Well, my time with this car has come to an end. What a wonderful car and one I’ll truly miss, but it was time. It sat nearly all summer and was just getting to be a pain to maintain on top of the truck, e30, and e91. It went to a local guy who was looking for a neat older car to learn to wrench on, so I think it’ll suit him well. It remains the quietest, most solidly built car I’ve ever owned, it was seriously a tank. Hung the tail out in the snow pretty impressively too.

Replaced the blower motor before I sold it, and sent two sets of wheels and most of my e34 spares along as well. I’m excited to have the space back, one less project, and to be able to focus more on the E91 and E30. I still have the MOMO Heritage 6’s and the m-systems, if anyone was wondering haha. MOMO’s will be listed as soon as I wash them, and the M-Systems will hopefully get their restoration completed once the e30 is back on the road. 
 

Farewell to the E34 club, it’s been a good ride!

Let me know if any of you ever find a spare single one, I need a left side cover and fan (3611-2226273 and 3611-2226275, respectively). I have four genuine center caps so I’m good there.

Condition isn’t bad at all, the center caps are beat up but all functional, and the paint on the fans is actually quite good. Same for the black fan pieces. Even got the OEM hardware with them!

Pics:

Going to start driving this to keep miles off the E91, this still needs some things here and there but mostly minor stuff. Rear suspension work will probably continue to get put off, but ‍️

New output seal went on pretty easy, and found when pulling it that the output nut was finger tight. No bueno. Output flange came off with only a mild yank. I’m guessing most of the leakage was from that, but decided to do the seals anyways while I was there. I drove a new shift shaft seal over the old one (nearly impossible to pull the old one out without the transmission out of the car) and was not able to get it fully seated but it only protrudes slightly and would be pretty easy to pull to replace if needed now. It’s now double sealed so should be OK. 
 

Fixed the windshield wiper rattle too! Turns out the bushings were fine; the rubber grommet between the linkage and body had deteriorated and was letting it knock around. Tightened the nut after removing the old grommet and the issue is gone. 
 

Finally getting to the VCG and VANOS job as well. Wasn’t able to get the flywheel lock pin through the block hole after an hour of trying, so I used the wheel hanger pin from the factory toolkit to make sure the hole is right where it needs to be and double checked off the crank hub timing marks. The cam lock blocks will also be used so I think I’ll be fine. I’m certainly not the only one to do it like this, anyon with a LTW flywheel doesn’t even have the alignment hole so they have to do it this way. 

Got the VC off without issue, and in the process realized the oil leakage was far worse than I thought. I knew about the oil in the spark plug holes, but the rest of it was a bit excessive. I’ll clean up the VC when it’s off and the block a little more once all the new stuff is back on so I don’t get crud in the engine. 

Looks pretty clean in there overall! Not bad for 130k and nearly 30 years. A bit odd that the rear cylinder cam lobes look darker, but nothing is grooved or scored at all so I’m not worried about it. The original M20 cam was far worse when I replaced that and it still was fine.

Going to pull the VANOS unit next week, rebuild with seals and an anti rattle kit as a preventative measure, and toss it all back in. This car is finally coming back together and getting some much needed love!

Either way, I’ll get it up on ramps and check it out. Going to take care of the wiper linkage bushings, vacuum leak test, and maybe the VANOS seal/VCG while it’s laid up. Sunroof seal or drain line is leaking now too so that’ll be addressed as well.

P_Roloff said:

They’re my go-to for the e30 too, pretty much the only manufacturer that has 20W-50 that’s easy to find. Didn’t they change to Mobil more recently?

I think the partnership broke for a few years but looks like they are the current OEM supplier again per Castrol's website. https://www.castrol.com/en_us/united-states/home/castrol-story/newsroom/announcements/recommended-bmw-oil-supplier.html

someone said:

bp (February 15th, 2021), a world leading supplier of high-performance lubricants, and the manufacturer of the Castrol Oil Brands, is proud to announce it has been selected as the engine oil partner for BMW and MINI authorized dealers across the US, Canada, and Mexico.  This new five-year agreement re-establishes a long-standing partnership between these two premium brands as Castrol had been the engine oil supplier over a 14-year span. 

As part of the recent program, bp will continue to produce BMW Group’s branded engine oils which meet the OEM’s most recent and rigorous engine specifications including LL-17 FE+ and LL-12 FE as well as older generation specifications such as LL-01 and LL-04.  The BMW branded lubricant formulations are based on Castrol EDGE, a leading full synthetic brand strengthened by Fluid Titanium Technology which increases film strength, reduces friction, and improves lubrication under the intense pressure of high output engines.

“We are honoured to have been selected by the BMW Group to resume our position as their lubricant supplier.  The BMW brand is both iconic and globally recognized as a symbol of performance engineering, which is well aligned with bp market position.  We look forward to future collaboration in lubricant development as well as the pursuit of new sustainability initiatives,” said Laura Posadas Regional President, Castrol Americas.

Man those pics make me wish I was romping around in my 530i.

YoungCR said:

It's probably mentioned in the owners manual but "BMW recommends Castrol" was a thing forever! If I remember right E39/E46 oil caps even have the Castrol logo on them. 

They’re my go-to for the e30 too, pretty much the only manufacturer that has 20W-50 that’s easy to find. Didn’t they change to Mobil more recently?

Also: proof of snowmobile pics. I regret my decision somewhat, because as fun as it was to bash snowdrifts to and from and friends place there is a ton of snow in the engine bay at the moment. Guess it’s a tomorrow problem?

P_Roloff said:

Oil change, Castrol 5W-40 Euro full synthetic. Didn’t realize this stuff is BMW LL01 certified

It's probably mentioned in the owners manual but "BMW recommends Castrol" was a thing forever! If I remember right E39/E46 oil caps even have the Castrol logo on them.

Oil change, Castrol 5W-40 Euro full synthetic. Didn’t realize this stuff is BMW LL01 certified, which is cool. $35 a jug at the local O’Reillys, which is more than palatable considering it’s an old beater and you could probably fill a M50 with canola oil and be fine. But hey, never hurts to use the nice stuff. 
 

Ordered a (replacement) replacement VANOS seal from Beisan, once that comes in and gets installed in the new VANOS unit I’ll tackle the valve cover gasket. I don’t want to talk about how long the parts for that have been sitting on the shelf

I always forget how this thing is just a Bavarian snowmobile when it gets slippery out there, solid traction and more fun than a barrel of monkeys. Further confirmation that FWD is not for me.

Things that have cropped up in the last few months:

- Drivers rear door lock actuator completely stopped working. Replaced with a used unit this fall that I had sitting around and that fixed it for awhile, but it’s now completely dead. Probably going to have to yank the whole door panel off which really sucks.

- Wiper arm linkage bushings are borked. Rattles like a maraca over bumps especially under braking. I ordered a bushing set from a guy in Germany and they’ll arrive shortly, at which point I need to steel myself enough to tear out the linkage, blower motor assembly, etc. 

 
- Odd thunk (almost sounds like metal sheet flexing and releasing?) becoming more apparent and common. Happens on large rear end motions (bumps, driveways, worse when heavily loaded). Going to get under it next time I change oil to see if anything obvious is amiss.

- Trans is annoyingly stiff when cold, doesn’t love going into gear until warm, and still isn’t as good as it used to be. Wondering if the shop didn’t completely get all the air out when they did master and slave in the summer. 

- Rough idle on cold start, likely the VANOS actuator. Poor low end power as well so I just need to get the spare actuator I have finished up and installed. 

- Sunroof is rattling slightly. Not bad, but annoying enough. I’ve heard replacing the seal usually solves it, so I’ll pull it in the spring, check the clips and plastic bits and replace the seal. 
 

The joys of old cars! I’ve been so busy that it’s hard to fix stuff immediately and it’s deciding to be a pain all at once apparently. Planning to address a lot of it within the next few weeks hopefully and the rest will be addressed once it’s a bit warmer.

YoungCR said:

Well that’s a bummer. Are they under warranty? I would talk to customer service still, worth a shot at maybe getting the correct wheels you ordered. 

They were close out items, they did a buy tow get two to get rid of remaining inventory and I would bet they sold them all out. Hubcentric rings aren’t hard to get so I’ll just use that and chalk it up as a cost of cheap things.

No notable service performed, finally got around to checking the centerbore diameter of the MOMO’s I had on the car this summer and sure enough, the ID is definitely larger than 72.56. My guess is 74.1mm e39 fitment, so I’ll be buying a set of hubcentric rings for next year. Quite frustrating considering I purchased them new and chose the correct size, oh well. Definitely explains the persistent vibration!

Bassboy3313 said:

That's awesome about the excursion. We had a diesel excursion 7.3L when I was in high school and I loved driving that thing. I piled 10+ friends in that thing and went on road trips during the summers. Was great! My dad sold it when diesel was incredibly expensive years ago and now wishes he still had it. 

Oh man, that must’ve been awesome. I had a grand marquis with a front bench in high school and thought even that was pretty great, rolling 6 deep to lunch was awesome. I’m betting that just about everyone that had one regrets selling with how much value they’ve gained in the last few years!

The saga unfortunately continues for mine, fixed the power steering system (fought with a profusely leaking remanufactured PS pump right out of the box, super fun) and then promptly blew out a caliper piston seal two days later. Sigh.
 

Parts should be here tomorrow and I’m hoping to fix it Sunday. Going to go through and refresh all the brakes while I’m at it, not something I want to risk happening again, especially with how many friends I might have in the car or the weight I might be towing behind it. It’s had most of the hardlines replaced, soft lines are mostly original so they’ll all get redone. Replacing both calipers on the back at once, new pads and rotors all around, and inspecting front calipers as well. One of the fronts has been replaced relatively recently, I’ll be replacing the one that isn’t new as well. Cheap insurance for preventing a breakdown far from home.

YoungCR said:

Congrats! Welcome to the world of acquiring more shit you don’t need cause you can haul anything now

Thankfully, I’m out of room for the most part at my storage unit so minimal opportunities for more useless shit acquisition at the moment. Although it did come with a plow that I’m not sure what I want to do with yet, if that counts haha. 
 

Having the lumber capacity is going to kick ass though, I’d also like to do some camping trips with it if it proves to be reliable enough. I’m envisioning an air mattress in the back, screens for the rear windows, kitchen setup on the rear barn doors, and a nice big roof rack from a plumbing van (thanks @Jdesign for the e36 inspiration on that one) for hauling a canoe, bikes or random other gear. I’ve seen some awesome setups more geared towards overlanding and while this will be very budget minded and not involve off road travel I see a lot of potential for a great travelling rig here.

Oil change, 5W-40 Mobil 1 euro full synthetic. Also changed trans fluid with Redline D4, shifts were starting to feel notchier and trans fluid hadn’t been done in awhile so I went for it. Didn’t improve it as much as I’d like, unsure if it’s just wear or something with the replacement master/slave, or a worn clutch. Oh well.

Replaced the alternator at the same time, it was starting to whine again (voltage regulator I think) after only a year, I just sprung for a Bosch reman from FCP instead of the garbage warranty replacements I’ve been swapping out every year from O’Reilly’s. Here’s to hoping that lasts longer, the bearings were shot too already on the old alternator. I had no choice due to time when I first replaced it, but 20k miles seems pretty pitiful.

Flex disc is pretty well shot also, need to get that changed ASAP. Flying to Florida this weekend, so it’ll have to wait until the next. Already have the flex disc and driveshaft end bushing, just need to toss them in. I remember that bushing being a pain in the ass on the e30 last time I did one, anyone have a good trick for getting the old one out with minimal cursing? 
 

In other news, I bought a truck!

It’s big and very rusty but was very, very cheap. It’s a V10 4x4 limited, so pretty capable, shockingly comfy and full of features, absolutely massive inside, and gets somewhere around 10mpg. Did I mention it has a lot of interior space? It’ll fit 4’x8’ plywood sheets with the 2nd row folded and the 3rd row removed

Long story on why it was cheap, but it very much figures that the day I bought it, I got it the hour home and was running to the post office to mail the registration documents and the power steering box shit a seal. It emptied the contents of the reservoir in about 20 seconds and left a very nice snail trail in my wake from work to the O’Reilly’s parking lot. Still working on fixing that, but getting closer. Need to get one line off of the pump, then it can all go back together.
 

Side note, I’d like to punch the engineer who put this hose outlet in the spot he did right in the mouth. Can’t get it off with the pulley on. Ugh. 

Brakes are sticky on at least one corner too, but otherwise it seems pretty okay. I’m fully expecting other things to crop up, but it was driven regularly and maintained well before I bought it so the hope is that it doesn’t become too needy. Verdict is still out on what I’ll do with it, I bought it to tow and promptly found a hidden rust hole in the hitch receiver. Tank has to be dropped to replace the receiver, so I may just do that in the spring once it proves whether it’s going to be reliable enough to invest the time into for that. Stay tuned!

m42b32 said:

That's awesome!! Congrats on the pickup!

Also, what site did you order the heritage 6's from, directly from MOMO? I've always really liked the look of those. 

Edit: Found it! I'd have some on the way if they did a 16. I'm thinking these might still look good in 17 on the e30... hmmm

Realized I never answered the question here! Yeah, I bought them directly from MOMO, they did a buy two-get two sale this summer and early fall with free shipping on top, so it was only around $760 for the full set. They’re HEAVY though, other than the potential centerbore issue they weigh like 25-27 lbs apiece compared to the 18 or so of the m-systems, it’s definitely noticeable. More of a street wheel in my opinion, but no less cool as a result.

patsbimmer1 said:

Is the shaking at all speeds?  If it's most prevalent in the 55-60 mph range that sounds like a wheel/tire issue.  When they balanced them did they road force them?  There are imbalances that can be fixed using a road force balance then re-orientating the tire on the wheel.  If you had a bent control arm/tie rod or most other suspension components you're gonna get a crooked steering wheel or a pull when you loosen your grip on the wheel.  Those components directly impact your alignment so there would be another drivability symptom.

Nope, really just 55+ and gets more severe above 62 or so (indicated). At 45-50 and below it’s buttery smooth, I actually didn’t even notice until the day after I got it back because I never broke 50 on the way home. 
 

I’m sure they didn’t road force them, I’m guessing they don’t have the capability but I know of a few shops around that can. I just find it odd that it’s worse than when I took it in, and noticeably so. They mentioned adding a half ounce or so of weight to a few of the wheels but their general vibe was that they were pretty close so I’m a little leery of that being the cause. I wouldn’t think that much weight would make this significant of a difference, but you never know. 
 

No noticeable pull that I could feel, although e34’s tracking straight ahead is kind of a crapshoot with the box anyways. Steering wheel is definitely off center, and while it wasn’t perfect before it seems like it’s more significant then before. I might swap my old (known good) wheel set back on to see if that solves the issue, and if it doesn’t it’s going straight back to them to figure out what’s up.

P_Roloff said:

Haven’t checked with a caliper, but it should be. Ordered the standard fitment 72.56mm centerbore when I purchased, and they fit tightly when installed a few weeks ago. 
 

I had the car flat bedded into the shop, I wonder if the tow driver strapped over a control arm and bent it? Or a tie rod? Anything think that would be enough to cause a vibration like this?

Is the shaking at all speeds?  If it's most prevalent in the 55-60 mph range that sounds like a wheel/tire issue.  When they balanced them did they road force them?  There are imbalances that can be fixed using a road force balance then re-orientating the tire on the wheel.  If you had a bent control arm/tie rod or most other suspension components you're gonna get a crooked steering wheel or a pull when you loosen your grip on the wheel.  Those components directly impact your alignment so there would be another drivability symptom.

patsbimmer1 said:

Is the center bore on the wheel the same as the stock e34?  If not, buy a set of hub rings.

Haven’t checked with a caliper, but it should be. Ordered the standard fitment 72.56mm centerbore when I purchased, and they fit tightly when installed a few weeks ago. 
 

I had the car flat bedded into the shop, I wonder if the tow driver strapped over a control arm and bent it? Or a tie rod? Anything think that would be enough to cause a vibration like this?