So that the "What did you do to your E34 today?" thread may never die...

[trackerrrr]

Pulled the intake manifold. Removed all the old coolant hoses including the two for the throttle body. Found the intake boot split at the hoses for IAC and PCV. Contemplated setting car on fire but then I'd have to buy another car...

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[kouks]

Well, haven't done it yet, but the door lock on the driver's side just spins, can only lock/unlock the car from passenger door and trunk, so door panel has to come off and hopefully the door latch assembly is broken and I can replace it with a JY one. Otherwise the lock cylinder assembly will be like $300 from the dealer to match the key.

[Neel]

I got a rack and put it on. New to me Thule with snowboard attachment.. put it on to see the fit. I may make a rack so I can be on of those super cool guys. Idk.

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

[kouks]

Finally got around to fixing the door lock cylinder. Kept spinning around.

Opened up the door and found the spare parts sitting on the bottom in the drain channel. Took some gymnastics to get my hands in there but the small block, spring and T cover re-installed and working well. Lets see how long it lasts. Here's the fix on YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEZ3v8j5UMc

[Dave919]

Charged the AC (it was near 90 yesterday) - probably should find the leak and repair one of these days...

[jfs356]

Washed, waxed and detailed car for summer duty. It was grungy from 1200 mile road trip last month.
Next project is to replace rear dogbone bushings. Ordered new clutch/master cylinder reservoir cap, as mine split when checking fluid last week.
Replaced windshield wiper blades and bought new OEM trunk tie down strap ($10.00 from dealer, still available).

[nike32]

Found my vacuum leak, that was present since i bought it, also did Timm's intake manifold "upgrade" with M12 washers to tighten it a bit more.
Runs great now

Lähetetty minun ONEPLUS A5010 laitteesta Tapatalkilla

[fo3]

Finally finished my crappy fake suede headliner, started dying the beige seats to match the rest of the ultramarine interior. The dye I got was way off so I experimented with adding black and ultramarine pigments. It was too light in colour and adding black just made it look too dark in certain light. Then adding blue made it look to blue in flash/bright light. I could never nail it as even when I got it looking perfect when wet, it would dry different and look to dark outside of my work light. But that's what BMWs ultramarine does anyway! I gave up and re-ordering from locally available colourlock dye - picking the dye up from Mandurah, WA and a couple of mini spray guns from local WA Youtuber 'the gunman'.
Almost finished, I might start a thread on this car one day as danny and danespan can't carry this subforum alone, and many older regs are getting out of e34 it seems. If I do a thread it's going to be about lonely old me in WA and aussie 'work arounds' I think, like fabric from spotlight, glues available etc ;-)

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You can see the difference with the sunroof motor cover which is the original silver grey felt (I've also changed that, just took a photo to show the difference). The rest of the headliner was not original, it was failing generic grey velour anyway.

[DrCharles]

Yesterday my HVAC blower (that had been making noises) quit entirely. I could hear the motor spinning but no air moving. It had been getting "rumbly" even though I replaced it with a Behr unit in 2015! So I pulled it today. The centers of the squirrel cages look like they may have been eaten by mice, not just broken off (and several of them were found in places they couldn't have been spun by the blower). Also a mouse nest up against the cabin air filter.

The motor's fine, just needs the squirrel cages which don't seem to be available separately.Fortunately I bought this unit from FCP Euro and they have a lifetime guarantee... need to call them and see, since they now have only $$$ Genuine BMW and an "ACM" brand for $92.

I would like to spend a few minutes alone with the clown who located that panel screw right behind the heater valve hoses, though. It's actually worse than the center one behind the engine! I dropped my 7mm socket and the car ate it (never came out the bottom). Even with the car up on ramps, magnetic pickups, and getting greasy up to my elbows, I never found it.

Also one of the two little spring clips (that hold the blower housing halves) popped off, landed next to one of the square holes in the intake, teetered... and fell through before I could grab it. Never found that one either. Oh well, that's what aluminum duct tape is for.

Another annoyance is a leak in the windshield washer accompanied by dash display "WASHER FLUID LOW". Took out the reservoir and found a crack in the hose coming off the pump. Rigged that for now with a piece of thick-wall vacuum hose and a splice to the remaining original hose. Seems to be working. Still got the dash display! Took the tank out again and found that I hadn't put the switch in correctly (it's a hinged float so orientation is critical). Now that warning's gone.

Still need to pull my Blaupunkt Montreal head unit and find out why both front speakers quit... a "Fonzie" thump on the dash used to fix it, but not any more. Hope it's just a connection and not the original wires, which will be considerably less fun to replace.

[DrCharles]

As time permitted, I got the blower back in place. A royal PITA as usual. https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...or-Replacement

[DrCharles]

Also changed the cabin air filter. Even more of a royal PITA than finessing the HVAC blower into its compartment! But since it had a mouse nest on the blower side, I figured it should be replaced

[polov8]

Also changed the cabin air filter. Even more of a royal PITA than finessing the HVAC blower into its compartment! But since it had a mouse nest on the blower side, I figured it should be replaced

You should try it on a RHD car, that steering column really doesn't help!

[mcw323is]

I did all of my door handle gaskets from AngryAssSolutions yesterday. This may be common knowledge but the "pick tool" everyone talks about in the youtube videos really is helpful to pull the brass bar back into place and lock the gasket in when you are done. Between MattyMatt's video and this https://bimmertips.com/bmw-e36-e34-d...t-replacement/ it really wasn't bad.

[Sleepyhead97]

I don't know if I shared this with you guys. But I painted my car over the summer. Here's a link to that thread.

https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...t-for-purists)


Apparently trying to sort out the the wandering of the car while driving. I'm going to order a used steering box. We'll see if that helps. I ordered a remanufactured alternator, I think my alternator has a squeal and a slight knocking sound to it. I checked all over the car with a mechanic's stethoscope and the loudest location is that alternator.

[Sleepyhead97]

Pulled the intake manifold. Removed all the old coolant hoses including the two for the throttle body. Found the intake boot split at the hoses for IAC and PCV. Contemplated setting car on fire but then I'd have to buy another car...

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I had a moment like that. I was replacing the heater core and the pipes we're giving me serious trouble. So I had to replace the pipes as well, and I called the wrecker yard and ask them how much they would give me for my car. They told me they give me $195. I realize my car is worth more than $195, I finally got the heater pipes in and have been very happy with the car since. Just think about having to talk to a dealership or private seller about buying their car. The worst

[student2018]

Hi guys, I spent hours trying to figure what is between the wheel and the rotor... what's the part number?
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I thought it's a brake dust shield but it's located in front of a rotor not behind it.

[thelivingflesh]

i put in a 2jz

[fo3]

Hi guys, I spent hours trying to figure what is between the wheel and the rotor... what's the part number?
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I thought it's a brake dust shield but it's located in front of a rotor not behind it.

never seen it before on a BMW but it's an outer brake dust shield. I have never seen one and also couldn't find them on realoem either.
Aussie ford falcons have them to help with brake dust on the wheels, but they're a bit smaller so they don't interfere with brake cooling, eg https://www.ebay.com.au/p/19009100920

If no one in the US knows you might have to get them made or modify ones for another car. Though personally I'd just clean up and repaint them.

i put in a 2jz

That's pretty awesome. Easy enough to do and tune in Australia as well and I've often thought about it, but I'd get no help and it would cost me too much paying for it.

[student2018]

never seen it before on a BMW but it's an outer brake dust shield. I have never seen one and also couldn't find them on realoem either.
Aussie ford falcons have them to help with brake dust on the wheels, but they're a bit smaller so they don't interfere with brake cooling, eg https://www.ebay.com.au/p/19009100920

If no one in the US knows you might have to get them made or modify ones for another car. Though personally I'd just clean up and repaint them.

Thank you! When I was watching another E34, I noticed the same shields, so these were probably popular in 90s.

BTW they are pretty expensive lol https://www.amazon.com/Kleen-Wheels-...ts_id=15706741

[Sleepyhead97]

Got a new battery. Used giftcard and got a duralast gold 800 cca. My old battery was a superstart extreme 700cca, 5 yrs since manufacture. It died 8 month ago and was completely dry. I added dist water to cells and trickle charged 2amp 12v for 18 hrs and it brought bat up to 70 percent capacity. Not too shabby as long as i drove it every week

The new duralast is from 17/20 whatever that is. Thet first brought out a battery from 2/19. I asked if they had a fresh one and the dude said ya.

Put new alternator on ac delco reman. Old bearings were shot lasted 170k original. Charged well and fed that battery well enough

[WordMan]

Ordered a stupid amount of parts!

[trackerrrr]

Pulled my center console out to fix ONE damn thing, wound up breaking two electrical connectors, broke the plastic surround for the shifter, and then went to the junkyard to find less broken shit to fix my broken shit...

[Simmo2222]

These threads are always good. I find them inspiring to hear of the jobs that others do on their cars - big and small.

I have been collecting parts for a re-do of my cooling system next weekend. No major cooling issues to report but I do have a plastic thermostat housing present so I am going to prophylactically replace my thermostat, its housing (with aluminium), the water pump, the water pump pulley (with aluminium) and the serpentine belt. I also have a brass bleed screw to finish off what looks like a nearly new radiator installed by the PO, so combined with a drain, flush and refill I should be all set cooling-wise.

I have also stumbled into a stupid situation that shows I need to replace my valve cover gasket. Changing the engine oil and filter, I rushed to refill the engine without a funnel and managed to spill oil all over the top of the engine as well as old oil from the filter housing. Some of this went down the back of the head and some between the oil filler neck and the plastic cover over the ignition coils. Removing the cover when cleaning up, I spied that clean oil had got into the plug wells for number 6 and 5 cylinders. No 4 cylinder was clear but No 3 had some oil, as did 2 and 1 with it getting darker and nastier looking in each one. I guess I can't blame the oil spill for that. I also pulled the spark plugs - these were definitely passed their best as well, so I have ordered a new set of NGK BKR6EK plugs along with a new VC gasket and rubber washers.

I keep getting whiffs of oil smoke from the vent when I stop suddenly, or on a steep hill with the nose up in the air. I am hoping that I will eventually dislodge all of this puddled oil where ever it may be (or find it when I clean up for the valve cover gasket). Anyone got any tips about cleanly removing an old oil filter without any drips?

[circuit.heart]

Anyone got any tips about cleanly removing an old oil filter without any drips?

Rag underneath anything you're moving lol, quickest easiest way around this.

[trackerrrr]

Scored me an ultramarine console, glovebox, and wood trim for my car.

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