other Derelict 2002 to Autocrosser

[BigIrish]

Finally had some success with some racing stripes.  I did the German flag, substituting the yellow for gold.  Turned out much better than my last stripe attempt.

 

Now -what should I do with these wheels??  I'm thinking paint either gold or graphite.

Edited September 22, 2015 by BigIrish

[Fatherof3]

I'd try and match the wheels to the gold in the strip. Just do one first and see if you like it.

[RyanEsca]

Magnetic numbers work well at low speed events like auto-x, they fly off the car at real track speeds. Watched a set do this last weekend...

Trick is to buy some electrical or similar tape that matches your number plate and apply to the leading edge so air can't under the magnet.

Probably won't work so well with those small stickers but for number plates it does the trick.

[BigIrish]

Gold wheels were a good call.  I found some paint online that is supposedly a match for BBS Gold and it looks pretty good.  

 

I've always wanted to try a Super Trapp muffler so I installed one.  I really like it - loud when you stand on it, but a more mellow tone and tolerable at light throttle.  Also can adjust the noise/backpressure by adding/removing the disks at the back.  Cool concept

 

Signed up for my first autox in a couple of weeks.  Exciting and also getting paranoid I missed something or it will fail tech for some reason.  

Edited October 9, 2015 by BigIrish

[BigIrish]

Brake question - with the car running, I can mash the pedal hard and bottom out the pedal.  Should I be able to do this??  Everything is new (master, calipers, cylinders).  Brakes bite hard when driving and can lock up at least the fronts pretty easily.

 

I'm just not sure what normal is on these cars.

[remout]

Looking great! Aug 28 was the first post and you're going Auto Xing end of Oct... Way to get it done!

 

I've only driven one 2002 and it's our race car. It was built for SCCA ITB, so nothing special in the motor or brake dept. I cannot bottom out the pedal and I'd be concerned if I could. Assuming your parts are well matched or stock I'm wondering if you might have a touch of air still in the system?

 

I've bled ours manually and with a pressure bleeder. Got good results both ways, seems like the only advantage of the pressure bleeder is it turned it into a one person job.

 

If you bleed them again and there is a bit of air, it might be that when you replaced everything you introduced a bit of air in. Sometimes it take a lot of bleeding to get that all out.

[Simeon]

Brake question - with the car running, I can mash the pedal hard and bottom out the pedal.  Should I be able to do this??  Everything is new (master, calipers, cylinders).  Brakes bite hard when driving and can lock up at least the fronts pretty easily.

 

I'm just not sure what normal is on these cars.

Definitely not normal. I would repeat the message about re-bleeding the brakes but add that the rear drums need to be well adjusted and the drum internal diameter within spec to get the best pedal.

[BigIrish]

I will keep working on the bleeding.  I've used the power bleeder but I think I need to resort to the old fashioned pump the brakes method to chase the last of it out, especially the rears.  I've got all 4 shoes adjusted so they are lightly contacting the drum.  The drums are slightly out of round so I need to just replace those.

 

I think I definitely have mechanical slop in the pedal.  The pedal moves very freely for about 1.5" before you can feel it engage the master.  You can definitely feel this with the engine off.  Also, if I pump the pedal, this does not improve.  If there was a bunch of air in the system the pedal would get harder with pumping.

 

I've searched a bit on adjusting the linkage - but anyone have any additional tips?  Seems difficult to reach, like everything on this car.

[zinz]

IE sells a kit that removes some of the brake pedal linkage slop, behind the booster.  http://www.iemotorsport.com/bmw/2002-brakes/02boosterpivot.html

 

I would bleed the system all over again. I've had luck tapping on calipers and wheel cylinders and such while bleeding, I'd also suggest mashing the pedal while using the pressure bleeder. 

 

Adjusting rears requires some "feel"... I've described it like the "drag" of the feeler gauge under the rocker when adjusting valves, or the tension of "how much is too much" when tightening down on front wheel bearings...  I like my rear brakes to drag maybe more than others would... when you step on the pedal, they are immediately engaging.  ...there's lots of good threads about this procedure. I've always referred to this one  http://www.bmw2002faq.com/topic/64789-rear-drum-brake-adjustment/

 

You'll get it..

 

Car is looking great, BTW

 

Ed Z

[BigIrish]

I'd also suggest mashing the pedal while using the pressure bleeder

 

 

Ahh, that's a great idea!  So you are saying pressure up the system with the power bleeder, crack the bleeders and then also pump the pedal to force more through?  No issue with air being sucked in at the bleeders, b/c you have positive pressure on the system?

 

I'm having trouble getting much out of the rear bleeders, even at 15psi with the power bleeder alone.  It's just a tiny trickle.  Of course I get plenty with pump pedal method.

[jmr_1602]

I think my Bavauto pressure bleeder suggested about 25psi, but not over.

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[zinz]

I'm having trouble getting much out of the rear bleeders, even at 15psi with the power bleeder alone.  It's just a tiny trickle.  Of course I get plenty with pump pedal method.

 

hmmm... you replaced the rear, soft lines? 

[BigIrish]

No I didn't.  They've been replaced before and look pretty decent.  Fronts were replaced with braided lines at some point too.  But I am suspicious of those starting to swell due to the bleeding issue.  The brakes retract immediately though so they are definitely not swelled shut.

 

Looks like I have my weekend project lined up.  Did I mention I hate bleeding brakes??

 

I did order some new drums and shoes which should help some.  

[Stevenc22]

Be careful pressure bleeding, popped the clutch line out of the clutch master cylinder the other day with the pressure bleeder.

Edited October 9, 2015 by Stevenc22

[M3M3]

Be careful pressure bleeding, popped the clutch line out of the clutch master cylinder the other day with the pressure bleeder.

yes.  too much pressure results in a huge mess.  15psi MAX on a 2002.  basically you just want a little pressure to keep the air from coming back in the bleed screw threads.  do all the pushing of fluid through the system with the brake pedal.  i never bleed brake only using the pressure bleeder. on any kind of car.   i always use the combo pressure/pedal method.

Edited October 9, 2015 by mlytle