My midlife crisis purchase; E86 BMW Z4 Coupe
Discussion
MDifficult said:
It’s so funny how many services fail to do the cabin filter when it’s normally the easiest possible job on the list!
I can almost understand skipping the last two spark plugs because they’re under the skuttle and b
d to do, but skipping the cabin filter?
Makes no sense
I know. It took me minutes to do it, I think I spent more time hoovering the crap off the carpets than it did to change the filter.I can almost understand skipping the last two spark plugs because they’re under the skuttle and b
d to do, but skipping the cabin filter? Makes no sense
Managed to tick off a couple of jobs this evening after work.
First up was new wipers. Someone had tried to fit aero blades but the clamp was massive and very ugly. The passenger side didn’t touch the screen in the car corner. The new traditional J hook jobbies look much better but the end of the passenger side still isn’t in contact with the screen so I need to try and work out why.
After that I set about the front discs and pads, but first up I wanted to change the passenger side front wheel bearing so I could use a disc retaining screw. I’d previously noticed that the dust shield was held on with zip ties so whilst the bearing was off it seemed like a good idea to replace that.
Passenger side wheel off and the pad retaining clip removed.
The stripped / rusty disc retaining screw. I did try and run a tap through it but it made zero difference.
Dust seal removed to gain access to the 46mm nut.
The bulk of the bearing pulled off by hand, just leaving the race behind.
There was enough of a lip to get my bearing puller on it.
The race came off with very little effort with the bearing puller.
The rear dust seal / cup was absolutely shagged though. It was rusted through, so no chance of reusing it like many seemed to in the vids I watched. I had to use a small screwdriver and basically pry it apart.
The top fixing for the dust shield was rusted in and took some persuasion to come out.
New dust shield fitted with new fixings (Amazon specials if I’m honest).
Now it was time to fit the new FAG bearing. The rear cup / seal was a st to get seated but I got there.
It wasn’t a particularly hard DIY. Getting the new bearing on was the hardest part really. The end bolt is supposed to be torqued to 260NM but my torque wrench only goes up to 210NM so I did that plus a bit with the breaker bar. The old one came off surprisingly easy to be honest.
Next up was new discs and pads. The front discs and pads were new but someone had fitted NAPA disc and pads and they were ste. Not much bite and really rusty.
ATE power discs fitted (they were an extra £8 when I ordered them so I thought why not). ATE ceramic pads and wear sensor were also fitted. The ceramic pads are my go to with good note and little dust. The one on the 330i seem particularly sharp so I’m hoping this will be good.
It was then time to move onto the drivers side.
I think this bearing has been replaced become the cap has clearly been removed at some point.
The driver side dust shield has previously been fixed with washers.
New disc and pad fitted.
On the drivers side there was some weird build up on the edge of the pad.
I’ll take it for a quick spin tomorrow to start the bedding in process and will hopefully get time to do the rears which are pretty crusty.
First up was new wipers. Someone had tried to fit aero blades but the clamp was massive and very ugly. The passenger side didn’t touch the screen in the car corner. The new traditional J hook jobbies look much better but the end of the passenger side still isn’t in contact with the screen so I need to try and work out why.
After that I set about the front discs and pads, but first up I wanted to change the passenger side front wheel bearing so I could use a disc retaining screw. I’d previously noticed that the dust shield was held on with zip ties so whilst the bearing was off it seemed like a good idea to replace that.
Passenger side wheel off and the pad retaining clip removed.
The stripped / rusty disc retaining screw. I did try and run a tap through it but it made zero difference.
Dust seal removed to gain access to the 46mm nut.
The bulk of the bearing pulled off by hand, just leaving the race behind.
There was enough of a lip to get my bearing puller on it.
The race came off with very little effort with the bearing puller.
The rear dust seal / cup was absolutely shagged though. It was rusted through, so no chance of reusing it like many seemed to in the vids I watched. I had to use a small screwdriver and basically pry it apart.
The top fixing for the dust shield was rusted in and took some persuasion to come out.
New dust shield fitted with new fixings (Amazon specials if I’m honest).
Now it was time to fit the new FAG bearing. The rear cup / seal was a s
t to get seated but I got there. It wasn’t a particularly hard DIY. Getting the new bearing on was the hardest part really. The end bolt is supposed to be torqued to 260NM but my torque wrench only goes up to 210NM so I did that plus a bit with the breaker bar. The old one came off surprisingly easy to be honest.
Next up was new discs and pads. The front discs and pads were new but someone had fitted NAPA disc and pads and they were s
te. Not much bite and really rusty. ATE power discs fitted (they were an extra £8 when I ordered them so I thought why not). ATE ceramic pads and wear sensor were also fitted. The ceramic pads are my go to with good note and little dust. The one on the 330i seem particularly sharp so I’m hoping this will be good.
It was then time to move onto the drivers side.
I think this bearing has been replaced become the cap has clearly been removed at some point.
The driver side dust shield has previously been fixed with washers.
New disc and pad fitted.
On the drivers side there was some weird build up on the edge of the pad.
I’ll take it for a quick spin tomorrow to start the bedding in process and will hopefully get time to do the rears which are pretty crusty.
Mr Tidy said:
Some more impressive fettling there Sam. 
I'm on my 3rd Z4 Coupe so have had all sorts of wiper blades on them, but haven't had one yet that had the end sitting flush to the screen on the passenger side!
Maybe fitting a shorter blade might help the aesthetics?
Thanks. It wasn’t anywhere near as hard as I was expecting it to be (made easier by buying stuff like a bearing puller).I'm on my 3rd Z4 Coupe so have had all sorts of wiper blades on them, but haven't had one yet that had the end sitting flush to the screen on the passenger side!
Maybe fitting a shorter blade might help the aesthetics?
I’ll put the wipers down as one of those Z4 quirks! These sit closer and look much less ugly than the ones previously fitted.
InitialDave said:
Haha, I remember putting some of those ATE discs on my E30 twenty odd years ago, I do like the pattern on them.
Got to love working on UK cars, the inevitable wrestling with rust is always "fun". A couple of things I'd recommend are an induction heater, if you've got the tool/toy budget for one - they're really great for heating up specific fasteners without blasting a flame at the surrounding area like a blowtorch, and at the other end of the price scale, the American PB Blaster penetrating oil is really good stuff, one of the best I've used.
Also Irwin Bolt-Grip extracting sockets or similar for chewed up heads.
I've learnt that just having the lineup of war-of-attrition tooling on hand to threaten the car with seems to make jobs go easier in the first place!
I only bought the power discs because they were barely any more than a standard disc that particular day on AUTODOC. I figured why not. Got to love working on UK cars, the inevitable wrestling with rust is always "fun". A couple of things I'd recommend are an induction heater, if you've got the tool/toy budget for one - they're really great for heating up specific fasteners without blasting a flame at the surrounding area like a blowtorch, and at the other end of the price scale, the American PB Blaster penetrating oil is really good stuff, one of the best I've used.
Also Irwin Bolt-Grip extracting sockets or similar for chewed up heads.
I've learnt that just having the lineup of war-of-attrition tooling on hand to threaten the car with seems to make jobs go easier in the first place!
Court_S said:
The new traditional J hook jobbies look much better but the end of the passenger side still isn’t in contact with the screen so I need to try and work out why.
I've had this on loads of cars, I just don't worry about it any more as long as the wipers are giving a clear sweep on the majority of the screen.Edited by InitialDave on Wednesday 15th May 22:55
This car spent some time on the Welsh coast which won’t have helped the crustiness. So far I’ve managed to get everything undone (eventually) without having the need for heat. I’ll look into that heater though.
It’s always the way that when you’re ready for the worst it’s generally an easy job.
The wipers work, it just bugs me that the end isn’t sitting on the screen as it should. I don’t know why, it just is.
Gallons Per Mile said:
That should keep the brakes nice for a while. Good job!
PS If you haven't changed the brake fluid yet then that will make a huge difference to the feel compared to old fluid.
Cheers. PS If you haven't changed the brake fluid yet then that will make a huge difference to the feel compared to old fluid.
Edited by Gallons Per Mile on Thursday 16th May 04:48
The fluid was done in March when it had the oil changed and the top gaskets done. It looks nice and clean but I might donor again if the brakes still feel a bit crap once bedded in.
d_a_n1979 said:
Some serious work there Sam... That surface rust 
Will that wire brush off/can it be treated or is it time for a replacement part?
ATE Powerdiscs and Ceramic pads - superb combo
I wire brushed it and nothing really came off. I’ll slap some Hydrate 80 on it at some point this summer. I think the knuckles generally fair badly in the Uk. It’s 18 years old and spent a fair chunk of its life by the sea. Will that wire brush off/can it be treated or is it time for a replacement part?ATE Powerdiscs and Ceramic pads - superb combo
At the end of the summer, I’ll probably get some Lanoguard. It’s probably too late but it’ll hopefully stop it getting worse.
roadie said:
On my girlfriend's Mini the curvature of the edge of the windscreen is so extreme that the passenger side Bosch wiper is unable to fully sweep it. Is that the same on the Z4?
Yeah, it’s pretty curved at the edges. In other news the rear brakes are going to have to wait until another day because it’s hoofing it down with rain. Joy.
Gallons Per Mile said:
Cool. It depends on how well the garage changed the fluid, too. I've known some just suck out what's in the reservoir and top it back up again... I've always had good results using ATE Typ200.
Yeah, I don’t really trust that they’ve done a great job especially with so many fixings missing. I spent ages bleeding the brakes on the 330i and those brakes are really, really good. I’ll probably change the fluid on due course.
I’ve been out in the car today and the my already feel better than the s
tty NAPA discs and pads. Lotusgone said:
Yes...tried one. Want one.
Not wanting to hijack the thread, so just one question - is there a notable advantage from the blacktop engine?
No worries. Not wanting to hijack the thread, so just one question - is there a notable advantage from the blacktop engine?
I think there is less of a disadvantage of a silver top in one of these because they make the same power as the black top. In other cars there was a slight power variance.
I’ve had three silver tops and two black tops and they’re very much the same.
PRN2K said:
Hi Court_S,
I can't pretend I've read through all your pages on your lovely E86 but for what it's worth, here's my observations on running the older E85 3.0i:
It doesn't really need a wider (and more expensive) rear tyre. Like you I moved to 17s, but E46 Style 89 (which almost copy the Alpina 19" style). I did however add a 20mm rear spacer to fill the arch (front spacers degrade steering feel). I may one day convert my car to E46 HPAS to address EPAS steering feel limitations (but my previous E46 325ti wasn't THAT much better, and had a slower ratio rack, which I'd regret).
I happened to buy one with the Aero kit, which adds a little interest to the original form.
I'm very happy with 225/45 Michelin PS5's, and unlike the previous PS4's don't need a strong heat cycle to switch on (once the PS4 sidewalls went brown, they were surprisingly so much informative).
I do recommend a torsen ATB diff however, which I fitted to a shorter ratio E46 330i Auto 3.81:1 Diff (which the Si already has). The Blackline item is significantly cheaper than a Quaife and no problems after 15k. And the gearing makes 3rd and 4th much more usable with the M54.
I fitted new rear subframe bushes, but that was one time consuming change I wouldn't bother with unless they're visibly damaged.
I added Z4M FCAB's to increase castor and add steering weight - recomended. Also E46 ZHP front lower arms replace the outer bush with a balljoint which helps mask the deficiencies of the EPAS steering (although I'm convinced they increased the column torsion bar stiffness at LCi so less of an issue for you).
E46 CSL alignment (basically almost zero front and rear toe but also reduced rear camber) makes the chassis feel more alert whilst retaining good mid-corner lift-off stability and help that diff rotate the car under power.
And modifying the rear backbox to be straight-through really brings a welcome note under power without any drone.
Thanks for that; I ended up sticking with 18’s after everyone poo-poo’d the 17’s that I wanted. I’ve dropped down to a 245 section rear tyre though. My car has 12mm front spacers and 15mm rear spacers because the offset of the 1 series wheels would have led to an even more tucked look.I can't pretend I've read through all your pages on your lovely E86 but for what it's worth, here's my observations on running the older E85 3.0i:
It doesn't really need a wider (and more expensive) rear tyre. Like you I moved to 17s, but E46 Style 89 (which almost copy the Alpina 19" style). I did however add a 20mm rear spacer to fill the arch (front spacers degrade steering feel). I may one day convert my car to E46 HPAS to address EPAS steering feel limitations (but my previous E46 325ti wasn't THAT much better, and had a slower ratio rack, which I'd regret).
I happened to buy one with the Aero kit, which adds a little interest to the original form.
I'm very happy with 225/45 Michelin PS5's, and unlike the previous PS4's don't need a strong heat cycle to switch on (once the PS4 sidewalls went brown, they were surprisingly so much informative).
I do recommend a torsen ATB diff however, which I fitted to a shorter ratio E46 330i Auto 3.81:1 Diff (which the Si already has). The Blackline item is significantly cheaper than a Quaife and no problems after 15k. And the gearing makes 3rd and 4th much more usable with the M54.
I fitted new rear subframe bushes, but that was one time consuming change I wouldn't bother with unless they're visibly damaged.
I added Z4M FCAB's to increase castor and add steering weight - recomended. Also E46 ZHP front lower arms replace the outer bush with a balljoint which helps mask the deficiencies of the EPAS steering (although I'm convinced they increased the column torsion bar stiffness at LCi so less of an issue for you).
E46 CSL alignment (basically almost zero front and rear toe but also reduced rear camber) makes the chassis feel more alert whilst retaining good mid-corner lift-off stability and help that diff rotate the car under power.
And modifying the rear backbox to be straight-through really brings a welcome note under power without any drone.
Edited by PRN2K on Sunday 19th May 08:58
The one mistake I probably made is not fitting the Z4M front bushes when I changed the control arms. I was lazy and bought complete units.
A back box mod is something that I’m considering at some point.
Last night I took advantage of the nice evening and daylight to give the car a quick wash which looking at the forecast was pointless!
Once it was clean, it was time to sort the rear brakes. The drivers side was a bit rustier and looks rubbish behind the newly refurbished wheels.
Old disc off, pads out which looked virtually new (Brembo jobbies) but they created a lot of dust.
New ATE disc with ceramic pads fitted.
Drivers side was the same but with the addition of a new ATE wear sensor.
I had a fiddle with the handbrake adjustment, so hopefully that’ll be a bit more effective.
It didn’t take long and I thought I’d nailed it quickly, buttoned it all up and then noticed a random wheel spacer in the garage
Even accounting for fitting the forgotten drivers side spacer it took an hour and a half.
I have a feeling that the brake fluid change was as GPM’s suggestion because I can’t see any recent witness marks on the bleed nipples. Looks like I’ll be attempting a bleed soon assuming that the nipples aren’t seized!
Once it was clean, it was time to sort the rear brakes. The drivers side was a bit rustier and looks rubbish behind the newly refurbished wheels.
Old disc off, pads out which looked virtually new (Brembo jobbies) but they created a lot of dust.
New ATE disc with ceramic pads fitted.
Drivers side was the same but with the addition of a new ATE wear sensor.
I had a fiddle with the handbrake adjustment, so hopefully that’ll be a bit more effective.
It didn’t take long and I thought I’d nailed it quickly, buttoned it all up and then noticed a random wheel spacer in the garage
Even accounting for fitting the forgotten drivers side spacer it took an hour and a half.I have a feeling that the brake fluid change was as GPM’s suggestion because I can’t see any recent witness marks on the bleed nipples. Looks like I’ll be attempting a bleed soon assuming that the nipples aren’t seized!
Gallons Per Mile said:
Handbrakes on this type of setup are always annoying. All of my BMW's have had poor handbrakes. My Sprinter van has the same style of handbrake which needed adjusting for last year's MOT and that still works fine. The problem is appears to be the back plates corroding and causing friction so the shoes just don't grab properly. A friend just replaced the back plates on his E46 Touring and has a working handbrake now. Also, check the actuating lever the cable attaches to. This solved most of the problem on my E90.
They don’t seem the best. If this isn’t any better, I’ll have to take the discs off again and make sure that there’s nothing else up.
klunkT5 said:
Like a lot of other people this is my favorite view angle and i agree with the O/P about the rear quarter's profile in the door mirrors! Got a few jobs to do on it like the small oil leak from the Oil filter housing/Oil cooler gaskets which the seller showed me! All brake hard lines have been done and braided flexi's by a BMW indy and the electric water pump, I might start a thread on it as a few of you have asked, Cheers for all your input. 
Definitely the best angle for them, particularly tue passenger side with the Z being the right way. Edited by klunkT5 on Saturday 25th May 16:26
Those leaks are pretty standard for the N52.
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