M-Sport Steering Box questions...

[MTechnik540i]

Alright fellows,

Looks as if I have a significant leak coming from the Pitman arm seal on the Steering box of the 540i M-Sport. From what I've gathered, there's no replacement seals for these so to eliminate the leak, it requires replacing the entire box.

You guys have any suggestions/tips for what I might want to do in this situation.

It just so happens that a Steering box is roughly $1,600!!

Also, I must mention it's obviously been colder lately, and I know one needs to take in consideration the contraction of certain gaskets and seals in cold weather.

TIA!

[Johntee540]

I picked up a reman 540 steering box from VF for $300 on Ebay. Do a search on my post here and it will give you the ebay seller name. - JT

[Kalevera]

A few options.

Infinicar in the UK has at least two servotronic boxes from euro 3.8 cars, one of which is on ebay. Both should fit your car directly. You may have seen them mentioned on m5board, as one of their current parts cars belonged to a member over there. They want big money for that box, though. I am looking for the same thing to retrofit servotronic and a tighter ratio onto my 535 and my parts are coming from germany.

Another option is to buy the rebuild kit. The rebuild kit is just a bunch of seals, no hard parts. The part number is 32 43 1 162 736. I have no idea if the cut off date means anything, but...given that the pitman arm is the same across all E34, I would bet that the seal you need is in that kit.

Edit: oh, and another idea -- Will Zaraska (www.willz.ca) has a canadian spec '93 M5 parts car that should have a servotronic box. Price will be up there.

[MTechnik540i]

A few options.

Infinicar in the UK has at least two servotronic boxes from euro 3.8 cars, one of which is on ebay. Both should fit your car directly. You may have seen them mentioned on m5board, as one of their current parts cars belonged to a member over there. They want big money for that box, though. I am looking for the same thing to retrofit servotronic and a tighter ratio onto my 535 and my parts are coming from germany.

Another option is to buy the rebuild kit. The rebuild kit is just a bunch of seals, no hard parts. The part number is 32 43 1 162 736. I have no idea if the cut off date means anything, but...given that the pitman arm is the same across all E34, I would bet that the seal you need is in that kit.

Awesome!

Thanks a lot, both of you!

BTW, it appears that rebuild kit is the same for LOTs of E34 models, as well as others....

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/partxref.do?part=32+43+1+162+736&showus=on&showeur=on

[MTechnik540i]

I picked up a reman 540 steering box from VF for $300 on Ebay. Do a search on my post here and it will give you the ebay seller name. - JT

I assume the E34 540i Steering box is the same as the M-Sport? Non-specific...

[MTechnik540i]

A few options.

Infinicar in the UK has at least two servotronic boxes from euro 3.8 cars, one of which is on ebay. Both should fit your car directly. You may have seen them mentioned on m5board, as one of their current parts cars belonged to a member over there. They want big money for that box, though. I am looking for the same thing to retrofit servotronic and a tighter ratio onto my 535 and my parts are coming from germany.

Another option is to buy the rebuild kit. The rebuild kit is just a bunch of seals, no hard parts. The part number is 32 43 1 162 736. I have no idea if the cut off date means anything, but...given that the pitman arm is the same across all E34, I would bet that the seal you need is in that kit.

Edit: oh, and another idea -- Will Zaraska (www.willz.ca) has a canadian spec '93 M5 parts car that should have a servotronic box. Price will be up there.

Also, the Part# on the M5's box and the 540i's is different...Are they specific?

The 540i is a 10/95 and it does mention the cut-off date, like you said, at 9/93.

Would hate to put $80~ into it for it not to work!

[Kalevera]

The 540 box is probably 540 specific, as each car had it's own steering ratio. But I don't think the 540 box was used on the M540, which I am fairly certain used the euro 3.8 box in addition to the rest of the nurburgring suspension bits.

[MTechnik540i]

The 540 box is probably 540 specific, as each car had it's own steering ratio. But I don't think the 540 box was used on the M540, which I am fairly certain used the euro 3.8 box in addition to the rest of the nurburgring suspension bits.

Yeah, that's what I was initially thinking...With all the parts borrowed from the Nürburging Package cars. Check this out though, the part #s don't seem to line up on the two...

10/95 540i...

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=HE63&mospid=47410&btnr=32_0674&hg=32&fg=10


1/95 M5...

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=HC91&mospid=47387&btnr=32_0282&hg=32&fg=10


Along with difference in part #s, there's a couple hundred dollar difference between the two boxes also.

Regards,

[MTechnik540i]

A few options.

Infinicar in the UK has at least two servotronic boxes from euro 3.8 cars, one of which is on ebay. Both should fit your car directly. You may have seen them mentioned on m5board, as one of their current parts cars belonged to a member over there. They want big money for that box, though. I am looking for the same thing to retrofit servotronic and a tighter ratio onto my 535 and my parts are coming from germany.

Another option is to buy the rebuild kit. The rebuild kit is just a bunch of seals, no hard parts. The part number is 32 43 1 162 736. I have no idea if the cut off date means anything, but...given that the pitman arm is the same across all E34, I would bet that the seal you need is in that kit.

Edit: oh, and another idea -- Will Zaraska (www.willz.ca) has a canadian spec '93 M5 parts car that should have a servotronic box. Price will be up there.


Alright, So I ordered the part from the part# that you listed and received this...Wasn't exactly what I was expecting to find...

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g18/bmwm3n528/part1.jpg

Any ideas?

[Johntee540]

There were 2 Steering boxes ZF Manufactured for the 540. One was servotronic and the other wasnt. I had the non-servotronic Steering box. I bought the Servotronic Reman Steering Box and fitted it onto my build date 11/93 e34 540 - and it works fine. It is the same box - it has the electronics built into it to recieve input from the Servotronic system - but since I have no Servotronic - It just operates as the normal Steering box.

The 540 Steering boxes in the US were different than the US Spec 535/535 Rack and Pinion steering boxes. BMW had to use the different Box due to the fact that the rack and pinion boxes would not clear the V-8 motors. Hope this helps if at all - JT

[MTechnik540i]

There were 2 Steering boxes ZF Manufactured for the 540. One was servotronic and the other wasnt. I had the non-servotronic Steering box. I bought the Servotronic Reman Steering Box and fitted it onto my build date 11/93 e34 540 - and it works fine. It is the same box - it has the electronics built into it to recieve input from the Servotronic system - but since I have no Servotronic - It just operates as the normal Steering box.

The 540 Steering boxes in the US were different than the US Spec 535/535 Rack and Pinion steering boxes. BMW had to use the different Box due to the fact that the rack and pinion boxes would not clear the V-8 motors. Hope this helps if at all - JT

Yeah, I read that in your other thread. Still waiting to hear back from that ebay seller you listed, to see if that's one of his ~$400 remanufactured units are a possibility.

[Kalevera]

Alright, So I ordered the part from the part# that you listed and received this...Wasn't exactly what I was expecting to find...

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g18/bmwm3n528/part1.jpg

Any ideas?
Wow, me either. I wonder if that's a mis-pick. It looks like it has harness connectors for the servotronic brain on one end, who knows what's on the other side. Have no idea why it's marked as a tool. I'll check the P/N again on tuesday.

[MTechnik540i]

Wow, me either. I wonder if that's a mis-pick. It looks like it has harness connectors for the servotronic brain on one end, who knows what's on the other side.

Yeah, that was my first thought when I saw it.

I'm puzzled why it's called a 'Tool' also.

May get ahold of my ZF contact tomorrow, see if he might be able to assist me.