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CornHolio posted:
I've heard of the plastic endtank radiators and plastic impellers but isn't there a more "permanent" solution for each of these things? Like is it possible for me to just buy aftermarket cooling parts that aren't stupidly designed or am I doomed to just replace the same things over and over?
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Aug 31, 2010 14:46
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8ender posted:I've heard of the plastic endtank radiators and plastic impellers but isn't there a more "permanent" solution for each of these things? Like is it possible for me to just buy aftermarket cooling parts that aren't stupidly designed or am I doomed to just replace the same things over and over? Metal water pump, thermostat housing, all-aluminum radiator and maybe silicon hoses and it will last longer than a honda's cooling system.
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Aug 31, 2010 15:02
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Are you guys saying that it would cost less to keep an older BMW running as opposed to an E39/E46? I love E30s and E34s, but as a daily driver?
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Aug 31, 2010 15:09
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The Third Man posted:Are you guys saying that it would cost less to keep an older BMW running as opposed to an E39/E46? I love E30s and E34s, but as a daily driver? If you can wrench on them yourselves and you buy one with a good service history then yeah. Less electronic poo poo to break in the older ones that require dealership intervention to diagnose/fix.
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Aug 31, 2010 15:24
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rscott posted:If you can wrench on them yourselves and you buy one with a good service history then yeah. Less electronic poo poo to break in the older ones that require dealership intervention to diagnose/fix. I still think This is a good investment for any BMW work. It works on everything 1987-2007 and I think there are adapters for earlier cars.
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Aug 31, 2010 16:11
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The Third Man posted:Are you guys saying that it would cost less to keep an older BMW running as opposed to an E39/E46? I love E30s and E34s, but as a daily driver? Ive got a 91 318IS as my daily driver in Wisconsin. Rock solid for the most part. Mine has almost 200k on it, so sure, things break. Only thing that has really been a problem though is my rear calipers seized up, but I would not really blame that on it being a BMW. Otherwise just keep it maintained.
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Aug 31, 2010 16:25
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revmoo posted:Metal water pump, thermostat housing, all-aluminum radiator and maybe silicon hoses and it will last longer than a honda's cooling system. This is correct -- spend $400 once or spend $300 repeatedly. I highly recommend the Bimmerzone kit: http://www.bimmerzone.com/VSL_Performance_Radiator_E36.htm Complete, thoughtful part selection, and high quality. Cheap for what you get.
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Aug 31, 2010 16:45
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CornHolio posted:The M52 is basically an M50 reworked for OBDII. It has a bit more displacement, about 20 more ft-lbs of torque and I don't know why anybody would pick an M50 over an M52 unless they were doing some heavy engine modifications and didn't want the OBDII to get in the way. No ODBII and no VANOS on the M50 is better for engine mods, yes. quote:Did the M20 engine require valve adjustments as well as timing belt replacements? Or am I thinking of the senior six M30? Both the M20 and M30 require regular valve adjustments, but only the M20 requires a timing belt every 5 years/50,000 miles. As far as an E30 as a daily driver, I do it with a 318iS and it has never let me down. They really are VERY well built cars. Just maintain them and understand that their parts could be 20+ years old. If the fuel pump starts making noise, replace it. Belts, hoses, anything rubber, replace it. Common sense maintenance means you should never be stranded by one of these cars. There are well maintained M20 engines with 400,000 miles on them. My car is coming up on 200,000 with no engine issues at all... except very minor oil leak (no drips, just a coat of oil on the underside) from the pan that plagues EVERY old BMW I've ever seen.
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Aug 31, 2010 17:01
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Sterndotstern posted:This is correct -- spend $400 once or spend $300 repeatedly. I highly recommend the Bimmerzone kit: Very nice. This makes me feel a lot better about looking at these cars. I honestly dont mind stupid little things going wrong with my car, its cars with major engine drivetrain problems or recurring problems that have no permanent fix that give me pause. Before I start seriously looking, is there any wear parts on the E34/E36's that can go wrong and requires a massive amount of work to replace? I'm thinking along the lines of Saab 900s where replacing the clutch requires you to drop the subframe.
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Aug 31, 2010 17:08
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8ender posted:Very nice. This makes me feel a lot better about looking at these cars. I honestly dont mind stupid little things going wrong with my car, its cars with major engine drivetrain problems or recurring problems that have no permanent fix that give me pause. Clutch and brakes are straightforward with the right tools -- brakes will require the right set of hex sockets and clutch will require the right combination of swivels, extensions, and manual dexterity or an engine hangar. The good shop manuals (Bentley) are available for $50-100 or as :files: Nothing impossible or even particularly difficult on these cars. Coming from doing routine maintenance simple Japanese econoboxes, I found nothing to frustrate my novice mechanical hands except a number of oddly-sized fasteners for which numerous trips to Harbor Freight and/or Sears were required. For any job, I highly recommend asking around or taking a close look PRIOR to starting to ensure you have the correct sockets and wrenches on hand. A cheap caliper will help you find sizes quickly!
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Aug 31, 2010 17:50
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What is the real deal with the rear subframe tearing issue on the E36? I have a 1995 323i (2,5 six/170hp for you yanks) with 100k miles on it which has clunking from both sides on the rear. I have replaced the big trailing arm bushings that are up near the body, have replaced the rear shocks and shock mounts, and the sway bar bushings and droplinks, and I cannot get rid of the clunking. A friend of mine loosened and tightened all the nuts on the four big bushings that hold the diff subframe, and said they look old, but still OK, and the floor looks OK. Shock towers are also OK. My car hasn't been driven hard, and has been maintained well up until 3 years ago, where servicing records at the main dealer stops. What should I look at next for the noises? And what's with the tearing, does it affect every single car from the 316 up, or is it only a "maybe" on poorly maintained and track-beaten 325s and 328s?
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Aug 31, 2010 17:59
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evobatman posted:What should I look at next for the noises? And what's with the tearing, does it affect every single car from the 316 up, or is it only a "maybe" on poorly maintained and track-beaten 325s and 328s? If the clunk correlates to throttle usage (on or off), you may have a problem with the following (back to front): subframe bushings (worn), subframe mounts (floor tear issue), the guibo (flex disc), clutch wear, or engine mounts. If the clunk correlates to suspension articulation, check all the bushings and the shocks themselves. The subframe/unibody tearout issues are a manufacturing defect caused by bad assembly process engineering. Here's a video about the E46 tearout issue (identical to the E36 and E30 issues): http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8362789948066992482 To find it, you need to get the car up in the air, get under it with a bigass light source, and load the drivetrain.
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Aug 31, 2010 18:15
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CornHolio posted:I still think This is a good investment for any BMW work. It works on everything 1987-2007 and I think there are adapters for earlier cars. Thanks. I just bought their "R5-FCX-3" for my 1988 325i.  Their website says "The R5/FCX-3 is not an OBDII device, it is a factory-code scanner. Meaning, it reads the full range of detailed BMW factory codes (which are the same codes the dealer has access to.) In contrast, OBDII tools use a government-mandated, generic code language, and do not read any BMW factory codes. OBDII is not inherently bad, but for BMWs and other European makes, OBDII tools suffer significant limitations." -- although since my car predates OBDII, even that wouldn't have been any use. Anyway, my fuel pump had failed, so I installed a replacement and the car runs fine now. But some time during my work, the car decided to start showing its "INSPECTION" light on the dashboard. Hopefully the R5-FCX-3 will tell me what's wrong once it arrives.
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Aug 31, 2010 18:27
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Brock Landers posted:As far as an E30 as a daily driver, I do it with a 318iS and it has never let me down. They really are VERY well built cars. Just maintain them and understand that their parts could be 20+ years old. If the fuel pump starts making noise, replace it. Belts, hoses, anything rubber, replace it. Common sense maintenance means you should never be stranded by one of these cars. There are well maintained M20 engines with 400,000 miles on them. My car is coming up on 200,000 with no engine issues at all... except very minor oil leak (no drips, just a coat of oil on the underside) from the pan that plagues EVERY old BMW I've ever seen. I find e30s have a lot less poo poo to go wrong on them, as long as you keep up with the regular stuff. I'm currently looking for an e30 to replace my e36 and old/busted e30. I made the mistake of lax maintenance with my 88 325ix since I had another running car and the e30 is pretty much a huge mess that I'm just gonna sell for parts. I'd kill for a nice 325is though. The e36 just doesn't feel as fun to drive down windy roads.
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Aug 31, 2010 22:22
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evobatman posted:What is the real deal with the rear subframe tearing issue on the E36? I have a 1995 323i (2,5 six/170hp for you yanks) with 100k miles on it which has clunking from both sides on the rear. I have replaced the big trailing arm bushings that are up near the body, have replaced the rear shocks and shock mounts, and the sway bar bushings and droplinks, and I cannot get rid of the clunking. A friend of mine loosened and tightened all the nuts on the four big bushings that hold the diff subframe, and said they look old, but still OK, and the floor looks OK. Shock towers are also OK. I thought the E46 had that problem?
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Aug 31, 2010 23:53
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evobatman posted:What is the real deal with the rear subframe tearing issue on the E36? I have a 1995 323i (2,5 six/170hp for you yanks) with 100k miles on it which has clunking from both sides on the rear. I have replaced the big trailing arm bushings that are up near the body, have replaced the rear shocks and shock mounts, and the sway bar bushings and droplinks, and I cannot get rid of the clunking. A friend of mine loosened and tightened all the nuts on the four big bushings that hold the diff subframe, and said they look old, but still OK, and the floor looks OK. Shock towers are also OK. Check the swaybar end links. They can cause a clunk in turns.
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Sep 1, 2010 00:51
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I'm getting a bit annoyed with the imprecise steering of my E34. I know they're all like that because of the old worm-gear steering box, but I'm starting to feel like it detracts severely from the E34 as a good car. There's a 1-2 inch play in the steering wheel and I constantly have to correct it when driving on the motorway. It's just not sharp to drive. Anyone have experience with adjusting that screw on the steering box? Some say it just increases the wear on the box, leading to quicker deterioration. evobatman posted:What is the real deal with the rear subframe tearing issue on the E36? I have a 1995 323i (2,5 six/170hp for you yanks) with 100k miles on it which has clunking from both sides on the rear. I have replaced the big trailing arm bushings that are up near the body, have replaced the rear shocks and shock mounts, and the sway bar bushings and droplinks, and I cannot get rid of the clunking. A friend of mine loosened and tightened all the nuts on the four big bushings that hold the diff subframe, and said they look old, but still OK, and the floor looks OK. Shock towers are also OK. Sure it isn't the exhaust clunking against the body? Try yanking and shaking at everything you can find while the car is on a lift. You can sometimes provoke the sounds yourself.
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Sep 1, 2010 09:06
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Pilsner posted:I'm getting a bit annoyed with the imprecise steering of my E34. I know they're all like that because of the old worm-gear steering box, but I'm starting to feel like it detracts severely from the E34 as a good car. There's a 1-2 inch play in the steering wheel and I constantly have to correct it when driving on the motorway. It's just not sharp to drive. Sounds like the steering box or other steering parts are worn. E34s I've driven have zero play in the steering wheel. They all have a slightly dead feel on-center, but no play. My E28 has a similar steering setup and never felt disconnected from the road like you're describing.
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Sep 1, 2010 12:38
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Kenshin posted:Give us a ///M (1-series) and a ///M-roadster and I'll be happy Give us an M3 Touring please BMW goddammit 
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Sep 1, 2010 13:03
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Going to look at a $2000 1995 BMW 325is today. 189kms and midnight blue. At that price I have a feeling its going to be a dog  I will probably still get it though. A sort of trial by fire introduction to the world of BMWs. The only possible saving grace here is that it just had its radiator, water pump, hoses and pretty much everything else replaced. I'm really hoping the owner just decided the car was going to nickel and dime them and is deciding to get rid of it. Also hoping they didn't blow the head gasket
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Sep 1, 2010 14:17
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8ender posted:Also hoping they didn't blow the head gasket Don't worry - that molasses you generally claim to be oil should be more than sufficient at blocking any small leaks. 
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Sep 1, 2010 19:05
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plecostomus posted:Give us an M3 Touring please BMW goddammit Yes, this. My current baby transporter, shopping vehicle, etc with buttloads of power is a happy thought.
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Sep 1, 2010 19:08
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SaabFanatic posted:Don't worry - that molasses you generally claim to be oil should be more than sufficient at blocking any small leaks.  The oil never looked like that when I owned it, I think Sock put pudding in there for dramatic effectSo update on the $2000 325i. Its sounding shady. The seller has owned it for two months and during that time replaced the entire coolant system. He needs a car now and can't get this 325i registered because now its running rich and failed emissions. He said he just needs a car now and can't mess around with this one any longer. It did however pass a provincial safety, which certainly is something.I suspect it just has a bad O2 sensor and if thats the case and its not too beat up I'll probably still buy it. I've looked up some guides on pulling codes from the ODBI ECM using a blinkenlights diagnostic mode and hopefully I get some to figure this out. What else would make a pre-ODB2 M50 run rich?
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Sep 1, 2010 19:27
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8ender posted:
 Avoid avoid avoid avoid. Wave off dude, not worth your $2k. Save and wait for a better example.
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Sep 1, 2010 21:24
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Sterndotstern posted:
Yeah. Do NOT just buy the first car you drive, especially not a car someone has owned for a short period. Usually means they bought it without realizing what it will cost to actually make it road worthy and want to unload it on a sucker who thinks they are getting a "good" deal.
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Sep 1, 2010 22:03
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Crustashio posted:Yeah. Do NOT just buy the first car you drive, especially not a car someone has owned for a short period. Usually means they bought it without realizing what it will cost to actually make it road worthy and want to unload it on a sucker who thinks they are getting a "good" deal. Thats sort of what I think its going to be, and if its a real dog I'm going to pass on it. If its just something simple like an O2 sensor then I'll go for it. This car is going to be a fun second car, and I don't mind if it ends up being a bit of a project. Its probably not going to be a simple O2 sensor 
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Sep 2, 2010 00:38
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I am at my wits end with my fan clutch. I'm trying to do my timing belt, water pump, thermostat and camshaft seals. I've got all my cooling hoses off, upper timing cover off, three in one pulley. I'M SO CLOSE but this loving nut has been taunting me the entire time. I've tried a bunch of different ways to hold the pulley. I've got a slim 32mm bike wrench which I think may be my biggest problem. I've tried immobilizing with a screw driver lodged against the pulley bolts and a strap wrench. I've soaked it in pb blaster. I don't know what else I can do. There isn't a whole lot of space in there or much to hold onto. I'm considering ordering the holding tool from pelican parts but I really don't want to spend the money on it. Does anyone have any other suggestions?
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Sep 2, 2010 02:03
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Raymn posted:I am at my wits end with my fan clutch. I'm trying to do my timing belt, water pump, thermostat and camshaft seals. I've got all my cooling hoses off, upper timing cover off, three in one pulley. I'M SO CLOSE but this loving nut has been taunting me the entire time. I've tried a bunch of different ways to hold the pulley. I've got a slim 32mm bike wrench which I think may be my biggest problem. I've tried immobilizing with a screw driver lodged against the pulley bolts and a strap wrench. I've soaked it in pb blaster. I don't know what else I can do. There isn't a whole lot of space in there or much to hold onto. I'm considering ordering the holding tool from pelican parts but I really don't want to spend the money on it. Does anyone have any other suggestions? Where are you located? I do a ton of traveling and if you're city is on my upcoming itinerary I'd be happy to bring it with me...
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Sep 2, 2010 03:40
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two_beer_bishes posted:Where are you located? I do a ton of traveling and if you're city is on my upcoming itinerary I'd be happy to bring it with me... I'm an hour outside of Asheville in Western North Carolina.
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Sep 2, 2010 04:01
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multiprotocol - the jack trick worked like a charm for removal and installation, thanks! Nevermind, the local shop had the part, so the question is academic. televiper fucked around with this message at 15:41 on Sep 2, 2010 |
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Sep 2, 2010 11:47
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Raymn posted:I am at my wits end with my fan clutch. I'm trying to do my timing belt, water pump, thermostat and camshaft seals. I've got all my cooling hoses off, upper timing cover off, three in one pulley. I'M SO CLOSE but this loving nut has been taunting me the entire time. I've tried a bunch of different ways to hold the pulley. I've got a slim 32mm bike wrench which I think may be my biggest problem. I've tried immobilizing with a screw driver lodged against the pulley bolts and a strap wrench. I've soaked it in pb blaster. I don't know what else I can do. There isn't a whole lot of space in there or much to hold onto. I'm considering ordering the holding tool from pelican parts but I really don't want to spend the money on it. Does anyone have any other suggestions? Which engine and what have you tried exactly? I'd get a big, proper 32mm open-end wrench, put it on, then whack it from the right (remember the fan clutch nut is left-threaded) with a big hammer. It's about giving it a massive blow, which should loosen it. I could do it by hand on my old M30 engine, but a hammer might be necessary.
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Sep 2, 2010 12:00
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two_beer_bishes posted:Where are you located? I do a ton of traveling and if you're city is on my upcoming itinerary I'd be happy to bring it with me... I'm also attempting this job, and am in North NJ. If you drop by, let me know  .
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Sep 2, 2010 17:14
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8ender posted:Its probably not going to be a simple O2 sensor Update on the $2000 E36. It wasn't just an O2 sensor. Not even close. I've never seen a sadder vehicle. Primered front bumper, aftermarket headlights that didn't fit, torn seats, dents in the trunk and floor from when the forklift picked it up at the junkyard because its a rebuilt car, lovely peeling tint, massive subs in the trunk, missing foglights, and best of all, an engine that idled like one bank of cylinders was completely dead and stalled twice while I was trying to test drive it. But hey, the tranny felt solid and shifted great. "If you're worried about the paint I can get it sprayed" says the bro with the popped collar  Lesson for the day is: a $2k E36 looks exactly like you would think a $2k E36 should look like. 8ender fucked around with this message at 18:04 on Sep 2, 2010 |
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Sep 2, 2010 18:02
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Pilsner posted:Which engine and what have you tried exactly? M20. I feel like the wrench may have not been ideal. Northern tool looks like they have it the cheapest and it looks longer and a bit beefier. I have tried to beat it with a hammer as well as holding it steady with a screw driver and strap wrench. Tons of pb blaster as well. Also I assume you meant hit it on the left to make it turn right. I wish I knew someone that could just fab up the tool. It looks so simple and just makes me hate life more thinking about buying one.
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Sep 2, 2010 19:27
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Raymn posted:I wish I knew someone that could just fab up the tool. It looks so simple and just makes me hate life more thinking about buying one. If you're that insistent on saving the $35, make it yourself: http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=254623 All you need is a steel bar, a drill and a sawzall.
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Sep 2, 2010 19:35
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edit: redundant
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Sep 2, 2010 20:01
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8ender posted:Update on the $2000 E36. It wasn't just an O2 sensor. Not even close. I've never seen a sadder vehicle. I looked at a $2000 e36 when I was shopping. It was a 4-banger with all four door cards in the trunk. A kidney was missing and the nose panel was destroyed. The roof had been repainted with something that looked like the stuff used on building roofs; it was about a half inch thick, cracked, and was not adhered to the actual roof very well at all. Almost all of the interior electronics were shot as well. I noticed some Krylon on the sides and rear of the car and my buddy and I joked about "the dumbass PO who used Krylon" and it was all very funny, until I peeked in the trunk and noticed several cans of Krylon paint. The best part was that the dude had paid $4,000 for this car a year ago at one of those buy-here pay-here lots. Still drove fine, but definitely not worth the money. I wish I'd taken pictures. I ended up paying $2,500 for a very worn 325i and I've been gradually reviving it. It's not in the best shape, but the mechanicals are fine, the body is straight, and the car is very reliable, doesn't burn any oil or have any odd issues. And no rust!
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Sep 2, 2010 20:09
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revmoo posted:I ended up paying $2,500 for a very worn 325i and I've been gradually reviving it. It's not in the best shape, but the mechanicals are fine, the body is straight, and the car is very reliable, doesn't burn any oil or have any odd issues. And no rust! Thats sort of what I'm holding out for. I found a $2500 325i that has 135k on the clock and actually looks pretty decent. I'm not after a really nice BMW, just a fun cheap one that I can improve upon. Since I've stopped commuting I'm not even really concerned about mileage either.
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Sep 2, 2010 21:40
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8ender posted:Thats sort of what I'm holding out for. I found a $2500 325i that has 135k on the clock and actually looks pretty decent. I'm not after a really nice BMW, just a fun cheap one that I can improve upon. Since I've stopped commuting I'm not even really concerned about mileage either. Just look for rust, body/unibody damage and drivetrain issues. My dealbreaker was any car with a hosed up suspension/drivetrain/body. I was willing to overlook poo poo that was easy to fix, but not anything that would require massive amounts of work. How close to California are you 
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Sep 2, 2010 22:08
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8ender posted:Update on the $2000 E36. It wasn't just an O2 sensor. Not even close. I've never seen a sadder vehicle. Jesus christ, he wanted 2k for that? That thing barely qualifies as a parts car.
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Sep 2, 2010 22:13
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