What did you do to your E28 today?

[1st 5er]

Noice!!!

[e28Sean]

Noice!!!

Thanks! I'm well pleased with the results, especially for the low low price of "free". (okay, not really free, but that's what I am calling it.)

[Ibmotoren]

After parking in the garage I looked back and noticed a trail of fluid stains had followed me in. Uh oh. I looked underneath and there was basically a waterfall of fluid coming down. Brake fluid. A quick search here pointed me to the fluid reservoir grommets. Sure enough, the front one had completely separated into 2 pieces.
While waiting for the grommets to come in, I cleaned up the MC with Simple Green and a toothbrush. WelI I just barely touched the speed sensor connection that’s attached to the MC and of course it crumbled like a cookie. After looking into that I just finished off the crumbling process, connected the pins together, shrink wrapped them separately and then shrink wrapped them together as one. Seems to be fine, no warning lights.
The fluid reservoir was filthy. So I decided to see how clean I could get it. It turned into a challenge I had to win. Somehow there was crud on the inside in the side channel that can’t be reached. I decided to pour in some coarse salt and Simple Green, to make a nice abrasive slurry. Shook it like crazy for awhile and it worked perfect. Rinsed it out thoroughly, installed the grommets and reservoir, filled up the fluid, bled the system, and she’s back in action. Just in time for the biennial SMOG.

[HayekFan]

Received an MWrench/The Studio power steering bracket repair kit which I ordered from Angry Ass:

https://angry-ass.com/product-organizer ... nforcement

Now trying to find a local shop to install it.

[HayekFan]

Had the power steering bracket repair done by a local shop. They also replaced the upper and lower control arms while they were in there. The uppers got urethane bushings. Everything feels nice and positive and I am definitely looking forward to no trace of 50 mph shimmy and not having to think about the UCAs for a good long time.

[1st 5er]

... also replaced the upper and lower control arms while they were in there. The uppers got urethane bushings. Everything feels nice and positive and I am definitely looking forward to no trace of 50 mph shimmy and not having to think about the UCAs for a good long time.

Poly bushings wear too.
I'm reminded of Cousin Billy's car with Grunt ploys that disintegrated on an RTT run bunches of years ago.
But you should be OK for a good long time.

[EuroShark]

Been working on replacing the trunk seal. It seems to stay put really well on its own but I feel like it probably needs to be glued down, at least near the corners. What are you guys using for this? I have some of that really goopy 3M Weatherstrip Adhesive that I was avoiding because it's so messy, but if that's the best way to go then that's how I'll do it.

[John in VA]

What are you guys using for this? I have some of that really goopy 3M Weatherstrip Adhesive that I was avoiding because it's so messy, but if that's the best way to go then that's how I'll do it.

I like DAP Weldwood® Gel Formula Contact Cement.

[HayekFan]

Poly bushings wear too.
I'm reminded of Cousin Billy's car with Grunt ploys that disintegrated on an RTT run bunches of years ago.
But you should be OK for a good long time.

I wonder what typical lifespan of poly UCA bushings is in these cars?

[Mike W.]

Poly bushings wear too.
I'm reminded of Cousin Billy's car with Grunt ploys that disintegrated on an RTT run bunches of years ago.
But you should be OK for a good long time.

I wonder what typical lifespan of poly UCA bushings is in these cars?

I ran about 10K on mine, Grunts Bushes, before I changed the arms and they looked like new. They didn't fix my shimmie, but new arms did.

[HayekFan]

This will be my fourth set of UCAs and for me it's been the bushings that cause the shimmy. I've tried stock bushings and the 750 style and they all wear out. The bushings in the UCA's I just replaced (which were either Meyle or Lemforder, I can't remember) had splits in the rubber. Based on what I've read the Powerflex bushings have better materials and a better design than the Grunts. It'll be interesting to see how they hold up.

[Mike W.]

I seemed to have much worse shimmy problems than most. I had maybe, maaaaaaybe 1/16" play in the UCA ball joint, only detectable when chucked in a vice, my 16" channellocks didn't seem to budge it, but brand new UCAs with perhaps Meyle or 750 bushings in it made it the best it ever was. YMMV.

[HayekFan]

Yep, the pattern for me is they start off perfect with no shimmy and then stay that way for probably two or three years. Then one day I'll be braking on an off ramp and will get a touch of the shimmy and I'll think, oh boy, this again. Then it will get worse over the span of a year or two, and then finally I'll replace them. The arms I just replaced stayed on the car longer than previous sets because of complications related to a move, and as a result they were in terrible shape -- well beyond just the shimmy and into lurching behavior when braking. These Powerflex bushings are in the perfection phase for now but we'll see how it goes. I think it will come down to the resilience the material and specifically how well it resists having that central bore loosen up, along the lines of what you mentioned.

Edit: I just realized the slight play you mentioned was in the ball joint, not the bushing. That's another bit that's interesting about these new arms. They're Delphi brand which have gotten good initial reviews but are still a bit of an unknown in the balljoint department.

[jimoreno]

I've had the Powerflex UCA bushings for several years now and they still are in great shape. Not more than 4K miles per year though.

[HayekFan]

Well that's good to hear. Lots of people seem to have them and I see lots of positive comments in the archives. I've only seen one report of an early failure (6k miles). I've seen speculation that the design doesn't articulate as well as rubber or spherical bushings when dealing with off-axis forces but I haven't seen confirmation that it's a real problem. BTW, Powerflex now offers their softer street compound in a charcoal grey color (rather than purple only) so they look stock.

[1st 5er]

again.

[a2058]

Annual state inspection so took the old girl out. Speedo was totally not working for a while and it seems to work again after a little bit, warmed up or something. This was after I took it out the dash this past winter to fix the odo gears, so may be the connections weren’t super tight or something. Then I noticed ful level is a bit below full even when I just topped up the gas. I did leave the tank completely empty for about two weeks before the fillip today in an effort to exchange the old gas in there every couple of years so may be the float sensor got a little sticky. Otherwise, a flawless run, nice drive, I almost forgot how fun these cars are to drive.

[e28Sean]

I made an thing...

[topher800]

I feel like I haven't posted in a while.

I drove it to work, as I do many days.

My current punch list looks like:

- install radiator (have an OEM ready in the trunk)
- install air filter box (would like to get rid of K&N and restore to factory, have the bits...but maybe from a 6 series?)
- wiper fluid low pressure
- driver door card is lose around bottom (should be easy)

- steering column telescope is stuck (do I actually care?)
- blower motor intermittent (switch relay?)
- diagnose rear window defrost (broke after window out repaint, worried something is catastrophic with window)
- diagnose rear passenger window chatter (goes down nice to about the 50% mark, then start chattering down...is chatter the right word?)

[e28Sean]

- driver door card is lose around bottom (should be easy)

As long as the clips aren't broken, it should pop right back in with a hearty smack.

- diagnose rear passenger window chatter (goes down nice to about the 50% mark, then start chattering down...is chatter the right word?)

Probably old crusty schmoo in the window track. Remove the door card, clean old schmoo out of the window runner, re-lube. Dispose of old schmoo in accordance with local regulations.

[topher800]

- diagnose rear passenger window chatter (goes down nice to about the 50% mark, then start chattering down...is chatter the right word?)

Probably old crusty schmoo in the window track. Remove the door card, clean old schmoo out of the window runner, re-lube. Dispose of old schmoo in accordance with local regulations.

If "the track" is the same felt channel that goes all around the door top, those were all replaced about 6 years ago. And if they extend down into the door body, perhaps they were never lubed down low.... I did all the visible part with the dialectic grease.

[stuartinmn]

I parked my car for the winter today. The weather is still mild here but it will get cold with a possibility of snow this week so it was time. I have my e30 325iX to drive during the winter so I still have a fun car, and I can look forward to driving the M535i again in the spring, it's like getting a new car every year.

[Aldo525]

Weekend job (finally!!) changing the cracked dashboard on my 525i. Tricky steps in the air ducts, but the rest pretty easy.

[Zeuropa]

Weekend job (finally!!) changing the cracked dashboard on my 525i. Tricky steps in the air ducts, but the rest pretty easy.

Now that's an upgrade. Well done!