Ric in RVA 128i Ti/Coral slow build thread

[Ric in RVA]

If you have not pulled the clutch delay valve go do it ASAP.

The car now drives properly. The clutch has a sweet take up and there is no second guessing the timing on your shifts. Even my novice 15 year old, on his learners permit, shifts smoothly now.

Some tips.

Plan on bleeding old school with one person pumping and one person under the car with a hose and a wrench. I tried a vacuum bleeder and it will not pull fluid using it solo.

The bleed valve is odd and annoying. (it is 11mm if you are going to climb under the car with a wrench soon!) Open it until it flows then close just enough to stop flow when you are bleeding. No reason to close all the way while bleeding. Make sure you close it all the way when done.

Popping the valve out is a piece of cake. Pull it and throw it away. Just reseat the hose back onto the fitting and get the clip installed again...then bleed.

If you really want to put the gutted valve back in then put a screw driver in the large end and push the guts out. See photo below.

But why bother...there is plenty of line available and the fittings all mate up perfect with no issues.

Some pictures.

Clutch Delay valve....BOO!!!!...lets get that out of there. Slide the wire clips over and the lines slide apart. Reconnect the hard and rubber line all the way and push the clip back in.




No Clutch Delay Valve...YEAH!!!



Before:



After:



No wonder the clutch felt sluggish and the timing of the shifts was wonky.





Flushed the brake fluid while I had the car on the lift. That you can do with a vacuum bleeder.

[Fume]

Originally Posted by Ric in RVA

If you have not pulled the clutch delay valve go do it ASAP.

The car now drives properly. The clutch has a sweet take up and there is no second guessing the timing on your shifts. Even my novice 15 year old, on his learners permit, shifts smoothly now.

Some tips.

Plan on bleeding old school with one person pumping and one person under the car with a hose and a wrench. I tried a vacuum bleeder and it will not pull fluid using it solo.

The bleed valve is odd and annoying. (it is 11mm if you are going to climb under the car with a wrench soon!) Open it until it flows then close just enough to stop flow when you are bleeding. No reason to close all the way while bleeding. Make sure you close it all the way when done.

Popping the valve out is a piece of cake. Pull it and throw it away. Just reseat the hose back onto the fitting and get the clip installed again...then bleed.

If you really want to put the gutted valve back in then put a screw driver in the large end and push the guts out. See photo below.

But why bother...there is plenty of line available and the fittings all mate up perfect with no issues.

Some pictures.

Clutch Delay valve....BOO!!!!...lets get that out of there. Slide the wire clips over and the lines slide apart. Reconnect the hard and rubber line all the way and push the clip back in.




No Clutch Delay Valve...YEAH!!!



Before:



After:



No wonder the clutch felt sluggish and the timing of the shifts was wonky.





Flushed the brake fluid while I had the car on the lift. That you can do with a vacuum bleeder.

Nice. This is definitely an almost zero cost mod that everyone with manual transmission should do. This was my first manual car so I didn't realize there was anything wrong with it but everyone kept talking about the CDV delete in the forum so I gave it a shot a year or two ago and I had a similar revelation. You can feel the clutch way more and have more fine tuned control over the clutch.

[Gangplank]

Nice looking car Ric. The coral interior looks good.

[Ric in RVA]

Originally Posted by Gangplank

Nice looking car Ric. The coral interior looks good.

Thanks! I sought it out after seeing one in person.

[drtvinp]

Subscribed for reference

[Gangplank]

Ric, how'd you make the phone holder? I don't have the extra cup holder (no idrive here ((ever again)) so what'd ya do?

[Ric in RVA]

Originally Posted by Gangplank

Ric, how'd you make the phone holder? I don't have the extra cup holder (no idrive here ((ever again)) so what'd ya do?

http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showt...ight=ram+mount

[hoki06]

Originally Posted by Gangplank

Ric, how'd you make the phone holder? I don't have the extra cup holder (no idrive here ((ever again)) so what'd ya do?

You can also do something like what I did, pick the slipgrip mount that fits your phone/case

http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=896667

[Ric in RVA]

PE Installed. Much thanks to Bimmer Bob for a nice piece that was fairly represented and shipped fast. This simple 20 minute swap has greatly exceeded my expectations for a cat back exhaust.

My guess is that this is what BMW intended the sport version to always sound like and the sound regs got in the way. By selling it back after delivery it passes the sound tests.


It is quiet when you need it quiet. It rips when you get on it.

My car no longer sounds like a motoring appliance!

It has an old school straight 6 sounds that evokes my old Spec E30 and even a little Triumph TR6. A little burble and snap on the over run. Looks great, fits perfect.


Recorded with a Shure SM57 set about 3 foot back, DA converter, to a Mac using Audactiy. The high pitch whine noise is probably due to electrical interference and is not audible in person.

PE Start up and rev

Straight pipe - Just for fun!

(drop box seems to be launching one good window and one dead window...not sure why....but if you get a window that won't work close it and the good one should be there!)
I'll probably do an interior recording soon.

[Bimmer-Bob]

Originally Posted by Ric in RVA

PE Start up and rev

Sounds familiar!

Glad everything worked out okay. Got any pics of how she cleaned up? It's amazing how much that little muffler does for these cars. I guarantee you'll be doing more driving with the windows down and the stereo off.

[Ric in RVA]

Originally Posted by Bimmer-Bob

Sounds familiar!

Glad everything worked out okay. Got any pics of how she cleaned up? It's amazing how much that little muffler does for these cars. I guarantee you'll be doing more driving with the windows down and the stereo off.

I just polished it and slipped a big bronze drift in there and tapped it out rounder.

Going with that for now.

[markslc1]

Originally Posted by Ric in RVA

PE Installed. Much thanks to Bimmer Bob for a nice piece that was fairly represented and shipped fast. This simple 20 minute swap has greatly exceeded my expectations for a cat back exhaust.

.

I'll be getting mine soon, this makes me want it more... Questions

1) did you cut the stock pipe while it was still on the car, or do you need to take the catback off to do the cut?
2) What did you use to connect the piping? clamp?

[Ric in RVA]

Originally Posted by markslc1

I'll be getting mine soon, this makes me want it more... Questions

1) did you cut the stock pipe while it was still on the car, or do you need to take the catback off to do the cut?
2) What did you use to connect the piping? clamp?

I jacked up only the left rear corner. Threw a jackstand under something solid and got down there with a sawzall.

I cut it on the car with hangars attached. Have someone hold it as it will swing down in front and the tips will hit the rear valance.

I used a sawzall with a fine tooth blade. Went through like butter.

After measuring where to cut then wrap a 2 inch wide strip of paper around the pipe and line the edges up then mark for a square cut.

I used a stainless steel 2.5 inch band clamp from advance auto. About 12 bucks. Seems very solid. The BMW clamp and some of the more expensive clamps are much beefier. I may switch over one day.

The clamp is the front mounting point for the muffler. There are two rubber mounts that need to be swapped. One unbolts from car and you swap to new unit. One you slide exhaust out of while it stays on car.

I used a little brake clean for a fast drying lube that won't damage the rubber.

It was really a 20 minute job total.

[Ric in RVA]

I was getting the message that the battery was discharged.

I priced out a battery at NAPA and got 20% off due to a memorial day sale!

5 minutes to swap it out and then fire up Carly and recode to the new battery specs.

No way you should pay a dealer to do this.

[Ric in RVA]

New Headlight Switch ....now with Rear Fogs!!

Easy install. Kept the black trim.

Rear fogs are BRIGHT!!!!

[deanwaterman]

Love the ride, and I also am in RVA. Props on the photography, which makes a great looking Bimmer look incredible!

[Ric in RVA]

Originally Posted by deanwaterman

Love the ride, and I also am in RVA. Props on the photography, which makes a great looking Bimmer look incredible!

Once Winston gets his we should do a Richmond 1 lunch or something....

[Ric in RVA]

So last week I started getting intermittent ABS DSC warnings and CARLY reported a bad Right Rear ABS sensor.

I bought a rear sensor and replaced it. No change.

I then figured I would swap left to right (they are identical) to see if the problem swapped sides. Since I thought it might be the ring I swapped back in the OEM sensor I just pulled our as well.

Once I pulled the right rear I peered through the ABS sensor hole. Using a stiff brush, some lacquer thinner and a small pick I looked at each tooth in the ABS ring. Finding several that had some mung/etc on them I cleaned all of those spots. After inspecting all and cleaning anything that looked messy I put it all back together and viola...no more ABS code.

SO THE MORAL IS BEFORE YOU BUY A NEW SENSOR PULL THE OLD ONES, WIPE THEM DOWN. THEN INSPECT AND CLEAN THE ABS RING THROUGH THE ABS SENSOR HOLE AND REINSTALL THEM.

Or swap the sensors left and right to see if the problem moves. If it does the ring was NOT the problem the sensor is.

[Ric in RVA]

RIP 128i Ti/Coral 6 speed sport????????

I think she is DOA.

People are all ok. Not a scratch so the car did its job.

Car is not. Airbags, hood, grill, rad, condenser, headlights.

My son will not be driving in anything besides a PIECE OF SHIT until he leaves my household no matter the outcome.

[Gangplank]

Sorry to hear about this... Glad everyone is ok. So going to get another 1 series?

[Ric in RVA]

Originally Posted by Gangplank

Sorry to hear about this... Glad everyone is ok. So going to get another 1 series?

I don't know. I had exactly what I wanted and anything less would just suck. So maybe not.

Just so bummed.

It was so perfect....

[Mach1er]

Originally Posted by Ric in RVA

RIP 128i Ti/Coral 6 speed sport????????

I think she is DOA.

People are all ok. Not a scratch so the car did its job.

Car is not. Airbags, hood, grill, rad, condenser, headlights.

My son will not be driving in anything besides a PIECE OF SHIT until he leaves my household no matter the outcome.

Nooooooo!

Give yourself some time to mourn, then decide what you feel like doing.