2013 BMW 125i 6 on the floor (N52)

[B'stard Child]

Coming back to this

B'stard Child back in 2021 said:

So now the 1 series could be moved out of the way of the garage, the car over the pit (TR8) can come out - pit boards removed and the 125i can get it's oil changed.

Now it's quite a long pit and Will and I are similar heights so I really like working in there - it's got lights and power sockets and everything but it's been made for 6 feet tall people to be able to wander round without worrying about banging their heads.

The 125i is quite a small car so doesn't cover the whole of the pit

So when I walked round the front of the car apparently I disappeared (Will's words not mine)

Yep I descended the pit without using the ladder.....................

Experience is what you get when you don't want it....................

The only way to get into Will's pit since it was made was remove boards and sit on the edge and drop three feet down onto a step stool (if you miss it you have another 3 feet to drop fall)

It's always been like that - it's not my pit I just borrow it occasionally however when I recently completed a house project (relocation of the cold water tank - new one at the back old one at the front)

(apologies for the orientation of some of the photos they weren't taken with sharing in mind)



I realised I would have some raw material that would other wise be chucked away so I thought I'd see if I could throw something together and Will was happy to be the recipient of a better way up and down from his pit - obviously last time I was in the pit in preparation I took detailed drawings and measurements (opinions on this may differ)



Basically this



Step 1: Cut to length and plane the sides so they were a little less rustic (lay out for comedic effect and ask Will on messenger if that nailed together would do the job )



Apparently not what he was expecting

Step 2: Join it together loosely to be able to set the tread angles



Step 3: Set each tread up with the device for flattening ghosts (repeat 4 more times)



Step 4: Trim the base to correct (ish) angle (based on detailed drawings)



Like this



Obviously I did both sides (because if I hadn't then the wobbly step stool of doom would be better than this)

Step 5: Fix the steps in at the desired angle previously set



Wills pit floor isn't the cleanest in the world - it's done gearbox swaps, torque converter changes and countless fluid changes so the concrete floor is a mix of various fluids in some sort of "concrete and oil based soup" So add to this a wooden ladder and it could get a little slippy

Step 6: Elf and Sefty - I cut the spare wheel well out of my Track car years ago and I covered the hole with a lump of alloy checker plate. When the track car died (lets call it that) I kept the checker plate (I keep lots of st I'll use one day)



Step 7: Mark it up



Step 8: Chop it up and check for suitability



Repeat 4 more times - Some slitting discs died for the cause



Step 9: Nail them on (OK I drilled and counter sunk them and screwed them on but Will still thinks I nailed them on)



All that remains to do is find the roof rack fixings, oh and the roof rack and chuck it on the roof and deliver it. Any suggestions on method of fixing (not sure I want to drill into the concrete of the pit and pierce the membrane/tanking - currently I'm leaning towards sikaflex as that stuff seems to stick anything

Place bets on it fitting first time

Anyway sorry for the slight deviation from the core subject of a E82 N52 but I'd I'd stuck it in homes gardens and DIY they would wonder what relevance it had there unless a pit can be termed a home

[B'stard Child]

Moving day



Does it fit



It did - snug in places - next week I'll fab up some fixings for it and get it nailed in there securely

[B'stard Child]

JakeT said:

Looks grand. I’d probably Sikaflex it too given the Circumstances. Maybe I’d do a little bracket from the top to the uprights and affix it in.

Exactly my plan when I've finished with the Retro Rides Weekender Show I'll fab up something to fix it - the sikaflex will just stop oil wicking up the open grain at the bottom

JakeT said:

Lovely looking roof spoiler too.

Yeah would have been better if I had orientated it for down force rather than lift

[B'stard Child]

bodhi said:

The pit is so far out of my frame of reference/competency I'm struggling to say much more useful than "looks awesome!"

However I'm equally impressed with how many of the raw materials you managed to shift around with a small 2 door BMW I struggle to get all my golf kit in. Think I might need some roof bars

The other daily is an SLK - I got a 3 piece bathroom suite in that

I was taking it to the tip recycling centre and I did cut the bath up into quarters

[B'stard Child]

Bumping this back - ABS and traction control issues again

Fault codes said front right ABS sensors - replaced both

Fault codes went away and then came back a new one P15C9 (rear right speed sensor)

I removed both sensors at the rear to have a look and one of them was toast - the ABS reluctor ring has shiney spots on 3 teeth and it's chewed it's way thro the face of the sensor - last time I checked them and the reluctor rings they were fine and no shiney marks

Other side has a little run out but no sensor damage so whilst it's not causing issues now it will do soon enough

So I called up BMW for parts costs

Bad news is Pass side Driveshaft NLS

Drivers side is still avaliable as are both sensors and all the hardware to fit

So less the surcharge on the returned drive shaft it's £600 for one side which isn't horrific

Trouble is

1. I don't like doing half a job and the other side will need doing eventually

2. I don't like mixing OE and aftermarket parts either

3. If I buy just the replacement reluctor rings (Aftermarket) I'll put money on the fact that by the time the bad driveshaft is cleaned up it's be a lose fit so I'll end up buying a driveshaft and to fit them the drive shaft has got to come out anyway

You can get the wheel side CV joints only but drive shaft has still got to come out and then be stripped down and rebuilt and that's mucky work

Lots of drive shafts out there but loads of brands I've never heard of and as I keep cars for way too long I don't want to buy cheap crap or expensive crap for that matter (price no longer appears to be a guide to quality)

Any recomendations for drive shaft brands?

[B'stard Child]

helix402 said:

I’d only use a genuine BMW drive shaft. Re reluctor rings I’ve fitted new ones to old BMW shafts before without issue. The biggest challenge is shafts seized into the hub. A lot of indys have decent hydraulic tools to get the shafts out.

That's a bit of an issue when the passenger side has been NLS for 2 years according to my local dealership and I've got no reason to doubt them.

The only option for using BMW parts is buy two drivers side ones and then strip and rebuild the passenger side shaft into one of the complete driver side units - seems the only difference is the length of the actual shaft.

I do wonder what the point of a surcharge for the returned unit is if they don't get refurbished and put back into stock - perhaps they get sold into aftermarket??

[B'stard Child]

Court_S said:

Sounds like a royal PITA.

Probably not as much as getting the driveshafts out! The ones on my 335i were total sts and took lots of time and cost lots in labour.

In the mean time you could try and space the sensor out slightly to stop the rings killing the sensors.

I've got hydraulic driveshaft splitter from my Opel fruit years and can soon fab up a suitable hub mount - when they break free you do jump a bit but that bit doesn't worry me

That's exactly what I have done as a temp fix put a washer under the speed sensor and the ABS and TC have been absent but it's not a long term solution

I've decided to buy a pair of aftermarket drive shafts and a set of reluctor rings - fit the aftermarket shafts and properly refurb the originals if I can and then refit later - can't really be without a car whilst I strip out and refurb as the SLK is off the road

[B'stard Child]

Gallons Per Mile said:

I'd try some 'JR driveshafts' CV joints - stupidly cheap and seemingly ok quality-wise. I wouldn't usually go down that route but they're so cheap it's worth a go. I've had good results in the past with them on cheap cars where I didn't want to spend lots fixing them.

Appreciate any recommendations - thanks GPM but 30 mins too late

I've just purchased a pair of Napa driveshafts they have a 3 year or 36,000 warranty - they weren't the cheapest in fact they were over double the cost of JR ones but they were in stock and at the time a brand I've heard of with a UK base,

[B'stard Child]

Jhonno said:

FWIW I have had zero issues with Meyle CVs and SKF driveshafts from AutoDoc.. Fitted a few now and racked up decent miles on them all. SKF driveshaft was £100 for an E81.

Thanks for the feedback - Meyle was my other "higher cost" option

[B'stard Child]

I think GKN were OE will find out when I swap them over

[B'stard Child]

Gallons Per Mile said:

Jhonno said:

Possibly, but I think he just meant SKF are a general OEM supplier. They are a major bearing manufacturer for sure.

Yes, that's what I meant. I think GKN were OE on your car though as I'm pretty sure that's what's on my E90.

Sorry my error

Drive shafts delivered today - might have the opportunity of a borrow of my mate Wills pit tomorrow - haven’t got the sensors or new fixings but that can all be done easily on my drive later - I’ll reuse the existing ones for now - want to avoid the drive shaft removal and refit lying on my back

[B'stard Child]

MOT pass - currently refurbing the original driveshafts because aftermarket iz st

Spot the difference

[B'stard Child]

JakeT said:

Is that a 116i driveshaft!?

No…… but it’s a bit on the skinny side hence refurbing the originals to go back on

[B'stard Child]

Jhonno said:

Is that the Napa shaft?

Yep one of them. - the other one was the same



The drive shaft nut is actually more substantial than the shaft



Unfortunately it's too tall to hammer the edge into the shaft to lock it into place - another reason why the originals are going back on

[B'stard Child]

Court_S said:

That’s a pain that good aftermarket stuff isn’t available especially if replacements aren’t available from the dealer.

The bit that gets me is there is an exchange charge on the BMW parts - so they must have been getting old ones back so why they haven't got one of the two shafts avaliable I don't know!!!!

[B'stard Child]

jumare said:

B'stard Child said:

Court_S said:

That’s a pain that good aftermarket stuff isn’t available especially if replacements aren’t available from the dealer.

The bit that gets me is there is an exchange charge on the BMW parts - so they must have been getting old ones back so why they haven't got one of the two shafts avaliable I don't know!!!!

Maybe some of the parts they get back can't be refurbished.

I could remake the NLS part with a new driveshafts from the same side (I seriously considered it) - I very much doubt the actual drive shaft and fine splines are a part that wears but I take your point

[B'stard Child]

bodhi said:

If it helps, I had mine refurbished as part of a reluctor ring replacement about 5 years and 50k miles ago - still seem to be working well (touch wood).

The sensor they replaced didn't last that long, but the driveshaft is good

Have 2 new BMW sourced sensors to go in when the refurbed driveshafts go back on the car - both the sensors on the car currently have some wear evident but with non contact with the reluctor rings I'm getting no Traction, ABS or Tyre Inflation errors

[B'stard Child]

My Mate Will was whinging about his 760iL leaking fluid again and how his sons 4 cyl BMW is dry as a bone

I replied and thought I share it here

Yeah multi-cylinder BMW's really aren't designed for people with OCD about any fluid retention.........

I've come up with a theory on why the 3/4 pots cars don't leak - my theory is the ability of the BMW engine to retain fluids (once that base line of 4 cylinders is exceeded) is number of cylinders squared.

So with a 6 cylinders it's 36 times more likely to mark it's territory.

With 8 cylinders it's 64 times more likely to leak like the Exon Valdiz

Quite frankly Will my friend, you are fked with a V12 because it's 144 times more likely to piss oil out and really you don't want gaskets or oil seals you want Red Adair

[B'stard Child]

Mr Tidy said:

JakeT said:

If it’s post-2001 it will also blow up long before it gets chance to leak any oil.

No it won't!

My 124K mile 2005 330i has had a cam-cover gasket and an oil filter housing gasket, but is still leaking somewhere (possibly sump gasket). It hasn't blown up though.

I think Jake was referring to the 4 pot engines post 2001

[B'stard Child]

Trustmeimadoctor said:

Now after reading all this I'm really after one!
Chances are it will be a vert because there is many times more for sale and need one fairly soon

They do have a bit of a cult following - quite a few owned on PH

Worth a look on BBMW forum to see if any are for sale?

I'm sure CourtS previously had a drop top 125i he'd probably be best to ask about any issue with the roof etc