Alex Sol

Tom,

Great advice and it worked.

We pulled out the bolt and it was a little bruised. Engine can be easily rotated... it is a very unique bolt with extra thickness at the top of the bolt..

Got a hold of a set of tools to re tap the threads as they were a little mangled up.

so far has re installed:

bell housing
clutch fork and cross shaft
torque tube (loosely)
bracket that holds the two sensors (speed and reference)

on this same bracket there is a third hole for a similar sensor but there was no sensor there when i removed.

Can anyone advise what is that third sensor?

ps. i blocked off the hole and the extra sensor hole before starting this procedure!!

next steps:

replace intake, spark plugs, etc - start the engine to test

then replace the trans axle and exhaust bits.. can i leave the waste gate off to test that the motor runs?

Tom M'Guinn

That unique M6 bolt with extra thickness on top sounds like the bolt used to hold the speed and/or reference sensor in place (which is also a prime candidate for falling into the bell housing...)

Re the third sensor, if you are referring to the aluminum bracket that the actual speed and reference sensors slide into, that third sensor port is for a diagnostic TDC sensor that is only useful to Porsche mechanics who have vintage 80's test equipment. I removed mine a long time ago.

In theory, you can leave all of the exhaust off to test the motor, but it will be loud and you don't want to drive it that way.

reno808

make sure you use a new bolt......

Alex Sol

thanks reno and tom,

i'll order a new m6 bolt with the thick head...

and thanks for the note on the third sensor... thought i may have missed something...

is there any way to 'gap' the sensors?

i'll do a quick search to see if there's a way to do it...

ehall

Clarks-garage has a write up for exactly that.

Alex Sol

quick update:

gapped the speed / reference sensors using clarks method. glued a .8mm washer onto the end of the magnetic sensor (used tape to hold in place until the glue set) the removed the tape, gapped by struggling with that hard to reach bracket bolt... tightened it up, removed the sensor, removed the glue, cleaned off the glue, then replaced

then installled the intake, transaxle, forgot that there were two black wires going to the starter (it was dangling and i couldn't remember where i went) and installed.

checked and double checked all the hoses, wires, plugs, intake bits, turbo hoses, were properly clamped, connected, put in properly and proceeded to start the engine prior to installing the transaxle

forgot the fuel filter - what a stinky mess

installed the fuel filter temporarily

got tach bounce !

got sputter

got start

so the issue for me was the speed and reference sensor (bmw part)

when i removed i may have noted they were burnt, frayed, broken, and had no tach bounce and so deduced the dme was not 'talking' to sensors

removed the fuel filter (got a gasoline shower) not pleasant - how to avoid next time. hope there is no next time.

replaced the transaxle - was tricky but not too bad with one floor jack and had the car on host about 2 feet off the ground

connected the shifter rod and wire tied the bolt

connected the torque tube shaft by sliding (more like ramming) the coupler - previously had the two clamps property positioned so that the bolts would install easily

tightened up the four bolts on the torque tube

connected the drive shafts - found one of the bolts was too short - then found that short bolt had been sheared off in one of the drive shaft bolt holes so will need suggestion how to remove?

installed wastegate, exhaust pipe runnig off the wastegate, the hose that goes into the waste gate (have a lindsey manual boost controller)

ran out of time...

should have it done by thursday...


thanks for the tips and advice

and my advice... cover up that hole next to the speed/reference sensors!!!

ehall

Way to go!

Alex Sol

thanks. slight issue. the motor was not turning smoothly when testing with the 24mm socket on the main crank.

when starting with the clutch pedal there is a tight spot and seems like maybe i over tightened the belts

when i tried starting again with clutch pedal depressed but in neutral shifter, it started with no problem.

but then... when i let go of the clutch pedal it is whacking against something.

i did not do a clutch bleed when i installed the slave but had to back off the bleeder to release the pressure on the spring in order to install. could i have stuck the shaft in the wrong way? i have the rubber closer to the fork

would a clutch bleed help?

is there an adjustment for the clutch? to make it back off the flywheel / pressure plate?

i didn't open this part because the plan to get it running and sell.

plus it had no clutch issues prior to the tear down

Alex Sol

fixed.

loosened the belts a little

found i installed the hex bolt on the drive shaft coupler the wrong way and it was getting ground down. i replaced and no more whacking sound when i let the clutch in while idling.

started up, ran but sounds like it miss firing

did a compression test because car would not hold in gear on a downhill.

results
cylinders

1. 130psi
2. 140 psi
3. 133 psi
4. 145 psi

not good numbers in my estimation...

Dash01

Would a laparoscope snaked down the starter motor hole have helped to see and retrieve the bolt?

I got one of those at Harbor Freight for about $60 with coupon. Has a magnet attachment. This after I dropped a nut down the front cover of a BMW engine. You're not the Lone Ranger on such bonehead mistakes. There are two kinds of mechanics: those who have already done such things, and those who will.

ibkevin

BINGO!

Alex Sol

dash01 it was sooo locked up.... i did know i dropped the bolt in the inspection hole but did suspect it. looked all around with a magnet with light on the end of flexible extension... but the magnet was too big i guess. also got my hands on a scope with a camera but the hole and tolerances would not allow anything thicker than a toothpick in!!

ibkevin... bingo is right...

Paul Waterloo

Wow...what a story. I can somewhat relate, as the c ring that captures the throwout bearing on my car let loose on the dyno due to the tapered washer being put in backwards. I had to do everything you mentioned....I estimated it at 17 hours labor over labor day weekend! But all is good.

Those reference sensor bolts are a real bear, and I took off the sensor bracket because I could not get the bell housing off easily, I think I had the flywheel in the wrong position (the little screws for the reference sensor were at the top of the flywheel and the bell housing was interfering with them). To get that bracket back on took me over an hour....plus I had to gap the sensors, which was another trip to the hardware store....man, was I frustrated at that point.

But in the end, I got it! It's been good for many redline excursions!

Alex Sol

unbelievable journey.... on such a dumb mistake...

as far as the reference sensors coming out?

there were extremely difficult. i had to remove the bracket, put it in a vice, and tap the sensors out. which didn't work. so i 'tapped' a little harder and the exterior chrome casing from the reference sensor came off first... talk about stuck. we tried to remove from the top of the motor for hours... with vice grip, needle nose, lots of spray... not a chance!!

black944 turbo

Compression numbers are not out of line, not awesome, but not terrible.