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I might have a problem... (presenting the Eta Warrior)

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Justin_FL
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I might have a problem... (presenting the Eta Warrior)

Post by Justin_FL »

...when you rationalize the purchase as "too good of a deal to pass up." Known the PO and car for almost 15 years. It's a 1988 528eA, nicknamed the Eta Warrior by the previous owner so I'll stick with that name. Well cared for mechanically, exterior paint is past it's day but the interior really just needs a thorough detailing. Cold A/C and an uncracked dash!

Might use this in rotation with my 518i (once it is repaired) for daily driver duties. No major plans for the car, but will continue to clean up the car and eventually do a full repaint. At that time I'll fit a nicer rear euro bumper and add the front (have several sets on hand in my parts cache). Pretty happy with the car stock, the ride is so nice and smooth with the 14" wheels, haha.

As purchased pics:

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sail_or_drive
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Re: I might have a problem...

Post by sail_or_drive »

We should all have such problems. :D
Rich in Tupelo
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Re: I might have a problem...

Post by Rich in Tupelo »

Now get registered for Vintage if you haven't... only 50 slots left.
tschultz
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Re: I might have a problem...

Post by tschultz »

I have similar problems but seem to find myself buying cars that are much lower on the ladder in terms of condition.
Justin_FL
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Daytime Glamour Shots

Post by Justin_FL »

Gave the car a wash and the interior a vacuum and wipe down. Funny how the paint actually looks quite nice in the softer evening light:

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Justin_FL
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Road Grime Cleanup

Post by Justin_FL »

Since I've known the car and owner for many years, it always bugged me how the rear tail panel and lower quarter panels had this icky build up on it, making the back of the car look dingy as heck. Always mentioned to the PO that I can help him clean it up. Most likely years (decades?) of oily road grime and needless to say I couldn't help myself.

The post cleaning pictures are above in the previous post. The product used is shown in the photos below, which is a citrus based tar remover.

Befores:

In this one I had already started on the lower half before deciding my ownership of this car could be photo-documented. Mr. CEK inspired me, but my threads won't be nearly as epic, however :)

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An after shot not posted above:
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Product:
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I've had this jug for about 5 years so hopefully it is still in production since it works very well. Too often crap is reformulated to make it cheaper to produce and never works as well. I literally spray it on and wiped off the residue in seconds. On one section of dirty portion I spent 20 minutes using rubbing compound to cut through crap-- it was so hard I thought it was black spray paint! Good thing I remembered to give this product a try.
Justin_FL
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Re: I might have a problem...

Post by Justin_FL »

Rich in Tupelo wrote:Now get registered for Vintage if you haven't... only 50 slots left.
Yeah I was thinking about it, but probably as a spectator. Not sure I trust any of my E28s for that long of a journey at the moment, everyone of them needs some form of attention.
Justin_FL
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Re: I might have a problem...

Post by Justin_FL »

tschultz wrote:I have similar problems but seem to find myself buying cars that are much lower on the ladder in terms of condition.
Thanks, this is precisely why I didn't hesitate to pick it up. Mostly all that left out there are cream puffs for big $$$ or total beaters. A lot of folks wishing to get into an E28 for reasonable money aren't so lucky nowadays, that's for sure especially in the rust belt where few are left.

While the paint isn't pretty on this one, the car was daily driven and mechanically I've only generated a short list to address.
Justin_FL
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To-Do List

Post by Justin_FL »

So I've driven the car to work the past two days and have started building a list of things to address or investigate (this is more for my benefit to jot down so I don't forget).

Punch list:
  • Replace/repair OBC light bar
  • Flush all fluids
  • Replace rear muffler
  • Replace shocks all around
  • Sharp road imperfection strikes are very harsh (like manhole covers or RR tracks, not sure if caused by bad shocks, Moosehead spherical bushings or something else)
  • Swishing sound from master cylinder area when applying brakes, doesn't seem normal to me though braking is fine
  • Sounds like brake pads are dragging at low speed, more prominent when turning front wheels? Wheel bearings?
  • Transmission 1/2 shift is abrupt and then there is a shudder in 2nd for a bit afterwards. Seems to mostly go away when warm.
  • Needs accelerator pedal (pivot shaft?) bushings
  • Center console loose
  • Disassemble and clean console window switches; RR switch does not illuminate
  • Diff is moist/oily, seals
  • Instrument cluster gear indicator shows 3 when in D, most other gears have no light
  • Sunroof is a bit slow, clean and lubricate mechanisms
  • Trunk seal has a split and dripped a little bit of water into trunk after washing car
  • 1 bulb in right dome light burnt out
  • Fan speed, headlight and fog light switch illumination not functioning
  • Replace front/rear windshield lock strips
  • Driver's interior door handle broken
  • Front window guides need replacement (gaps by mirror)
  • Dogbones and subframe bushings
  • Diagnose/repair coolant leak (tightened hose clamps, will need to monitor after the next drive)
  • Timing belt is timed out (5 years old), so I see one in my future!
Fixed:
  • Driver's side mirror glass loose (check motor screws and retaining ring)
    • Motor screws were in fact loose coupled with the plastic drive gears turning into powder. Swapped in good used motor from my parts bin. Ordered wide-angle replacement mirror glass for improved visibility as the original mirror glass and motor do not have enough leftward travel for taller drivers with seat all the way back.
  • Mirror control switch broken or not functioning
    • Tried to disassemble and repair switch but plastic centering rod w/ spring is broken, so directional switch moves all over vs left/right and up/down. Installed used mirror switch from parts bin. Might look into making a replacement bit of plastic if I think of it again to restore original switch for spare.
  • Dashboard illumination goes off when dimmer set to full bright
    • Exercised dimmer switch and problem seems to have gone away. Will follow up with a shot of Deoxit.
the_illermiller
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Re: I might have a problem... (presenting the Eta Warrior)

Post by the_illermiller »

Did your car already have the rear bumper holes and tabs filled and filed? That TarX stuff does wonders... I may need to find some.
Justin_FL
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Re: I might have a problem... (presenting the Eta Warrior)

Post by Justin_FL »

the_illermiller wrote:Did your car already have the rear bumper holes and tabs filled and filed? That TarX stuff does wonders... I may need to find some.
Yep, they were welded and then undercoated by the PO. When I repaint the car I will probably rework the tail panel so it is flush, then maybe add the lower extension too. Not sure the effort to replace the tail panel for only those reasons is worth it.
tig
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Re: I might have a problem... (presenting the Eta Warrior)

Post by tig »

Loverly!!!!

Nice work on the clean up too.

Will be fun watching you knock off items on that list.
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Re: I might have a problem... (presenting the Eta Warrior)

Post by wkohler »

I'm excited to follow your progress on this. This is a great thread! Keep it up.
Justin_FL
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Re: I might have a problem... (presenting the Eta Warrior)

Post by Justin_FL »

wkohler wrote:I'm excited to follow your progress on this. This is a great thread! Keep it up.
Haha, didn't think anyone might find a 528eA interesting.

But it's a great car and I love driving this thing. Hard not to grin when cruising down the road. Really has a different, more tossable character about it compared to the 535s or M5-- reminds me of the feeling when you drive a 635csi and then a 535i back to back and discover the E28 is simply more fun behind the wheel. And I forgot how much I like good leather comfort seats and the springiness over bumps. The auto works pretty nice too with the low end torque delivery, though with the pedal mashed it is shifting at ~3800rpm so I think the shift cable needs to be adjusted.

I was originally planning to use the 518i for commuting to work in town, but the eta will likely earn that spot!
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Re: I might have a problem... (presenting the Eta Warrior)

Post by peterinfla »

Yes, this car is fun. It's also an absolute warrior. It was my daily driver for 11 or 12 years and was certainly one of the best and most reliable cars I have ever owned. I always hoped Justin would be the next owner, and now he is. He knows these cars well and he will give it the attention it deserves. He also has a great building to store it inside, and there was no way I was letting this proud old warrior go to someone who couldn’t keep it under cover. I think I’ll go visit soon. Look out Justin; I know where you live...
Justin_FL
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Re: I might have a problem... (presenting the Eta Warrior)

Post by Justin_FL »

Peter, you'll have to drive the car once I get some of the items addressed. Should really make for a nice transformation!
Justin_FL
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Re: I might have a problem... (presenting the Eta Warrior)

Post by Justin_FL »

Looking at the car last weekend I also noticed the dogbones are completely shot. Probably could use subframe bushings too being that I assume they are the originals.

So I dug this crap out of my parts cache and popped it in the trunk for later enjoyment when refreshing the suspension:
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Everything was free, they came with a massive amount of spare new and used parts that my brother acquired when he bought a Euro 635csi from the original owner 6 or 7 years ago. That guy would forget he bought parts and end up with an extra or two of some items. We filled up a cargo van of parts when taking delivery of the car. My brother sold the E24 a few years ago and I inherited the collection of parts.

Also have some Mahle M20 oil filters somewhere too from the same guy as his wife drove a 528e.

Also discovered another problem-- a coolant leak:
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Justin_FL
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Re: I might have a problem... (presenting the Eta Warrior)

Post by Justin_FL »

Booty has arrived! Got some throttle pedal bushings and grommets, new interior door handle, wide angle exterior mirror, door buffers, and some exhaust hangers. I have a new OE rear muffler on order too along with other suspension pieces in preparation for the shock installation (bump stop, upper mounts, etc). I managed to encounter a set of NOS Boge Turbo Gas shocks for sale and quickly wasted no time snapping those up. Trying to keep the budget low on this beast and just address the immediate needs. We'll see how long that lasts. Should have ordered t-belt stuff but I didn't realize it was coming due until just the other day.

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Sapotorito
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Re: I might have a problem... (presenting the Eta Warrior)

Post by Sapotorito »

Subscribed!
Love the color combo
Justin_FL
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Re: I might have a problem... (presenting the Eta Warrior)

Post by Justin_FL »

Sapotorito wrote:Subscribed!
Love the color combo
Thanks! I was never that much of a fan for cardinal red but it seems to work on this car.
Justin_FL
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Re: I might have a problem... (presenting the Eta Warrior)

Post by Justin_FL »

Rear muffler has arrived:

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The tips are the 46mm Ansa pieces and I'm not sure they will actually fit on the new OE muffler :(

This is a US-spec muffler so the pipes will need a little shortening due to the Euro bumper.
Justin_FL
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Re: I might have a problem... (presenting the Eta Warrior)

Post by Justin_FL »

Well, small victories. Replaced the throttle pedal linkage bushings and one of the grommets last weekend. Used brake clean to remove the old throttle cable grommet residue since it turned into black goo. If you have a throttle pedal with a lot of play in it, most likely the first two items are your problem. I didn't bother installing #11 and #13 yet. Took the car for a short drive and the throttle is much nicer and progressive without any binding, though the throttle seems kind of heavy to me compared to my M30 cars.

#7 is 35411119016
#9 is 35411152331
#11 is 35311113725
#13 is 35411113728

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Justin_FL
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Re: I might have a problem... (presenting the Eta Warrior)

Post by Justin_FL »

So not much progress nor driving of the car, but I did replace the OBC light bar and put in some new ODO gears as they had just begun failing. Now with the OBC illuminating for the first time in many many years, I can see the MPG function does not work. The econo gauge in the cluster works fine and I've tried another cluster and OBC with the same result (reads 40L/100KM or 5.9MPG). Seems that the OBC isn't getting that particular signal. I did swap in a different trans light board, but it has some burt out bulbs ('3' and 'D'), lol. At least the PCB is not hacked up like the one I pulled out of the car and the right lights illuminate for each gear (the old one had some damage and jumper wires soldered on for whatever reason).

Working light bar:
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Old gears before extraction (didn't think to take an after):
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Also ordered some baseline/tune-up parts, some seals to address leaks, and timing belt. Definitely need to order more seals but have to degrease to find the other leak sources.
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