E30 m3 fixer upper.

Hello Gaz.

Yes the tensioner is located there and does have an oil seal, so could be the seal.

This may help

http://bmwfans.info/original/E30/2-T/M3-S14/ECE/L/M/1990/01/ mg-11/

If the exhaust is an OE system then it is twin skinned.

Here's one for sale....

 http://www.board.s14power.com/showthread.php?t=3305

(No connection to seller)

Gaz

If you clean up that side of the engine near the chain tensioner you may find that it is not the washer but the seal of the chain cover to the block. This can be changed without taking head and sump off, honestly. But I guess it is not ideal to do it that way.

Tappets are not hydraulic. All (well most) S14 engines are noisy from the top end. Adjusting tappets is about 1.5 hours but you need the special tool and the right shims to get the gap right. Procedure is:

• measure up existing gaps
• calculate how much you need to change the shim to get the right measurement
• take out the existing shim (using the proper tool) and measure it:
• work out how thick the new shim needs to be and replace the old shim with a shim of that thickness.

You will be able to swap some about but will need some new ones. Workshops that do it all the time have a box of shims to dip into. Others just buy the ones they need. Most are next day from the dealer but extremes are from Germany so may take a week.

Keep a list of what shim is in which location so that it will be quicker next time. 

First thing I would do is check to see if they are out or not. Only need feeler gauge to do that.

Have you found the on-line workshop manual

Link to workshop manual

Hope you have fun bringing your car to your required condition. I know I did with mine.

Peter

Thanks Everyone,for your advice

I always wanted a e30 m3 after owning a 325 sport in 1991 at the age of 22yrs.I'm 38 yrs now so it took a while but this car is a good start, having just a couple of rust bubbles around the rear slam panel(number plate lights)a small chip on the rear arch lip the bodywork is a cheap fix.The car hasn't done many miles in the last 9yrs looking at the mot's but the previous owner was crap at keeping the book upto date,so I will go the preventative medicine route.I drove it home last Saturday 90miles used twenty quid worth of fuel(happy with that)got stuck in traffic for 20mins car temp started to rocket,so cooked myself(heater turned fully onto hot into cabin didn't boil up).The car is having a service and full fluid change at my mates garage as I type but I drove home with a rear wheel bearing gone and not a lot of faith in the previous owners servicing but tomorrow I will find out more about its mechanical condition.I saw the oil leak from the tensioner and delaminated centre box while checking it out before buying it,oh and the rear wheel bearing but nothing obvious to eye,as I posted on a other link it should be spot on for £1500 spent on it.I am a newbie so please tell me what I,ve bought its'a 1989 feb car, german market car, chassis number WBSAK05040AE40025 please fwd any info you can the plate is F2**TOY do any of you remember this car.

Many thanks Gaz(newbie)

According to my reference (which has been known to be wrong)

AK05......AE40025 = January 89 build 195bhp with cat

Thanks Lancastrian,

That's another job then,if that centre box which seems to have a heat shield thats delaminated(flaked)off around it has a cat in it I will look at de-cating the car.I am new here,so could it be removed already as it looked like a small box not like the one I've seen in a photo, anyone got a photo of a floor pan with a non cat exhaust system for me to look at? If I only have a 195bhp model can I easily get more power? or just sort it out for now and look at engine conversions next year when my bank account is healthy again.

Regards Gaz,

LANCASTRIAN,,,

Your just too good to me,,,

Thanks a million for the photo, I don't have the cat centre section on my car and the box I have is 1/3 the size of that.I will go to a BMW dealer tomorrow and see what he can tell me about my car.Can you or anyone else recommend a good book on our cars?

Thanks again Gaz,,,, 

Hi all,

I thought i'd let you all know the car is in very good condition,my mate who owns his own Porsche,Mercedes,Bmw specialists has given her a clean mechanical bill of health.I now know the car was maintained to a good standard,the previous owner just didn't keep his bills.The car is a none cat model with the later tensioner fitted, the oil leak was a washer.The exhaust is just a flakey heat shield so i will live with that for a while. The car didn't have a alarm fitted so a cat 1 going on this week for the insurance people.I have a couple of cracks in the paint on the rear spoiler so I'm taking that off this week and another mate is painting it for me, as I said in other threads I will change this soon but for now standard will do until I find what I want.

Regards Gaz