E30 Update - big one at that.

So it's been the weekend for my E30.
As pre-arranged Evan came up for a day pulling cars apart to help me move some big steps forwards...

As you'll know from a previous post, I needed to unlock my diff. Not a small job and the plan was to unbolt the rear subframe and move the lot over, solving a small issue of trashed hub on my car (two snapped bolts for the rear wheel, not good).

But, given the underside of the Ron looked a bit like this:

Unbolting all sorts and shifting across didn't seem such a smart move. What's more, without a solid beam rear axle there's quite a lot going on under there. So shuffle the diff it was.

And so we did: 

That there is a 4.45:1, Auto, open diff for an E30 circa 1989.

That there is something similar, on my 'good' car. Except somewhere in there it's welded.

And so we got to taking off the open one from the donor car.

Sit rep, T+2mins. I do not like oil on my hands...

The recipient, waiting patiently to be able to go around a corner.

We left the diff here for an hour in the hope that it would magically make it's way into place.

It most certainly did not.

Happy campers, job done.

And we got used to the oil. 

Overall a grand job for the day, removed two diffs and fitted one. Things we learnt?

• Fitting is much easier than removal.
• BMW diffs aren't too bad to remove, just the bolts holding them in place.
• It's a two person job for sure. No way I could have done this by myself.
• Sway bars are easy to remove (I 'found' one on the Ron).
• Sway bars should be fitted before the diff (now waiting on the floor of the garage, doh!).

Sunday..

No pics for today, but today I removed the hub from the Ron too. A complete nightmare to do really, not least as (and if you're in the know you'll know what I mean) the little retaining clip that you can't really get to and pulled out on the white car, wasn't the same on the Ron, so I spent an hour trying to pull a washer past a very tight nut indeed. Where's the BMW efficiency eh, eh...

What this does mean is that tomorrow I may well have a rolling car. Exciting times!

Final word.

And finally, a huge debt of thanks to Evan, fair to say that without him it would have been a. impossible and b. a lot less fun (as today was). So thanks mate, same time next week? There's plenty to do... ;o)