Rally-x 528e build (caged, head swap, and more!)

[95maxrider]

Forgot to post pics of the old beat up PS and alternator tensioners. As you can clearly see, they were not in the best shape...thankfully the new ones are nice and shiny

[95maxrider]

Forgot to post pics from the first event!









Three wheelin' it!

[95maxrider]

I was told when I bought my 528e that it had a 3.23 LSD in it. After a few races I'm starting to think it needs a 3.73. I'm just not sure if the E28 comes with the medium case diffs or not. Does anyone know off the top of their head?

Here's what's currently in the car:




Can anyone tell what it is by looking?

Thanks!

[jevansx1]

I was told when I bought my 528e that it had a 3.23 LSD in it. After a few races I'm starting to think it needs a 3.73. I'm just not sure if the E28 comes with the medium case diffs or not. Does anyone know off the top of their head?

Here's what's currently in the car:




Can anyone tell what it is by looking?

Thanks!

Can't really tell by looking, but there should be a tag hanging on one of the cover bolts on the right side of the diff. If it is the original diff, it should be 2.93 ratio if car is an 82-87, or a 3.25 if the car is an 88 5 speed. See this link in the tech FAQs for more info:
http://www.mye28.com/viewtopic.php?t=44635
I have a 3.73 LSD from a 325is and I LOVE IT!!! No more wheel spin drama when taking off hard from a corner, no more inside tire spin and the car loves the gearing reduction. I would think it would really be a benefit in AutoX.

[jevansx1]

Was wondering about the spoiler you found on ebay. What kind of spoiler is that, and is it E28 specific? Also was wondering about the valve cover paint you used. I assume this was a rattle can crinkle coat. What kind of paint was this? Both look good! And love those mudflaps! I am enjoying your Auto X thread. Keep up the good work!

[95maxrider]

Can't really tell by looking, but there should be a tag hanging on one of the cover bolts on the right side of the diff. If it is the original diff, it should be 2.93 ratio if car is an 82-87, or a 3.25 if the car is an 88 5 speed. See this link in the tech FAQs for more info:
http://www.mye28.com/viewtopic.php?t=44635
I have a 3.73 LSD from a 325is and I LOVE IT!!! No more wheel spin drama when taking off hard from a corner, no more inside tire spin and the car loves the gearing reduction. I would think it would really be a benefit in AutoX.

Yeah, the only problem is that the previous owner had already modded the car, so that info probably doesn't apply. What I really wanted to know was if it was a medium case diff, which it sounds like the M20 cars are (for the most part). It sounds like an E30 3.73 will work if I swap out the flanges and cover, so I think I'm in luck. Yeah, from what I hear, the 3.73 is just about perfect for these cars/this motor. I'm excited, I just need to find one now!

[95maxrider]

Was wondering about the spoiler you found on ebay. What kind of spoiler is that, and is it E28 specific? Also was wondering about the valve cover paint you used. I assume this was a rattle can crinkle coat. What kind of paint was this? Both look good! And love those mudflaps! I am enjoying your Auto X thread. Keep up the good work!

I can't remember the description of that spoiler, except that it was an E28 specific one. I'll see if I can dig through my old emails and get more info.

For the valve cover, I used the black VHT Wrinkle Plus spray paint. Sanding and prep work is key! Thanks for the compliments!

I just started up my 2013 auto-x results thread with pics and videos, so feel free to check it out if you're bored!

http://forums.maxima.org/autocrossing-r ... ost8787091

[95maxrider]

Bobby and I got together to work on the car a couple weekends ago and were able to trace some of the water leaks coming into the trunk. It seems as if one leak was coming from the tail light seals, another from the loose weather stripping for the trunk on the driver's side, and another from the C pillar vent holes.

Here's the water coming in through the tail lights


And the area where the water from the C pillar drains into




And the loose weather stripping


Thankfully, the waterproof silicone I put down on the one corner has stayed secure, so I used more of the stuff to hold the rest of it down.


For the C pillar, we're probably just going to tape over or silicone the holes that are missing their clips that seem to keep the water out. Both C pillar vents are missing the lowest (and different style) clip and I'm too lazy to try to locate them.

I also bought some 3M Strip Calk http://www.amazon.com/3M-08578-Black-St ... B000PEZ1L4 to help seal up the tail lights. We shall see how all these fixes work in time.....I really want to get the sound deadening carpeted over both to keep it from getting torn up and also to keep the sound down. Soon though....

Apparently one common E28 failure point is a weak http://www.mye28.com/viewtopic.php?t=103670"]pedal bracket for the master cylinder.

Well, we bought the V.4 reinforcement and got to work.


After writhing around under the dash trying to contort our bodies over the high roll cage for the driver door, I got fed up and took the seat and steering wheel out so I could get better access to the pedals. Even with me lying on my back, getting good access was still incredibly difficult.



Bobby had started the project but stopped in the middle when he thought the bracket was bent and didn't line up properly. We were assured by the seller the bracket is supposed to have a bend in it, so I took over the project a few days later (when I decided to take the seat out). For whatever reason, Bobby took out both of the bolts that hold the bracket to the master cylinder, so I had to figure out how to align all the bolt holes again, which required pressing down on the clutch pedal a bit while it was not attached to anything and thus not aligned properly. I'm hoping I didn't do any permanent damage to the master cylinder in the process.

After much head banging on various sharp metal pieces and cursing, I was able to line all the bolt holes up and get it assembled. I'm not sure what Bobby did, but it all lined up perfectly for me. Thank god.







With that fixed, we drove the car out to a garage in Poolsville where we will be doing the majority of our big/difficult projects since Joe's garage is no longer an option. Yesterday, Eric got the following things done:
-Installed stock springs (raised the car 3-4"!!)
-Installed RSTB (the FSTB doesn't clear the big 2.5 IM, so I need to sell this one and get a custom one made that will clear)
-Installed a new coolant and PS reservoirs since ours were still leaking after replacing all the caps. Turns out one of the PS lines from the reservoir was barely clamped in place and was leaking PS fluid all over the place. Eric cleaned up both hoses and tightened them down, so hopefully that will be one less leak on the car. Hell, it might even be the reason we thought our PS box was leaking since the fluid was dripped down the line onto the box. Once Eric cleans up the box today he will inspect the mounts for cracks, since that is another very common E28 problem http://www.mye28.com/viewtopic.php?t=63659, and I'm pretty sure our car exhibits symptoms of broken/cracked mounts (slight clunk in steering wheel when turning to the right).
-Tweaked/bent the exhaust so it no longer hangs on the drive shaft. This should make driving to Summit a much less grating experience.

Today, he should start working on figuring out why our fan only comes on when the temp gauge goes into the red as well as a multitude of other projects. More updates to come!

[95maxrider]

Well Patrick and Josh saw the car at the event, but here are some updates for everyone else.

Got step one of the chrome trim blackout taping done!


And we blacked out a spare kidney grille


And the spoiler is on!




And blacked out a spare set of C pillar vents to match all the other black paint


Got the battery relocated:




New PS fluid reservoir


And coolant reservoir

[davintosh]

Installing STOCK SPRINGS lifted the car 3-4"?!?!? Was it running without springs before?

[95maxrider]

Installing STOCK SPRINGS lifted the car 3-4"?!?!? Was it running without springs before?

LOL, I'm wondering if I got 535 springs and if they ride higher than 528e springs would have. We also relocated the battery at the same time, so that probably added a bit to the front height. It's probably closer to 3", but still, DAMN. Now all that skid plate bracing has no reason to exist!

[Jelmer538i]

Maybe I missed it but that diff you have is a medium case diff called a 188 diff. The large case diffs are the 210 ones and the small case diffs are the 168 ones.

You can id a 188 diff by the 6 bolts that hold the side bearing housings in place, a 210 uses 8 bolts.

You are fine fitting a E30 325i diff after swapping your rear lid with the E28 one.

[95maxrider]

Since it looks like the OEM M5 sway bars are my only option at this point if I want 25/19 bars, I need to start thinking about new bushings. Do most people stay with stock bushings or go aftermarket? The only aftermarket ones I found are the Powerflex ones, and they are EXPENSIVE!

$54 for the fronts
http://powerflexusa.com/bmwe285series19 ... shing.aspx

And freaking $92 for the rear!?!? How in the world is that $92 worth of parts?
http://powerflexusa.com/bmwe285series19 ... shing.aspx

I haven't checked OEM prices, but even they can't be that overpriced. What do you guys think? Are there better options out there?

[95maxrider]

After reading

http://www.mye28.com/viewtopic.php?p=1155733#1155733

it sounds like OEM is the way to go from an installation standpoint, as the poly bushings are a bitch to install.

http://www.pelicanparts.com/BMW/catalog ... hk_pg4.htm

The Pelican page says I need PN PEL-PFF5-310-25 for the front and PEL-PFF5-308-19 for the rear (for a 25/19 setup). Yet everyone here got the 18mm rears. Why is that?

EDIT- Found my answer here:
http://www.digest.net/bmw/archive/v7/msg03531.html

The E28 M5 bars are 25/18, which would explain why everyone got the 18mm bushings

[95maxrider]

According to people in this thread:
http://www.mye28.com/viewtopic.php?t=86568

you can get the reinforcement brackets from Ireland Engineering without buying their entire kit.
http://www.iemotorsport.com/bmw/E28-E24 ... ybars.html

I'm just leaving this here for future reference.

[95maxrider]

D'oh....did some more digging and came across a thread I had read before and forgotten about

http://www.mye28.com/viewtopic.php?t=83268

Apparently at one point you could buy the M5 brackets from BMW, but they don't appear to be available any longer. #25, 41112230014 here:
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do ... g=41&fg=10

But most importantly, I rediscovered this:
http://home.mindspring.com/~scrappycrow ... acket.html

Which shows me what to do for the rear, but what needs reinforcement in the front? In the mye28 thread above, one person said the FSB end link mounts to the strut need to be reinforced. Is this in addition to reinforcing the bar mounts?

[Thegerms636]

I picked up my first e28 about 6 months ago now (1987 528e) and I'm in love with her. I've rebuilt the front end (suspension wise) top to bottom minus struts and springs. Had the same issues with that alternator rail (missing teeth bla bla bla) replaced it. My Diagnostic board is goofy but if you tap on her she comes back to life, all wiring to it and connector are good so i assume something in the board. I don't know for sure the direction I want to go with it, but this has inspired me and opened my mind to the possibilities this car has. I gave up the auto field 3 years ago and moved to where I can make more money still tinkering with motors, doing industrial generators! Needless to say, I no longer have access to a lift and such, which SUCKS, but I still have all my tools. This has made my progress slower than most peoples abilities because as I am sure you know working on creepers and asphalt does not make for a speedy job!

As of today in fact I am in the process of dropping the new clutch and rear main seal in it plus having the flywheel resurfaced (surprisingly, original flywheel, still in spec, with no missing teeth!). After the clutch I don't know what will be my next project. Maybe pull apart the motor, clean / repair etc...

She has 243,546 miles right now but runs like a champ!! (which says tons about BMW) Over the years I've worked on roommates older BMWs such as e30's e36's and i myself just sold my e39. All of these cars were high mileage and ran great.

I guess I am posting to you because I see you are a fellow Marylander and I want you to know, I'm pleased at what I am seeing! Thank you for showing me doors I've never considered opening. I would also like to ask since you are local, where are you doing these rally type courses? I have a WRX with lots of time and money into it but no where to take it off road! This is my first day on here and cant believe I have stumbled upon such an inspiring local!

Cheers, mad props.

[95maxrider]

I guess I am posting to you because I see you are a fellow Marylander and I want you to know, I'm pleased at what I am seeing! Thank you for showing me doors I've never considered opening. I would also like to ask since you are local, where are you doing these rally type courses? I have a WRX with lots of time and money into it but no where to take it off road! This is my first day on here and cant believe I have stumbled upon such an inspiring local!

Cheers, mad props.

Well thank you sir, it's always fun getting more people involved in rally-x too! Here's the website with upcoming events listed:

http://www.wdcr-scca.org/RallyCross/tab ... fault.aspx

The events seem to be filling up quick, so if you want to come I would recommend signing up soon! The majority of the cars out there are Subarus, so you would fit right in! I just hope your car isn't lowered too much, as that can ruin your day pretty quick.

The next event is on Sunday the 26th. All the races are at Summit Point in WV. If you're in Frederick, it's only about 45 minutes from you. I'm down around the Rockville/Bethesda area. I hope to see you out there, and thanks for the kind words

More updates to come, including:
-swapping the 3.25 (3.23?) LSD for a 3.73 LSD
-M5 sway bars with poly bushings and Meyle end links plus the necessary reinforcements
-IE poly steering coupler
-adjust valves, TPS, etc

[Thegerms636]

Awesome! Thank you! I actually have an off road set up on her, I am a firm believer in never slamming a subie though they do look good if done right!

[95maxrider]

Well I hit a snag in my quest for big sway bars....

I bought a set of E28 M5 sway bars (25/18) last week from a guy on Rev. I also ordered new poly PowerFlex bushings to match. The bushing brackets that were included with the sway bars are not anything CLOSE to what the PowerFlex bushings are meant to go into. The guy I bought the bars from said he took them off an E12 but assured me they were originally from an E28 and would work on my car. Well, maybe they will, but not with the poly bushings.

All I can surmise is that these are non-M E28 brackets, but what I can't figure out is what bushings are with them, as they are clearly not M5 style/outer size and yet seem to fit over the bars perfectly. What exactly am I looking at, and short of finding a used set of M5 brackets, do I have any options? Are the non-M bushings/brackets strong enough for M5 sway bar use? I plan on reinforcing the strut housings for the end link attachment in the front as well as the frame mounts for the rear sway bar end links.















I'm aware the front bushings are shown upside down, but it doesn't affect fitment in this case since the difference is so big!

[athayer187]

The rears look right, but the fronts are for sure meant for the larger M5 brackets.

[95maxrider]

The rears look right, but the fronts are for sure meant for the larger M5 brackets.

Even the rears didn't quite fit. The bushing wasn't long enough.

Do you know if I can get away with just buying the M5 bushing brackets or if I need to also get the frame mount for the bracket?

For example, can I just get #3 or do I also need #12?
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do ... g=33&fg=45

In the rear, I don't even see the frame bracket as an option, so can I just get #3 and put it on the non-M frame mount?
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do ... g=31&fg=10

[95maxrider]

Ugh, did some more searching and came across some helpful threads on E24 forums regarding the FSB frame mounts:

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/sh ... -in-635csi

http://bigcoupe.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.ph ... a6e49c7eb7

http://www.mye28.com/tech/rods_pages/si ... _mount.pdf


Now, my question is if I can use the non-M brackets and thin bushings, and just reinforce the stock non-M frame mount instead of trying to fabricate a new frame mount to accommodate M5 bushing brackets? Is the frame mount the weak point or is the bracket the weak point?

[athayer187]

http://www.mye28.com/viewtopic.php?t=63 ... light=sway

I don't believe that the thin wall bushings are of any use at all. The other limiting factor on stock 535i front swaybar brackets is that they are captured with one bolt, and one tab. If that tab bends, game over.

If you can - get the M5 pieces.

[95maxrider]

I thought I had already posted pics from the second event, but I must have forgotten. Time for more pics!

On the smaller barn course:










And from the third event a few days ago on the big main track:



This is what happens after you lock up your brakes and try to correct:


Again, the results of more brake locking:




Hopefully ABS will be working again by the next race, because I was not prepared to race without it. I got much better as the day went on, but the first few runs were a little tricky. Still only hit one cone for the day, which was a direct result of the brakes locking up.

The car doesn't have a very smooth idle, so in addition to finally adjusting the vales after the head swap, I'm considering replacing my O2 sensor. With only one on the car, I figure it's probably pretty important to how it idles/runs at part throttle. If I can get all that done and find a set of big sway bars, I think I will be very happy with this car. The 3.73 diff really woke it up, and I really don't think I was ever wanting for more power/response at the race. The car has some severe problems with body roll/motion, as you can really feel the weight being thrown around, but I think sways will fix most of that. If not, I might consider cutting one coil from the front springs, as the pictures show it's riding unnecessarily high.

And a video from the third event with my best AM run and PM run:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... 5_aBgRxhm8

[NAH]

Sounds just like you are running straight pipe exhaust in the videos ^^
What suspension and you running since it's so high?

[95maxrider]

Sounds just like you are running straight pipe exhaust in the videos ^^
What suspension and you running since it's so high?

Yeah, the exhaust was like that when we bought it. No cats in the system, and I think it's a single 3" after the straight pipes/cat delete (plus a muffler). I'm not a huge fan, but it works for now.

For suspension, right now it's on E28 springs (actually not sure if from a 535 or 528, also not sure if it makes a difference) and Bilstein HDs. I'm also a little surprised at how high it sits. Part of it may be from moving the battery to the trunk, and part may be from gutting the interior. Still though, it makes me think I've got 535 springs on it and they make it ride higher than 528e springs would. I'm considering cutting a coil off the front springs, because we simply don't need this much clearance.

Did a little digging only to find a myriad of spring options for the E28.

528e:
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do ... g=31&fg=10

535:
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do ... g=31&fg=10

So these are stock springs, I'm just not sure which.

It was lowered when we bought it, but that didn't work very well when playing in the dirt. Unfortunately now there is a tremendous amount of body roll, and I'm having a hard time finding a set of the big 25/19 sway bars.

[tig]

I love how this car and thread is like the honey badger. It just doesn't give a shit.

Well done! Very well done.

[95maxrider]

Not much new here, still trying to figure out how to get big sway bars to work on this damn thing.

In the mean time, we prepped the car for the additional loads of the big bars by reinforcing the FSB end link attachment points on the struts, as it's a known failure point. We ran out of time, but the next thing to do is to reinforce the rear frame mounts for the big bars. We did at least get new Meyle end links front and rear. Our old rear links were pretty shot.

Welding!







And I got the rear section of the front fender liners installed:





And I'm not sure if this is from the dirt, or from driving too hard on the street, but the front Winterforce tires are chunking:






So that's cool.

[95maxrider]

A few months back I had the front sway bar end link mounts reinforced on the struts by my mechanic, and when I got the car back he told me something happened to the ABS wire on the front of the car (driver's side). It sounded like the wires were only barely attached, and when he went to do his work, they came apart. The story didn't quite make sense, but either way, this is what it looked like when I got it back:





And so for the last two rally-x events I've been running without ABS, and while I can stay out of ABS most of the time, there were a couple of times I really could have used it, and I lost time without it.

So I picked up a used sensor from south26 on here and got to installing it





But unfortunately, even after disconnecting the battery overnight to let the ABS module reset, I'm still getting the ABS light come on after I drive the car ~50', and ABS is inoperative. I'm kind of at a loss as to how I should approach this problem. I've read that other people have had the same problem, but haven't come across a solid solution. Any tips on this would be greatly appreciated!