Preventative Maintenance

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Jet
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Preventative Maintenance

Post by Jet »

Strange the door baseplate and mechanism was not given some weather protection.

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After some TFR, a Toothbrush, sandpaper, white grease and silver paint, door feels smoother and looks better.

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Last edited by Jet on Thu 05 Jun, 2014 07:44, edited 1 time in total.
tg184
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Re: Baseplate

Post by tg184 »

That looks -fantastic-. Great work. Pity you're going to cover it up again!
FOR: Balance
AGAINST: Yours will be in doubt at this price

- CAR Magazine's GBU summary of the Z1 in period
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Southernboy
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Re: Baseplate

Post by Southernboy »

That's what I call maintenance ! good work there... :wink:
"Normal is overrated"
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TJS
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Re: Preventative Maintenance

Post by TJS »

Jamal

Thats cheating ! Different doors

First picture is the offside door, the second is the nearside ... or were both in the same state ?

TJS
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Jet
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Re: Preventative Maintenance

Post by Jet »

The first pic is the passenger side, thats next.

Something I learned, don't do this:

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Impossible to buy on the open market, but discs are still available from your local dealer at a reasonable price.

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Last edited by Jet on Thu 05 Jun, 2014 08:27, edited 4 times in total.
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Jet
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Re: Preventative Maintenance

Post by Jet »

TJS wrote:Jamal

Thats cheating ! Different doors

First picture is the offside door, the second is the nearside ... or were both in the same state ?

TJS
Im trying to emulate your car, you could eat off that chassis. Well spotted, but yes, the driver side was worse than the passenger.
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Jet
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Re: Preventative Maintenance

Post by Jet »

Next up, Bushes.

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Important note, if you look closely at the new bush, an arrow to indicate they are directional. We also put the split in the side and not the top, this minimises movement in relation to travel.

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Jet
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Re: Preventative Maintenance

Post by Jet »

24 years old, built to last, well almost.....

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Note the little arrow on the new bush, which lines up with the little nobbly bit at the top of the holder, they can only be inserted in one direction.

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Jet
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Re: Preventative Maintenance

Post by Jet »

Rear wheel arch liners are knackered, does not look complicated to replace, but I needed a temporary fix for now

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Coraline Ridge Back, waterproof, pliable, easy to bend into shape.

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Overnight soak test.

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Make sure of clearances, use existing studs to attach and some exterior matt black paint to finish, that will do for now.

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Cabrioot
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Re: Preventative Maintenance

Post by Cabrioot »

Nice job, did all this on my car already.
Changed 4 wheel arch liners because the became brittle.
The cost about €120 a piece by BMW in 2012
I also have changed the rubbers at the back of the exhaust and made a small modification on it.
The weight of the exhaust puls the rubber far down.
Made a blok of hard rubber and glueded at the underside of the hanging point, so the flex stays but does not hing down anymore.
Will sent you a photo :)
felix
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Re: Preventative Maintenance

Post by felix »

JB, all very nicely done. :thumb: I'll be interested to hear of your driving impressions of the new control arm bushes. You may also want to get the tracking re-checked.
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Jet
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Re: Preventative Maintenance

Post by Jet »

Cabrioot wrote:Nice job, did all this on my car already.
Changed 4 wheel arch liners because the became brittle.
The cost about €120 a piece by BMW in 2012
I also have changed the rubbers at the back of the exhaust and made a small modification on it.
The weight of the exhaust puls the rubber far down.
Made a blok of hard rubber and glueded at the underside of the hanging point, so the flex stays but does not hing down anymore.
Will sent you a photo :)
Courtesy of Cabrioot.

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Jet
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Re: Preventative Maintenance

Post by Jet »

What exhaust is that, BTB?
TJS
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Re: Preventative Maintenance

Post by TJS »

You have been busy ... did you replace the control arm bushes as a pair ?

I believe new rear wheel arch liners from BMW are supplied without the hole for the damper which will need to be lowered to thread through the new panel. Measure 3 times , cut once

..... you also need some black paint for the lower base plate, not that anyone will see it

TJS

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TJS
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Re: Preventative Maintenance

Post by TJS »

The rear wheel arch "cover" which is often missing and keeps out the crap is shown on Real OEM as part no 5172292065 / 66. I guess the guys who recently worked on my car lost this part .. so I need to get a new one.

http://realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?mod ... g=41&fg=25

However, the part number on the back, as thoughtfully photographed by Darren at the recent Tech day show Z 292 066 Z1 5171.

are we talking about the same piece of plastic ?

/Users/tjsmith/Desktop/QV0A4676.JPG
TJS
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Re: Preventative Maintenance

Post by TJS »

... yes, it is ,, just worked out the code.

Sorry !
Cabrioot
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Re: Preventative Maintenance

Post by Cabrioot »

The exhaust is original.
Original exhaust have a double skin, the outer skin is mostly rusted.
I took off the outerskin and fixet the inside with several new plates and sillencer stuf.
Then i have covered the hole thing with stainless steel plates and welded together and looks like new and has the oridginal sound.
Easy job and much cheaper then a complete stainless steel one.
It in now for 10 years without a problem.
Thanks for placing the pictures.

Jet. Why did you not take the z3" M bushes "for the control arms the are not much more expensive an more ridgit.
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Jet
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Re: Preventative Maintenance

Post by Jet »

felix wrote:JB, all very nicely done. :thumb: I'll be interested to hear of your driving impressions of the new control arm bushes. You may also want to get the tracking re-checked.
Thanks Felix, the above has been on my radar for a while and needed doing regardless, but the steering still felt horrible after all that, until your info about the steering column bolt, suddenly it all came together, feels like a new car.
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Jet
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Re: Preventative Maintenance

Post by Jet »

Cabrioot wrote:The exhaust is original.
Original exhaust have a double skin, the outer skin is mostly rusted.
I took off the outerskin and fixet the inside with several new plates and sillencer stuf.
Then i have covered the hole thing with stainless steel plates and welded together and looks like new and has the oridginal sound.
Easy job and much cheaper then a complete stainless steel one.
It in now for 10 years without a problem.
Thanks for placing the pictures.

Jet. Why did you not take the z3" M bushes "for the control arms the are not much more expensive an more ridgit.
Re-skin the exhaust, not a bad idea.
I considered M3 Poly bushes, but they are wasted living in London, road conditions would make it more uncomfortable to drive.
Alan W
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Re: Preventative Maintenance

Post by Alan W »

steering column bolt, suddenly it all came together, feels like a new car
Where is this post / information?
1999 facelit Z3 Roadster 2.8 Auto in Cosmos Black aka 'Gloria'
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felix
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Re: Preventative Maintenance

Post by felix »

There is a half-way house between the standard E30 bush and poly bushes from Powerflex or the like which is the OEM M3 bush that TJS alluded to. It has less compliance than the standard bush but isn't as harsh as a polyurethane bushing.It also adds more caster to the front suspension which means slightly higher steering effort. But if you fit the M3 bushes you definitely need to get the tracking checked as the toe will be changed whereas with the standard bushes you can take the risk that the geo is pretty much unchanged.
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Jet
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Re: Preventative Maintenance

Post by Jet »

Alan W wrote:
steering column bolt, suddenly it all came together, feels like a new car
Where is this post / information?
Alan,

I doubt this applies to your setup, Felix can explain it better, but this was 'loose', symptoms were severe vibrations through steering wheel.

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Cabrioot
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Re: Preventative Maintenance

Post by Cabrioot »

There are several types of bushings.
The excentric ones are special and more fore trackdays or race
The best to go is the Z3m full rubber, notthing to adjust and not a hard ride and tramlining reduced.

(benodigde hoeveelheid=2)
Half rubber, 31 12 9 059 288, BMW,
Full rubber, 31 12 9 069 035, BMW,
Half rubber, 300 311 2903, Meyle,
Polyurethaan, PFF5-301, Powerflex,
TJS
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Re: Preventative Maintenance

Post by TJS »

J

Good spot re the loose nut

The photograph of the steering column is drivers side of the bulk head ?

I have a steering wheel vibration and rattling noise (front nearside) on very rough road surfaces at low speed. I have taken the under tray off and the rubber gaiters on the steering column from bulkhead to rack and every thing is tight, bushes checked, steering geometry checked, no play at all. The steering wheel adjustment mechanism is tight when locked and no play in the wheel / boss. I am beginning to suspect the rack itself even though it has no leaks and only 24 k miles. Out of curiosity are the Z1 steering racks serviceable in terms of lubrication or are they sealed units ?

I will check the nut in the photograph.

TJS
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Jet
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Re: Preventative Maintenance

Post by Jet »

TJS wrote:J

Good spot re the loose nut

The photograph of the steering column is drivers side of the bulk head ?

I have a steering wheel vibration and rattling noise (front nearside) on very rough road surfaces at low speed. I have taken the under tray off and the rubber gaiters on the steering column from bulkhead to rack and every thing is tight, bushes checked, steering geometry checked, no play at all. The steering wheel adjustment mechanism is tight when locked and no play in the wheel / boss. I am beginning to suspect the rack itself even though it has no leaks and only 24 k miles. Out of curiosity are the Z1 steering racks serviceable in terms of lubrication or are they sealed units ?

I will check the nut in the photograph.

TJS
Just above the accelerator, remove the lower trim.
Kicking myself for not finding this Nut before changing everything else, so I cannot say 100% which of the above was causing the vibration, tightening the bolt also impacts steering column 'Reach', so adjust accordingly.

TG184 - you mentioned at the technical day to not having any kind of steering adjustment on your car, but I thought they all had Reach as standard?

Steering racks are serviceable according to http://www.power-steering.co.uk, unless anyone knows otherwise?
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Green Genie
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Re: Preventative Maintenance

Post by Green Genie »

Look under: Technical manuals > problems with the steering (not the best of translations)

http://translate.google.com/translate?d ... ik_fs.html
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tg184
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Re: Preventative Maintenance

Post by tg184 »

@Jet

I was misinformed, mine is just stuck. (!)
FOR: Balance
AGAINST: Yours will be in doubt at this price

- CAR Magazine's GBU summary of the Z1 in period
sfh3l
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Location: Buckingham

Re: Preventative Maintenance

Post by sfh3l »

Nice work Jamal! Well documented too, but then I would expect nothing less from you 8-)

I had my rear wings off the other day and reinforced the cracked piece at the lower edge of one and the crack where the door forces the wing up on the other. I have also adjusted the wing so that the door now kisses it gently and doesn't head-butt it like it used to.

My next trick is going to be to build up a suitable 'hook' that can be fixed to the lower edge of the front wing (x1) and the lower edge of the rear wings (x2) to connect to the bobbins and fix the wings properly. Someone has obviously been a little rough with these in the past as these three of mine are broken. Current favourite is 2 thicknesses of aluminium can, sandwiching around 1mm of plastic and stuck together with araldite or the like. These should be very sturdy, the right sort of thickness and possible to make with a large enough plate to stick to the inner face of the wing panel and spread the stress.

I'll update once I have made some progress on this - probably the winter at this rate.

The Steering wheel bolt tightening has made a significant positive difference to my car - Thanks Felix and Jet for the info. My front tyres are still slightly out of balance, but this feels like just that now and not some undefined front end wobble from the column as opposed to the wheel.

I am taking the Zettie to Le Mans later this week as the 911 has misbehaved itself in the electric window department once more. I don't want it to fail in the 'down' position and I'll suffocate if it fails when up, so she stays in the garage!
Best regards,

Sam Lever.

Anyone who says money isn't everything hasn't found the right classic car yet.
Z1 - 3.0csl - 987 Boxster - Austin 7 Special - Rolls 20 - '72 911 - '95 318is
Black Sport Evo M3 & SG M3 CSL - now someone else's pleasure
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Green Genie
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Re: Preventative Maintenance

Post by Green Genie »

Jet

This has got me thinking to check mine.

Am I correct in saying that first you need to release the adjustment on the steering wheel reach and pull forward, and then tighten the large nut in the footwell until it's tight (assuming its loose) but making sure you can still adjust the reach on the steering column? if not backing it off a bit until you can.

The translation I posted was a bit hard to understand but that's how I read it.
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Jet
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Re: Preventative Maintenance

Post by Jet »

Green Genie wrote:Jet

This has got me thinking to check mine.

Am I correct in saying that first you need to release the adjustment on the steering wheel reach and pull forward, and then tighten the large nut in the footwell until it's tight (assuming its loose) but making sure you can still adjust the reach on the steering column? if not backing it off a bit until you can.

The translation I posted was a bit hard to understand but that's how I read it.
Yep, thats pretty much it. The most difficult part is finding a 32mm Spanner.
sfh3l
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Re: Preventative Maintenance

Post by sfh3l »

I worked on the basis that I am happy with the column where it is and don;t want further adjustment, so I just tightened the nut down and the situation is definitely improved. If I grow taller then I may need to loosen off, move the column to my new favoured position and then tighten again, but I am not holding my breath!
Best regards,

Sam Lever.

Anyone who says money isn't everything hasn't found the right classic car yet.
Z1 - 3.0csl - 987 Boxster - Austin 7 Special - Rolls 20 - '72 911 - '95 318is
Black Sport Evo M3 & SG M3 CSL - now someone else's pleasure
Blue 2800cs - now someone else's pain
Old cars - the original "Not for Profit" organisation
Independent Financial Adviser in Buckingham
My Financial Blog
felix
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Re: Preventative Maintenance

Post by felix »

It's only been 5 years since I found that article and saved it as a pdf on my laptop! :?

The play is between the fixed lower section of the column and the moveable upper section of the column. The nut is a collar nut that tightens the female splined shaft onto the male splined shaft. You can get some idea of what things look like at http://bmwfans.info/parts-catalog/Z1/Eu ... oint_assy/ - it's the large nut on the shaft in the lower part of the diagram. Here's what my car was like before I started: Image
The play between the shafts shows up as sort of a rattle in the steering that is made worse by any wheel imbalance or other play in suspension bushes.

You'll need a phillips screwdriver and an 32mm spanner. If you don't already have one you can get a 32mm combination spanner from ebay delivered to your door for £7.50 or thereabouts.

Start by getting a feel for the presence of the play and the amount of effort required to change the steering column's reach. Tightening the nut will reduce/eliminate the play and will also increase the effort required to change the reach and will eventually prevent the reach from being adjusted altogether.

Remove the trim panel under the column by undoing the screws (up to 6 - my car only had 4 in place) and the plastic quarter turn fastener.
Place the 32mm spanner on the nut and turn the steering wheel clockwise by half a turn while holding the spanner in place. Remove the spanner, straighten out the wheel and check for a reduction in the play and/or a change in effort needed to adjust the reach. Repeat this tightening sequence either a half or a quarter turn at a time until the play is gone and hopefully you still have some reach adjustment. The trick is to find the sweet spot where the play is gone but the reach can still be adjusted.

I found it easiest to have the engine running in order to have the power assist helping turn the wheel.

Here's what mine was like when I was done:
Image
When you think you've found the sweet spot that works for you take the car for a drive and see if you notice the change. I certainly did!
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Re: Preventative Maintenance

Post by Green Genie »

Thanks Felix - excellent write up

That's crystal clear, gonna give this a check at some stage.
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Jet
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Re: Preventative Maintenance

Post by Jet »

Excellent detailed feedback Felix.
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Re: Preventative Maintenance

Post by felix »

I'm in the midst of another project that's been on the to-do list for ages - installing an E36 steering rack. In doing so I have found what I think is an issue in over-tightening that 32mm nut - the steering column will no longer telescope in the case of a heavy front end crash and the steering wheel may get pushed towards the driver. Thus I would strongly recommend that the nut not be tightened to the point where it's no longer possible to adjust the reach. I believe the telescoping joint serves two functions - allowing the reach to be adjusted and allowing the column to collapse if there's an accident that's severe enough to push the steering rack backwards. Thus getting rid of rotational play is a good thing but preventing telescoping is a bad thing. I hope this is clear.
sfh3l
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Re: Preventative Maintenance

Post by sfh3l »

Sorry I couldn't respond earlier, but I had a steering wheel pushed tight up under my chin and couldn't reach the keyboard.........

You're probably right Felix. I might slacken it off a bit when I get the chance, but I'm pretty sure in the event of an accident the force would be such that it would probably still telescope that joint as opposed to shear the bolts where the column is fixed to the dash. Either way the little Z would be decidedly the worse for wear if that were to happen.
Best regards,

Sam Lever.

Anyone who says money isn't everything hasn't found the right classic car yet.
Z1 - 3.0csl - 987 Boxster - Austin 7 Special - Rolls 20 - '72 911 - '95 318is
Black Sport Evo M3 & SG M3 CSL - now someone else's pleasure
Blue 2800cs - now someone else's pain
Old cars - the original "Not for Profit" organisation
Independent Financial Adviser in Buckingham
My Financial Blog
felix
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Re: Preventative Maintenance

Post by felix »

I'm think that the column support will remain firmly in place but the shaft could be pushed up through the column bearings towards the driver. Worst case scenario for sure but it strikes me as an unnecessary risk to take.
sfh3l
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Re: Preventative Maintenance

Post by sfh3l »

Good point Felix, and I was being perhaps a little flippant........
Best regards,

Sam Lever.

Anyone who says money isn't everything hasn't found the right classic car yet.
Z1 - 3.0csl - 987 Boxster - Austin 7 Special - Rolls 20 - '72 911 - '95 318is
Black Sport Evo M3 & SG M3 CSL - now someone else's pleasure
Blue 2800cs - now someone else's pain
Old cars - the original "Not for Profit" organisation
Independent Financial Adviser in Buckingham
My Financial Blog
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