop my car's intake manifold would cause the already-hot fuel to boil audibly in the bowl and percolate right into the throat of the carb (which lacks an anti-percolation feature). This resulted in worrisome levels of fumes, and caused a super-rich flooding condition that made it hard to restart the car when hot. I saw no evidence that this problem was due to actual engine overheating: the gauge was right in the familiar sweet spot (with brand new sender), and when measured with an infrared thermometer after warmup, the radiator, block, and manifold temperatures seemed entirely fine. Driving performance was great. The troublesome issues arose only after the engine was turned off. Opening the hood wide to dissipate heat after stopping improved things to be sure, but that’s no way to live. I tried all the standard remedies: installed a spacer block under the carb, insulated the fuel lines and pump, insulated the carb bowl, replaced the needle and seat, tweaked the fuel level in the bowl by adjusting the float. One BMW expert suggested a fuel pressure regulator between fuel pump and carb, dialed down to 2.5 PSI. Alas, none of this brought any improvement whatever. All the local gurus were stumped, and I was starting to run out of ideas. One far-out tactic did come to my attention: as noted in a post above, some have reported that they've cured this very problem by installing a timed fan positioned to blow air over the carb for 15 minutes after shutdown. That seemed like an unduly complicated workaround, one I was not eager to adopt. Then came a final inspiration. As part of the emission-control package installed in US models for the 1976 production year, my car was originally set up with a return line that sent fuel back to the tank: just enough went to the carb, with the rest heading back to the tank via a diverter fitting. This return loop had been disconnected many years ago, when the belt-driven air pump (remember those?) and other associated gear was removed. My new thought was as follows: if I could keep cool fuel circulating, it wouldn’t have a chance to heat up while sitting in the line moving gradually across the hot engine. I located the old hard return line that runs under the driver’s side of the car. The old soft line from the tank to the hard line was completely deteriorated, but was not difficult to replace. The forward end of the hard line ends up just under the steering box, and it was easy to make a new connection there. I then inserted a 5/16″ (8mm) tee downstream from the pump and just before the intake fitting on the carb. Some fuel goes to the carb, the rest back to the tank. This means that fuel now circulates continuously and has no chance to pick up heat while sitting in the engine bay. The only “hot” segment of fuel line is the very short portion between tee and carb, and that brief run simply doesn’t afford the fuel sufficient time to warm appreciably. Yes, the carb bowl may be as warm as ever after shutdown, but when the now-cooler fuel reaches it, it no longer boils. This fix brought a complete end to the unfortunate symptoms.