Spec X5 Overland Build

[Henn28]

I ordered one valve spring from the S62 motor, to compare to the one valve spring I bought from the 4.6 M62 motor. I am cautiously optimistic that it will work since it is dimensionally identical, with the exception of being roughly 2mm taller. I think this is how they increase the force required to compress it, since the wire gauge looks the same.


I need to squish them both down fully, and measure the height since this “coil bind height” is apparently a critical measurement. Bad things happen internally I’ve read if the coil binds up while the motor is running. I’ll also weigh them, as this should tell me if the S62 springs are just stretched a bit, or are wound from a tiny bit more wire.
****update***
dimensionally the same, except for the coil bind height. The S62 spring is roughly 1.5mm taller when it binds, which tells me that the spring has added windings, versus only being stretched out a bit more. Beyond my capabilities to determine if it’s safe to use the S62 springs, so the 4.6 M62 and S62 springs went to the machine shop with my heads. He can measure the installed height with a special tool and figure out how much margin the S62 spring will have with the valve open, from that.



Assuming the two springs are the same, I’m going to use new S62 springs in my motor. The S62 cam lift is only a couple tenths of a mm less than the 4.6 M62 cam lift, and they cost a lot less than the 4.6 springs. The 4.6 cams have 1.5mm more lift than the 4.4 cams.
***obviously this is on hold until the machine shop can sort it out***

Hopefully I can get those damn cam bolts off today and get the heads to the machine shop. My impact t55 bit arrived while I was traveling for work, so time to put it to good use.
***update***
The remaining three bolts zipped right out with my impact. I suspect the heat I had used, followed by a couple days of sitting with a 40 deg temp drop did it. Heads are dirty, but they look great. Cams and journals look pristine to my u trained eye. The upper plastic guides had deep grooves in them, but were intact, until the impact wrench broke pieces off knocked some free.




I labeled and hung on to all the lifters, just in case something goes wrong with my 4.6 cam plan and I need to rebuild with the 4.4 cams. The younger me would have tossed it all, but I am a bit trainable in my older age. I’ll buy new lifters to use with the 4.6 cams however.

VANOS have been sent off to JimLev for an overhaul and I’m at a standstill on the heads now. The machine shop is very backed up so I’m expecting a couple month wait to hear from them about the springs and see some refreshed M62 heads and valves. In the meantime, I can turn my attention to the bottom end. I need to get the big bolt off, drop the oil pans, pull the lower cover, test the bearings with plasticgauge, and finally pull the pistons and clean them up. They will be going to the machine shop to have the valve pockets relieved a bit to accommodate the 4.6 cam lift.

Aside from the piston work, my plan for the bottom end is new rings and bearings (if needed). Hopefully the crank and rod bearings are as pristine as the cams, but time and plastiguage will tell.

[Bmwe5320023.0]

Nice work Henn, you're going pretty hard-core at this project, consider a youtube channel!
I'm finally close to getting the wheels ready.
Have my 1.5 lift, ordered 285/70/17 tires today, and I have 17 black rims from Camaro

Then gotta figure our the spacers. I've installed those ebay flares, so I'll probably need huge spacers.
It seems the biggest tires I've seen people fit on this thread are 285/75/18?

[Henn28]

Originally Posted by Bmwe5320023.0

Nice work Henn, you're going pretty hard-core at this project, consider a youtube channel!
I'm finally close to getting the wheels ready.
Have my 1.5 lift, ordered 285/70/17 tires today, and I have 17 black rims from Camaro

Then gotta figure our the spacers. I've installed those ebay flares, so I'll probably need huge spacers.
It seems the biggest tires I've seen people fit on this thread are 285/75/18?

I’ve got 275/70/16s on mine. I recall there were very limited tire choices once I decided on 16” Method rims. Can’t recall if it was the sidewall or thread width that severely narrowed my choices down at the 16” wheel selection. Fortunately Yokohama Geolanders worked and I’ve been super happy. Low noise (except on concrete roads), great in the mud and snow, and very good tread wear.

The tires rub just a bit on the inside at full lock so which I’ve addressed to some extent with the heat gun. I can live with a little rub. 285s would likely rub more. The fronts have a nice amount of poke outside the arches, but not the rears. I suppose I could get spacers, or I bet wider tires would fit great back there someday when the yoks wear out.

YouTube would turn it into a job and I’ve already got one of those. Thanks for the vote of confidence though! We’ll see if the motor blows up on me. That is a long, long way off though, as I’ve still got to rebuild it, and then find a rust free E36 sedan to put it in. Ideally I’d start with an M3 as they’ve already got the added bracing, etc. at the weak spots, but they aren’t cheap.

I got the other three cam bolts off of the 4.4 heads yesterday, labeled everything and shipped the vanos units to JimLev (on Bimmerforum) for a rebuild. Two things became clear once I had the cams and lifters out: I screwed up my lifter thought process when I changed course on the rebuild, and I’m flying blind on these springs.

I originally was going to rebuild this motor with M60B40 heads, but it ended up being easier to get my hands on 4.6 cams instead. The lighter VW lifters I was planning were for the M60 heads while the 32 M62 lifters I pulled out of my heads yesterday have a much smaller diameter lifter. OE lifters are expensive, but FCP sells an OE version for $10.

The S62 spring is dimensionally identical to the M62 4.6 spring, except for the coil bind height which is roughly 2mm greater. I have no idea if this is meaningful in the sense that the spring may bottom out at high RPM and grenade the motor, or if there is still enough “squish” remaining in the spring at full valve extension to preclude this. I’ll take the springs over to the machine shop when I drop the heads off today and see what they think.

Pics later when I get more time to post them.

[Bmwe5320023.0]

Tried 285/70/17, forget it, barely fit, but couldn't turn the wheels.
265/70/17 seems optimal. No clue how people put bigger tires than that, without cutting the inner fenders.

[Salty B.]

Originally Posted by Bmwe5320023.0

Tried 285/70/17, forget it, barely fit, but couldn't turn the wheels.
265/70/17 seems optimal. No clue how people put bigger tires than that, without cutting the inner fenders.

Those rims are from a Camaro?

And the aluminum polka-dot running boards... anyone how hard are those to remove/install? There's a 4.8is in the local yard with them.

[Bmwe5320023.0]

Haha they are from Camaro! Are you some kind of a rim PhD, how did you even know?? Turns out that the bore and pattern are exactly the same!

Running boards are easy to install. You'll just need the front and rear fenders as well, as the cut off where they meet is different. Running boards have it an at angle.

I regret retrofitting these running boards. There's absolutely no way not to avoid them catching your pants and leaving dirt. I wish I didn't install them.

[Henn28]

Originally Posted by Bmwe5320023.0

Haha they are from Camaro! Are you some kind of a rim PhD, how did you even know?? Turns out that the bore and pattern are exactly the same!

Running boards are easy to install. You'll just need the front and rear fenders as well, as the cut off where they meet is different. Running boards have it an at angle.

I regret retrofitting these running boards. There's absolutely no way not to avoid them catching your pants and leaving dirt. I wish I didn't install them.

That’s good feedback….ive been on the fence about finding a set on eBay and installing them. I don’t necessarily like the look of running boards (on any vehicle), but they would make getting in and out easier with the lift and tires I’ve got, especially for my wife.

I was considering painting them mat black, or even powder coating them black, but can the aluminum part detach from the plastic or is it bonded/glued in somehow?

[Bmwe5320023.0]

Yes I've got 1.5" ecstunning lift as well.
I want to install the ecs tunning sliders as well

The aluminum piece detaches from the plastic. It's just taking out those black rubber polka dots will take a while, and then reinstalling them

[Salty B.]

Originally Posted by Bmwe5320023.0

Haha they are from Camaro! Are you some kind of a rim PhD, how did you even know?? Turns out that the bore and pattern are exactly the same!

Running boards are easy to install. You'll just need the front and rear fenders as well, as the cut off where they meet is different. Running boards have it an at angle.

I regret retrofitting these running boards. There's absolutely no way not to avoid them catching your pants and leaving dirt. I wish I didn't install them.

AHa good to know. They look nice, but I'm not pulling fenders. The plastic ones on mine look good after a Cerakote treatment but the one under my door has a white blotch that won't go away. Maybe plastic paint... and you said Camaro wheels upstream! Me I'm still looking at black Cragar steelies to replace the crusty silver 17"s.

[Bmwe5320023.0]

Just install these

https://www.ecstuning.com/b-ecs-part.../048520la01kt/

I wanna install everything from that "built by mike" series.
I'm really disappointed it doesn't seem like a locking differential is going to happen