The Dark Wob

The Reverend Bluejeans wrote: ↑Sun Apr 24, 2022 6:23 pm

SubPar wrote: ↑Sun Apr 24, 2022 4:20 pm
- Is there a way of refurbishing the gear linkages from above / inside the car? It's not bad at all, but could be better. I'm also too lazy to start fannying about underneath the car unless I absolutely have to.
- Do these have adjustable rear tracking? I reckon it needs the tracking done, but considering whether it needs a 4-wheel alignment.
- Anybody know of a reputable source for an M50B25 intake manifold? It's a fun idea to add another 20hp but the only ones I can find are listed on ebay for sale from "Default Address" in Lithuania. Err, no thanks. It's more of a want than a need though. Not a problem if I don't get one.

No. It's a lift/ramp job. A short shift lever is a good plan but not Ebay shite. Z3 or Z4 levers are good.

Yes, The three bolt t/a bracket is adjustable for toe in/out.

No. Rocking horse shit. Wait for a UK seller of repute and get bummed for £300. You'll need a remap to get the best from it. Enda Tuning is good.

Fair enough. I should probably look at doing the gearbox oil as a first port of call.

Good to know about the alignment, and the price of intake manifolds is what I've been seeing too. It's a fun idea, but it sounds like a hassle.

I have tomorrow and Tuesday off work just to use up annual leave. I might make some calls about getting tracking looked at.

My Saab is pencilled in with Davie end of June, after your E36 presumably, perhaps we can sort out lifts between us or something if time slots align.

How's gingernutz's hands? The last I saw he'd melted the skin off them putting out a fire welding that mustang. They looked terrible.

Must be fine as he's still cracking on!

Aye, American fire just isn't the same octane rating as British fire, so it didn't burn him all that badly.

Just got the 4 wheel alignment done on the BMW this morning.

With the steering at true centre, the wheel was like this:
The garage did notice the new section of steering column, done as part of the recall. Douglas Park BMW's handiwork consisted of throwing a steering column vaguely in the direction of the car. Bunch of absolute wankers.

I can remove an E36 steering wheel in my sleep now, so it was quickly sorted. It drives much better now.

Currently getting the front wheels tracked on the Civic, at the same garage.

The Civic is now done too.

Steering wheel is bob-on and I can even feel it has less rolling resistance.

On certain roads I find myself driving the Civic quicker than the BMW. As fun as it is going BWARP on straight bits in the BMW, the Civic just stays on boost ridiculously easily, and it corners very flat.

As a treat to it, I went over the Civic's seats quickly with some upholstery cleaner. It had some weird stains like water marks or something. All gone now.

In another spurt of enthusiasm today, Mr Split Pin showed me how to polish a car properly. He also did most of the work.
Driving over to his proved the 4-wheel alignment has made a huge difference. Cruising at 'motorway speeds' with just one heel of one hand holding the wheel straight. It sat there perfectly serenely. Then on corners it's more responsive than before, to the point I was sometimes pitching in a little too much out of muscle memory!

Now to not touch either car for several days. That's enough car stuff for one day.

Fannying about with fans!

The other week I had a look at the viscous coupling on the BMW's cooling fan. It seemed fine, in that it had some resistance to it. However it only had 10 of the 11 blades on the fan.

I ordered a new fan:
It has 3 mounting lugs. Fine, that's what RealOEM shows for this car, and any other M52B25 engine from 1998.

Nope. This car had a fan with 4 lugs, and a viscous coupling with 4 holes.

I got a new viscous coupling delivered to the parents' farm, as I was up there for the past few days in the Civic. I got home today, with my viscous coupling in the boot and did this:
A new fan and coupling.

I fitted it all to the car, and had to do away with the shroud as the new fan is somewhat deeper than the old one. It sits right behind the radiator anyway so the shroud wouldn't have been doing much. Unlike the old 316i which had a roughly foot-deep shroud!

The first fire-up had the fan whooshing away. I was slightly concerned then realised when these couplings are cold, some of the oil is in the passageways, causing the fan to be driven.

Perhaps the old one wasn't as "fine" as I thought it was... This one definitely has more resistance to it. Once taken out for a run, it settled down too. 5 grand in second gear didn't yield any plastic shrapnel, so I'll call that a success.

Then I tightened up the Civic's handbrake after discovering it couldn't cope with some of the hills in Turriff...

Hmm...
So much for that, then.

Did 3 runs at Crail like that. Temperature gauge didn't budge.

I have ordered the electric fan switch for a 4 pot, as it operates about 5 Celsius lower. Apparently a fairly common mod on these. At least I know of someone running an M3 in Australia with no viscous fan and the 4 pot fan switch with no ill effects.

It actually drives better too, the reduction in reciprocating mass is noticeable.