The Derelict Bavarians

[Dugz02]

How they looked when I picked them up.

Well, today was my first day of doing real work on my blue 1976. The poor thing has been severely neglected, and it appears that there's enough rust to negate restoring this one, so I'm only planning to patch it and play with it until it becomes a parts car. (I also have this white 1974, which is in better condition, but has a blown engine.)

I spent the day rebuilding a spare 32/36 Weber that I got with the two cars. Well except for that one snag, when something that looks like a ball bearing fell out of the carb. I can't find it listed on any parts list. This carb has a metal "model" tag on it, and everything else matches the diagrams and pictures that I've seen... but none mention this ball. Very strange.

I pried out the spark plugs to make it easier to turn over the engine and set the points. This was a real task, because it felt like they had almost seized in the engine. The tips on all four plugs are black and glossy... the fuel mix is way off... but I figured as much from hearing the engine running.

The next step is to change the oil and set the valves.

Then I'll see if she'll pass the emission test.

[Dugz02]

Well, it was a frustrating day, but I accomplished a few things.

First, the "parts list" that came with the carb gasket set from Bavarian Autosport was the worst parts list I have ever seen; it did not list the actual contents, so I was left to guess where some of the washers went... or if they even went with mine since this kit was for more than one model.

I'm also irritated that it didn't come with a new power valve. Since ordering this kit I found out about Pierce Manifolds, which offers a far better kit than the one that I bought, so I will buy one from them when I rebuild the other Weber carb.

The car acts like it wants to start, but it eventually floods. I'll try some adjustments tomorrow. For now, I need to take a shower and get ready for a special event that I don't want to miss... so the car will just have to sit there.

However, I am happy that I cleaned up some of the mess that was left behind by previous owners... like the stupid "breather hose" that went around the back of the carb and stopped up by the fuel pump.

Supposedly, this was to keep oil from spewing out of the filter during heavy cornering, but I think it just filled the hose with oil. So I shortened the hose and made a "brace" for it out of 12 gauge wire. It looks less bad and should work properly.

I also removed the old air filter brackets, and replaced the little K&N filter with a big Weber filter. And I ran some tubing from the old air inlet down to the exhaust manifold shroud... just to see if that will help with cooling. If nothing else, there are two less holes that look like they need hoses.

Did I mention that it looked like they put the carb linkage together with vice grips? I had to straighten out one of the parts with a hammer and anvil. I also replaced the fuel lines, filter and some other hoses.

Here are the before and after pics...

[Dugz02]

I adjusted the valves and the points this morning, and the timing should be close enough to start, but the beast still won't run. It just turns over without any sound of ignition. If I stand on the throttle, it just seems to shudder while turning over. A quick look down through the throats of the carb shows some gas puddled in the intake.

The carb that I rebuilt was not on a car at the time I dismantled it, so I'm not sure if it had any problems before I started, but I'm betting it has one now. So the next step will be to rebuild the carb that was on the car... which is missing choke parts because the former owner "couldn't get the electric choke to work right." OY!

For now I'm going to take a break and eat some lunch.

[HarryPR]

Did you install new points and condenser? If you didn't that may be the cause of your starting woes.

How about the coil and ballast resistor? Maybe you can swap the ones from the other car and see if it'll start.

Please keep us posted of your progress!

[Dugz02]

Did you install new points and condenser?

Absolutely. Keep in mind, this car ran before I put this carb on it... but way too rich.

How about the coil and ballast resistor?

I wish - the other car doesn't have any ignition parts on it... except for a well-used distributor.

On that note, I do have a solid engine from a 320i that I'm planning to drop into the white '74. I'm still contemplating whether I want to go with carbs or injection. I know all of the arguments for and against... I'm just trying to decide which way I want to go.

But first, I am going to put the blue beast back on the road.

[Dugz02]

Let me start by acknowledging the great articles that are on TEP's web site. If you have an issue with your Weber carb, or if you simply want to learn more, go to this page: http://www.racetep.com/webtechpage.html

Thanks to that site, plus a few articles here on 2002FAQ, I was able to sort out numerous problems that I inherritted from the previous owner. For instance, TEP's site pointed out that the distributor's vacuum line should NOT be connected to the intake manifold. Instead, when a Weber is bolted on, the vacuum should be connected to the Weber. Once I read the article, I completely understood the problems I was having.

After fixing numerous problems, the car was running good enough (if you use the term loosely) that I could actually start adjusting the fuel mix and timing. Well... that is... ummm... until the ignition switch quit working. Various articles and queries have been posted with the same problem; the key will turn to "Fahrt" but not to "Start"... apparently because of a feature that is supposed to keep you from accidentally engaging the starter again after the engine is running... which eventually breaks and keeps you from starting the car until it bloody well feels like complying.

So I sent an email to a member of our forum (who has "fixed" this on his) and started working on the windshield, which has been in dire need of a new gasket and lock strip.

Three things to note.

1) If you buy a 2002 that has an aged windshield gasket, from an owner was NOT a 2002 nut, then expect to have to remove gasket goop that has been squeezed into the cracks in a vain attempt to stem the tide.

2) If you order a windshield gasket and a rear window gasket at the same time, be sure to store them at opposite ends/sides of the shop, and do not pull them out of their respective bags at the same time. *COUGH*

3) The $8 suction cup lifter from Harbor Freight is worth every penny if you are pulling a windshield. The only catch is that it is not designed to handle curved glass, so you need to use it in the center of the windshield.

And that is exactly what I did. I used a long utility knife to cut the old gasket while pulling it off the glass with the other hand. Then I pulled the windshield free with that big cheap suction gadget. Quick and easy.

I cleaned the crud off of the windshield, then started working on the car. Not only did I need to remove the aforementioned gasket goop, but I also had to clean up some rust that had formed under the old gasket.

At this point let me point out that, if you spread a bright fuzzy blanket on your hood to protect it, a high speed wire wheel will be attracted to it like a kitten to loose yarn... and it will become entangled just as quickly.

After that chaotic interruption, I finished cleaning up the rust with another one of my favorite cheap tools: a brass brush with a scraper that was marketed for cleaning charcoal and propane grills. It worked great!

I sprayed the metal with some inhibitor/sealant stuff, then fitted the gasket to the windshield while that dried. (If this was going to be a restoration, I would strip everything and do it "right"... but this car is beyond saving. I'm hoping that it will be something fun to drive while I restore the other 2002.)

The gasket went on easy enough, and then I sprayed some silicone into the groove where I would be putting the rope. I used the little red pipette that came on the carb cleaner, sticking one end in the groove and the other in the nozzle of the silicone spray. In the end, the pipette looks rather twisted after being run through all of the grooves, but it worked like a charm.

I asked a friend to come over to help, but I was able to put the windshield in place myself by using the suction cup device. He pushed and patted on the windshield while I pulled the rope, and it seemed to pop into place without any issues. (We'll see how well I did when I try driving it in the rain!)

I read some articles about using various tools and techniques for popping in the locking strip, and after attempting several of them, I decided to buy the tool that was designed for the purpose. I'll be doing all of the windows on two cars, so it just seems like a good idea.

Here are some pictures of the things I described.

[H_Krix]

Nice write up man! I'll be attempting this myself sometime soon and your article helped a ton.

Let us know how the initial "wet test" goes. Got any finished shots?

[Dugz02]

Let us know how the initial "wet test" goes. Got any finished shots?

Not yet; still waiting for the lock-strip tool to arrive. I'll post more when it's done.

And my "new" gas tank just arrived today, to replace the damaged one that's on the blue derelict that has been leaking gas fumes through the busted sender. There are days when I think I should have spent my money on booze and loose women, but I keep telling myself that this will get better.

[Dugz02]

The ignition switch completely refused to turn to "Start" for almost a week, so I relegated myself to dismantling the switch.

The first step, of course, is to remove the steering column covers. This led to my first new discovery: if you leave the key turned to "Fahrt" when you remove the covers, the little ring gizmo touches the steering column and the horn blows which causes you to bump your head.

After disconnecting the wire for the horn (which I'm sure that I'll forget... until I desperately need it) I also disconnected the nasty little silver thing that sounds like a locust that has been hit by a car. I think it's supposed to buzz when I forget to take my keys out of the ignition, but now it buzzes any time the door is open. Well, not any more. Now it sits in a box and does nothing.

So I finally got around to the ignition switch. A 9/64 drill bit appears to have done a nice job of cutting out the pin that held in the ignition barrel. There seems to be a safe amount of metal in the barrel, but you should be careful so that you don't drill too far. (The drill holes are marked in the photos with red lines.)

The barrel slid out, and I took it into my shop for dismemberment. No, there are no cute little screws; you have to cut/grind the barrel open, because the mannufacturer crushed the end of the pins that hold the pieces together.

My tool of choice was a multi-speed Dremmel with a small sanding wheel, because that allowed me to slowly grind it down. I repeatedly stopped and tested until I had finally ground away enough to pop off the backing plate. (The pins and holes are marked with yellow lines.)

The inside was full of crud, gunk, and metal filings. I cleaned and lubed everything.

NOTE: Do not pull the key out of the tumbler at this time. If you do, all of the little brass pieces will jump out of the tumbler and try to crawl under your work bench or any other dark place that is hard to reach.

I re-assembled everything, and the backing plate stayed on long enough to test the barrel. It turned properly, and worked nicely when I slid it into the housing for the ignition switch. (No, the electrical switch is not attached to the barrel.)

My next task will be to come up with something that will adequately secure the backing plate, then I'll use a self-tapping screw to hold the barrel in the housing. Oh... and to re-attach the horn switch wire before putting the covers on the steering column. Yeah, right.

From left to right, the housing for the ignition and barrel, the barrel's back-end and peened pins, and the parts that were in the barrel.

[Dugz02]

So I got the ignition switch to work 90% of the time, and the engine is running at about 80% - a vast accomplishment considering the horrible condition of this poor little car. I have a feeling I'll be looking for a barrel that I can re-key for this ignition switch, and I'll continue to look for the source of the idling problem. (I suspect the latter is a vacuum problem.)

So I went downtown today and picked up a 30-day tag for the car... which I need so I can take it to the emission testing station... which won't happen until I have sorted out the idling problem. But at least I can drive it the parts store, now.

Here's a picture of the beast. Don't you love the front dam? It came off of an Isuzu truck. And the grill looks like it's been through a war.

[Dugz02]

I got up this morning and it was raining, which is significant because I still haven't installed the sunroof gaskets that I bought from Butch Driveshaft. So I looked up an article or two about replacing the gaskets (again) and then committed myself to replacing them.

This seemed like a daunting task... until I started un-screwing things. It turns out that you can remove the entire sunroof assembly without detaching the roof from the rails... but I'm getting ahead of myself.

I started by taking out the aluminum covers that are in the corners of the sunroof opening, then the next pieces that were toward the center. This allowed me to look at how the cables were routed and make a few notes.

Then I started taking apart the sunroof winder thing. I read that there is something inside of these that will stop you when you get to the point where the crank has finished cranking, but mine seems to be missing those parts. (Imagine that!)

Finally, I removed the things that look like inserts in the rails. They aren't really inserts; they're the things that hold down the rails.

Then I got the idea to just pull on the sunroof. After all, this car is in such terrible shape that I could damage a lot of other things before the value drops any lower... so why not see what happens.

What happened was that I lifted the roof too much and scuffed the paint... which already has a lot of issues... so there was no real loss of value and a great gain in knowledge. Especially about the ease of removing the entire assembly. That was sweet.

I set the sunroof on a big box, and started removing the remnants of the old gaskets. Or, more importantly, the silicone sealant that the former owner put on everything to stop the flow of rain water. It's everywhere... even on the aluminum covers for the cables. It makes me think that people should have to pass certain tests before they can buy antique cars and certain sealing chemicals. But I digress.

It turns out that the best tools were a can of carb cleaner and the barbecue cleaning brush that I mentioned in a previous post. No, I wouldn't do that to a car with a nice paint job, but this isn't a nice paint job.

Below I have some pictures, including one that shows how the new gaskets should go on to the back of the sunroof... based on how the old ones looked and various articles I've read.

I tried Loctite's "Stik 'n Seal ULTRA" on the gaskets; it is designed to work with numerous surfaces, and will stand up to water and high heat. In a different thread, somebody recommended "Super Gel" (which is like Super Glue) but that product is NOT recommended for high heat. Considering that the interior of a car can reach over 140° during the summer in this area, I opted for something that handles high heat. We'll see how my choice works.

One note on that: keep a rag nearby that is damp with clean machine oil. If you get some of the adhesive on the paint, the oil-rag will wipe it right off. Then, after you're done, you can wash off the oil... and all of your fingerprints.

Something that I felt is noteworthy to people who are fixing up really nice cars is the fact that you can really turn the felt seal into a grungy mess. I discovered this after allowing the newly lubricated cables rest on the newly installed felt gasket. Oh well... everything else looks crappy on this car... why should the new gaskets look out of place?

So everything has been re-installed (in the reverse order that I removed it) and everything appears to be working properly. Hopefully the new sunroof and windshield gaskets will all perform properly while I'm driving in a storm. Of course, the trunk will be full of water, but that's the next task. *SIGH*

The good news is that, when I'm done, I'll know the right way to fix up the white car.

[Dugz02]

Nice write up man! I'll be attempting this myself sometime soon and your article helped a ton.

A quick note on this: I bought a lock-strip installation tool from http://www.sjdiscounttools.com/ ... and I have NO regrets.

[Dugz02]

I left a message at Ireland Engineering today, and Jeff Ireland called me back. He seemed like a really nice guy, and he told me all sorts of things that I didn't even think to ask. Part of the conversation went like this:

Me: The carb is running too rich, and I can't adjust it properly, so I guess I need different jets.

Jim: When you take off from a stop light with spirited acceleration, does it take off, stumble, and then really take off?

Me: Ummm... yeah... it does. (thinking: How did he know that?)

Jim: Then your idle jet is too small. You need to take the top of the carburetor off and call me back with the sizes of the jets.

He also told me his technique for setting the timing. Awesome!

Ireland Engineering - http://www.bmw2002.com/

[Dugz02]

WARNING: SERIOUS RANT ABOUT FORMER OWNER

It's been a while since I've been here because I am extremely upset with the blue car and the former owner. In short, this car isn't even close to the representations that he made.

The biggest problem was his claim that this was a daily driver.

Hmmm... here's what I've found wrong with this car so far:

• Cracked gear in transmission

• Clutch glazed from somebody spinning it

• Rear-end replaced improperly (by former owner)

• Steering box worn out beyond adjustment

• The rust in the floor actually has cracks at every bend point

• Damage to frame rails (more than scrapes) from bottoming out

• Every body part has dent(s) and/or rust (some rusting from the inside out)

• Every gasket on the glass and/or body had to be replaced

• Front of gas tank caved in, sending unit leaks gas fumes into trunk

• Had to rebuild the carb to get it to start consistently

• Replaced all of the ignition parts (I love the Petronix!)

• Engine still has an odd "shake" that I simply can't fix

• The brake warning light comes on then goes off while I'm driving

• Gauges/meters intermittently work... but not in unison with brake light

• Turn signal has a short that causes the high beams to come on when you signal a turn (I'm guessing that's why this guy wired the Hellas into the circuit for the running lights)

• Exhaust system fell off... leading to the discovery of bad repairs with a welder

Oh... and I met the guy who owned it before the guy who sold it to me. He told me that he sold it to him as a parts car... and couldn't believe that it was still on the road.

So you might appreciate my surprise (and anger) when the guy who sold me this piece of crap sent an email to me. He had just bought a shiny red 2002 and needed a radiator... and wondered if he could have the spare radiator that he "gave" me with the two cars.

I replied "I would be happy to sell the radiator to you... for $3800."

I am so pissed that I would love to toss a match into the trunk full of fumes... while it's in his driveway... but I know that would make my situation worse, not better.... so I am trying to find a good way to get out of this situation.

The problem is that my budget won't allow me to fix up the other car right away; that was supposed to be a two-year project. But that plan was built on the assumption that the blue car was actually something that I could drive every day.

I'm so upset I don't even want to work on the car... let alone blog about it.

[Dugz02]

The former owner of my derelict BMWs contacted me, again. It seems that the 2002 that he recently acquired is in need of some wiring harness parts... and quite a few other things.

Here's the just of his request:

• Because the blue car is falling apart, he would like to buy it back at a huge discount so he can use it as a parts car... since that's all it's worth

• He would also like to buy back the 320 engine that he sold to me (to replace the busted engine that's in the white car) so he can build a "screamer"

I asked him if he was joking.

Then I told him that he could either:

A) Buy back everything, plus the other parts and labor that I paid for, for $4200 (although that doesn't really pay for my labor)

Sell me his latest acquisition for $300, to compensate me for the misrepresentations he made about the condition of the blue car

People like that shouldn't be allowed to own 2002s.