My midlife crisis purchase; E86 BMW Z4 Coupe
Discussion
I got stuck into the front end today. It is so on a bit longer than I’d hoped it would because some of the bits were bigger than the online stuff I watched / read so I had to go to Halfords for a 22mm spanner and Sod’s Law they didn’t have it in the Tamworth branch so I had to leg it over to Lichfield.
So, I fitted the following today;
The old wishbone bushes didn’t look too bad to my unprofessional eye.
One of the nuts on the new wishbone caused me some issues and wouldn’t do up. Upon looking at it in more detail, the hole was oval. I reused the old 22mm nut and it was fine.
I did discover a few things today.
I might had a wee look at the front end alignment because there is a lot of toe in (I just counted hell the exposed threads on the old tie rods but it looks like the new ones are a bit shorter).
So, I fitted the following today;
- Moog front wishbones
- Moog front drop links
- Mood tow rod assemblies with new boots
- Poweflex front ARB bushes
The old wishbone bushes didn’t look too bad to my unprofessional eye.
One of the nuts on the new wishbone caused me some issues and wouldn’t do up. Upon looking at it in more detail, the hole was oval. I reused the old 22mm nut and it was fine.
I did discover a few things today.
- the sump has a slight weep by the looks of it
- the cover to access the drain plug in the sump is missing so I’ll get one ordered
- the retaining screw for the passenger side disc is missing and it turns out that the thread is shagged / very rusty. I’ll try and run a tap through it but it looks like the long term need is to replace the carrier.
- the fan has been out and whoever refitted it missed various slots so it was flapping about a bit. This was sorted whilst the front end was up in the air.
I might had a wee look at the front end alignment because there is a lot of toe in (I just counted hell the exposed threads on the old tie rods but it looks like the new ones are a bit shorter).
d_a_n1979 said:
Some cracking work there Sam 
I bought loads of tools over Christmas taking advantage of various % discounts on Amazon and eBau UK and bought a load of BGS stuff that Sreten uses on his channel. No way I'm paying for Hazet stuff
Like you though; I was still missing a few sized spanners I obviously needed when doing some work. Always the bloomin' case!
Cheers Dan. I’m getting too old to roll around under cars on the drive now though….I’m knackered and very sore now! I bought loads of tools over Christmas taking advantage of various % discounts on Amazon and eBau UK and bought a load of BGS stuff that Sreten uses on his channel. No way I'm paying for Hazet stuff
Like you though; I was still missing a few sized spanners I obviously needed when doing some work. Always the bloomin' case!
Sod’s Law re a few sizes / tools though.
Today I cracked on with getting the Z4 ready for an alignment on Monday.
First up was to address the crazy amount of front toe in. It looked like this on both sides this morning with the wheel straight.
I then got broadly distracted fitting some of the finest Chineseium exhaust tips. They’re a little big than the stock ones, which had seen better days.
Then it was time to tackle the RTAB. After unclipping cables from the trailing arm and removing the brackets holding the brake lines in place I undid three very rusty bolts that held the passenger side mount in place. It was crusty, but not as bad as the alignment place made out.
The bush looked a bit tired.
Out with the finest tool, purchased from eBay. And before long the bush was out….well, it took a bit of time and required the trailing arm to be braced against the car and then the jack out underneath it. A 19mm spanner was then wedged against the arm whilst I swung on my breaker bar.
I had intended to use Powerflex Herirage bushes which are a bit softer, but I couldn’t get the trailing arm carrier to fit over them so I gave up and used standard Powerflex jobbies. These weren’t quite as easy to fit as some videos make out. The outer side popped in without issue, but the inner side was a turd and had to be fitted with a G clamp. Once in though, the carrier slipped over with relative easy. The new carrier was refitted with new bolts.
I then moved onto the drivers side, where the carrier did look a bit worse for wear.
The bolts this side were super crusty but I did get them (I had to use the jack to force the socket bit sand extension bar onto a couple).
The bush looked much worse on this side.
Again, the arm was braced with a piece of wood against the car and my jack whilst I hung off the breaker bar. I really wished I headed a ratcheting breaker bar today.
Some shaggged carrier and bolts.
I was supposed to change the rear drop links as well, but the bolts were really really crusty so I decided to quit whilst I was ahead. They’re quite far inboard so not that easy to access. They’ll keep for now.
The alignment s booked in for first thing Monday morning and I’m hoping that I’ll see the end of the tram lining.
First up was to address the crazy amount of front toe in. It looked like this on both sides this morning with the wheel straight.
I then got broadly distracted fitting some of the finest Chineseium exhaust tips. They’re a little big than the stock ones, which had seen better days.
Then it was time to tackle the RTAB. After unclipping cables from the trailing arm and removing the brackets holding the brake lines in place I undid three very rusty bolts that held the passenger side mount in place. It was crusty, but not as bad as the alignment place made out.
The bush looked a bit tired.
Out with the finest tool, purchased from eBay. And before long the bush was out….well, it took a bit of time and required the trailing arm to be braced against the car and then the jack out underneath it. A 19mm spanner was then wedged against the arm whilst I swung on my breaker bar.
I had intended to use Powerflex Herirage bushes which are a bit softer, but I couldn’t get the trailing arm carrier to fit over them so I gave up and used standard Powerflex jobbies. These weren’t quite as easy to fit as some videos make out. The outer side popped in without issue, but the inner side was a turd and had to be fitted with a G clamp. Once in though, the carrier slipped over with relative easy. The new carrier was refitted with new bolts.
I then moved onto the drivers side, where the carrier did look a bit worse for wear.
The bolts this side were super crusty but I did get them (I had to use the jack to force the socket bit sand extension bar onto a couple).
The bush looked much worse on this side.
Again, the arm was braced with a piece of wood against the car and my jack whilst I hung off the breaker bar. I really wished I headed a ratcheting breaker bar today.
Some shaggged carrier and bolts.
I was supposed to change the rear drop links as well, but the bolts were really really crusty so I decided to quit whilst I was ahead. They’re quite far inboard so not that easy to access. They’ll keep for now.
The alignment s booked in for first thing Monday morning and I’m hoping that I’ll see the end of the tram lining.
Ticked off a few little jobs today replacing missing / damaged fixings and covers which required another trip to my local Sytner to grab more parts (it’s no wonder I’m on first name terms with the parts desk).
First up, I tackled the missing fixings from the plastic trim that sits above the rad.
Whilst the trim was off, I treated the surface rust with Jenolite. I was hoping that it’s be easy to remove, but it’s not so I’ll paint it with some Hammerite to make it look smarter.
Next up I fitted a new access flap to the sump plug and cleaned up oil spills (it was golden rather than black).
It was then treated to a quick and wash.
Whilst I was fiddling today, the list of jobs got a bit longer. Firstly I want to paint some rusty metal in the engine bay but I also noticed that some of the bolts from the engine cover were missing, so I’ll get some new new ordered.
I’ve ordered a new front passenger side wheel bearing due to the stripped disc retaining screw thread. That side has a new calliper but the wheel gets much dustier than the drivers side. I just need Autodoc to pull their fingers out and dispatch it. I can then fit my new ATE discs and ceramic pads.
First up, I tackled the missing fixings from the plastic trim that sits above the rad.
Whilst the trim was off, I treated the surface rust with Jenolite. I was hoping that it’s be easy to remove, but it’s not so I’ll paint it with some Hammerite to make it look smarter.
Next up I fitted a new access flap to the sump plug and cleaned up oil spills (it was golden rather than black).
It was then treated to a quick and wash.
Whilst I was fiddling today, the list of jobs got a bit longer. Firstly I want to paint some rusty metal in the engine bay but I also noticed that some of the bolts from the engine cover were missing, so I’ll get some new new ordered.
I’ve ordered a new front passenger side wheel bearing due to the stripped disc retaining screw thread. That side has a new calliper but the wheel gets much dustier than the drivers side. I just need Autodoc to pull their fingers out and dispatch it. I can then fit my new ATE discs and ceramic pads.
roadie said:
That's a lot of work undertaken on the driveway! Hopefully, you can finish everything needed to get the alignment sorted along with the other issues so you can enjoy driving it at its best.
To be honest, it’s not that bad when it’s not cold. There are times though when it’d be much easier to have it on a ramp and be looking at things the right way up. The basic alignment has got it driving pretty well in all fairness. I just think there’s a bit of room for improvement but I’m probably being unfair in comparing it to my well sorted E92.
cerb4.5lee said:
I'm really loving your gold wheels Sam. 
I reckon that if I ever actually do get around to refurbing the wheels on the M4...then a gold colour would suit that too. At the rate I'm going though...I will have sold the car on before I actually get the wheels done in fairness!
Cheers Lee, I think they work well with the dark blue paint.I reckon that if I ever actually do get around to refurbing the wheels on the M4...then a gold colour would suit that too. At the rate I'm going though...I will have sold the car on before I actually get the wheels done in fairness!
Satin gold wheels would definitely work well on your car.
Ticked off a few little jobs on the Z4 yesterday.
I had a look at the air filter which looked a bit manky and one edge was a bit mangled.
The inside of the airbox was pretty grotty.
I did order a Pipercross filter but it was the wring shape, so I settled for a Mann jobbie.
The airbox was washed out because in sad.
I also decided to sort the panel that I’d treated with Jenolite. This is what it looked like when I removed the plastic panel.
Masked up ready for painting.
After two coats of Hammerite.
And all back together.
It’s not perfect because it was brushed on, but it upsets me far less than the corrosion.
I had a look at the air filter which looked a bit manky and one edge was a bit mangled.
The inside of the airbox was pretty grotty.
I did order a Pipercross filter but it was the wring shape, so I settled for a Mann jobbie.
The airbox was washed out because in sad.
I also decided to sort the panel that I’d treated with Jenolite. This is what it looked like when I removed the plastic panel.
Masked up ready for painting.
After two coats of Hammerite.
And all back together.
It’s not perfect because it was brushed on, but it upsets me far less than the corrosion.
Gallons Per Mile said:
Good result! Out of interest, have you tried the Bilt Hamber rust converter? I've got some on that plastered all over my van and just wondered if the Jenolite would do a better job. It's probably more that my van is a rusting hulk than Bilt Hamber being bad...
I’ve not no. I’ve only tried Por 15 which I really rate and Jenolite. d_a_n1979 said:
Some good work there Sam
That panel filter
IMO you're best off with an OEM panel filter anyways; the oiled ones soon get crudded up
Yeah, definitely worth sticking a new one in for twenty quid.That panel filter
IMO you're best off with an OEM panel filter anyways; the oiled ones soon get crudded up
BDS have developed a filter with ITG that looks good, but it won’t fit this being a cone.
I noticed that in certain light, you could still see the Z4 badge in the paint, so when I washed the car this weekend I ended up repolishing the rear end.
It’s on the old wheels as a temporary measure due to me catching the passenger side rear wheel in a moment lapse of concentration battling Nottingham’s rush hour traffic (wheel has now been patched up and collected).
We nipped up to Melbourne for a pint Saturday evening and the car looked ace in my biased opinion.
I’d previously noticed that some of the clips that hold the engine cover to the frame with rubber bungs on it were missing.
New ones arrived this morning and were promptly fitted.
I think I’m going to have to get the sump gasket changed at some point soon because I’ve noticed the car is getting through oil a bit quicker than I’d like. I stuck a litre in over the 1,500 miles that I’ve covered in it. When I had the splash guard off doing the wishbones it was quite wet around the sump (all of the top gaskets have been recently done).
It’s on the old wheels as a temporary measure due to me catching the passenger side rear wheel in a moment lapse of concentration battling Nottingham’s rush hour traffic (wheel has now been patched up and collected).
We nipped up to Melbourne for a pint Saturday evening and the car looked ace in my biased opinion.
I’d previously noticed that some of the clips that hold the engine cover to the frame with rubber bungs on it were missing.
New ones arrived this morning and were promptly fitted.
I think I’m going to have to get the sump gasket changed at some point soon because I’ve noticed the car is getting through oil a bit quicker than I’d like. I stuck a litre in over the 1,500 miles that I’ve covered in it. When I had the splash guard off doing the wishbones it was quite wet around the sump (all of the top gaskets have been recently done).
roadie said:
I might be the only one, but I prefer the original wheels on the car!
Is the sump gasket likely to be a big of a pain as it will be on my E92 N55 where the front subframe needs to come down?
My wife likes them too. I’m just not a fan plus as Mr Tidy says theres the potential corrosion issue. Is the sump gasket likely to be a big of a pain as it will be on my E92 N55 where the front subframe needs to come down?
It looks like the sump gasket is quite a big job.
Gallons Per Mile said:
For oil consumption I'd be checking the breather system if not already checked/replaced
I’m not sure if its consumption of just getting lost by dribbling out of the sump It was pretty wet when I was last under there so I’d assumed that was the issue. I do have a new CCV say in the garage that was destined for the 330i but I’ve not got around to fit it yet. Perhaps I’ll steal it for this since it’s getting through more oil.
Looking through the history of the car, there didn’t seem to be many ticks for pollen filter changes, so when popping to ECP for a bearing puller I decided to grab a new one.
Upon removing the old one, I was bloody glad I did too…..
Even more leaves and other crap fell out after poking around in the opening.
Old and new
The old filter was a genuine BMW one dated March 2007. It looks like the last company to service the car a few years ago who ticked the box were telling porkie pies.
Upon removing the old one, I was bloody glad I did too…..
Even more leaves and other crap fell out after poking around in the opening.
Old and new
The old filter was a genuine BMW one dated March 2007. It looks like the last company to service the car a few years ago who ticked the box were telling porkie pies.
Gallons Per Mile said:
If a litre of oil leaked out of your sump gasket every 1500 miles you'd have a very slippery drive and a well corrosion protected underside. Spilling a litre of oil makes a huge mess so I'd be inclined to think it's being burnt!
I think it’s a combination of both, but you’re probably right that more is being burnt than leaking.
Given the high-ish usage I think the CCV system and gasket manifolds sat in the garage for the 330i will get diverted to this in the coming weeks.
bodhi said:
When I had a leak from the sump of my 125i it was getting through a litre every 700 miles or so, which is evidenced by the many splodges I still have on the drive 18 months later. We'd only just moved into the house and the previous owner had repaved the driveway, so I was as popular with the wife as you'd expect.
Difference is though mine wasn't the gasket that was leaking, but the sump itself has corroded and was leaking oil. Not a particularly common issue apparently, meaning the sump was only available from BMW.
I was even less popular after the bill to fix it....
Now it's fixed I'm back over 1000 miles per litre again, so result!
Mines definitely weeping from the gasket because you can see where it starts!Difference is though mine wasn't the gasket that was leaking, but the sump itself has corroded and was leaking oil. Not a particularly common issue apparently, meaning the sump was only available from BMW.
I was even less popular after the bill to fix it....
Now it's fixed I'm back over 1000 miles per litre again, so result!
I did clean up the belly pan when I did the suspension and there is evidence of oil migrating from the sump towards the rear of the car however as GPM pointed out, it’s not a litres worth.
There are no drips on the drive even if it stands for a day or two.
Gallons Per Mile said:
bodhi said:
When I had a leak from the sump of my 125i it was getting through a litre every 700 miles or so, which is evidenced by the many splodges I still have on the drive 18 months later. We'd only just moved into the house and the previous owner had repaved the driveway, so I was as popular with the wife as you'd expect.
Difference is though mine wasn't the gasket that was leaking, but the sump itself has corroded and was leaking oil. Not a particularly common issue apparently, meaning the sump was only available from BMW.
I was even less popular after the bill to fix it....
Now it's fixed I'm back over 1000 miles per litre again, so result!
Yay! Sort of, I suppose... Difference is though mine wasn't the gasket that was leaking, but the sump itself has corroded and was leaking oil. Not a particularly common issue apparently, meaning the sump was only available from BMW.
I was even less popular after the bill to fix it....
Now it's fixed I'm back over 1000 miles per litre again, so result!
I'm wondering if/how much oil my new-to-me E46 is using. I bet the breather system on that is in dire need of being changed too but time will tell.
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