What did you do to / for your E53 today??

[Scott ZHP]

Originally Posted by Henn28

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B082LW28DK...roduct_details

I think a few different makes came up in Amazon, but this one worked great for me and didn’t break the bank. I also bought a universal 3 leg puller that could spread to fit over thr e53 hub and press the axle out, and can’t find it now. Hence the drift and hammer method. I would like to find that tool tho as it would have saved 15 min or so of time and the other side boot isn’t in great shape.

I have a similar tool for pulling the halfshaft thru the hub. Bought this puller too and it works great for removal or installation. My E70 half shafts would not move using a drift/5lb hammer. This tool worked great.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[X5chemist]

Working on my niece's C240 required a better scanner than my inventory had available. A pro bidirectional scanner TopScan by TopDon was purchased. It has bidirectional control on most makes and models. For BMW, it's limited. The only hot function available is oil reset. My FoxWell Pro520 will be my go to tool. The TopScan though is faster scanning. The TopScan found only one code in the instrument cluster. Some obscure U0003(?) for voltage or something. It was able to clear it. All other modules reported clean no DTC.

[andrewwynn]

Originally Posted by Scott ZHP

I have a similar tool for pulling the halfshaft thru the hub. Bought this puller too and it works great for removal or installation. My E70 half shafts would not move using a drift/5lb hammer. This tool worked great.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

That's a great looking tool.

I've had two out of about ten impossibly stuck CV axles.

I made basically the identical tool out of an old front wheel rotor I cut the top hat out of.







You don't have to cut off the hat to user the rotor as a press tool. You need something as a giant washer to fill the hole. I have a bearing press tool that one's of the plates worked perfectly then I used the 1" bolt from the press tool.

It took over 30,000# to press out this particular axle in fact this was vOne of the press plate that shattered before I made vTwo keeping more of the thickness of the hat I had no idea how much force was going to bed needed!

So I learned from trying to only press, that once you preload to maybe 25,000# best to stop and use a hammer on the end of the bolt to impact the axle free.

(There are web calculator that will converter bolt thread size pitch and torque to tension).

So once I knew approximately the 25,000 that broke the first plate I used a thicker plate preloaded to the same and then hit the bolt with a BF hammer. (3# hammer strike will add a momentary 10,000+ # impact).

35,000 was plenty to push out the strick axle though even then the first 1/8 inch went slowly. 2-3 hits then add preload and repeat.



Then this is the tool that helps it go back together; cut off the end of an old CV axle I used a bench grinder to reduce the diameter of most of the splines by just 2-3 1000th of an inch leaving about 1/3" full sized.

I punch this though the hub about 8 times turning it a bit each time then when it starts dropping though almost from gravity I'll add a bit of steel wool like the picture and send it though with the wool working around the full circle.

After that treatment the tool without the wool will easily go through with thumb pressure and of course the real axle will go right through.

I have looked into the tool that pulls the axle back through and have a front wheel bearing that's starting to sound suspect on turns so might have a use for it soon.

[Factory6speed]

Well I completed the oil pan and everything job late Friday night, had a overall successful test drive and did use it Saturday with a full cargo area. It was a pretty monumental amount of work I am still pretty tired and sore. Next time without replacing everything else and such cleaning, I can probably do the pan in a day or two.

All in all everything is good, a few bugs

- the lower line on the power steering cooler has popped off twice and dumped ATF everywhere twice. It's clicked on there good, I even pryed the tabs inside the fitting out a little bit, and I've twisted it and pulled it and for the third time I don't think it's going to come off but I'm fairly certain this is going to keep coming off. So I'll probably need to replace the cooler part and get yet another line.

- there is a knocking noise coming from the accessories. I've spent a part of the past two days in a panic thinking it is rod knock. I did correctly prime the system with the injectors and spark plugs unplugged. With the stethoscope when I put it on the power steering reservoir it is very loud. On top of the engine and what I can see on the crankcase it is not a rod knock. I think the power steering pump is to blame. I used the torque wrench on everything. Everything should be nice and secure in plane. But I'll check again. I wonder if the new tensioner is faulty or if I need a new pump.

- there was initially a couple drips of engine oil on the plate. I'm not sure I have to take a look at it. Maybe just one of the bolts needs another crank. The cardboard underneath has been dry there was just a couple drips. Weird

- because I had to move the brake caliper aside and because the rubber hose is 18 years old of course the left front caliper begins sticking. By the time I made it home Saturday it's a loud constant squeal. So that's it, time to change the calipers and brake lines. So not driving it yet again. Ordered the brakes.

Getting the axles in and out was really a breeze. That puller tool is a good idea I did it again with the block of wood. Next time it will be with that tool. Putting them in the diff was so easy. Put the opening of the clip at 12:00 make sure it moves around a little bit and push it up. And carefully slide it into the diff not touching the brand new seal and one true push like a coolant hose but harder and it pops right in. Too easy.

Despite being a bunch of random plastic junk I am impressed how the cooling system actually came together and is pretty solid.

Also the Bell metric reinforcement plate bolts worked really well thank you Andrew. 60 newton meters felt perfect.

If I had decided to not replace the lower front ball joints it would have been so bad. Far and away the worst part of any car to work on. They were actually welded to the knuckle. I don't think by a human or robot at the factory. But through some phenomenon of nature the flange of the ball joint had haphazardly welded itself to the knuckle. No amount of hammering would do anything. I took the oscillating multi-tool and plunge cut the weld bead. Then a bunch more heat and oil and hammering and eventually both out. They went in pretty easy after being in the freezer for a day. I had to use the cutting tap on the threads the chaser tap wasn't doing it. I'm still a bit nervous from having to do that

[Serb404]

Originally Posted by Bdc101

Well the good news is, I'm gonna be around for a while. The bad news is, now I have two problems:

how many miles are on this puppy? lol

[andrewwynn]

Pull the accessory belt you can confirm immediately not timing gear and either steering pump or alternator.

Don't run too long without water pump of course.

[Bdc101]

Originally Posted by Serb404

how many miles are on this puppy? lol

131k... Had a lot of recent maintenance but making me nervous already...

[roaringpanda]

Pulled fuse 46 on my 2004 X5 3.0 6-speed manual. Did this to try out RWD mode, and I noticed the steering feels much lighter and handles better. I wish pulling the fuse didn't throw the 4x4, ABS, and Brake lights.

[Serb404]

Originally Posted by Bdc101

131k... Had a lot of recent maintenance but making me nervous already...

oh brotha, she's still got a lot of life in her though!

[Salty B.]

Pretty happy that the cheap nav head unit showed up today and works great. These are going for up to $450 on the bay of e, but this one was $89, untested, as-is. Seller bought it for his E39 but never installed it before he sold the car.

Screen is even brighter and more colorful that the old one, cassette deck works well, motor-face also. Did not demand a code either, phew. I think the supposed viewing-angle difference between the E39 and the E53 units is not a thing.

I think I broke some traces in one of the ribbon cables on the old one trying to replace the weak-ass and blotchy old screen. The new screen never worked and the old one didn't either after I put it back in.

Anyone want the old one for parts? My borked-parts box is getting full.