E38 service and repair guide?

[MrVelox]

Didn't see the updates to the thread, yeah good stuff that the work has been done.

Reason I gave a huge laundry list is that there's a few components on BMW V8s that fail, and, well, if it's apart.. might as well do it all as parts are not too terrible but labour can be huge.

[richyb]

sleep envy said:

Rich - tried to email you but your account doesn't accept emails

any chance you can drop me a PM please, need to pick your brains about chainsaws, ta

Are PMs down this morning or am I just plain daft? I can't seem to work it out. I'll PM you as soon as I do.

EDIT-It was just me .

Edited by richyb on Sunday 26th October 08:14

[B'stard Child]

MrVelox said:

20 pounds worth of special tools, a screwdriver and some 10mm spanners and you can swap the expansion tank and rad yourself. Since your car has a Vanos engine, you should do the e-stat and hoses as well. TBH, you should do the water pump, and while you're at it yank the intake manifold, change the valley pan and put a new oil separator on the back of the intake and change the intake manifold seals. All common failures, might as well do it all while you're at it.

Oh, and "prone to cracking" means the upper rad hose snaps off the rad and the car pisses out the contents of the cooling system in a matter of seconds.

E38s are lovely, they are monsters to maintain. I've driven one for.. hell, 13+ years and the same one for closing in on 12 years... you ought to see how quickly the heat in FL can eat a Behr rad.. 14 months is my record!

Good advice but one thing I disagree with - Valley pan gaskets don't fail in the UK - not heard of one go here on any forum - seems to be a US thing - maybe your climate has a lot to do with it

Anyway

Awesome barges - my long term maintanence thread is on the 7 series register probably page 13 ish now as I've not had to do a thing to it for months except feed it petrol (averaging 25-27 mpg but will hit 30 plus on a run) and oil and filter changes every 3000 miles

Covers - plugs, Auto box fluid and filter change, air con re-gas, heater control solenoids plus a load of other stuff I've had to do - what I would suggest is not the header tank - they are deifiantely improved on the later cars 1998 on but the coolant hoses at the back of the engine bay - common problem on 5 series cars with the V8 seems to affect 7 series cars too.

That web site

http://www.meeknet.co.uk/e38/

Has been done by Tim Meek who is a walking talking encylopedia of E32 and E38 information and it very active on the 7 series register

[richyb]

B'stard Child said:

MrVelox said:

20 pounds worth of special tools, a screwdriver and some 10mm spanners and you can swap the expansion tank and rad yourself. Since your car has a Vanos engine, you should do the e-stat and hoses as well. TBH, you should do the water pump, and while you're at it yank the intake manifold, change the valley pan and put a new oil separator on the back of the intake and change the intake manifold seals. All common failures, might as well do it all while you're at it.

Oh, and "prone to cracking" means the upper rad hose snaps off the rad and the car pisses out the contents of the cooling system in a matter of seconds.

E38s are lovely, they are monsters to maintain. I've driven one for.. hell, 13+ years and the same one for closing in on 12 years... you ought to see how quickly the heat in FL can eat a Behr rad.. 14 months is my record!

Good advice but one thing I disagree with - Valley pan gaskets don't fail in the UK - not heard of one go here on any forum - seems to be a US thing - maybe your climate has a lot to do with it

Anyway

Awesome barges - my long term maintanence thread is on the 7 series register probably page 13 ish now as I've not had to do a thing to it for months except feed it petrol (averaging 25-27 mpg but will hit 30 plus on a run) and oil and filter changes every 3000 miles

Covers - plugs, Auto box fluid and filter change, air con re-gas, heater control solenoids plus a load of other stuff I've had to do - what I would suggest is not the header tank - they are deifiantely improved on the later cars 1998 on but the coolant hoses at the back of the engine bay - common problem on 5 series cars with the V8 seems to affect 7 series cars too.

That web site

http://www.meeknet.co.uk/e38/

Has been done by Tim Meek who is a walking talking encylopedia of E32 and E38 information and it very active on the 7 series register

I have been using this website for info. Really useful and well laid out. I doth my cap to this Tim Meek.

[sleep envy]

richyb said:

Are PMs down this morning or am I just plain daft? I can't seem to work it out. I'll PM you as soon as I do.

cheers, will pick it up this evening

[monthefish]

richyb said:

B'stard Child said:

That web site

http://www.meeknet.co.uk/e38/

Has been done by Tim Meek who is a walking talking encylopedia of E32 and E38 information and it very active on the 7 series register

I have been using this website for info. Really useful and well laid out. I doth my cap to this Tim Meek.

I owe him serious beers if ever I meet him.

[richyb]

monthefish said:

richyb said:

B'stard Child said:

That web site

http://www.meeknet.co.uk/e38/

Has been done by Tim Meek who is a walking talking encylopedia of E32 and E38 information and it very active on the 7 series register

I have been using this website for info. Really useful and well laid out. I doth my cap to this Tim Meek.

I owe him serious beers if ever I meet him.

Me too. Its a great site. I have used several of the other well used ones like e38 etc but the layout of his site makes it so easy to use.