Z4MC refresh

[wdb]

Ouch! And that other thread talking about windshields being unobtainium!! So sorry to hear about this. I replaced the surround trim on the 3.0si, it was a bear but I guess I lucked out.

[grannyknot]

Originally Posted by wdb

Ouch! And that other thread talking about windshields being unobtainium!! So sorry to hear about this. I replaced the surround trim on the 3.0si, it was a bear but I guess I lucked out.

Luckily I located a new BMW windshield in Vancouver BC so that is on it's way as well as another new surround trim from Germany.
The damned thing about it is, the old trim wasn't that bad to begin with but sometimes I just have to get in there and fix it before it breaks.

[grannyknot]

I ordered a set of Meyle tie rods separately thinking the inner rods were probably fine, when I got the steering rack out I found the ball joints of the inner rods were on the loose side.
I tried to order the Lemfoerder inner rods but no luck, they are only sold together with the outer tie rods at considerably more cost.
Then I came across an old thread on the British Z4 forum with a part number for a MOOG inner tie rod, it was still a good number so ordered 2 at a very reasonable cost.
Here they are, visually a little different but functionally identical.
The stock part is at the top.

[wdb]

MOOG is a solid name, they make a lot of 'genuine OEM' stuff. Good get.

[grannyknot]

I've finished the rear bearings and bushing replacements on the rear trailing arms, just need to wrap those up and get them up on to the shelf. The first pic is one of the rear wheel bearing completely apart.
New front hubs/bearings and O2 sensors came in today and dropped the rear lump, damn that is a heavy unit!
It can't really be disassembled any further until you get it out on the ground.

[grannyknot]

-Here's the leaky front diff seal.
-Some wear on the bearings and races, still usable but worn.
-Here is that nasty little security ball, absolutely no reason for them to use a hardened ball bearing there. Horrible job to remove it.
-Of the 15 bushings on the rear end replaced, this one that holds the front of the diff was the most difficult, not so bad to remove but installation is tricky.
-I hated to cut up one the press cylinders but it's the only way I could come up with, BMW really wants you to use that dedicated tool.
-After cleaning the rust off completely I coated it with PPG 2k epoxy primmer before taking the hatch to a local paint shop.
They did a very nice job for $500 cash.

[grannyknot]

I got the vanos off, cams out and head off today, nothing surprising thankfully.
Pistons are uniform in appearance and have only thin coating of carbon, same with valves, should be an easy clean up.

Upper chain guide is broken as usual and got the vanos blown out with brake cleaner and compressed air, just waiting for the Beisan seals to come in before reassembling.

[grannyknot]

So all this rushing was so I could get the block outside, thoroughly clean it and get some paint on it while the weather is still warm, got that done today.
Rod bearings look good, they have been replaced at some point.

BMW engineers certainly know more than I ever will but leaving the exhaust runners on an S54 with the casting marks and flashing from the foundry just seems unfinished to me, so I smoothed them out a bit. It won't result in any more power but it will make me feel like I helped.

The valves cleaned up nicely, all the seats on the valves and head are beautiful except the seats on the exhaust valves, they were a bit rough so lapped those back down to a good surface, the pic of the lapped valve wasn't finished yet.

I wasn't planning on replacing the crank sprocket but when I pulled the damper off half of the locating pin dropped on the floor so not sure what caused that.

[grannyknot]

The Speedbleeders and the crank sprocket arrived yesterday, hopefully these are the last 2 things I will have to purchase, I have already blown the budget months ago. In case anyone is interested I've included the code for bleeder valves, these fit a huge range of BMW calipers.

These are my Dad's old bore gauges, probably from the 1940's but still accurate.
The bores were all in spec so moved on to the main bearings.
The crankshaft axial end play needs to be between .141mm and .253mm, the shells with the side bearings only allowed .005" or .127mm so I had to remove another thou split between the 2 sides.
Laying some wet 600 grit paper on the granite flat, I did 40-50 strokes on both sides of the 2 shells which came out at exactly .006" or .152mm, close to the tight end of the range so there is lots of room for wear.

I also got the valves, springs and rockers back in the head.
The best tool I've ever found to install the keepers at the top of the valve stems is the same tool used to change the cam shims, it's perfect.
You need to cut the end of the tool off right next to the magnet but that modification also helps make it easier to change the cam shims.

[grannyknot]

I got to do a fun project today, back last year I bought one of Garagistic's Supreme Shifters, now they don't make a double shear selector rod for our cars so I picked up a UUC DSSR and hoped I could get it to work.

The UUC DSSR is 8mm longer than the stock selector rod so I had to cut that out, weld it back together then weld a sleeve over the join to add some strength. Not the prettiest job but I'm the only one looking at it.

I actually cut out 10mm so the shift knob would sit a bit farther back and closer to the driver when in neutral.
The last 3 pics are 1st, 3rd, 5th. Neutral. 2nd, 4th, 6th.

[grannyknot]

I tried to get the shims correct for the wipe pattern and backlash for 3 days and just when I had it perfect I would push the stub axles in all the way and the back lash seemed to disappear. After many attempts I finally took it up the diff specialist and they had a go at it, they found the same thing I did and then we figured out that the new RacingDiffs HD stub axle seals where so snug that it just felt like there was no play, so she is back together and ready to install.


These are the front shock tower reinforcement plates for the E46 M3, they fit perfectly on a Z4M.


After I painted the brake backing plates the calipers looked a bit dingy so ordered some G2 Brake caliper paint, great stuff and it goes a long way, I did 3 coats on the calipers, 3 coats on the axles and there was still lots left.


I have sent pump discs to Beisan before but really do not like not getting my original disc back, a friend AK72 knows a master machinist who did it while I waited, precision work.


Here is a trick I learned from the S38 boys back when I had my E24 M6, adding a 3rd spring from the old oil pump chain tennsioner.
The oil pump chain has a lot of slack that the tennsioner has to take up on both the S38 and the S54, at high in the revs I can imagine that the stock 2 springs probably have a hard time keeping that chain from flopping around so adding a 3rd adds some extra tension.
Even with the 3rd spring the tension on the oil pump chain doesn't seem like very much.

[grannyknot]

A very satisfying day, got the rear diff carrier assembled and installed!


Almost up.



and all the way in, bugger of a job for one guy but doable.

[Westersund]

Originally Posted by grannyknot

Bad day in the shop today, not only destroyed my new rubber surround that goes around the windshield but I also cracked the windshield

Now that I've screwed it up I know why, the part of the rubber surround that inserts between the glass and the roof at its smallest measurement is 4mm.
The gap on the right side of the car is 5.8mm, the gap on the left side is 2.8mm so force it and you crack the glass.

On the coupes at least these surround trims must have been installed when the windshield was installed.
I should have just had the windshield removed, there goes another $1,000 plus some installation costs.

Had the bearings and the regulator switched out on the alternator and pressed in the new bushings on the Lollipops.

A few years ago when I had my roof wrapped gloss black the company that did it damaged the seal around the windscreen and had to pay for a replacement. The company (very reputable) that was going to replace the seal said the windscreen had to come out to get the seal in and usually the windscreen cracks when removing it as well. For a new windscreen and seal free of charge. This is about 5 years ago.

[grannyknot]

Originally Posted by Westersund

A few years ago when I had my roof wrapped gloss black the company that did it damaged the seal around the windscreen and had to pay for a replacement. The company (very reputable) that was going to replace the seal said the windscreen had to come out to get the seal in and usually the windscreen cracks when removing it as well. For a new windscreen and seal free of charge. This is about 5 years ago.

I'll bet the shop that did your roof wrap never allowed another Z4Coupe anywhere near their shop again, expensive mistake.

In my case the original windshield was a bit sand blasted from highway driving so I'm not too heart broken about having to buy a new one.

[Westersund]

Originally Posted by grannyknot

I'll bet the shop that did your roof wrap never allowed another Z4Coupe anywhere near their shop again, expensive mistake.

In my case the original windshield was a bit sand blasted from highway driving so I'm not too heart broken about having to buy a new one.

We didn't split on good terms no. First go he had his dog in the shop so a few dog hairs ended up under the wrap. Second go they were 2 installing the wrap and the helper damaged the seal so it wouldn't lie flat against the roof. My windshield was a bit weathered as well so I wasn't to broken up about all the hassle.

Very impressive refurb you're doing with the Z.

[grannyknot]

The oil gallery plugs finally came in, you can't assemble much until they are installed and you can't properly clean of the oil galleries unless you pull them out.
They used to include them with the gaskets kits so I just assumed they were there until I went looking for them.
If I was thinking before scrubbing the block out I could have cut some threads and put NPT screws in there.
There in now so can start the installing the timing components.


This is a 3/4" torque wrench I bought years ago for the Jesus nut on the S38 engine, good up to 600 ftlbs, I don't get to use it very often but it sure is nice to have around for front and rear axle nuts at 300 NM

[wdb]

How long is that torque wrench? I want to know so I can calibrate the pipe I slide over my breaker bar.

[grannyknot]

Originally Posted by wdb

How long is that torque wrench? I want to know so I can calibrate the pipe I slide over my breaker bar.

From the middle of the 3/4" sq plug that goes in the socket to the centre of the handle where you push down is 37"
I have a digital hanging scale, tomorrow I'll hook it up and find out how much weight is needed to make the torque wrench click.

I know I could just do the calculations but my way is more fun

[grannyknot]

Okay, so the actual distance from the center of the socket to where I hung the scale was 38" and it took 50lbs weight to get the torque wrench to click set at 290NM or 214ftlbs.
The rear axle nut requires 300NM or 221ftlbs.
The scale is reading 22.7 KG.

[grannyknot]

I've got the entire back end of the driveline in now so I can drop the car down onto it's wheels soon.
The multigauge came in from https://blackstarmanufacture.com/produkt/multigauge/
It is designed for older BMW's but I'm sure I can make it work.
I want to have oil pressure, coolant temp and a voltage meter in the cabin but don't want to go the separate gauges look, this unit can fit in the block off plate for the cup holder that I never use.
I'll use the coolant drain in the side of the block for coolant temp, I think I can squeeze an oil pressure sensor in the side of the oil filter unit, it's going to be pretty tight so still not 100% sure.

While I was working on the rear end I noticed some rust on the bumper and impact shocks so that all came off, was sand blasted and a new coat primer and paint.
No one else can see it but I gotta fix it or it will eat away at me.

[grannyknot]

I've been hesitating installing the cams because I was toying with the idea of picking up a set of 288/280 cams and new rockers. This is probably the last time the engine will be opened up for a while.
Then I added up the cost, basically $5,000 cnd by the time they get into my hands, that's a lot of money for 15-20hp.
My stock rockers are in very good shape and it seems like many guys have got away with using their original rockers with new cams, that would bring the cost down to about $2300. So as you can probably guess I put the stock cams back in. Overhauled the Vanos with all the Beisan seals and got everything timed.

In case anyone is interested here is the weight of an S54, it is missing the A/C compressor, steering pump, alternator, starter, throttle bodies and a few other things, those would add about 60lbs.
Then I installed the new flywheel and clutch pack and the transmission.

[wdb]

The reason it is difficult and expensive to get more power out of the S54 is that BMW M engineers had already wrung it out pretty far. It's a jewel right from the factory. I think you should consider reaching out to pokeybritches about a tune if you want to squeeze a bit more out of it.