Rescued a 2001 750IL with issues...

[SilverIris]

Parts arrived from Rock Auto today. Opened the box up and there's a Fiat 500x coolant temperature sensor in place of the radiator cap. Rock Auto is good about getting things straightened out, so no worries there.

Zip over to Reinbold BMW to pick up my transmission filter O-rings (2x of 24341422152). I get back, open up the filters from Rock Auto and the O-rings are ALREADY ON THERE! On the plus side, it's not a total loss. The O-rings from BMW are 28mm ID, 34mm OD, 3mm thick. Available at Lowes/Menards/Home Depot (Menards# 64911) or any auto parts store for about $0.40 each (Dorman# 64628.1). An added bonus is that when I do the transmission filters again in ~5000 miles (to ensure it is "eat off of it" clean) using the the proper ZF, BMW or Mann filters, it will go MUCH easier that time around.

[SilverIris]

So I got Marina up on stands yesterday, got H14 & H17 sockets plus a pretty sweet battery-powered fluid pump at Harbor Freight today. Transmission Fill plug pops loose with no issue using only my right hand (like a Boss ), take a dinner break while it's draining. Armed with the H17 socket, I slid under and can't get the socket into the plug. Exhaust is in the way and there's basically zero wiggle room if it were unbolted. Plus, I don't want to risk an exhaust leak either. Had that come up a little too much on my RX-7.

After trying to tap the socket into the plug with a mallet, giving it a crank and having it slip twice, I stopped before it was irreversibly damaged. The how-to on E38.org says to press out the hex stub and use a wrench on it: http://www.e38.org/zf-5hp30-service.html

Tried tapping the hex stub out with a 1/4" extension and mallet, no luck. Macgyvered a press together using the floor jack to try it again, and it lifted the entire bench . So I guess I'll be taking that socket to a shop to be pressed out on Monday. I hate getting 'stalled' like this.

The old fluid that came out via the Fill Plug port looked okay, just dirty from age. Not as dark/opaque as when I did my 740I earlier this year at 159k, but appropriate for 18 years and 134k. Since a band-aid job failed as soon as it got cold out, this is going to be done correctly from the start. I planned on replacing the drain plug anyway, so I'm not too worried about it getting chewed up a bit as long as it comes out intact.

Sunday Edit:
With a fresh mind, I checked out other sources of H14 sockets. A trip to the local Oreilly Auto Parts netted a set with 3/8" drive H14 stubby socket. Add a wobble adapter, extension and ratchet and the Drain Plug popped loose using only my left hand . Once again, proof that having the right tool for the job makes it go MUCH easier.

Pan is draining right now.

[SilverIris]

Pulled the Pan, dumped the old fluid into the drain pan. Pan looked good, drain plug had some slight fuzz on it (normal), the pan magnet was covered in a sludge-like mix of fluid and metallic fuzz (again, normal). Overall, the fluid looked okay, just old and dirty.

Gave the pan a thorough cleaning with LA's Totally Awesome Degreaser. It also works wonders for softening the pan gasket for easy removal too. Installed the new ATP filter and gasket and reinstalled the pan with stainless steel hardware throughout. Some may call it overkill since all of the original hardware came out with no issues and was in decent shape. I call it Preventative Maintenance.

My 1/4" drive torque wrench didn't seem to give an accurate reading, so I snugged each bolt finger tight, then 1/4 turn more with a Nut Driver. Original Spec is 44 In.Lb for the filter bolts, 7 Ft.lbs for the pan bolts, so my method should be sufficient.

New crush washers from Pelican Parts arrive tomorrow for the fill plug ($0.25 each!) and my drain plug ones came today. 16 Quarts of Valvoline Maxlife Multi-Vehicle ATF sitting in the garage with a battery-powered fluid pump. New radiator cap is already in place, time to get moving on this!

Ninja Edit: USPS says the 30mm crush washers arrived today...

Time to cue up the Wangan Midnight OST, the best soundtrack to pull an all-nighter when turning wrenches.

10:48PM Update: And...we're deadlocked. Car needs to be about 12" higher than the jack/stands I just maxed out. Pump hose keeps falling out of the transmission as soon as it gets ANY amount of fluid in it. Any fluid that gets in the transmission leaks right down the hose again. I need two more hands installed to do this...

[SilverIris]

So I'm 10 quarts into transmission flush and chill, got her in 2nd gear at ~50mph on jack stands and all is going well. Suddenly, big flash of steam and coolant dumping on the floor...

After I cool off for a couple hours watching Top Gear, I head back into the garage and loosen the radiator cap. Coolant/Water streaming down the accessory belt at the water pump. Pretty sure the bottom radiator hose just let go. I had just replaced the radiator cap with a new one and topped up the coolant to the level indicated on said cap/overflow tank. Apparently, one is supposed to leave room for expansion here and I did not. Silly me for following the directions...

So I take a look and the first thought in my mind was: Where does one acquire appendage size-manipulation magic in order to service this??

Guess I'm just too big for the hole...and that's what she said!

So, what manner of witchcraft, sorcery or reality-bending superpowers is required to replace the bottom radiator hose? Are we talking MacGyver, Doctor Strange or Thanos with the Infinity Stones...

Here is a clip of the leak. There is also another less-pronounced drip on the front of the oil pan. Any ideas are much appreciated.

[SilverIris]

Got a hunch that the coolant leak is at the water pump shaft, so I invested in a fan clutch tool set on ebay for $16 to investigate it further. Seemed wise to have the appropriate tools to handle the worst case scenario about this issue. I still don't understand how or why it would blow out there as opposed to the numerous other locations which have seen weather since 2001 such as the Overflow Bottle. While waiting on delivery, it was time for a side quest...

Garage was cleaned up, cleaned and organized my toolbox and the Garage doors are now insulated too. At 32 degrees Fahrenheit (0 Celsius) outside, it is a comfortable 56 degrees (13 Celsius) inside with one common household heater.

Also gave the whole interior a much-needed cleaning and leather conditioning. While doing so, I found that the previous owner took it to an aftermarket tint shop.. . Based on how the rear doors were reassembled so poorly, I would imagine this shop's employees and clientele are 16 year old males lusting over "hella-flush" "stanced" "jdm" Dodge Neons. As such, the right rear roller blind was broken and thrown in backwards (so the panel currently doesn't fit properly), while its quarter window blind was most likely destroyed. The handle tab was also broken off and thrown in the ash tray. As soon as I touched it, the plastic coating started to crumble in my hands. Pretty sure I won't like what I see when I open it up.

Fan clutch tools arrive tomorrow morning. Hopefully it's just something silly and cheap that failed.

[SilverIris]

So with my niece watching, I tore into the car once more...

Extracted the fan shroud, filled the overflow tank up and watched it drip. Biggest stream under the center of the car. Traced it upwards. Circled in blue.
20191207_165931-1.jpg

This sucks.

12/8 Update:
So I was messing with it again this morning to try and put a rag underneath the hose and refill the expansion tank to trace the leak further. Using a screwdriver, I push the rag in place. One edge of the screwdriver barely touches the Quick Disconnect fitting pictured and the whole thing SLIPS OFF the water pump's hose barb...

Diagnosis: Top radiator hose blew off the water pump housing, due to overpressure (user error)

So I pulled the clutch fan using this how-to:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5TndvIfygA

Slipped a rag under the hose fitting to help direct the coolant into a bucket. Once it stopped dripping, I pulled the locking clip and pushed the hose back on. A little wiggling to line up the tab and slot and she's all good again. Add some coolant and give the top hose a squeeze, no leaks

Continued to add coolant a burp the air out manually via the bleeder screw and cap fitting. Tossed the pressure cap back on and fired her up with the heater on full hot to cycle coolant back through the system. A bunch more air came out, so she idled untill 1/3 scale on the temperature gauge (fan not reinstalled yet)

She's currently cooling down, but everything is looking very promising. I can't spot any leaks so far, but I'll doublecheck once she has fully cooled down in a few hours. If all goes well, she gets buttoned up tonight and I can get the transmission flushed the rest of the way.

Yes, this was a MAJOR PITA, but I'm glad it was a free fix. Just out of curiosity, how many E38 owners go E-fan for cooling system accessibility/serviceability?

[CPHES]

M73 hint. If you replace the water pump - you MUST remove the harmonic Balancer. I have the locking tool..... you need it for that job. And a new crank bolt.

I would NOT go electrical on the fan - for any e38 / there is a good thread on the later s65/66 mechanical fan upgrade.

[CPHES]

Here. If you are going to spend $$ this is how to spend. I think / hope it works on e39 v8s as well. https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...-clutch-in-E38

[SilverIris]

I just buttoned the cooling system back up about 30 minutes ago. As for an electric fan, it was an observation based on available space and being rather spoiled with the modified 2-speed Taurus fan in my RX-7. Even with a 20B-REW plus its "I make H*ll blush" twin turbos under the hood, it was still a breeze to work on. Doing its water pump in a foot of snow took maybe 45 minutes. For reference, stock FD RX-7 fans come on at 221 degrees Fahrenheit, mine was set to trigger at 204 using a 1970s Subaru fan switch to help counteract the extra heat produced by the third rotor.

Before reassembling everything, I saw that exact thread you mentioned. Converting to an E-fan does add complexity for the sake of packaging and front-of-engine accessibility. There is merit in all of the cooling system hoses being readily accessible with minimal effort like any other car. Instead of it taking as long as it did due to learning curve/disassembly, this coolant leak would have been plainly visible and easily corrected with no effort. Plus, it would remove one other source of annoyance, namely the crimped-on hose clamp and rubber tee at the Expansion Tank that makes servicing the system VERY annoying.

Since I'm not ready to invest the time/effort into designing a proper conversion that meets my standards for fit, finish and function, and the current setup is in good working order, it's staying stock for now. Maybe after I get my Expedition back up and running, I'll have time to experiment on one of the E38s.

Transmission getting buttoned up tomorrow, assuming my shoulder cooperates.

[SilverIris]

My shoulder cooperated and let me reconnect the transmission oil cooler line without difficulty. Just a minor fluid spill (expected). Car has ~11 quarts in her, so she is still slipping a bit in 1st gear and displaying Transmission Failsafe Program. Before buttoning things up, I put in as much fluid as she would accept (total is ~11 quarts give or take) through the oil cooler lines. No more old fluid was coming out that I could see, but no fresh/clean stuff either. I figure a shop would be much better equipped to add the remaining fluid so it reads at the correct level. Plus, I'm sick of messing with it and my drain pan is completely full now...

On the plus side, no coolant leaks

Shuffled cars around in the driveway, now it's Iris' turn for fluid & filter. Think I'll do things a bit differently this time by swapping the filter, then adding 3qts in the pan and taking her to a shop to be flushed through the cooler fittings with their handy fluid exchange machine. Having done it manually once, this is a task where I definitely don't mind outsourcing it to a competent shop with the proper equipment.

Moral of the story: Self-motivation is a good thing, but f**king around with filling a transmission for 3 weeks to save $50 or so is just crazy.

But first, I deserve a reward. Iris is getting retrofitted with 750IL floor lights.

Forgotten repair note:
While figuring out how to address the coolant leak, I took another look at the EKAT cables underneath the car. Turns out it was the GROUND cable for the EKAT heaters (rear stud, passenger side) that has a broken terminal. Pulled the cable from the car, cut off the remnant and crimped on a new lug. Using the 8 ton crimper on the bench is so much easier than doing it in/under the car. Add some double wall heat shrink and reinstall. EKAT heaters now measure a consistent 2.2 ohms each, bringing me to my next point.

Because the ground cable failed, the heaters were attempting to complete the circuit through a physical connection to the body via the Engine. This explains the excessive current draw when tested (due to excessive resistance), why the EKAT Control Module failed and the importance of proper grounding thanks to Ohm's Law. What is really sad is that all of this headache was completely preventable had this been a proper fused circuit like anywhere else on any other car ever made.

Had it not been for the sunroof drains leaking, it would have burned to the ground...

[SilverIris]

So after getting Marina in the driveway, she got a reading in PA Soft with the engine not running. 5 faults reported by the EGS.
80/11 - CAN-Bus check
03/06 - Pressure controller EDS 3
02/06 - Pressure controller EDS 2
01/06 - Pressure controller EDS 1
11/04 - Solenoid valve 2

Cleared the fault codes, re-read it, nothing shows up this time. Start her up and Transmission Failsafe instantly comes back. A quick consultation with Timm suggested to check the wiring for corrosion at the transmission connector, so I will be doing that next. Since Transmission Failsafe Program seems to be pretty common, I thought it best to write a guide on how to deal with it, what happens when it pops up, correcting it, etc.

Iris is in the garage, on stands with her transmission draining right now. Sheared a 1/4" socket adapter in half trying to break the drain plug loose with only a 3/8" ratchet. Now the broken bit is jammed in my shorty H8 socket. Grabbed the H8 Impact socket and busted the plug loose. Most of the hardware securing the pan in place is looking pretty crusty and sketchy, so all of them got two doses of PB Blaster just in case. Definitely hows that where a car has lived makes a world of difference. The 750IL was originally from California and its pan bolts looked almost new. Meanwhile, my 740I spent its life in northern Ohio where anything ferrous returns to the earth. Gut feeling said to get some stainless bolts, so I did in advance. I sure hope they all come out intact tomorrow.

[purplecty]

Try testing the solenoids...

[SilverIris]

Excellent info, I've integrated it into the guide I'm putting together. Pretty sure it'll just be a few kaput solenoids. Kind of annoying, but something that can be handled later.

So I tackled the transmission pan bolts on my 740I last night after 3 soakings in PB Blaster. All but one popped loose. The last one (typical...) wanted to strip as the opening was filled with rust/crap which prevented the bit from fully seating. It got a 4th dose of PB Blaster. After coffee takes full effect, I'll see if a pick can dig out the rust so I can remove this bugger. If all else fails, an 11mm socket (probably a 12 point) can be pressed onto the bolt head for removal.

At Fastenal, Zinc-plated M6x1.0 25mm long bolts are $4.75 for 25 of them. Stainless steel ones are $7.66. My sanity is worth FAR more than $2.91 and yours is too...

[SilverIris]

As soon as I tried to remove the damaged bolt, it stripped completely. 11mm socket wouldn't fit due to the pan's lip (not present on 5HP30 pans, only the 5HP24s...weird). With the amount of rust present, the bolt head stripping was FAR more preferable than the whole thing shearing off. Thanking my lucky stars, out came the Dremel to cut a slot in the bolt head (old R/C car trick) and I tried cranking with the big mofo flathead screwdriver. Even with a jack holding it dead-on, still no go.

So this happened...
20191214_130455.jpg
With the lip out of the way, Vise Grips to the rescue. Popped it loose and undid it, 1/16 of a turn at a time. Soon as I got it out, the pan fell off. Gasket stayed on the transmission this time. A simple trick for this is to pull gently on the inner edges. It should pop right off the flange. Use a plastic putty knife and most of it will slide right off. Some bits were a bit stubborn, so they were tackled carefully with 80 grit sandpaper and a delicate touch

Here's what I found inside. Slightly more fuzzy/sludgy on the magnets than the 750IL, but still appropriate for 160k. Add some LA's Totally Awesome Degreaser and she's clean enough to eat off of.
20191214_161615.jpg

With the inside done, time to tackle the outside. Overall, the pan looked pretty rusted on the outside. 3 drill batteries, some LA's Totally Awesome Degreaser (seriously, this stuff is amazing!) and a wire wheel later, we have this. Even the original sticker was completely intact under the rust and road goo.
20191214_202944.jpg

Which led to the whole thing getting refinished.
20191214_210609.jpg

Nothing too fancy, just some Dupli-Color 500 degree brake caliper paint applied with the brush in the kit. Going to let it sit in front of the heater for 12 hours, that should be enough drying time. New filter is already installed, so tomorrow is Full Speed Ahead!

[SilverIris]

Wow, it's been awhile since I updated this thread. With all of the COVID-19 craziness going around, I've been working almost daily. So here's a quick recap:

Iris got all buttoned up and now has a handy transmission dipstick/tube I built for under $50. Also retrofitted 750IL floor lights. Battery took a dive, so it was replaced under warranty too.

Onyx spent a week in the shop getting transmission cooler lines replaced after several months, and some much-needed front suspension/brake work. Thought it wise to get it back up to par in case of Murphys Law. Onyx got a new battery too.

Now Marina is back in the garage and I'm drying out the interior AGAIN. Got stuck in park as well, pulled Fuse #22 to release the shift lock manually to maneuver her into place. New Deka Intimidator 9A48 battery from Rock Auto happened too. See a theme here?

Under the carpet, there was about 1" of water, plus whatever is soaked into the padding. The Passenger side fuse box is covered in rust and copper oxide, so I'll have to either replace it or build a new one. The surrounding floor area has a coating of light green goop (water thickened with copper oxide), which means more wiring repairs are needed due to the corrosion eating the wiring starting at the fuse box. Yet the EKAT junction block I built is just fine...

I vacuumed out about 1.5 gallons from the floor and the Dehumidifier is running right now. Still going to need the padding wrung out like I did before. After it's dry and electrically sound again, headliner is coming down for recovering and I'm tackling the sunroof drains. Currently working on a side project for Onyx, while translating a service manual from Japanese to English at the day job (I work for myself). Also did some reorganizing of parts/supplies to make more space.

On another side note, this is a question for veteran MkIII/MkIV Navigation owners. I've heard several accounts that navigation drive work perfectly fine with original BMW discs, then suddenly conk out after using aftermarket ones such as those found on Ebay. Why is that? That brings me to my next point: What can be done to rectify this?

I'm a stickler for making a backup of rare/difficult to find discs like these for one reason. Disassembling and cleaning glitter and lexan out of a CD/DVD drive after a disc explodes is not high on my fun list, especially when occurred while installing an operating system. But back to the point at hand, why do our navigation drives conk out because of aftermarket discs?

I have one theory: the laser weakens over time, and reading an aftermarket disc is the last nail in the coffin. These drives came out around the same time the Playstation 2 did and drive repairs on the PS2 are well documented. So why can't we do the same here??? The originals are made by Phillips and I would think they are IDE interface. Who wants to crack one open and take a look?


EDIT: Apparently we CAN fix them...
https://xoutpost.com/articles/all-bm...-nav-unit.html

The internal drive is named "DVD-M3-4.6" and uses a Sanyo SF-HD4 Laser

[282hp]

This a great thread. Sometimes it overwhelms my knowledge, but I hope to get smarter the more I read and try more for myself.
I reread the thread this weekend, and I got a little confused here at the very recent update.
How did Marina collect another inch of water? Do you have sunroof drain leaks?

[SilverIris]

This a great thread. Sometimes it overwhelms my knowledge, but I hope to get smarter the more I read and try more for myself.
I reread the thread this weekend, and I got a little confused here at the very recent update.
How did Marina collect another inch of water? Do you have sunroof drain leaks?

Pretty sure that's the case. Dehumidifier has been running more, it has pulled another gallon or so from the front half of the carpet in the passenger side and is still going. While it is doing so, I am busy with the fuse box. Since the one in the car is quite compromised from corrosion, I pulled out the original one from the parts box and was planning on rebuilding it, Using a butane torch, the original studs came out and I re-drilled the holes on the bottom to 3/16" or 5mm, then made some nylon "plugs" that I stitched into place with a 100 watt soldering iron. Grabbed the drill and using the pilot holes I made before, tried to drill through the plug. Some worked okay, but 3-4 kept popping loose no matter how much I tried stitching them back in. The box is PA66+GF, basically Nylon with Fiberglass reinforcement, so slightly different materials may have contributed to the failures. By the t time I stopped, the box was a mess and the bus bar disappeared somewhere, so back to the drawing board.

Since I already had the M5x0.8 20mm stainless steel carriage bolts ($9 on Ebay for 25 of them, should have got the 25mm long ones instead), a trip to the dollar store got me 4 small cutting boards. Some measuring and drawing in KolourPaint produced a template that was printed out on my ebay birthday present laser printer, accurate to 0.010" and uses the stock mounting points. Had to alter the stud spacing a bit to eliminate the drop-down parts on #4 and #7, but it fits in the stock space quite well. Tape it onto one cutting board and pop it into a $35 drill press from Craigslist. Drill, dremel and file so every hole is as close to square as possible, then press in the carriage bolts from the back. The "comb terminals" will likely be replaced with ring terminals for space savings and to eliminate one possible point of entry for moisture (why the current box failed).

Today, I'm finishing the box up. Made a backing plate from cutting board #2 using the same template and I'm carefully stitching the two pieces together with a series of plug welds on the perimeter for strength, then smoothing them out to make it look reasonably nice. The middle will get a few more plug welds, done top to bottom to keep it solid. Thankfully, it's not my first time with plastic welding or fabricating a fuse box from scratch. This one will just be the best one I've made to date.

Before starting on the fuse box, I took a break for a side project. My Expedition's intake was in rather sad shape after 23 years. I've never touched the air filter since I got it, so its age/mileage was unknown and quite dirty. The rest of it was filthy, the filter clamp about to break in half from rust (and discontinued...) and the rubber sections were on their last legs. $45 on Ebay got me an aftermarket aluminum intake with a K&N style pod filter, saving about 12" compared to the original setup. That 12" is exactly where I needed it, for a dedicated accessory fuse/relay box. Plus, I can tidy up the rather ugly headlight relays and wiring that I retrofitted in 2016. But that fun toy project is one for another day.

Anyway, back to work now...

[SilverIris]

Since my last update, I've been beyond busy. Quite a few projects finally got done. Iris, Onyx and Marina all got LED conversions for their interior lights. The only exceptions were the door handle lights (didn't feel like pulling door panels off), Map lights (they're reverse wired BA9S bulbs) and 750IL opera lights (T5 wedge, didn't want to pop free easily).

Onyx got a long-planned upgrade to the overhead console, adding 5 window-style rocker switches. There are cutouts for 2 from the factory for pop-out quarter window switches, I just extrapolated this a bit to fill the space better. Had to modify how it mounted, to account for the bulb of extra wiring packed in there, but it was time well spent. Result is that I have 10 switches to control new stuff, 8 of which are push-on/push-off thanks to a latching relay board I put in the dashboard. I tapped into the radio constant 12v line to give it power. Not a big concern as the board can only draw 2.63A at most and is only passing ground signals through it.

This was combined with the Auxiliary Fuse/Relay Box I mentioned before. Each overhead console switch triggers a relay in here, which can operate just about anything. It was sourced from a 2003 Chrysler Sebring and has its own power feed, independent from any other circuits in the truck. Took a few days to disassemble it (ordered new terminal tools for this), but it got cleaned up, simplified and reassembled. While doing so, I added something VERY useful: a dedicated ignition-switched relay that feeds 3 fuses. All 3 components (console, relay board and aux box) are connected together with multi-conductor cables and Metripack 150 connectors to keep it weatherproof, tidy and easily serviceable. The ignition-switched relay signal got a single-pin Metripack 280 connector to keep it differentiated from the rest. Had to add a M6 rivnut for a ground on the radiator core support, which brought on the purchase of a 1/4" cordless impact wrench and an auto-adjusting wire stripper/crimper to replace worn out tools. There's more and will be MUCH more later, but it's a story for another thread and another day. Now, back to Marina.

So after drying things out under the carpet, I got the A/B/C pillars and associated adornments pulled to get to the headliner. 9 T10 screws later (open sunroof fully, they're on the front/sides from the top) and some careful tugging straight down to release the clips, the headliner came right out through the rear passenger side door. Just about every part that I pulled will need recovered due to moisture destroying the factory adhesive and foam backing. The actual headliner fabric is about halfway disconnected from the backer board, all at the rear. Other bits like the Motion Sensor are almost completely falling off.

On a side note, only the C-pillar trims require repair. At some point, the bolts were not removed which broke their tabs. Some JB Weld will sort that out. Also, the Dome/Map light's wood trim broke as it came off from adhesive failure. One of the C-pillar light trims came off as well, but it is in one piece thankfully. Based on all of this, I'm pretty sure BMW raided the Dollar Store when it came to adhesives Even the trim and headliner on Onyx has fared better, despite it being 4 years older than Iris and Marina, and double the mileage.

While pulling the headliner, I found something interesting on the roof-facing side of it. It was made by Lear Corporation. I've had pretty good luck with OE suppliers giving me information in the past to support their products, so it's definitely possible they'd be willing to help source some new PearlBeige headliner fabric for us. If all else fails, I'll be matching it up the old-fashioned way. Either way, we'll have a source for the rarest color of all.

Since I got the interior taken apart, I found the sunroof drain issue. The right rear (passenger side) drain tube had shrunken away from the barb on the sunroof cassette. This caused all of the issues we've seen on this car. I'll be fixing it today with some 1/2" tubing, a barb splicer and some hose clamps. The other rear drain is intact, but I'm not chancing a failure when it can be avoided. It'll get the same treatment so it cannot fail, EVER. For the Front Drains (BMW# 54128167253), they are 1/2" (12mm) on the sunroof side and is 5/16" (8mm) on the A-pillar side. They appear to be in good shape and are still flexible with no visible cracking or rot, so a hose clamp on both ends should be more than sufficient to prevent leaks.

As for the DIY'ed fuse box, the bus bar is currently at a machine shop. Apparently, I am not the world's best machinist when it comes to drilling holes in 304 Stainless Steel. Soon as I get it back, the new box goes in and I can yank the transmission pan to get the Transmission Failsafe Program error corrected once and for all.

[282hp]

Just saw what I think are your interior pics on Facebook. So Marina is a Highline? didn't realize that.........

[SilverIris]

Just saw what I think are your interior pics on Facebook. So Marina is a Highline? didn't realize that.........

As far as I know, it is a Highline.

So I just looked underneath and found the transmission pan leaking. The gasket was soaked, the pan bolts are wet and a puddle is underneath...

This was the ATP B-167 filter kit's included gasket. Considering I had the exact same results on Iris with an ATP filter/gasket kit, I'm not really surprised. Since I have to pull the pan to test all of the transmission solenoids and harness, it was going to be replaced anyway. After what happened with Iris, I had a feeling that it could happen on Marina and planned to make a reusable gasket anyway.

All of this explains why Marina was so difficult to get back into the garage under her own power. I'd imagine there's next to no fluid in the pan.

So today, I'm ordering parts for the 5HP30 DIY Dipstick. Since I'm pulling the pan anyway, I can assemble everything on the bench and reinstall as a permanent upgrade. Then just drop a 06an line down to the fitting and voila!

[SilverIris]

So I've been busy once again with several projects. So here's the Cliff Notes, and details are linked accordingly.

Ford Expedition EATC and Cleaning:
For a few weeks, I changed gears and did some work on my Expedition. Gave it a full EATC climate control conversion. This was part repair and part fun projects, but ended up being quite a big job. Seats, Center console and carpet had to come out. And of course, a seat bolt decided to strip its head in a cramped/difficult location. 3 days with a Dremel to carve the bolt head up to wiggle the seat out of the way. Afterwards, 15 seconds with a cam-style Stud Extractor and it was out.

Since it all had to come out, I decided it was going to get a proper cleaning and shampooing. More details and pictures here: https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...-cleaning.html

I've been planning the EATC conversion since 2016 and got sick of seeing it in the Expedition parts box. Far as I know, nobody has ever done the conversion before without a complete harness swap. But since that's a TON of work, I decided to tap and splice where needed, then run new wiring for the rest. The actual EATC conversion is here: https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...r-97-02-a.html

With the Expedition clean, it got some new floor mats as a bonus. $12 at the local Menards. Pictures in the first link above.

750IL DIY Fuse Box
Now that the Expedition is done, back to the 750IL. I got the bus bar back from the machine shop and literally EVERY stud hole was off. So I did the Expedition side quests above and let the bus bar sit until an idea percolated to the surface. Ultimately, I got sick of seeing it and grabbed the Dremel with some aggressive grinding bits and went at it. 3 hours later, it fits the DIY box and we're ready to install. 2 days later, it's done and uses regular ring terminals. Anything that needed spliced got adhesive lined heat shrink to prevent moisture intrusion at both the splice location and on the new ring terminal. All stainless steel hardware throughout, I do NOT want to deal with this again.
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DIY Jack Stands
With the car buttoned up and electrically working as it should again, my attention turned to the elephant in the room. Last time I did anything on the underside, I found I kept getting stuck due to putting on a bit of muscle in my shoulders. The jack stands I have were completely maxed out too, which presents a problem. Did some homework, a bit of engineering and spent the past 3 days building these
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They're a hybrid of Wheel Crib and Jack stand, which can be combined with regular jack stands for lifting a car considerably higher. 12" wide x 16" long x 12" tall. The reason for the dimensions is because I wanted to build one set that could suit both BMWs and my Expedition. So I made them to fit up to a 305 wide tire and not bat an eyelash with 3 tons of weight on them. The original design was 10" wide x 14" long x 12" tall and supported a 1970s Camaro (~3500 lbs) with no drama. But since the Expedition is just shy of 6000 lbs, I added center supports on each layer. Through some engineering resources, I found that this small change makes them dramatically stronger. Each one weighs about 35 lbs and can safely hold 15,000 lbs, 10x what I need.

All it took was 15 2x4s, 8ft long each and 504 2 1/2" screws, with every hold pre-drilled. Total cost: $75

Anyway, Marina is going on these this weekend so I can pull the transmission pan and finally pin down the transmission solenoid issues.

[282hp]

Great work. Thanks for the pics.
So with the 12" wheel cribs, you'll have 19"-20" of clearance, right?

[SilverIris]

So I had to get some more 3" screws to put the wheel chocks on.

Ready to lift now. Had to add another layer of 2x4 to the block to reach the engine crossmenber after getting one wheel up. Maybe someday I'll invest in a jack saddle extension to make this easier.
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(REALLY? upside-down again??? And you did so good last time Bimmerforums...)

So I just got the car up on the stands this afternoon and now it's hanging from the ceiling? *giggles in Richard Hammond as everyone's anxiety is triggered*
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(ugh, stupid picture uploader keeps flipping everything upside down...)

At the Jack stand cleats on the side skirts, there is 19 1/2" in front and 20 1/2" of clearance in rear. When on the ground, there is 6 1/2" of space at both. Suspension travel is approximately 5" front and rear, so I needed quite a bit of blocking on the jack. About 7", give or take.

Now there's more than enough room to fit comfortably underneath.

[282hp]

So to start, you jacked at left front jack point, and then had 3 tires on floor, and one tire on new crib. Then jacked at cross member underneath?

[SilverIris]

So to start, you jacked at left front jack point, and then had 3 tires on floor, and one tire on new crib. Then jacked at cross member underneath?

Car was on jack stands to start with. Jacked up at front crossmember, got driver's side wheel crib in place. Went to do passenger side and it was 1/2" too low. Jack was maxed out, so I lowered the car back down, driver's side on crib, passenger on stands. Blocked up the jack a bit higher, then it went up. Got the passenger side on its wheel crib, so all is well. Ran around to the back, it went up and both cribs went right in with no fuss.

To get the wheels on the cribs, the chassis needs to be raised up 23". Then lower the jack and it settles down to 19.5" and 20.5" respectively due to suspension travel.

Planning on draining the transmission and pulling the pan tomorrow. Also, I messaged our admin Kelvin about why pictures are still acting screwy and being turned any number of directions. Hopefully he'll have some ideas on a solution. I want to make sure any pictures uploaded from now on come out correct since it'll detail making a 5HP30 pan gasket from scratch, diagnostics on the hydraulic system and so on. Gotta make sure everyone can see it.