What I've noticed on my E39 M5T after installing a new CSR aluminum radiator the oil temp is a hair cooler, never above 210 and running without the belly pans. I put back all the belly pans and pork chops, and oil temp went over 210. The timeframe was within a week. All cooling parts and fluids are new. The belly pans trap heat very effectively.
A skid plate would be a nice alternative especially if it has louvers to channel air into engine bay.
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current:
2004 M3 convert 6sp man - low mileage beauty!
past:
1995 BMW M3 3.2
2004 M3 convert SMG
2003 BMW 540i6 Alpine White M sport (I want her back!)
BMW has also revived the "value-line" parts kits for some consumable parts (like suspension bits)...if you look up the 11 digit part number for these items and/or check your local BMW dealership's parts dept...the pricing may be comparable with aftermarket pricing in that you may get some surrounding bits/parts included in the value line kit.
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2015 650ix GC (Moonstone/Cohiba Brown) <<~>> 2014 X5 50i (Space Gray/Mocha)
You should see the dealer prices for the parts over this side of the pond.
I can pay full retail in the USA PLUS shipping and still come out under half the local dealership price.
Absinthe makes the tart grow fonder
Schmiedmann sells the belly splash guard for about $300.
Last edited by gmak; 05-29-2017 at 07:40 AM.
gmak: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. A journey with my new-to-me 2000 540i
"Working on a BMW E39 is the best way to run out of time."
Nate J.
(oOO\ (|||)º(|||) /OOo)
Titanium Silver/Black Nappa Full 07-18-2001 E39 M5 Heritage (BZ99672). 198,000mi+. Increasing daily. Engine rebuild thread.
(eŌō\ (||||)º(||||) / ōŌe)
Alpineweiss III/Black Merino Full 03-26-2007 E60 M5 Manual (CX08265). 157,000+. Dead starter -_-
RIP, Seabiscuit. Black Sapphire/Schwarz 03-11-2003 530iA Sport (CK39185). T-boned 03-01-2017 at 155,861mi.
Take 2 "Otto" - Toledo Blue/Sandbeige 04-25-2002 530iA Sport (CH98032). Sold 11-10-2017 at 147,743mi.
Take 3 "Manuel" - Toledo Blue/Grau 10-29-2001 530i5 Sport (CE92358). Sold 02-01-2019 at 217,600mi. I regret that. Build Log
Reliable P.O.S. - Green/gray 1995 Camry V6 LE. 270k mi. Sold for space.
GG, I understand the frustration. But like many have said, at least they're available. Plus they fit like they should the 1st time.
I remember getting some caliper sliders from PepBoyz when I was in a hurry doin the ex 3er .... never again.
Also lets keep in mind the issue of overall inflation. The effects of Moore's Law do not apply to car parts, it's a pretty mature market.
There are exceptions. A bottle of Rosemount Shiraz has been $10 for almost 2 decades. *shrugs*
Last edited by paul p; 05-29-2017 at 02:53 AM.
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Jerry .. 85 Toyo MR2 140K .. ( 20V wiring gremlins *grrrr* )
Björn .. 03 BMW 540i///M 148K .. ( beat up allstar *oof* )
Gerta .. 03 BMW 540iT&A 151K .. ( chain guide triage *shakes head* )
Franz .. 96 BMW 318ti 207k .. ( the new, new daily *GRIN* )
Wendy .. 20 Honda Refrigerator 28k .. ( for the wife and kids, has flappy paddles? *squint* )
Resistance was Futile...
"Now, it takes me three months just to fix a door lock because .. crying babies" - rammstein
It pretty much is.
Absinthe makes the tart grow fonder
gmak: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. A journey with my new-to-me 2000 540i
"Working on a BMW E39 is the best way to run out of time."
I find some of those prices listed incredulous. $400 for an under tray? really? Aftermarket is $50 all day, pretty tough part to F up too.
If new parts runs are done BMW must have some expectation of selling them so need to be competitive, at least to a degree.
Part of the issue is anything that can be construed as crash parts, those insurance companies are obliged to pay for. Another factor is lots of parts sit on the shelf for a long time before(if ever)being sold. Kind of like a trip to the hardware store for a single odd fastener that by all rights should cost pennies but is priced in dollars because it has sitting on the shelf waiting for a buyer. I hate paying for that stuff but am glad to have found it too.
If you can leave two black stripes from the exit of one corner to the braking zone of the next, you have enough horsepower. - Mark Donohue
Very true. Many parts are made only during the production run and when they run out, become "no longer available" (NLA). I understand that parts prices go up if they are remaking them for a limited market...we sometimes have to be happy they are even available for a car that is 14 years old for the newest E39.
Fortunately most of the big hits are on trim pieces...most of the "consumable" items are still available at reasonable prices...or the third party manufacturers (and remanufacturers) have developed options.
2001 540 M-Sport (cdn), ST X (KW) coilovers, H&R 15mm spacers, Eibach anti roll bars (28mm/18mm), Beastpower rear antiroll bar brackets, M5 rear chassis reinforcements (traction rods), Strong Strut front upper strut bar, Dinan Stage 1 software, factory M-Audio subs, Bavsound speaker upgrade, Bluebus bluetooth integration, Stop Tech SS brake lines, ATE coated brake rotors, ATE ceramic brake pads.
I'm curious about your temps. Brian with his M5T also has temps around 210 or slightly above, with all the M5 bumpers, belly pans, transmission pan, etc (M-Sport originally), but in his M5 sedan and my converted M5 sedan with 530i bumpers, I almost never even hit 210F, even on hot days. I wonder if it's a touring thing, but seems unusual since everything from the front of the car forward is the same.
-Paul
2003 "M5" - Full M5 conversion, AMG C63S 6 piston front calipers, Porsche Panamera 4 piston rear calipers, GC Coilovers, Eibach ARBs, UUC Evo3/DSSR, Borla Exhaust w/Muffler Delete, BMW NBT with Carplay/Android Auto, Bi-Xenons, e38 Style 37 M-Pars, e60 Hubs 530i 6-speed swap build thread2005 Range Rover 4.6is (M62TU Powered) - 4.6is Engine Swap from X5, BMW NBT with Carplay/Android Auto
2006 Porsche Cayman S - Soul Performance Competition Headers and Exhaust, H&R Coilovers, 718 Boxster Spyder wheels, Rennline 35mm rear spacers
Super interesting Jed. I know other cars where the opposite happens aka the belly pan serves a positive airflow / cooling function and without it the various radiators dont work properly - or at least optimally. For a host of reasons including that I think it's I'll advised to run without one but your findings are interesting and surprising.
With due respect - Meh... Sorry Paul, not entirely.
Neither small run economics, nor inflation account for some of these 600% gouges. Trust me I'm the last guy to bitch about a slightly higher price for the truly good proper part.. I am fine with a part going up in price for natural reasons, and within reason.
2003 M3CicM6 TiAg
2002 540iT Sport Vortech S/C 6MT LSD TiAg
2008 Audi A3 2.0T DSG (the daily beater)
2014 BMW X1 xDrive28i (wifemobile)
Former:
1985 MB Euro graymarket 300SL
1995.5 Audi S6 Avant (utility/winter billetturbobattlewagen)
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