Hello,
I have a leak that's sprung from atop my radiator, see attached photo. I've been doing a bit of work on the car lately and have been leaning on various parts that maybe I shouldn't have been leaning on. Can something in that vicinity break?
Ivan
Hello All,
New spark plugs fitted, valve covers back on with new gaskets. Car started up ok but is making a bit of noise. There's a knock/rattle and a whistling sound (see attached video for noise)!
An advice?
Ivan
Cheers Timm,
Yup, that's what happened.
Ivan
Hello All,
I noticed yesterday that my pentosin canister was overflowing, only a little bit, but the current level of it is literally a millimetre or so from the lip of the canister. I haven't used the car in a month or so. Any ideas?
Regards,
Ivan
Hello All,
Went to pick up my newly painted valve-cover heads a week gone Friday. To my horror, the body-shop had just stripped and sprayed them; no prep work! I complained that they looked bad and the guy advised to make them look good, they'd have to sand and primer before spraying. "Uh yes" I told him, "That's why a brought it here! I could have done a bodge-job of it myself!" Told him to do it correctly. I went back yesterday to pick them up and the bits that are visible with the plastic covers on are now presentable, but the bits that you will not be able to see when the plastic covers are on, he has not bothered to do. The manager of the shop wasn't there to explain why he'd made this decision. I took the covers away as I want to get the car back together, or at least will have to find someone else to re-do them. I'm not too bothered about the unseen parts been a bit ropey but my concern is that the rough edges around the seal-holes will prevent a good seal, see photos. Please advise as I really want to get the car back together.
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Regards,
Ivan
Hahahaha Arnie,
Looking at that photo, no, I don't think I'll want to be going further! I am not going to do something like this again unless absolutely necessary; my back can't take it for one...
I've seen a bit of discussion as to whether the extra gasket sealant is necessary or not, anyone else wants to chime in? In case I do decide to use the gasket sealant Arnie, did you fit the covers back while it was still 'wet', or did you let it cure first? My concern is the lack of space and having to manoeuvre a bit to get the covers in place. I don't want sealant all over the place.
Regards,
Ivan
Thanks Marco,
I'll make sure the guys doing the covers know what's what. I mean they should anyway, but... Porous covers. How would I be able to tell if they were porous or not. I'm assuming not so poprous that you'd notice liquid dripping through.
Hello Timm,
Good point about the colour of the oil. It has obviously been there an awful long time. The oil in the engine is pristine, hard to actually see it on the dipstick even. I'm a bit pernickity when it comes to oil and always over-service my cars oil-wise. As for judicious servicing servicing, this is one of the reasons why I've started doing jobs myself the last year or so. Once I started looking at things properly that I'd had done over the years, I began noticing that not everything was at it should have been despite me using a BMW certified outfit!
I've got new spark-plugs anyway and I'll change the PCV valve just in case. Was thinking about doing it anyway. What else would be worth doing while the covers are off? Timing-chain tensioner (I know you don't ned the cover off, but I can at least see what's going on inside)?
Regards,
Ivan
Hello All,
Getting the cover off on the passenger side (LHD) was harder than the first cover. I've discovered another helpful technique of getting the bulk-head side clip off the injector plug and'll post amother how-to when I get the time. Couple of questions this time around are,
1) The gaskets and Dowty seals were not obviously corrupted. Quite brittle, but would that warrant this amount of leaked oil? You cannot even see the sparkplug nearest the bulk-head???
2) The covers are a mess, as you can see. Can these be acid-dipped before painted?
3) Note the flange that the plastic cover is screwed into has disentegrated. This isn't indicative of there being a problem with the cover is it. I assume as long as there isn't any other disentegration, I'm ok going forward, or should I be looking to buy a new cover?
Regards,
Ivan
Hey Steve,
You're not a Mk1'er are you?
Ivan
Very pretty Marco. Hopefully I'll have the covers off this weekend but have a beach-bar opening I cannot miss on Saturday, and son's football match on Sunday so a bit stuck for time. I cant wait for my engine bay to look like that. The flaky paint and oil leak has been bugging me for too long! I should have done this ages ago. In what condition are your wires in the wring box? I had a good look at mine. There's co chafing or anything, but they seem a bit rigid to me? I'm really trying not to move them around too much...
Ivan
Hallelujah
Hello All,
If you have been following this saga, you will have noticed my growing frustration at not being able to dislodge the clip of the injector plug nearest the bulk-head without the extra work of removing the injector-rail. I was pondering this at work, had a bit of an epiphany and have sussed it out. In case you ever need to do this, I have put together a little 'how-to'.
Tools required:
A skinny screwdriver.
A vanity mirror (having a wife helps in this respect)
Two children with small hands (again, a wife helps in this respect)
8er.org/forum/index.php?attachment/22573/
Take the locking ring off the big round connector on the wiring box, and move it out the way. This can be tight. A slight tap with the screwdriver on one of the ridge-grips loosens it.
8er.org/forum/index.php?attachment/22574/
This gives you just enough room to slide the screwdriver to the clip. The problem is that you still cannot see it! This is where the kids come into their own (I knew they'd come in handy some day). Have one of them hold the mirror up against the bulk-head while the other shines the torch into the mirror illuminating the connector. Now fiddle around, takes a little getting used to working inversely through the mirror, but easier I think than taking off the injector rail.
8er.org/forum/index.php?attachment/22571/
Job done, and as Timm would say "Time for a cup of tea"; well, before carrying on with the rest of the job in better light anyway...
Ivan
BUGGER!!! I really did not want to attempt taking off the fuel-rail. Bloody Bavauto with their simplified (and incorrect!) 'how-to'. I would not have attempted this job had I known it was so involved! I suppose removing the pentosin cannister and other bits at the side of the engine-bay would not give me enough space to lift the valve cover off without removing the wiring-box?
Regards,
Ivan
Hello Reinhard,
Correct, just a little hole that I'd not noticed before. Thank you for the part number; I'll definitely get it as looks nice. Just have to now work out how to actually fix it as pulling the cord does not open the petrol cap!
Regards,
Ivan
Stumped!!!
Hello All,
Having a God-awful time trying to get to the injector connector clip in order to get the wiring box out of the way to get the valve cover off. I managed to dislodge 3 of the clips, but the connector nearest the bulk-head (see Fig 1) I cannot even see, let alone dislodge the clip (see Fig 2)!? The only way I can see of getting to it is to remove the injector pipe/rail (red arrow), which looks like a definite no-no. Any ideas/help would be very much appreciated.
Regards,
Ivan
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Cheers Steve,
What do you mean about the second part in the carpet? I had the latch mechanism changed a few years back. I don't know if this is connected in anyway to that, but as seems typical of BMW over here (south of Spain) they may have not done a thorough job and reconnect this!?
Regards,
Ivan
Hello All,
Anyone know what this is in the boot above the battery
I thought maybe emergency petrol cap opener, but on giving it a fair old tug, nothing happens.
Regards,
Ivan
Hello Marco,
I'm having them painted by a body-shop. Painting isn't my forte. I have updated the thread as my pictures were not showing!? Can you answer regards the big round electrical connector? Does it just twist and pull free? Do not apologise for your English, it's good. Alot better than my French. Only since being on this site do I wish I paid closer attention to French and German at school!
Regards,
Ivan
Hello Revtor,
Changed to standard editor, and as you see, problem fixed thank you.
Change of subject I know, but might you know what this is? I thought maybe emergency fuel cap opener, but gave it a bit of a pull and nothing happened.
Regards,
Ivan
Nice one Marco. My covers are also very flaky so will have them re-sprayed before refitting. I've come across a bit of a snag though. I am following instructions given by Bavarian Auto at http://blog.bavauto.com/643/re…cover-gasket-on-your-bmw/ but have got to the part where I have to dislodge the injector clips (see Bav Auto figures 7 & 
so that I can lift the 'wiring box' off. I have dislodged the front three, but cannot even see the clip on the rearmost injector. I might be able to see it if I take off the big round wire plug (see picture below), but don't want to break anything. Does this just twist and pull off? The amount of oil that has collected in the sparkplug wells is horrific. Some pictures added of that! Any advice appreciated. I'm more concerned about the injector plugs going back in correctly once I come to reassemble!
[FONT="Verdana"]Thanks Marco, Well here I go. Have to say it's a littlebit daunting (lots of bits and pieces to disassemble), but also exciting...Cheers, Ivan...[/FONT]
