heinzboehmer's 2002 Topaz 6MT Coupe

[bmwfnatic]

Cut the remaining ends of the E86 braces to size, installed in their final position along with the 3D printed strut tower brackets, then took a couple scans.




I think I have all I need to finish the design now. Just need to get lost in CAD land for a bit.

Unfortunately, not all good news. When I was putting things back together, I noticed this:



I think the leak is coming from the front main seal. There's grime all over the front of the engine, but no drips from above:



The seal that's on there now is an Autozone special, since last time I did the job, I only had one seal on hand and destroyed it when trying to install. Learned my lesson and ordered four from FCP this time.

In preparation for the install, I printed out cobra's tool (thanks!) and then remembered that the BMW crankshaft holder tool is impossible to find for sale. I found a replica on eBay for $120, but it's all the way across the country and will take forever to arrive. Instead of buying that, I decided to just make my own, using the pictures from TIS as a reference:




Scanned the engine and came up with this:


Having SendCutSend make it out of 304 SS was like $3 more than mild steel, so I opted for that. Ended up being right around $20 out the door, nice.

Since I had the engine bay disassembled, I decided to swap out the AC pulley. I forget who posted this, but someone mentioned one of the E92 M3 pulleys (11287549557) bolts right in. Only "modification" necessary is to screw the bolt out of the backing plate:




More updates to come once I get the seal installed and the bracket design finalized.

I bought the tool for like 40 bucks last year I think?

Edit: 83300493843

[bigjae46]

I just use the crank lock timing pin and break the 4 bolts loose.

[heinzboehmer]

Damn, I think I have a spare crank holder tool laying around I could have sent ya.

Let us know how the tool works!

(What are you using to scan?)

Ah man, appreciate that! Fortunately this only took like 10 min to design and was super cheap. I'll share the dxf once I've validated fitment.

As for the other scans, I'm making braces that triangulate the strut towers to the firewall using E86 braces (see the last few pages of this thread for more). The scans are just a reference for where the braces will land on the strut tower side. There were a lot of assumptions in my math for the brace positioning when I designed the firewall piece, so just wanted to make sure it all translated nicely to real life.

[cobra]

Damn, I think I have a spare crank holder tool laying around I could have sent ya.

Let us know how the tool works!

(What are you using to scan?)

[heinzboehmer]

Cut the remaining ends of the E86 braces to size, installed in their final position along with the 3D printed strut tower brackets, then took a couple scans.




I think I have all I need to finish the design now. Just need to get lost in CAD land for a bit.

Unfortunately, not all good news. When I was putting things back together, I noticed this:



I think the leak is coming from the front main seal. There's grime all over the front of the engine, but no drips from above:



The seal that's on there now is an Autozone special, since last time I did the job, I only had one seal on hand and destroyed it when trying to install. Learned my lesson and ordered four from FCP this time.

In preparation for the install, I printed out cobra's tool (thanks!) and then remembered that the BMW crankshaft holder tool is impossible to find for sale. I found a replica on eBay for $120, but it's all the way across the country and will take forever to arrive. Instead of buying that, I decided to just make my own, using the pictures from TIS as a reference:




Scanned the engine and came up with this:


Having SendCutSend make it out of 304 SS was like $3 more than mild steel, so I opted for that. Ended up being right around $20 out the door, nice.

Since I had the engine bay disassembled, I decided to swap out the AC pulley. I forget who posted this, but someone mentioned one of the E92 M3 pulleys (11287549557) bolts right in. Only "modification" necessary is to screw the bolt out of the backing plate:




More updates to come once I get the seal installed and the bracket design finalized.

[0-60motorsports]

I’m always amused thinking about runs on parts because of
the forum. Things BMW has been storing for decades at this point. E.g. how many people ordered that non M e46 vert under brace? I bet at least 10.

hahaha I still need to get one.

[Obioban]

I’m always amused thinking about runs on parts because of
the forum. Things BMW has been storing for decades at this point. E.g. how many people ordered that non M e46 vert under brace? I bet at least 10.

[heinzboehmer]

It‘s a mistake in the catalog I think, but regardless, who knows. BMW has 6 left so if anyone wants one, be quick.

True, would not be too surprising if it was a mistake.

FCP shipped to me directly from one of their US warehouses, so there seems to be a stash of them over here. Probably because everyone started ordering them after karter16's thread

[Obioban]

It‘s a mistake in the catalog I think, but regardless, who knows.
BMW has 6 left so if anyone wants one, be quick.

Fwiw I think 51488204055 is the correct part, listed for Sedan/Touring but looks a lot more like what the coupes came with from factory.

51488204055 Looks like the stock rubber stuff. Do not want

[karter16]

Oh look at that! Yours doesn't fit well either:

Hahaha - oh man I must have been tired last night. I tried to find a photo of mine and couldn't - thanks for finding this. That answers that!

[bmwfnatic]

Interesting. Parts diagram says 51488252759 fits the M3. Maybe they consolidated the two parts at one point into something that (mostly) fits both the coupe and the compact?

It‘s a mistake in the catalog I think, but regardless, who knows.
BMW has 6 left so if anyone wants one, be quick.

Fwiw I think 51488204055 is the correct part, listed for Sedan/Touring but looks a lot more like what the coupes came with from factory.

[heinzboehmer]

That part is for a Compact, which has a whole different rear bench area, I am surprised that it fits reasonably well tbh.

Interesting. Parts diagram says 51488252759 fits the M3. Maybe they consolidated the two parts at one point into something that (mostly) fits both the coupe and the compact?

[bmwfnatic]

Installed this piece after being inspired/reminded by Obioban's recent post in his journal:



Curiously, the cutouts for the isofix brackets did not line up and I had to extend them a bit. This part seems to fit well on Obioban and karter16's cars. Maybe it's an early production thing?

The other thing I had to trim was the flange the extends into the trunk, but only because I have the Slon wall in the way. Looks like it would have fit just fine without that.

Also, pleasantly surprised that the extra cutouts on the side line up perfectly with the anchor points for my harnesses. Very nice.

That part is for a Compact, which has a whole different rear bench area, I am surprised that it fits reasonably well tbh.

[heinzboehmer]

I had to trim it a little, to make it fit.

A friend texted me this picture last night, of his install. Everybody’s doing it.

Ha, awesome.

I haven't taken the car on the highway yet, but I hope this helps quiet down the little bit of remaining diff noise.

I'm going to have to go double check mine now - I don't recall having to trim mine, but I'd be surprised if my car is somehow different to you guys.

Oh look at that! Yours doesn't fit well either:



(pic stolen from your thread linked above)

No big deal, this thing is super easy to trim.

[karter16]

I had to trim it a little, to make it fit.

A friend texted me this picture last night, of his install. Everybody's doing it.

I'm going to have to go double check mine now - I don't recall having to trim mine, but I'd be surprised if my car is somehow different to you guys.


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