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Thread: New-to-me 1992 735iL – the fun begins!

  1. #76
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    Here I am again with another question...

    Thought I'd check the condition of the steering linkage before doing an alignment and I found that there is some play.

    The video below shows it.

    What could be the cause of this play? Tie rod ends? Idler arm? Steering box? Is it normal?

    Edit: maybe it's caused by the famous steering box play like on the E34's.

    Last edited by Cactuar; 04-23-2019 at 11:09 AM.

  2. #77
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    The steering box seems to be o.k., as in the last seconds one can see that the input to steering box/from steering column also moves with the wheel moving.
    Check idler arm, pitman arm and the joint of the center tie rod http://www.bmwe34.net/E34main/Mainte...ering_link.htm
    Maybe all the steering parts have a little 'play' and that causes in sum a large 'play'.
    Drive the car with the front on ramps, then let someone move the steering wheel left and right till the wheels move and you watch the links from below. That is easiest to see where there is some 'play' in the system.
    Last edited by shogun; 04-23-2019 at 08:31 PM.
    Shogun tricks and tips for the E32 series are HERE!

  3. #78
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    So after an inspection, I have bad tie rod ends. The shop wants 300$ to replace the tie rods on both sides, using no-name parts. No thanks!

    I can get Lemforder tie rods for 100$ and do it myself. Need to budget these next month...

  4. #79
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    In case the threads are still o.k., just buy tie rod ends, saves a lot of money. Here Lemforder for $20/piece. or original BMW $ 39, you need per side 1 x left hand thread + 1 x right hand thread. autohausaz also ships to Canada https://www.autohausaz.com/catalog/c...end?s=d&page=1
    When you have the old tie rods removed, measure the old heads (the length the heads are screwed into the bar) and screw in the new tie rod ends exactly the same depth, then maybe you even do not need a new toe adjustment
    Shogun tricks and tips for the E32 series are HERE!

  5. #80
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    On RockAuto the Lemforder complete tie rod setup (both ends + center part with the bolts) is only 44 CAD (32 USD).
    https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo...012802&jsn=292

    Shipping is also much more reasonable than autohausz (14$ vs 45$). So I will go this route.

    I bought a new-old-stock Hella/Behr blower motor on eBay for a really good price. It was manufactured in 2008.

    There shouldn't be any issues using a 10 year old blower that sat in a warehouse right?

    I will be installing it soon, to hopefully fix the rattle I hear when the fan is working.

    s-l1600.jpg

  6. #81
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    Ugh. What a disappointment.

    It turns out that the Hella blower is too narrow, by at least half an inch. I only measured the width of the cages before installing it, and not the overall width. It's only after I installed it in the car that I noticed it didn't spin freely at all. It was rubbing on the plastic support.

    And the worst is that I actually broke one of the cages while installing it, so I can't sell it An expensive mistake to say the least. Now I need to find a real E32 blower. Why are there two sizes to begin with!?! So frustrating.

    IMG_0954.jpg

  7. #82
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    strange, I checked in the net with the Hella Behr number 8EW 009 159 361 and based on that it should fit E34, E32 and E31 with/without aircon.
    Shogun tricks and tips for the E32 series are HERE!

  8. #83
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    Yes that's the same info I found too. That's why I was confident in buying it.

    I will look for a Siemens unit and ask for measurements before ordering.

  9. #84
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    I inspected the Behr blower today and the problem is that one of the cages is pushed inside too much. If I could slide it out on the shaft by about 0.75 inch it would fit in the car.

    Is it possible to slide the cages on these blowers?

    Edit: tried to tap gently where the cage meets the shaft with a screwdriver + hammer and the cage moved to the correct position.
    But now it's wobbly, so probably won't spin properly.

    Edit2: change of plan: I'll swap the original cages onto the new Behr motor. If the same orientation is preserved it should work ok.
    Last edited by Cactuar; 04-26-2019 at 03:21 PM.

  10. #85
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    Success! The original cages fit onto the new motor and it works great. I could hear a tiny bit of high pitched whistling but I attribute that to the fact that all the panels were off and the engine wasn't running. Once it's all buttoned down it should be silent.

    When I worked on the old Bosch motor I could feel some roughness. That's definitely where the noise was coming from.

    So even though the car only has 90k miles, the blower motor was done. Definitely a maintenance item.

  11. #86
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    Another question

    When I got back from a short drive with the AC on (works nice and cold), after I shut down the car I put the key back in the 2nd position to test the new blower motor.

    I noticed a noise near the fuse box and from my researches it looks like it's the auxiliary water pump on the heater valve that is recirculating the coolant after the engine has been shut off.

    Is the noise coming from the pump normal? It was louder than what was recorded in the video. It was a buzzing noise.

    Thank you for providing answers to my newbie questions!

    Last edited by Cactuar; 05-06-2019 at 09:06 AM.

  12. #87
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    Today I changed the tie rod assembly on both sides with new Lemforder units. Never thought a newbie like me could pull that off!!

    I had to order this tool on Amazon, because the original tie rods were very stuck.

    I was amazed at how loose the joints were on the tie rods. I could move them with one finger. To my surprise even the joints with perfect-looking boots were loose. I guess that's the result of 27 years on the road.

    Now I can finally get an alignment done.

  13. #88
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    Got the car aligned. It tracks perfectly now. I have to hold the steering wheel slightly to the left to go straight, so I'll rotate the steering wheel by one notch on the spline.

    Bought a used set of E34 headlights to do a conversion from freeform to ellipsoids. Initially I wanted Hella/Bosch euro smileys but the price was too rich for me. These lights are a good compromise for price/function/looks. They beam pattern should be better than the freeforms.

    And here's a random video with my observations about E32 lights...


  14. #89
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    Erich maybe your German buddies over on 7-forum.com would know why BMW switched the headlight type to freeforms for the 90-92 model years?
    Did BMW do the same thing in Europe?

  15. #90
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    Had to ask there and got these replies: Meint er die ohne Halbmond ->9/88 und die mit dem Halbmond 9/88 -> ? Also quasi den Unterschied ? Wenn ja, hat das mit der Ausleuchtung vor dem Fahrzeug zu tun. Der Halbmond leuchtet den Bereich zwischen Fahrzeug und dem Hauptlichtkegel besser aus.
    google translated: Does he mean that without crescent/half moon -> 9/88 and those with the crescent/half moon 9/88 ->? So the difference? If so, this has to do with the illumination in front of the vehicle. The crescent/half moon lights up the area between the vehicle and the main light cone better.
    --------------------
    achte mal auf Teil 3, den Reflektor. Das ist ein Universalteil, vom E30 über E24 bis hin E32/E34. Und die Version bis 88 ist lichttechnisch dem Nachfolger unterlegen, sie war die erste Version von Linsen/Projektor Scheinwerfern. Ich denke, das war einfach eine komplette Produktumstellung, nicht nur e32, sondern alle damaligen Modelle.
    =
    take a look at Part 3, the reflector. This is a universal part, from the E30 via E24 to E32 / E34. And the version up to 88 is technically inferior to the successor, it was the first version of lens / projector headlights. I think that was just a complete product change, not just e32, but all the models of that time.
    Last edited by shogun; 06-10-2019 at 07:38 AM.
    Shogun tricks and tips for the E32 series are HERE!

  16. #91
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    What I meant is this:

    In the US/Canada, the E32 and E34 started with ellipsoid low beams, then switched to parabolic low beams (freeform reflector) for the years 91 to 93 only, then switched back to ellipsoid low beams for 94 and 95.

    But it's not only the low beam that was changed as my video shows. Even the high beam, the light bracket and mounting bushings are different and mostly NAL branded vs the usual Hella branding.

    So I wonder why BMW USA changed the headlight type only for three years, then went back to Hella ellipsoids for the remaining years?

  17. #92
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    Quote Originally Posted by Cactuar View Post
    What I meant is this:

    In the US/Canada, the E32 and E34 started with ellipsoid low beams, then switched to parabolic low beams (freeform reflector) for the years 91 to 93 only, then switched back to ellipsoid low beams for 94 and 95.

    But it's not only the low beam that was changed as my video shows. Even the high beam, the light bracket and mounting bushings are different and mostly NAL branded vs the usual Hella branding.

    So I wonder why BMW USA changed the headlight type only for three years, then went back to Hella ellipsoids for the remaining years?
    I have a `93 525i Can-Spec. Like the US, came with non-ellipsoids. All true what you said. I spent a small fortune buying new DE (German) Hella Clear (not smoked replicas) ellipsoids. They came with new mounting assembly/buckets. I was told there are only 25 left in the world (new) that would fit a E32 or E34.

    I've heard the DOT rules were more stringent during those years `91-`93... but also heard BMW just was cutting back in those years (perhaps due to the recession of `91-`92ish). The foglamps also followed suit with the headlamps. Ellipsoid in early years, then non, then back to them again.

    Oh and yes, the ones that came on my car originally were "NAL".

    My mechanic told me the free-form lights were better than the US-elipisoids, when I bought mine... and not to get those. So I didn't.
    Last edited by E28E34; 06-10-2019 at 09:00 PM.

  18. #93
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    Thanks for contributing to the discussion. Hard to say for sure why BMW did this.

    I wonder why your mechanic would say this? Projectors typically have better optics than freeform parabolic lights, especially if both types of lights use the same 9005/9006 bulbs.

    From what I read online the Euro ellipsoids such as the ones you bought are the best OEM lights available for E32/E34 cars, followed by US ellipsoids and then US freeforms. Of course a modern HID retrofit would blow all of those out of the water. At least, that is what my online research showed (I am by no means a lighting expert).

    Is there a picture of your car online I could see?

  19. #94
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    Quote Originally Posted by Cactuar View Post
    Thanks for contributing to the discussion. Hard to say for sure why BMW did this.

    I wonder why your mechanic would say this? Projectors typically have better optics than freeform parabolic lights, especially if both types of lights use the same 9005/9006 bulbs.

    From what I read online the Euro ellipsoids such as the ones you bought are the best OEM lights available for E32/E34 cars, followed by US ellipsoids and then US freeforms. Of course a modern HID retrofit would blow all of those out of the water. At least, that is what my online research showed (I am by no means a lighting expert).

    Is there a picture of your car online I could see?
    I know it's strange. He was maybe comparing old projectors with severe wear.

    Yep, sounds right. If money was no object, I'd do Xenons new from the period and not HIDs. Like 1992/3 750iL ones. Super costly (new).

    Don't have any pictures posted of the lights off hand to quickly display here. Or I did, then photobucket got all messed up and got rid of them.

    Try this link..... you'll see a Iceland Green E34 mixed in this album I made years ago. Some closer shots of lights too. https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?...3878120&type=3
    Last edited by E28E34; 06-10-2019 at 10:51 PM.

  20. #95
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    Your car looks fantastic! It's like showroom quality You must be proud of it.

    The headlights and fog lights look great, very clean and period correct.

    Also the M1 in your album is very nice.

  21. #96
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    Quote Originally Posted by Cactuar View Post
    Your car looks fantastic! It's like showroom quality You must be proud of it.

    The headlights and fog lights look great, very clean and period correct.

    Also the M1 in your album is very nice.
    Thank you. It's A LOT of work, time, money and passion. Also a daily-driver for 10 yrs. I'm a purist/preservationist, and have books dating back to when I was 9.

  22. #97
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    After one year of ownership and 1000 kilometers today I changed the engine oil in my 735iL.

    Nothing noteworthy to report, other than that I thought the MANN HU930 filter came with the drain bolt washer, but it didn't. In the pictures it looked like it. I had to re-use the old crush washer but it still sealed fine.

    For the oil I used Shell 15w40 "diesel" oil, good for -20 C to 30 C. It should be fine for our Quebec summers (I don't drive the car in winter).

    Next item on my list is the differential oil. I bought Pennzoil 75w140 LSD oil. Just waiting for the drain and fill washers...

  23. #98
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    I'm not sure why your Mann filter didn't come with the correct washer. I have a half dozen of them in my garage. It's the only filter I've ever used in my E32 for almost 30 years. Every 3000 miles with Castrol GTX 20 W 50. Hot weather down here all year long. I just took a quick look at the most recent filters that came to me last year, and it still has the correct package. This is what you should have gotten.

    Last edited by CroughtonE32; 07-09-2019 at 06:24 PM.
    1990 735I (Auto) E32 Feb 1990 to Present
    1996 Z3 Roadster (5 Speed) E36/7 Jan 1999 to Dec 1999
    1983 733I (5 Speed) E23 April 1983 to Feb 1990
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2d4tHoHGaJo
    https://1drv.ms/v/s!Av20xCMMocSsyEpl...h_oOk?e=ekIcAT







  24. #99
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    I used the same filter as you did, but my washers weren't the same as the ones in your kit. I had two copies of the smaller metal washer, mine weren't different like yours. One should be slightly larger, for the drain bolt. The smaller washer is for the container bolt.

    The packaging also wasn't the same, the bag was clear plastic on mine.

  25. #100
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    Maybe a different wholesaler in Canada. Different packaging? Who knows. As long as you were able to make it work.

    I just read over your entire thread here. Has me wondering, did you ever figure out what that loud noise was near the heater valve?
    Last edited by CroughtonE32; 07-09-2019 at 05:38 PM.
    1990 735I (Auto) E32 Feb 1990 to Present
    1996 Z3 Roadster (5 Speed) E36/7 Jan 1999 to Dec 1999
    1983 733I (5 Speed) E23 April 1983 to Feb 1990
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2d4tHoHGaJo
    https://1drv.ms/v/s!Av20xCMMocSsyEpl...h_oOk?e=ekIcAT







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