BMW advice

[Aaron]

Ah thanks for the info. Typically, the numbers after the series designation are rough displacement, so I go off that, 3.5 in your case, 2.5 here. Not so true anymore, but close enough. Mine is the M20. From what I hear, it has no potential for power, but is a bulletproof engine that'll go forever. Seems to be the case, 213k it still pulls like a 3800lb 170hp car should, and sounds perfect (No noises).

That sucks the trans don't interchange, the 535 manual might be kinda tough to find. But 400-500 isn't bad, if it works good.

Yah I figured the exhaust would be, hell even GM used stainless 20 years ago! I don't think mine is leaking, though I know my muffler isn't worth a shit, so maybe it isn't stainless. I don't plan on fixing it anytime soon though.

I'm not going to go that far into mine, as my paint isn't that mine, but I'm going to wash it and grab a few pics.

Also, plan on redoing your suspension. I guess the 5's are known for needing shocks every 30k, 60 at the max. Mine are absolutely shot, it never stops bobbing on the highway. I can't wait until I can afford to fix them!

[Aaron]

Oh yah, wanna sell me your CD changer?

[The Dark Side of Will]

Interesting... my user's manual says that the 525 weighs in the3400's and has 170ish HP. The 535 is listed at 3570 with 208 HP and the M5 in the 3700's with 311 HP.

Let me see if the CD changer works, first.

I've read that about the 5 series shocks also. I haven't had the opportunity to drive this car on the highway, but from the test drive and driving it around the block here, it feels ok... we'll see how it does in actual driving. I haven't looked, but the PO tells me it has Bilsteins on the back. He only had it for a year and apparently bought it with its transmission problem. He didn't have any issues with it because he does almost exclusively highway driving. The PPO may have done the shocks/struts.

[Aaron]

I could have sworn I saw 3800 with the auto somewhere, let me look. Wiki shows 3484, probably north of 3500 with an auto. They also show a 10.5 0-60, which sounds about inline with what my car does. Maybe my 3800 guess was a bit high, I'm not sure.

I may not need it afterall. I've got the wiring to the trunk for it, but it isn't there. Someone put in a newer JVC CD player, and it says it can play CD/MP3/AUX. But when I put a CD in, whether it's audio or MP3, it flashes "Please Eject." I'm not sure why it won't play CDs or anything, it's a newer CD Player. I'm going to try and figure it out.

[S8n]

I don't know the exact displacement, but the engine is the M30B34, which is in the 3.4-3.5 neighborhood. It says 3.5 on the intake manifold. The 325's got the M20B25. Your 1990 car should have the M20 also. I don't think the M50 came out until '93, but I could be remembering that poorly.

BMW engines are called MXXBYY where XX is the family/series and YY is the displacement. Motorsport engines are designated S instead of M.

The M20 and M50 are BMW's "small block" engines. The M30 is the "big block". For '93 or '94 the M30 was replaced with a V8 (I don't know the designation), which had the Nikasil liner problems. The V8 cars are the 530, 540, 545 and 550.

Both the M20 and M30 are mated to the Getrag 260 transmission. They have different bellhousing patterns, so the boxes don't interchange.

After crawling around under it a little today...
I see that the exhaust is stainless. The catalyst heat shield is not and is on its way to rotting.
The shell or heat shielding (not sure which) around the muffler just behind the catalyst is thoroughly rotted. The innermost structure could still be stainless, though. I can't tell.
The exhaust DOES leak slightly at the joint between the catalyst and the cat-back. I saw vapor coming from that joint when I was test-driving the car. So it may not need such significant exhaust work as I initially thought.

Also, the PO told me that the exhaust has to be dropped to get the transmission out, but it looks like this might not be the case. I'll see when I actually do get the trans out.

It'll probably take a couple of weeks to get a transmission, so I may yank the current trans and take it apart to see what's wrong with it.

Pics will probably wait until spring when I can get it clean and wash/wax/detail. I'm not a pro by any means, but this is the first car I've had that's even close to worth the effort.

The V8 designation starts with M60. M60B30 in the 530 and M60B40 in the 540 and 740. You will need to drop the exhaust to do the trans, the center bearing of the driveshaft has to be unbolted to get the diveshaft off of the transmission (unless the driveshaft has problems somewhere).

[The Dark Side of Will]

The V8 designation starts with M60. M60B30 in the 530 and M60B40 in the 540 and 740. You will need to drop the exhaust to do the trans, the center bearing of the driveshaft has to be unbolted to get the diveshaft off of the transmission (unless the driveshaft has problems somewhere).

It really needs a V8 with the designation LS3.

I noticed that I had to drop the driveshaft (and by extension exhaust) after I crawled around under it some more... D-OH!

What are the valvetronic V8's called? The new DI turbo V8's? The new M3 V8?

[Nashco]

It really needs a V8 with the designation LS

QFT

[Aaron]

Any updates Will?

[The Dark Side of Will]

It's up on stands and I broke two of the studs connecting the manifolds to the exhaust. Other than that I haven't had any time to work on it. Buying a house is time consuming.

[Aaron]

That sucks! And with the engine tilt, it's kind of tight there no?

Pics?

[S8n]

Take the mechanical fan off and unbolt the trans cross member. Tilt the engine back. Use a torch to heat up the manifold with the broken stud and hammer it out. Get it nice and hot or it can be a bitch. The new twin turbo DI motor is a big bitch. Compact width wise but tall with the turbos on top and still needs the liquid intercoolers. Also the exhaust runs down the back of the motor and around the bell housing. Fun times for me in the future.

[The Dark Side of Will]

Sounds like a Jaguar V12.

How hard is it to pull the manifolds off the engine and what problems are likely to arise with that? I'd rather pull the manifolds off and work on them on the bench than F#$% around with them in the car.

I have access to a well equipped machine shop, so I can machine broken studs out if nothing else works.

[Aaron]

The new twin turbo DI motor is a big bitch. Compact width wise but tall with the turbos on top and still needs the liquid intercoolers. Also the exhaust runs down the back of the motor and around the bell housing. Fun times for me in the future.

Worth it all, cause goddamn is that a fantastic engine!

[S8n]

Sounds like a Jaguar V12.

How hard is it to pull the manifolds off the engine and what problems are likely to arise with that? I'd rather pull the manifolds off and work on them on the bench than F#$% around with them in the car.

I have access to a well equipped machine shop, so I can machine broken studs out if nothing else works.

In removing the manifold, you are more than likely going to break a couple of the studs on the head. If they don't break, the manifold can go in and out pretty easy, some good room on that side of the engine. The studs at the bottom are just pressed in. I can literally replaced all four studs in five minutes. The only issue I see for you is getting the heat there. Use some good penetrating oil to start with, then some heat, getting it red hot. I use a two pound hammer to knock it out. The new stud can go in with the manifold cold, just line up the splines with the old one.

[S8n]

The new twin turbo DI motor is a big bitch. Compact width wise but tall with the turbos on top and still needs the liquid intercoolers. Also the exhaust runs down the back of the motor and around the bell housing. Fun times for me in the future.

Worth it all, cause goddamn is that a fantastic engine!

Time will tell, I have yet to have a TT V8 X6 in the shop. The TT I6 is a good motor, but i've gotten real good at replacing the high pressure fuel pumps on them. It's a mechanical pump driven off the back of the vacuum pump and the control valve sticks open or closed. So either you get really low fuel pressure (3 bar) or really high fuel pressure (200 bar) when it should be 50 bar.

[The Dark Side of Will]

The new twin turbo DI motor is a big bitch. Compact width wise but tall with the turbos on top and still needs the liquid intercoolers. Also the exhaust runs down the back of the motor and around the bell housing. Fun times for me in the future.

Worth it all, cause goddamn is that a fantastic engine!

Time will tell, I have yet to have a TT V8 X6 in the shop. The TT I6 is a good motor, but i've gotten real good at replacing the high pressure fuel pumps on them. It's a mechanical pump driven off the back of the vacuum pump and the control valve sticks open or closed. So either you get really low fuel pressure (3 bar) or really high fuel pressure (200 bar) when it should be 50 bar.

50 bar? That's only 750 psi. That seems pretty low for direct injection. GM's 3.6 uses 4 digit pressure. I have no idea what pressure the VW/Audi FSi engines run.

[The Dark Side of Will]

Sounds like a Jaguar V12.

How hard is it to pull the manifolds off the engine and what problems are likely to arise with that? I'd rather pull the manifolds off and work on them on the bench than F#$% around with them in the car.

I have access to a well equipped machine shop, so I can machine broken studs out if nothing else works.

In removing the manifold, you are more than likely going to break a couple of the studs on the head. If they don't break, the manifold can go in and out pretty easy, some good room on that side of the engine. The studs at the bottom are just pressed in. I can literally replaced all four studs in five minutes. The only issue I see for you is getting the heat there. Use some good penetrating oil to start with, then some heat, getting it red hot. I use a two pound hammer to knock it out. The new stud can go in with the manifold cold, just line up the splines with the old one.

I was wondering how easily the manifold would come off.
One of the studs came out of the bottom of the manifold. It wasn't pressed in. It unscrewed. It has 8mm threads at both ends, but the shank in between necks down to 6mm. Sound familiar?

[S8n]

I was wondering how easily the manifold would come off.
One of the studs came out of the bottom of the manifold. It wasn't pressed in. It unscrewed. It has 8mm threads at both ends, but the shank in between necks down to 6mm. Sound familiar?

Does not sound familiar, but I bet someone else has already had to replace a few of those studs on your car.

[S8n]

50 bar? That's only 750 psi. That seems pretty low for direct injection. GM's 3.6 uses 4 digit pressure. I have no idea what pressure the VW/Audi FSi engines run.

Sorry, I should have specified that it is pressure at idle. Is the 3.6 wall guided injection?

[The Dark Side of Will]

Finally was able to put aside some time to work on the car. I got the exhaust out yesterday evening. Are the fasteners that hold the catalyst to the cat-back through bolts or studs? I'll post some pictures of the manifold studs that broke a bit later.

I'm currently trying to get the driveshaft out. I've taken out all six guibo bolts and slid the shaft back ~3/8" (took up the plunge in the CV joint at the Diff) but I still can't get the driveshaft disengaged from the output flange of the transmission.

What's the trick to this?