E36 328: In over my head!

I've read several build and project threads and I am finally able to do my own (and not too lazy to upload photos).

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I ordered quite a few parts that need to be replaced. They haven't arrived at my house yet.

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I haven't ordered new tires yet.

Yup, it's on jack stands and has been sitting for a few months.

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Something's missing in the engine bay...

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There it is, the old radiator. The car has about 140,000 miles and I believe that this is the original radiator.

Wow, that thing must have been sitting for awhile to accumulate rotor rust on such an epic scale.

Yeah, I live in North Carolina, and we get good rainfall here in the winter and spring.

You are not in over your head... taint nuthin' to all that.

Good luck. Post up pics and ping if you need help sorting anything.

I don't make much money at all (hence the title), and this is just the beginning...

Mr_Clutch42 wrote: There it is, the old radiator. The car has about 140,000 miles and I believe that this is the original radiator.

And it actually has both the inlet and outlet still attached?

(Mine lasted until 160,000 miles before one of those popped off.)

Mr_Clutch42 wrote: Yeah, I live in North Carolina, and we get good rainfall here in the winter and spring.

where you in NC … I live in the western end of the state

I live in Eastern NC.

https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/grm/e36-cooling-system-overhaul-notes/13016/page1/

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I had to pop the tie rod ends with PB blaster to pop them off the knuckle (I think that's what it's called).

New parts! They came in a day earlier than I expected. It feels a little like Christmas.

The check engine light said that one was faulty, so I'm just gonna replace both of them.

I like the foam padding they use. But, I should have got a picture of it without the plastic on it.

I needed a new steering rack too. I used an aftermarket one from Advance Auto Parts but it was faulty out of the box. The Bimmerfest forums recommended The Rack Doctor.

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It's set in place for now.

Here is another shot of the beautiful craftsmanship they provide. I also need to buy more coolant, distilled water, water wetter, and a hose for the coolant overflow tank. I forgot about some of the supporting items/purchases I need.

Basic cooling system items. I actually needed to use a slightly larger coolant line due to the Mishimoto inlet. It took much longer than I thought just to get that small line through the fan shroud.

I took out the faulty steering rack. I still have the receipt so I will get a replacement and sell it on craigslist.

The coolant system is all buttoned up (except for that one screw) and mostly filled . I hope that reservoir line unkinks when I bleed the system. Damn universal lines.

I installed the new rack yesterday. It was a pain in the you know what due to the design. I ordered new tie rod ends since I ripped the old ones while taking them off. I also installed a new power steering reservoir since the filter inside is non serviceable.

Now I need some help. The exhaust manifold nut was seized, even when I used PB blaster and an impact gun. I tried to cut the stud off but I didn't have the clearance to cut off the stud in half the other direction.

I cut the exhaust maybe 2/3 of the way through but it is thick. I used a 4" angle grinder and a 7" angle grinder is cutting in the other pipe more than cutting the rest of the one side off. I have a reciprocating saw and that doesn't seem to have the cutting power for this. Should I try to borrow a plasma cutter or an oxy-acetylene torch?

DRILL IT! That's how I removed a broken lug.

Good Job!

Mr_Clutch42 wrote:

Take this with the appropriate grain of salt, but I've always heard that the M5x motors should only get genuine BMW coolant. That's what I used in my E36 M3. Maybe others will chime in.

I tried to drill a broken stud and it didn't work. I only did it once. I would need to buy or borrow a drill too.

Sawzall should cover that - try new metal blades. Milwaukee or DeWalt sell decent blades, if your sawzall won't pull the blades you have, try a higher teeth per inch count (like 24) and use something like wd40 to keep them from overheating. Oh... goes without saying, but good goggles!

edit - looking at the top picture with the stud, that looks like a good place for the grinder, go at it parallel to the flange from the bottom?