1995 E34 BMW 525i Sport

[Ian A]

Spectacular.

 

[carmad.]

i acctually said ohh out loud

 

[TheDaniel]

*while fitting* - "Don't scrape it, don't scrape it, don't scrape it, don't scrape it......"

 

[cauld1]

Oh wow, that is special

Cheers Pete, it's a lovely bit of kit. Definitely glad I didn't go for a GSR one, albeit I'm sure it's a perfectly good bit of kit, the karbonius finish seems a step above!

Delightful!

I’m sure that was cheap!

Thanks. Ehhh, I'm not thinking about that . The paperwork has gone into the folder of other invoices for this car, never to be added up.

Good lord, that is a work of art!

Thanks!

Definitely worth the wait!

Absolutely was, can't quite believe how nice it is.

Put that on the bloody wall

At the rate work on this is going it might be the more sensible approach

Spectacular.

Thanks

i acctually said ohh out loud

Haha, I'll not write down what I said opening the box

*while fitting* - "Don't scrape it, don't scrape it, don't scrape it, don't scrape it......"

That terrifies me a bit tbh. Managed to mark two bits of paint putting it together before!

Updates! Albeit boring ones!
I've ordered bolts for the mains, bolts for the oil pump, arp head studs and some miscellaneous other wee bits. Starting to get back into the car now, so will be taking the vanos unit off soon to replace and also pull the head off to change the head gasket. Kind of a no brainer while it's out of the car.

I've let my dad work away at the wiring. So far the loom will be a bit simpler with a lot less of the spare wiring BMW added for options etc. Helps to have a spare loom sitting for reference for this.

Got the valve cover off to strip down clean and probably cerakote. It'll not be seen but nice to know it's all nice and clean.

Some bits in the engine bay needing attention. Holes to be welded up for front brake lines, going to run them inside the car so there will be little to no brake lines seen in the bay (small hole to bottom left), the bigger hole was where the diagnostics port sat, whilst it looked good it was unusable so will be getting filled. Check the rust in the seam too, so that'll be getting addressed also!

As I'll be running a fly by wire throttle, the throttle cable hole can go too!

Took the arch liners off and good to see the gravitex holding up well 5 and a bit years later.

Also had a supervisor today

The sump got a wee clean ready for the baffle to be welded in. This was rubbed down and painted (on the outside) with Halfords aluminium high temp paint years ago and has held up really well I think.

And with the baffle set in

And S54 with the valve cover off. The vanos guide was broken which seems common enough so will be replaced. Interestingly the exhaust hub tabs look good but will see how they are when removed. Regardless the exhaust hub will be changed.

 

[Steve750]

Is your upper timing chain guide far through? Just looking at your pic, you have a hack engineering plate bolted onto the inlets, what’s the craic with that?

 

[cauld1]

Is your upper timing chain guide far through? Just looking at your pic, you have a hack engineering plate bolted onto the inlets, what’s the craic with that?

Amazingly it doesn't seem too bad. I'd expected to have bits of it fall out when the sump came off tbh. Will still be changing it for a Beisan one.
The plate is just a 3d printed cover they do to cover the inlet holes and stop crap falling in, have their ones on the exhaust side too. Gives a good tight seal and I could not be arsed making one from wood this time.

 

[Steve750]

Ah that’s handy, saves stuffing them with newspaper haha

 

[cauld1]

Got a day in the garage today. Got the vanos removed from the S54. I'd been putting it off but tbh, it was quite handy.

Unit off

Exhaust hub tabs were fine, as was the chain tensioner. Just the guide at the top broken....will be changing it all anyway to future proof it.

Next up, cams out and head off. Nothing like things spiralling really

 

[Steve750]

I found removing the camshafts a bit scary because they are so easily broken if u apply uneven pressure. Do you have the bmw special tool for the removal? Or just backing off cap 3 and 5 quarter turn at a time? I’m about to do refit mine and will be glad to see them on in one piece!

 

[cauld1]

I found removing the camshafts a bit scary because they are so easily broken if u apply uneven pressure. Do you have the bmw special tool for the removal? Or just backing off cap 3 and 5 quarter turn at a time? I’m about to do refit mine and will be glad to see them on in one piece!

I don't have the special tool! Would be terrible to break them and end up going down the slightly hotter Schrick cams route .

Anywhere handy to get the special tools?

 

[Steve750]

I don't have the special tool! Would be terrible to break them and end up going down the slightly hotter Schrick cams route .

Anywhere handy to get the special tools?

I had the same idea of schrick cams if I heard a loud snap . Not sure where to get the pressure tools, they aren’t really needed tbh

 

[dddrrift]

have you got the timing tools for building back up? I had to borrow them for a guy in Dublin when I had the head off mine! Maybe more readily accessible now though!