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E34 540i/6 project rod-storation. Bit off more then I can chew.

4K views 2 replies 1 participant last post by  Mykk 
#1 · (Edited)
Hey guys,

Here is a pictorial and progress thread of my E34 540i/6. I picked it up non-running and knew I'd run into a few headaches, but I never thought I'd end up doing so much to it. My plan was to get it running and drive the wheels off of it as my commuter beater, unfortunately the gearhead in me wouldn't let me keep anything stock.



First thing I did was to physically bypass EWSII and replace the 484 DME to 404, of course while I was in there the 404 got a +30hp chip.



The car had a water pump explode, shatter the cooling fan. The PO replaced the water pump but it still needed fans. A couple universal electrics zipped to the radiator core fit nicely.



With the 404 DME I was able to get the car to crank, spit sputter and backfire while pumping out white smoke from the tailpipe. A sign that an injector(s) was stuck open.

I pulled the stock injectors and they looked gnarly so I replaced them with an upgraded Bosch II four hole misters:



Since I had the intake off I opt'd to replace it with an early M60B40 manifold with the velocity stacks, a M62 throttlebody and blocked off IAC:





I also modified the crankcase vent to be able to run an external oil catch can. Pieced together some spectre intake pieces to make a simple 3.5" intake tube and cone filter, still need to make a heat shield for the filter. Installed a Cosmos strut bar too.





So now it would crank, spit and sputter but wouldn't catch and fire up. For kicks I pulled the fuel pump to see what kind of condition it was in, and found someone's fuel pump "fix".



So now there is a 340lph fuel pump with a new wiring harness to the pump.



...but, still crank no fire.

Then I decided to check out the harmonic dampener/crank tone ring. I pulled it and found that someone had installed it 90 degrees off. Not only once, but there were marks on the dampener that someone had it 180 degrees off at some point in time too.

When installed clocked wrong the pin in the crank hub bent the dampener mounting face, so I replaced it with a used unit.



With the replacement dampener installed correctly, the engine fired right up. I was so thankful to hear it run. Although it had some wicked exhaust leaks and valvetrain ticks. I got the car up on stands and noted that every piece of exhaust hardware from the manifold collectors was either missing or broke off. I was able to add new hardware and tighten things up enough to seal.

I was reading up on how the M60B40's oil pump likes to drop bolts into the bottom of the pan and then lose oil pressure at idle and start to make for noisy valvetrain. So I drained the oil, dropped the engine oil pan and found a loose nut in the bottom of the pan. Although not nearly as bad as some folks who have found as much as 7 loose bolts off the oil pump.



I ended up pulling every bolt I could reach and applying some loctite before making sure they were torqued back to spec. I also needed to add a bit of tension to the oil pump drive chain, it was pretty sloppy.



For fun I chopped off the rear muffler, leaving the cats and resonator. Actually sounds pretty good.



With everything back together and fired up, the car was making a very large amount of white smoke at idle. A sign that the head gasket(s) have let go. I really don't want to pull heads, at least not at this point. So I tried a bottle of Blue Devil Head Gasket Sealant and let the car run for an hour or so. It seemed to have worked. It subsided the white smoke. However I discovered the radiator had holes in it from where the core was impacted by the cooling fan. A new radiator is on order.

I did manage to get a test drive in around my neighborhood, after feeling the torque and power this car is capable of I am inclined to just keep sorting out it's quirks in hopes of having a fun and quick little commuter.

Future plans include new tires for the 18" M-parallel rims, yet they need to have a re-chrome job too.



I also have this wild hair to build a set of side pipe exhaust running down the side of the sills. This may or may not happen, but once I get an idea I usually need to execute it.

...and that's where I'm currently at, waiting for parts to arrive and keeping my fingers crossed that it won't need anymore so that I can just drive it.
 
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#3 ·
A pictorial:



Dialed in custom cam timing; advancing intake cams 4 degrees and retarding exhaust 3 degrees



Stainless headers, later to be wrapped in DEI titanium heat wrap



Spec lightweight aluminum flywheel:



Spec kevlar full face clutch disc, stage II 439ft-lb pressure plate. A suggested trans oil blend to help keep gear lash chattering down




Replacing leaking steering gearbox, replaced steering linkage and currently working on control arms. Cleaning up wiring, degreasing & painting engine compartment. Bypassed ABS module. Lowering front coils





Just awaiting parts before starting to get the drivetrain back into it's home.

 
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