ITR Z3 rebuild thread

[Z3_GoCar]

I know it's been a while since I posted any progress. The motor should be ready for me to pick up from the machine shop soon. I'm still chasing a couple of leaks in the pan, but I know where they're at and will have that fixed soon. While I'm waiting on the motor I decided to try bolting up the radiator core support and headlights to see how they fit togeather:





Since I just bent the old core back out, and bolted it on it appears to fit. I also have the windshield frame painted to match. Since I removed the rear bumper I could re-install the 30lbs of weight the factory bolts under the bumpers.





My next step will be to buy a spare tire and carrier and reinstall back in the stock location. That should be good for at least 10lbs right under the trunk on the passengers side. I'll need all the pork I can get on it to go from 2575lbs to 2850lbs.

[lateapex911]

Since I removed the rear bumper I could re-install the 30lbs of weight the factory bolts under the bumpers.

Wow....and people made (lots of) fun of GM when they did the same thing to the Camaro convertible in '67. Except those were liquid filled with an internal mass on a spring.. The earned the term "Cocktail shakers". Higher tech than BMW! And 40 years earlier, LOL

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/-1969...31410009r28098

[JoshS]

One of the many things that make the coupe better! I threw out my spare tire carrier, James, too bad.

[Z3_GoCar]

Josh, I'd rather have the 30lbs in the back bumper than in the roof and rear window glass.

That said, as a race car the biggest advantage of the coupe is your aero. The chassis ridgidity advantage is made negelable by the cage. The vorticies and turbulance on the bubble like hard top really make the roady trickier to drive in the faster corners. Even in a class like STU, your wing gets to be above roof level and mine has to stay 3" under it.

[Z3_GoCar]

It's been a while since I updated this tread.

After a year at a local machine shop I have the block back, but finding rings to fit the CP pistons was a real chore. I finally had the pleasure of dealing with Chris at VAC motorsports, who was very helpful with the torque plate, but ultimately I had to order from Total Seal. The head is still at the machine shop, but due back soon. We ran into having some lifters that aren't fully extending.

I'm also thinking about pumbing a cool shirt and also running chilled water through my heater core for a cool air source. I've also replaced the front control arms and tie rod ends, but still need to find a high pressure power steering hose. Expiration dates are comming up on the fire bottle, have to have the belts re-webbed, and new window net, along with the seat's date passing. So there's a lot to do before I get to drive again.

[Z3_GoCar]

Tonight I placed the main-bearings in the block and inserted the crank, but have hit a road block. It seems my Bently manual doesn't have torque specs for the bottom end. So I need torque specs for the main bolts, rod bolts, main cap truss bolts, maybe even the piston oil jet bolts. Would these be on the ETK disk? I'll probably need to get one sooner or later, rather get it later than sooner though. So can anyone help me with these specs for a M-52 aluminum block single vanos?

Update.....
Nevermind, I've found a pdf of the specs from google. Good thing I ordered new main cap bolts as they're torque to yield just like the head, rod, flywheel, and cluch cover bolts. They're not here yet of course, but I'll assemble the bottom end without torquing the caps and when I get the new main cap bolts I'll torque the caps down then. Next the pistons will go in and torque the rods cap bolts.

[Z3_GoCar]

Here's what I was up to tonight:









I've also been cleaning the front cover, rear seal cover, and the S-52 intake manifold :P I plan to have the motor togeather except for the cams by next week. In a couple of weeks I should have it back in the chassis and ready to fire up.