"Something Else"

[Alex SBY 0]

I suspect amongst some viewers my latest purchase will go down about as well as a bucket of cold vomit. I've actually debated whether or not to post any photos of this, but thought what the heck. We're all car enthusiasts after all...

 

Anyway, my latest acquisition. Wait for it, a BMW 530i Touring, 'E34' shape. It's a manual transmission car and has such luxuries as a trip computer, air con and electric windows. All working too.

 

There is a story behind me getting it, which I won't bore you with here but suffice to say this was an unexpected arrival and one that was too good not to buy. It was so reasonable I had to get it, as it were...!

 

Anyway, enough waffle. Pictures. Some viewers may want to look away now. I suggest you press "back" now if you are of a squeamish disposition relating to BMWs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Whilst it isn't bad at all it isn't perfect. There are the odd things that need doing to it but I'll get these addressed as and when.

 

The plan originally was to use this thing throughout the depths of winter, primarily to save putting the other cars through the salty season. Yes, I know that a rear wheel drive car is not ideal for snow...

 

Since purchase, I've done a thousand miles or so in it, and today spent a happy afternoon shall we say, 'stretching the legs' of the Beemer with Vard. It's most definitely fit for purpose for the plans we have for it. If you catch my DRIFT...

 

Here it is, looking somewhat agricultural earlier.

 

 

After that picture was taken, we popped over to see Dan, who very kindly supplied us with a new expansion tank cap. By this time, we'd noticed that the engine bay hoses were starting to be a little hard. Not a good sign.

 

After saying farewells, Vard started up the BM, and I suddenly noticed steam appear. Not good.

 

At first sight it appeared that a hose had popped off the water pump. With kind help from Dan we tried to get it sorted, however it soon became apparent that water pump housing where the hose fits onto had sheared. Great.

 

It also became alarming to note that the coolant that was emerging was very oily. That'll be why it was over-pressurising then. Headgasket(s). Nice.

 

It's now been recovered back to Vard's, and is now a non-runner. So from Hero to Zero in five minutes. But at least the strange issues I'd been experiencing are now explained.

 

Options to move forward:

 

1) SCRAP IT (my preferred option).

2) Repair.

3) Bin the M60 engine and fit either a 4.0 or 4.4 M62.

4) SCRAP IT.

 

It's clear that Rover HGF was one of BMW's presents...

 

Currently now considering options. Vorsprung Durch Technik etc.

 

Yes, I know I should have got a straight six.

[Anjenha 44]

Munky is going to cum in his pants

[Vard66 1]

Maybe, but he's more likely to be unbearable about being right.

 

 

Joe, when you get to this, we want to know, lest the 30 should be fecked; what is the procedure for dropping in a 40 or better yet, an M62?

 

I seem to recall talking to someone with a conversion - 40 in an E30 316, who iirc was saying something about just needing the lump and the management to go, plug and play, but maybe that's selective memory.

[Alex SBY 0]

SCRAP IT.

[Anjenha 44]

I had a headgasket in the Alfa Spider....no biggy... £400.....

 

but the oil wasn't mixing...so wasn't so bad I guess (No deposits around oil filler cap)

[Vard66 1]

Plan, incidentally, is to take the heads off, investigate if they're gonna be alright (and I'm expecting they will be fine, as it overpressured, but never actually overheated the system), and put a couple of new gaskets in.

 

I reckon, worst case, the heads may need a skim, but I really can't see that they'd be fecked. That said, I haven't contemplated the thought that the previous owner had let it overheat at any point.

 

Either way, it's going to cost nowt to have the heads off and have a look-see, so that's the plan.

 

Anj, there isn't really a lot of oil ingress into the coolant, just a mild haze of rainbow on the surface. The issue seems to be that it's breached between cylinder and a coolant channel somewhere, so is losing compression into the coolant, and pressurising it like a mad bastard.

 

Quoting up how much it'll cost, so far we're looking at <£60 for the head gaskets, plus the PCV for ~£30, and Alex is thinking we might as well do the inlet manifold gaskets, so ~£60.

[Anjenha 44]

Plan, incidentally, is to take the heads off, investigate if they're gonna be alright (and I'm expecting they will be fine, as it overpressured, but never actually overheated the system), and put a couple of new gaskets in.

 

I reckon, worst case, the heads may need a skim, but I really can't see that they'd be fecked. That said, I haven't contemplated the thought that the previous owner had let it overheat at any point.

 

Either way, it's going to cost nowt to have the heads off and have a look-see, so that's the plan.

 

Anj, there isn't really a lot of oil ingress into the coolant, just a mild haze of rainbow on the surface. The issue seems to be that it's breached between cylinder and a coolant channel somewhere, so is losing compression into the coolant, and pressurising it like a mad bastard.

 

Quoting up how much it'll cost, so far we're looking at <£60 for the head gaskets, plus the PCV for ~£30, and Alex is thinking we might as well do the inlet manifold gaskets, so ~£60.

Mine was major, full skim and new rods Oil and coolant never mixed, which I didnt get, but it drank water like a fish and overheated twice

 

If it's a cheapy job, keep it Fix and sell baby

[Vard66 1]

Neg, Anj. Fix, strip, drop, DRIFT.

 

In that order.

[Alex SBY 0]

Neg, Anj. SCRAP.

 

In that order.

 

Well, QUITE.

[Anjenha 44]

Neg, Anj. Fix, strip, drop, DRIFT.

 

In that order.

EVEN BETTER!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

When you have them

[2spark 6]

Spray it pink and drift the crap out of it

[jhc 28]

Did I mention when you asked me about this that a cheap bmw v8 would be a fucked bmw v8?

 

And that the overpressurising was the headgasket.

 

And to buy a 6 pot because the v8's are horrible.

 

I'm pretty sure I did... but Noooo , Munky's just being a drama queen, a pessimist, a doomsayer..... We'll ignore his helpful advice based on experience and buy this pile of wank, it will be fine...

 

Retards.

 

Dropping in a 62 is possible, probably quite simple... but for the price of good engine you cold buy a whole e39 6 pot.

 

PS, the heads will need skimming, and you'll find that out once you've put it all back together and wasted all that money and time doing it only to find out you have to do it again. Mwah x

[Alex SBY 0]

I must admit, your words were ringing true when this happened.

 

This'll teach me to stray into marques I have no knowledge of and risking another 'sight unseen' purchase on eBay (I'm often quite lucky, but I guess that luck ran out).

 

Anyway, I'm tempted now to go down the route of fitting an M62 4.4 unit.

 

My concern is not only how long I drove the car in this state (a thousand miles), but what the previous owner may or may not have done. He could have cooked the bloody thing for all I know.

 

It is worth pulling it to pieces to have a recce, but TBH I don't think it's worth the time/effort rebuilding/skimming an engine with 197k on the clock.

 

I'm thinking 4.4...

[jhc 28]

OK, my desire to be smug is satisfied now so I'll try to be helpful...

 

I'm not entirely sure what an m62 swap would need but I'm fairly sure it's the same block, the revisions were all top end. So in theory it should be a pretty simple swap. Whether the manual box off yours will work is a different matter, I seem to recall there being issues and needing a box from an 840 at huge expense, but I may be wrong.

 

Things like wiring are no concern though, so the new engine loom will plug straight in to the existing body loom. The you will need the ecu and possibly dials. Engine mounts and radiator are a possibility. And obviously all engine ancillaries.

 

Bmw alloy heads are notoriously fragile when it comes comes to heat so if you do plan to rebuild I think not having it skimmed/checked for cracks would turn out to be a false economy.

[Kev Bassett 1]

Future classic...

I like older Beemers compared to the modern day counterparts!

[jhc 28]

It's a future baked bean can...

[Alex SBY 0]

It's a future baked bean can...

 

I'm not the one needing convincing to SCRAP IT.

 

But let's see what the what is. If it is a total disaster the bitch will get weighed.

[Vard66 1]

But not before we've done some more research into fitting the M62...

[Alex SBY 0]

I must admit. The thought of the M62 4.4 is making me grin.

[jhc 28]

Buy a 540

[Vard66 1]

Find us a manual Touring!

[jhc 28]

Look into whether your manual box will work, I fear you may be in for a disappointing surprise

[Vard66 1]

Well, logically if the block is the same, just further bored, the box should fit by default.

[jhc 28]

You'd think...

[Vard66 1]

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/sh ... 713&page=5

 

Seems to suggest it's a bit of a hotchpotch of which bits we'll need to take from the M60B30 onto the B44 to make it work, but beyond that it looks like it's mostly going to be plug and play, just with a bit of part swapping to contend with.