Update #7
-It moves!
Well, now that I knew the engine seemed to be in good condition and our starting efforts were successful, several tasks remained before I could take the next step: getting the car to move on its own.
For this, I needed to resolve a few things. First, I had to check and bleed the hydraulic clutch circuit and install a fuel pump to feed the carburetors.
I started with the first task, checking the clutch circuit. Luckily, I had both new hydraulic cylinders already connected and even with a fluid reservoir! The downside was that it looked quite ugly and generic, so before starting to bleed the system, I opted to use one from an E23 that I had lying around. I like how it looks, or at least it clashes less with the car. I know that originally the fluid comes from the brake fluid reservoir, but since it's an automatic car, it didn't have that reservoir, and getting one locally was impossible.
After adding the fluid, the arduous task of relentlessly pumping the pedal began until everything was in order! Surprisingly, it wasn't as difficult as it was with my E23 when I had to replace both cylinders.
With that, the first task is complete!
Now, the second task was to install a fuel pump. I know that the M30 originally came with a mechanical pump in the cylinder head, but in my case, that pump wasn't included. It already had an electric pump installed, but unfortunately, it wasn't working. I did some research and bought a suitable electric pump for a carburetor and proceeded to install it near the intake manifolds, in a position similar to the original. This allowed me to check for leaks, connect both carburetors, and avoid potential problems with the rest of the fuel lines (not to mention that the old electric pump was mounted using the brake master cylinder bracket, so all the hoses and electrical wiring were quite close to the intake manifolds).
Luckily, it wasn't a difficult task. I installed new hoses, and it was working quickly! (Although this pump was going to cause me problems later on :c)
Since these tasks were relatively straightforward, I took the opportunity, before starting to assemble the water circuit, to check and tidy up the wires that run behind the radiator and connect to the right-side lights, ignition coil, etc. I love working on the electrical systems of cars, and this case was no exception. Doing this inspection, besides improving the engine's appearance, helped me understand why I don't have a horn in the car. It seems that at some point there was a problem with the wires, and they got stuck together. Some wires were melted, and even the relay socket was melted (you can see it in the photos), so it was the perfect time to replace these wires and improve the relay connection (I also need to check the steering wheel contact to get the horn working).
Now, with everything reconnected, it was time to test if the car could move on its own.
It was simply a matter of starting it (testing the new fuel pump), pressing the clutch (a little stiff for my liking), shifting into first gear, and slowly releasing it... IT MOVED!
Just a few centimeters forward and backward were enough to confirm that the automatic-to-manual transmission conversion was correct and working!
Let's consider for a second that the car stopped because the automatic transmission failed, and although they converted it to manual, they never got around to testing it, so we were the ones who did!
Here's a video of those first few centimeters of the car's movement. Keep in mind that the first 30 seconds are for warm-up and nerves.
Thank you all for reading my thread and giving me advice. I'm sorry I haven't been able to post updates these past few weeks; they've been very busy.
