Replaced fuel tank in GRM Project Spec E30

#1

Finally, a happy ending for one of our primary woes. The last major hurdle is our brake issue, but I think I might have found a true cause there too.

Read on at:
http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/news/category/project-cars/current-project-cars/nasa-spec-e30-bmw/

#2

Thanks for sharing your fix to your fuel issue. Keep us informed about the brakes too.

What I love about you guys is that you’re working on your E30 in the driveway under jack stands just like I have to do! No fancy car lifts…this is total Grassroots!!

Cheers,
Scott Neville
NorCal SpecE30
http://www.norcalspece30.com/

#3

come on Scott - you’re keeping us in suspense. What was the brake issue? As you probably have noted, others (like Carlton) have had brake gremlins. What was yours?
Thanks, Ed

#4

At the end of the article it says:

"While were were down there, and getting intimate with the various fuel and brake lines, we noticed that our rear brake line has a small pinched area that could very well be the cause of our rear brake locking symptoms. Rather than going right for the ABS pump, it looks like our next logical step is to cut out this part of the line and splice in a healthy section."

#5

Congrats and a very cool article. I am also curious about the brakes.

I’m wondering when you got to fuel tank why not put in a fuel cell in the spare tire well? Is it the cost? Is there any safety or performance considerations in the decision for a cell?

#6

It’s mostly a weight/balance issue. The stock tank has pretty killer positioning in the chassis, it’s low down and fairly central. Putting in a rear wheel well cell would have been an option, but then we’d be putting a big chunk of mass aft of the rear axle and a bit higher up. Also, to keep our minimum weight up we’ve already got a spare tire in the rear well, I’d like to avoid adding big weights to the driver’s side for now.

You’ll know the cause of the brake problem as soon as I do. I might be that crimped line, but then it occurred to me that cracking the rear line at the ABS unit wouldn’t have released the pressure to the rear calipers like it did, so the problem remains upstream. We’ll replace the line for good measure and change out the ABS unit, and if that fails the only other probability is the master cylinder.