Swept, Prepped, and Pulled

In the last post, I mentioned the disaster area known as the garage. There are no before pictures because I forgot to take one :D

So much room for shenanigans!

With that out of the way:

• boxed and shipped out some left over parts from the Roach
• made a list of activities and tasks
  

I ended with up pulling the 4.8, staging parts for the build, and making the first repair on the Stincoln SmelLS.

Even if this repaired armrest never make it to the car (it probably will), it was a way for me to set the tone . . . establish an easy win.

Que the garage music and crack a cold one . . . off to finish part inventory and ordering parts!

-=PJ

Updates in the Garage

Toyota Corolla aka Roach

The Roach was parted out and chassis sold for scrap. I got tried of running into rusty spot after rusty panel after rusty patch.

Truck and Trailer

Loading this rusty carcass on the trailer was a back breaking chore. Looks like it is time for a trailer winch. Speaking of the trailer, some of the planks will need to be replaced. Great timing since lumber is $$$$. Aaaaaaaand since some planks need to be replaced, I may as well perform some upgrades to the trailer and Dakota. :D

BMW 350is

I sent the Microsquirt unit and adapter harness to EFI Source for a checkout. They indicated the unit was good and reloaded a base map. I can plan the final bit of clean up work and get ready to learn how to tune stuffs.

Misc.

With the Roach gone, the garage is a complete disaster area! I guess I need to grab a broom and dust pan before I attempt to do anything above.

 

-=PJ

Troubleshooting + New stuff

Troubleshooting

The 350is runs on a Cobra (X3Z) ECU. While it "runs" and "drives", there is a huge hesitation starting around ~3200ish rpm under WOT. It only revs cleaning to the limited under light throttle application. With a Cobra MAF and 24lb injectors, there shouldn't be too many issues using this ECU . . . supposedly. To avoid shotgunning parts, I checked all the usual stuff  (no codes other than the missing emissions equipment) and came up with some possible issues:

• Questionable grounds
• Vacuum Leaks
• Dirty MAF
  
• Fuel
• Old fuel
• Old ass fuel pump
•  Ignition
• Spark Plug Gap
• Distributor issues
• Suspect Coil
  
• Suspect O2 sensors
  
• Suspect ECU

There are some free and near free (both labor and $$$$) items. The basic stuff like checking grounds, cleaning the MAF, spark plug gap would be a great place to start. If those do not resolve the issue, I'll move on to replacing part that I currently have on the shelf. An example is the fuel pump and strainer are factory original 1993 items. I'll replace this due to its age. If that fails, then I'll move onto other parts.

New Stuff 

The EEC-IV is capable of running a lightly modified 5.0L. Unfortunately, all these ECUs are old, used units that are highly suspect. They may have solder issues or have been incorrectly modified. A fragged ECU was one of the initial problems that plagued this build.

 

A canned tune cost $250 with the price rapidly increasing for true dyno tune. The equipment to self tune an EEC-IV is $300-650, but I would still be stuck with the EEC-IV. If the current X3Z is fragged, I would have to find a decent replacement to use. Those replacements vary from $30-500. So what to do? Enter MicroSquirt!!

 

I picked up this little box and adapter for cheap. As usual, it is from an abandoned project. Even with adding in the cost of wideband (needed for any type of tuning) and a fully unlocked suite of tuning tools, it is about the same as decent tune.

Before I install this, I'll make sure the car is mechanically sound and running as best as it can with the Cobra ECU.

Gimme Fuel Gimme Fire

 I received my refurbed sending unit

It looks way better than the one that came out of the 780.

Checked all the hoses for rot and they "looked" ok. After stabbing in the refurbed unit, I hotwired the pump to prime the system and sprung a giant leak. Sigh . . .

The pressure hose that "looked" ok apparently was not ok. It ruptured in 3 . . . THREE . . . places. And of course the hose clamp is completely out of view and can only be accessed by dropping the tank.

Well, jacking up the car on soft dirt was not happening. Out comes the razor to trim away as much as the hose as possible. I took a pair of side cutters and snipped the hose clamp. Success!!

Eh . . . not so fast. I have to get a new clamp on there and tighten it blind. After what seemed like hours of fiddling, I had the new hose and hose clamp on it. Let's try this again . . . .

I hotwired the pump to prime the system and found no leaks.


She's running a bit rough and coughs a bit; not bad for sitting up for 3 years. After idling for about 15mins, it did smooth out a bit, but still has a slight hesitation. Took her for spin around the yard with the rear suspension riding on the bump stops (nivomats are dead). A tune up will probably make her sing. For now, it runs and it drives.

-=PJ

Fuel, Varnish, and Tar?

I put some hands on the Volvo 780 today to replace a dead fuel pump.

It's your standard, late 80s 2 pump setup; one internal and one external. The external pump was dead. I hooked up my siphoning contraption to pull all the old ass varnish . . . I mean . . . fuel. After jacking the car up via the approved jack points and using jackstands, I attempted to remove the external fuel pump assembly. Every inch of the underbody was covered in this tar like goo. I guess it could be worse . . . I mean there is rust on the top and none underneath

Anyway, I removed the crapped out fuel pump and old fuel filter and reinstalled everything. With a fresh battery and three gallons of fresh gas, I turned the key and the pump spun up! I cycled the key a few times and check the for leaks. No leaks found and internal pump spun up during the cycling to prime the system. YAY!! Turn the key and the 780 sputter to life . . . WOOOWHOOO! Wait . . . Wait . . . why are you coughing? Why are shutting down? Sigh . . .

Ok, let's check the normal stuff . . . Still no leaks. External Pump still cycles . . . albeit slowly??? Fuses are good. Relays are still clicking. Why hasn't the fuel gauge moved? Hmmmm . . .

I ran a test on the internal fuel pump and nothing. Great.

So after stuffing myself in the trunk to pull the fuel sending unit, I emerged with this:

Well f**k. None of that looks good and it is missing a fuel strainer. Great. I couldn't find it in tank. Awesome! That would explain what stuffed up the pump. Sigh . . . Let's see how much this is.

780 1988–1991 Fuel Pump Assembly with Fuel Level Sending Unit

3507499

$545.45

Hell to the nizzy!

Searching . . . Searching . . . Searching . . . Searching . . .

The local Pull-A-Part has a few Volvos on the yard with the same fuel sender and pump combo for less than 30bux. Add a $25 pump, $5 strainer, and $5ish in wiring kit . . . I could do this for ~$70 with shipping included.

I found a Volvo parts recycler on eBay that has a few of these for $180. Yea . . . it's more expensive but it comes with a new pump and strainer ready to dropped in. And I don't have to curl myself into a ball in musty ass trunk for an hour dealing with crusty clamps and wasps to remove a highly suspect unit.

Well . . . you know my time is something I can't make! Time to order.

-=PJ

Depowered Roach

Well what's next for the Roach?

I just can't leave well enough alone :)

-=PJ

And Now THIS!

We put in a little work this weekend.

Such a handsome, classic face!

Oh . . . what is this?

The 350is has not seen sunlight since 2014.

She's low!

She runs and drives!

Holy crap . . . She runs AND drives!! I took her down the road and even with a stock tune . . . coughing and spitting long the way . . . the torque off idle is intoxicating. I did a small burnout just pulling up the driveway.

So what's next?

The power steering needs some attention. It's sorta there and sorta not. Other than the tune and tach, the rest are are easy breezy stuff. We'll use sheet metal or ABS plastic to get those done.

-=PJ

Huge Updated on 350is

We've been putting in some time on the 350is. Enjoy the photos . . .

Interior wiring clean-up:

Fan/Radiator Shroud:

Clutch Slave Cylinder and Bracket:

Engine bay Wiring Clean-up:

Exhaust:

The Office:

Almost done!!

My welding helmet died and it started raining. We just need to finish some incomplete welds on the exhaust, sand it down, slap on exhaust paint, and reinstall. After that, one final check before a test drive!

-=PJ

We've been busy

We put in some work in late 2019 and the start of 2020. Let's keep the momentum going!

BMW 350is


BMW 530i


Dodge Dakota


The Roach (Corolla)

-=PJ

Herd Thinned

The 318is has been sold! The new owner was a very giddy after the test drive. She went to a great home.

Now . . . what's next??

-=PJ

It's time to thin our herd

First up is our 1993 BMW 318is(~166k mi) with manual transmission and riding on Bilstein Sports with Tokico lowering springs. It has was revived last summer and put back into DD status for a few months. The following have about 2k miles on it: reman alternator, reman brake booster, new brakes and lines, tires have less than 2k miles,  Volvo electric fan conversion (wired to run with key on), O2 sensor, engine and trans mounts, fuel filter, knock sensors, sweighted shift knob, intake gaskets, coolant pipe, BMW coolant system R&R, ICV hoses, oil filter housing orings, intake boot, and heater core.

Next up is our 1997 BMW 740i(~180k mi). It was retired from DD status last February. In the last 3-4 years we have done transmission service (reman torque convertor included), tires, brakes, BMW coolant system R&R (radiator included), PCV intake plate, monroe shocks and struts, plugs, coil packs, battery, replaced passenger door handle, and lower oil pan gasket.

Known issues . . .

318is
- Mysterious vacuum leak that comes and goes. This leave the DISA in short runner mode
- Bendix on the starter is sticky
- Ripped driver seat pad
- Ugly tint job
- Never tested the operation of the sunroof
- Missing some trim pieces and headliner is ratty
- Paint issues

No longer for sale . . . because Mrs. Zero said so.
740i
- Wheel sensor issue (ABS and TSC lights illuminated)
- BMW infamous seat twist
- Driver window locked in the up position
- Driver side passenger door lock cylinder failure
- Transmission whine: Fluid needs to be topped off after a oring leak wasdiscovered and fixed at the trans cooler
- Gauge cluser missing pixels
- Bendix on the starter is sticky
- Front bumper cracked
- Glove box latch broken and removed
- Paint issues
- Ugly rear tint

Parts included with each:

318is
- M42B18 engine and all parts and gasket to refresh - head and short block are separated
- Guibo, center bearing, and exhaust hangers
- 3.45 LSD
- JY starter
- Plus all other parts I can't remember

740i
- All parts for rear suspension refresh
- Front suspension and steering components (passenger side has been done)
- Regulator for driver's window
- Latch/Lock for Glove box
- JY gauge cluster that can be repaired to take care of pixel issue
- Backup battery
- Stock headlights from JY
- Plus all other parts I can't remember

I'm sure I'm forgetting something . . . I'll have to throw a battery in and verify the mileage.

The price is $1800 each. If you want an adventure, buy both for $3400! They are located in Columbia, SC. Both of these cars are pretty much highway and daily driver worthy. However, the 740i will need the suspension and steering components done soon.

-=PJ

Been a Loooooong While!

It's been a long while since I made a post. Life brought on a LOT of changes; some good, some bad, and some ugly. No need to harp on the crappy stuff . . . onto the good.

I picked up a few different cars and a motorcycle.

Let's see . . .

• 1982 Toyota Corolla - It was a dog house
• 1996 Infiniti G20 - Daily driver for Sister Zero
• 2000 Lincoln LS - Will receive the 4.8L that was slated for the 780.
• 2005 Cadillac CTS-V - My Daily Driver
• 2014 Cadillac ATS - Mrs. Zero Daily Driver
• 2018 BMW G310R - My Other Daily Driver

Do I still have the other vehicles? Of course I do!

1988 Volvo 780

 I was gutted when I found all of the rust on the windshield frame. It's such a striking car. So I can scrap it, pay someone $$$$$$$ to fix it, or try to fix it myself. You can guess which direction I will be going :) With the Lincoln receiving the 4.8L, I scored an ultra cheap M60B30 (BMW V8) and Getrag 420g that will take its place.

1993 BMW 318is

Still around and kicking! Threw on a fresh set of tires and brakes along with alternator, belts, O2 sensor, and brake booster at the ole girl. She is still a pleasure to drive but being prepped for sale. (Update - She was sold!)

1993 BMW 350is

After exorcising the demons, the engine developed a strange noise in the bottom end. I was completely drained on this build and almost hated looking at it. It seems the gremlins want me to quit. When I get more sage and beads, we'll see who has stronger will.

1994 BMW 530i

The Tank is still in hibernation. He may see some HPDE action this year :D

1997 BMW 740i

The Bus has been retired from daily driver use and being prepped for sale. (Update - Mrs. Zero said no sale.)

1998 Honda VFR800

I have something special planned for my old steed.

2000 Dodge Dakota

After doing all the maintenance on the Sleighdeer (srsly Dodge . . . that heater core job sucked), I lost the clutch coming home from work. At first, I thought it was clutch hydraulics . . . NOPE. I have to drop the transmission to see what is amiss. I have awesome luck!

Welp . . . I think that brings this blog up to date. As usual, wish me luck to get the broken things fixed, maintain the running, and sell off retirees. Let's hope the next update comes more quickly that this one.


-=PJ

Three steps forward and 47 back . . .

The cheap fix didn't work on the ECM, this thing is too far gone. I struggled to find a reman replacement from the usual places. I did find a Cali emissions reman for $155. Since I'm going to get it tuned, it really didn't matter.

I planned and made some changes to car while waiting on the new ECM to arrive.

First, I changed the external clutch slave cylinder from this:

To this:

A much simpler design and it moved the slave cylinder forward nearly .5 inches without all of the deflection of the other mount. I'll add some gussets later.

I started mapping out removing all of the interior wiring I don't need. Holy crap reading BMW wiring diagrams suck!! This looks like it would be a nice long winter project. I added removal the Heater box/core to that list as well. I'll put in a piece of PVC with holes drilled or leave the vents and a 12v RV dryer for windshield defrost (the rears are electric and won't be removed).

I finally added the hood and made a few changes and additions to radiator mounts. I need some more foam tape to finish it off.

The reman ECM showed up a few days later. I checked and double checked all the wiring. Added the ECM and tried to pull codes. Turned the key, the pump spun up and shut off . . . good signs thus far!! I proceed to pull codes:

• 31 - Canister or EGR valve control system
• 81 - Thermactor air circuit
• 82 - Thermactor air circuit, integrated controller circuit
• 84 - EGR control circuit

AWESOME!! My engine has none of those installed, so those codes are expected. I'll add some resistors to the connectors so they won't show up until I can them tuned out.

The moment of truth . . . Cycled the car off and removed the jumper used to pull codes. I took a deep breath and turned the key. The fuel pump spun and shut off . . . EXCELLENT!! I took another breath and turned it to start . . . . 

HOT DAMN . . . this beast runs . . . I let it idle for a moment. I gave it a few revs it sounded SOOOOOOO good. I turned it off since I have some finish wiring to do.

So . . .what's left on the list to get done!!

1. Finish Wiring
2. Rewire Fan + switch
3. Adjust the clutch slave cylinder
4. Order windshield (current one is good and cracked)
5. Remove car from jack stands
6. Get exhausted fabbed
7. Get tuned
8. Drive like my pants are on FIRE!!

With all this good news . . . someone decided to steal this cowboy's horse when I visited the General Store.

Someone in my neighborhood called Code Enforcement while we were away at the Dragon. I received a nice visit from the officer on my birthday. Apparently, my cars in my yard offends someone out there. Nevermind, we stay in back of the subdivision, in a cul de sac, and my cars face a wooded/uncleared lot. Basically unless you live back here, you won't know.

Here the code:

• All motor vehicles and/or trailers without a valid state license plate permitting operation on public roads and highways, which are stored, parked or located on a lot in any zoning district in the unincorporated areas of the county, except those parcels that are five (5) acres of greater in the (RU) Rural zoning district, are required to be kept in a garage, carport, or protected from the elements by a fitted cover; provided, however, in the case of a vehicle protected from the elements by a cover, such vehicle shall not be visible from the public right-of-way . . .

• Any motor vehicle and/or trailer that is not capable of operating in accordance with South Carolina law and/or capable of moving under its own power (even if it has a valid state-issued license plate permitting operation on public roads and highways) shall not be stored, parked, or located on a lot in any residential or commercial zoning district in any zoning district in the unincorporated areas of the county (except those parcels that are five (5) acres of greater in the (RU) Rural zoning district) for more than a single period of thirty (30) consecutive days during any calendar year unless it is kept in a garage, carport, or protected from the elements by a fitted cover; provided, however, in the case of a vehicle protected from the elements by a cover, such vehicle shall not be visible from the public right-of-way.

Strangely, when the Sleighdeer and Mrs. Zero's 740i has sat for more than 30 days at a time those were not part of the complaint. It was specifically about my project cars.

Now, some might say . . ."Well, whip covers on the cars and call it done!" . . . not so fast. These cars are parked in my third driveway on the side of the house and it visible from the cul de sac . . . I could move them to the back yard and add a cover, but . . . they would be visible from the other cul de sac. I discussed it in detail with the Code Enforcement Officer. Either a fence ($$$$) or a carport ($$$) will place me back on the right side of a broken law. Just can't win when some people don't want you to . . .

So now, I have to cut down some trees, level part of my lot, add some gravel, and stand up a carport. I was planning to put one up anyway, but annoyed that I have to know skip the TT school and the rest of the events for the year due some a** in my neighborhood that has nothing else in life to do.

The most NOT excellent part is the HOA has not responded to any request for information I have made. Answer the phone or return the message? Nope . . . Reply to the email? Nada . . . Response to a written letter? . . . Hell no . . .

So when I stand up this car port and they come over wagging fingers, I'm going to point to the community covenant and politely ask them to leave . . . My tinfoil hat seems to say this may have been orchestrated by a board member.

I need to plant that money tree in backyard so I can put up the fence and 2-bay shop . . . that would be a nice flip of the boid to those in neighborhood that have nothing to do other than worry about things that do not concern them.

-=PJ

Demons . . .BE GONE!!

I took my time this week and removed the hackered engine harness from the car.

I clipped out some additional wiring and clips that I would/may need. As I searched this hackered mess, it was WAY worse than I originally thought once I removed all of the sheathing. Holy crap this thing is bad.

After a long inspection of the new used harness, I was rather pleased to only find one missing connector and few broken ones. I laid the new used harness in place and proceeded to replace all of the broken connectors with the good one from the old rats nest.

Marriage of the E36 connector and Mustang connector was completed per instructions in the swap then tested for continuity. I took some other old connectors and made some jumpers to interface between the two.

I threw on the still questionable ECM and a fresh battery . . . Same ole, same ole . . . Continuous CEL and always on fuel pump when the key was on. At this point it was no point in trying to start it because I've been down this path before. Let's take a look at something different.

Yep . . . that's a shot of one of the capacitors on the ECM. All three are crapped out, but this is the worst of the three. Luckily, the local Radio Shack (they do still exist) have these in stock. I'll have dig deep into my memory and talent to get this repair right.

So you might say, "Strike Zero, why not get another ECM?" Well, the guy who sold me the harness wants $160ish for one he has. Finding one on Ebay?? Good fooking luck!! Lowest price is $250 for a used one . . . Oh!! How about our local part stores?? Reman units ($160ish with core) are slim to none . . . IF you can find one, it takes 7-10 days to get one in. That's right, one of sole reasons for changing to the 302 was parts availability. Apparently, that's not the case for ECMs. I'll revisit that issue on another day . . . Megasquirt is sounding mo' better.

I'll try to repair. The worst thing that can happen is . . . nothing. Wish me luck . . . heading to Radio Shack

-=PJ