hotwire 352 Report post Posted January 19, 2015 Ok, so cant remember on the E34 - does it have the warning text along the bottom of the cluster? Is that where you are seeing the message? I thought I remembered them having the check control panel as E30/28 etc As far as oil pressure light - it is a red warning light as in any other car. Earth the sender wire & see if it illuminates, If not, wiring or bulb issue. If it does have the text in the dash as I allude to above, yes if the oil pressure lamp circuit is not working, it will show the "oil pressure" as well as the "oil level" as it will be seeing neither. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kiwi535 538 Report post Posted January 19, 2015 yes e34 has the check control panel.Pretty sure for the low oil level you will also get the gong Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Valvebounce 2 Report post Posted January 19, 2015 Yes yes, and yes. It has the txt at the bottom of the dash cluster. And when the key is turned off, the txt still dispalys, and it chimes for around 20 secs or so. After I free up and connect the oil level switch, I'll investigate the oil pressure switch too. I got a bugger up in the air today so I can slither underneath it. The oil sender/sender wire is in a mongrel of a spot. It didn't want to come free with a gentle tug. But I have to fight these battles one at a time now that the main hurdle has been overcome. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hotwire 352 Report post Posted January 19, 2015 Oil sender wire, if later model sender, will have a plug to attach to the sender, A wire release clip to depress from memory to release it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Valvebounce 2 Report post Posted January 20, 2015 I got to spend a half hour again today. stopped by during my lunch break. got the oil level sensor plugged in. The oil pressure sender doesn't have a nice "push in the wire clip to release" like the oil level sensor did. it had the other kind like nissan uses. Which is dumb considering the sender is tucked up in a tight hole behind the engine mount bracket. And yes some oily crud went in my eyes. lol The sender has been leaking too. (They all leak sooner or later) The old motor still has the orignal sensor in it. It's still sitting on my mates driveway. So I need to borrow a 24mm tube socket. My biggest is 22mm I think. Still need to clean the oil off the plug, and earth it to see if the oil light shows up on the dash. Unfortunately parenthood is preventing me spending as much time over there as I'd like. I'm still pretty happy it runs though. Only paid a K for an NZ new manual 525I. So fingers crossed she'll be all road legal and driving for only another $150. Then I can kick my nissan to the kerb, and rescue my spine from the stiff suspention. Coilovers and earthquake raped roads aren't a happy pairing. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Valvebounce 2 Report post Posted January 28, 2015 Is there any trick to bleeding the air out of the cooling system? Slapped some fresh antifreeze in it today. Seemed a bit hard to get the air out. top and is a bit clacky too. Tappets look to be a piece of piss to adjust though. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hotwire 352 Report post Posted January 28, 2015 M20's can be a bitch to bleed. There should be a bleed screw (8mm head) on top of the thermostat housing. Loosen this, I find the easiest way is to 2/3 (aprox) fill the system, heater on hot, & run until the thermostat opens. Gradually top up until air is out. Shut off bleed screw. Tappets, yep they are clacky when loose. Yes they have a well designed adjustment system that is very easy to do. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Valvebounce 2 Report post Posted January 29, 2015 I recall someone saying yonks ago when we did a trip to the NI that they were tricky when a guy with an E34 was getting hot. I would have made a start on the tappets when I was there, but I was wearing a white tee shirt. So thought better of it. lol Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Valvebounce 2 Report post Posted February 13, 2015 Actually got to drive the pig this week. Had to hound my mate to find the battery tray i his garage. I think I drank four or five of his beers while he was looing for it too. hahaha. The tappets were a bit tappy, so I enlisted an extra pair of hands to assist me with adjusting them. And went to a drive. Ran awful. Got back and found that I'd left a plug wire off. herp-derp. That improved how it ran no end. sh*t it drives smooth. I had another herp derp moment when it kept dumping coolant. Becuase the header tank as part of the rad is all new to me, I kept filling it right to the top, and it kept leaking it out. I thought the radiator was shagged. BUT, I do have another problem. There apears to be arounf 10-12mm of oil floating on the top of the coolant in the header tank. I've owned plenty of cars which have turned the contents of the crank case into mayonaise. But this is the first time I've had oil in the radiator. I googled such a thing, and came accross one thread at bimmerfest (or something) where a guy said he had the same problem. the oil is between one quarter, and one third below the full mark on the dipstick. And my mate is now not so sure that the engine was actually rebuilt, but that they guy did have a bunch of receipts for work done. I'm almost worried, as the area under the can cover is super ultra clean. (Eat your dinner off it spec) So maybe the head has been off before? Maybe it had this problem before? and they failed to fix it? Anyone got an good usable pictures of the upper lubrication diagram? I think I'll dump the coolant, and try flush the system clean. see if maybe it's not making oil. but when I poked the tip of the dipstcik into the header tank, the top half inch or so was straight oil when I wiped it on a rag. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
_ethrty-Andy_ 2122 Report post Posted February 13, 2015 sorry, cant go all the way back through your thread to work out if its automatic or manual, but if its an automatic, its not uncommon that the transmission cooler gets a leak, this is part of the radiator. of course, can always be engine too, but one look under the oil cap, and one removal of trans dipstick, should help you find the problem. feeling like a corolla might have been a better option yet? lol Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Valvebounce 2 Report post Posted February 13, 2015 Car is a manual. I think I saw the slightest hint of mayo on the dipstick. But not enough to even notice really. Even corollas go bad. And a single cam engine isn't the hardset thing in the world to rip the head off of. (Putting it back togther is the part I'll struggle with though. lol) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hotwire 352 Report post Posted February 13, 2015 Hopefully might be historic - radiator /cooling system not flushed properly after the last failure. Flush it out properly then recheck. Do a leak down test on the engine if problem persists. If required - they are a straight forward engine to remove the head. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Valvebounce 2 Report post Posted February 13, 2015 That's where I'll start. but there was a bit more oil in the header tank than what I would call residual. I think I have a testing rig somehwere to pressurise the cooling system, with a valve and a gauge. BUt the plugs that fit into the top and bottom hoses are for a smaller engine. May have to turn some more up. (If I can even find it in the first place) but given that the possible breach is between the lubrication system, and the cooling system, mabe I should whack 80psi of compressed airon the oil pressure sender port? And then check the rad for hissing? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Valvebounce 2 Report post Posted February 14, 2015 Removed radiator today. There was a healthy skin of unhealthy coloured shite in the drain tray. The main ulk of it came from the header tank on the side. I flushed it six ways till sunday until it seemed to run clean. It flet pretty oily. And there were plenty of gasoline rainbows. I hooked the thermostat out, and ran the hose through the engine every way too. I'd like to stick a bottle brush into the header tank and try get it a bit cleaner inside. What I'll probably do is whack it all back together, and slam three dishwasher tabs in to clean the cooling system out. (Leaving the T/stat out to allow proper circulation of the water. Doesn't pay to leave it in for too long. caustic stuff isn't kind on Aluminuim. Best case senario the oil is residual. But I aint holding my breath........... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Valvebounce 2 Report post Posted February 19, 2015 (edited) Reasssembled the hoses etc today, and filled her up with plain old h20. Went for a few laps around the block. Temp gauge came up to a nats cock over half. pulled back into the drive, and shut it down. opened hood, and cold hear a running water sound coming from the motor. It didn't inspire confidence. I didn't open the header tank cap to look for oil, as it was too hot. There was the merest hint of white under the oil filler cap. I've seen the same on engines with disconnected PCV systems. But this one is pretty good. (When I open the oil filler cap while the engine is running, the engine sucks air, and drops some rpms. Priced up a headset, and new headbolts. I can get them landed for $180nzd. Edited February 19, 2015 by Valvebounce Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
