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Thread: E28 Newbie looking for advice

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Oct 2017
    Location
    Murray, UT USA
    Posts
    15
    My Cars
    E60545i E39T528i E28535i

    E28 Newbie looking for advice

    My 16 yr old son wanted a project car, and after looking at 80's Japanese stuff for a few weeks (300ZX / Supra / Subaru XT6) found an '86 E28 535i in the local classifieds. We bought it for $750, and trailered it the 90 miles home on Friday.

    It almost certainly needs a new head gasket. The previous owner listed it that way, and with coolant in the oil and a cold-start misfire, I'm pretty sure he's right. It also needs a clutch, battery, some paint, a dash cover, and some general tidying up.

    My question is whether it's better to pull the engine (then do the gaskets with the engine on a stand and replace the clutch before reinstalling) or to do the head gasket with the engine in the car, and pull the trans to replace the clutch. I'm relatively competent with a wrench, (so far this year I've helped the 16 yr old do head gaskets on a cousin's Subaru, replace the M52TU engine in his E39 wagon after he overheated it badly enough to score a cylinder wall, and we've done a clutch / syncromesh ring replacement on my '72 MGB), and have access to an engine hoist, trans jack, engine stand, etc., but if anyone has opinions on which is the better option, I'd appreciate hearing them.

    Many thanks,

    Dave

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    465
    My Cars
    E21/early e23/e34
    Pull the motor/trans as a unit- split tranny, replace clutch and related parts, motor on engine stand, r/r head and reseal that motor, water pump/t-stat, timing rail/guide/tensioner also. Many many trouble free miles will be gifted upon you by the BMW God's...
    When you do the head gasket, don't forget to do it right, valve guides, check cam/eccentrics...

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Kettering,OH
    Posts
    5,128
    My Cars
    e34 535i and 98 528i
    I agree, pull them together. Then do all of the work.

    Andy

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Oct 2017
    Location
    Murray, UT USA
    Posts
    15
    My Cars
    E60545i E39T528i E28535i
    Thanks for the advice. In the end, we got everything loose and hanging from the engine hoist, but decided that since the bellhousing bolts were now accessible, it would be easier to drop the trans before lifting out the engine. For future reference - to pull them together, do you need to remove the sway bar, brace, and steering linkages?

    Anyway, the engine is now on the stand. The clutch was completely shredded (there's friction material filling the area behind the flywheel), so we'll be replacing that and the flywheel. The head is off, but it looks like I need to break the crankshaft bolt free in order to remove the front cover. We'll get the head to the machine shop and start sourcing parts.

    A couple of questions:

    The gearstick felt pretty loose in the car. Is there a preferred kit for refreshing the shift linkages?

    Any trick for removing the front crank bolt in order to get the timing cover off?

    Thanks,

    Dave

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Denver, Colorado
    Posts
    2,876
    My Cars
    1985 535i, 1980 635CSi
    You do remove the sway bar but need a load leveler.

    A lot of your questions answered over on mye28.com


    Look up the terms "crank nut", you need a lot of torque to get that bad boy off!

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jul 2017
    Location
    Denver
    Posts
    65
    My Cars
    1982 320i
    Your son and my son should meet!
    My son started last year with his E21 he bought when he was 15. It was totaled in a hit and run about 5 weeks ago. Now he bought himself not one,,,, but TWO E28's! LOL

    On his E21 when he rebuilt the M10 we dropped the trans first (braced the motor) then pulled the motor. Mainly because my garage isn't deep enough to roll the cherry picker back to get the connected motor and trans out.

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