She's going to be like new by the time you've done mate.
Tony.
Tony.
Refurb underway (finally)
- Thread starter Mazza
- Start date
A couple of hours...and more stuff removed 
Marked the position of the bolts on the turrets as per Bentleys...drew round them with a pencil......but turned out there wasn't slots as the book said anyway.
Passenger side took about 40 minutes which wasn’t bad as never done this before.
Drivers side was a pig....the two bottom bolts were so bloody tight, took ages to budge them. Couldn't get my impact driver on them so a case of breaker bars and going backwards and forwards with gallons of fluid to get them moving...but eventually off they came. Looked like there was screw lock the whole length of the bolt.
So will clean them all up later.
Not sure if normal practice...but had to persuade it to come apart, (once all the bolts were out
)with a piece of wood and a club hammer
So I thought I would dismantle the assembly with my new spring compressor as practice for when I get the new parts......but NO....the spring compressor needs 24mm spanner.......dont have one !!!!!
Also the top nut is undone while holding the spindle.......Haven’t got a long reach 22mm socket with external hexagon....... ( then I can drop a 1/4 drive socket and extention bar down through it and hold the spindle.
Cant go out to get anything as waiting for deliveries which will be ‘ sometime today ‘
I also need to go over to BMW as had a text to say the new front spring pads are in. Not bad as only ordered yesterday. For £20.00 not worth putting the old ones back
I have found a lot of play in both top mounts so seems like it was the right thing to do.
Also after taking out the screw, couldn’t budge the wheel sensors so have left them alone for now.
Other than soaking them in penetrating fluid !!
Definitely some bits missing from under here!!!!!
Marked the position of the bolts on the turrets as per Bentleys...drew round them with a pencil......but turned out there wasn't slots as the book said anyway.
Passenger side took about 40 minutes which wasn’t bad as never done this before.
Drivers side was a pig....the two bottom bolts were so bloody tight, took ages to budge them. Couldn't get my impact driver on them so a case of breaker bars and going backwards and forwards with gallons of fluid to get them moving...but eventually off they came. Looked like there was screw lock the whole length of the bolt.
So will clean them all up later.
Not sure if normal practice...but had to persuade it to come apart, (once all the bolts were out
)with a piece of wood and a club hammerSo I thought I would dismantle the assembly with my new spring compressor as practice for when I get the new parts......but NO..
..the spring compressor needs 24mm spanner.......dont have one !!!!!Also the top nut is undone while holding the spindle.......Haven’t got a long reach 22mm socket with external hexagon....... ( then I can drop a 1/4 drive socket and extention bar down through it and hold the spindle.
Cant go out to get anything as waiting for deliveries which will be ‘ sometime today ‘
I also need to go over to BMW as had a text to say the new front spring pads are in. Not bad as only ordered yesterday. For £20.00 not worth putting the old ones back
I have found a lot of play in both top mounts so seems like it was the right thing to do.
Also after taking out the screw, couldn’t budge the wheel sensors so have left them alone for now.
Other than soaking them in penetrating fluid !!
Definitely some bits missing from under here!!!!!
Now you tell me
and 24 is the only one missing ... got all the others
and 24 is the only one missing .
.. got all the others
You could try using the impact wrench but don’t get spinning it right off, seen ED China do it that way.
I use impact wrench to crack the top nuts too. You just need to be careful is all.
Tony.
Tony.
No, the piston will just spin round if there's no tension on the spring. You need to loosen the nut before clamping the spring. Then remove the nut.
Tony.
Finished today on a high 
Parcels all delivered, Got over to BMW to pick up the Spring Pads...and only £16.78
Got a 24mm Spanner and a long reach 22mm socket.( for which I have a cunning plan tomorrow !!!)
Thank you Mark, Tony and Dr Wong..... took your advice and used my impact gun with the new socket ( the impact one wouldn’t fit in the top of the strut.
Spring compressor on......bang bang bang bang went the gun......and its off .....happy days.
Same with the other one.......( still being very wary of it !!!! Don't want to launch something through the roof of the garage)
Bit out of focus this one....I must have still be shaking with fright
And now, disassembled and happily sitting on the floor, safe and sound , and I still have all my fingers
Parcels all delivered, Got over to BMW to pick up the Spring Pads...and only £16.78
Got a 24mm Spanner and a long reach 22mm socket.( for which I have a cunning plan tomorrow !!!)
Thank you Mark, Tony and Dr Wong..... took your advice and used my impact gun with the new socket ( the impact one wouldn’t fit in the top of the strut.
Spring compressor on......bang bang bang bang went the gun......and its off .....happy days.
Same with the other one.......( still being very wary of it !!!! Don't want to launch something through the roof of the garage)
Bit out of focus this one....I must have still be shaking with fright
And now, disassembled and happily sitting on the floor, safe and sound , and I still have all my fingers
Cleaning a few bits today....my favourite pastime !!!!
Front suspension top plates will need derusting and repainting but they are not too bad and not worth getting new ones.
The springs after a spell in the parts washer, are actually in quite reasonable condition, but I have already ordered new ones so if anyone needs any ( 1998 1.9 M44 standard springs), they are available.
I did one other thing today....
K
Turned the rear springs round so the labels were up the right way up.
I am going to change the clutch hose probably for a braided one, but if I just open the bleed valve on the slave cyclinder, is it ok just to let gravity drain the fluid, I assume it will just drain the reservoir down to the level of the clutch outlet pipe which being the higher outlet wont affect the brakes in any way. Then later after brake lines and clutch are all connected, I can syringe out the rest of the old fluid and refill with new then just bleed the systems.
Brake system first or clutch first?.
Front suspension top plates will need derusting and repainting but they are not too bad and not worth getting new ones.
The springs after a spell in the parts washer, are actually in quite reasonable condition, but I have already ordered new ones so if anyone needs any ( 1998 1.9 M44 standard springs), they are available.
I did one other thing today....
Turned the rear springs round so the labels were up the right way up.
I am going to change the clutch hose probably for a braided one, but if I just open the bleed valve on the slave cyclinder, is it ok just to let gravity drain the fluid, I assume it will just drain the reservoir down to the level of the clutch outlet pipe which being the higher outlet wont affect the brakes in any way. Then later after brake lines and clutch are all connected, I can syringe out the rest of the old fluid and refill with new then just bleed the systems.
Brake system first or clutch first?.
This morning went out to the garage with the sole intention of getting the rear end to the point where I just need to bleed the brakes......I had a plan !!!!
Did that happen......of course not!!!!!
What I did do was bang my head on the underside of the car, trying to have a good look at the clutch hose, which made me feel a bit on the crap side, and had to get out from under the car.
But I didn't give up altogether....took the door cards off, and swapped over the wing mirrors. Usual problem taking off the door cards in that I had 4 broken clips , found some damage on one of the door cards which I re-glued. But biggest issue, was that the procedure says open the windows....so I turned the ignition on to find the battery was a bit flat....then all the dash lights went out and the bloody alarm which has never worked since I had it, ..went off
For a while every time I opened the door the alarm would go off again, until it died off and went quiet.
What the **** is that all about ??????
Anyway put the battery on charge, which will take a few hours as its only a trickle charge.
Too scared now to put the ignition on in case the alarm goes off again, and I have never have had a fob for it.
Once the door card is off the connector for the mirror is right in front of you.
Two screws to take the old ones off undid no problem
You can see all the rust and pitting on this one
You cant pull the wiring straight out as its held in behind the foam soundproofing by a clip!!!
Tied on a bit of string to use as a put cord to make things easier
What crossed my mind at this stage ( and I wish it hadn’t), was that I need to fix in my armrest.
So.....about 20 minutes later..........
Well at least the mirrors are on.......
At this stage I thought I had better not touch anything else, so phoned the Local BMW dealer and that he had only 4 clips in stock, so reserved them. That was lucky as I would have had to order 50 if they were out of stock !!
Got cleaned up and went for a drive to collect the clips and also pick up some black adhesive from Toolstation to refix the sound proofing to the door.
I will go out later to survey the mayhem and vandalism I caused this morning, and try to tidy and sort out the inside of the car.
Did that happen......of course not!!!!!
What I did do was bang my head on the underside of the car, trying to have a good look at the clutch hose, which made me feel a bit on the crap side, and had to get out from under the car.
But I didn't give up altogether....took the door cards off, and swapped over the wing mirrors. Usual problem taking off the door cards in that I had 4 broken clips , found some damage on one of the door cards which I re-glued. But biggest issue, was that the procedure says open the windows....so I turned the ignition on to find the battery was a bit flat....then all the dash lights went out and the bloody alarm which has never worked since I had it, ..went off
For a while every time I opened the door the alarm would go off again, until it died off and went quiet.
What the **** is that all about ??????
Anyway put the battery on charge, which will take a few hours as its only a trickle charge.
Too scared now to put the ignition on in case the alarm goes off again, and I have never have had a fob for it.
Once the door card is off the connector for the mirror is right in front of you.
Two screws to take the old ones off undid no problem
You can see all the rust and pitting on this one
You cant pull the wiring straight out as its held in behind the foam soundproofing by a clip!!!
Tied on a bit of string to use as a put cord to make things easier
What crossed my mind at this stage ( and I wish it hadn’t
), was that I need to fix in my armrest. So.....about 20 minutes later..........
Well at least the mirrors are on.......
At this stage I thought I had better not touch anything else, so phoned the Local BMW dealer and that he had only 4 clips in stock, so reserved them. That was lucky as I would have had to order 50 if they were out of stock !!
Got cleaned up and went for a drive to collect the clips and also pick up some black adhesive from Toolstation to refix the sound proofing to the door.
I will go out later to survey the mayhem and vandalism I caused this morning, and try to tidy and sort out the inside of the car.
I had a problem with the alarm like that recently. I couldn't shut it up what ever I did. Including disconnecting the battery as it must have it's own backup. I left it disconnected overnight and it was fine the next day.
Do you take delight in punishing yourself mate I can only read in envy as a torn rotor cuff is still playing up 
as a torn rotor cuff is still playing up
May as well get it all done
I have been out and tidied things up a bit
All the green ones are nylon string with labels attached to all the wires, so I know what they all are, and where they go. I can also use them as pull cords when it goes back together.
Just need to work out how to fix it on permanently
Then it can all go back
I have been out and tidied things up a bit
All the green ones are nylon string with labels attached to all the wires, so I know what they all are, and where they go. I can also use them as pull cords when it goes back together.
Just need to work out how to fix it on permanently
Then it can all go back
Fab work, Malc. I very much admire you for disassembling and then putting this real life “jigsaw” back together. It will be great to see you in it at some point in the near future.
Thats the trouble Dawn, I haven’t put it back together yet
.......It will be a miracle if you get to see me in it in the near future
.......It will be a miracle if you get to see me in it in the near future
A modest man indeed mate.Thats the trouble Dawn, I haven’t put it back together yet
.......It will be a miracle if you get to see me in it in the near future
Looking good Malc, One thing I will say is that when you put the mirrors back on, make sure that the cables are clear of the window gears and guides as they will wear through and cause a short if you do not.
Keep up the good work.
Keep up the good work.
Thanks for that Paul.
The new mirrors are already fitted.
I did use a pull cord to put them in so the cable should be routed through the door space the same way, but luckily, I haven’t sealed the sound proofing back on yet, so I can check to make sure tomorrow.
Better safe than sorry
Also, thanks Robert ( @mrscalex ), I went out and tried the ignition key again now that the battery has had time to charge. All the lights on the dash came on....and the alarm didn’t....... Phew!!!! What a relief!!
And ....Turned it off straight away
I’m sure I will have to reset various fault codes because I turned the ignition on, but I can live with that.
The new mirrors are already fitted.
I did use a pull cord to put them in so the cable should be routed through the door space the same way, but luckily, I haven’t sealed the sound proofing back on yet, so I can check to make sure tomorrow.
Better safe than sorry
Also, thanks Robert ( @mrscalex ), I went out and tried the ignition key again now that the battery has had time to charge. All the lights on the dash came on....and the alarm didn’t.......
Phew!!!! What a relief!!And ....Turned it off straight away
I’m sure I will have to reset various fault codes because I turned the ignition on, but I can live with that.