So... I didn't pass inspection, but that was no surprise, they're quite tough on Oldtimers here, expecting them to be "perfect", which means better than new. Let's face it, these cars
always leaked oil! I don't think they pass any Oldtimer without sending you off with "homework"!
I was so focused on getting wax into cavities while it was still newly renovated and completely dry that I neglected to check basic things like headlight alignment (adjusted), and the search for the all-important fluid leaks!
Hopefully I have lift time tomorrow to address:
the very minor drip coming from the front passenger corner of the upper valve head (re-torque valve cover?),
possible brake fluid from the master cylinder (somewhere),
and I can get a better look at the fuel pump assembly. I have a fuel leak, and it appears to be coming from the body of the pump where the Bakelite section meets the metal pump cylinder. Too bad, because it's a brand new pump, and the correct configuration with the round connector plug.
I talked to Oldenzaal, and they immediately sent me a replacement, due Friday. (But it will be the currently available generic Bosch as for the E28 and Tii.)
Question: Is there a rebuild gasket kit available for these pumps? I would like to retain the correct plug-type pump if possible.
The biggest pain was that they wouldn't pass my brand-new Kumho tires - 195R70x14 91H. H-rated for max 210 Kmh, not V-rated for the 220Kmh E9 max speed rating.
Bulent was looking into the logistics of a tire trade. In the meantime, I thought of a good solution: I told Bulent that I really liked the look of the MagLite 5-section wheels with the 9" chrome hubcaps, so he gave me a set as part of the deal. So I will mount new Vredestein Sprint Classics, a nice, retro-looking tire on the CSL 20-spoke alloys, and I'll throw the Kumhos on the MagLites with the chrome hubcaps. I can change them as my mood strikes me!
Until the next inspection in six year's time!
They actually failed me for these bolts being "too short":
I pulled the rear wheel, brake caliper, and hub and !@$%&?! I would have to disassemble the whole E-Brake assembly to get to those off!
Fortunately, I went on the BMW OEM site and drilled down to the brake assembly. As you all know (but I didn't), it (#14) is an assembly, not bolts, so good thing I did not embark on the e-brake disassembly, and buttoned it back up!
I will replace the lock nut with a normal hex nut to gain 2mm, and call it a day! It has a wave washer under it anyway.
They dinged me for my e-brake adjustment being asymmetric. I am counting days for thrust bearings, and M14 bolt/nut to arrive to reproduce Grice's FAQ e-brake upgrade. I contacted Grice, but with part price changes, he's not building the kits anymore. Politics aside, if you haven't done that for your left-leaning E9 e-brake handle, you really should; it feels so much better!
What else?
Too much paint on the block for the engine number to be clearly visible... I guess I'll have to sand off perfectly good paint to reveal it. (
I didn't have any problem reading it!)
A couple of drops of tranny oil from a new rear seal.... I have a leaking front seal on a newly-rebuilt Getrag 235 from Metric Mechanic for my Tii, so not an unheard of thing. Jim Rowe sent me the seal and tool to install it.)
I'm planning to change the tranny and diff oil soon anyway, so I will throw some stop-leak in there now, and change the tranny oil after I pass inspection.
The tranny and diff were the only parts of the car not rebuilt (both work perfectly well), but Oldenzaal replaced the front and rear tranny seals while they had the driveline out.
Question: Since the seals are new, does it make sense to replace the the 90-weight hypoid gear oil with ATF when I re-fill it?? [I don't know that I can get RedLine here in CH; it's a fairly restricted (protected) market.]
I have a 10-liter drum of Zepf 90W Hypoid in the garage, so I don't mind using it for this!
In the meantime, if we progress on the other fixes, I have prepped my Lokari inner fenders for installation. I am following the lead from ericnetherlands and replacing the steel staples with rivets. The rivets are relatively easy going in... removing the staples on the other hand!!!...
It's funny, I installed Lokaris front and back on my Tii and I got grief in the FAQ forum, but here they make perfect sense to everyone! (And I am not on my knees with a dental pick removing crap from around my directionals and other hard-to-reach structures on the Tii!)
That leads me to a...
Question: What is the purpose of this hole? Recall Dan Mooney's "I just couldn't stop myself opening Pandora's Box!"
What is its purpose, other than to act as a perfect venturi tube and suck everything up from the road into our inner fenders?
As far as I can tell, that hole is not an air path to the heater box, so what is its purpose?
Why not just block it off with closed cell foam?
One from each side....
This was during my first inspection visit, so I tasked Oldenzaal with getting up in there and vacuuming whatever they could out of those cavities. They did a good job, and the cavities were pretty clear when I went back in last week with my endoscope before waxing. I taped a flexible piece of plastic electrical conduit to my vacuum and worked it up into these cavities again, then I shot wax in as far as I could reach in every direction.
I had Oldenzaal drill a couple of 8mm hoes in each A-pillar so that I could shoot wax into the base of the A-pillar:
Sacrilege, I know, but practical. Had I been more familiar with the E9 chassis, I would have realized that it's not necessary; the mounting clip holes are big enough for access.
No, the wax you see was applied from the outside, not leaking through a sieve of rust holes! In retrospect, I wish I had applied melted Vasoline in these highly visible areas. I may go back and leach this up with turpentine and do just that.
On my Tii I painted the Lokaris with rubberized black paint. It looks good, but grass tends to stick to it.
I like ericnetherlands bare-metal look. I think I will do the same, and take a note from Zinz and spray them down well with penetrating oil to slow oxidation.