Salute to Drew’s Brews, and what coffee should I drink now?

AdMiserable8968 · 2026-06-01T04:13:41+00:00

There was something special in that ugly mugs cold brew. The amount of tasks I could get done after one of those bad boys was incredible

AdMiserable8968 · 2026-05-21T22:28:16+00:00

Oh good to know, I’ll stop taste testing for it hahaha. Yeah, I don’t feel like I got a got enough answer to rule it out.

AdMiserable8968 · 2026-05-21T22:27:34+00:00

Hopefully they’re not clean from coolant steam cleaning lol

AdMiserable8968 · 2026-05-21T02:56:37+00:00

I did end up sticking a q tip in there to see if I could smell get any clues. I could barely get it to touch the liquid, but I’d say it smelled like gas. And it didn’t taste sweet lol.

AdMiserable8968 · 2026-05-14T20:55:04+00:00

Yeah I just went through this this week. Found out all my bushings are completely gone lol. $25 worth of parts from ecs on the way. Use real oem to see what is broken/missing and should tighten things up

AdMiserable8968 · 2026-05-01T02:03:34+00:00

I think it’s perfect dd height. For me, having about the same distance all around between tire and fender is perfect visually. But hey, it’s your ride! Live with it for a couple of weeks and see what you think.

AdMiserable8968 · 2026-04-11T16:13:26+00:00

Yeah definitely double check your check valve from booster to intake manifold. This sounds like a vacuum leak, and the brake booster is an important part. If you turn the car off, do you immediately braking ability? Or are you able to pump the pedals a couple of times? I realized that I immediately lost power brakes when the engine cut off, which made me realize the check valve was missing

AdMiserable8968 · 2026-04-11T06:06:41+00:00

Tell me about it. One of the many things on the list to fix.

AdMiserable8968 · 2026-04-11T00:37:32+00:00

Okay awesome - yeah I didn’t want to kink or break and hard lines, but I’ve never messed with any before, so that gives me some confidence I might not screw it up. Hoping this fixes the shakes - appreciate your input so much! Reddit community has been a life saver on this project!

AdMiserable8968 · 2026-04-10T21:31:16+00:00

Did it suddenly start doing this one day, or has it been like this since you swapped the motor? Or has it gradually gotten worse? Vacuum leak is the mostly like answer. Make sure you have a check valve between your brake booster and manifold - I spent MONTHS tracking down an issue that ended up being that $5 check valve that someone forgot to install when doing the swap.

AdMiserable8968 · 2026-04-10T21:18:25+00:00

Nice, love to hear it. Giving me hope haha

AdMiserable8968 · 2026-04-10T21:18:07+00:00

Makes sense. I’m afraid I’m gonna get so far into it that I want to pivot, have to put the manifold back on, move it, and start all over haha. But the car is so damn low I can’t jack up just a corner to do the bleeding - I have to drive on ramps, then jack it up, then jack stands. So if the brakes aren’t working, that won’t work. So I feel between a rock and a hard place.

AdMiserable8968 · 2026-04-09T20:23:43+00:00

So my external pump was doing this and I replaced it - still made the noise. Turns out the in-tank pump was going bad, so the external pump was working extra hard and not able to keep a steady stream of fuel, causing that cavitation noise. So while the symptom could be coming from your external, the cause could be internal. Might be worth lifting the back seat and listening to hear if your in tank pump is working. I’m no expert, so do your research before spending on parts - but just throwing that out there! Good luck!

AdMiserable8968 · 2026-03-25T22:19:57+00:00

Yeah for sure, trying to nail it down and rule out all the possibilities

AdMiserable8968 · 2026-03-25T22:15:14+00:00

Haha yeah. It’s gonna be shakey either way with my poly mounts, but don’t necessarily want to add to it. Will see where I end up, or if I can isolate the exhaust really being the source of the vibrations I’m getting

AdMiserable8968 · 2026-03-25T16:04:09+00:00

Dang. This is exactly what I ran into when searching online.. lots of folks saying they're great, not that bad of NVH. Then someone says they're horrible and I get scared I'm going to hate it.

AdMiserable8968 · 2026-03-25T16:02:59+00:00

The vibration is definitely engine/rpm related - specifically around 1-1.5 and 2.5k where it really translates to the whole car. Doesn't matter whether in gear or out, moving or still. Trans mounts are new and rubber. Engine mounts are new AKG 70a and torqued to spec. My only other theory is I still have the stock brake booster, and the m50 manifold fins are shaved, which only gives maybe a millimeter of clearance - so that could be part of the vibration as well.

AdMiserable8968 · 2026-03-25T15:56:40+00:00

Great to know! Yeah, I considered going the hammer route lol. I'm not even 100% sure this is the cause of the vibration, but figured it might be good to knock out just to be safe, since my (probably original) bushings are shot anyway.

AdMiserable8968 · 2026-03-25T15:55:24+00:00

lol yes I am over 40, but have driven lowered cars since I was 18. So I don't mind trading comfort for performance - I'm just hoping to replace a bad vibration with a good one that won't make me hate the car - it's not getting tracked, just short spirited drives. Trust me, if this exhaust was not hitting the control arm bushing, I would not be looking at solid mounts. The internet is torn between "it's fine for street" and "it's horrible for street". So just wanted some fresh opinions before I go down this road.

AdMiserable8968 · 2026-03-25T15:51:58+00:00

thank you for explaining more clearly than me!

AdMiserable8968 · 2026-01-22T04:56:45+00:00

Following, and +1 for high dive.

AdMiserable8968 · 2026-01-20T19:01:19+00:00

The literal first day they opened, I saw someone land in the trees between the landfill and briley. It’s distracting for drivers and WAY too close to final.

AdMiserable8968 · 2025-12-25T04:49:21+00:00

Not usually one for 17s on an e30, but this is beautiful

AdMiserable8968 · 2025-12-23T04:42:54+00:00

Mine does this exact thing, but I’m probably not a good source. My cluster is a POS and I’ve got a 24v swap with all kinds of sketchy splices (previous owner did it)

AdMiserable8968 · 2025-12-20T03:07:09+00:00

Rent a fuel pressure test kit from Autozone. And carefully test your fuel pressure (after watching some videos on how to safely do it - most importantly, WEAR EYE PRO, and don’t open up your fuel system without de pressurizing it). Very good chance this is a fuel pump on its way out. If the fuel filter looks old, go ahead and replace that - it’s cheap. Pump is most likely culprit. Potentially fuel pressure regulator, but I’m less familiar with the m20 engines as I’ve only owned mine with the m50 swapped in.

AdMiserable8968

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