And so it starts, Maeve

[1st 5er]

Took off the air cleaner/air flow sensor only to find the bottom open to the atmosphere. I'm pretty sure it should have a cover, no?

Please advise.

Should be able to source a cover here.
I'd offer but I don't have one that's not attached to the AFM.

[gwb72tii]

A little progress, and one step back.

I finally received from ECS the necessary parts to install the knee trim mouldings. For once, German engineers made it simple:
this is an ingenious seal that pushes onto the threaded stud that locates the front of the rear door trim. It pushes into the clearance hole for the stud and is pulled tight against the door when you tighten the nut, sealing the opening against water intrusion:


here it is on the stud:


I also recieved this, the trunk seal from the infamous URO.


I have to say it fits perfectly:


One step back. I'm having a problem in how to orient the rear euro bumper brackets so the bumper is located correctly:


This is not how it is supposed to be:


Anybody know the proper way to orient the brackets? I have a question posted under "Tech Talk".
These are the brackets:
https://e28goodies.com/product/rear-eur ... stainless/

[Blue Shadow]

One step back. I'm having a problem in how to orient the rear euro bumper brackets so the bumper is located correctly:

Anybody know the proper way to orient the brackets? I have a question posted under "Tech Talk".
These are the brackets:
https://e28goodies.com/product/rear-eur ... stainless/

This was properly answered in your other thread but here is the answer from realoem showing the brackets installed horizontally. Not that realoem is the best place to find orientation of parts. But in this case it works.

https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/showpa ... Id=51_0697

[gwb72tii]

One step back. I'm having a problem in how to orient the rear euro bumper brackets so the bumper is located correctly:

Anybody know the proper way to orient the brackets? I have a question posted under "Tech Talk".
These are the brackets:
https://e28goodies.com/product/rear-eur ... stainless/

This was properly answered in your other thread but here is the answer from realoem showing the brackets installed horizontally. Not that realoem is the best place to find orientation of parts. But in this case it works.

https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/showpa ... Id=51_0697

well sort of blue man

the issue is there is a proper left/right bracket because of how the bend of the bracket where it sits on the rear valance is not at 90*. That means there is an inherent angle to the bracket depending on which side you mount it, up or down.

my problem is neither way seems to be correct as it's either too low or too high.

my brackets do not seem to be damaged etc, so I'm still at a loss as to how to attach them to the car properly. I've done a pretty thorough search on this board and on the inter webs but I can't find a YouTube or any installation pics/instructions.

I will figure it our eventually, I was hoping someone here that had converted to euro bumpers had faced the same challenge and had some advice.

[Blue Shadow]

Please, BS is the handle and frequently the reply's value.

I'll see if I can look at Chip's ride next time I'm over there. We euthanized (put on the € crap*) a few years ago and I don't recall exactly. I'll be sure to check the bumper ride height.

Doesn't anyone have a picture of their rebumpered car showing the bumper in the proper place and another showing the alignment of the brackets in the trunk? This shouldn't be that hard to get.


words like crap and junk are just easy to type. Do not read much meaning into my use of these words. Dealing with vintage audio I call it all crap/junk just cause it is easier making a post. Particularly when I call a stylus a nail.

[gwb72tii]

This is how my car came north, and I believe the positioning of the bumper to be correct. I unfortunately did not take any pics when I removed the bumper prior to painting the car, but the brackets ar the same, so there is a correct way.'

[gwb72tii]

One thing I try to remember when working on cars as old as an e28, is "I'm smarter than the car".
The rear bunker brackets are designed as a left and right bracket. As it turns out, the proper installation is with the tabs for mounting the bumper facing outwards and down. I had it backwards yesterday, and walked away from the darn car to think it over. Removed the bumper and brackets today, mounted the bumper, and viola! The bumper fits as intended. See, I am smarter than the car:


This is the right side bracket mounted with the tab inwards, which is exactly 180* from correct:


And now, you can see the car starting to look like an e28 again, with the left rear door knee trim installed along with the bumper:


More knee trim next week, and onto the rear right suspension tomorrow.

[John in VA]

Removed the bumper and brackets today, mounted the bumper, and viola! The bumper fits as intended.

[Blue Shadow]

One thing I try to remember when working on cars as old as an e28, is "I'm smarter than the car". I had it backwards yesterday, and walked away from the darn car to think it over. Removed the bumper and brackets today, mounted the bumper, and viola! The bumper fits as intended. See, I am smarter than the car:

Fortunately this was not a timed test. winner might have been different.

[gwb72tii]

Lol had to laugh at that BS

[Blue Shadow]

Hey, John started it.

[gwb72tii]

it's my way of spelling voila

[Blue Shadow]

Better than those that think it is half the name of a Washington town, walla, seen many times on this forum.

[gwb72tii]

Surprise. It seems Maeve's rear brakes were upgraded by the PO to e34 brakes, I think. The rotor diameter, as close as I can tell with a tape measure, is 300mm, the same diameter as an e34.
The rotor's socket head locating screw was gone, and the threads are all chungered up, again by the PO. I think I can get a tap in there and clean them up enough to get a new set screw to thread in.
One thing I always do with a new-to-me old car is a complete brake job, so the rotors and pads will be new.
Now, I wonder what the PO did to the front brakes?

wait, the rotor is vented and 20mm wide, so an e34 540i rotor, I think.

[gwb72tii]

Removed the left rear trailing arm to replace the bushings. I couldn't find any step by step instructions on rear trailing arm removal, so I started taking everything apart, and then got stumped on this: the parking brake cable. Finally found it just pulls out, no fasteners:


I followed what I thought would be the easiest method to remove the bushings, removing the inner bits and then map gas. First I drilled out the inner most steel sleeve:


Then I burned out all the rubber bits and the next steel sleeve. Once I was down to just the outer steel sleeve, I cut one groove thru the sleeve and it popped out. Luckily I took my time and didn't damage the trailing arm much:




I've been stressing on the rear trunk latch. It is all together, but when I push the latch button in, it leaves about 1/8" unused travel, it doesn't fully depress the mechanism. I verified it was reinstalled correctly, so in a moment of truth, I closed the trunk lid until it latched. And to my relief, pushing in the trunk lock button does unlock the trunk.

[1st 5er]

to all that.
on the TA job,
and, the boot latch fear is real.

Much to be thankful for, .

[gwb72tii]

So now onto installing the replacement bushings. Here's what I'm going to try, freeze the bushings to hopefully reduce the OD a small amount, and get the TA warm, but not hot. Then see if I can then tap the bushing in with a socket. I'll report back in a few hours....

Well that didn't work. Tried the threaded rod with assembly lube on the bushing, that did not work. We are currently trying the vice method, and have the bushing about half way home. It gets stuck, and then if you take a hammer and tap the TA at the bushing it lets go and works its way in. Slow going. So far we've managed to bend the hell out of the vice handle.

[Blue Shadow]

bushing tool, a chuck of all thread a large socket to receive the end of the bushing and a socket to push the bushing on the other end and a wrench worked a treat when I did the E23 bushings.

[gwb72tii]

tried that BS, no go

[gwb72tii]

And so it goes.
Bushing installation is proving to be difficult, although I think it's peculiar to my car perhaps.

The largest threaded rod that will pass through the bushing is 7/16. Got my threaded rod, two nuts, couple of pipe caps and rigged a home made bushing installer:


Also bought a length of pipe to provide some persuasion:


Got the bushing started, and then the things took a turn for the worse. The amount of force I was putting through the threaded rod caused the rod to fail, too little tensile strength. That was exciting the first time as all the pieces went flying everywhere. Decided right then that safety glasses were probably a good idea.
I then picked up heat treated rod and grade eight nuts. The rod held, but the nut threads stripped, which is a new one to me. Ever try to drill off a grade 8 nut? So thinking I need more threaded area, I bought a coupling nut. My local fastener store was closed so I resorted to Ace hardware for the nut:


And this happened, I basically started pulling the nut through the pipe cap:


taking a close look I noticed this, the seat for the bushing is oblong, not circular. Looks like some PO used the edge of the trailing arm bushing area to jack up the car with a bottle jack. What a dipstick...


I have about an 1/8" to go and I'm stuck again. I can't access the bushing with my press as the gap between outer and inner bushings is too close. I can cut out the bushing a try to install it from the outside with the press, but I'm thinking the oblong hole will make life difficult.

Lesson for all you aspiring garage mechanics. Place jacks in areas that are meant for jacks to lift the car.

[gwb72tii]

Success!
I purchased the 12ton Harbor Freight press, and rigged a narrower cross platform to accommodate the trailing arm. The bushing is close enough to the trailing arm reinforcement that the cross platform that comes with the press is too wide, and the press cannot aligned with the top of the bushing. A couple of pumps to the hydraulic ram and bingo, the bushing is fully seated.

The only caveat is the bushing is now oblong where it sits at the outer end of the bushing seat. I'm unsure if it will affect rear alignment enough to affect anything, but it's going back on Maeve and I'll find out later after getting her back on the road.

Super happy to have this behind me and now onto reinstallation and replacing the HR springs and Bilstein shocks that came with Maeve.
For any interested, the shocks/springs that are coming off Maeve will be given away for free to anyone willing to pay shipping. I don't have any reason to think the shocks or springs are worn out as the car handled normally on its way north from Mesa, AZ to the great PNW. Somewhere along the way over the last two years I acquired new HR springs and billy's. Let me know if you have an interest.

[1st 5er]

Check your PMs.

[gwb72tii]

Shocks and springs are spoken for.

[Mdreamer]

You are doing the work and I salute you! Thank you for keeping us informed every step of the way. I have been going through a journey with my car, but have not had the courage to share my story with the group. Maybe I'll pen something once it is all done...

Maybe!

[gwb72tii]

Progress!
Getting the rear trailing arm bushings seated all the way was a big deal because now I can go forward. It was frustrating to be at a standstill.
Today I reinstalled the trailing arm and installed new springs, spring pads, upper shock mount and gasket and new rear disc rotor.

Here's what the rear shock assembly looked like as it came out of the car, and reassembled going back in. I decided to orient the spring with the tighter coil part downwards vs on top. Less weight higher up in the car, should help handling haha:



baby's got new (parking) shoes! And new parking brake cable. Everything plastic or rubber takes a beating from the heat in Mesa:


Here's the cracked plastic sheath the cable runs through:


The next decision was the perch height on the shock, I decided for lack of a better idea to go to the 3rd perch down from the top:


TA DA!!


My wife is a trooper. She and my daughter has no problem getting dirty:


Tomorrow I dig into the left front suspension.