Your fleet running reports

[NotoriousREV]

I have a 60mm socket you can borrow if you fancy popping to Suffolk


Pretty sure I bought it off amazon originally.

What’s the required torque on yours? 200nm on mine, apparently!

[mik]

Expect it wheel be higher.

911 centrelocks are something like 600nm afaik.

[integrale_evo]

350lb/ft ~ 500nm

I think. It's been a while since I've done them

[integrale_evo]

Led high beams fitted to the mito. I hadn't realised until the other day that the xenons were actually bixenons so have a mechanical shutter which flips open for main beam.

Still can't get the led drl/ side lights to work. More fiddling required.

Still couldn't get the wiper arms off either, even with a mini puller thing, so as it was a reasonably still day covered as much of the car as I could and have them a couple of coats of satin black while on the car.

Took the airbox out to try and bodge an old cone filter ( I think it's the one Tim took off the e30 and supplied in the boot ) on, just to see how it sounds. Unfortunately the inlet was the same diameter as the intake pipe, and I didn't have anything suitable to mate the two.

[nuttinnew]

Standard sizes are 195 65 15 on the 6.5in steel wheels and 205 60 15 on the 7in alloys. If I was keeping mine I was eyeing up some 185 70 15 winters for next year. It was very good on 205 section all seasons last winter.

Fair enough, it just doesn't look like a 65 or 70 profile to me in that pic (shrug).

It does look good mit knobbly & dirt

[mik]

Still couldn't get the wiper arms off either, even with a mini puller thing

Ignition on.
Flick wipe.
Ignition off as wipers reach full height on windscreen.
Peel wipers off screen as if cleaning windscreen.
Rock side to side - huge mechanical advantage.
Open beers as they pop off splines like a poppy spline exit thingybob.
Open moh beers as you’ve started now
Dance around living room etc

[integrale_evo]

Improssibru

The spindle isn't directly bolted to anything as it comes through the plastic cowl, its mounted to the body a couple of inches lower, but only through a rubber mount.

I have no issues getting leverage on the arms, I have issues with thinking it's going to snap something further down in the mechanism!

[Simon]

Sorry, but what Mik said. I had the same issue on the Mondeo last year. Resorted to putting them into service mode (wipers half way up the screen), folding the wiper arm out as if to change the blades etc, then very quickly wiggling the arm from side to side with my hand - almost 'vibrating' the arm off the spindle. It worked in the end. Be brave!

[Sundayjumper]

What are they equivalent to, 185/60/15?

They’re 185/65/15. Unusually for “proper” tyres these ones are denoted in the normal way.

I think they need 6” rims and as far as I can tell, BMW never made 6” alloys for the E36, only steels. You can get nice 6x15 rally wheels from Oz, Compomotive etc but they’re a bit pricey.

Maybe I need 195s on 6.5” rims. I’ll keep an eye out.

[integrale_evo]

Sorry, but what Mik said. I had the same issue on the Mondeo last year. Resorted to putting them into service mode (wipers half way up the screen), folding the wiper arm out as if to change the blades etc, then very quickly wiggling the arm from side to side with my hand - almost 'vibrating' the arm off the spindle. It worked in the end. Be brave!

Honestly, do you not think I tried that?

Any amount of wiggling at all in any direction felt as though the spindle unsupported other than a wobbly rubber mount was going to pull out of the car.

I have removed a few stuck wiper arms from much older cars over the years

[JLv3.0]

Harry just get the wipers into the upswept position, give them a wiggle and stop being a fanny. Jeez - fkn noob.

[mik]

Spray with MAF cleaner first.

[JLv3.0]

After updating its firmware, duh.

[DeskJockey]

Did you ask Ian to have a go?

[V8Granite]

Sorry, but what Mik said. I had the same issue on the Mondeo last year. Resorted to putting them into service mode (wipers half way up the screen), folding the wiper arm out as if to change the blades etc, then very quickly wiggling the arm from side to side with my hand - almost 'vibrating' the arm off the spindle. It worked in the end. Be brave!

Honestly, do you not think I tried that?

Any amount of wiggling at all in any direction felt as though the spindle unsupported other than a wobbly rubber mount was going to pull out of the car.

I have removed a few stuck wiper arms from much older cars over the years

I’ve been there, I had the mini puller aswell and ended up popping a bit more tension every hour or so while I did something else. Original screen cracked on a 2002 TT and the wiper and spindle were as one

I say stare at them really hard and then go do something else

Dave!

[Nic]

Bought another car today, I’ve been looking for one for a while and saw this on eBay yesterday, went down this morning to pick it up. I think they are a cast iron future classic, bespoke aluminium panels, NA engine, manual gearbox and low build numbers.



They tend to suffer from chocolate gearboxes and engines that burn oil, I’ve bought this knowing it needs an engine rebuild and paid a price that reflects this-



136,000 miles, 6 speed box, xenons, aircon so no sunroof and I think I’ve saved it from being ruined as it already had a few choice mods like a sticker bombed rear badge and a horrendous Sony double din headunit.

[JLv3.0]

What sort of rebuild Nic? Brave purchase!

[Nic]

Piston rings at a minimum I reckon, could be just that and we will be able to do it with the engine in situ or could be worse and the engine will have to come out. Drove home from Reading at 80 all the way on a light throttle and it isn’t knocking so fingers crossed it’s an easy one.

[Coaster1]

Nice

I don’t know anything about them but always thought they’re cool looking cars.

Silver or blue for me; perfect city runabout.

[240PP]

A colleague had a Lupi GTi. I remember being astonished at how well it handled and the level of grip.

They’re really rare too IIRC.