| Steinbauer Project! Mike's BMW 633 CSi |
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Before I got the car started again I thought about checking the ignition system just to make sure that
everything there is still the way it is supposed to be. What a surprise! I expected burned out parts but
instead I got this!
everything there is still the way it is supposed to be. What a surprise! I expected burned out parts but
instead I got this!
Here is the distributor cap and the inside was just covered in oil. I did clean it
up a bit before I took the picture.
up a bit before I took the picture.
Here is the cause of the problem and I think that was the problem all along
from when we bought the car. This is the upper timing chain cover with a
damaged seal. Through this damaged seal we had oil come through from the
engine into the distributor cap preventing the car from having proper spark.
from when we bought the car. This is the upper timing chain cover with a
damaged seal. Through this damaged seal we had oil come through from the
engine into the distributor cap preventing the car from having proper spark.
As a result, you wind up with a very dirty engine. As you can see already on
the timing chain cover it is very dirty. Here to the left is a view with the valve
cover off.
the timing chain cover it is very dirty. Here to the left is a view with the valve
cover off.
Here is the broken steering linkage housing that
prevented the proper selection of the gears and added
on to Mike's frustration. I spent 7 hours fixing this since
it involved dropping the exhaust system, dropping the
drive shaft, lowering the transmission, and getting that
part out
prevented the proper selection of the gears and added
on to Mike's frustration. I spent 7 hours fixing this since
it involved dropping the exhaust system, dropping the
drive shaft, lowering the transmission, and getting that
part out
Lowered transmission
supported by the car
jack and a piece of wood
to prevent cracking the
transmission housing
supported by the car
jack and a piece of wood
to prevent cracking the
transmission housing
All cleaned up and put
back together
back together
This is what it looks like
from under the car looking
through the hole where the
gear shift selector is
from under the car looking
through the hole where the
gear shift selector is
Transmission from
below with the drive
shaft aside
below with the drive
shaft aside
Here's a view of the engine bay right before I cleaned this up. Due to the
exhaust leak there was sud all over
exhaust leak there was sud all over
It is customary in our family to name a car after you have driven it. "Whitey" is actually Heidi now!
It started of with Rick's first 635 CSi being Elise. My first 635 CSi is Fritz. Rick's second 635 CSi was
named Gertrude. Now, following the Alphabet Heidi was the next logical (if logic exists in our family)
choice. Our latest addition has to be some German name beginning with "I"
It started of with Rick's first 635 CSi being Elise. My first 635 CSi is Fritz. Rick's second 635 CSi was
named Gertrude. Now, following the Alphabet Heidi was the next logical (if logic exists in our family)
choice. Our latest addition has to be some German name beginning with "I"
27 June 2011: Got her all back together and running again. Heidi does still
have a coolant leak, the filthiest oil I have ever seen, and a weird clunking
noise when you take your foot off the brake. Will know more tomorrow after
we investigate.
have a coolant leak, the filthiest oil I have ever seen, and a weird clunking
noise when you take your foot off the brake. Will know more tomorrow after
we investigate.
28 June 2011: Fixed the coolant leak and changed the oil. One of the clunking sounds was a side of
the sway bar in front, Still have that clunking sound though and figured it is the brakes binding. We put
the summer tires on and I took her for a test drive. On the way up on Powers Blvd a water hose broke
and I got a steam bath. This requires a large scale repair since the dash board has to be taken out for
that. This was obviously caused by over heating and it turns out that the water pump has decided to die
now. The new one is on order from Autohaus Arizona.
the sway bar in front, Still have that clunking sound though and figured it is the brakes binding. We put
the summer tires on and I took her for a test drive. On the way up on Powers Blvd a water hose broke
and I got a steam bath. This requires a large scale repair since the dash board has to be taken out for
that. This was obviously caused by over heating and it turns out that the water pump has decided to die
now. The new one is on order from Autohaus Arizona.
9 July 2011: The new water pump has arrived and I wanted to put it in. As I am taking the bolts off, one
of them broke. As Luck would have it, it was a bolt that is really hard to reach. I got small Vise Grips and
managed to get that bolt out. I still needed a thermostat housing cover though. I looked in Craigslist
and found a woman down in Wetmore, CO who said she was parting out a 1984 633 CSi. I asked her if
she had a thermostat housing cover and she said she did not want to sell it since it is "part of the
engine". I tried to convince her otherwise and she finally said "come on down and look at the car". I
needed/wanted some other parts as well and took the trip down there with Robert. Once I got there it
turned out that she still did not want to sell the thermostat housing cover but charged me liberal for the
other parts that I actually bought. In the process of taking the cable for the hood closer, I managed to
slip and get a deep cut in my thumb. Bandaged it all up and went on our business. Robert and I then
drove all the way up to Denver to the U-Pull & Pay and I bought two covers since they are so fragile due
to the fact that they are old and cast aluminum. Came back and started to put things in. Also learned
that in addition to the wheel bearings the lower control arm bushing broke (part 10) which the woman in
Wetmore did not want to sell yet either since it would haveput the car on 3 wheels.
15 July 2011: Came home from work early and put the new water pump in, installed the fan shroud, the
fan, and tightened the exhaust down again and hope it will stay put. The engine runs fine now but the
fuel pump keeps running which it should not when you just have the ignition on. This requires further
investigating. Since I had to do some front spoiler repair on Fritz, I gave Heidi a wash and wax and
called it a day.
of them broke. As Luck would have it, it was a bolt that is really hard to reach. I got small Vise Grips and
managed to get that bolt out. I still needed a thermostat housing cover though. I looked in Craigslist
and found a woman down in Wetmore, CO who said she was parting out a 1984 633 CSi. I asked her if
she had a thermostat housing cover and she said she did not want to sell it since it is "part of the
engine". I tried to convince her otherwise and she finally said "come on down and look at the car". I
needed/wanted some other parts as well and took the trip down there with Robert. Once I got there it
turned out that she still did not want to sell the thermostat housing cover but charged me liberal for the
other parts that I actually bought. In the process of taking the cable for the hood closer, I managed to
slip and get a deep cut in my thumb. Bandaged it all up and went on our business. Robert and I then
drove all the way up to Denver to the U-Pull & Pay and I bought two covers since they are so fragile due
to the fact that they are old and cast aluminum. Came back and started to put things in. Also learned
that in addition to the wheel bearings the lower control arm bushing broke (part 10) which the woman in
Wetmore did not want to sell yet either since it would haveput the car on 3 wheels.
15 July 2011: Came home from work early and put the new water pump in, installed the fan shroud, the
fan, and tightened the exhaust down again and hope it will stay put. The engine runs fine now but the
fuel pump keeps running which it should not when you just have the ignition on. This requires further
investigating. Since I had to do some front spoiler repair on Fritz, I gave Heidi a wash and wax and
called it a day.
15 July 2011: After a good wash and wax I noticed that there is a need for a lot of repair on the paint
required.
17 July 2011: OK, today I checked on the problem of the fuel pump constantly running when the ignition
is in the start position. It is not supposed to run then so I changed out the ECU and the AFM and there
was no change except the idle dropped down to 500 Rpm. I Noticed when I am backing out of the garage
and drive down slope backwards the car dies. Maybe I change out the fuel pump next?
26 August 2011: Replaced the bowden cable so the hood can be closed.
required.
17 July 2011: OK, today I checked on the problem of the fuel pump constantly running when the ignition
is in the start position. It is not supposed to run then so I changed out the ECU and the AFM and there
was no change except the idle dropped down to 500 Rpm. I Noticed when I am backing out of the garage
and drive down slope backwards the car dies. Maybe I change out the fuel pump next?
26 August 2011: Replaced the bowden cable so the hood can be closed.
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