Moving and Exhaust

At this point it is January 2008, the car isn't running yet, and I'm moving into the Hadley house. I have to get my car out of the Hedgelane house where I've been living. The car has no exhaust system, and needs to go to the shop to get one custom built. So I incorporate a coworker and his truck as well as a Uhaul tow dolly. By the way, my experience at Uhaul was abysmal. But I got the car to the shop.

I had two things done at the BMW shop:
- Bleed the hydraulic clutch system.
- Check and reclaim refrigerant from the air conditioner. (Turns out there was no refrigerant)

The muffler shop is next door to the BMW shop (how convenient):
- I had custom exhaust built only through the catalytic converter. We decided to leave picking the muffler until after it was running.

A note about the drive shaft: I had heard a lot of options were possible. That I could use an E30 M3 drive shaft or even an E30 318 drive shaft. What I found is that the E36 drive shaft from the donor car had 3 of the four things I needed. So I didn't have to bother trying M3 or 318 drive shafts.
1. It's front mounted to the ZF transmission.
2. It's length worked in the E30
3. It's rear mounted to my differential.
4. It's guibo had to be replaced with one from an E30 drive shaft.
If you look at the picture, you'll notice that the drive shaft is actually two parts. You cannot use half E30 and half E36. The E30 one is opposite the E36 one.

Left is E36. Right is E30. Notice how the E30 one is more robust. Much of the rest of the E30 is like this, too. More robust.

Gauge Cluster Replacement

I had to replace the gauge cluster with one out of a 325i or 325is E30 because the redline on the tachometer was at 6250. The one original to the car was at 4800. I found one off ebay for $50. I've heard if you start with a 318 E30 for your car the redline is the same or close enough but you have to replace a chip inside the cluster because of the difference in the number of cylinders, but I didn't have to deal with this.

Bulk Update

A lot has happened since dropping the engine in.

- Replace coolant inlet & gasket on back of block. (It had to be removed to get engine in. It was particularly hard getting it reinstalled again.)
- Install transmission mount.
- Tighten engine mounts.
- Cut fan clutch from old water pump (it was seized).
- Replace water pump.
- Fabricate radiator brackets.
- Mount radiator.
- Position radiator overflow tank.
- Secure radiator hoses.
- Secure other coolant hoses.
- Hook up power steering hoses.
- Fabricate power steering reservoir bracket.
- Mount power steering reservoir.
- Mount drive shaft.
- Connect shifter linkage.
- Install clutch slave cylinder.
- Connect reverse light wires.
- Connect fuel supply and return lines.
- Connect starter.
- Connect ground strap.
- Connect engine harness power.
- Connect chassis to engine harness wiring adapter.
- Mount DME in glovebox.
- Route DME plug through firewall.
- Install intake boot.
- Install mass airflow sensor and connect.
- Install oxygen sensor and connect.

Another shot.

Engine, mounted in place.