"What did you do to your E39 today V2.0."

[BimmrMeUpSnotty]

Oh, an E46. E46's are good. Cousin to the E39. Worked with a guy that had an E90 335 all wrapped in red plasta-dip or something. It was black when he peeled it off. Fast car, tho. Fairly light and with that turbo straight six (I think) it got up to speed quickly. I never heard him complain of any mechanical issues. Might be worth a look to find a decent used one one to have some fun with.

335’s are twin turbo’d, lot’s of aftermarket stuff to choose from. If you get one, make sure you change out the plastic charge and boost pipes to aftermarket aluminum ones, at this age, those plastic pipes are all rupturing, also get rid of the small factory intercooler, Racing Dynamics has a semi decent one that is a lot larger, the stuff is from China, but their intercoolers were originally made for Wagner-Tuning. CSF also should have some for that car, and I know they were selling for a hundred bucks cheaper.

[Ed CT]

335’s are twin turbo’d, lot’s of aftermarket stuff to choose from. If you get one, make sure you change out the plastic charge and boost pipes to aftermarket aluminum ones, at this age, those plastic pipes are all rupturing, also get rid of the small factory intercooler, Racing Dynamics has a semi decent one that is a lot larger, the stuff is from China, but their intercoolers were originally made for Wagner-Tuning. CSF also should have some for that car, and I know they were selling for a hundred bucks cheaper.

Good to know. Thanks for the info.

[theWalkinator]

What is the normal fuel injector spray pattern? I can see there are 4 holes on the injector head but it sprays 2 streams, trying to clean the fuel injectors but for all 8 fuel injectors, all spray 2 streams before and after cleaning, exactly like this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqluSTG7AU8. I use a home made adapter and carb cleaner spray can, with a 9v battery and couple of alligator clips.

[SW530]

Fuel injectors should not spray streams, they do that when they get well used, need cleaning or have low pressure. Fuel Injectors should emit a "spray" of atomized particles. If the fuel isn't being atomized they're not providing the power or efficiency they should.

You say you rebuilt them.. under what circumstances are you observing a stream? That could happen with low pressure. An injector rebuild kit is $3-$5 and includes new orings, seals, spaces, filters, pintle caps, and that filters the incoming fuel travels through. When you disassemble them you'll want to squirt brake cleaner or some decent solvent through the hulls before adding the new parts. A test rig is expensive but you can easily build your own with an old fuel pump that at least puts out the right pressure, a gauge is a luxury on a test rig and nice to have, a way to hold the injector without cracking it, and an electrical connection with a trigger that uses the voltage they are rated for. I personally like the NAPA kits. If you have a 200-300ml graduated cylinder you can measure flow for a period of time, do the math, and make sure it's putting out what it should. This can get a bit tricky as your DME can be programmed to activate the injector for different periods of the duty cycle.. so if doing the flow test figure all that out beforehand. But in general if the injectors are emitting a solid atomized spray you're fine.

[theWalkinator]

Fuel injectors should not spray streams, they do that when they get well used, need cleaning or have low pressure. Fuel Injectors should emit a "spray" of atomized particles. If the fuel isn't being atomized they're not providing the power or efficiency they should.

You say you rebuilt them.. under what circumstances are you observing a stream? That could happen with low pressure. An injector rebuild kit is $3-$5 and includes new orings, seals, spaces, filters, pintle caps, and that filters the incoming fuel travels through. When you disassemble them you'll want to squirt brake cleaner or some decent solvent through the hulls before adding the new parts. A test rig is expensive but you can easily build your own with an old fuel pump that at least puts out the right pressure, a gauge is a luxury on a test rig and nice to have, a way to hold the injector without cracking it, and an electrical connection with a trigger that uses the voltage they are rated for. I personally like the NAPA kits. If you have a 200-300ml graduated cylinder you can measure flow for a period of time, do the math, and make sure it's putting out what it should. This can get a bit tricky as your DME can be programmed to activate the injector for different periods of the duty cycle.. so if doing the flow test figure all that out beforehand. But in general if the injectors are emitting a solid atomized spray you're fine.

I use the similar method to clean the fuel injectors like in this video, the spray can should have enough pressure:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDvtzg-ThZs

[SW530]

I use the similar method to clean the fuel injectors like in this video, the spray can should have enough pressure:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDvtzg-ThZs

I find so many problems with this method. Carb cleaner might run the engine but I can't imagine it would be good for it much less how lean its burning and lean runs can destroy an engine under the right conditions. It's just too easy to remove the injectors and do it the right way. More, the output of a I think 200lph fuel pump at what.. 38lbs? (this is off the top of my head) is going to have way more volume than any spray can. If this is the way you're doing it, chances are your injectors are fine and will atomize when hooked up to a proper flow of fuel. But its better to know for sure. Since you're only doing one injector at a time you should be able to get away with roughly 20-25lph at max flow. Do you think a spray can at max flow can get even close to that? Its your spray can but I've never seen one that would flow that much volume. If you don't have a fuel pump laying around connect it to a six foot length of fuel hose, fill it mostly full with fuel, puff up your cheeks and blow.. I've done this and it works.. when I was younger and in better shape.. That guy has a nice screwdriver drawer though.. Mine wouldn't stay that way for five minutes, my screwdriver drawer is the width of a 4 foot drawer and they're stacked on top of each other there's so many. 95% of the time I use about 10 of them, but the others are often required when least expected..

[theWalkinator]

I find so many problems with this method. Carb cleaner might run the engine but I can't imagine it would be good for it much less how lean its burning and lean runs can destroy an engine under the right conditions. It's just too easy to remove the injectors and do it the right way. More, the output of a I think 200lph fuel pump at what.. 38lbs? (this is off the top of my head) is going to have way more volume than any spray can. If this is the way you're doing it, chances are your injectors are fine and will atomize when hooked up to a proper flow of fuel. But its better to know for sure. Since you're only doing one injector at a time you should be able to get away with roughly 20-25lph at max flow. Do you think a spray can at max flow can get even close to that? Its your spray can but I've never seen one that would flow that much volume. If you don't have a fuel pump laying around connect it to a six foot length of fuel hose, fill it mostly full with fuel, puff up your cheeks and blow.. I've done this and it works.. when I was younger and in better shape.. That guy has a nice screwdriver drawer though.. Mine wouldn't stay that way for five minutes, my screwdriver drawer is the width of a 4 foot drawer and they're stacked on top of each other there's so many. 95% of the time I use about 10 of them, but the others are often required when least expected..

I am doing it not on car, I pull the fuel rail out and pull the injectors out, do it on bench one by one, the spray can has pretty high pressure, the flow is strong out of the injector, I have to put a clamp on the hose to hold the pressure, otherwise it will pop when I press down the can.

[theWalkinator]

This is my fuel injector cleanup setup:
Fuel_injector_clean_setup.jpg

Fuel injector spray pattern:
Fuel_injector_spray.jpg

Also ordered fuel injector rebuild kit from Amazon, should arrive tomorrow.

[waters17]

This is my fuel injector cleanup setup:
Fuel injector spray pattern:
Also ordered fuel injector rebuild kit from Amazon, should arrive tomorrow.

Here's the route I went.
https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...6#post30218306

[SW530]

Also ordered fuel injector rebuild kit from Amazon, should arrive tomorrow.

I'm sorry, I was under the impression you're already rebuilt them. Try it again after you rebuild them. If you get an atomized spray with your current setup then great. If not, then modify your test rig to replicate the conditions the injectors see in the car where it comes to voltage, volume and pressure. If you haven't rebuilt them yet then your screen could be and probably is impeded and no amount of cleaning will push the offending particles the rest of the way through the screen nor do you want them to. And keep in mind when you clean an injector what you're really trying to clean is the varnish or crud from years of exposure to fuel. Make sure your cleaning agent can dissolve these deposits and note how long a necessary exposure is. Lucas makes a good fuel system cleaner they sell by the gallon on Amazon for I think $26.. that makes a great and safe cleaning agent and you can add it to your fuel in the future to help keep them clean, though won't do much for the screens.

[Nfs021]

I just swap out my lenses. New lenses have a UV coating on them, that’s why they lasted long from when the headlights were new. The morning sun really does a number on eating away on this coating. So when the time comes that you sand it down, and polish it back up, that coating is long gone, and that’s why the lenses yellow up real quick. I am about to cut out the lenses on my ‘03 wagon, I’ve polished them back up at least 5 times now, been lazy. But I noticed last week, turned the lights on to go run to the grocery, the drivers side projector failed to aim down, and then come back up, so sure enough, an adjuster broke. So I will be going in and do a projector install, replace the adjusters on both headlights, and put new lenses on. Have everything, just too lazy to do it right now.

Where do you get new lenses from? All I see are the DJ Auto ones that have the "DJAUTO" stamp in the corner. I hate it, gives the lenses a cheap chintzy Depo style look.

[BimmrMeUpSnotty]

Well, the source I have been getting my lenses from through the years, which did not have any markings what so ever, just told me a couple months ago, the DJAuto lenses are all he can get now. The people he was getting the old lenses from went quiet, not returning calls, or emails. So, it’s either DJAuto, or you just have to keep polishing up your lenses. He did tellme that the new lenses from DJAuto now have there name in a different section, somewhere not so noticeable like before.. I have not gotten any of those new ones, as I still have a set with no print on them to use.

[waters17]

I rebuilt my headlights 6 months ago, and I didn't even notice the DJ auto logo until the other day, but now that it's been mentioned, I'm probably going to look right at it every time I look at my headlights.

Also, if you don't have crazing, and want to continue to polish your lenses, wouldn't it be beneficial to spray them with a protective coat?

Something like this?
https://www.spraymax.com/en-us/produ...oration-clear/

DJ Auto logo in the corner.

djauto.PNG

[Izerous]

Those talking about headlight restoration my best results have been with the griots garage kit that contains wet sand paper and a UV clear coat.

20220524_180746.jpg

Wet sand, alcohol wipes, UV clear coat... these Outlander headlights were done about 2011 I think and the clear coat is finally starting to fail mainly from road rash of Canadian winters, salt, sand etc

E39 specific have the top end apart replacing the valve cover gasket

20220524_170426.jpg

20220524_170430.jpg

Old gaskets feel like hard plastic.



Side note baby wipes work amazingly in the garage to take things like oil off your hands.

[SW530]

I'm going to be doing that soon. Is there room to fish a .20 fiber optic down to inspect the TC guides?

[Izerous]

I think there is enough room to sneak something in there but i'm not sure how far down the TC guides to take a good look.

Something I ran into and I'm not finding an answer... He states just after at this timestamp that this is a secondary air hose and of course mine broke during the process. Is this just generic rubber line of some size or is this something specific.
https://youtu.be/TCbOHO-KALY?t=239

[540ed]

With just over 97,000 miles it was time for new valve cover gaskets for my 2001 540i. To speed up the process I purchased a set of valve covers on Ebay and had them professionally bead blasted, heated to 400 degrees then powder coated by a local company. A shop I trust installed the new valve covers including sparkplugs. I debated about doing it myself, however I just decided to have it done professionally. Kudos to all those who take on the task, I just can’t spend that much time under the hood anymore. The mechanic who works on my car finished the job in 4 hours.
valve cover4.jpgvalve cover3.jpg

[SW530]

Thank you. When I do mine in a few weeks I'll share the results.

[Izerous]

A shop I trust installed the new valve covers including sparkplugs. I debated about doing it myself, however I just decided to have it done professionally. Kudos to all those who take on the task, I just can’t spend that much time under the hood anymore. The mechanic who works on my car finished the job in 4 hours.

I don't know how much more complicated it is in a 540i than a 530i but after doing it I feel like 4 hours is a pretty fair rate. I don't think it took me much longer than that.

I take the ChrisFix's free tools approach to some of this. I now have a "free" 1/4 torque wrench among other tools to complete the work i'm doing to the car right now.

[seagreen323i]

After much delegation I have decided that an e30 is not the car for me, an e39 is. I'm keeping the 540, I've put far to much time into this car to trade it for a haphazardly slapped together car. 540 v2 will be rolling out soon. Hopefully featuring better sway bars and a much more sophisticated suspension setup. Kw v3 or ground control rings a bell. I've done extensive research in the suspension segment of things. First order of business is a weight loss regiment. Next I need to figure out the wheel travel to shock travel ratio. I'd assume it is much more of a 1:1 ratio in the rear due to the length of the shock absorber. Front travel is always something to be looked upon. The end goal is an e39 540i that can pull higher lateral G's then an e46 m3. Weight is a concern and I cannot think of many things to be stripped out and retain factory appearance.

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[BimmrMeUpSnotty]

Dump the exhaust, go for light weight wheels and tires, APEX rims! There is so much stuff that can be ground off in so many things just in the suspension alone, the bumper reinforcements, drill a whole series of holes to shed weight, they are so thick, they can still be left stupidly strong and rigid. The seats, they weigh a ton, get some light weight Recaros with manual controls the steeringwheel, they weigh a ton, get rid of it, get a good Sparco, or a MOMO Race wheel, they normally go for $250, Jegs is blowing them out right now for $149! I need to get one for my grey Mini.
https://www.jegs.com/i/MOMO/682/RCE3...BoCKo8QAvD_BwE

If you’re getting rid of the airbag by getting an aftermarket wheel, get all the airbags out of the car, those things are all heavy! Especially the one underneath the dashpad on the passenger side, the door airbags, there is so much that can be taken out.

Get a custom carbon fiber, or aluminum driveshaft made. So much stuff you can do, how much money do you afford to dump? Get rid of unnecessary crap, engine covers crap you know the car can do without. You’d be amazed how much weight you could get rid of. Before you start, take the car to the dump, get it on their scale, get a read out, and bring it back there when you think you got all the fat cut out. Be interesting to see how much weight gets shed. Just remember, when you lighten the car up, it will change many aspects of what made up an E39’s character. There will be new resonances, vibrations that will manifest, due to the shedding of unneeded weight.

[seagreen323i]

Dump the exhaust, go for light weight wheels and tires, APEX rims! There is so much stuff that can be ground off in so many things just in the suspension alone, the bumper reinforcements, drill a whole series of holes to shed weight, they are so thick, they can still be left stupidly strong and rigid. The seats, they weigh a ton, get some light weight Recaros with manual controls the steeringwheel, they weigh a ton, get rid of it, get a good Sparco, or a MOMO Race wheel, they normally go for $250, Jegs is blowing them out right now for $149! I need to get one for my grey Mini.
https://www.jegs.com/i/MOMO/682/RCE3...BoCKo8QAvD_BwE

If you’re getting rid of the airbag by getting an aftermarket wheel, get all the airbags out of the car, those things are all heavy! Especially the one underneath the dashpad on the passenger side, the door airbags, there is so much that can be taken out.

Get a custom carbon fiber, or aluminum driveshaft made. So much stuff you can do, how much money do you afford to dump? Get rid of unnecessary crap, engine covers crap you know the car can do without. You’d be amazed how much weight you could get rid of. Before you start, take the car to the dump, get it on their scale, get a read out, and bring it back there when you think you got all the fat cut out. Be interesting to see how much weight gets shed. Just remember, when you lighten the car up, it will change many aspects of what made up an E39’s character. There will be new resonances, vibrations that will manifest, due to the shedding of unneeded weight.

Exhaust is a 2.5 inch pipe currently, not much more then that. As far as I can see APEX rims are discontinued for the e39, that is what I was initially going to buy.

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[SW530]

You'll make a lot more headway by getting rid of spun weight than dead weight. Wheels, brake rotors, hubs, and for engine performance a lightweight flywheel and drive shaft. If you study a 540i's rear suspension you'll find it pretty darn sophisticated as is.. a 4 link suspension can perform quite well. Replacing cross braces and suspension parts with lighter weight replacements will save a ton of weight.

[seagreen323i]

I've done extensive suspension research on the 540, the front suspension is the same design as the new mk5 supra basically. Very advanced still today. Weak links are definitely brakes.

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[computiNATEor]

Exhaust is a 2.5 inch pipe currently, not much more then that. As far as I can see APEX rims are discontinued for the e39, that is what I was initially going to buy.

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Apex wheels would need to have their center bore increased from the standard BMW 72.56mm(IIRC) to the E39's 74.1mm. They used to offer that themselves, but no longer.