Finally made a start on the E30

The E30 has been standing for 3 years now and that's left some traces. There's the fuel leak under the intake manifold and the handbrake is stuck. Thought I'd tackle the rear brakes first. Tried to pull the brake discs, no luck, the brake shoe is united with the disc. Thought I'd might be able to free it by moving the car. Since I have the massive fuel leak I don't want to start the engine, so I hooked up a chain pulley between the E30 and the heavier E46. Even with the latter being in gear and on handbrake, it was that one moving at first. Blocked its wheels, now the E30 just lifted its rear axle and slid over the floor. Put wife and kid in the back of it, lowered tyre pressure for better grip, no use. Gave it a good spray of WD40 and gave up.

OK... Since I can't edit because I'm to slow (changed from iPad to PC after the first paragraph and took to long to finish my post)

The E30 has been standing for 3 years now and that's left some traces. There's the fuel leak under the intake manifold and the handbrake is stuck. Thought I'd tackle the rear brakes first. Tried to pull the brake discs, no luck, the brake shoe is united with the disc. Thought I'd might be able to free it by moving the car. Since I have the massive fuel leak I don't want to start the engine, so I hooked up a chain pulley between the E30 and the heavier E46. Even with the latter being in gear and on handbrake, it was that one moving at first. Blocked its wheels, now the E30 just lifted its rear axle and slid over the floor. Put wife and kid in the back of it, lowered tyre pressure for better grip, no use. Gave it a good spray of WD40 and gave up.

Since the Boss has other priorities, I wasn't able to continue anyway (read: preparing a room for the boy to move in to free up the baby room).

Three weeks ago, I started having issues with the E46's starter, no problems when cold, but just ticking without moving when warm. Not that much of an issue yet as I usually have 8 hours between starts. Unless when I stop at a shop or go pick up the boy at the kinder garden. Still not that bad, I could let run the car and lock it with the other key. I ordered a new starter and one week later I got it and wanted to install it over the weekend (pain in the *ss job, there's a lot to remove to get to it, including the intake manifold). Got it all out, even the starter, wanted to put the new one in and... wait a minute... that's not the right one... (lots of cursing and swearing here) Put back in the original starter and drove on for two days until it gave completely and didn't want to start at all, not even when hammering it while turning the key. With the replacement starter still on its way, I had a full week of getting a pull start in the morning (the pregnant wife shouldn't be pushing) and begging around on the parking lot at work for a push start. This week I had a week off (kinder garden is closed for two weeks) so when the boy was sleeping I had time to prepare for the new starter to come, it should come early in the week anyway. Got it all out in a record time and waited... waited... waited... Found some time to replace the fuel filter and check the crankcase ventilation (known to clog up and feed oil to the intake, making the engine to get out of control and blow up, luckily I already had the later type without this issue). And waited and waited and waited...

Since I had to wait and since I became somewhat experienced in taking intake manifolds off, I thought I'd get back to the E30. It all unbolted pretty easily (just as the rear brakes, which surprised me a bit, I assumed it would all be stuck a bit) but getting the manifold off was a bit harder, bloody throttle body heater! The hose retainers where in such a position I could hardly reach them with the screw driver. Anyway, the two 5 cm flexible fuel lines got exposed and appear to have some good cracking (that must have been the fuel smell I had at times when I drove it the last couple of months). And not only the fuel lines. Most of the vacuum lines have seen better times, hope I can still get them from the dealer (looks like it's gonna be expensive, there's a coolant line running through them???)
While I'm down there, anyone thinking of something else to check/replace while I can? Once this is done I can get the rear wheels off the ground and rock them back and forth with the clutch, trying to get that handbrake loose.

By Thursday morning the new starter for the E46 came in, the correct part this time (remanufactered Valeo part instead of a Bosch one), went in easily and turned the car into a key starter instead of a push/pull starter. Woohoo! Happy motoring again!

Several major projects at once: The e30, the starter motor and the baby.

RESPECT!


Next time you leave a car parked for a long time, (assuming your garage is leveled) don't pull the handbrake, just leave it in gear and chock two wheels.
All the plastic hoses will give you trouble, once you start to use the car. You may want to replace the coolant and fuel hoses at once, while at it...D
The fuel smell was a leak, gasoline is so volatile that it's often very hard to trace where the leak is coming from until it turns too bad.

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Jose Pinto
Several major projects at once: The e30, the starter motor and the baby.

RESPECT!

Some of those projects were just a matter of minutes :-)

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Jose Pinto
Next time you leave a car parked for a long time, (assuming your garage is leveled) don't pull the handbrake, just leave it in gear and chock two wheels.
All the plastic hoses will give you trouble, once you start to use the car. You may want to replace the coolant and fuel hoses at once, while at it...D
The fuel smell was a leak, gasoline is so volatile that it's often very hard to trace where the leak is coming from until it turns too bad.

The handbrake hadn't been pulled, I guess corrosion slowly worked its way between the brake shoe and the disc. In the end I'll will, I just don't know when the end will come. All the vacuum hoses will have to be replaced, as well as the badly accessible fuel lines, the manifold gasket and the engine fluids. The power steering will need some car, there's some play at the pump somewhere. Both belts will be replaced as well, just to be sure. I should also have a look at the distribution guide rails and possibly the chain, it has the well known rattle around 3000 rpm.
Better turn it into a large project than many small ones.

Many small projects can be finished in a short time each. A large project will take weeks and is too large to ever get enough committment to start. Better to do the small ones.

Bob in Lake Havasu

One way or another, have your projects ready by the time the baby comes, it will be quite intense at the first months. The first 36 months, or so...

More like the first 18 years?

alan

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alanrw
More like the first 18 years?

alan

It depends...At first you must adjust your life, like major adjustments, then things start to follow new routines...
Cars are so easy, when compared!

Ain't gonna work... The baby is due next week!

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Michiel 318iS
Ain't gonna work... The baby is due next week!

"Due next week" is the same as "Any time now".

No pressure!

I will second the 18 years opinion.

Bob in Lake Havasu

No pressure indeed, I'm as happy as the first time, the uncertainty has gone, we know what to expect. But still it'll require some adaptation, the two year old is already able to do a lot of stuff by himself and there will be that totally helpless little thing... Life's amazing!

I must take the advice of the experienced ones here, no matter how old they get, they keep asking for your attention in some way and I guess it won't stop on a short term.

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Michiel 318iS
I must take the advice of the experienced ones here, no matter how old they get, they keep asking for your attention in some way and I guess it won't stop on a short term.

It's a lifes work, and changes in great ways along the way. I love my kids and my life is so much better because of them.

I've been lucky though...

Good Luck Michiel