What did you do to your E28 today?

General conversations about BMW E28s and the people who own them.
SeattleGuy
Posts: 737
Joined: Jun 25, 2018 6:26 AM

Re: What did you do to your E28 today?

Post by SeattleGuy »

MattC wrote:Received my newly wrapped leather steering wheel from Chris Scow at Leatherwheels.com.

I'd highly recommend his work, which is both affordable and very well done! Turnaround time is quick as well (only a couple days).

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That's great to know! Yes his prices are great. And I preferred my 533i hoop to the 535is hoop for sure. I am likely moving back East in the spring -- outer Philly. I will PM you for some ideas. I don't need to be right near the city but I do feel a need to be near somewhere I can ride a dirt bike like a KDX 200/220 or something.....
dsmith
Posts: 2362
Joined: Jan 20, 2012 12:52 AM
Location: Charleston, SC

Re: What did you do to your E28 today?

Post by dsmith »

Finally had something to fix on my e28. My cruise cable snapped, so I dug out a spare, cleaned it up and installed.
richardb
Posts: 112
Joined: Jul 20, 2011 2:39 PM
Location: CT

Re: What did you do to your E28 today?

Post by richardb »

Not much work on the 533i these days since the car is in storage. But, dug out this old video of an E9 I almost bought last year:

https://youtu.be/OZn_kYu4ytY
tn535i
Posts: 5590
Joined: Jul 14, 2006 1:30 PM
Location: Middle Tennessee

Re: What did you do to your E28 today?

Post by tn535i »

This past weekend I finally changed out the last two tires on the 535 after doing the front a few weeks back after getting a flat. I've been having some fun with the old rear tires every time it rained but wanted to wrap up before winter sets in. I have a home grown method to remove and mount the new tires and honestly breaking the bead is the hardest part but putting a new tire on a clean rim is surprisingly easy to do. I balance with a homemade shaft and my son's motorcycle balancer. Not a dynamic only static and no road force check but OK. I use adhesive weights in the center of the rim and get it easily within 1/4 ounce. In fact I can test the wheel alone first and rotate the tire if needed to keep weight as low as possible.

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I ran the car up to (let's just say illegal speeds) and it's very smooth. It still has all it's weird noises for whatever other problems but rides much nicer now. It was raining today and so I can really feel that wet traction is greatly improved compared to a week ago. For anyone considering a more budget end tire I am a fan of the GMax AS05 as my son has had them on his LGT and they perform really well there and feel great on the 535. Snow traction yet to be decided if/when we get some.
amagansa
Posts: 254
Joined: Jan 16, 2017 12:38 AM
Location: Vallejo, CA

Re: What did you do to your E28 today?

Post by amagansa »

A week ago I acquired a black sport seat for cheap. Today I was finally able to mount it. The motors didn't work and it wasn't mint, but it was still solid and thanks to the wealth of info on the forum I was able to figure out how to manually adjust the seat and get the correct hardware, also bent the seatbelt buckle straight. Feels great but haven't gone on a spirited drive yet.

Also replaced a bunch of vacuum/intake hoses. Some were really bad. Don't you just love it when rubber turns to plastic?
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rochareels
Posts: 116
Joined: Sep 28, 2013 12:25 AM
Location: San Diego, CA

Re: What did you do to your E28 today?

Post by rochareels »

I put my fancy red door cards in finally. Had them in the closet forever!

ImageBMW 524TD by rochareels, on Flickr
Mike W.
Posts: 27207
Joined: Feb 12, 2006 12:00 PM
Location: California Whine Country

Re: What did you do to your E28 today?

Post by Mike W. »

tn535i wrote:This past weekend I finally changed out the last two tires on the 535 after doing the front a few weeks back after getting a flat. I've been having some fun with the old rear tires every time it rained but wanted to wrap up before winter sets in. I have a home grown method to remove and mount the new tires and honestly breaking the bead is the hardest part but putting a new tire on a clean rim is surprisingly easy to do. I balance with a homemade shaft and my son's motorcycle balancer. Not a dynamic only static and no road force check but OK. I use adhesive weights in the center of the rim and get it easily within 1/4 ounce. In fact I can test the wheel alone first and rotate the tire if needed to keep weight as low as possible.

I ran the car up to (let's just say illegal speeds) and it's very smooth. It still has all it's weird noises for whatever other problems but rides much nicer now. It was raining today and so I can really feel that wet traction is greatly improved compared to a week ago. For anyone considering a more budget end tire I am a fan of the GMax AS05 as my son has had them on his LGT and they perform really well there and feel great on the 535. Snow traction yet to be decided if/when we get some.
With old style cone and cup bearings I used to balance just using the front wheel/hub. The heavy spot would drift to the bottom and I'd put a weight up top. Now I wouldn't attempt something like that on an E28 as hypersensitive as they are on the front end, but on simpler cars it worked fine. I think I still have a coffee can of old wheel weights waiting a destination. :laugh:
HayekFan
Posts: 490
Joined: Aug 19, 2011 8:20 PM
Location: TN

Re: What did you do to your E28 today?

Post by HayekFan »

Did a windshield install after getting the car painted. I've got a new OEM windshield on order but for unexpected reasons needed to drive the car immediately so installed the original windshield temporarily.
tn535i
Posts: 5590
Joined: Jul 14, 2006 1:30 PM
Location: Middle Tennessee

Re: What did you do to your E28 today?

Post by tn535i »

Mike W. wrote:Now I wouldn't attempt something like that on an E28 as hypersensitive as they are on the front end, but on simpler cars it worked fine. I think I still have a coffee can of old wheel weights waiting a destination. :laugh:
Difficult to see in my pic but I've made a hub of sorts that the wheel centers on and all the rest of that simple hardware pushes the wheel against my hub. I have in effect hub centering rings I've made on my lathe for 3 BMW sizes, Subaru and Hyundai.

I don't think our cars are as sensitive as some suggest. My e28 has a noticeable brake surge up front right now and that is what is setting up some shimmy from 50-60. It's not my new tires or my balancing or probably even the aging UCA's which are 10+ years old. In fact I ran it about 75-80 again the other day and only thing I need to address is a slight rear end steering with accel/decel. I only replaced one side a while back because it was completely shot and still need to do the other side.

I would never use the old style rim weights on any new wheels and most front faces won't accept any sort of wheel weight anyway. The method of balancing with adhesive weights in center only by gravity has proven excellent on 7-8 different vehicles for me now. The only vehicle in my family with a vibration (slight) is my wife's car that was 'professionally' done but those tires have over 30k on them. I would do them if they fit my rig.

I think checking the wheel out first and using a decent quality tire is a big part of getting things smooth and I believe the most weight I've ever used was 1.5 ounces and I didn't like that as I am usually under an ounce and often 1/4 -1/2 ounce. I studied up on balancing some time back and the most interesting thing I found was Porsche recommendations. IIRC they allow the tech 30 minutes to do ONE wheel, checking the wheel first and rotating the tire for best match up and suggest the tire be rejected if it needs more than about 1 ounce (100ish grams). I'm basically following that without the dynamic measurement element of it.
vandiesel
Posts: 172
Joined: Jan 02, 2012 4:16 PM
Location: Portland, OR

Re: What did you do to your E28 today?

Post by vandiesel »

Picked up mine from getting C-quartz detail done. The car is a freaking mirror.
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This one really shows how clear it came out.
Mike W.
Posts: 27207
Joined: Feb 12, 2006 12:00 PM
Location: California Whine Country

Re: What did you do to your E28 today?

Post by Mike W. »

vandiesel wrote:Picked up mine from getting C-quartz detail done. The car is a freaking mirror.
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Wow. :shock: Took me a minute looking at that first pic to even tell what it was. The reflection of the framing above was so clear I thought I was looking at rebar for some sort of concrete pour. I kind of focused on the roof and not what was around it. Impressive.
amagansa
Posts: 254
Joined: Jan 16, 2017 12:38 AM
Location: Vallejo, CA

Re: What did you do to your E28 today?

Post by amagansa »

Picked up 4 mint black door cards and armrests for it at Pick n Pull today. There's a white '88 528e at the Fairfield location if anyone is interested, has decent cardinal seats, missing glovebox, some other stuff. ALSO a blue 1985 735i! never see those in the yards anymore. Too bad, looked like it could have been saved. ALSO unfortunately saw one of my old cars, a '98 Nissan 200sx. Still had my sweet paint job on it and everything. RIP, you were good to me. sorry your next owners screwed you.
Ibmotoren
Posts: 81
Joined: Apr 26, 2019 9:38 PM
Location: Bay Area, CA

Re: What did you do to your E28 today?

Post by Ibmotoren »

My 535 sat for 5+ years because it failed CA Smog and the PO didn’t want to deal with it. I’m happy to report that today it passed and it’s back in action :) (as soon as the sticker comes..)
HayekFan
Posts: 490
Joined: Aug 19, 2011 8:20 PM
Location: TN

Re: What did you do to your E28 today?

Post by HayekFan »

Reinstalled the back window after removing it to repair a small rip in the headliner.

Ordered some headliner dye from Leatherique to address the C-pillar discoloration. I had done a partial treatment using their standard grey color but it wasn't a good color match. This time I've sent them a swatch of my headliner fabric to do a custom match with.
HayekFan
Posts: 490
Joined: Aug 19, 2011 8:20 PM
Location: TN

Re: What did you do to your E28 today?

Post by HayekFan »

Ibmotoren wrote:I’m happy to report that today it passed and it’s back in action :) (as soon as the sticker comes..)
Congrats! What did you do to get it to pass?
Ibmotoren
Posts: 81
Joined: Apr 26, 2019 9:38 PM
Location: Bay Area, CA

Re: What did you do to your E28 today?

Post by Ibmotoren »

HayekFan wrote:
Ibmotoren wrote:I’m happy to report that today it passed and it’s back in action :) (as soon as the sticker comes..)
Congrats! What did you do to get it to pass?
Thank you! In October of 2014 it had to go to a State of CA referee for a modified cat, O2 sensor location, and “other emission related components”. The PO told me he took care of the “other” issues, but never dealt with the Cat. However he provided a new cat, which I installed. I also put in a new O2 sensor, changed the plugs and wires, cleaned the AFM, replaced a cracked intake tube, replaced the fuel lines at the expansion tank, new gas cap, replaced broken exhaust hangers, and fixed the brake lights so there was no “check” to explain.
Also wanted to clean up the engine bay before inspection so I replaced all leaking power steering lines(I think), and replaced the nasty hood insulation. Next up is new tires and brakes, once the sticker comes in. The list is long, but I enjoy the work, and love the car.
HayekFan
Posts: 490
Joined: Aug 19, 2011 8:20 PM
Location: TN

Re: What did you do to your E28 today?

Post by HayekFan »

Ibmotoren wrote:Thank you! In October of 2014 it had to go to a State of CA referee for a modified cat, O2 sensor location, and “other emission related components”. The PO told me he took care of the “other” issues, but never dealt with the Cat. However he provided a new cat, which I installed. I also put in a new O2 sensor, changed the plugs and wires, cleaned the AFM, replaced a cracked intake tube, replaced the fuel lines at the expansion tank, new gas cap, replaced broken exhaust hangers, and fixed the brake lights so there was no “check” to explain.
Also wanted to clean up the engine bay before inspection so I replaced all leaking power steering lines(I think), and replaced the nasty hood insulation. Next up is new tires and brakes, once the sticker comes in. The list is long, but I enjoy the work, and love the car.
Sounds like the cat probably got it but the other items couldn't have hurt.

The hood insulation is an ordeal but boy does it transform the engine compartment. It's one of those things that really improves the car's overall vibe.

Understood RE loving the car. This afternoon I was at the grocery store and as I was pushing my cart out the door, one of the small handful of E28s in my town happened to be pulling out of the parking lot. I couldn't help but think man what a cool car. Totally distinct from everything else in the parking lot. There's just something right about that boxy in a good way styling and the tall glass.
rochareels
Posts: 116
Joined: Sep 28, 2013 12:25 AM
Location: San Diego, CA

Re: What did you do to your E28 today?

Post by rochareels »

Got around to doing this! OMG! This is way better than fooling around with the freaking plug-in type usb adapter in the cigarette lighter port. It was a pain in the butt taking everything apart but I was able to do some clean-up work while under the dash. Vacuuming/cleaning out the blower motor was a chore. It had 35+ years of dust accumulation. Way gross.
ImageUSB PORT2 by rochareels, on Flickr
ImageUSB PORT by rochareels, on Flickr
carnutdallas
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Location: Frisco, TX
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Re: What did you do to your E28 today?

Post by carnutdallas »

rochareels wrote:Got around to doing this! OMG! This is way better than fooling around with the freaking plug-in type usb adapter in the cigarette lighter port. It was a pain in the butt taking everything apart but I was able to do some clean-up work while under the dash. Vacuuming/cleaning out the blower motor was a chore. It had 35+ years of dust accumulation. Way gross.
ImageUSB PORT2 by rochareels, on Flickr
ImageUSB PORT by rochareels, on Flickr
Fantastic! Will look for that same option.
carnutdallas
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Re: What did you do to your E28 today?

Post by carnutdallas »

Bought a new battery and installed, as well as a disconnect switch. Should be able to store a bit easier.
amagansa
Posts: 254
Joined: Jan 16, 2017 12:38 AM
Location: Vallejo, CA

Re: What did you do to your E28 today?

Post by amagansa »

Got a speeding ticket in it.
BMWCCA2
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Joined: Feb 12, 2006 12:00 PM
Location: Central Virginia

Re: What did you do to your E28 today?

Post by BMWCCA2 »

Replaced the original Bosch voltage regulator with a $19 Chinese-made Hella unit from Amazon. My brushes were shot and this fixed random ABS warning lamp coming on and flickering battery light. Nice to see so many choices remain for this common replacement part. Might have to order a spare. :)
e28Sean
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Re: What did you do to your E28 today?

Post by e28Sean »

amagansa wrote:Got a speeding ticket in it.
How fast were you allegedly traveling in order to receive a state-issued Fantastic Driving Award?
Mike W.
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Joined: Feb 12, 2006 12:00 PM
Location: California Whine Country

Re: What did you do to your E28 today?

Post by Mike W. »

e28Sean wrote:
amagansa wrote:Got a speeding ticket in it.
How fast were you allegedly traveling in order to receive a state-issued Fantastic Driving Award?
:rofl: Very good.

I got one in my 155K in the E28, a BS one IMO. I'd just crested a hill on a Sunday, light traffic, clear, dry etc. Radar. 12 over but I was only 5 over before cresting the hill, if that. Now... there were times when my license would have been in jeopardy, if not a free ride to a no star hotel, but that was not one of them.
amagansa
Posts: 254
Joined: Jan 16, 2017 12:38 AM
Location: Vallejo, CA

Re: What did you do to your E28 today?

Post by amagansa »

e28Sean wrote:
amagansa wrote:Got a speeding ticket in it.
How fast were you allegedly traveling in order to receive a state-issued Fantastic Driving Award?
I was allegedly going 85. He supposedly "did me a favor" and wrote 70. I usually know my commute route and where they perch but this moto-cop was in a new spot. I was 1/4 mile from exiting too. Still haven't received the ticket in the mail yet. But hey there's a first for everything and 1 ticket in 7 years isn't bad for me :D at least my first ticket was in my e28!
vinceg101
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Joined: Jun 20, 2007 2:40 AM
Location: Los Angeles, CA

Re: What did you do to your E28 today?

Post by vinceg101 »

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Spring Cleaning, of sorts.

A bit of extended Exhaust System Swap that started back in November to prepare for SMOG:
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A bit of re-tuning also to swap back in the correct spark plugs (W8DC's).

Ready for St.Paddy's next weekend. :D
kojo96
Posts: 853
Joined: Mar 31, 2019 7:39 PM
Location: Pleasanton CA

Re: What did you do to your E28 today?

Post by kojo96 »

vinceg101 wrote:Image

Image
Spring Cleaning, of sorts.

A bit of extended Exhaust System Swap that started back in November to prepare for SMOG:
Image
Image
Image

A bit of re-tuning also to swap back in the correct spark plugs (W8DC's).

Ready for St.Paddy's next weekend. :D
Too clean!!!
Mike W.
Posts: 27207
Joined: Feb 12, 2006 12:00 PM
Location: California Whine Country

Re: What did you do to your E28 today?

Post by Mike W. »

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That's wrong, just wrong. Waaaaaaaaay to clean. I doubt they were that clean off the ship.
Ibmotoren
Posts: 81
Joined: Apr 26, 2019 9:38 PM
Location: Bay Area, CA

Re: What did you do to your E28 today?

Post by Ibmotoren »

One positive of sheltering in place is knocking down the long list of things to do around the house. Been working on this on and off for a few days, but this morning I finally finished removing the purple tint. The rear glass was much more difficult than the sides. Using a steamer was key. It looks so much better now. I don’t mind tint so much, but when it goes purple, that’s trash. Of course now the faded parcel shelf is staring at me, so put that on the list.
BMWCCA2
Posts: 4085
Joined: Feb 12, 2006 12:00 PM
Location: Central Virginia

Re: What did you do to your E28 today?

Post by BMWCCA2 »

Started the weekend intending to replace the valve-cover gasket on the 535i to fix an oil leak. After the disassembly noticed it was the upper timing case gasket that was leaking. Tore it down to get to the timing cover while waiting for the gaskets and realized the thermostat housing had to come out to do it properly. Got the gaskets this morning, including the crush washer under the rotor adapter bolt and the seal for the front cover around the rotor adapter. Started again and figured taking the radiator out was the best method, since I already had the fan and fan shroud off. Took the bolts out of the T-stat housing cover and . . . one broke off in the main part of the housing. Took the whole housing off and drilled until I had nothing but threads. Ran a tap through all of them and went out to find a replacement bolt. Luckily we have this odd place called Specialty Fasteners where you can't find anything in the packed warehouse, but the owner can. And quickly. Came home, cleaned everything up, used a little Permatex "super 300" gasket sealer on the T-stat gasket since I hadn't ordered that one, and a bit of Dirko where the timing cover meets the head and head-gasket, and put it all back together. Finally got around to the valve-cover gasket, did a valve adjustment, and replaced the Denso plugs from the previous owner with the proper Bosch Silvers and put the fan back on. Bled the cooling system, and went for a drive. Whoops! No temp gauge. Grounded the sensor wire and it pegged, put it back on and it worked fine. Everything else working as it should. Happy to have it back on the road. I'd been driving my wife's old E39 528A for the last couple of days. A comfortable workhorse and it has even more miles than the E28, but just not as much fun.

Next time I'll remember not to start a "simple" job that disables the 535i where it is blocking the E39 530i 5-sp Sport in its garage! It wasn't supposed to take three-days! But good news is the E28 is working even better than before. I was always a believer in the correct plugs on the E28. No other BMW I've owned is that picky, but the E28 was just born to have Bosch Silvers.
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