Das Slinky: 540iT Build Thread

[filon102]

Hello all!

You probably remember me before when I asked question about buying a touring with a salvage title. Well, long story short, I bought it lol. Here are few pics from CL ad:









For the first few days i've been debating on either parting it vs keeping it. In order to find my answer i had to dig into the car and see how much stuff will cost me.

Here is a pic with the front end disassembled:


I started looking on ebay for parts (fenders, hood, etc.), started calculating how much stuff will cost me and for shitz n giggles, i decided to see what ppl are selling on CL for e39 related parts... turns out that there was a guy parting out 2 e39s one was green, other was black. Few phone calls later, i met up with the guy to see how the car looks like. Checked the hood for paint code and it matched my car

Bought the hood, both front fenders, radiator support w/ aux fan, sport steering wheel w/ air bag, front pass shock, rear corner tail light for 550 bux. Keep in mind that hood alone will run me 300 bux shipped to my door from ebay Unfortunately the passenger's side shock mount was damaged beyond repair, it was literately collapsed

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/23/27u2.jpg

No worries, went to my local junkyard and found 2 e39s, one was hit in the front passenger side but other one was ok. No body damage. Used my special tool, the hex saw Cut it off more than i needed just to be on safe side. Me and my dad got to work on welding it here are few pix:

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/35/2rse.jpg/
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/35/hslz.jpg/
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/42/sk9t.jpg/
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/823/c3hj.jpg/
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/69/m0ag.jpg/

- - - Updated - - -

Since the cooling system was kaput, i decided to do a 'small' project: doing a custom aluminum radiator retrofit. Using the old radiator, i measured the 'limit' how big the radiator can be. Since i dont like buying important stuff for the car on ebay, i turned to summit racing for goodies. From the start, my dad wanted me to do the 'right way' by installing original radiator, hoses etc. making an argument that 'bmw engineers design it like that so it has to be like that', so he was actually against it and saying that it wont work... After few weeks of planing/buying and actually making custom stuff at work on lathe, i finally finished.

Here is one of the custom stuff i needed to do (aux and electric fan temp sensors ports):





And here is my finished product











After I did the instal, my dad told me that he actually likes it lol

Cheers!

P.S. I'll post few more pics with the intake and cover for the engine in few days, and the whole car since i have the body panels already installed. Dont really have time to be take pics when im working on the car, but i'll try my best

[geargrinder]

Nice work on the rad! I want one! Except id keep the visco fan looks like you went to an aftermarket electric

[E39540V8]

You have no idea how lucky you guys are with e39's in wrecking yards. Nice fix up

[filon102]

Nice work on the rad! I want one! Except id keep the visco fan looks like you went to an aftermarket electric

Thanks! I went with electric fan because there are horror stories of clutch fan exploding...

You have no idea how lucky you guys are with e39's in wrecking yards. Nice fix up

Recently they started to pop up... seen plenty of e38s but not a lot of e39s.

Still got to take the car to the body shop and let them paint my bumper and fix couple of things inside the car as well. When i bought the car, the radio would not turn on(dsp w/ navi). The bmw logo was on the screen but when you press the volume button, it wont turn on. I remember the guy was saying that prior having the 4:3 screen, he installed dynavin unit inside the car.

He cut few wires in the back where the amp is at, so i pretty much re-solder it back together and still nothing. Checked fuses. Any ideas what to do next?

Is there some kind of module inside, between rear air bags towers? I've seen a plug for something but i dont know what for, here are two pics:

[geargrinder]

Thanks! I went with electric fan because there are horror stories of clutch fan exploding...

Yeah there's some good evidence that this is caused by dead engine mounts which let the fan whack into stuff. I am running new M5 engine mounts now and hope to avoid that issue...

Was the physical mounting adaptation of the Summit rad hard? If I was keeping the visco fan, how hard would it be to drop a puppy like that in there and just work out the hoses?

Recently they started to pop up... seen plenty of e38s but not a lot of e39s.

Same here. For whatever reason lots of 740's seem to show up in my "not otherwise good for German cars" junkyard. Few E39's finally turning up.

Biggest problem I have at the yards are a-hole junkyard eBay vultures that find out some xyz part is going for $30 on eBay so they go rape every single one out of every car, and by the way usually destroy a lot of good parts just because they figured out this one stupid part might get them a few bucks. SO many good parts just because these guys are smashing and burning for say, seat switches, or relay modules, or valve covers. Some douchenozzle takes ALL the valve covers at my local yard - prob painting them and ebaying 'em all cleaned up and fancy I bet - but as a result every single potentially good BMW cylinder head is ruined by rainwater after he's left everything wide open.

[filon102]

Yeah there's some good evidence that this is caused by dead engine mounts which let the fan whack into stuff. I am running new M5 engine mounts now and hope to avoid that issue...

Was the physical mounting adaptation of the Summit rad hard? If I was keeping the visco fan, how hard would it be to drop a puppy like that in there and just work out the hoses?

I mounted the radiator to the original position where the stock radiator use to sit. Made 'z' shape brackets, drilled and bolted them threw. Since the radiator did not hav any mounting brackets on it, i just bolted the bottom where the fins ends are at. Its a universal radiator, sr has kits made for specific cars that comes with appropriate seize, mounting brackets, and wiring to be pretty much plug n play. Unfortunately, our cars are not so lucky when it comes to cooling solutions other than stock. Sure there is a company that makes specific seize radiators for our cars, but i dont have 1200 bux to shell out on radiator, fan, fan sensor wiring kit, and reservoir. The whole system that i put together was under 400 bux (radiator 160, reservoir 70, fan 110, and fan sensor wiring kit 46). Instead of rubber hoses, i step it up a notch decided to get silicone hoses. Heard good things about them, so i figured i give that a shoot.

Biggest problem I have at the yards are a-hole junkyard eBay vultures that find out some xyz part is going for $30 on eBay so they go rape every single one out of every car, and by the way usually destroy a lot of good parts just because they figured out this one stupid part might get them a few bucks. SO many good parts just because these guys are smashing and burning for say, seat switches, or relay modules, or valve covers. Some douchenozzle takes ALL the valve covers at my local yard - prob painting them and ebaying 'em all cleaned up and fancy I bet - but as a result every single potentially good BMW [COLOR=red !important][COLOR=red !important]cylinder [COLOR=red !important]head[/COLOR][/COLOR][/COLOR] is ruined by rainwater after he's left everything wide open.

I've seen that too, i got a old benz w124 and i've seen a guy rip whole dash with a screw driver and a hammer to get small vacuum motors that control where air goes to. If he really looked and seen that there were few screws holding it, then he would have saved all that trouble of destroying perfectly nice dash... especially when it was not cracked from the sun at all

I figured out why my radio was not working, turns out that a purple/white wire was not giving the computer +12v when u turn the key on. Does anybody know where does that wire goes to? Whats the wiring route of it inside the car? I tried googling it, and did not come up with a solution. Most of the people gave out what pin does what job (ground, power, etc.) but no color code regarding dsp system and where does that wire go to. If i cant figure it out, i'll just tap into ignition wire on the car...

[geargrinder]

I figured out why my radio was not working, turns out that a purple/white wire was not giving the computer +12v when u turn the key on. Does anybody know where does that wire goes to? Whats the wiring route of it inside the car? I tried googling it, and did not come up with a solution. Most of the people gave out what pin does what job (ground, power, etc.) but no color code regarding dsp system and where does that wire go to. If i cant figure it out, i'll just tap into ignition wire on the car...

Have you been working through all the stuff in WDS? There's a ton of good info there, just takes time to wade through it all sometimes and find the diagram that pertains to your car/options.

http://www.bmw-planet.com/diagrams/r...9new/index.htm

I'd be really worried if a moron PO hacked up the system as the DSP wiring is way complicated let alone w/ adding the NAV & GPS stuff. I don't have NAV but even for just DSP, wiring goes to the head in front then back to the DSP unit in the cargo area, with signals going back and forth. There's a chance if the DSP isn't working in the back that it doesn't turn on the head unit in the front I suppose?

To be honest I'd try to figure out how to fix it "right" rather than cut around it. You might find that the cause of the purple wire problem is actually a series of other problems aka a bunch of stuff some jerk hacked up somewhere that you have to fix anyway. Do you have the DSP module in the left side rear quarter panel (pic below)? If the moron just threw the DSP module out when he went to Dynavin that could explain exactly what the problem is. You should have this big black box there... If it is missing you might want to consider starting over by swapping in a non-DSP radio and be done with it.

HTH

[filon102]

Well, I got the car back together with the new m5 bumper and all (pics coming soon), I only got few pics of it when I was painting it at my work, dint turn out too bad. Had couple of places I could have put more color on, but overall, it turn out to be alright.






Plus, I got it registered and insured today and today was the 1st time i drove it from my house to work... what a nightmare lol

1. Front wheels NEED to be balanced. Starts to get really bad around 50mph
2. The Drive shaft KNOCKS like crazy when you hit the gas pedal, but when your just cruising everything is fine. Im guessing support bearing is bad?
3. Something is up with the radio, I can change stations and all but I cant adjust the volume (sometimes cant even get no sound... probably bad amp)
4. Blower needs to be changed, vibrates like crazy, there is crack in the cage wheel. Already got a replacement in the mail today. It should be a fun weekend project, since you have to take out the dash to get to the blower motor
4. My lower radiator hose 'disconnected' while trying to overtake a car... lets just say the prius won this time Got it fixed within 20 min (had to take intake off, etc.) The reason it blew because it wasint clamped right...



If u look closely, you can see how 98 and up(?) water pumps are design on 540s, they have clips that hold the coolant hose in place, instead of the old 'system' where you use clamps. So long story, short: Had to slide the hose in bit more and put the clamp actually on top of the grove where the original clip goes on

Overall, the car is solid. Engine purrs like a kitten, trans shifts smooth as butter

Stay tuned!

P.S. GearGrinder, the guy had the amp and all of the computers... but problem was the he cut A LOT of wires and possibly took out the relay for the radio