Keeping Her...sort of

Decided rather than selling it to give it to my sister.  Granted, it has the frame issue, but that doesn't affect how it drives.  Just means I might need to replace the driveshaft every 3-5 years.  However, I'd been suspecting the head gasket for a while, hadn't driven it much, then drove it, and checked the oil, sure enough, now it's milky.  So, I'm pulling the head and doing the head gasket.  Got if off this weekend (jeeze that thing is heavy) and it's off to be checked and decked.  Didn't see any clear break in the head gasket, nor do I see any sign of a crack in the head, but we'll see what the shop says when they check it.  Here are pics of the current carnage:

Selling her

Decided that she's not the car for me. It's very sporty and solid, but these old cars just aren't relaxing on long trips. I have the 318is for sporty feel, and it's hard to bean a car that light, and I'm going to use the Benz as a long-trip/relaxing car, so this one really doesn't fit anymore.

Portland Bound

Heading to Portland Saturday morning to check out another potential project....it's an illness. On the upside, I'll be driving the e28 as she's running well and I need to put some miles on her. So far she's more fun than the e34.

Finally solid

Got it back, turns out the transmission mounts I installed were the wrong kind. It was my first order and I spec'd it as an 88, so I don't blame BMA as they probably classified it as an e34. Also got the valves done right, and got some DIY instruction from the shop owner as I watched him do it. Apparently I was leaving them way too loose. Plus they spec .1 on the intake and .12 on the exhaust and I was doing .12 on both.

Runs well now. Still doesn't quite idle like I'd like it to, and there is a dip in power around 3k rpm, so I've got some fine tuning to do. I also need to get some miles on it to get the cobwebs out. She's finally solid enough that I can drive her regularly.

The Bilstein shocks are a little stiff for my tastes, so I'll be anxious to put the Koni's in soon. Here she is all buffed up:

The tach and mpg gauge recently went out, and the trip computer has been dead since I got it, so there is probably a loose connection back there that I'll take care of soon.

Cost: $425

Off to the shop

Replaced the center support and guibo, but the driveshaft still hit the cat. Decided to take it to a local shop as I have no comparison for an e28 to know if it's a driveline issue or an exhaust issue. The mechanic put it up on a lift and it appears clear that the exhaust is being held pretty high, which might be the main issue. It looks like the exhaust was welded with sagging motor mounts, now with proper mounts it's too high. He'll tinker on it a little and see if he can get a 2nd set of eyes on the tuning. I normally do this with most project cars just as a 2nd set of eyes to pickup anything I've missed. Hopefully I'll have it back in a day or two.

Sooooo close

Dropped the driveshaft this weekend to replace the center support bearing and guibo. The guibo probably didn't need it, but figured while I'm in there I should do it. Also plan to replace the shifter shaft seal and rear trans seal. Turns out the connector link on the driveshaft was loose, and the center support was sagging pretty badly, probably as a result of the loose connector.

While I have it off I also planned to do a complete shifter rebuild, as that's pretty much the only time you can get access to the bits needed to replace, when the driveshaft is out. Turns out the e28 shifter connector is different than the e30, which surprised me, so I had to leave it on jack stands and wait for the correct part to arrive. If I'm lucky it will be here on Friday (from BMA, they are super fast) and I'll get her on the road.

On the upside, it passed it's emissions test on the first try, which really surprised me. Cold start still isn't right, but other than that it seems to run ok, though in need of more tuning. Anxious to get it solid so I can drive it.

Sure enough, replaced the steering linkage and the steering is perfectly smooth now. I did discover what the knocking noise was. The driveshaft has a grease fitting on it, and it's striking the heat shield. The driveshaft itself is iffy, so I'm going to check it out but probably pull the fitting out or dremmel it off, then plug it. That will allow me to drive the car for a little while. I'll plan on dropping the entire driveshaft later and doing a rebuild anyway. I'll have to pull it, because it appears that not only the rear main seal, but also the shifter seal are leaking on the tranny. Plus, I dropped a Z3 shift lever in it, and I need to get in there and replace the front shifter support bushing, which requires removal of the driveshaft anyway.

Steering issue

Finally found out why the steering has been so weird. I pulled off the u-joint between the steering box and the steering column and it was completely trashed. Barely able to move in one axis, and completely frozen in the other. Unfortunately this is a dealer-only part, and it always takes them a while to get it, so I probably won't have the part for at least a week....bummer.

Cam Wear

When I did the valve adjustment, I looked closely at the cam, it has pretty significant wear on the #1 lobe. The car will probably run ok for another 50k, but I will likely get a junkyard engine and do a bench rebuild. That was part of the reason I got the car anyway, so that I could do a new motor at some point. I'll get her solid and run her for another 20k or so, probably 2 years, then think about doing a new motor.

Back on it

Nope, decided that the e28 is so close to being road-worthy that I'll tackle it first, then do the e34 later. The e28 has been relegated to the 15" wheels that came off the e34 though, but they look nice. Initially I won't bother with lowering the car or anything. For now I want it to be "off-roadable" so that I can drive down dirt roads to get to mountain biking trails. For that the 15" wheels are fine. I'll just need to get some mudflaps/splash guards so that rocks don't ding it.

I think I know what's causing the steering issue, and I'll try to address that this weekend. Still not sure on the thumping, but I should be able to figure it out. I also found that the main oil leak in the back is from the oil pressure sensor. Someone installed the wrong one and doesn't look like they used a gasket. I have a new one on order.

I will probably go ahead and address the CSB and shifter linkage soon too. Once those are fixed the car should be a solid driver.

Nut job and new car

Dang, dodged a bullet. Local guy was advertising help on e28's, claiming to be an expert. So he comes over, has some good input, but is pretty much a blow hard. Gets lots of things flat out wrong, but I tolerate it because it seems like he has some good info. Well, I let him know what I want him to do, essentially focus on the motor, get it running right, don't bother with the rest, I'll take care of it. Well, he pretty much throws a tantrum because I'm a fool if I don't do everything he says I should, and apparently every car except for the e28 is a piece of crap, and everyone who doesn't agree with him is an idiot. So, I blow it off. Well, he comes back a couple days latter apologetic, so I figure I'll give him a second chance. About 4 emails later he's back in tantrum form. Apparently I'm an idiot if I have him do the valves, even though he'd previously said they needed to be done, same with the cam sprocket, I needed it, now I'm an idiot if I replace it. Apparently according to this guy cam sprockets and valve guides don't ever wear out...yeah right. Nut job. I guess I should have walked away when he indicated that he was proud that he'd been banned from the e28 forums....yeah...right...nut job.

Good thing I didn't let him touch the car, he'd have screwed it good.

Anywhoo, I couldn't resist, found a 1990 535i manual, 118k miles. Paint is trashed, suspension worn, interior needs work. But, the engine runs well, no brake shimmy, no vibration from the drivetrain, and no body damage. Good candidate to fix up. Has a few electrical issues, but nothing that looks too difficult. I'm thinking I'll shelve the e28 for a little while, get the e34 up to snuff, then I can tinker on the e28 at my leisure. This means I'll probably be selling the 2007 328. Even worn out the e34 feels more fun to drive. Here's a shot from the ad. Because it's wet in this image you can't tell, but someone has started sanding the paint in preparation for a full respray but didn't finish, so the paint is completely shot.

Oh yeah, according to the nut job, all e34's are crap because of the heater core...yeah...right.

Subframe

Turns out the steering mount was completely sheared off. I got the mWrench fix for it, and when I removed the bolt holding the steering gear the mount fell off.

It had obviously been welded before, and not very well. Took a while to file down the slopping welding so the fix kit would fit (this is an awesome fix btw, highly recommended). Unfortunately this didn't fix the pulsing in the steering or the rattle on accelleration. Fortunately I think I've found an e28 guru who should be able to come over this week to help me diagnose some of the issues.

There is a good chance the head gasket has gone, as I notice a little milky-ness in the oil, though this could be due to condensation, we'll see.

Front subframe

Finally found what was causing the steering issue. The front subframe mount for the steering gear is almost completely sheared off. Common on these cars. A bit of a PITA because I really need to get the emissions test done so I can register it, but this needs to be done first. I'll drop the front subframe and have a local shop re-weld and add some gussets. Obviously someone did a sloppy job of trying to fix it before, and the weld didn't hold.

Replaced the power steering pump. There were also several clamps that were loose, which has allowed the PS fluid to leak for a while. I'll have to clean it up. Now I'm just waiting for the front Bilsteins to show up so I can get it back on the ground.

It doesn't seem to start right, idles poorly when first started, but fine after that. I'll have to do a full road test. My gut tells me it's it idle stabilizer valve, but I'm not sure. Once I get it back on the road I'll worry about that.

Cost:

O2 sensor: $140

PS Pump: $120

Total: $3511

Updates

Been a while since I've posted. Ran into some minor issues on the car. Got under it and replaced the oil pan gasket, valve cover gasket, motor mounts, tranny mounts. However when I got done it ran poorly, and the steering had an odd pulsing, as if the power steering was turning on and off. The brake "blink" was still there as well.

I determined that the poor running was the O2 sensor. It had been replaced at some point with a generic one, so I yanked that and put a proper factory one back in. I also replaced the brake bomb as I determined that was the cause of the brake blink, as well as the stiff brake pedal.

Well, while I was at this I decided to go ahead and do the strut mounts and rear shock mounts since I already had the parts. After removing one front strut (Bilstein HD's), I checked it's action and it locked down and would not return. The rears are ok though. So now I need to replace the front shocks. I'm also pretty sure the power steering pump is shot, so I'm going to do that as well. I lucked out and found a used front set of Bilstein HD's for $50 shipped, so those are on the way, and I'll go get a power steering pump sometime this week. I'll update all the costs later. Hopefully this will get it back on the road and I can get an emissions test so that I can register the car properly.

Rust

Found a little rust earlier. I've stripped and treated it here.

There was also some around the license plate lights. These are common areas for rust, and the rust on the end is because there was a small ding on the back that had been painted over. Pretty minor stuff considering the age. I'm expecting to find more on the floorboards, and if that is all I find then I'm doing pretty well.

Also got a big shipment of parts. Decided I'd list the price for the parts when they arrive, rather than when I install them. I got:

• Rear control arm bushings
• Differential mount
• Transmission mounts
• Motor mounts
• Trunk seal
• Front and rear emblems
• Subframe bushings (had these in my parts bin from the e24 so didn't need to order them)

Cost: $370

Total: $3251

Cleaned up

Well, I spent about 3 hours and got the passenger side all spiffed up. The roof is still a mess, and the water spots on the trunk and hood will take a while, and I haven't addressed the driver's side at all, but the difference is huge. Tons of rubbing compound, polishing, and finally wax, and it really needed it.

It will never be better than a 10 yard paint job, but at least it's shiny and free of oxidation now. I also have the e38 wheels mounted. Need to get a 3mm spacer for the front as the wheel weights on the inside of the rims touch the struts, until then I have 2mm washers behind the wheels, but don't trust them enough to drive the car off the island.

I got a shipment of parts from BMA and installed the new throttle position sensor. That has improved the performance under full throttle, as there is less of a dip now. Once I put the O2 sensor it that should fix that. Might need to have the injectors flushed though, not sure.

Cost: $275

Total: $2881

A Little Love

Couldn't resist getting this:

Got one for the 318is too.

Cost: $20

Factory Radio

Got the Factory CD33 radio installed and the iPod working with it. Using the Dice Silverline adapter, and the cables I got from the junk yard on Saturday. Took a while to get it wired up, and the new radio is deeper than the old ones, so it was a tight fit, but now I have iPod support. Right now I have a glove box full of the wiring, as the adapter is intended to wire all the way from the trunk, I'll have to come up with something creating there, might actually wire it back to the trunk, who knows.

Score!

Went down to B&R wrecking to check out the CD changer cable to a Z3. I have a CD33 head unit, and a Dice adapter, just need the cables. Got them, the car I pulled them out of had a CD33 head unit, so hopefully it will work with the iPod adapter.

However, while I was there I found a set of e46 sport manual seats and also got the Z3 shifter lever.

Here they are test-mounted in the car. Turns out the front holes line up perfectly. The rears are too far back so they are only test mounted at this point.
The seat belts even clip into the new mounts perfectly. On the e28 the rear holes are lower then the front ones, but I have washers to compensate for that. Also, as mounted they are probably just a hair off center, a little too close to the center console with too much gap on the outside. Not sure if I'll do a custom mount or just drill holes in the back of the rails and leave as is.

Huuuuge improvement over stock. No slop, tons of adjustment, and they look mint. Seems frivolous but I've found a firm seat really improves the connection to the car and the feel of solidity.

Also in this pic you can see there is a slight tilt to the passenger seat. Just a matter of shimming with washers. I did that on the driver's seat and it's perfectly level.

I also found an Autozone on the way back and picked up the $20 cheap-o shift knob I've been using in the 318is. I like it because it's weighted, and clean. The knob that was on the car was in pretty poor shape, and when I went to remove it, it became clear it had been glued on, so I had to cut it off. Apparently it came loose at some point so they just glued it on.

The Bentley manual from Amazon ($40) also arrived today, as well as a mint set of e38 style 5 16" wheels ($250 delivered, I'll cover those when I install them). Since I already have a set of SP8000 tires in the correct size for them, they are a perfect fit. However, I won't mount them till I get the suspension sorted out and a proper alignment done, as the alignment is currently waaay out of spec.

While inspecting the underside of the car I did also notice that there has been some welding on the steering box mount. This is a common failure item on this car. I'll have to see if it's still solid. If not I'll have to drop the front subframe and get it welded and reinforced. A little labor intensive but a pretty cheap job if it needs it.

Cost: $545

Coolant fix

The coolant level warning light had been on since I got the car. I'd checked and the level was fine, figured I'd replace the sensor. Turns out it was just corroded contacts. Cleaned them off and no more issue. I am still getting various brake light issues, definitely related to corrosion on the contacts, just need to clean them a little more thoroughly.

Tail light fix

The left rear blinker was out, and I'd noticed periodic bulb warning lights. Normally this is corroded contacts. Sure enough the contacts were very corroded, so I took both tail lenses out and cleaned the contacts with a dremel wire wheel. Fixed it right up, no more phantom bulb warning lights.

Next on the list is the coolant level sensor and a complete coolant system flush. There are some small sparkles in the coolant, so possibly the water pump is going out, I'll see if they persist after the flush.

Parts on the way

First round of parts orders.
eBay owners manual: $15
Bentley off Amazon: $40
Intake boot: $17
Couple of hoses: $10
Spark plugs: $30
Brake reservoir cap: $30
Idler arm bushing: $19

Next round will be all the engine rubber bits, like motor mounts, etc...

Cost: $161

Total: $2361

Seat Test

Wanted to determine what seat would fit in the car, so I pulled one of the e90 seats out of the 318is and dropped it into the passenger side. Looks good. More importantly it has plenty of height adjustment to work in this car. It only has one bolt holding it in place, it's just there to test. But it's convinced me that I'll put these seats in the car once I find suitable e46 seats for the 318is.

I'm sure I'll eventually want e46 seats in both cars, but I can reuse these till then.

Steering wheel

Popped the Momo wheel out of my 318is just to see if the e30 hub would fit and how the wheel would feel in the 535is, to see if it's an upgrade I'll want to do down the road. (what with the Queen Mary stock wheel and all).

We'll see how it feels, though this is low on the priority list of upgrades.

Looks like it's going to take a LOT of elbow grease to get the paint looking decent. Spent about 2.5hrs on it this morning and only got the hood and trunk done, and the hood still has significant water-looking stains that need to be buffed out.

The upshot is that I haven't gotten it on a lift yet, but checked at it looks like the car already has Bilstein HD or sport shocks, and it sits lower than I think the stock car does, but the springs look factory, so it probably has M-tech springs or something. Swaybars are stock though.

Given that, I'll probably leave the springs and shocks as is, just take car of the rubber bits, better wheels/tires, and some bigger swaybars.

Arrival

Got tired of my e90, and loved my e30 318is, so I decided to get an e28 as a long-distance car. Found an 88 535is in Oregon, solid car, good shape. Hasn't been abused but hasn't been restored either. 230k miles, got it for $2200. Here she is on arrival:

The only unexpected item is that the paint is in poor shape. It's been resprayed, and not well, but the upshot is that it appears they used good paint, just didn't prep well. It's peeling in some spots, but mostly is just chalky and faded. I knew that with enough elbow grease it could be shined up. I couldn't resist, when I got home to do a test patch, buffed up the corner of the hood.

The difference is pretty huge, but it took a little more effort than I expected, so it's obvious doing the whole car is going to be a full-day job. Can't wait.

So, based on a quick evaluation and a little drive time, here is what I can tell the car needs so far:

• Shift linkage is completely worn out, lots of slop in the shifter
• Alignment is out, pulls to the right
• Has a pretty decent size oil leak
• Needs some tuning to get the idle right, and has a flat spot in the torque curve, this is probably just a matter of tuning it right
• Wheels need balancing, but the tires are pretty old so that could be the cause
• Some shudder on acceleration and the rear end is a little squirrelly, definitely subframe bushings, possibly some driveline stuff as well, I'll have to get under there to be sure
• OBC light is out
• Upper strut bushings are worn out, but the overall suspension is pretty tight, seems the big items were replaced, but other items were missed. Fixing those should really tighten it up
• Seat leather is in good condition, but the driver's seat cushions are worn, and there is a lot of slop in the passenger seat. I'd always planned on replacing the seats, so this isn't really a concern.
• I'm told it runs a little hotter than normal when stopped, this is likely the fan clutch.
• The top of the brake reservoir cap is broken, will need to replace and flush the system as I'm sure it's absorbed a fair amount of water.

Other than that it's really sold, 99% stock, and hasn't been abused. No sign of rust, and everything I can find works.

Cost: $2200