Finally solid

Got it back, turns out the transmission mounts I installed were the wrong kind. It was my first order and I spec'd it as an 88, so I don't blame BMA as they probably classified it as an e34. Also got the valves done right, and got some DIY instruction from the shop owner as I watched him do it. Apparently I was leaving them way too loose. Plus they spec .1 on the intake and .12 on the exhaust and I was doing .12 on both.

Runs well now. Still doesn't quite idle like I'd like it to, and there is a dip in power around 3k rpm, so I've got some fine tuning to do. I also need to get some miles on it to get the cobwebs out. She's finally solid enough that I can drive her regularly.

The Bilstein shocks are a little stiff for my tastes, so I'll be anxious to put the Koni's in soon. Here she is all buffed up:

The tach and mpg gauge recently went out, and the trip computer has been dead since I got it, so there is probably a loose connection back there that I'll take care of soon.

Cost: $425

Off to the shop

Replaced the center support and guibo, but the driveshaft still hit the cat. Decided to take it to a local shop as I have no comparison for an e28 to know if it's a driveline issue or an exhaust issue. The mechanic put it up on a lift and it appears clear that the exhaust is being held pretty high, which might be the main issue. It looks like the exhaust was welded with sagging motor mounts, now with proper mounts it's too high. He'll tinker on it a little and see if he can get a 2nd set of eyes on the tuning. I normally do this with most project cars just as a 2nd set of eyes to pickup anything I've missed. Hopefully I'll have it back in a day or two.

Sooooo close

Dropped the driveshaft this weekend to replace the center support bearing and guibo. The guibo probably didn't need it, but figured while I'm in there I should do it. Also plan to replace the shifter shaft seal and rear trans seal. Turns out the connector link on the driveshaft was loose, and the center support was sagging pretty badly, probably as a result of the loose connector.

While I have it off I also planned to do a complete shifter rebuild, as that's pretty much the only time you can get access to the bits needed to replace, when the driveshaft is out. Turns out the e28 shifter connector is different than the e30, which surprised me, so I had to leave it on jack stands and wait for the correct part to arrive. If I'm lucky it will be here on Friday (from BMA, they are super fast) and I'll get her on the road.

On the upside, it passed it's emissions test on the first try, which really surprised me. Cold start still isn't right, but other than that it seems to run ok, though in need of more tuning. Anxious to get it solid so I can drive it.

Sure enough, replaced the steering linkage and the steering is perfectly smooth now. I did discover what the knocking noise was. The driveshaft has a grease fitting on it, and it's striking the heat shield. The driveshaft itself is iffy, so I'm going to check it out but probably pull the fitting out or dremmel it off, then plug it. That will allow me to drive the car for a little while. I'll plan on dropping the entire driveshaft later and doing a rebuild anyway. I'll have to pull it, because it appears that not only the rear main seal, but also the shifter seal are leaking on the tranny. Plus, I dropped a Z3 shift lever in it, and I need to get in there and replace the front shifter support bushing, which requires removal of the driveshaft anyway.

Steering issue

Finally found out why the steering has been so weird. I pulled off the u-joint between the steering box and the steering column and it was completely trashed. Barely able to move in one axis, and completely frozen in the other. Unfortunately this is a dealer-only part, and it always takes them a while to get it, so I probably won't have the part for at least a week....bummer.

Cam Wear

When I did the valve adjustment, I looked closely at the cam, it has pretty significant wear on the #1 lobe. The car will probably run ok for another 50k, but I will likely get a junkyard engine and do a bench rebuild. That was part of the reason I got the car anyway, so that I could do a new motor at some point. I'll get her solid and run her for another 20k or so, probably 2 years, then think about doing a new motor.

Back on it

Nope, decided that the e28 is so close to being road-worthy that I'll tackle it first, then do the e34 later. The e28 has been relegated to the 15" wheels that came off the e34 though, but they look nice. Initially I won't bother with lowering the car or anything. For now I want it to be "off-roadable" so that I can drive down dirt roads to get to mountain biking trails. For that the 15" wheels are fine. I'll just need to get some mudflaps/splash guards so that rocks don't ding it.

I think I know what's causing the steering issue, and I'll try to address that this weekend. Still not sure on the thumping, but I should be able to figure it out. I also found that the main oil leak in the back is from the oil pressure sensor. Someone installed the wrong one and doesn't look like they used a gasket. I have a new one on order.

I will probably go ahead and address the CSB and shifter linkage soon too. Once those are fixed the car should be a solid driver.