Like--for--Like
When Dave Gee's tii engine died, he replaced it with a recently
rebuilt, mildly hotter cam
tii engine and did the swap himself during a weekend. While the car
drives relatively the
same, the Palo Alto, California, resident said it's "maybe a bit more
powerful and still a joy to
wind up."
Dave's advice:
- Consider swapping to sport clutch or flywheel while the engine is out.
- If you're working with a tii engine, it's easier to put it in from
below. I mangled the
firewall lip when I installed from the top.
- Install the transmission and engine as a unit rather than trying
to maneuver the engine
onto the transmission.
- Do not try to install with the air conditioning compressor already on.
- Replace the pilot bearing and throwout bearing -- and even the
clutch -- unless you want
to open everything up again if something wears out.
Chris Wiscavage of Mountain View, California, had Dave Cruse rebuild
his tii engine
when it had a bunch of problems: oil leaks, poor compression, vacuum
leaks. He said
Dave's work was beautiful, and the engine -- now smooth and balanced
-- runs about a
million times better: "It is an absolute joy to drive. His death
saddened me greatly."
Although Dave did the rebuild, Chris pulled the engine and
reinstalled it himself. His
advice:
- Consider restoring just about everything else that has anything to
do with the engine:
the intake, the exhaust, the ignition, fuel delivery. It is these
things that slow things
down substantially and add dramatically to the cost -- in time, money
and patience.
- Take upclose "before" photos. They'll answer a lot of questions later.
- Take notes about where this goes, where that goes, where that bag
of little parts was
put.
- Be organized. Build a big set of shelves to store all the parts.
- Ask for help when you get stuck, and reward those individuals for
their generosity.
They'll be more likely to help the next person.
Donald Pitschel of San Francisco also believes in taking pictures
before and after removing
major components and labeling them. He offered advice gleaned while
dealing with an
ongoing engine swap in his '73.
- Earmark the appropriate electrical, EGR and vacuum diagrams before
you tear those
systems down. The pictures and diagrams in the BMW service
documentation (third--party and official) can be spectacularly unhelpful without other references.
- Build a network of suppliers for metric fasteners. Find a
German--friendly parts shop
or metric fastener shop and a good 02 specialist or two.
- Coordinate your complex tasks with the operating hours of your
suppliers. A little
help on the phone or the ability to get that bit you need when you
need it can make all
the difference. If you end up being held back late on a Sunday night
by your need for
an extra short 10mm bolt, the obscenities you produce would offend the Wu Tang
Clan.
- Be aware of Shipwrights Disease. The temptation to renew/upgrade
things because
you've got stuff around it unbuttoned can be overwhelming. It's one
thing to do some
work on the front subframe while the motor is out of the car, but
when you start
changing systems that affect the drivetrain, you can increase the
complexity of your
engine install immensely.
The Midwest hadn't treat Dan Minear's first car -- a '76 02 -- very nicely,
leading to lots
of rust. After two summers and a rebuilt engine, the Lafayette,
Indiana, resident
purchased a rust--free '76 from folks in Walnut Creek, California, and
pulled both engines
to put the original car's engine into the rust--free body. Despite the
help of knowledgable
friends, the project landed in the shop.
Dan's advice:
- Put aside plenty of time.
- Find someone knowledgeable to help you. Without Ken, I wouldn't
have learned all
that I did. Many thanks go to him.
- Label everything.
- Don't get disorganized with the nuts and bolts.
- Spend the money to refresh hardware and parts as needed. I am glad
that I did and
wish I would've done more.
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