What did you do to your F10, F11 or F07 today?

[Andrew]

Awww FFS!

I was greeted by this on my car this morning.

[duncan-uk]

Some days you are the statue, some days you are the pigeon...

[BobA]

Sympathies!

The bloody seagulls like to perch on the parapet of my garage and then take off in a diving zoom right over my car parked outside it. From the results it looks like gaining height must involve quite some abdominal spasms! 😡

Edited April 21, 2023 by BobA

[Steve84N]

Started major mechanical work this afternoon with a friend who runs a small business selling/repairing cars. 

Exhaust off up to the cat, despite the super crusty bolts! Propshaft out. Tomorrow will be gearbox out, new clutch & flywheel, slave cylinder, ARB bushes, differential bushes, centre propshaft bearing, rear guibo, engine & gearbox mounts, new gear linkage bushes/parts, sports cat. Busy day ahead... 

Unfortunately we discovered a small leak on the gearbox output side and I didn't think to get those seals. Will have to try my luck with the local BMW in the morning. Also looks a bit tricky finding a big enough socket to take the nut off the gearbox shaft output flange. I think it's 36mm but does anyone happen to know? 

[Andrew]

@Steve84N

Ive just helped @VPCAPTAIN replace his E92 gearbox rear seal.

 

6” puller made easy work of removing the flange after we counter held the flange to undo the nut.

 

New seal was tapped home using one of my bearing cups as a drift. 
 

 

Rob had done all the hard work removing the exhaust and gearbox rear mount. 

 

 

[Steve84N]

Thanks @Andrew. My day was not entirely successful. BMW only sell that seal as a repair kit with the nut and flange for £220 and not in stock until next week. Where did you get the seal from?

It may well just be my gear linkage seal dripping down as that's much more common. They didn't have that either so I'll have to put it back without changing them. There were some oil sweats on the side of the gearbox too, perhaps where some gear detents go in. Nothing major so it can carry on as is. 

Managed to do the following today in 11hrs:

- Clutch, flywheel, rear main seal

- Gearbox back in with renewed gear linkage bushes/parts

- Propshaft centre support bearing, was a pig to do even though I had a puller. 

- Two out of three differential bushes. The nut on my threaded bar stripped halfway through pressing in the last bush! Got to get more nuts. 

- Sports cat in and ready for the rest of the exhaust. 

Probably got another couple of hours to get the last bush in, propshaft and all the little bits. 

Had to pass on doing some of the things I wanted to tackle like engine mounts, ARB bushes and clutch slave cylinder. However, they are barely more work to do separately another time. 

Exhausted. 

Edited April 22, 2023 by Steve84N

[duncan-uk]

Looked at a box of stuff I can’t fit as waiting on some bolts. 

[HandyAndy]

Not so much what I did TO it... but I spent more money ordering new bits FOR it.

After reading the reports regarding brake caliper bushings and control arms I now have the appropriate metal and rubber on order. As I'm beginning to feel vibration on light braking again, this seems a sensible move... and if I'm going to have each wheel off I may as well do the control arm and caliper bushings in the same session.

Opted for the Mayle control arms with the Lemforder bolt & clip nut kit, then the Frenkit guide sleeve kit as you get the whole shebang in one box.

Once it all arrives I just have to hope for a dry sunday sometime soon....

[Andrew]

16 hours ago, Steve84N said:

Thanks @Andrew. My day was not entirely successful. BMW only sell that seal as a repair kit with the nut and flange for £220 and not in stock until next week. Where did you get the seal from?

 

- Propshaft centre support bearing, was a pig to do even though I had a puller. 

 

How did you split the prop to get to the centre bearing? They splined section in the middle should pull apart but I can’t do that on the F20 one I’ve got to play with?

I’ve got different pullers so getting the prop centre bearing off doesn’t look too bad, but only after figuring how to split the prop.

@VPCAPTAIN, where did you get the gearbox seal from?

 

febi from Amazon? 

 

[VPCAPTAIN]

Febi from amazon was £10 febi 36629

[Andrew]

15 hours ago, duncan-uk said:

Looked at a box of stuff I can’t fit as waiting on some bolts. 

….if only you’d paid attention to the parts (including all the nuts and bolts) someone had already fitted. 
 

I might be an oaf but I’m not hamfisted 😉

[Andrew]

2 minutes ago, VPCAPTAIN said:

Febi from amazon was £10 febi 36629

Nowt wrong with that. 
 

The febi parts I’ve fitted have been of the same manufacturer as OEM (INA, FAG etc) so you’ll not go wrong with febi. 

[Steve84N]

@Andrewon my F11 the propshaft is a push fit. However, first you have to pull the seal back over the lip. Once separated you then pull the seal off the other lip.

I had these pullers but to get them on we had to cut the rubber outer part off. It put up a fight. Then we made the mistake of tapping on the housing to put the new one on which simply unseated the bearing. After pulling the housing back out with the pullers we got it on using the old bearing as a drift. 

[Andrew]

Thanks @Steve84N, I’ve read that TIS. The prop I’m playing with has the centre gaiters burst open so they aren’t helping hold it together. Guess I just need to pull harder! 

 

was your centre bearing graunchy and definitely in need of replacement or was it a case of while it was off doing the clutch, you might as well….

[Steve84N]

@Andrewmine was fine, almost regretted doing it as I may have slightly damaged the thin rubber membrane bashing it about to get it on. My rear main seal was also dry but I hope to not be back in there for many years. 

There were two of us so much easier to get some force to pull it apart but it wasn't stuck. 

Edited April 23, 2023 by Steve84N

[Andrew]

1 hour ago, Andrew said:

Guess I just need to pull harder! 

Yup 

if at first you don’t succeed, use more brute force 

 

and if that doesn’t work, get a bigger hammer 

[duncan-uk]

6 hours ago, Andrew said:

….if only you’d paid attention to the parts (including all the nuts and bolts) someone had already fitted. 
 

I might be an oaf but I’m not hamfisted 😉

I blame autodoc's translation, suggestion was both sides included so i assumed an axle set, seems they mean fits both sides..

[Andrew]

^^^^ppppfffftttt

 

thats up there with “the dog ate my homework Sir” 

[duncan-uk]

You haven't got a dog!

[0011718]

What is it with you two?

[mullinsj08]

Decided it was about time to do something with the basic gear shifter and while I'm at it, add some driving modes.

Started off as I meant to go on by opening the boot, disconnecting the battery and then (without a second thought) closing the boot...whoops! 🙃

After struggling to disconnect the various cables under the centre console, dropped in the new Sport Automatic Transmission gear shifter, attached the DEC buttons and closed it all up. It looks magnificent!

I still need to wire in the driving mode switch and do a bit of coding but I was exhausted after the ordeal of trying to get back into the boot again to reconnect the battery so that will be for another day.

[Andrew]

7 hours ago, mullinsj08 said:

 

Started off as I meant to go on by opening the boot, disconnecting the battery and then (without a second thought) closing the boot...whoops! 🙃

 

 I was exhausted after the ordeal of trying to get back into the boot again to reconnect the battery so that will be for another day.

 

Remember there are “charging points” under the bonnet.

If the battery is disconnected in a shut (and therefore locked) boot, but the cabin is unlocked, open the bonnet and get 12V onto the terminals. The positive terminal is effectively an extension of the positive battery terminal in the boot. 

[Steve84N]

Went back to my friend's unit to finish putting the car back together this evening. Managed to find a gearbox selector shaft seal from a place called Deutsche Parts in Ledbury, cue pinching the other half's car for a last minute run to pick it up this morning. The old seal was very hard and had to be picked to pieces to come out. 

Clutch feels much better, the old one was about to wear through completely and the flywheel was very sloppy/covered in hot spots. 

I've got a trip to Birmingham on Wednesday to get the M5 comfort seats coded/wired in so that'll also be a chance to test the new differential bushes and guibo to see if my vibration is finally cured. 

The sports cat has given the car notably more poke and response. However, I have the rare M Performance exhaust and the combination is too much for me. It's fine inside with all the sound insulation but a bit too loud outside.

If anyone with a 535i wants the M Performance exhaust backboxes and would swap their standard boxes with me I'm not looking for any money on top. 

[Andrew]

On 23/04/2023 at 23:49, 0011718 said:

What is it with you two?

He’s an Architect.

I’m an Engineer.

😂

[Andrew]

7 hours ago, Steve84N said:

The old seal was very hard and had to be picked to pieces to come out. 

 

Interesting, @VPCAPTAINs seal was 12 years old and popped out in one piece after a great big heave on my J shaped hook tool, after I broke a smaller one. I used the curved bit to get additional leverage. 
 

https://www.toolstoday.co.uk/sealey-hose-removal-hook-set-2pc?gclid=CjwKCAjw0ZiiBhBKEiwA4PT9z04ZN1XzdH4fpSmvJYPJolgFPGiDVoJdLRPtP33pGHeCNbVABom9RxoCaKAQAvD_BwE

 

I’ve not done it myself this way but I’ve seen people drilling a hole in the seal and screwing in a self tapping wood screw then using a claw hammer to pull out the screw with the seal.