Anyone in Raleigh Area willing to have a wrenching day sometime soon?

[andyman32]

I have ramps, a jack and stands, but unfortuantely, my tool set is limited (relatively, anyhow) and I don't have a solid driveway or garage in which to work. Plus, I'm about to get into some things that are new to me, so someone with more expertise than I have (which is pretty much everyone on this entire forum) to look over my shoulder would be much, MUCH appreciated.

I will be:

- replacing water pump & coolant hoses
- replacing power steering hoses
- replacing upper control arms

Things I can do myself with no problem are new pads & rotors, alternator cooling pipe, and fuel filters.

If anyone were willing to do this with me, some sort of remuneration would be justified. Say, $100 cash.

Big thanks in advance,

Andy

[billb]

If anyone were willing to do this with me, some sort of remuneration would be justified. Say, $100 cash.


but that's a little different. If we ever end up getting together, say, down at Bret's farm, we can all take a look and offer advice, I'm sure. I took my 525 to my indy to do upper and lower arms, and haven't had any issues with the power steering hoses. You might consider doing the radiator too, as well as thermostat, if you're going to be doing all the hoses and the water pump. Also might consider swaybar bushings and links if doing the upper control arms.

And I can toss around insults all day for free... :D

[andyman32]

Well, I'm not a seasoned home mechanic, I'm learning. So, I'm not sure I have the right tools, and I could easily screw things up if I don't have more knowledgeable eyes looking over my work. I've found a lot of places where Bentley's is somewhat ambiguous, and most illustrations are of the I6.

As for the radiator, etc., I've already ordered over $1,000 of parts from BMA. On a student's budget, that's the rough equivalent of "throwing insane amounts of money at the car". If I acquired another $1k of parts to do "while I'm in there", it'll sure save time & frustration, but I'll have to start whoring myself out on weekends to pay for the parts (why do I keep finding myself threatening to whore myself out on the weekends?).

I don't think the radiator is cracked, there's dried coolant on the cooling fan, and all over the bottom of the hoses attached to the water pump (as well as the pump itself). It is supremely problematic because the coolant reservoir empties itself in less than a week. So, I think doing the water pump and hoses will (hopefully) be enough for now. Elective surgery will have to wait until I make the big bucks with my Philosophy degree.

PLUS - while the car is up and relatively disassembled, I need to hunt down an oil leak somewhere right above the driver's-side motor mount. The motor mount and subframe crossmember are soaked.

[Tiger]

Do yourself a favor... There is another oring that needs to be changed when you change the water pump... unfortunately it requires removing the intake manifold... I dreads to do this job... always some tiny leak... I may plunge into it someday.

[Tiger]

Valve cover gasket is your oil leak... you also need new thermostat housing. If your waterpump is not leaking, don't change it... wait till it does. I would bet majority of leak near it is from thermostat housing.

[andyman32]

BTW - I did get a new thermostat as well.

[andyman32]

On this water pump the thermostat housing is built in to the pump, so i ordered a whole new water pump. I hope to high heavens that the water pump, thermostat and hoses together stop the leak. I saw in Bentley's that one symptom of leaking coolant and cloudy/steamy exhaust is a bad headgasket. I KNOW the car has bad hoses because I can visually locate the leaks, and there is coolant pooled in the splash guard when I take it off. However, my car does have somewhat cloudly exhaust sometimes. I thought the guy I bought it from said he had just put headgaskets on...

[warton]

...gut-wrenching that is... ;-)

[andyman32]

Haha...

Well, my theory is that I'd rather spend my money on tools and have an opportunity to learn (and MAYBE have fun, but probably not), than to always get cold feet and just take it to the mechanic (no offense to the professional mechanics here... ha). It is terribly useful to have a thorough working knowledge of your car.

P.S.: Tiger, I don't think it's a valve cover gasket. I just spent some time looking around with a flaslight; it looks like it's ONLY coming out of the spot where the oil lines connect with the block on the driver's side there, then leaking down those lines (and dripping all over everything else).

However, i can't seem to find new oil lines or those little o-rings on BMA.

If oil lines are all that are leaking, WOOHOO!!!

[Rigmaster]

Andyman, come out to the BMW farm one day, and we'll tear your car up....err, I mean, fix your car up good!!

I don't have alot of indoor workspace, but I can help you out if you want.

Let me know.

Thanks!

Bret.

[Tiger]

That's not the same thermostat housing I am talking about... the one I am talking about is the other half where the hose attach to... that plastic housing leaks as it ages...

[Tiger]

Ahh... power steering hose leak... yes, got that too.

[andyman32]

Oooh... BMW farm... woooooo.... this sounds like the kind of place I want to be!

(Tiger: just wait until you price out the 3 power steering hoses. Better pray you don't have self-levelling.)

[andyman32]

Is there any significant difference between aluminum Lemforder control arms and steel Meyle ones (esp. given that I'm on a somewhat tight budget)?

[andyman32]

Here's what the through-bolt bushing on the driver's-side upper control arm looks like:

http://www.andywhalen.com/images/DCP_1391sm.jpg

The right-side bushing looks exactly the same, only it's not soaked in oil.

[632 Regal]

you really ready to do that waterpump ehh? better be ready to make sure the tubes that go from the pump to the back of the engine dont pull out of the back side or youll HAVE to pull the intake.

Just figured id give you the heads up on that PITA.

[andyman32]

Crikey... I'll try and remember that. :-\

[ScottyWM]

Another warning on the radiator. I was trying to get another year out of mine, but had to replace the hoses. Went to remove the hose from the radiator and the plastic flange broke right off. Now I have a new radiator like it or not.

Had my indy do my front end. Haven't worried about PS hoses yet. Have done the t-stat and h2o pump a couple times, but on my 6 banger.

I can, however, hold a beer and armchair quarterback very well. Would like to see Brett's Bimmer farm too.

[PatrickPGH]

Check out this thread from last weekend. I've been contemplating many of the same repairs on my 530i.

http://www.bimmer.info/forum/showthread.php?p=41087

Many thanks to Messerschmitt for the help.

Patrick (in Pittsburgh)

Love to be able to drive down to Raleigh and join y'all on the farm




Haha...

Well, my theory is that I'd rather spend my money on tools and have an opportunity to learn (and MAYBE have fun, but probably not), than to always get cold feet and just take it to the mechanic (no offense to the professional mechanics here... ha). It is terribly useful to have a thorough working knowledge of your car.

P.S.: Tiger, I don't think it's a valve cover gasket. I just spent some time looking around with a flaslight; it looks like it's ONLY coming out of the spot where the oil lines connect with the block on the driver's side there, then leaking down those lines (and dripping all over everything else).

However, i can't seem to find new oil lines or those little o-rings on BMA.

If oil lines are all that are leaking, WOOHOO!!!

[andyman32]

Heh... well, I emailed Bret. I hope we can do a get-together in the next week or 2. You guys can do a show & shine, and I can do a "holy crap what's this leftover part sitting on the ground here!?"

[salansky]

I'd love to join y'all too. My poor ride has been very abused lately. I just drove back from a meeting with my builder a few miles down a gravel/dirt road and now my black car is white! I'm also leaking coolant - no doubt a fine job by my indy who did a flush last oil change. I also need a new set of hubcentric rings I'd like install on the farm. I destroyed my last set last winter when I swapped the basketweaves.
A few weeks from now is good for me - lets try to get a date going and I'll try to bring a case of CBC.
-jack
95' 540/6

[andyman32]

Woohoo, BMWs and CBC, this gets better yet!

Hey, Jack, if you find hubcentric rings, buy me a pair too - I can't find them on BMA. I don't think I have any on my front end right now and I'm having alignment problems; I'd like to eliminate the cheapest options first. Obviously, I'll pay you back for 'em.

I'll find out what dates Bret would like, obviously not everyone will be able to make it but we'll try to find something that works for most of us.

[billb]

Hey, Jack, if you find hubcentric rings, buy me a pair too - I can't find them on BMA.



I've in fact never used their site to order directly. I still always call Patrick (or Yves)...

[andyman32]

Thanks Bill, I just wrote an email to Yves.

[callen]

Yea I didn't do it the FIRST time...ended up pulling water pump twice cause of orings on OTHER side of tubes....must pull intake...big job but chance to change out PCV plate and install new intake manifold gaskets which make the V-8 purrrrrr

Callen 91 535i 94 530i 89 735il

[andyman32]

Shucks... this project grows by leaps and bounds.

I just talked to Yves on the phone and I've got the whole set of intake manifold gaskets, and I dropped those (apparently crappy) Meyle upper thrust arms in favor of the Lemoforders with 750 bushings.