1995 540I Cashmere Beige on Beige on Beige

[okmike540i]

If you keep the automatic, you want one of these: https://www.dinancars.com/products/s...arts/D902-0262

It raises shift points and brings kickdown on more quickly. Big bang for the buck, IMO.

So I called my local Dinan dealer/shop and got ahold of one of these chips. Not a replacement for a manual, but...

chip.jpg
Holy Hell it is BAD ASS. Long story short, the gal who runs the shop had to call Dinan and after being acquired by Holley they were like "we don't offer these any more, but... let me refer you to our tech department" Tech dept. says "let me look in the back to see if we have any more of the eproms floating around", finds one, fires up the 486sx with the cathode monitor, boots up DOS, dusts off the 3.5" floppy with program files, rips a game of OG X-Wing vs Tie Fighter while waiting, and burns me this chip for the price listed on the website. (all of the last part happened in my head, but pretty sure that is how it went down.) This woke up the transmission. IT RIPS NOW. Before it seemed like it didn't know what it wanted to do, always shifting when I didn't want it to and not shifting when I did. It was lazy to downshift (even when smashing the downshift switch) and never could make up it's mind. Again, a ripper now all things considered.

chip in.jpg
Install was easy; pull TCU, pull cover, remove hex screws, bend tabs, remove cover, remove chip cover, use tape covered screwdriver to gently pry out old chip, and as the terrible bentley manual states... install is reverse of removal but while you are in there break half of the tabs on the TCU cover accordingly...

Maybe if we all keep bugging these tuner companies about old parts for these glorious machines they will keep making them. I know there is demand but I don't think they do. Would still like to manual swap this thing and am keeping an eye out for parts, but think I will be looking for a while.

[mrgraybeard]

Glad to hear you like the chip. Without it I probably would have gotten rid of my 540i long ago. I've driven over 175K miles with it, so you needn't worry about it being hard on the transmission.

[a777fan]

Thats awesome. Really neat to hear these types of stories. Gives you some faith that a lot of these places are about more than just the money.

[okmike540i]

June update, been a busy few months with a cross country road trip in the F150 and woodworking projects, but have been collecting parts all the while. I bought a spare set of valve covers off of a 530 parts car and dropped them off at the powder coater. They blasted, sprayed, and baked them. The magnesium is a little pitted but they look better than what was on there.
VCs.jpg
In hind sight, I should have doused them in brake cleaner before dropping them off, all of the crud from the prior motor turned into powdered crud after baking. I spent a good hour yesterday with a brush and simple green to get them clean on the inside (brake cleaner will eat the finish). Hopefully my powder coater knew what he was doing with the magnesium and I won't be doing this again in a few years.

I bought the CA tuned Silicon hose set with new clamps for the M60 and installed those, a new radiator, fan shroud, the OE shape reservoir return rubber line, and coolant reservoir. My old radiator was leaking and I want this car reliable for a couple trips I have planned later in the year. If anyone is going to Ozark Euro Rally or TexFest, hope to see you there!
Rad.jpg
Don't mind those zip ties, waiting on the mounting hardware...

The CAtuned kit fits really well. I thought the heater core/valve/reservoir pieces would be the hard part but they went on easily while the front hoses fought me the entire way. As for the coolant reservoir, the chinese made Mahle unit sucks and it is not a direct fit. I had to ream out the mounting holes, use a heat gun to bend the support "stalk", and file down the tab to make it fit.
Hoses.jpg
Yesterday I did the valve covers, VC gaskets, and new grommets. Hardest part was trying to keep the flaking paint out of the head. I used Honda Bond instead of RTV where the manual says, because most Honda's don't leak... I will change the oil and filter soon as a precaution. The old gaskets where leaking everywhere, hopefully this will stop that.
New installed:
Clean VC.jpg
Old Removed:
Crusty.jpg

Going to keep collecting parts and continue to replace stuff. I will sort all of these leaks some day...

Cheers,

Mike.

[JThomp33]

Great work! Glad to see someone else got the CA tuned hose kit. Still have that abs laundry list to install when I am back in the states. May have an opportunity to buy a 1995 540iA over here with 60k miles (fingers crossed) and may have to search for a Dinan chip. My 6 speed is running a DUDMD chip and the difference is definitely noticeable!

[okmike540i]

Great work! Glad to see someone else got the CA tuned hose kit. Still have that abs laundry list to install when I am back in the states. May have an opportunity to buy a 1995 540iA over here with 60k miles (fingers crossed) and may have to search for a Dinan chip. My 6 speed is running a DUDMD chip and the difference is definitely noticeable!

Thanks! The kit seems of pretty good quality, time will I guess. If "parts car" things go accordingly my Dinan chip might be for sale in the somewhat near future.

[moroza]

June update, been a busy few months with a cross country road trip in the F150 and woodworking projects, but have been collecting parts all the while. I bought a spare set of valve covers off of a 530 parts car and dropped them off at the powder coater. They blasted, sprayed, and baked them. The magnesium is a little pitted but they look better than what was on there.
VCs.jpg

Ooh, body-matched, nice!

My old radiator was leaking and I want this car reliable

You were lucky that it was just leaking. Plastic radiators often fail catastrophically, hose bungs suddenly separating from the end tanks. I highly recommend an aluminum radiator (not Mishimoto, but my CSF has been doing well so far). See the link in my sig for details.

As for the coolant reservoir, the chinese made Mahle unit sucks and it is not a direct fit. I had to ream out the mounting holes, use a heat gun to bend the support "stalk", and file down the tab to make it fit.

Mahle is usually pretty good, but considering the whole picture of Chinese industrial production, it's no surprise to me that regardless of the name on it, the result is barely usable junk. I have a good used OEM tank that's yours for shipping, if you want.

[okmike540i]

I picked up some parts last week and will let you all guess what they pertain to, but this shift surround came with it... And it looked like total cracked garbage. Had some free time on my hands over the weekend so started a little project. This is semi-woodworking, but still car related.
Before.jpg
Sanded with 80, then 120 to get to bare wood:
sanded.jpg
Went to my local woodcraft for some veneer and they had this "bentley" grade burl walnut. Used a japanese razor saw and a straight edge to get both edges "jointed" and then veneer taped them together in preparation for the vacuum press.
veneer.jpg
I then taped everything up, used wax paper on my press board, applied high solids veneer glue, and sent it.
Glued.jpg
Pretty run of the mill vacuum press, can do 2'x4' in the bag at 27 bar.
vacuum.jpg

[okmike540i]

Once it is out of the bag, the high solids glue will seep out of the pores of the wood and does not look great.
out of the bag.jpg
I don't go crazy on the grit, starting sanding with 120 and working up to 220 until all of the glue glue blotches are gone. Then I applied shellac as a sanding sealer. To my eye, it pops the grain a bit more due to the amber color over just going to clear coat.
sanded shellac.jpg
After that dried, 220, then 320, then 400 by hand and it's ready for clear. I used aerosol oil based "spar" varnish from the hardware store that has UV protective additives. Here it is wet.
wet.jpg
And dry. I could probably be done with it at this point, but will probably sand any nibs out with 320 and rattle can a few more coats on there.
Ready for more sanding.jpg

[theBMWbeast]

That looks better than new. The attention to detail there is great.

Sent from my LM-V405 using Tapatalk

[moroza]

I like what the shifter surround suggests is the purpose of the parts stash! And it looks pretty good itself. I don't know about that surround specifically, but what I've seen of door trim is that the factory finish doesn't do the wood justice, in part because it's nearly 1mm thick. Even a stock-replicating ultrasmooth high gloss, done thinner, makes the grain much more visible. From the chemicals I've seen it resist, I'm guessing it's polyester.

[a777fan]

My oh my!

Excellent work on that surround. Where did you pick up the vacuum pump?

Oh… when is the 6spd going in?

[okmike540i]

That looks better than new. The attention to detail there is great.

Sent from my LM-V405 using Tapatalk

Thanks!

I like what the shifter surround suggests is the purpose of the parts stash! And it looks pretty good itself. I don't know about that surround specifically, but what I've seen of door trim is that the factory finish doesn't do the wood justice, in part because it's nearly 1mm thick. Even a stock-replicating ultrasmooth high gloss, done thinner, makes the grain much more visible. From the chemicals I've seen it resist, I'm guessing it's polyester.

I think you are right on it being Polyester and it is at least 1mm thick! That one panel was 10 minutes of sanding.

My oh my!

Excellent work on that surround. Where did you pick up the vacuum pump?

Oh… when is the 6spd going in?

Thanks! The pump is from a small company called VacuPress in Maine. Not the cheapest set up and I am sure one could DIY something from a refrigerant pump and clear vinyl for the bag, but a good turn key solution. Every time I veneer something I learn something new and relearn something I forgot...

The donor was a 530, so she is only getting 5 gears. But 3 pedals is always better than 2 right? Need to order a new clutch and figure out how to go about getting the driveshaft to work. Hoping I can swap the output flange between the 540/530 shafts and be done.

[a777fan]

Thanks!



I think you are right on it being Polyester and it is at least 1mm thick! That one panel was 10 minutes of sanding.



Thanks! The pump is from a small company called VacuPress in Maine. Not the cheapest set up and I am sure one could DIY something from a refrigerant pump and clear vinyl for the bag, but a good turn key solution. Every time I veneer something I learn something new and relearn something I forgot...

The donor was a 530, so she is only getting 5 gears. But 3 pedals is always better than 2 right? Need to order a new clutch and figure out how to go about getting the driveshaft to work. Hoping I can swap the output flange between the 540/530 shafts and be done.

Wow a 530 5-speed eh? I think those are actually ‘rarer’ than the 420g 6 speeds, given they were only around for 93/94/95? with the V8 bellhousing pattern.

I’ll be curious to hear what needs to be done with the DS. I’m sure moroza or the other more experienced tinkerers here will chime in with tips.

[circuit.heart]

The donor was a 530, so she is only getting 5 gears. But 3 pedals is always better than 2 right? Need to order a new clutch and figure out how to go about getting the driveshaft to work. Hoping I can swap the output flange between the 540/530 shafts and be done.

530 is medium case (188mm) diff, 540 is large case, so unless you have the rest of the drivetrain in hand, your driveshaft needs mods. Personally I'd try to mate the front half of the 530 driveshaft to the rear half of your original 540 driveshaft, but if the splines or lengths don't work out, then just cut the 540 driveshaft to graft on the head of the 530 unit (using 530 guibo, etc).

[okmike540i]

530 is medium case (188mm) diff, 540 is large case, so unless you have the rest of the drivetrain in hand, your driveshaft needs mods. Personally I'd try to mate the front half of the 530 driveshaft to the rear half of your original 540 driveshaft, but if the splines or lengths don't work out, then just cut the 540 driveshaft to graft on the head of the 530 unit (using 530 guibo, etc).

The rear halves are completely different lengths, I was hoping that they where the same. If I can't swap the rear flange I will take it to a drive shaft shop in town and have them weld the two together then balance.

Wow a 530 5-speed eh? I think those are actually ‘rarer’ than the 420g 6 speeds, given they were only around for 93/94/95? with the V8 bellhousing pattern.

I’ll be curious to hear what needs to be done with the DS. I’m sure moroza or the other more experienced tinkerers here will chime in with tips.

I believe you are correct. Interestingly from what I have found the gearing is nearly the same as on the getrag, just missing the final gear at .83. Hopefully they do chime in! I think more 530i manual guys swap in 4.0's than vice versa... But you take what you can find. Found the parts about an hour from me from a guy who was parting and scrapping the car. Super cool dude, wanted it as a project but it was a little too far gone.

[circuit.heart]

The rear halves are completely different lengths, I was hoping that they where the same. If I can't swap the rear flange I will take it to a drive shaft shop in town and have them weld the two together then balance.

Well yeah, that's because of the large case vs medium case differential. You do need the rear half (CSB to diff) of your stock driveshaft at the very least.

[Petrolheadpilot]

That looks amazing! I have that on the list for mine, maybe doing a DIY refurb of the wood at some point.
Your looks better than new, holy moly.


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[moroza]

5-speed? You'll need a custom driveshaft. Though realistically, you wouldn't find a used 540iM driveshaft that doesn't need a rebuild anyway. 540i are unique among E34 in that the U-joint is fore of the CSB, not aft, and both components are bigger than the lesser models'. IMO, the 6-speed is worth holding out for. E39 are common junkyard fodder these days, and 540iM are much more abundant in that series than the E34 ever was.

[okmike540i]

5-speed? You'll need a custom driveshaft. Though realistically, you wouldn't find a used 540iM driveshaft that doesn't need a rebuild anyway. 540i are unique among E34 in that the U-joint is fore of the CSB, not aft, and both components are bigger than the lesser models'. IMO, the 6-speed is worth holding out for. E39 are common junkyard fodder these days, and 540iM are much more abundant in that series than the E34 ever was.

Taking what I can get for the time being. I got the whole swap "kit" for less than what most salvage yards were asking just for a getrag trans (searching on Car-part and within a 500 mile radius). If a 6 speed comes along at a good price locally, I will probably jump on it and all the other work will already be done. Oklahoma is not the cornucopia of old BMW V8's that I wish it was haha.

[okmike540i]

Been a minute since the last update. Finished the shift surround. Sanded to 3000 grit, then buffed out with finishing compound. This was from an ASC car and mine is not, so I will have to figure out something to do with the switch.
PXL_20210802_232108078.jpg
Next up, I replaced the lower control arms. They were beyond shot. I was not expecting the explosive way the ball joints pop when they decide to come loose. I still need to do the thrust arms, but they looked like they had been previously replaced.
PXL_20210801_210845488.jpgPXL_20210801_232409328.jpg
On higher speed lane changes when passing, the car still feels a bit twitchy after rapid wheel inputs. On slow and smooth steering input it feels fine. I am going to replace my rear subframe bushings next as it feels like the back end is a little loose. Have already replaced the dog bones. Even if that is not the fix, I am sure the rubber is degraded. Any input? I also have been getting a "ping ping" noise when driving at low speed from the back end when I go over bumps. Anyone else had this?

In prep for the Ozark Euro rally, I buffed the hood, trunk, and roof. This really helped with some of the minor scratches and swirl marks.
PXL_20210822_001803160.jpgPXL_20210822_001914607.jpg

[okmike540i]

The car made it to and from Ozark Euro Rally with no issues. It is in Eureka Springs Arkansas the same weekend as the big VW bug fest. Bug's are not my cup of tea, but still cool seeing all of them. Went with my buds, one in his E39t and the others in some glorified beetle with no AC. The Euro Rally was probably 75% water cooled VW's and 25% everything else. All German, no exceptions. It is about a 3 hour drive from Tulsa. Here are a couple of pics:
PXL_20210827_205522379.jpg
^ a good spot for low point lagers.

At Beaver Bridge after I may have passed a uniformed off duty park ranger in the double yellow.
PXL_20210827_222225036.jpg
We did the twisties on the way there and back. I was really impressed with how well this chassis handles even with all that I still have left to replace. V8 power left the 6 pots in the back and I lost my friends more than a few times... Ended up chasing a Golf GTI most of the drive back on the pig trail, and try as he might he couldn't shake grand dads old auto beige Bimmer. Once back to Fayetteville, I reset my OBC and tried to drive like a normal person and managed some very reasonable mpg's at 75-85mph.
PXL_20210829_193728408.jpg
Next trip is TexFest down in the hill country outside Austin. I know I will see some you guys down there.

[moroza]

Subframe mounts? Bad news; the only good ones are genuine BMW and those have been discontinued. I would invest my efforts into tracking down a NOS pair.

Two ideas for the shift surround:
1. Sell yours, make another without that cutout.
2. Get the ASC switch housing and install switches that do other things in there (got those secret hyper-jet installed yet?)

I was recently fiddling with wood trim, struggling to find the secret to a smooth but non-glossy finish. I managed it on one piece, sort of by accident, but the others spray too grainy or orangepeely, and sanding/buffing makes them shiny. Any ideas?

[okmike540i]

Subframe mounts? Bad news; the only good ones are genuine BMW and those have been discontinued. I would invest my efforts into tracking down a NOS pair.

Two ideas for the shift surround:
1. Sell yours, make another without that cutout.
2. Get the ASC switch housing and install switches that do other things in there (got those secret hyper-jet installed yet?)

I was recently fiddling with wood trim, struggling to find the secret to a smooth but non-glossy finish. I managed it on one piece, sort of by accident, but the others spray too grainy or orangepeely, and sanding/buffing makes them shiny. Any ideas?

Noted on the mounts. I am getting the ASC housing and switch from the guy I bought everything from next time he is in town. I will come up with something for it eventually.

Rattle can always leaves me with orange peel as well. Have you tried hitting it with 0000 steel wool? That will knock the luster off and leave a matte finish without scratching it up like wet sanding. If the peel isn't too bad it can hide that a bit too.

[dannyzabolotny]

The car made it to and from Ozark Euro Rally with no issues. It is in Eureka Springs Arkansas the same weekend as the big VW bug fest. Bug's are not my cup of tea, but still cool seeing all of them. Went with my buds, one in his E39t and the others in some glorified beetle with no AC. The Euro Rally was probably 75% water cooled VW's and 25% everything else. All German, no exceptions. It is about a 3 hour drive from Tulsa. Here are a couple of pics:
PXL_20210827_205522379.jpg
^ a good spot for low point lagers.

At Beaver Bridge after I may have passed a uniformed off duty park ranger in the double yellow.
PXL_20210827_222225036.jpg
We did the twisties on the way there and back. I was really impressed with how well this chassis handles even with all that I still have left to replace. V8 power left the 6 pots in the back and I lost my friends more than a few times... Ended up chasing a Golf GTI most of the drive back on the pig trail, and try as he might he couldn't shake grand dads old auto beige Bimmer. Once back to Fayetteville, I reset my OBC and tried to drive like a normal person and managed some very reasonable mpg's at 75-85mph.
PXL_20210829_193728408.jpg
Next trip is TexFest down in the hill country outside Austin. I know I will see some you guys down there.

See you in Austin! I’m going for Radwood and I’ll most likely stop by Texfest as well.

Subframe mounts? Bad news; the only good ones are genuine BMW and those have been discontinued. I would invest my efforts into tracking down a NOS pair.

Not a fan of the Powerflex poly subframe bushings? I’ve seen them on a lot of cars and they’ve held up quite well with no noticeable increase in NVH.