1995 525i Black/Parchment - New Project [Archive] - Bimmerforums

Petrolheadpilot

11-25-2018, 05:05 PM

Hi there! This is my first post here, thanks for having me.
I’ve been a lifelong BMW fan, but have only now purchased my first one!

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181125/0c39b00b4dc071f9a1d9e3be76aaca3e.jpg

Say hello to my new 1995 525i sedan, black on parchment with that all important 5 speed manual gearbox. I bought it from a good buddy of mine, a hardcore BMW enthusiast that picked this up as a project and has just never had the time to mess with it. Very solid car, no rust whatsoever (it’s an Alabama car for most of its life), no accident damage, all shutlines seem to be spot on. It’s showing around 230k miles, but has had a much lower mileage engine swapped in fairly recently. From looking around the engine, I would guess it’s a sub-100k motor, it’s absolutely mint under the hood.

So yeah, solid car, runs like an absolute dream, it’s just so smooth. Unfortunately, the downpipes are missing, and the rest of the exhaust components are sitting in the trunk... so it sounds like a NASCAR racer lol, absolutely unbearably loud! That’s going to be the first order of business..

Cosmetically it’s not too bad. The paintwork seems ok under all the dirt and grime. It definitely has some paint fade in a few places, but we’ll really see once I get it cleaned up. Wheels are all in great shape, headlights and taillights are all new looks like. Interior is nice too. All the seats are pretty much trashed, but oddly the carpets are in perfect condition, barely even need to be cleaned. Dash is really nice, not cracked at all. The original radio is there, and seems to work, everything on the dash seems to work as well. Not sure about the sunroof yet, the switch isn’t there.

Very nice car overall, I feel like I got an absolute bargain for $800. I’m sure some new issues will pop up, but overall seems to be a great car.

It’s still sitting at his place in Alabama, it’s about a 3.5 hour drive him to me in western Kentucky. I’ve already made one trip down there, and that ended up being a total cluster of a day trying to get it roadworthy. My little daily driver Toyota wasn’t powerful enough to jump off the dead battery, and even after we got a new battery it wouldn’t start. (Took is a few hours to figure out that it was almost out of gas, and the fuel pump wasn’t sitting in the tank correctly.. so it wasn’t picking up fuel even when we added some! Go figure) I was finally about to hit the road when we realized the thermostat was stuck... an annoying end to a long day. But I have a new one now, and should be heading back down there next week to install it, flush the coolant system, and hopefully be on my way back home with the car!

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181125/bc594a7cfc21ccd962fae514dc5ba6a7.jpg

As for plans with the car, right now it’s just going to be a mostly stock restoration. I’ve always admired how these cars look factory fresh, and I think I want to keep it like that, I think the E34 is the best looking 4 door BMW ever made. Get her cleaned up, sort the interior out, and just drive and enjoy it. Maybe eventually lower it on some nice OEM wheels, time will tell.

It’ll be sharing the parking lot at my apartment with my daily driver Toyota IA, and my 2002 Volvo C70 Coupe. The Volvo was my first car, I’ve owned it for 12 years or so now and I love it dearly! I’ve pretty much finished its mechanical refurb (needed it after 11 years as my only car), and now starting on the cosmetics. Kinda fun to have two projects going now, thank god I have an understanding wife!

Sorry for the long read, hope you guys will enjoy the progress.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

theBMWbeast

11-26-2018, 12:06 AM

Interested to see more!

Petrolheadpilot

12-02-2018, 08:06 PM

Got the car home yesterday! My buddy and I drove back to Alabama, where the car was, and managed to get it roadworthy. Changed the thermostat (that lower bolt is a real PITA when you don’t have the tool to remove the fan!), and then flushed the coolant system and topped it up with some proper blue BMW coolant.

We had some issues bleeding the system, I didn’t take the bleed screw out completely first, so there was a huge air bubble in the system... took a while to figure that out lol (got out the Bentley manual and read the instructions... should’ve done that first), and then I was on my way!

The 200 mile journey home went off flawlessly, wow that car rides like a dream! It goes down the road so nicely, I’m really impressed with the E34 already. I was half deaf my the time I got home, since the car has no exhaust haha. No idea how kids can stand their cars being that loud!!

Here it is today after I cleaned it up a bit.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181203/b664b2a3dd44f94e83739201542045fa.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181203/3ca087ded979b8fae5b32ab5b702b8fa.jpg

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https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181203/34d22e5e6e76e140681f97a78311aca2.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181203/8fbf95d7a87c285785d9a045f15ff478.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181203/e9949b623aac851fb4e1b635219b541d.jpg

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https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181203/5e805c91d9ce4ebba528f944bcbfab7a.jpg

And of course this morning, it wouldn’t start! Typical. Turns out one of the spark plugs was just sitting loose in there, and the ground wire wasn’t really connected. A new set of spark plugs and it’s running great (and loudly) again.

Tomorrow’s project is to figure out where all this is coming from... that’s after being parked for only a couple hours this afternoon...
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181203/b45d438f22fb1c6ae52744f969a325f1.jpg

1995 BMW 525i Sedan - Black/Parchment, 5 speed manual

Other Cars: 2002 Volvo C70 Coupe, 2017 Toyota Yaris IA

bblazen

12-03-2018, 02:00 PM

Looks like a solid project. My guess for the oil leak would be oil filter housing gasket and hopefully it's not the pan gasket.

Petrolheadpilot

12-03-2018, 05:53 PM

Yeah seems like that’s the most common leak. We shall see. I’m leaving for some new job training tomorrow, and probably won’t get back to the car until after Christmas. Update y’all then!

1995 BMW 525i Sedan - Black/Parchment, 5 speed manual

Other Cars: 2002 Volvo C70 Coupe, 2017 Toyota Yaris IA

Petrolheadpilot

12-30-2018, 05:32 PM

So I’m back home, and crawled under it today to see what it going on. Leaks galore!! The whole underside is just coated. Power steering pump is leaking, oil everywhere, coolant leaking... ugh!

I think the oil pan gasket is leaking, it seems wet all along the right side. Lots of oil came out along that side when I ran it. Along with a lovely milky substance on the front left part of the pan...

Coolant dripping down the exhaust manifold too.

Head gasket?

Well I told myself I bought this car to learn how to really work on cars... it’s just being nice and giving me that opportunity lol. I’ve got a buddy coming by next week that knows tons about these cars, so he’s going to have a look and tell me what he thinks.

1995 BMW 525i Sedan - Black/Parchment, 5 speed manual

Other Cars: 2002 Volvo C70 Coupe, 2017 Toyota Yaris IA

Tristan36

12-31-2018, 04:54 PM

Petrolheadpilot

12-31-2018, 05:02 PM

Ya if you have milky oil coming out of the opi pan its almost always a headgasket make sure you do some research on doing them there is some great youtube videos documenting the entire process you should watch before attempting.

Thanks man, yeah that was my thought too.
Luckily I have a good friend that’s owned a ton of old BMWs and knows a lot about them. He’s coming by next week to check it out, and can help me with the head gasket if need be.

1995 BMW 525i Sedan - Black/Parchment, 5 speed manual

Other Cars: 2002 Volvo C70 Coupe, 2017 Toyota Yaris IA

Honolulu

12-31-2018, 06:20 PM

Waitaminnnit... you drove it 200 miles without an exhaust, and no plates? Bold move! Sounds like you have a project or a hundred on hand. TRY to make sure you don't get upside down on this... the headgasket will take a big bite out of the budget (where $budget = maximum possible sales price). Or you can hit it with a blank check (or several) and call it "learning".

Petrolheadpilot

12-31-2018, 07:11 PM

Yeah my ears were ringing a bit when I got home lol. If I can get all the rest of these new developments sorted, the exhaust will be the very next thing to fix.

I do intend to use this car to learn a lot, for sure. I've been lucky and not had to do any big jobs on any of my other cars, this will be a big undertaking for me.
But I know my buddy will help me out, so if I can keep the labor costs in the pizza/beer territory, I think I might be alright! We shall see. Definitely do appreciate the advice guys.

Trasportador

12-31-2018, 08:40 PM

Welcome to the madness Sir. Looking forward to seeing the progress

kouks

01-03-2019, 11:02 AM

If you have the time, here’s my thread on my 525i rebuild. I had no budget, just pouring money into it, but it came back to life and is still going strong at 250k miles +

https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?2173507-Kouks-e34-complete-rebuild

Good luck!

Petrolheadpilot

01-07-2019, 07:02 PM

That’s awesome! Looking forward to going through that thread when I get a few minutes.

Got these two together in the same place for the first time yesterday. The Volvo was my first car, I’ve owned it for about 12 years. It’s been staying in a storage unit for the past year or so. Apartment living sucks when you’re a car guy!

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190108/f53e847d59b2680e864106b2e8ab9393.jpg

1995 BMW 525i Sedan - Black/Parchment, 5 speed manual

Other Cars: 2002 Volvo C70 Coupe, 2017 Toyota Yaris IA

Petrolheadpilot

01-16-2019, 05:26 PM

Well today has been fun. My apartment complex was threatening to tow the car since I haven’t had a chance to get it registered yet.

In Kentucky, for an out of state title, they have to verify the mileage.... So I thought I could top up the oil and get away with the few mile drive down to the DMV...

Wrong

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190116/156a65f56210ca32351538478234109c.jpg

Head gasket failed coming home, only about a mile away! She overheated, it had been in the red maybe 30-45 seconds, and the coolant temp message had just come up when I was able to get it shut off. Ugh!!

It’s still turning over, which is good. Hopefully I didn’t warp the head, but I’ve seen some good cylinder heads on eBay for reasonable money. Would it be ok to get one of those? This is all new territory for me.

1995 BMW 525i Sedan - Black/Parchment, 5 speed manual

Other Cars: 2002 Volvo C70 Coupe, 2017 Toyota Yaris IA

Honolulu

02-18-2019, 03:03 PM

the 'bay is of course the natural habitat of all sorts of creatures. Were I to make a significant purchase of anything used, I'd want the seller to be clear about returns, return shipping, and what would constitute a defect for which a return would be offered. F'rinstance, if someone sells you a head that arrives cracked, there's no point in sending it back, yet how does the seller verify you're not simply trying to work him/her? Perhaps better to source another head locally.

Petrolheadpilot

02-19-2019, 11:41 AM

Yeah man most definitely.

Haven't updated this thread in a little while, but nothing to report. I'm moving apartments next month, the new one comes with a single car garage. Not ideal, but much better workspace than what I have now! So I'm going to wait until I'm settled in there and start tearing into the old girl. I had toyed with selling it as a parts car, but this thing is just too nice a car to scrap. It deserves to live. My skills/mechanical experience is minimal, but I'm going to give it my best shot, and try to learn as much as I can.

Petrolheadpilot

03-19-2019, 01:01 PM

I'm about to move finally! Unfortunately, the apartment folks just let me know that there is a waiting list for a garage... Hopefully won't be too long, but that does put a bit of a kink in the rebuild plans. I've transported it to a storage unit for now, I'll get it moved to my new place as soon as I can! Don't stone me to death for using it as a storage shelf... haha

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7913/46505805805_5a767c7d7a_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2dRypQ2)E34 (https://flic.kr/p/2dRypQ2) by Logan Abner (https://www.flickr.com/photos/125092831@N02/), on Flickr

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7895/40455452393_079619bb2d_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/24CULxT)E34 (https://flic.kr/p/24CULxT) by Logan Abner (https://www.flickr.com/photos/125092831@N02/), on Flickr

I've been doing a lot of research, and I'm leaning towards doing an M52 swap on it, not trying to rebuild the M50. Seems like a fairly straightfoward swap, and will give me a ton of learning experience. The tiny one car garage will make the work a challenge, but surely I can make it work.

I have been parts shopping a bit.. I bought these incredibly minty E32 seats on facebook. Should be picking them up sometime next month.
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7866/46505978285_4ba7f586ae_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2dRzi6P)E34 (https://flic.kr/p/2dRzi6P) by Logan Abner (https://www.flickr.com/photos/125092831@N02/), on Flickr

While the car is down, I'm going to try and get it cleaned up the best I can, carpets steam cleaned, full paint correction, etc. At least get it looking good while I plan the mechanical work!

Does the M52 sound like a good idea? What would y'all do in my situation?

fo3

03-20-2019, 06:17 AM

From what I've read, m52s have more emission controls and so make less power than a m50.
Maybe you could do a delete, but depending on your state inspection you may have to keep all emission controls of a newer engine when doing a swap.

Also you are also starting with a obd1 car and have to change everything to a obd2 engine. Wouldn't be worth it for a m52 - that was a model engine solely brought out to improve emissions - not performance.
Lots of people rebuild their m50s with m54b30 engine parts though - ie upgrade the motor to a 3L but keep the m50 block, inlets and OBD1

Fresco34

03-20-2019, 02:03 PM

Id say if you are planning on doing any swap id do a s5x swap on it. A lot more power and pretty straightforward especially since you dont need to do an obd2 swap

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theBMWbeast

03-20-2019, 02:23 PM

Id say if you are planning on doing any swap id do a s5x swap on it. A lot more power and pretty straightforward especially since you dont need to do an obd2 swap

^This, as far as I understand it, unless converting an ob2 motor at the same time, is plug and play. Only question is getting one for a fair price...

Petrolheadpilot

03-20-2019, 04:40 PM

Yeah I would like to do an S50 swap, cost might be a bit prohibitive. That’s my only hesitation with that.

But a simple plug and play swap would be really good for me, I’ve never done anything nearly as big as an engine swap before haha.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

dannyzabolotny

03-20-2019, 06:29 PM

Keep it simple and just fix the engine that's in there now. It's way too easy to get caught up in an endless project. Just get it fixed and drive it.

Petrolheadpilot

04-27-2019, 10:47 AM

Not too much to update, but I did score these really clean and nice E32 seats!

Maybe my priorities are a bit out of whack, buying interior parts when it still doesn’t run lol. But hey, gotta grab good parts when they come up.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190427/18fd7e47194172d4b2e9b53b5f694a3a.jpg

I’m still waiting on a garage space to come available at the apartment... hopefully that will be happening soon and I can get started on this project finally.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Red Shirt KRT

04-29-2019, 12:10 PM

If you are going to do all the trouble off swapping might as well put an M motor in there.

Petrolheadpilot

04-29-2019, 12:20 PM

If you are going to do all the trouble off swapping might as well put an M motor in there.

I agree completely! That’s the plan. I’ll be keeping an eye out for a cheap S50 here soon.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Tristan36

04-29-2019, 02:12 PM

s52 fits aswell

Petrolheadpilot

06-28-2019, 01:01 PM

Hey guys! A little update finally.. I got a garage space at my apartment, after about 3 months of waiting. So finally a proper workspace to start restoring the E34. Its much bigger than I was expecting, plenty of room for activities [emoji1303]

I have a line on a replacement engine, hopefully that works out. Car was hit in the front pretty hard, but the seller says it runs and drives and doesn’t appear to leak... he’s going to pull the wrecked bodywork off this week and make sure there’s no damage. He’s wanting junkyard money for it, so fingers crossed it’s good.

Very exciting stuff!

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190628/61d026c0eadbaec0b31cf89826bac97a.jpg

1995 BMW 525i - Black/Parchment, M50/5 speed manual. Restoration project

2002 Volvo C70 Coupe - My first car, current project
2017 Toyota Yaris IA - Daily driver

Petrolheadpilot

07-18-2019, 05:11 PM

Finally an actual update for this project...

I bought an engine! From a wrecked car, it runs perfectly with no problems. Got a crazy good deal on it from the E34 group on FB. Bit of a journey to go pick it up, but I like a good road trip. The seller even threw in a nice condition back seat, which I need.

The plan is to get the engine mounted up on a stand, and go through it as thoroughly as possible. Clean it up and just replace and refurbish everything I can. The car itself is still in a storage unit a few hours away, so I need to go fetch it out of there as well.

I’m excited to tear into this engine, and hopefully get it put into the car soon!
It won’t be super quick, I work a lot, and am planning on going slowly with this, as it’s a learning process for me and I want to make sure I get it right.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190718/0a7c341c3ca43b7dce38d88ed629c55e.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190718/6aca8ca76ad751405f92ac957f8eb758.jpg

1995 BMW 525i - Black/Parchment, M50/5 speed manual. Restoration project

2002 Volvo C70 Coupe - My first car, current project
2017 Toyota Yaris IA - Daily driver

theBMWbeast

07-20-2019, 12:57 AM

Happy to see another car getting saved. Hoping to see this up and running!

Petrolheadpilot

08-05-2019, 02:49 PM

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190805/9e6f11e5926fc2fc4f8b51e909333288.jpg

I’ve started tearing down the engine! This should all go pretty smoothly I hope. Just gonna be cleaning and replacing pretty much everything I can, to get it looking and running like new. It ran well before, so I’m not foreseeing any big issues.

Planning on moving the car out here within the next month hopefully, I’ll have to get the oil pan and wiring harness off that engine.

Really happy to finally be making progress.

1995 BMW 525i - Black/Parchment, M50/5 speed manual. Restoration project

2002 Volvo C70 Coupe - My first car, current project
2017 Toyota Yaris IA - Daily driver

Petrolheadpilot

08-15-2019, 06:02 PM

Picked these up for a really good deal on Facebook marketplace! Don’t think the massive E38 tires will fit, but we shall see.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190815/3f268663fb83a22881984c81cccbd3f2.jpg

1995 BMW 525i - Black/Parchment, M50/5 speed manual, Restoration project

2002 Volvo C70 Coupe - My first car, current project
2017 Toyota Yaris iA - Daily driver

theBMWbeast

08-15-2019, 06:24 PM

Nope too tall of a tire, but M pars really are the best looking wheel for the money on these cars.

Petrolheadpilot

08-21-2019, 04:12 PM

Nope too tall of a tire, but M pars really are the best looking wheel for the money on these cars.

Yeah I agree totally, especially black cars.
That’s unfortunate about the tires, but I can just throw some cheap Chinese tires on there for now. Upgrade them later once the car is sorted out.

1995 BMW 525i - Black/Parchment, M50/5 speed manual. Restoration project

2002 Volvo C70 Coupe - My first car, current project
2017 Toyota Yaris IA - Daily driver

Petrolheadpilot

08-21-2019, 04:15 PM

I’ve finally had a couple days off of work where I could start disassembling the engine a bit.

Turns out, it’s a good thing I’m planning on doing the head gasket, valve cover gasket and everything already... there’s coolant in one of the spark plug wells!

I’ve got 4 days off next week, and my goal is to have the cylinder head off and sent out for resurfacing. I’ll post some pictures then. After that, it’ll just be a bunch of scrubbing and cleaning! Making progress, little by little.

Car should actually be out of the storage u it and in the garage next month.

1995 BMW 525i - Black/Parchment, M50/5 speed manual. Restoration project

2002 Volvo C70 Coupe - My first car, current project
2017 Toyota Yaris IA - Daily driver

Petrolheadpilot

10-04-2019, 07:18 PM

Work has kept me super busy lately. I’ve been picking up extra flying to help pay for this project, but that hasn’t left me much time to actually work on the project lol. Kind of a double edged sword.

But the big news this week, is that the car is finally home! My dad and I made the 6 hour trip out to fetch it on Wednesday. Took a bit of maneuvering to get it in my small garage here, but we managed it.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20191004/1029ee19af9b6dc3cf84adff6a4cec5e.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20191004/8dbec99b2f66b597098652cd212286b1.jpg

My Volvo isn’t very happy to be back outside again lol
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20191004/f8ad77c5f4f4816a257516b9860ead2b.jpg

Check back soon for more progress! Next step will be getting the front end disassembled and ready for the engine swap.

1995 BMW 525i - Black/Parchment, M50/5 speed manual, Restoration project

2002 Volvo C70 Coupe
2017 Toyota Yaris iA

moroza

10-05-2019, 04:52 PM

M50 headgasket for a first major project would've been quite a steep learning curve. Engine swap is less work. Keep at it!

Petrolheadpilot

10-16-2019, 09:18 AM

Head is off, and at the machine shop to be cleaned up! Everything looks to be in pretty decent shape, should clean up nicely. I’m glad I decided to do the head gasket before the new engine goes in... the old gasket was definitely on its way out.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20191016/1247ad0375e7fe7f812cf578603d3a53.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20191016/135fed8bbdfc8f2bcd6b59fc3f316f31.jpg

Only broke one head bolt off lol, guess I’ll get to learn how to drill that out.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20191016/b4dcca09704ac13922744636f436148a.jpg

Cams and everything look good as well. Wasn’t that hard getting them out with no help, you just have to manage the pressure on them.

Now the question is, do I want to put in S50 cams when everything is out? Now would be the time to do it for sure... Are those cams paired with a Turner Motorsports chip worth the cost?

1995 BMW 525i - Black/Parchment, M50/5 speed manual. Restoration project

2002 Volvo C70 Coupe
2017 Toyota Yaris IA

Petrolheadpilot

10-29-2019, 07:18 PM

Started the teardown a little bit today! So much old brittle plastic broke... hopefully it’s available new still! All the bumper trim, headlight surrounds and grille surrounds were cracked or broken when I removed them. The joys of old European cars...

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20191029/7ad39eec5c2d623c80b1efb889641372.jpg

1995 BMW 525i - Black/Parchment, M50/5 speed manual. Restoration project

2002 Volvo C70 Coupe
2017 Toyota Yaris IA

dannyzabolotny

10-29-2019, 07:30 PM

Petrolheadpilot

10-29-2019, 07:48 PM

I'm not sure how much of the trim is available to buy new, but I've actually had really good luck with getting E34 parts from part-outs and junkyards. The plastics that BMW used in the E34 seem to hold up a heck of a lot better than the plastics in newer BMW's.

Good to know! Even if they are available new, I’m sure they’re pricey. Hopefully partouts will be helpful when reassembly time comes.

1995 BMW 525i - Black/Parchment, M50/5 speed manual. Restoration project

2002 Volvo C70 Coupe
2017 Toyota Yaris IA

moroza

10-29-2019, 10:36 PM

I recently looked for curiosity and found that most of that kind of trim is still available brand new. Not cheap, not outrageous - about $60 for a brand new grill, for example. And yes, E34 plastic seems above-average for durability compared to most.

Petrolheadpilot

11-12-2019, 12:02 PM

Little bit more progress, as winter is starting to set in here in Kentucky.

I got the new engine torn down just about all the way, I need to get it off the stand to get the lower timing cover off. I’m going to do some cleaning of the block first, do the lower timing cover, then start reassembling the engine!

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20191112/618e79ac46c38dbfb7aee71d5686a662.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20191112/1e7ac4a6b87623adb45c57c6759486c6.jpg

The front end is almost finished being torn down for the engine to come out!

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20191112/8a6128e1713183f9985cf562eaeab2f1.jpg

I’m having a lot of fun and learning a lot. Hopefully it continues to go well.

I do have a question for you guys. I’d like to clean out the coolant passages while the block is torn down. What’s a good way to go about that? All the info I can find online is with the engine in the car...

1995 BMW 525i - Black/Parchment, M50/5 speed manual. Restoration project

2002 Volvo C70 Coupe
2017 Toyota Yaris IA

Singing6

11-18-2019, 06:36 PM

Just flush it out with a garden hose. Make sure to open the block drain. You can also change the freeze plugs if you really want to but I have never heard of them leaking on these cars.

If you are leaving the bottom end alone that is fine, but make that decision based on the condition of the cylinder linings and pop off a man cap (you will need new bolts as they are one time use) to check that as well. That said, these are very resilient engines.

The other thing that you should do is change out the oil pump chain, sprocket and crank sprocket. That is the best way to prevent oil pump failure problems (most people resolve it with a safety wire on the oil pump nut or welding the nut but this is just a solution to a symptom, not the problem)

Check the exhaust valve guides in the head for wear (put a valve in and see if you can wiggle it). The OEM guides are out of spec in 20k and have play by 100k according to a master tech and friend of mine. This is backed up by the fact that every M50 I have been around with over 100k on it has an audible “rasp?” (More of a harsh sound that is unpleasant when the hood is open and you are standing next to it) starting at about 3200rpm. (No, this is not vanos rattle, that sounds much different).

Also keep in mind that the Getrag 250 that the 93-95 525i’s had are known to be weak. Inspect the input shaft for any play, as they go bad the input shaft starts to load the thrust bearing in the engine and will destroy it.

On the note of oil leaks: these cars leak from three places: oil filter housing, oil pan, and valve cover. Take your time to get those gaskets right. I would also suggest getting a valve cover new from BMW ($230) as it does a lot to make the engine look great and appears to have gotten an update in material to make it work better (originally Magnesium aluminum alloy has been replace with just aluminum which is great for all the things that have to thread into it)

Hope the swap goes well. It is always fun to dive into the project to learn!

Petrolheadpilot

11-20-2019, 07:41 AM

Thank you very much for the reply! I’ve made note of all your advice.

The cylinder linings look good to me, but I will post some closeup pics here so you guys can help with that decision. I’m not planning on running this engine forever, so I’m hoping just to get a few more years of weekend driving out of it really.

The machine shop is checking the valve guides as part of their service. Good to know about the trans as well, I didn’t realize they were weak. Might be worth having it looked over by a professional as well.

Thanks again!

1995 BMW 525i - Black/Parchment, M50/5 speed manual, Restoration project

2002 Volvo C70 Coupe
2017 Toyota Yaris iA

Petrolheadpilot

11-20-2019, 07:49 AM

The replacement front seats were taking up way too much space in my tiny garage, so I decided to go ahead and swap them out.

Got the carpet vacuumed and cleaned while everything was out, they cleaned up very nicely!

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20191120/95d584d4d118ca14ad62ee208981f7da.jpg

Of course, this turned into a bigger project than I anticipated lol. The E32 seats have a different harness on the drivers side, and the front part of the seat frame that hooks into the car is bent up on both seats!
So I’m working on swapping the rails over from the original seats, as well as the electrical harnesses.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20191120/a9a77445f602e8aa4ed4012e61d76a75.jpg

Hopefully this works out, next step is to tear down the replacement seats. I think the new drivers seat might be twisted a bit unfortunately... which I’m not happy about. We shall see though.

1995 BMW 525i - Black/Parchment, M50/5 speed manual, Restoration project

2002 Volvo C70 Coupe
2017 Toyota Yaris iA

Petrolheadpilot

12-04-2019, 03:29 PM

Today, I started to clean up my new block a bit.. Amazing how much grime accumulates on an engine over the years haha.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20191204/b3705d5841fe8da936104f9ed7466d97.jpg

Recently, I bought a small, self contained pressure washer. It’s powered by a rechargeable battery, and comes with a big bucket that sits on top of it. It’s a total lifesaver, living at an apartment with no access to a hose anywhere. It doesn’t put out a ton of pressure, but it’s done a lot better on this engine than I expected! Still a lot more scrubbing to do though. What’s everyone’s favorite degreaser to use?

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I’m back inside now having a cup of tea, letting the garage floor dry lol.

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Petrolheadpilot

01-09-2020, 02:03 PM

I’ve been fighting with the crank bolt for a couple weeks now. I got frustrated with it, so I stopped, and worked on my Volvo for most of December.

But I went back in full attack mode, and creative garage engineering mode... and got it off!

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It was hard since the engine is out of the car, I just couldn’t get enough leverage on it. And living by myself in a new town, I don’t have any car buddies to come over and lend a hand unfortunately. BUT I figured it out.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200109/4ce20651d421a6bc41730f08e4580870.jpg

Now I just have to get the block cleaned up, new gaskets ordered, and start the reassembly! Fun times.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200109/376b6a2791765414fb3f0f08b54116d4.jpg

1995 BMW 525i - Black/Parchment, M50/5 speed manual. Restoration project

2002 Volvo C70 Coupe
2017 Toyota Yaris IA

moroza

01-10-2020, 04:15 AM

Good job! No air tools?

Alex E34 525

01-10-2020, 09:08 PM

Well done

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Petrolheadpilot

01-14-2020, 10:48 PM

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200115/4da2eba6a96d681024415e7ef0ac96e2.jpg

Cylinder head is back from the machine shop!

1995 BMW 525i - Black/Parchment, M50/5 speed manual. Restoration project

2002 Volvo C70 Coupe
2017 Toyota Yaris IA

Petrolheadpilot

01-23-2020, 09:04 AM

The old engine is getting close to coming out! Got the intake off and harness out of the way.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200123/dbed7c656b12334b9dbc0673050fa06f.jpg

With the front end off, I’m assuming it’s easiest to pull the engine and trans together?

1995 BMW 525i - Black/Parchment, M50/5 speed manual. Restoration project

2002 Volvo C70 Coupe
2017 Toyota Yaris IA

Singing6

01-23-2020, 08:52 PM

dannyzabolotny

01-23-2020, 11:04 PM

I've gotten engines out without removing any of the front clip, but that's because I drop the engine and trans out with the subframe using a lift.

Petrolheadpilot

01-24-2020, 09:35 AM

I have done a s52 swap with the radiator support and trans staying in the car. It is not that bad, but having the core support off could definitely make it easier to just pull it straight out. It all depends on how comfortable you are with being under the car. The pro of not taking the trans off is that the exhaust can stay on.

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Yeah I’m not crazy about being under the car, I much prefer driving a running car up on ramps. Especially being by myself.
But I think I’ll suck it up and go for it haha

1995 BMW 525i - Black/Parchment, M50/5 speed manual. Restoration project

2002 Volvo C70 Coupe
2017 Toyota Yaris IA

Singing6

01-24-2020, 09:56 AM

You have to get under the car either way. I would say it is near impossible to do with he car on the ground. I did it with the car on jack stands.

If the transmission is staying connected, then the driveshaft needs to be detached, which typically means the exhaust has to come off to access. If someone has a way to get the driveshaft off the trans without getting the exhaust and heat shields out of the way, please chime in.

If the transmission is staying with the car, then the exhaust can be left alone. The tradeoff is that the bell-housing bolts need to come off. I have found this easiest to do from the bottom but it does mean that you get to bear-hug the trans as you undo the bolts at the top. The starter is also fun. It has a dowel that likes to weld to the trans. Penetrating fluid is your friend.

It is not too bad either way

Petrolheadpilot

01-24-2020, 10:23 AM

Singing6

01-24-2020, 10:24 AM

That does make that easier!

Petrolheadpilot

01-27-2020, 12:06 PM

Found an E36 M steering wheel at the junkyard today! Not sure if I’ll end up running it or not, but it was too good to pass up.
And I thought the hubcaps were just cool and I had to have them.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200127/01877fdc6ecc04f2c4e805c6af13ee40.jpg

1995 BMW 525i - Black/Parchment, M50/5 speed manual. Restoration project

2002 Volvo C70 Coupe
2017 Toyota Yaris IA

Petrolheadpilot

01-29-2020, 05:28 PM

I’ve been working on the interior a bit today, getting the center console out in preparation for the trans to come out.

Looks like someone (poorly) wired up an aftermarket alarm at some point, so I’ve been yanking all that out.

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And this random old Nokia speaker that’s been zip tied to a bulk of wires under the dash [emoji23] not sure what that’s all about...
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200129/de62fa087e6bdb10780a104caf6f156d.jpg

1995 BMW 525i - Black/Parchment, M50/5 speed manual. Restoration project

2002 Volvo C70 Coupe
2017 Toyota Yaris IA

Petrolheadpilot

02-19-2020, 08:19 AM

Not mine obviously, but I’m in England for the week and came across this gorgeous E34. 525i manual, with those delightful grey cloth seats that I lust after so much.
Really mint car inside and out.

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1995 BMW 525i - Black/Parchment, M50/5 speed manual. Restoration project

2002 Volvo C70 Coupe
2017 Toyota Yaris IA

E38740iMD

02-19-2020, 12:05 PM

subbed!

Petrolheadpilot

03-23-2020, 03:17 PM

Not much to update really. I was supposed to have a friend come for the weekend and we were gonna get a lot of work done.. but this crazy virus has stopped that for now.

Been working on the Volvo a lot lately, but managed to get some cleaning done in the garage today, the E34 is no longer a storage shelf/workbench!

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200323/4ab2e07388206add3eaf628c791d9a9e.jpg

Not really sure what’s gonna happen with the project in the near future. It’s not going anywhere, but I’m really cutting back expenses as much as I can, just down to the bare essentials really.
I’m an airline pilot for a living, and this industry is getting more and more uncertain every day. I hope I don’t get laid off, but if I do, I want to be ready for it.

So I’ll still be tinkering, getting some free/cheap things done on the car. But unfortunately the big parts spending will be on pause for now.

Hopefully the world gets back to normal soon! Stay safe and healthy my friends.

1995 BMW 525i - Black/Parchment, M50/5 speed manual. Restoration project

2002 Volvo C70 Coupe
2017 Toyota Yaris IA

Petrolheadpilot

04-01-2020, 01:34 PM

Did a little bit of tinkering around this morning, and discovered some very good and encouraging things!

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200401/6bdb2ecf6e3d84669139cc5afd385ada.jpg

While it’s up on jack stands, I took all the wheels off to try and clean them up a bit. They’re all straight, no cracks or previous repairs which is great. Looks like the brakes have been done recently, no lip on the rotors and the pads have plenty of meat on them.

Struts look somewhat recent, in good shape, and OEM! Front suspension has no play at all, bushings look good, and the dust caps appear to be almost new!

The engine mounts, trans mounts and guibo all are in great condition as well. I’m very happy with all that! A lot less spending than I’d anticipated for sure.

At this point, I believe everything is disconnected and the engine is ready to come out. Gonna go through the list one more time to be sure haha.

After that’s out, I’ll be doing a deep clean of the engine bay, start on some paint correction and detailing on the rest of the car.

1995 BMW 525i - Black/Parchment, M50/5 speed manual. Restoration project

2002 Volvo C70 Coupe
2017 Toyota Yaris IA

a777fan

04-01-2020, 05:08 PM

[emoji1319][emoji1303][emoji1319]

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Petrolheadpilot

04-06-2020, 07:13 PM

Did some tinkering with the seats today..

Got a set of E32 front seats, trying to make them work in the E34.

I’ve swapped over the base of the seat and the wiring harness from the old E34 seat... I just plugged it into the car and nothing works. No clicks, no sign of life from the seat at all.

Everything is plugged in, fuses are good, I’ve got no idea at this point... something not compatible between the two seat bases/motors? Ugh. Nothing is ever straightforward on my projects lol.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200406/3ad92f2a78539b93010c87eda1bbf0ef.jpg

1995 BMW 525i - Black/Parchment, M50/5 speed manual. Restoration project

2002 Volvo C70 Coupe
2017 Toyota Yaris IA

moroza

04-08-2020, 04:55 PM

Got multimeter? Do the fat power and ground wires line up on the same pins?

Petrolheadpilot

04-13-2020, 01:36 PM

Got the seat working this morning. It was the seat control switch that was the problem.
I’m not sure if it was just a compatibility issue between E32 and E34 parts, or if it was just broken. But I swapped another one on and good to go!

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200413/bf9b4f06e52a2ad876542e28e97e2edb.jpg

Unfortunately the seat is super twisted, and I forgot to sort that out before I put it back in lol. But for now, it’s out of the way in my small garage... so it’s good enough for the time being.

And I got the engine and trans pulled today! All went smoothly, I’m quite pleased with myself as you can tell haha.
Considering last year, I could barely change a set of brakes without help... pulling an engine all by myself is a big achievement! Now the fun can really begin...

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1995 BMW 525i - Black/Parchment, M50/5 speed manual. Restoration project

2002 Volvo C70 Coupe
2017 Toyota Yaris IA

Petrolheadpilot

04-15-2020, 03:41 PM

Seats are in and working! It was the seat switch on the drivers side that wasn’t working. I’m not sure if it was truly broken, or just not compatible between the E32/E34 parts... but either way they’re both working now.

Totally forgot to fix the twist on the drivers seat, but it’s fine. Once the car is up and running, I’m hoping to track down some sport seats. So these will do just fine for now!

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200415/45e28882b8f30ca7fbb884448513a401.jpg

1995 BMW 525i - Black/Parchment, M50/5 speed manual. Restoration project

2002 Volvo C70 Coupe
2017 Toyota Yaris IA

Petrolheadpilot

04-20-2020, 03:15 PM

Started tearing down the old scrap engine today. Coolant everywhere!

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And I just won my dream set of wheels for the car on eBay! What a bargain. They’ll need to be refinished, but I am thrilled to death. First set I’ve seen for sale since I’ve owned the car.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200420/3162835cbf269fbccebdd71b9936ee34.jpg

1995 BMW 525i - Black/Parchment, M50/5 speed manual. Restoration project

2002 Volvo C70 Coupe
2017 Toyota Yaris IA

Petrolheadpilot

04-20-2020, 05:07 PM

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I really don’t have the space for this project lol. Making it work though

1995 BMW 525i - Black/Parchment, M50/5 speed manual. Restoration project

2002 Volvo C70 Coupe
2017 Toyota Yaris IA

dannyzabolotny

04-21-2020, 02:09 AM

Love those style 8 wheels, they'll look great on your car! Glad to see you're still at it— slow progress is still better than no progress.

Petrolheadpilot

06-15-2020, 05:35 PM

Little bit of tinkering today. I took the oil pump apart and got some new components ordered to rebuild it. It seemed to be in good shape, but it’s such an important part that I didn’t want to risk it. Nor did I want to spend $400 for a new one haha.

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I’ve been working on my Volvo a lot lately, I finished up a full black interior swap, new radiator and some other parts. And helping my dad work on his old Grand Wagoneer a bit.
So the ol BMW has been neglected a bit.

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Petrolheadpilot

06-29-2020, 06:13 PM

Finally started cleaning up the top of the engine block today! Everything seems to be in really good shape. Letting it soak in WD40 tonight and I’ll continue tomorrow.

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And I got a cool thing in the mail today. A period correct license plate!
In Kentucky, you can run old plates on cars 25 years and older. This plate is from my home county, and has a 1995 sticker! Perfection.

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a777fan

06-29-2020, 09:05 PM

Petrolheadpilot

07-07-2020, 01:51 PM

Got the engine block painted today! It’s far from perfect, but I think it’ll do. Not like you see the block when it’s installed anyways.

Finally can start the reassembly process.

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Petrolheadpilot

11-28-2020, 03:59 PM

I’m still here! Project is still going on.

I got furloughed from my job thanks to COVID, which put everything on hold for a while. Still not working, but I got sick and tired of seeing that engine on the stand, and the car getting dustier and dustier.

So I’ve been selling off some of my extra Volvo parts and various other things I collect... the first batch of parts has come in! Very excited to get going once again, and get my childhood dream car back on the road.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20201128/49973402844f383d8053531f84bfb8a9.jpg

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moroza

11-30-2020, 08:38 AM

Plague epidemics are a great time to get around to low-budget high-time back-burner projects. Reminds me that I also need to look at my chain tensioner before it becomes a problem.

Petrolheadpilot

12-08-2020, 06:23 PM

Decided to free up some space in the garage today by getting the old engine out of there. I disassembled the internals to make the block easier to lift. Milkshake anyone? Haha

Cannot believe I drove it home 3 and a half hours in that condition lol. I’m definitely a believer in these engines now!

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20201208/5d0c34f443818081d4bffba00e6d7f36.jpg

1995 BMW 525i - Black/Parchment, M50/5 speed manual

2002 Volvo C70 Coupe
2017 Toyota Yaris IA

Petrolheadpilot

12-10-2020, 02:59 PM

Today I painted the exhaust manifolds, using some rust reformer and then a couple coats of high temp black paint brushed on.

Erasing 25 years of grime from this engine is quite an undertaking haha. I’m not going for concours level obviously, but I do want to be proud when I open the engine bay of this car... and some extra effort now will be well worth it later!

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20201210/2823d8b3c0da57c94f6892413142a49c.jpg

1995 BMW 525i - Black/Parchment, M50/5 speed manual

2002 Volvo C70 Coupe
2017 Toyota Yaris IA

a777fan

12-10-2020, 08:41 PM

One step at a time! [emoji1319]

Petrolheadpilot

12-12-2020, 05:22 PM

Tried out my new tap and die set today. What a satisfying thing to do.

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I had the Dremel tool and razor blades out, getting all the mating surfaces for the various gaskets cleaned up and ready to go.

The new main sprocket is the first official new part to go on the engine! Small victories.

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And just more scrubbing. So much scrubbing lol. I’m not going for Pebble Beach level, but I do want the engine bay to be as clean and presentable as possible.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20201212/81918c4b44e8fa6fdbcc766634674c52.jpg

My wife and I are planning to buy a house next year, and the first thing I’m getting for the garage is a blasting cabinet lol. I’m over this scrubbing.

I’m getting a lot of satisfaction out of this project, even as slow as the progress has been. Hopefully that progress will continue through these winter months. I appreciate all the views, comments and constructive advice!

1995 BMW 525i - Black/Parchment, M50/5 speed manual

2002 Volvo C70 Coupe
2017 Toyota Yaris IA

Petrolheadpilot

12-18-2020, 09:32 AM

Petrolheadpilot

01-02-2021, 04:20 PM

Happy New Year to everyone! I’m so excited for 2021. Gonna be some big things happening in my life, including finally getting this car back on the road. I start a new job in February, which will finally provide some financial backing for this project! So that is great news for sure. Parts are continuing to trickle in, so I am working to get the rest of the engine prepped to receive them!

Spent this afternoon getting the cams installed in the cylinder head. Doing that alone is definitely tricky, but I managed.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210102/0ea540fb39553377e49184509862c641.jpg

All I’m waiting on now is the oil pump shaft. I bought the upgraded shaft and bolt kit from Achilles Motorsports, and after trying two different hydraulic presses at my buddy’s machine shop, we couldn’t get the old one out!

But Achilles has provided great customer service, I sent it back to them and they pressed their new part into my existing rotor (can’t get the rotor new anymore). Just waiting for that to arrive back from California, and we’ll be in business!

After that, I think I’ll have everything I need to get the big bits of the engine assembled and off the stand. Whoop!

1995 BMW 525i - Black/Parchment, M50/5 speed manual

2002 Volvo C70 Coupe
2017 Toyota Yaris IA

a777fan

01-02-2021, 04:51 PM

Good things comin in 2021! :)

henfjel

01-03-2021, 04:18 PM

Great progress, and congratulations on your new job!
Looking forward to seeing more good work here.

Singing6

01-10-2021, 11:32 PM

Parts are continuing to trickle in...

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And I bought some sort of performance exhaust off Craigslist yesterday. Any ideas what it might be? It was only $50 so I didn’t do much research lol

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1995 BMW 525i - Black/Parchment, M50/5 speed manual

2002 Volvo C70 Coupe
2017 Toyota Yaris IA

Looks like billy boat. Good way to tell for sure is if it fits. If you find that getting the rear left hanger on is almost impossible because the bracket on the muffler is in the wrong spot, then its the real billy boat. Iirc, the right side was poorly done on them as well. And before you ask, yes, it was not just the one I was working with. Two different models (525 and m5) both ordered new by someone I do e34 work for, going on different cars (525iT and M5), and they had identical issues.

sbeckman7

01-11-2021, 12:49 AM

That does indeed look like a Billy Boat and $50 is an absolute steal for that exhaust! I had an M50 525i when I studied in Indiana and I absolutely loved it. My car had a Billy Boat exhaust as well, cold air intake (sounded incredible - I don't care if it lost power), m systems, bilstein/eibach springs, LSD... Compared to my 535i, the M50 car felt so much more modern yet still 100% an E34. I'm sure you will have a blast once your car is done and I'm looking forward to seeing it finished :)

683535683536

Petrolheadpilot

01-11-2021, 07:51 AM

That is awesome! Thanks for the advice, I’m definitely looking forward to getting it hooked up and hearing it.

It’s just funny, I wasn’t even thinking about aftermarket exhausts at all. Just went to pick it up because my car came with mo exhaust at all. But I might’ve gotten an absolute steal lol. Love it!

1995 BMW 525i - Black/Parchment, M50/5 speed manual

2002 Volvo C70 Coupe
2017 Toyota Yaris IA

Singing6

01-11-2021, 09:22 AM

It should polish up nice, the tips in particular!

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Petrolheadpilot

02-23-2021, 03:04 PM

Finally some honest to god progress on this thing. Parts have been coming in for a while now, and it feels great to finally be putting them on! It’s embarrassing how long it’s taken me to get to this point, but at least I’m here now.

1st thing was to lower the engine off the stand and replace the rear main seal.

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Then I installed the oil pump, which has been fully rebuilt with new internal parts, and had the Achilles Motorsports shaft kit installed. That was a big ordeal, but its all together now!
Also, a brand new chain and main sprocket were put on with it.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210223/566155c7abeb5855d4e2d382914dde5a.jpg

And lastly, I caused myself quite a bit of extra work lol. But we’re honest with each other here, right? So I’ll tell on myself haha.

When I painted the block, I decided to put duck tape over the top of the block, so I didn’t get any paint there... never got around to taking it back off, so the adhesive really stuck on there good! I went to crank the engine around by hand a little, and heard it unsticking itself from the pistons hahaha. Ugh! Big time stupid moment. But hey, the other cylinders blew out the tape, so I guess it has good compression haha.

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Took about 45 minutes of scraping with a razor blade and 2 very sore hands to get it all off... but it’s all good now. Live and learn lol.

More coming very soon!

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

a777fan

02-23-2021, 03:38 PM

Nice! Those new parts are lookin snappy installed. Curious on your oil cog, you have 'front' marked. Do those actually have an orientation? I couldn't tell on my M60 one when I pulled it off, but maybe I need to look harder.

And yes, thanks for sharing even the 'bone-head' moments, as we have all had them. IMHO, the important part is realizing you've made a mistake and taking action to correct it before you toast whatever component you made the mess-up on.

Not to derail your thread, but I'll contribute my most recent example in a show of camaraderie: During the sanding work I did on my drivers side frame rail, I neglected to block off the Oil Ports on the side of the block. Talk about MAJOR bone-head move. Nothing is going to toast a motor quicker than abrasives circulating through the lubrication system.
Luckily nothing major was in there when I pulled off the engine mount which the oil lines feed through. The design of the M60 also gives great access to the galleys in that part of the block so I was able to go to town with some brake cleaner for the initial flush, and then follow that up with an oil flush. Problem solved! But I definitely was sweating it until I fully understood where all the passages went, and how accessible they were.

Petrolheadpilot

02-23-2021, 05:30 PM

Nice! Those new parts are lookin snappy installed. Curious on your oil cog, you have 'front' marked. Do those actually have an orientation? I couldn't tell on my M60 one when I pulled it off, but maybe I need to look harder.

Haha! Oh dear that could’ve been bad. But yeah like you said, good that you realized it!

And to answer your question, I’m not sure. Achilles Motorsports makes the cogs in house, and it came to me marked that way. So I didn’t question it haha.

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a777fan

02-23-2021, 07:52 PM

Haha! Oh dear that could’ve been bad. But yeah like you said, good that you realized it!

And to answer your question, I’m not sure. Achilles Motorsports makes the cogs in house, and it came to me marked that way. So I didn’t question it haha.

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thanks! and interesting. I'll check out their website and see how M50 specific their offerings are. I know the pumps are pretty different, with the M50 having a reverse thread bolt on the pump and such....

Mless5

02-23-2021, 09:26 PM

When you are done with those seats and panels are back, can you please post a few pictures that will illustrate how they fit into e34? I've heard that they are wider than e34 seats.

Petrolheadpilot

02-28-2021, 04:44 PM

I didn’t remember cylinder 6 looking quite this nasty... I have zero experience here... am I ok to send it? This engine doesn’t need to last forever, but I don’t want to be stupid about it.

I really don’t have a machine shop in my budget... but what do you guys say?

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Petrolheadpilot

03-03-2021, 07:52 PM

Upon further research, I’m gonna try brake fluid and ATF to clean the cylinder walls. I’ll update on how that goes!

More progress on the engine today. Got the new front seal and front timing cover installed, that all seemed to go well! Time will tell once it’s running haha.

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For the new jesus bolt I had to order a 3/4 to 1/2 adapter for my BIG torque wrench. That’ll be here tomorrow hopefully.
My method for tightening it down requires the oil pan to be off, so that was all the engine work I could do today.

So I tackled some interior work. The fuse was missing for the blower motor haha, so that was an easy fix. It seems to work pretty well. I wish I’d looked at that when the car was running, so I’d know if the AC and heat works lol.

Then I changed out the cabin air filter. It’s a bit of a pain, but I know it’s a fire hazard if not replaced. Oddly enough, there was NO filter in there... I can’t figure that one out... why go to all the trouble to remove the filter, but then not replace it? Oh well, all good now.
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The passenger side air duct was cracked, and all 3 mounting tabs were broken, so I’ve ordered a new one of those. I still need to do the passenger window regulator, and fix the driver side door handle. Feels REALLY good to be making progress regularly now.

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michaelmcc827

03-06-2021, 11:53 PM

Petrolheadpilot

03-07-2021, 10:07 AM

Funny, I ran into the same thing changing my cabin filter. Just an empty slot waiting for the new filter. There was considerable gunk built up and stuck to the metal fins. Not easy to clean. How strange!

Wow haha, yeah I can’t figure out the logic there at all haha. Luckily mine was pretty clean, just needed a quick vacuum.

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Petrolheadpilot

03-11-2021, 12:13 PM

Today I did a job I’ve been putting off, installing and torquing a new jesus bolt haha. I’m pretty happy with my one-man method of installation.

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And got the harmonic balancer and pulley put on as well.

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Got a few interior parts in as well today, a new HVAC tube for the passenger side to replace the broken one, and a new eBay window regulator... and of course they sent me the wrong regulator. Always something haha

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Petrolheadpilot

05-24-2021, 01:46 PM

I’m still around! Life has been crazy these past few months, landed my dream job, and have been away training for a couple months, and since I’ve been back, my wife and I have been house shopping almost nonstop!

So many good things happening, it’s insane. It’s going to be a challenge to move the E34 project to Florida with me, but I’m going to do it! I’m not giving up now at this stage of the game.

I got out to the garage for a little bit today and got some work done.

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I wasn’t happy with the safety wire job, so I redid it. Much better.

The oil pan is now installed. I chased all the threads, and got the mating surfaces cleaned up. Then installed everything with some shiny new hardware, and a new magnetic drain plug. I’ve turned the garage upside down looking for the oil level sensor haha. I’ve got a new O-ring for it and everything, but no idea where it’s gone off to. Hopefully it shows itself soon.

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dannyzabolotny

05-24-2021, 03:07 PM

Petrolheadpilot

05-24-2021, 06:04 PM

Glad to see you're still at it! Moving with a project like that can certainly be daunting, my advice is to label and organize everything as much as possible.

Florida will be a nice change of scenery, pretty beaches and whatnot.

That’s the plan! I’m going to get all the big parts put back on the car, and box everything else up the best I can. Luckily I’m planning on replacing so much anyways, a lot of it will get tossed.

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a777fan

05-25-2021, 01:32 AM

Curious... whats the dream job?

Glad to see you’re chipping away!

henfjel

05-25-2021, 12:20 PM

Good to see you're still here! The progress looks good, hope that oil level sender shows up, haha.

Also curious about the dream job.

Petrolheadpilot

06-04-2021, 03:10 PM

Thanks guys! I got a job with a fractional private jet operator called Flexjet, flying a Bombardier Challenger 300/350.

I was a regional airline pilot, and got furloughed during the peak COVID craziness of last year. Definitely put some uncertainty into the future, but this new job has been incredible so far!

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theBMWbeast

06-04-2021, 03:22 PM

That’s awesome! I don’t see how you find time for the e34, hats off to you!

Petrolheadpilot

06-04-2021, 04:37 PM

That’s awesome! I don’t see how you find time for the e34, hats off to you!

That’s why it’s taking so long! Haha

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a777fan

06-04-2021, 06:05 PM

Sweet! and congrats.

Lifelong Boeing engineer here, so I appreciate the aviation dedication :)

Simmo2222

06-04-2021, 06:08 PM

Now that’s a dashboard. Look at all of those buttons and switches.

Well done.

Petrolheadpilot

07-13-2021, 01:10 PM

Well, I’ve bought a house! My wife and I will be moving to Port St Lucie Florida next month. We are beyond excited to finally own a home! It has a very nice garage, and I can’t wait to get the E34 hauled down there and finished up at long last.

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The floor is getting a nice epoxy coating before we move in. Can’t wait!

And in the random BS category… a neighbor at my apartment complex texted me early yesterday morning, saying he heard noises coming from my garage…turns out a raccoon had gotten in!
I’m on the road for work, and by the time maintenance got in, the little guy had died sadly.

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I get home Friday, so we’ll see then how much damage he caused… hopefully nothing too bad.

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moroza

07-13-2021, 02:30 PM

Congrats on what sounds like an awesome job, and becoming a house-owner! Having lived in Florida and attempted to do work in a conventional garage down there, I strongly recommend insulating that roll-up door, replacing any windows with double- or triple-pane, and making sure there's good ducting of the central AC in there.

Now that’s a dashboard. Look at all of those buttons and switches.

Well done.

Needs chrome gauge rings :)

Petrolheadpilot

07-13-2021, 04:32 PM

Congrats on what sounds like an awesome job, and becoming a house-owner! Having lived in Florida and attempted to do work in a conventional garage down there, I strongly recommend insulating that roll-up door, replacing any windows with double- or triple-pane, and making sure there's good ducting of the central AC in there.

Needs chrome gauge rings :)

Thanks for the advice! There’s no windows, and a mini split AC is in the cards at some point.
Hadn’t thought of insulating the garage door, great idea! I bet that makes a big difference.

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a777fan

07-13-2021, 10:04 PM

Petrolheadpilot

07-13-2021, 10:24 PM

Man! Congrats! Looks like a great ‘home base’. What color are you going with for the floor?

Sorry to see the little guy didn’t make it tho. They can cause mischief but are usually just more curious than anything.

Yeah I hate it too, nothing else that could’ve been done sadly.

As far as the color, it’s going to be a light tan to match the outside of the house. Should look nice and be functional!

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Petrolheadpilot

07-25-2021, 10:32 AM

Garage floor is done! Moving this weekend, though the E34 will be staying in Kentucky for a little while longer.

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Petrolheadpilot

08-30-2021, 02:42 PM

Little bit of an update. My dad came up and helped me get all the big parts thrown on the E34 to get it out of the apartment garage.
It’s parked in a secure place at his shop for now, until I figure out getting it to Florida.
Not sure what’s going to become of this project, but I’m going to do everything I can to keep it going. It’ll be expensive to haul it down to FL, but I doubt I’ll find this clean of a shell again. So we’ll see. But the support I’ve gotten from this group has been awesome! Will be sure to post any updates going forward.

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