1995 525i Black/Parchment - New Project

[Petrolheadpilot]

The old engine is getting close to coming out! Got the intake off and harness out of the way.



With the front end off, I’m assuming it’s easiest to pull the engine and trans together?


1995 BMW 525i - Black/Parchment, M50/5 speed manual. Restoration project

2002 Volvo C70 Coupe
2017 Toyota Yaris IA

[Singing6]

I have done a s52 swap with the radiator support and trans staying in the car. It is not that bad, but having the core support off could definitely make it easier to just pull it straight out. It all depends on how comfortable you are with being under the car. The pro of not taking the trans off is that the exhaust can stay on.


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[dannyzabolotny]

I've gotten engines out without removing any of the front clip, but that's because I drop the engine and trans out with the subframe using a lift.

[Petrolheadpilot]

I have done a s52 swap with the radiator support and trans staying in the car. It is not that bad, but having the core support off could definitely make it easier to just pull it straight out. It all depends on how comfortable you are with being under the car. The pro of not taking the trans off is that the exhaust can stay on.


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Yeah I’m not crazy about being under the car, I much prefer driving a running car up on ramps. Especially being by myself.
But I think I’ll suck it up and go for it haha


1995 BMW 525i - Black/Parchment, M50/5 speed manual. Restoration project

2002 Volvo C70 Coupe
2017 Toyota Yaris IA

[Singing6]

You have to get under the car either way. I would say it is near impossible to do with he car on the ground. I did it with the car on jack stands.

If the transmission is staying connected, then the driveshaft needs to be detached, which typically means the exhaust has to come off to access. If someone has a way to get the driveshaft off the trans without getting the exhaust and heat shields out of the way, please chime in.

If the transmission is staying with the car, then the exhaust can be left alone. The tradeoff is that the bell-housing bolts need to come off. I have found this easiest to do from the bottom but it does mean that you get to bear-hug the trans as you undo the bolts at the top. The starter is also fun. It has a dowel that likes to weld to the trans. Penetrating fluid is your friend.

It is not too bad either way

[Petrolheadpilot]

You have to get under the car either way. I would say it is near impossible to do with he car on the ground. I did it with the car on jack stands.

If the transmission is staying connected, then the driveshaft needs to be detached, which typically means the exhaust has to come off to access. If someone has a way to get the driveshaft off the trans without getting the exhaust and heat shields out of the way, please chime in.

If the transmission is staying with the car, then the exhaust can be left alone. The tradeoff is that the bell-housing bolts need to come off. I have found this easiest to do from the bottom but it does mean that you get to bear-hug the trans as you undo the bolts at the top. The starter is also fun. It has a dowel that likes to weld to the trans. Penetrating fluid is your friend.

It is not too bad either way

Well, the exhaust is off anyways. The last owner never reinstalled anything past the manifolds lol, so that makes it a lot easier!


1995 BMW 525i - Black/Parchment, M50/5 speed manual. Restoration project

2002 Volvo C70 Coupe
2017 Toyota Yaris IA

[Singing6]

That does make that easier!

[Petrolheadpilot]

Found an E36 M steering wheel at the junkyard today! Not sure if I’ll end up running it or not, but it was too good to pass up.
And I thought the hubcaps were just cool and I had to have them.




1995 BMW 525i - Black/Parchment, M50/5 speed manual. Restoration project

2002 Volvo C70 Coupe
2017 Toyota Yaris IA

[Petrolheadpilot]

I’ve been working on the interior a bit today, getting the center console out in preparation for the trans to come out.

Looks like someone (poorly) wired up an aftermarket alarm at some point, so I’ve been yanking all that out.







And this random old Nokia speaker that’s been zip tied to a bulk of wires under the dash not sure what that’s all about...



1995 BMW 525i - Black/Parchment, M50/5 speed manual. Restoration project

2002 Volvo C70 Coupe
2017 Toyota Yaris IA

[Petrolheadpilot]

Not mine obviously, but I’m in England for the week and came across this gorgeous E34. 525i manual, with those delightful grey cloth seats that I lust after so much.
Really mint car inside and out.






1995 BMW 525i - Black/Parchment, M50/5 speed manual. Restoration project

2002 Volvo C70 Coupe
2017 Toyota Yaris IA

[E38740iMD]

subbed!

[Petrolheadpilot]

Not much to update really. I was supposed to have a friend come for the weekend and we were gonna get a lot of work done.. but this crazy virus has stopped that for now.

Been working on the Volvo a lot lately, but managed to get some cleaning done in the garage today, the E34 is no longer a storage shelf/workbench!



Not really sure what’s gonna happen with the project in the near future. It’s not going anywhere, but I’m really cutting back expenses as much as I can, just down to the bare essentials really.
I’m an airline pilot for a living, and this industry is getting more and more uncertain every day. I hope I don’t get laid off, but if I do, I want to be ready for it.

So I’ll still be tinkering, getting some free/cheap things done on the car. But unfortunately the big parts spending will be on pause for now.

Hopefully the world gets back to normal soon! Stay safe and healthy my friends.


1995 BMW 525i - Black/Parchment, M50/5 speed manual. Restoration project

2002 Volvo C70 Coupe
2017 Toyota Yaris IA

[Petrolheadpilot]

Did a little bit of tinkering around this morning, and discovered some very good and encouraging things!




While it’s up on jack stands, I took all the wheels off to try and clean them up a bit. They’re all straight, no cracks or previous repairs which is great. Looks like the brakes have been done recently, no lip on the rotors and the pads have plenty of meat on them.

Struts look somewhat recent, in good shape, and OEM! Front suspension has no play at all, bushings look good, and the dust caps appear to be almost new!

The engine mounts, trans mounts and guibo all are in great condition as well. I’m very happy with all that! A lot less spending than I’d anticipated for sure.

At this point, I believe everything is disconnected and the engine is ready to come out. Gonna go through the list one more time to be sure haha.

After that’s out, I’ll be doing a deep clean of the engine bay, start on some paint correction and detailing on the rest of the car.


1995 BMW 525i - Black/Parchment, M50/5 speed manual. Restoration project

2002 Volvo C70 Coupe
2017 Toyota Yaris IA

[a777fan]

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[Petrolheadpilot]

Did some tinkering with the seats today..

Got a set of E32 front seats, trying to make them work in the E34.

I’ve swapped over the base of the seat and the wiring harness from the old E34 seat... I just plugged it into the car and nothing works. No clicks, no sign of life from the seat at all.

Everything is plugged in, fuses are good, I’ve got no idea at this point... something not compatible between the two seat bases/motors? Ugh. Nothing is ever straightforward on my projects lol.




1995 BMW 525i - Black/Parchment, M50/5 speed manual. Restoration project

2002 Volvo C70 Coupe
2017 Toyota Yaris IA

[moroza]

Got multimeter? Do the fat power and ground wires line up on the same pins?

[Petrolheadpilot]

Got the seat working this morning. It was the seat control switch that was the problem.
I’m not sure if it was just a compatibility issue between E32 and E34 parts, or if it was just broken. But I swapped another one on and good to go!




Unfortunately the seat is super twisted, and I forgot to sort that out before I put it back in lol. But for now, it’s out of the way in my small garage... so it’s good enough for the time being.

And I got the engine and trans pulled today! All went smoothly, I’m quite pleased with myself as you can tell haha.
Considering last year, I could barely change a set of brakes without help... pulling an engine all by myself is a big achievement! Now the fun can really begin...










1995 BMW 525i - Black/Parchment, M50/5 speed manual. Restoration project

2002 Volvo C70 Coupe
2017 Toyota Yaris IA

[Petrolheadpilot]

Seats are in and working! It was the seat switch on the drivers side that wasn’t working. I’m not sure if it was truly broken, or just not compatible between the E32/E34 parts... but either way they’re both working now.

Totally forgot to fix the twist on the drivers seat, but it’s fine. Once the car is up and running, I’m hoping to track down some sport seats. So these will do just fine for now!




1995 BMW 525i - Black/Parchment, M50/5 speed manual. Restoration project

2002 Volvo C70 Coupe
2017 Toyota Yaris IA

[Petrolheadpilot]

Started tearing down the old scrap engine today. Coolant everywhere!







And I just won my dream set of wheels for the car on eBay! What a bargain. They’ll need to be refinished, but I am thrilled to death. First set I’ve seen for sale since I’ve owned the car.




1995 BMW 525i - Black/Parchment, M50/5 speed manual. Restoration project

2002 Volvo C70 Coupe
2017 Toyota Yaris IA

[Petrolheadpilot]

I really don’t have the space for this project lol. Making it work though


1995 BMW 525i - Black/Parchment, M50/5 speed manual. Restoration project

2002 Volvo C70 Coupe
2017 Toyota Yaris IA

[dannyzabolotny]

Love those style 8 wheels, they'll look great on your car! Glad to see you're still at it— slow progress is still better than no progress.

[Petrolheadpilot]

Little bit of tinkering today. I took the oil pump apart and got some new components ordered to rebuild it. It seemed to be in good shape, but it’s such an important part that I didn’t want to risk it. Nor did I want to spend $400 for a new one haha.



I’ve been working on my Volvo a lot lately, I finished up a full black interior swap, new radiator and some other parts. And helping my dad work on his old Grand Wagoneer a bit.
So the ol BMW has been neglected a bit.


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[Petrolheadpilot]

Finally started cleaning up the top of the engine block today! Everything seems to be in really good shape. Letting it soak in WD40 tonight and I’ll continue tomorrow.



And I got a cool thing in the mail today. A period correct license plate!
In Kentucky, you can run old plates on cars 25 years and older. This plate is from my home county, and has a 1995 sticker! Perfection.




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[a777fan]

Finally started cleaning up the top of the engine block today! Everything seems to be in really good shape. Letting it soak in WD40 tonight and I’ll continue tomorrow.



And I got a cool thing in the mail today. A period correct license plate!
In Kentucky, you can run old plates on cars 25 years and older. This plate is from my home county, and has a 1995 sticker! Perfection.




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That plate is sweet.

I hate old cars with new plates. Picky, but I think it throws off the whole aesthetic.


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[Petrolheadpilot]

Got the engine block painted today! It’s far from perfect, but I think it’ll do. Not like you see the block when it’s installed anyways.

Finally can start the reassembly process.





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