So I got the this engine running a couple weeks ago. Finally got everything put back together. Everything went quite smoothly other than getting the distributor slid back in the right spot. It just didn't look right. I took lots of pics and marked it so it would go back in the right place. Link to this:
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=28214 Many thx for the help
Anyways, the engine actually fired right up after two attempts. It only took about a minute to get it running.
Prior to starting the engine I also removed the fuel pump assembly and replaced the pump with a tre performance pump , filter,all hoses and cleaned and painted the whole thing. I figured I would run the pump a bit to test it and flush out all the lines going to the engine and back before I started the engine. And nothing happened. The NOS pump I bought on ebay from someone who had it in his garage for a couple years was inop. It was $40, I figured great, its cheaper than a new one. So I tested the old one and it still works so I threw that one back in. It worked perfectly. The seller on ebay refunded my money no problem. The fear of negative feedback is a powerful thing
I'll order a new one later. I plan on replacing the intank walbro I put in my 87 as it is whiney as hell. Maybe the tre pumps are better ( I hope) I don't have good luck with fuel pumps. I put a bosch main pump in my 87 and it only lasted about a year then started to sound like there was rocks in it. Then I realized the intank was inop so I replaced it all with a walbro intank pump only. It was fine and now a few years later its noisy. One day I'm just going to get a BMW main and intank pump at the same time. Pay the big $$ and hopefully it will work for another 35 years.
By far the biggest frustration I've had with any of this is PHOTOBUCKET. AAAAHHHGG!! I hate photobucket. I have wasted so much time the last while trying to upload pics so I can continue on with this project thread. I'm just going to have to go without pics for now. Personally I really like the pics in peoples postings so I apologize , I'll have to come back and insert pics later. I wish I never joined that crappy site. Now I'll have to go back and start all over again. EDIT: as you see I actually got shitbucket to work for the first time in about a month- still hate it
So the engine starts up great, I run it for a few minutes and peek in the oil cap. It doesnt look like there is oil coming out the spray bar. I took the valve cover off and run the engine with no cover and yes theres lots of oil coming out. I have a video of this which is kind of interesting but of course shitbucket doesn't like my video. I've read at idle its just a drip but it was coming out in a nice clean stream on all six holes.
https://vimeo.com/208419879/description I figured considering how dirty the engine was it would be gross dark oil but I did run the engine a bit with the ignition disconnected too get the oil pump primed and pumping. So thats all good. The idle was way high so I turned the idle speed way down. I take the car for a little drive and it will only go about 4 miles an hour. I 'm wondering if maybe I have the timing chain messed up. Then I notice the temp gauge is going up quick almost to the red line so I shut it down quick. The radiator isn't warm but the engine is hot. When I go to remove the tstat cover I snap a bolt head right off first try. Haha. So I take off the tstat housing and stick a screwdriver in the housing and poke around at the tstat. It pops open! so I guess it was stuck closed. Not sure.
I pried at it a bit to make sure it stays in the open position, and put it all back together. I've ordered a new tstat, housing, and cover as they all look like crap. The tstat cover is $83, Rip off!
I had to go buy a timing light as I've never had to set the timing on anything before. How archaic! I got a cheap light and messed around for a long time with it. Revving the engine to 2200 with the vacuum hoses removed and plugged. I gave up a few times. I just couldn't see any dot or bubble on the flywheel , only rusty metal. Finally on the 10th time I see the bubble com up into the window and hover in the right spot. It still idles high and I have the idle adjustment screw in all the way, weird. I'll look into that.
Its been running a bit now so off with the valve cover and I complete the headbolt torque sequence
My cheap 35 degree gauge:
After that I drained the oil, Yuck, a lot of sludge and what looks like the milkshake of water comes out. There is also what looks like moisture on the inside of the oil cap. It makes me worried that the HG is leaking or the block is cracked or something else is leaking.
I take it out for another spin around the block. The exhaust is a stock BMW long mid muffler and rear muffler. Its all complete and doesn't leak or anything but "someone" has weld it weird and its not on any of the stock rubber hangers, it hangs on a bunch of hardware store bolts and brackets and swings and bangs all over the place. I bought all the proper hanger parts but there is no way to get it in the right position to use those rubber donuts etc. It needs to be cut hung properly and rewelded. Thats on the list. Its also very free flowing and loud. Maybe its shot inside. The car sounds like a teenagers hotrod. I'm sure the neighbours are really shaking their heads now
The car drives good lots of power, I get it up into 4th gear. The transmission whines when I let off the gas. Doesn't sound great. But its running. I'll be changing the oil in the trans and diff next.
After more drives around and checking the valve adjustment I've changed the oil 2 more times and its gotten cleaner everytime. The last time it just looked dirty but not gross. I plan to keep changing the oil until it looks good. I've got enough oil and filters for five more changes and if I have to I'll get more. The top of the head and valves etc still look mint so its not pumping crap up there at least. I'm pretty sure after a few more at it will start looking like a regular old oil change.
I got some old 14" tires for the original wheels that the seller gave me. I know 14s are pretty lame by todays standards but thats what the car came with and they look better than those other wheels it came on. They'll do for now. This car will be getting the 15' BBS wheels that are on my 87 when I get my other 16' MSW basketweaves refinished
My other car with 15s, These wheels and tires were brand new , put on by the PO when I got the car so they are in great shape
One other problem I had was with the alternator that I had rebuilt. I installed the rebuilt alternator but the battery keep dying everytime I ran the car for while. I measured the batt while the car was running and got 12.44 volts. After a few more tests in the bentley I figured the alternator was no good. I did have a spare regulator I got from the PO but that didn't make any difference. Back to the alternator shop and they test it and sure enough a diode was not connected properly. So they redo it with a newer capacitor and also a 14.5 volt regulator instead of the stock 14.1 volt. We'll see if it working soon. I haven't installed it yet. My family is heading to New York tonight. Our flight was delayed by 12 hrs because there is a blizzard going to hit that area. Sounds like fun. I'll be back at it in 6 days.