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

[Happy]

Originally Posted by srmmmm

I've always used Shell premium with no additives. Original pre-cat O2 sensors lasted 260,000 miles and I didn't have to replace the catalytic converters until 379,000 miles. Never had any injector problems.


I do use the Sta-bil treatment in every tank of fuel (Shell mid-grade) in my personal watercraft though. I paid the price of a new short block from ethanol damage in the two-stroke PWC I had earlier. At least the current one is a four-stroke and can't suffer the same level of destruction.

+1 for Shell premium. It was the only fuel I would run in my E53, before the Flex-Fuel conversion. I never had to add anything to that fuel either, unless I was using it my two stroke rigs.
My small engine fleet, 4 and 2 stroke will start usually on the 1st pull, if not 2nd even after sitting 6+ months.

Sta-bil is an excellent product as well.

[Henn28]

Originally Posted by andrewwynn

Sounds like a job for epoxy to hold the threaded block that holds the screw if I'm reading correctly.

Send a photo next time you fix it.

Took another swing at this today. I had a couple new expanding fasteners and broke out the JB Weld, which I liberally applied to the end that gets inserted into the square hole in the trunk lid, and forced some into the hole that the screw goes into. We'll see if the lip holds any better.

First, however, I pulled the interior trim on the trunk lid to see if I could access the back of the square holes. My plan was to come up with a better fastener/backing to screw into, but alas, true to BMW form, there is no back-side that is accessible. They pop into an inaccessible void. That said, my next plan, if the epoxy job doesn't hold, is to source some self tapping metal screws and see if I can screw through the expansion fasteners and into the sheet metal of the inside of the trunk lid.

[LA02MAX]

Here are some not-great pictures of the work I've done over the last week. Dropped the front subframe and did the following:

- Cleaned up all the oily mess from the driver's side valve cover leak
- Dropped the lower and upper oil pans and replaced all gaskets and O-rings down there
- Replaced motor mounts (the driver's side mount was completely broken into two pieces and the passenger side one was collapsed)
- Replaced front sway bar bushings
- Replaced front differential with brand new OEM part
- Replaced front axles with GSP replacements
- Replaced passenger axle support with new OEM part
- Replaced the front air springs with an all new OEM/OE coil setup. I'm doing the same for the rear once I finish everything on the front end.
- Had the front wheels powder coated. I was hoping these would have some sort of clear applied to them, so I'm having a hard time deciding what to do next...Re-install as-is or get them cleared. I'll do the same process to the rear wheels once I start working on that axle.

It's honestly been a fun process. I don't like having to pay for parts that fail unexpectedly (front diff), but dropping the subframe wasn't nearly as difficult as I anticipated. The worst part was separating the steering column from the rack. It went back on very smoothly and I can't wait to feel how it drives with the motor mounts replaced.

Next up is the valve stem seal job and all associated seals, gaskets, and O-rings on top of the engine. Then moving on to the rear suspension.

[Happy]

Note to self….

When creating a chemical cooling fluid, do not do it in the dining room.

My wife was literally fuming!

[PropellerHead]

Here's this year's (we hope) adventure with the E53's suspension. After experiencing the difference in my daughter's E82 and my F87, I was hooked. These lie in wait for the E38. (Ha! Rhymey!) Cannot WAIT to pick these up. One of my TA bushings was torn in half, and I could really feel the flex on the last road trip. You know what I anticipate? I anticipate the return of the road feel I had in my '04 3.0 up till ~100k miles. I hope it will be similar also to my mother-in-laws '01 3.0 which championed well over that many miles. If I can get that happy mix of over-boosted 4.8is steering and solid core suspension bits, I believe I will have me one tight a$$ ride, gentlemen.. More to come!

[Happy]

Those control arms look nice!

[EODguy]

Originally Posted by PropellerHead

Here's this year's (we hope) adventure with the E53's suspension. After experiencing the difference in my daughter's E82 and my F87, I was hooked. These lie in wait for the E38. (Ha! Rhymey!) Cannot WAIT to pick these up. One of my TA bushings was torn in half, and I could really feel the flex on the last road trip. You know what I anticipate? I anticipate the return of the road feel I had in my '04 3.0 up till ~100k miles. I hope it will be similar also to my mother-in-laws '01 3.0 which championed well over that many miles. If I can get that happy mix of over-boosted 4.8is steering and solid core suspension bits, I believe I will have me one tight a$$ ride, gentlemen.. More to come!

I suggest that I test them out on the White Witch for you.... free of charge!


Sent from my SM-A730F using Tapatalk

[Henn28]

I ordered 5 yards of black headliner material from Graham/ASC fabrics yesterday. I finally have all the plastic pieces (eBay and a few new) and the A, B and C pillars needed to swap the liner and pillars over to black. My liner is loose and obviously some fasteners have failed in places so I’m hopeful the upholstery shop can secure it better when the put the fabric on. I also will check on the sunroof drains when the A pillar covers are off, and may run some RCA cable lines overhead to the back cubbies in preparation for stage two of my sound system upgrade - a small powered sub in the right cubbie and a new amp in the left. I’ll have to see if there is room between the dash and the pillars when the pillar covers are off to snake some cables into the dash and over to the radio.

The new Bosch MAF arrived yesterday so I popped it in after my wife got home from work with the X. It must be pretty sorted now after the motor swap and belt drama because she is driving it more regularly now, when her car is “parked in”, in the driveway. I’ve dropped some subtle hints about how worn and hard on the butt the front seats ares, so maybe my cunning plan will work and she’ll suggest we get them recovered in tan leather.

A quick test drive down to the levee to let the dogs run and the X did fine. I’m interested to see if I notice any better gas mileage with the new MAF. I’m assuming any gains would be very slight, if any. I’m holding off on digging into and repairing the front passenger airbag (code for this one popped last week). I dread pulling the door card again as the old plastic bits are so prone to shattering. My plan currently is to take care of it when I upgrade the speakers, amp and sub this summer, and live with the cluster light until then.

[LA02MAX]

Why is it that simple stuff is made so complicated?? I cannot get my new passenger side axle to go into the hub to save my life. The driver’s side also fought me pretty good, but I was finally able to get that one. Now I get to wait another week or more for an axle puller tool to arrive in the mail �� I didn’t have this issue at all with the oem axles.

[sandbagger]

take a real close at the splines both on the axle and hub, take a wire brush/break clean to them both, then look, might have a boogered spot that you can take a file to. also a very liberal coating of anti seize on them before putting it back together.

when I have had a tough one that I knew was good, some love taps with a dead blow and a 2X4 from the hub has always worked. just till I could get the nut started.