from e31faq.com
Beiträge von 8er.org
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SCOPE:
This report presents the results of an ISO 5011 test of several air filters designed for the GM Duramax Diesel. The test was independently performed under controlled conditions using a $285,000 machine at Testand Corp of Rhode Island (manufacturer of the machine). Arlen Spicer, a GM Duramax Diesel owner/enthusiast organized the test. Ken an employee of Testand offered to perform the tests at no charge. (These tests typically cost approx $1700.00 per filter). Ken, also a Diesel enthusiast and owner of a Ford Power Stroke Diesel, shared Arlen’s interest in performing an accurate unbiased test of different types and brands of diesel engine air filters. The filters used in the test were purchased retail and donated by Arlen and other individual Duramax Diesel owners. The detailed reports from the test have been compiled and are presented in the following pages. The final pages of this report present the behind the test.ISO 5011 Test:
The ISO 5011 Standard (formerly SAE J726) defines a precise filter test using precision measurements under controlled conditions. Temperature & humidity of the test dust and air used in the test are strictly monitored and controlled. As Arlen learned in attempting his own tests, there are many variables that can adversely affect filter test results. A small temperature change or a small change in humidity can cause the mass of a paper filter to change by several grams. To obtain an accurate measure of filter efficiency, it’s critical to know the EXACT amount of test dust being fed into the filter during the test. By following the ISO 5011 standard, a filter tested in Germany can be compared directly compared to another filter tested 5 years later in Rhode Island. The ISO 5011 filter test data for each filter is contained in two test reports; Capacity-Efficiency and Flow Restriction.
Capacity and Efficiency:
The Capacity and Efficiency test report presents the test results of feeding an initially clean filter with PTI Course Test Dust (dirt) at a constant rate and airflow. The course test dust has a specific distribution of particle sizes ranging from less than 2.5 microns to greater than 80 microns (see table below). Every filter is initially tested at 350 CFM and the Initial Restriction
or differential pressure across the filter is recorded in IN-H20 (Inches of Water). The filter is then tested by feeding test dust at a nominal rate of 9.8 grams per minute with a constant airflow of 350 CFM. The test is continued until the flow restriction exceeds the Initial Restriction + 10 IN -H20. At this point the test is terminated and the amount dust passed through the filter - Accumulative Gain - is measured. Dirt passing through the filter is captured in the Test Station’s Post Filter. The exact amount of dirt passed is determined by measuring the before and after weight of the Post Filter . Similarly, the amount of dirt retained by theFilter under test - Accumulative Capacity – is measured by taking the difference between the before and after weights of the Filter. From these results the overall % Efficiency of the filter is calculated. This test also indicates how long a Filter will last before replacement is required (or cleaning for reusable filters).
Flow Restriction:
This report presents flow restriction of a clean filter resulting from an increasing airflow. The differential pressure restriction across the filter is reported in inches of water (IN H2O) versus Air Flow in cubic feet per minute CFM.Data from these reports has been compiled and presented in the following bar graphs, Plots and data tables.
Filter Efficiency:
Filter efficiency is a measure of the filters overall ability to capture dirt.
Accumulative Capacity:
“Accumulative Capacity” is a measure of dirt holding/loading capacity before reaching the maximum restriction limit - Initial Restriction + 10 IN -H20.Accumulative Gain:
"Accumulative Gain" is the total amount of dirt that passed through the filter during the test.(Note: The Purolator was reported to have a seal malfunction during the test and passed more dirt than it would have with a good seal.)
Initial Restriction:
Initial Restriction is the Filter under test’s resistance to flow at 350 CFM.Dirt Passed Versus Total Test Time
This graph shows each the duration of each filter’s test versus dirt passed (Accumulative Gain). (Note: The Purolator was reported to have a seal malfunction during the test and passed more dirt than it would have with a good seal.)In the chart above it’s important to note the different test durations for each filter. The AC Delco filter test ran for 60 minutes before exceeding the restriction limit while the AMSOIL and K&N tests each ran for 20 and 24 minutes respectively before reaching max restriction. In 60 minutes the AC Filter accumulated 574gms of dirt and passed only 0.4gms. After only 24 minutes the K&N had accumulated 221gms of dirt but passed 7.0gms. Compared to the AC, the K&N “plugged up” nearly 3 times faster, passed 18 times more dirt and captured 37% less dirt. See the data tables for a complete summary of these comparisons.
Dust Loading:
The dust loading curves show graphically how each filter responded to a constant 9.8 gms/min dust flow before reaching the maximum restriction limit.It’s interesting to note the shape of these Dust Loading Curves. The AC and Baldwin filters each had near linear responses until reaching maximum restriction. Restriction for these filters increased at a constant rate versus the 9.8 gms/min dust feed rate. The other filters, most notably the oiled reusable types, had an exponential loading response before reaching maximum restriction. These filters had a lower initial restriction, but they became exponentially more restrictive under a constant flow of dirt. Also notice the length of the curves as it shows the relative test time for each filter (time to max restriction).
Restriction to Flow:
The Restriction to Flow curves graphically show how each “clean” filter responded to a steadily increasing flow of air up to 350 CFM.The Flow Restriction response curves for each filter have the same basic shape. However, note how the AC Filter, which passed the smallest amount of dirt and had the highest dirt capacity and efficiency, also had the highest relative restriction to flow. The less efficient filters correspondingly had less restriction to flow. This illustrates the apparent trade-offs between optimizing a filter for dirt capturing ability and maximum airflow.
Test Data Tables:
Test Data Tables:
Test Data Tables:Test Data Tables:
Test Data Tables:
Test Data Tables:
To be consistent with common industry practice all filters were tested using PTI Course Test Dust. Course dust is more commonly used since it will produce higher % efficiency numbers.
The Story behind the test:
First of all, many thanks to Arlen Spicer and Ken at Testand for organizing and facilitating the test. Arlen is a professional Firefighter who also operates a small tree service on the side. The tree service is the reason he owns a diesel truck. This study was the result of nearly a year of work by Arlen to get accurate independent data on air filters for the GM Duramax Diesel. Arlen originally set out to build his own Filter Test Stand so that he could perform accurate, repeatable and independent measurements on the various filters available for the Duramax. Arlen questioned the claims made by aftermarket filter manufacturers that their filters were superior to the conventional OEM style paper filters. After spending many months, hours and a considerable amount of his own money, he learned first hand how difficult it was to perform an accurate air filter test. He found it was difficult to maintain all the necessary controls to insure an accurate measurement. It was at this juncture that Arlen received a call from Ken at Testand offering to perform the ISO 5011 test free of charge. Ken found Arlen’s idea for an independent comparison study very interesting and offered to do the ISO 5011 testing using one of Testand’s industrial Filter Test Machines. Arlen posted the news on the Internet and immediately offers from other Duramax owners to purchase and send filters for the test started rolling in. Some purchased and donated filters and others made contributions to cover the expenses and the cost of shipping the filters to Teststand. It was truly a team effort. The end result is the top quality data presented in this report. The following is a quote from Arlen.
(Arlen) SPICER wrote, “Now that I am not doing the tests and my objectivity is not necessary, let me explain my motivation. The reason I started this crusade was that I was seeing people spend a lot of money on aftermarket filters based on the word of a salesperson or based on the misleading, incomple te or outright deceiving information printed on boxes and in sales literature. Gentlemen and Ladies, Marketing and the lure of profit is VERY POWERFUL! It is amazing how many people believe that better airflow = more power! Unless you have modifications out the wazoo, a more porous filter will just dirty your oil! Some will say " I have used aftermarket brand X for XXX
# years with no problems. The PROBLEM is you spent a chunk of ching on a product that not only DID NOT increase your horsepower, but also le t in a lot of dirt while doing it! Now how much is a lot? ANY MORE THAN NECESSARY is TOO MUCH!
Others are persuaded by the claims of aftermarket manufacturers that their filters filter dirt "better than any other filter on the market." Sounds very enticing. To small timers like you and me, spending $1500 to test a filter sounds like a lot. But if you were a filter manufacturer and you believed your filter could filter dirt better than any other media on the market, wouldn't you want to prove it? Guess wha t. Test your filter vs. the OE paper. It will cost you $3000 and for that price you will have the data that you can use in your advertisements. Your investment will be returned a thousand fold! EASIER than shooting fish in a barrel! So why don't these manufacturers do this? Hmmm? Probably not because they would feel guilty about taking more market share.
Now I am not saying that ALL aftermarket filters are useless. A paper filter does not do well if directly wetted or muddy. It may collapse. This is why m any off -road filters are foam. It is a compromise between filtering efficiency and protection from a collapsed filter. Now how many of our trucks collapse their filters from mud and water? However, if a filter is using "better airflow" as their marketing t ool, remember this....Does it flow better? At very high airflow volumes, probably. BUT, Our trucks CAN'T flow that much air unless super -modified, so what is the point? The stock filter will flow MORE THAN ENOUGH AIR to give you ALL THE HORSEPOWER the engine has to give. And this remains true until the filter is dirty enough to trip the air filter life indicator. At that point performance will decline somewhat. Replace the filter and get on with it.
Hopefully the results of this test will do 2 things. She d some light on the misleading marketing claims of some aftermarket manufacturers and/or give us new insight on products already on the market that are superior to our OE filter. I stand for truth and will eat my words publicly if my statements prove wrong . I appreciate all of the help and support that you members have offered in this project. It would simply be impossible without your help. A huge thanks to Ken at Testand for his willingness to take on this project. I would be spinning my wheels from here to eternity without his help… SPICER”
Our thanks to Arlen and Ken for making the test happen and providing the valuable test results for the benefit of all.
Sept 2004
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from e31faq.com
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E31 Repair Procedure 31-21 Replace Front Wheel Hub/Bearing Assembly
This repair procedure is provided “as is” and is not authoritative with respect to any BMW repair operation. Mark F. Fling is not responsible for any actual or incidental losses arising from this document’s use.
Copyright © 2005 Mark F. Fling. All Rights Reserved.
1.0 Introduction
The E31 is equipped with integrated front wheel hub/bearing assemblies. Whenever the front wheel bearings fail, the entire hub must be replaced. Figure 1 shows a picture of a new hub/bearing assembly.
Figure 1 - E31 Front Hub/Bearing Assembly
The hub/bearing assembly is secured to the front stub axle with a 46 mm hex collar nut and staked into place to ensure the nut does not loosen. Once staked, the nut and bearing are covered with a grease cap. The rear of the hub is protected from road debris by a dust collar attached to the stub axle. The outer lip of this collar runs in close tolerance to a circular groove on the back of the hub assembly.
The hub also contains a ribbed pulse ring used to trigger magnetic flux reversals in the ABS transducer mounted on the stub axle carrier. The hub contains two ball bearing races to allow rotation of the hub and to absorb side thrust forces as the car turns. The hub comes pre-greased from the supplier, and the inner races are secured by a disposable plastic sleeve to ensure the hub retains the ball bearings during shipment.
Bearing failure usually occurs due to contamination of the bearing races with dirt, water, or metal shavings from the bearing itself. The bearing races may also fail by becoming out-of-round, or losing material due to a process called false brinneling. In either case, noise and vibration develop as the balls run rough over the damaged race. This vibration varies depending upon the amount of side-force developed as the wheel turns. A quick method of localizing any bearing noise as the culprit is to simply weave back and forth with the car. If the vibration varies, either one of the front hub/bearing assemblies is failing.
2.0 Tools
Since the hub collar nut is large and is retained by 225 ft/lbs of torque, some of the tools to perform this procedure will be large, and thus, expensive. Your local auto parts store may have some of the following tools for rent:
• 46 mm hex socket (substitute a 1 13/16th socket if necessary), ¾” drive recommended
• ¾” drive 8” extension
• ¾” drive slide bar with 4 foot slide-over extension (pipe is sufficient)
• Torque wrench capable of 250 lb./ft. (½” or ¾” drive)
• Torque wrench capable of 100 ft/lbs
• 19 mm hex socket
• 10 mm hex socket
• Small cold chisel or hardened steel punch
• Sharp, wedge-edged tool such as a chisel or pick to remove grease cap
• Hammer, big
• Floor jack
• Jack Stand
Here’s a picture of the hub collar nut tools:
Figure 2 - Hub Nut Tools
These tools, with the exception of the torque wrench, are available at any Sears outlet. You should not use a “speeder bar” in place of the slide bar, due to the torque required to remove the hub nut.
3.0 Disassembly
You will be performing this procedure one wheel at a time. Loosen the wheel lug nuts and jack the car using the floor jack. Insert the jack stand underneath the jack pad on the car’s frame rail. Remove the wheel. You will now see the brake disc and caliper.
3.1 Brake
Caliper Removal To remove the brake disc, it’s necessary to completely remove the brake caliper, which is held on by two 19mm bolts accessible from behind the brake disc. Removing these bolts is difficult due to the constrained space inside the wheel well.
Figure 3 - Removing the Caliper
The caliper should be hung off the strut using a length of stout wire, making sure you relieve any strain on the brake hose. Also, you should insert a spacer between the two brake pads to prevent them from closing in on each other. The space can be anything, wood, plastic, or metal of sufficient width to maintain the disc brake spacing. This will simplify assembling the caliper back onto the brake disc.
3.2 Removing the Brake Disc
The brake disc is held on by a 7mm socket Allen hex-headed bolt that screws into the hub, retaining the disc. You’ll need to remove the bolt, whereupon the disc should simply slide off the hub. If it doesn’t, lightly tap around the periphery of the disc to loosen any rust between the disc and the hub.
3.3 Removing the Hub Nut
Now comes the tough part. First, remove the grease cap by prying it off with any sharp edged object, as shown in Figure 4. The cap is on fairly tight, and a knife edge will probably be necessary to start prying if off. Don’t worry about damaging either the cap or the hub – both will be discarded.
Figure 4 - Removing the Grease Cap
Once the cap is off, you’ll see the hub nut. Notice how the nut collar is indented into a notch in the axle in Figure 5? This is called staking, and it prevents the nut from walking off the axle threads during use. You’ll need to un-stake the collar by carefully hitting the indentation back out of the notch in the axle. This takes a lot of precisely-aimed hammering.
Figure 5 - Unstaking the Hub Nut
Now comes the really hard part – removing the hub nut. Place your 46mm socket over the nut, along with the slide bar extension, and slowly but smoothly loosen the nut. With a 4 foot lever arm, this shouldn’t require too much muscle, and the nut should release smoothly, rather than with a “crack.”
Figure 6 - Removing the Hub Nut
3.4 Removing the Hub Assembly
Once the hub nut is off, removing the hub assembly can be as simple as simply sliding the entire unit off the stub axle. Most times, however, the rear inner race stays with the axle, and sometimes can be a real chore to remove. If you have a 3-prong gear/bearing puller, then by all means, use it. Here’s a trick: Insert a short ¼” socket extension to act as the fulcrum point for your bearing puller screw, since the axle is hollow and doesn’t provide a perch for the puller screw.
If you don’t have a puller handy, simply tapping the race with a rubber or plastic mallet and “walking” the race off will usually work. If you have a torch, quick shots of heat applied directly to the race may also cause the race to expand and slide off the axle. The key attribute here is patience. Heavy hammering will damage the smooth surface of the stub axle, making installation of the new hub very difficult.
3.5 Removing the Dust Collar
Figure 7 shows the hub removed and the location of the dust collar on the stub axle. If your brake protection plates are damaged, you’ll need to remove this collar to gain access to the plate’s retaining screws located immediately behind the collar. To remove the collar, simply insert a screwdriver and carefully pry the collar off the stub axle.
Figure 7 - Removing the Dust Collar
3.6 Removing the Protection Plate
Some E31s make a “clanging” noise whenever the front suspension hits a serious bump. This is due to a cracked protection plate, the large, black metal assembly mounted to the axle assembly. The plate is held by three 10mm bolts located behind the dust collar. Simply unscrew all three bolts and remove the protection plate.
4.0 Installation
Installing the new hub assemblies is, for the most part, simply the reverse of the disassembly process. Once the axle is free of the hub, clean it with alcohol to remove any residual lubricants and greases. Carefully remove metal burrs from the ABS transducer, the thin blade jutting out to the rear of the axle. Assuming you’ve removed the dust collar and protection plate, your hub should like Figure 8 below.
Figure 8 - Stub Axle Ready to Assemble
Now is a good time to check the integrity of your ball joint boots for the tie rod, thrust arm, and control arm. Cracks in these boots will result in accelerated wear and should be replaced.
4.1 Installing the Dust Collar
If you’re replacing your protection plate, simply install the new plate onto the axle assembly and use a small dab of Loctite Blue on the three retaining bolts. Torque the bolts to 10 Nm.
The dust collar is a “press fit” onto the stub axle. BMW recommends installation with a special tool, but I elected to use my vast collection of PVC fittings to create a seating mandrel as shown in Figure 9. Carefully tap the dust collar onto the axle until it is seated, with the inner lip flush with the machined shoulder on the axle. It is crucial the collar is fully seated and not distorted, since the outer rim of the collar runs in a groove located in the back of the hub assembly to prevent the ingress of dirt and debris.
Figure 9 - Installing the Dust Collar
4.2 Installing the Hub
First, remove the plastic retaining sleeve that shipped with the hub assembly. In most instances, the hub should slide onto the axle. However, mine did not, so I heated the hub to 175°F in my kitchen oven for 20 minutes. This makes the inner diameter of the two races expand, allowing for a slip-on installation.
Figure 10 - Hub Ready for Nut
I would recommend this method of heating the hub prior to installation simply because if there is any interference, you will not be able to remove the hub, and must continue with the installation process by repeatedly banging on the hub to drive it to the point where you can thread the hub collar nut and drive it home by securing the nut.
4.3 Tightening the Nut
Once the hub is mounted onto the axle, you can thread the collar nut onto the axle and tighten. Again, fit the 46mm socket and extension onto the hub nut, set your torque wrench to 225 ft/lbs, and smoothly apply tightening pressure in one continuous final stroke. Do not jerk the nut onto the axle. Spin the hub. It should be slightly tight and not spin freely. This is the correct amount of preload needed for the ball bearings to seat in their races.
Figure 11 - Torqueing the Hub Nut
4.4 Staking the Hub Nut
Once the nut is secure, you stake the nut onto the axle using a cold chisel or punch to knock an indentation in the nut’s collar opposite to the notch located in the axle. When you are done, it should look like Figure 12, shown below. The stake indentation must extend into the notch to prevent the nut from loosening.
Figure 12 - Staking the Hub
4.5 Installing the Grease Cap
Prior to installing the grease cap, dab a little sealant along the lip. I use Hylomar, but any good metal-tometal sealant will work. Then carefully tap the cap into place until it is flush with the hub. The press fit is very tight, so you’ll have to work around the periphery of the cap in order to get it to seat correctly.
4.6 Install the Brake Disc
Next, lightly smear the mounting surface of the hub flange with moly disulphide anti-seize. This will prevent the brake disc from rusting onto the hub. Keep the anti-seize out of the wheel stud threads. Then mount the brake disc, line up the 7mm Allen head retaining bolt, and screw the bolt flush with the brake disc.
4.7 Install the Brake Caliper
Remove the brake caliper from its hanger bracket. Remove any spacers between the pads and quickly wedge the caliper back onto the brake disc. Coat both caliper bolts with a dab of Loctite Blue and secure with 84 ft/lbs of torque.
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from e31faq.com
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Piecing together the Installation Kit
The installation kit (part no. 82 11 9 402 709) contains everything you need to mount the front and rear CSi spoilers to all years of the 840 and 850. Some have reported that the kit is no longer available from BMW. Piecing the kit together by ordering parts separately is an alternative (See Part Numbers). Note that care should be exercised since the kit includes the special cooling duct (See above), a handful of other small plastic air ducting parts (to date, no has been able to source these separately by part number), and all the pieces necessary to mount the front and rear spoilers. The kit also includes the lower front spoiler lip, rear spoiler mount/reinforcement, various rivets, clips, etc., and the everimportant installation instructions. The instructions are also included in the kit. As an alternative, see below for a summary of the installation procedure.Painting instructions contained in the kit specify a paint ratio of 30% softface additive and a maximum stove-enameling temperature 40 degrees C. Sikkens is the OEM paint supplier to BMW.
If you are lucky enough to find a kit, note that since the it contains the rear CSi diffuser reinforcement piece (51-12-2-252-015) you don't need to order it separately or you'll end up with an extra one (as I did).
If you're considering piecing your own kit together or skipping it because you are installing only the front or rear spoilers, consider BMW's clear warning: "To guarantee safe dynamic handling characteristics, only ever fit the complete package consisting of both the front and rear aprons. BMW AG will accept no liability for any damage caused through this instruction not being followed."
M-Technic (CSi) Installation Instructions
The following is an excerpt from Steve Castle's detailed e31 Email List post detailing the removal and installation process for CSi body parts. The first section covers reinstalling
the rear bumper apron, CSi air diffuser and rear wheel well trim. The second session covers re-assembly of the entire nose of the car, including the entire intake system in front of the DK motors, as well has the headlight assemblies.Rear apron assembly
R&R of the rear apron and bumper (as a single assembly) is surprisingly simple. Start by removing the wheel well trim on each side after removing the rear wheels. Next remove two screws on each side, which secure the slide-in mounting brackets together. Then, remove the two nuts on each side, which secure the bumper to the bumper shock absorbers (having the car up on my lift greatly helped with accessibility to these fasteners). With these mere eight fasteners removed, it is now possible to step behind the car and slide off the entire rear apron assembly as a single unit. But be careful here, because the rear metal bumper is HEAVY - it caught me off guard and I nearly dropped the assembly when it came free from the studs on the bumper shocks.
Since my rear apron was to be repainted, it was necessary to detach it from the rear metal bumper. I set the assembly down on a big pad (to protect the finish). There are about ten plastic wedges, which captivate the apron to the bumper. You slide these out and then lift the bumper out of the rear apron. The side mounting brackets are easily removed by pushing out the pin rivets which secure them. And finally, the lower air diffuser slide to the right and lifts out
(after removing the five clips across the bottom).I had both the rear apron and air diffuser refinished due to severe gravel pitting behind the rear wheels, which was present when I bought the car. The paint shop did a beautiful job and the color match (hellrot) was perfect. It is necessary to install new "foils", which are the black strips, which run horizontally across the rear apron (thin, narrow strip of black tape), and a fatter one, which runs across the air diffuser. I reinstalled the gasket which, extends across the entire top of the rear apron, and was ready to put it back on the car.
Re-installation was essentially reverse of above, but I note that it would have been of great assistance to have a second person available to help lift and position the rear assembly back on to the car. I had to wrestle with this for a few minutes to get both slide into the mounting brackets. Once in place, it was then a matter of reattaching the mounting bolts and fastening screws, followed by installation of the new wheel well trim pieces I'd picked up. Rear end - done and once again pristine.Front end assembly
All I can say is that if you've never seen the nose assembly (and I mean assembly) off the front of an E31, you simply have no idea how complex the hidden engineering really is. What appears to merely be a nose assembly hides a very complex system of air ducting which, feeds the engine, the brakes, and the alternator. Re-assembling this system was a process of trial and error, because of the sequence of securing the rivets to the metal bumper. I'll explain this below.
Removal of the lower air dam
In order to remove the lower air dam, start by elevating the car and removing the two front wheels. With the wheels removed, you can now remove the forward plastic wheel well trim panels on each side. Removal of these will give you forward access. The lower apron is secured to the upper nose assembly by a single plastic wedge on each side and on small screw at the wheel arch, along with push in tabs along the front. So once you've removed the two wedges and screws, you can literally give it a tug from the front, and pull it off.
Removal of the nose assembly
The upper nose assembly is secured to the car by being riveted to the front metal bumper, which is bolted to the front bumper shocks. In addition, there are four screws, which secure the top of the apron, and these are visible from the engine compartment. To access the bolts, you much remove the front light bars (i.e., flash to pass lights). To remove these, pop out the black plastic inlet grill covers, and remove the two screws on each assembly, which secure the lamp to the nose. The bumper mount bolts are vertical, and are now visible and accessible with the lamps and grilles removed. Remove the two bolts, and the four upper screws. Then, depending on the condition of your car (e.g., how many time you've whacked into a curb or something, and broken plastic behind the air dam), there should be three screws, which attach the nose to the large air horn intake which extends up to the
kidney inlet grilles. Remove these three screws, and you should now be able to slide off the entire nose assembly.
Build-up of the front nose assembly
My car had several broken parts, which I had to replace - most from the "encounter", but several I discovered which existed at the time I bought the car. The sequence of assembly starts with reinstalling the two kidney grilles. For a more dressed up look, I bought two all chrome grilles, which were available as an option for the Japanese "Individual" market. These are installed from the rear of the nose, and really look great. Next, the metal bumper goes back into the nose (which I had refinished). The bumper is secured by rivets (this is where it gets dicey). I merrily pushed in all of the rivets, and then realized that other pieces needed to attach to the bumper (such as the big air accumulation boxes) were not yet installed, so I removed the rivets and then reinstalled them after assembling the air inlet system. You might be interested to know that the air inlet system is comprised of the two large air inlets boxes and a plastic duct, which connects the two boxes and runs flush along the front of the car. So I now have all this riveted together and then realized that the large air horn snout (which directs air from the kidney grilles down to the condenser and radiator and power steering cooler) must also be riveted to the bumper. So once again I remove two rivets, and wrestle with what is now a very oddly shaped assembly, and secure the air snout with two rivets. Now with all parts in place, the entire assembly can be reinstalled on the car. This requires extra care, because you have to line up several gaskets while you are sliding it into position, and additionally have to correctly line up the air inlet pieces. Getting everything aligned and in proper position probably took me forty five minutes before I could slide it back flush against the body of the car. I'm going to stop here for now, and will describe the rest of the reassembly in a follow-up message - my fingers are tired from typing
and ya'll probably asleep by now anyway.To briefly finish up my description of the reassembly of the front end of my 850, I'd like to mention a few other cosmetic things I did / had done. For those of you familiar with the stock front air dam of an 850CSi, you know it features an incredibly clunky looking front license plate box, large enough across for Euro plates, and protruding from the air dam by about two or three inches. Very unsightly IMHO. Solution? RD Sport (i.e., US version of real Racing Dynamics) sells a very slick grill insert, which eliminates and fills in the gap between the front light bars.
In some states, no front license plates are required, so I had the license plate inserts in mine removed and filled in. In addition, I had the body shop weld in plastic on the new front air dam to fill in the small locating hole on the front of it (for mounting of the clunky license plate bracket). They then sanded it down and painted both pieces, and you'd never know they originally had holes in them. Installing the grille insert in this manner totally transforms the front appearance of the car, making it look even sleeker and more sinister.
And I briefly mentioned them before, but they look so good they're worth mentioning again. There are all chrome factory kidney grilles available for the E31 now, and they look GREAT on our cars. Apparently these were originally offered as an "Individual" option in the Japanese market, and may have ended up on final production on Euro cars. They bring the nose of the car up to date with current BMW styling cues, without being overly bright or out of place. The only downside to these chrome grilles is that they are best mounted from the rear of the nose unless you have very long thin fingers such that you could reach through the grilles and properly secure them to the nose of the car with the mounting clips while pushing the snorkel air duct out of the way. They really need to be installed while the nose is off the car.(By Steve Castle, January 2000.)
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from e31faq.com
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First, thanks to all the previous posters for guidance in my doing the suspension. As thanks, here’s the ‘updated’ document for doing the front suspension. Procedure: While there was no reason to take the strut assembly completely off the car, we decided to remove and replace the control arm bushings. The reassembly of the shocks, springs and camber plates to the strut went so much easier off the car.
Raise then support the front of the car. This shows how to safely use a hydraulic jack at the jack point as well as have security with a jack stand.
Loosen the 22 mm nut on the top of the shock absorber piston before removing the strut assembly from the car. This nut is under the plastic cap at the top of the shock tower. Use a breaker bar on the hex socket (6 mm Allen hex) and break loose the 22 mm Nyloc nut with a gooseneck or box end wrench. When loosened it will be much easier to remove the strut bearing assembly on the bench. Loosen the three nearby 13 mm flanged retaining nuts that hold the strut bearing assembly to the stock tower.
Remove the wheels. Disconnect the existing left and right end links. New stock swing supports were being installed, so the upper end link bolts where they attach to the hub/shock hub assembly were removed. Remove the top 17 mm nuts on the sway bar links. Use a skinny 16 mm open-end wrench (5/8”) on the inner flats to keep the ball from turning.
Detach brake wear sensors just behind the top of the backing plates; seen here with the green wire at the top of the picture.
Remove the two 19 mm caliper carrier bolts. Pull the caliper away from the brake disk and support it up under the wheel well so that there is no stress on the brake line.Remove the 5 mm hex screw that holds the 324x30 mm rotor in place.
Set aside the brake disk.
Detach the ABS sensors on both sides. Remove the 5 mm Allen hex screw and pull out the ABS sensor from the lower spindle assembly.
Clean your ABS/ASC sensors; the magnets will have metal particles and dust clinging to them.Unclip the cable shroud (8) from its bracket on the strut and let the wires hang free.
Check the condition of these:
1. Lower control arm (aluminum),2. Upper control or thrust arm,
3. Tie rod.
See if any of them, particularly the upper control arm bushings, need to be replaced. Replace any other worn suspension/steering parts (tie rod ends, idler arm, track rod or bushings). Now I was ready to remove the strut. Initially, I thought I would just do the bushings for the thrust arms while they were on the car. That plan changes later.
I supported the strut with a floor jack then removed the three 13 mm flanged nuts holding the spring perch to the shock tower. Slowly release the floor jack to lower it, guiding the strut down until it is clear, then placed it on a block. You could use old towels to protect the wheel well paint in case the assembly gets away from you.
Use the spring compressor to take the pressure off the top bearing. Follow the compressor instructions carefully for safety. Span as many coils as you can. I went to AutoZone for these Copyright by http://www.8er.org
spring compressors. They loan tools for up to a week free.When the pressure was off the bearing, I then removed the top Nyloc nut loosened previously and removed the stopper, bearing, support, upper spring pad, spring, lower spring pad, bump stop, and rubber boot.
Spray these threads of the collar nut with penetrating oil for days before working on this job. The upper cap will come of easily. Use a plumber's pipe wrench to remove the collar nut. Mine came of easily. See posts from ‘John in DC’ for tales of tragedy. On a side note. The picture below shows two holes in the spring seat. I put bolts in these, then used a long bar between them to use as a counterforce against the pipe wrench. You could use one bolt in a hole and the strut tube as well for leverage.
After removing the collar nut, the insert assembly slipped out with a little effort. There is about 1/2 pint of oil in the bottom of the strut tube that will spill when you remove the insert. This oil must be removed before the Bilstein inserts can be installed. I used a MityVac to remove most of the oil then, fashioned a large Q-tip out of a long dowel and a paper towel to mop out the remaining oil at the bottom of the tube. The bearing at the top of the strut piston located up in the shock tower is designed in such a way that it catches a lot of dirt in a circular moat. There are four small drain holes and over time, they clog up. It cannot be disassembled or lubricated but give it a good cleaning. Reassembly: After about a week on the blocks, everything checked and all the oils changed, it was time to get it back together. MWrench joined me for a day of fun.
Here’s the Bilstein strut inserted and tightened down. We decided to do the bushings on the bench. We removed the strut assembly with the upper, lower control arms, pressed in new bushings in the upper control arm. This was a lot easier to do with the strut assembly on the bench. It can’t be said enough. Make sure you have the Bilstein tool for tightening the collar nut before you start this project.
Really make sure you have the Bilstein tool for tightening the collar nut before you start this project. I did not, so after calling around we made one at the last minute using an old ½” extension and the old collar nut. He sure makes a pretty weld.
The Bilstein insert is installed, the collar nut is then torqued There is black tape wrapped around the piston of the strut to protect the surface. Use anti-seize on the strut tube's threads (and elsewhere) but not where you use either a Nyloc nut or Loctite.
Here’s a tidy tool that MWrench brought with him. We were able to assemble everything quickly, safely, and easily, after the new thrust bushing was installed. This picture shows camber plate, H&R springs installed over the Bilstein strut.
It is very important that when the new or rebuilt arm is re-installed that the bolt on the chassis end not be tightened up. Only after the car is lowered back on to the ground are the bolts tightened to 91 ft lbs. This is so the bushing is not under torque when at rest.
Here’s a cautionary note about camber plates. While other documents detail the installation of camber plates, you must prepare the stopper washers for the reduced clearance. If not, then the stopper washer will definitely rub the sheet metal. It is possibly due to the excessive flexing of the upper strut mount in this case caused by the Bilstein. These pictures were taken only days after the install, so the damage happens quickly.The offset caused by the camber plate will cause the stopper washer to rub against the sheet metal. This happened within days of the installation.
A simple fix is to reduce the size of the washer by machining off the top of the washer to effectively reduce that diameter. The one on the right is original.
This shows the modified stopper washer back in. The damage caused by the old washer can be seen above the rubber. The rubber portion still is in contact with the sheet metal, but the is no metal contact anymore.
A fresh coat of paint completes the repair. Looks good again, but I wonder how long the front strut supports are going to last... Perhaps those out there with the H&R/Bilstein/KBar setup can give some feedback on this.
Front K-Bars Installation Procedure.
There is a bunch of information out there on this as well as Greg’s installation procedures. This is just our chronicle of the events.
From previous posts:
With the upgraded loads from the K-Bars you should go through all moving suspension pieces for wear. The car will see increases on the order of 100% front in suspension loads from the stiffer bars holding it flat in corners. Aside from shocks and springs, on the short list are the front control and thrust arm bushings; they normally need replacement about every 30k miles. Front wheel bearings should be checked. Stock end links, if original, the increased loads would warrant changing for new ones. Ok then, we did this with the car’s front end supported and wheels removed.
Noted the position and orientation of the existing bar as installed. Disconnected the existing left and right end links. New stock swing supports were being installed, so we removed the upper end link bolts where they attach to the hub/shock hub assembly. We then undid the four bracket bolts securing the bushings, left and right side. The bar then was lowered free from the car.Shown is the old bar with the old end links. Lay the new bar in the correct orientation with the old bar adjacent. Mark the new bar support locations by laying them together for comparison.
Slip the two rubber sway bar bushings over the bar, with the rounded side facing down. Next, install the steel mounting brackets (stabilizer supports) over the rubber bushings. A little soapy solution on the parts helped things slip into place. Don’t use petroleum-based lubricants. Once everything is in place, hold the bar against the mounting points, and install the four securing bolts. Note that the slit in this rubber is facing the stabilizer support. We’ll come back to that later.
End Link Installation.
Make sure that the front suspension is easily loaded (both sides evenly compressed). If not, it will be difficult to slide the connecting bolts through the sway bar end holes. I decided to stay on the weakest settings for now. Perhaps later, after I get used to the new feel, I’ll take it up a notch. Again, Attach the top 17 mm nuts on the sway bar links. Use a skinny 16 mm open-end wrench (5/8”) on the inner flats to keep the ball from turning.For the front stock swing supports, I replaced the four M10 self-locking hex nuts (07 12 9 964 672). Torque the securing nuts to 35 ft-lbs.
Torque everything to specifications and have an alignment done once the springs have had some time to settle. Settle-in time is especially important if you've swapped in new springs as part of the process.According to the footnote on the Bilstein application page original bump stops and protective boots must be used. No bump stop is needed for the fronts, original bump stops only on the rears. Is there a smaller BMW bump stop to replace the stock bump stop?
A week later I had the alignment done. Here are the results for the front. The camber plates added about ½” to the toe-in.
Ok, that’s it. I’ll stop here and do the write up for the rears on another post. Then finally, the third in the series will be comparisons I have noticed about my car in the last month after the change. Hopefully some hard hitting data. The stuff you want to hear about, then again, maybe not. -
from e31faq.com
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1. Elevate front end of car
2. Remove front tires
3. Remove "flash-to-pass" light bars (pull out air inlet grilles next to light bar by giving a firm tug at each end; remove upper and lower screw on each light bar assembly (inward side, middle two screws are for light adjustment), and tilt light assembly horizontally outward and then straight forward to remove "arms" from mounting holes at the rear. Unscrew wiring harness connectors).
4. Remove forward facing covers from front wheels wells (this is the piece the brake duct discharges through. These are held in place by several 10 mm head fasteners and one screw on the bottom lip. Removing these will expose the air collectors.
5. Unscrew the first two fasteners on each side of the wheel well liners, and bend back to catch and hold them on the brake calipers.
6. Inside the rectangular opening on the lower air collectors (for the CSi front air dam, anyway) is a screw, which mounts the air dam mounting bracket to the collector. Remove these screws.
7. Remove the large splash shield, which covers the front of the lower engine (held in place by four large fasteners.
8. Disconnect the alternator air inlet hose.
9. Remove headlight assemblies (I debated adding this step, because the purpose of this is to provide easy access to the air inlet hoses which connect the lower air collectors to the air filter housing boxes. It's not so much a problem to loosen the clamps when removing the front cover, but trust me on this one - based purely on personal experience - you'll be very glad you have full access to these air bellows when your reinstalling. I've done it both ways, and this most recent being my third time, all I can say it was SO MUCH EASIER to realign and connect up the air hoses with the headlight assemblies out of the way).
10. Loosen clamps on air filter housing to lower air collector housings and pull hoses off.
11. In the area behind the two air inlet grilles (already removed), there is a 16 mm bolt which attached the front bumper and cover assembly to the bumper shocks. Remove this bolt on each side.
12. On the top, there are six screws with large black washers, which secure the top of the cover to the front chassis. Remove these and be sure to also remove the little spacer washers in the holes.
13. At the lower air opening, there are three screws which hold the inner air snorkel (which directs air coming in the kidney grilles) to the lower bumper cover/air dam. Be sure to remove these screws. 14. You are now ready to remove the entire front cover (upper and lower air dam) as a single assembly. Make sure to place a large blanket, moving pads, or big towels on the floor to place the painted parts on when they are removed from the car. Gently tug straight forward. The sides are held in place by a slide-in bracket. This piece is reasonably heavy as a single assembly, so be prepared for the weight of it when it clears the bumper shock mounts.
14. Set the assembly down on the pads.
15. To separate the upper from the lower assembly, you must remove the slide in plastic retaining g clip on each side of the lower cover by pushing upwards. Next remove the single screw at the wheel well opening on each side. The lower cover will now slide out from the upper cover.
16. Depending on how much further disassembly must be done, you will find that the bumper, the center air duct, and the lower air boxes are all held to the cover by plastic rivets. You can remove these as needed.
17. The two kidney grilles are installed from the rear and are held in place by four clips, one on each side.
18. The BMW roundel emblem is secured from the rear by two small circular clamps and adhesive tape backing. To remove this, you must first remove the clamps before gently prying up the emblem.
19. Installation is basically reverse of above, except that I would install the upper cover first, and then add the lower cover /front air dam after the upper cover is completely mounted.
20. Final step is to properly realign headlights in hood openings and adjust horizontal levels as needed. Copyright by http://www.8er.org
Here's a link with pictures:
http://www.taylorpatterson.com/e31/frontend.htm -
from e31faq.com
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First, the 8er BMW OEM stock radio was unique to the E31. These radios had the station/disc selector buttons in dual color, have the Weather Band button (under Band), and are integrated with the standard analog telephone.
The BWM OEM standard radios for the 3 and 5 series had a Mute button and none of the things mentioned above for the 8er. With that said, the radios from an E36/E34 will work in an 8er will work with the OEM Pioneer CD unit, even though it was an Alpine unit and not stock for the 8er.
Secondly, there were two versions of the stock OEM radio for the 8er (and potentially a third version).
· For the 1991-93 BMW 850i/Ci's, the Pioneer Model # was: KE-91ZBM (without any "versioning" information; consider it version 1?).
· The Pioneer radio model number for the 1994-97 BMW 8 Series is: KE-91ZBM Version 2 (88 88 1 600 235)The good news is that either radio version will work in a 1991 BMW 850i. I'd recommend going for the newer version because
· early radios had a glare issue during the daytime; one could not make out the radio station/display information if the sun hit the radio just right; and
· the newer radio head unit is just overall better.
Just in case you need it, here's the Pioneer CD player info:
Pioneer 6-Disc CD Changer w/o I-Bus
Model #MDX-91zbm
Part #82-11-1-467-700There's a method to find out exactly which Pioneer radio you have by pressing a couple of keys. If you pres "-" (next to "mode") and "PROG" simultaneously, the radio displays its manufacturer (e.g., Alpine, Pioneer) and version. I think your year would come out to be Pioneer 4...which I believe relates to KE-91ZBM Version 2 or 3.
Here are some pix of KE-91ZBM:
In case anyone's interested in a service manual for these radios, they can be found at:
Pioneer Radio Manuals - KE-91ZBM
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from e31faq.com
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I finally fixed my bad pixels in the information display. Scouring the archives I found a lot of advise, some good, some put me on a wild goose chase. Here is the procedure from start to finish.
You might want to do a pixel display test to see if this is indeed a pixel issue or a bulb issue.
To display all pixels lit up, turn the key to the accessory position. Push the 1000 and 10 buttons together. If your pixels were any good you would see TEST-NR.:_ _ Press the "1" button and the SET/RES button. If random columns or pixels are black. Replace the unit. Otherwise it could possibly be just one or more of the four bulbs. To replace the bulbs you will still have to remove the display unit.
Instead of trying to fix the bad pixel problem, I chose to replace the display unit. Contacting BMW NA for a 50-50 cost plus labor is a waste of time. In my case they offered a 25% discount through my local dealer. Mr. Dealer quoted me $412 less 25%. I chose to pass. Instead I ordered the display (62-13-6-914-687) from Dave Belknap at Gault 800-777-5508. His price was $275. I also ordered a radio removal tool (82-11-1-466-971) $10.40 but you could easily use a jeweler’s screwdriver. Just experiment until you find a size that fits.
The easiest and quickest way to remove the display unit is to first remove the radio. To do this, flip open the two small access flaps on either side of the radio. They open inside edge out. A fingernail works.
Insert your small screwdriver and unscrew until you feel resistance. Then with a couple of fingers inside the cassette slot, pull the radio out of the dash.
DO NOT UNPLUG IT.
Once the radio is out you can reach in and push up on the back of the display unit. This will release the top edge. Then to release the bottom, push up on the catch near the front edge. It is roughly 3 inches wide.Once the display is out of the dash you can slide the radio back in and screw it down.
To release the wire connector from the back of the display, push in on the spring in the center then swing the catch all the way down. This will pop the connector free.
Now it is just a matter of attaching the wire connector to the new unit and pop it into the dash. Job done. It took me all of 5 minutes not counting the 30 minutes it took me to get an answer on how to release the wire connector, and the week it took to get the display in from Gault.
Hopefully this will save you some time
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from e31faq.com
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Tools Needed:
1. Small Star or Phillips Screwdriver.
2. 2” wide Double sided tape (Should come with most kit).
3. Assortment of Tie Strips (Should come with most kit) or twist ties.
4. Latex Gloves.
5. Long grab hook or a Wire Coat Hanger.
6. Wire Stripper or Scissors.
7. Electrical Tape.First things first:
1. Get your Radio Code or get the Memory Saver tool from Bavauto.com (Part # 295A). 2. Put key in position 2 and turn on and off you main lights 6 times and the pods will stay up.
3. Remove Key.
4. Plug in your memory saver tool in the lighter socket.
5. Disconnect both batteries.
6. Get some gloves and now you are ready to go at it.The installation pictures and explanations:
The Kit From XenonDepot.com (Wiring Harness, Phillips Ballast, Bavauto Resistor Pack (Part # 87705, Phillips 4300K HID Filament). (http://www.xenondepot.com/product.php?product_id=8)
The Bulb.
Put in the Bulb.
The Bulb is in.
Attach the Resistor pack to the Ballast. Also attach the wiring harness to the resistor pack (Not shown as I learned the hard way). It is possible to connect the harness later but just extra effort...that’s all. Mark the positive and negative wires coming out of the Resistor pack.
Attach Dual sided tape to the bottom side of the Ballast and Resistor pack (Do not expose yet).
Peel off the paper from the tape and slide in the Ballast and the Resistor pack through the opening in the front and attach to the plastic towards in front of the car. My car had a nice pocket under there next to the radiator surrounding plastic and the bottom of the ballast rests on top of the ductwork for the Air Intake. No chance for the Ballast to fall out of this pocket.
Route the wires from the bulb through the existing hole at the bottom of the Light pod. Connect the Ballast connector to the bulb wire connector and push it under the pod.
Route the wire of the wiring Harness up from the Resistor pack through the same hole from the bottom. You may need a long hook or a wire coat hanger (What I used) to do this easily.
Make sure that the wires are clear of the Pod Hydraulics or Hood latch.
Connect the wires from the Resistor pack to the original plug that used to be attached to the 9006 bulb you replaced. Positive wire connects to the side of the brown wire. The HID lights will not work if this is reversed. You can buy a socket for this and at this time I misplaced the ones I had.
Tape up the connection nice and tight using electrical tape if you do not have the Socket.
Push the wires inside the housing and away from the Reflector. I used small tie strips to bundle them to the existing wire loom.
Replace the two 7.5-amp fuses for the headlamps with two 15-amp fuses. The Fuse #s are listed under the Fuse Box Cover (I can’t remember offhand).
Reconnect the batteries. Take off the Memory Saver. Start the car and turn the lights on and off once. And Voila! You are done. Here is a picture of the HID (Passenger Side) vs. converted 9011 HIR (Driver side). And this is before the HID burn-in and during daytime. HID filaments need to be used for at least 10 hours (Not consecutive hours) before they reach their optimum color and brightness.
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from e31faq.com
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DrWatson on 2004-06-28 at 20:08:52
Today I managed to complete an EPROM replacement without really knowing what I was doing. Hope these help others.
Unclip the aluminum connector by pulling up.
Remove 10 mm nuts on either side holding EML in place.The red circles are the screws to remove, the green, the retainer pins to be pulled out. Straighten all metal clips around the perimeter.
Retainer pins pulled out with needle nose pliers.
Remove plastic retainer and plastic sheet.
Use needle nose pliers to pry apart the board so the connectors pop apart.
The trickiest part is disengaging the upper half of the board from the electrical connector. The two guide bars at either end must be disengaged by inserting screwdrivers behind them and then prying (gently) the plug toward the centre (CDN) and at the same time pulling back on the board while lifting the ribbon connector end for clearance.
EML open. Note the plastic retainer over the EPROM. Stick a small screwdriver in each slot and tip outward at the bottom. Make sure you put the new EPROM in with the notch at the proper end (toward the centre).
Reverse to re-install.
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from e31faq.com
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BACKGROUND - The 840 was purchase off a car lot (July 2004) which had all its service records, manual, documentation lifted when it went through auction --- thus I was really starting from scratch without a clue on any of the prior owerns or vehicle history. Here's what I did.
1. I obtained a CarFax which gave me a history on the vehicle's registration, location of ownership (all in Orange Co., California), number of owners (no name but the city where the car was registered), and periodic life history of mileage. Also, any accident, salvage, flood damage events (no thank goodness). These records were helpful for me to determine the vehicle had a history of about 12K to 15K every year of driving (a sitting car is not good in my opinion), two prior owners, the registration address, the length of their ownership, and the status of the title.
2. A BMW dealership "pre-purchase" inspection was paid for and this allowed me, amongst other things like verifying the Nikisil/Alusil block change had occured at 74,000 miles) to have the dealership check BMW's national database. Helpful as this provided clear evidence the first owner was a three year lease and identified the leasing BMW dealership.
Also learned about recalls, whether they had been done, and mileage/date for each of the service events.
3. Went to the leasing BMW dealership and obtained the first three years of service records done on the 840. These records only are retained by the dealership. By this juncture it became likely the second owner had the 840 serviced at an independent dealer (there are dozen and dozens of them in the LA area).
4. OK, I've got the first three years, and know there had been only one other owner ... so now the hunt begins. I approached a police officer at a coffee shop explaining my circumstances and needs seeking advise on how to contact the second owner (hint - motorcycle officers are more liley to be car enthusiasts). I learned (in California) I needed to go to the Department of Motor Vehicle and obtain a form, pay a $5.00 fee, mail to the State Capitol, and wait a month for the answer --- the name of the second owner (already had his address).
5. Once I got the second owner's name, obtained his telephone number from the phone company and called him. It took several calls over two weeks for him to return my call. Once I explained I was very happy with the 840 and all I needed to know was the name(s) of where he had the car serviced, he told me. I finished the conversation getting his permission to obtain the records (he agreed).
6. Called the independent service provider, and after several days of getting the prior (2nd) owner to give his verbal OK, the service records were faxed to me. Bingo!
Once I had the complete service records/documentaiton, the whole history of the 840 became clear and my confidence climbed.
Hope this is helpful.
Jim Edmondson
Thousand Oaks, CA
