No suggestion, but once you get this issue sorted it sounds like you have a pretty nice car on your hands. Congrats.
Long story but here it goes.
Back a couple months ago someone had seen a 91 535IM 84K for sale on Auto trader in VA. Hakwuzhere was good enough to go by and look at the Island green girl and gave it rave reviews about the paint and interior condition<< His soooo correct. He didn’t get to test drive her because the Tranny was in the trunk. I talked with the Indy about the vehicle and he stated that the car was towed into the shop because she would not start, but after changing the plugs, wires Distributor cap and rotor, crankcase senor and the maf. The car started and was running. During the test drive the INDY stated the clutch was slipping and now the car would not go into gear. There next plan on attack was to put a used 5 speed tranny into the car and that should fix the issue. So I thought … Ok you are going to replace the tranny, but not the clutch? I called the salesmen and stated that I was interested, but your Indy stated they were going to replace the tranny, but not the clutch. This didn’t make sense. I told him I’d give him $2000 less than the asking price to take the car as is. Replacing a 5spd @ 84K on the clock seems a bit unreal. After about an hour he calls me back and agreed. So I drove up and tow her back to my local INDY.
Well after sitting for a while till he got a chance to look at her he start going over the tranny and found nothing wrong! I thought great! He discovered the clutch was toast and the rear seal and front tranny seal too. He replaces the clutch and seals and buttons her up. Now is starting to get weird. The car starts but then dies after a few seconds. He checks fuel pressure and goes over everything done prior to make sure it was done right. Still the same it starts and dies. He replaces the ECU with a known good. Still the same. About now his brain is hurting. He setup a remote start so he could get a better handle in the bay. After a few try of this and that he notices the water pump/AC/power starring belts were only spinning a little when the car was turning over. Ah all is revealed. After taking off the front belts and all discover that the Hub that bolts to the crankshaft is spinning on the shaft. After pulling that part the key was gone and the hub cracked to the core. A new hub arrival a day later and was affixed to the shaft. He gave the girl new fluids radiator, oil diff, and power steering and brake fluid. The engine purred like a kitten on a blanket. He said let me go over a few things and come by this afternoon and pick her up.
Well when I arrived that every noon he stated the car ran great the R12 brings icicles. Shocks were good, the Battery needed replacing. The tires seemed a bit out of round from sitting for months, but the suspension and upper thrusts were fine. The only concern was an oil smell. He thought perhaps that some oil got on top of the cat and was burning off, but he would to rack it just to check. After she was up and the rack new oil covered the bell housing. He stated she want be going home today till I find out where it coming from. I’ll have to drop the tranny and look. I called the next day and he said the oil was coming from the new rear seal and perhaps the top and the oil pan. He put dye into the system and a little was getting though the seal. He cleaned the areas and put sealer into the area along with a new rear seal positioned a little further back on the shaft, perhaps the crankshaft had a groove cause the issue. He stated that the sealer needed to sit overnight and cure.
Ok I call Friday and the car was just back from its 5 mile test run, and the same thing. Oil leaking from the rear seal onto the flywheel and all over the new clutch and bell housing. Well Monday the M30 oil pan will be dropped to see anything odd. He suspects the rear crankcase bearing letting oil shoot directly onto the rear seal causing the leak.
Anyone else have any suggestion? So much for driving my E34-5SPD tomorrow for my birthday.
No suggestion, but once you get this issue sorted it sounds like you have a pretty nice car on your hands. Congrats.
that was epic, you made the minor problems i currently have with my e34 seem insignificant!
hope things turn out ok with the car, one day i will get to drive a 5 speed 535 and see what it's really like.,..
Well, my first thought is this. the rear main seal is in front of the flywheel and the clutch disk is behind the flywheel. Any engine oil leaking from the rear main seal will just get spun off the front side of the flywheel and drip out the bottom of the bellhousing. Unless it is raining oil in there, the oil should never come in contact with the clutch.
Does any one know of the flywheel holes on the crank shaft penetrate all the way through the flange? I am almost positive they do, confirmation from someone would be nice.
Oil will wick up the bolt threads and come out on the clutch side of the flywheel. This is a common problem with improper installation of flywheels on all cars that the bolt holes on the crank flange penetrate through into the oil gallery behind the last main bearing.
The solution is simple, remove the flywheel and clean the bolt holes and bolts with brake clean and reinstall using thread sealer such as locktight (not the red stuff).
The other option, is that the input shaft seal on the trans is leaking and the oil is traveling up the splines and accross the disk. But since you stated the tech used dye, I would be inclined to trust his opinion that it is engine oil.
sounds like you have an inexperienced tech, hopefuly he won't charge you too much as he learns your car.
"Shade Tree BMW" in Raleigh The shop rates are $60. He a recommended INDY from several people on this board " and I've been taking my 93 525 for about 5 years. He has had 20 plus year working only with BMW and porsche.
Another question would be the why is bell housing is not just dripping from the bottom. The seems to come from the top and the housing also. With only a 5 mile test run and the amount of oil present it has to be a good size leak. The fly wheel was coated and throwing oil. Back of the valve cover perhaps?
Ahhh very cool, glad to know he is well versed, I apolgize if I have offended.
Imagine spining a disk over a foot in diameter to 5000RPM and driping a tiny bit of oil on it. Huge mess from a small amount of oil. I have seen rear main leaks get oil up ontop of the trans, nothing too terribly unusual here.
I hate to second geusse professionals, if he is convinced the oil is not coming from the VC gasket, then its probably not. If the oil is leak is substantial at all. running it for a few minutes on the rack will eliminte that easily. I am sure he has no desire to pull the pan and root about in there, so he will probably cover all the other bases first. Wouldn't hurt to mention the idea about the flywheel bolts being sealed though.
Having said all that, I am feeling a bit itchy about all of this. Every tech has their own way of dealing with testing, and if it works for them then it works. I would never take a car on a 5mile test drive after fixing a large leak without letting it run in the shop for a while, but that is me. And when folks start talking about major internal issues my knee starts to get a little jerky, but even though most problems have simple answers, sometimes simple problems do have exotic answers.
If the guy is really as good as folks seem to think, then I would trust him.
P.S. last thought, any chance you have two leaks? one from the engine into the bellhousing and one from the trans into the clutch? maybe that was why the trans was diagnosed as bad in the first place.
[QUOTE=joshua43214]
If the guy is really as good as folks seem to think, then I would trust him.
QUOTE]
...I'd take my BMWs there anytime, no questions asked.
Bill B.
95 525i
My INDY stated that the flywheels bolts are dead ended on this car and are not drill through. So no leakage can not occur through these. On pre 89 535's the bolt holes are drilled through and do leak he stated. The valve cover gasket was replaced with the valve adjustment and is not leaking. As of right now he still suspects the crank bearing closest to the rear seal.. He want know until the pan is droppedStill awaiting to drive my new baby. My Used 19lb stage III bosch injectors arrived today via mail. $50 shipped to the door. You have to love EBAY!