Simon Blythe
Zorg Guru (I)
The good bits: good roof, new front disks and pads - relatively new rears, new tyres all round , nice interior and dry all round.
Too early to say if it will be broken but hopefully it will make a nice car
2.8 Artic Silver project
- Thread starter Simon Blythe
- Start date
The good bits: good roof, new front disks and pads - relatively new rears, new tyres all round , nice interior and dry all round.
Too early to say if it will be broken but hopefully it will make a nice car
- Joined
- Dec 5, 2011
- Points
- 175
Good luck mate
Simon Blythe
Zorg Guru (I)
Cheers pal
Good luck with this Simon. Keep the updates coming.
Simon Blythe
Zorg Guru (I)
Thanks Dave, first job will be to sort the misfire. Hopefully it's just a plug or coil pack that's failed and not something more sinister like the head gasket. That said I did buy it as a long term project so it would be interesting if it had to be done as I've never stripped a chain driven engine before It's definately too good to break though, everything else is an easy fix or cosmetic.
Looks good Simon! Take your time and should be fine! JIM
All these artic silver cars popping up 
Simon Blythe
Zorg Guru (I)
I know - I do love the OEM look of this one
Simon Blythe
Zorg Guru (I)
Started the preliminary investigations this morning after buying a new battery - the old one didn't want to charge at all!
Took her for a quick spin and she is very very tight, the guy must have had all the bushes done
Less impressive was the gunky oil filler cap, the slightly wet spark plug areas and what appears the be the rubber gasket the the inlet manifold.
Took her for a quick spin and she is very very tight, the guy must have had all the bushes done
Less impressive was the gunky oil filler cap, the slightly wet spark plug areas and what appears the be the rubber gasket the the inlet manifold.
The gunk in the fuel cap may just be from the car doing a lot of short journeys, quite common on BMW's. Wipe it off as much as possible and give it a good long blast and get it up to temperature for a while plus an oil change will do it no harm. As for the gasket on the inlet manifold, it's the perfect excuse to do the M50 upgrade 
Simon Blythe
Zorg Guru (I)
I think you may be right mate - want to cure the misfire first though - a set of used injectors on eBay is £35 Very tempting upgrade at some point thoughThe gunk in the fuel cap may just be from the car doing a lot of short journeys, quite common on BMW's. Wipe it off as much as possible and give it a good long blast and get it up to temperature for a while plus an oil change will do it no harm. As for the gasket on the inlet manifold, it's the perfect excuse to do the M50 upgrade
Simon Blythe
Zorg Guru (I)
Well I whipped off the manifold this evening to look at the gasket as I thought I was sucking air - you can see it was getting some blow past.
A tip for those who need to get their manifold off and getting to the nut nearest the bulkhead. I undid the 2 screws holding the cabling above the manifold, you can push it out of the way just enough to get access.
Need to order a new gasket now and clean up the faces and engine bay.
A tip for those who need to get their manifold off and getting to the nut nearest the bulkhead. I undid the 2 screws holding the cabling above the manifold, you can push it out of the way just enough to get access.
Need to order a new gasket now and clean up the faces and engine bay.
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Good thread, interesting progress thus far. Keep it coming 
Simon Blythe
Zorg Guru (I)
Looks like it's not breathing too well either
Looks ready for an M50 conversion!
You can see how restricted the M52 mani is in your first picture the M50 opens that right out to the gaskit to match the head.
Glad you getting to grips with the niggles and its all worth while
You can see how restricted the M52 mani is in your first picture the M50 opens that right out to the gaskit to match the head.
Glad you getting to grips with the niggles and its all worth while
Simon Blythe
Zorg Guru (I)
I was thinking the same but it's quite costly though circa £300/490. I know it's been discussed in depth but do you really think it's worth doing? I've always thought the 2.8 doesn't breath or rev particularly well.Looks ready for an M50 conversion!
You can see how restricted the M52 mani is in your first picture the M50 opens that right out to the gaskit to match the head.
Glad you getting to grips with the niggles and its all worth while
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I did it to my first 2.8 and on the single vanos engine it makes a vast difference in the car.
I read the reason Bmw restricted the 2.8s power was for taxation rules the 2.5 engine output was only just under the 2.8's the restriction bring the manifold.
Have experienced it in a E36 328i vert and my zed both complete transformations.
The dual vanos engine can be remapped and gains the differences in the map as i have remapped mine but the earlier engine if i could get the parts on a budget i would do it hands down.
I read the reason Bmw restricted the 2.8s power was for taxation rules the 2.5 engine output was only just under the 2.8's the restriction bring the manifold.
Have experienced it in a E36 328i vert and my zed both complete transformations.
The dual vanos engine can be remapped and gains the differences in the map as i have remapped mine but the earlier engine if i could get the parts on a budget i would do it hands down.
Simon Blythe
Zorg Guru (I)
Sounds like a no brainer - the cost above includes a remapped ECU too however, it will have to wait.
It does however throw up the question of where to go with the car. It was bought as something to tinker with but upon further investigation it's a very good car. The compression tests speak for themselves, it's had new disks and pads on the front, new rear caliper, new wishbones and bushes, great room and interior and new tyres all around. It needs a prop bush and a passenger window mechanism and that it other than a good clean.
It's quickly turning into a keeper!
It does however throw up the question of where to go with the car. It was bought as something to tinker with but upon further investigation it's a very good car. The compression tests speak for themselves, it's had new disks and pads on the front, new rear caliper, new wishbones and bushes, great room and interior and new tyres all around. It needs a prop bush and a passenger window mechanism and that it other than a good clean.
It's quickly turning into a keeper!
Your car looks like it would benefit greatly from regular usage/decent runs once the fluids are changed. Is it low mileage?