MyE28.com

Added a mono amp. Alpine MRX M50. Now my four channel amp can stop being a 3 channel amp and power all four speakers in the car.

Also slapped on the temporary red euro plates, behind my OR plates, that you get when you take European delivery of a car. My mom went over to Sweden to pick up her 2012 Volvo S60.

Scarfed the front roundel from the E30 being parted and stabbed it on Snob's nose.
She smiled.
Of course she had just gotten a much needed bath too.

Put in new plugs to realize the ones that have fouled out 3 times ran better....

tones wrote:Put in new plugs to realize the ones that have fouled out 3 times ran better....

What plugs did you put in? Also be sure you didn't mess up a wire while messing with them.

Xenocide wrote:

tones wrote:Put in new plugs to realize the ones that have fouled out 3 times ran better....

What plugs did you put in? Also be sure you didn't mess up a wire while messing with them.

Were they plats? That's a recipe for trouble.

Today I reached over and into the back seat. I noticed that the top right corner of the driver's seat was leaning with me. Kinda helpful, that. When I sat back up, tho the seat didn't. So as I face forward the seat now faces the right front fender.
I may get to it tomorrow.

Saturday, I worked under the assumption, that my 130mA drain on fuse 5 was being caused by my previous repair of the harness where I had nicked it with a drill. It was being soaked and kept wet by soggy carpet . The harness has several wires on fuse 5 going into the left doors door. The drain is enough to no start the car in 5 days. I tied the harness up above the floor. Then I peeled back the carpet and repaired the holes in the foot well. B6II started real strong after a 4 day nap. So I think Ive fixed it. I suppose that I could have checked with the ammeter, but it was a dark and stormy night.

Finished stripping the bonnet/hood of my eta, in preparation for repainiting.

Took my M5 to the local Auto Show, where she was heavily outnumbered by American Muscle Cars.

Accompanied Luis and Chris in The Beast to our local C&C.

Yesterday I installed a Pioneer 3400 radio
-(highly recommended, has color changeability so it matches all my other dash lights)

Today I replaced a lower control arm and rotated tires

Tomorrow it gets a washing.

Installed a rear seat from a yard car. 7/10 isn't too bad for $40.

Pulled the head to have it resurfaced. Blew the hg last week..
Too much boost. Yes, I'm a boost junky now, are there any 12 step programs around?

Guess what I did today...



Tomorrow I'll finish the job and try to get the new trunk springs to work. Then hopefully I'll be able to begin and complete a valve adjustment. We'll just have to see how the timing goes. The temp gauge is currently working, but I'm still cautious.

Installed two new (used) door seals, 4 new door buffers, and put all the tools back in my tool kit. I had the pliers out to open the hood, and the 12/13 closed end for the intake. They never made it back until now. Oh yeah, started stripping the paint off the front driver's fender.
Checked my work on my hydroboost delete, no leaks or issues. I guess that means i can start cleaning the hell out of the engine bay finally.

Replaced the stock ignition coil an e34 coil scored from the junkyard.

I like how smooth the engine feels!

Picked this up from a rummage sale for 50 cents. Had to try it out in the 5907, since I never knew if the tape feature worked, and it does! Flawlessly!

I also picked up 2 new (in the wrapper) blank Maxell cassette tapes. Now to dig out the cassette recorder for the mix tapes.

Fixed my odo with the cheap gears..they work well. Also took the time to fix the burned out "D" bulb on the indicator bar, replaced the obc light bar AND reset the oil indicator light

The service indicator batteries still had 3v + on my '88. I checked the batteries in 3 of the new style dashes in cars at the junkyard, and they all had 3v, so I figured I'd check mine before automatically replacing them.

Now all i have to do is replace the torn brake sensor and my dash won't look like Las Vegas at night.

Put a new battery in it. Since when did the least expensive battery for these cars go over $100?

davintosh wrote:Put a new battery in it. Since when did the least expensive battery for these cars go over $100?

That's news to me...

Well I glued in the trunk gasket. It took 2 tubes of 3M yellow stuff. A little patience and it got done. Try not and get it where it is not desired because it can be a pain to remove.

I also continued my battle with the dreaded trunk springs. Those appear to be working now, but I'm thinking I need to adjust the hinge (if that's even possible).

Prepped the engine for a valve adjustment. Removed all the intake stuff back to the manifold, pulled all the wires. Basically the next step is to pull the cover and get started, but that may take until Monday to have time.

Thrashed the guts out of it. Fun times.

Das_Prachtstraße wrote:Thrashed the guts out of it. Fun times.

So now your car is gutless?

(we know better!)

rmiddendorf wrote:

davintosh wrote:Put a new battery in it. Since when did the least expensive battery for these cars go over $100?

That's news to me...

Sad but true. I got the $113.99 for the "Gold" 3-year, 660CCA battery at Advance Auto. They had another that was $104.99, 2-year, 550CCA, but I figured the better battery was worth splurging. There was O'Reilly's prices were similar, but the only one they had in stock was ~$140. Also stopped at Sears, but they didn't even have any battery fitment info for the e28 and the ditzy chick they had on staff yesterday thought that BMWs needed "something special" for a battery... "It's a car battery; it's a big plastic brick-type thing with the two posts on top..." I was in no mood to suffer fools so didn't pursue it.

I did learn a helpful bit of info at Advance though; the counter guy at asked me if I'd ever served in the military... Yup. 10% discount on all parts for past or present military members. Not sure if it's just that store or chain-wide, but it's pretty darned cool if you ask me.

davintosh wrote: I did learn a helpful bit of info at Advance though; the counter guy at asked me if I'd ever served in the military... Yup. 10% discount on all parts for past or present military members. Not sure if it's just that store or chain-wide, but it's pretty darned cool if you ask me.

Yup, autozone, too. My experience has been that i need to show my ID, but I would just go with the hookup.

davintosh wrote:Also stopped at Sears, but they didn't even have any battery fitment info for the e28 and the ditzy chick they had on staff yesterday thought that BMWs needed "something special" for a battery... "It's a car battery; it's a big plastic brick-type thing with the two posts on top..." Rolling Eyes I was in no mood to suffer fools so didn't pursue it.

BMW batteries have the post polarity reversed compared to a "standard" top post battery IIRC. They're not the only car like that. There is a Die Hard that'll fit the e28, but Sears has never listed it in their fitment guide under e28 for some reason.

I replaced the trunk gasket with using the 3M weatherstripping adhesive.  You'll want at least two tubes, probably three.  I used two and you'll need a significant amount to fill the groove in the gasket.  Test fit the gasket first.  The don't make the same mistake I did- start in the front or remove the trunk lid entirely.  I left the trunk lid on and then left the front for last.  The back is the most difficult.  You'll have to do it in sections.  The front and back are two sections and each side can be treated as its own.  I may have even done the back as three.  You'll put a significant amount on the gasket and then put a similar amount on the body of the car.  Let it set up and get tacky- really only a minute or two- and then push the two together.  But you'll want to try to not get it on the body of the car, but I was told it can be removed with paint thinner.  Do that at your own risk though.

This week I'm doing a valve adjustment and- possibly- a new fuel pump.  Doesn't like to start when warm.

I've also discovered that I think we're leaking coolant.  The tank was down about a quart this year after sitting for 6 months.  I ran him every few months but never noticed that he was burning anything.  Unless he went through that much coolant when idling for a combined total of 50 minutes its getting out somewhere.  This concerns me a bit.

But anyway I'm looking forward to actually driving Bandit this week sometime... then probably up for sale.

rmiddendorf wrote: This week I'm doing a valve adjustment and- possibly- a new fuel pump.  Doesn't like to start when warm.

Try a new temp switch (the blue one).

1st 5er wrote:

rmiddendorf wrote: This week I'm doing a valve adjustment and- possibly- a new fuel pump.  Doesn't like to start when warm.

Try a new temp switch (the blue one).

I shall add that to my order!

Jeremy wrote:

davintosh wrote:Also stopped at Sears, but they didn't even have any battery fitment info for the e28 and the ditzy chick they had on staff yesterday thought that BMWs needed "something special" for a battery... "It's a car battery; it's a big plastic brick-type thing with the two posts on top..." Rolling Eyes I was in no mood to suffer fools so didn't pursue it.

BMW batteries have the post polarity reversed compared to a "standard" top post battery IIRC. They're not the only car like that. There is a Die Hard that'll fit the e28, but Sears has never listed it in their fitment guide under e28 for some reason.

Three years ago, I had a Die Hard International group 48 in my 533 (came to me in the 535). It crapped out, so I took it back. They wouldn't do anything with it. A new one was $183 after tax, so I put the one that came with the car back in and just took it out when the red car was parted out. 5-year-old Optima in the car now.

I used the brighter upgrade Ebay part....
A quick and easy job, and the brightness seems just right!
Wish I hadn't waited a couple of months to do this job, but the hydraulic pump reservoir is now again (finally) maintaining its level after a new pump (leaked past shaft seals, no bearing adjustment possible so new pump time) and a new upper pressure switch, so there was nothing pressing to do to the car again...ahhh...
Sat in about 30 cars at a retail car show over the weekend, evaluating outward visibility and rear seat headroom...very happy to get into the e28 to drive home after that ordeal.

In the last few days I've fixed the trunk springs (I think, fingers crossed, so far so good), have the coolant temp gauge working more often now, I did a valve adjustment and put in new spark plugs. He still idles a little low after first starting but after he warms up he seems fine. I additionally ordered the temperature switch that Sherman suggested and a new intake boot as the current one is showing some wear and probably leaking. That could be the source of my erratic idle.

Only one trip to get a part I lost- one of those 10mm nuts that hold down the air filter box. Probably down in the frame somewhere.

And I was going to do an oil change but the current oil only has 800 miles on it and looks great. So I may just hold off on that.

He did, interestingly enough start fine when warm today to add to my confusion. I'll probably do a wash later this week and a current photo shoot to prep him for sale. Although I am looking forward to driving him in a week or so. Man these cars have character- just sitting in the driver's seat with him idling makes me want to go for a drive!