bigcoupe.com

Posted: **Sun May 19, 2019 12:33 am**

After procrastinating about doing an oil and coolant change for weeks, I finally got around to it.

Oil was fairly straight forward and I liked that the new oil filter came with new washers for drain plug and oil cover bolt. The little rubber one, which I thought was for the oil cover drain nut, resulted in oil spewing out when the car was started. I removed the rubber washer and retightened and all was well. So, was the rubber seal meant for this?

With the coolant, I decided to drain the block as well as just the radiator. The block plug was a bastard to get to (and even harder to replace) but with all the relevant plugs removed I used my compressor to push as much old coolant out as possible. Refilling and burping the system was done and a quick drive around the block didn't show any issues. All went pretty good.

And finally got around to investigating why the drivers window was tilted down at the back. Its been like that since I bought the car and although the door shut properly, the wind noise at speed was annoying. Turns out the bolt that holds the window up at the catch end had fallen out and was sitting in the bottom of the door. Replacing this returned the window to a better position and the glass seems to now fit the rubber surround better. We'll see how the wind noise is over the coming days.

Posted: **Fri May 24, 2019 11:41 pm**

What did I do to my e24 today? I bought it!

I previously had a 1977 630CSi that needed more body work than I could handle, so I sold it and quickly found this Great White Shark. It's a 1983 633CSi with a later 635CSi engine. It needs paint, a little interior work, a power steering pump and the A/C system installed to be complete. Zero rust this time!

My new-to-me BMW 633CSi. by Michael Downes, on Flickr

Trying to get the sunroof sorted out -- it's stuck in the vent position and won't come down even cranking by hand. Other than that it seems to be a solid car.

Posted: **Mon May 27, 2019 12:35 pm**

Replaced my low beam lamps with Hella H1 bifocals with city lights. Amazed at the difference. Low beam performance is as good or better than most modern cars now.

Posted: **Wed May 29, 2019 12:14 pm**

working on adding in a wire tap for my Valentine 1. For an older car the access is a bit more difficult than I would have thought. There appears to be a sheet metal barrier between where the sunvisors mount and the void where the sunroof motor switch live. Now seems like I should have gone after the mirror leads..hhhmmm... Looks doable though.

Posted: **Sun Jun 02, 2019 12:37 am**

Follow up on V1 lead install. The passenger visor mirror would be much easier but for some reason I am not getting 12V at the visor lead even though every thing else on that circuit works. I went with the sunroof switch and now it is up and running.

Posted: **Fri Jun 07, 2019 6:27 pm**

Won Best In Class last Sunday at the St Louis European Car Show. Woot! $\:D/$

https://photos.app.goo.gl/yaUuakqQWRu1r8x48

https://photos.app.goo.gl/f8KcCSe6TE7jfH6h6

Posted: **Sun Jun 09, 2019 4:29 pm**

Apparently it was a throwback Thursday on Saturday this week. I had to replace a dying amp that came with the car so I went old school with the head unit and popped on a spare e30 steering wheel I had collected years ago. Can anyone tell me if I can access the rear parcel shelf speakers from inside the car? How to remove the "covers" is not readily apparent to me.
thxx

Posted: **Sun Jun 09, 2019 5:43 pm**

Remove the speaker cover by prying it up with a pick, paper clip, etc., to separate it from the speaker pod it self. It the same method as removing a speaker cover on most speakers.
Once inside, the speaker is attached with screws/bolts. More info is available via searches on this forum.

Posted: **Tue Jun 11, 2019 2:14 pm**

I should have been more specific. I didn't just need to remove the speaker grills, but the whole speaker pod and or speakers. Thankfully this is blissfully easy. Simply remove the 2 screws at the base of the seats under the small carpet flaps and withdraw the seat from the bottom. Then to 2 posts retaining the speaker pods are revealed and the removal of the 2 13mm nuts will allow the lifting of the pods, which are hinged from the rear, and access to the speakers.

rhanley 635csi89 wrote: ↑Sun Jun 09, 2019 5:43 pm Remove the speaker cover by prying it up with a pick, paper clip, etc., to separate it from the speaker pod it self. It the same method as removing a speaker cover on most speakers.
Once inside, the speaker is attached with screws/bolts. More info is available via searches on this forum.

Posted: **Sat Jun 15, 2019 2:26 am**

I have been busy on my shark the last few weeks. I put on e39 wheels, new tires, fixed the sunroof (new cables and gates) and rebuilt the gauge binnacle (replaced odometer gears, replaced the SI board with a batteryless version, flocked the background so it wouldn't be brown anymore, repainted the black edge on the bezel and touched up the gauge faces.)

The wheels look much better than the bottlecaps that it came with -- plus, the 14" tires were rotten anyway.

1983 BMW 633CSi with e39 alloy wheels (Style 29) and 225/50R16 tires. by Michael Downes, on Flickr

Posted: **Sun Jun 16, 2019 7:30 pm**

The originals were looking dodgy and a well made SS set was a fair bit cheaper than stock rubber so on they went.
Unfortunately the brake pad sensor wires etc look almost as bad s the brake hoses!

Posted: **Mon Jun 17, 2019 1:17 pm**

Rondel Fan wrote: ↑Tue Jun 11, 2019 2:14 pm I should have been more specific. I didn't just need to remove the speaker grills, but the whole speaker pod and or speakers. Thankfully this is blissfully easy. Simply remove the 2 screws at the base of the seats under the small carpet flaps and withdraw the seat from the bottom. Then to 2 posts retaining the speaker pods are revealed and the removal of the 2 13mm nuts will allow the lifting of the pods, which are hinged from the rear, and access to the speakers.

rhanley 635csi89 wrote: ↑Sun Jun 09, 2019 5:43 pm Remove the speaker cover by prying it up with a pick, paper clip, etc., to separate it from the speaker pod it self. It the same method as removing a speaker cover on most speakers.
Once inside, the speaker is attached with screws/bolts. More info is available via searches on this forum.

Posted: **Mon Jun 17, 2019 10:09 pm**

I replaced the hydraulic hose from my DS regulator to the hydraulic booster. It split while driving, what a mess.

: IMG954154.jpg (611.6 KiB) Viewed 15683 times

Posted: **Thu Jun 20, 2019 12:15 am**

OK on the presumption that "what did I do to the car today" can stretch out over the last few months - and much of it with help I have ...

Replaced the engine mounts, steering idler bush, all brake hoses, front rotors, pistons and pads, accelerator cable (had to be made as RHD), Clutch hose and slave cylinder, repaired steering box mount, replaced exhaust resonator and center pipes, driver external door key, internal and external fuel pumps (and filter), air filter, oil and filter, odometer cogs, upgraded thrust arm bushes, brake light switch, headlight adjustment, fuse box cover, clear indicator lenses (front and side), fixed electric headrests and tighten seat bolts, AC compressor and condensor and conversion and short shift kit, rear trans mount, dog bones, belts driveshaft rubber coupling and rear subframe bushes.

Not forgetting new michelin pilot sport 4 tyres with locking wheel bolt/nut set, floor mats and a session on the dyno for M635 RHD #328 !

Posted: **Mon Jun 24, 2019 12:52 pm**

I replaced the rear sway bar bushings. Does anyone know why the pass side bushing retainer takes this belt and suspenders approach with two retaining clips, one over the other? I originally thought it was in error but the REL OEM confirms it and there is a land on the body side to accept the second retainer.
Mike

Posted: **Mon Jul 01, 2019 12:04 pm**

I thought I had a small miss at various areas of the rpm curve so I pulled the cap and rotor. Cap looked well used with a small piece missing out of the carbon? button and the rotor a bit more so, so the swap was worth it. Seems a bit smoother across the range, especially the lower ranges but idle is still 150 RPMS high so time to keep digging.

Posted: **Sun Oct 27, 2019 11:55 am**

Not really today, but recently... A little cleaning to the less visible portions. Some cleaner/degreaser and some scrubbing and the red/Zinnoberrot really comes through!

$\:D/$

Posted: **Mon Oct 28, 2019 11:12 am**

Nice work

Posted: **Wed Oct 30, 2019 1:30 am**

Rondel Fan wrote: ↑Mon Jun 24, 2019 12:52 pm I replaced the rear sway bar bushings. Does anyone know why the pass side bushing retainer takes this belt and suspenders approach with two retaining clips, one over the other? I originally thought it was in error but the REL OEM confirms it and there is a land on the body side to accept the second retainer.
Mike

Those are Crusty!

Posted: **Wed Oct 30, 2019 1:40 am**

Rondel Fan wrote: ↑Sun Jun 16, 2019 7:30 pm The originals were looking dodgy and a well made SS set was a fair bit cheaper than stock rubber so on they went.
Unfortunately the brake pad sensor wires etc look almost as bad s the brake hoses!

Where did you source the SS brake hoses?

Posted: **Thu Oct 31, 2019 12:28 am**

FCP Euro. PN listed in the picture. I researched the mfgr, Techna Art and they seemed very legit.

Posted: **Sun Nov 10, 2019 4:31 pm**

I actually drove both of them in the same day today!

My alpineweiss M635CSi had been evicted from my garage due to needing to get underneath my E39 Alpina for a bottom scrub and Dynax S-50 spray before it's MoT next week and the impending salty roads, so that got a run out to a local car meet this morning. Then when I was shuffling cars back around I remembered my new insurance company needed particular pictures for their agreed valuation policies on both E24's so I duly photographed the '///M' before popping it back in the garage and uncovering and starting up the balticblau 635CSiA - I'm glad to report it started up first time after nothing happening since August; the tyres were all down to 25psi so I pumped them all back up to just shy of 40; the interior, which had one of those tablet type dehumidifiers in it, was lovely and dry, and everything that worked before still works.

And the brakes and gearbox all work too!

Posted: **Thu Jan 09, 2020 6:34 pm**

Received another batch of parts

Took photos of a bunch of engine electrics, relays, ecu and ignition boxes.

Stripped the distributor down and gave it a good coat of looking at.

Contemplated taking a match to it....

Posted: **Sat Jan 18, 2020 10:09 pm**

Today:
Fitted new ignition box, exhaust rear section, water pump, fan clutch, fan, radiator (and mounts). Started to fit the center console. Test fired the car and ran it for the first time in 2 1/2 years. Tomorrow I will fit a new thermostat and run it up to temperature then start fitting the rest of the interior.

Posted: **Fri Jan 24, 2020 4:53 pm**

Caff wrote: ↑Sat Jan 18, 2020 10:09 pm Today:
Fitted new ignition box, exhaust rear section, water pump, fan clutch, fan, radiator (and mounts). Started to fit the center console. Test fired the car and ran it for the first time in 2 1/2 years. Tomorrow I will fit a new thermostat and run it up to temperature then start fitting the rest of the interior.

That must of been a great feeling! I had a similar experience 5 years ago with my car. It hadn’t run in over 5 years before that. I wasn’t the owner then, but when I got it to fire up, I bought the car.

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New brake hoses all the way round

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Re: New brake hoses all the way round

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