KwS

Looking good, especially that new top. Night and day difference from the early pics.

Not a bad idea, should work shouldnt it?

Issue resolved. Everything is now lit (albeit patchy, as thats how they rolled in the early 90s).

Fit a new bulb to the climate control unit after work. It took a 12v 1.2watt wedge bulb. Yay for no more groping blindly around for knobs in the dark. I dont have pics because it was dark, but its pretty simple to do. Pull the four knobs off, undo the two screws behind the large knobs, and gently lever off the face panel (i used s small flathead driver). The bulb is top center and pulls straight out with your fingers. Insert new bulb, turn lights on to test, OK. The reassembly is a prick unless you remove the OBC. Without the face plate on the climate control will freely wobble around and will be impossible to reinstall the face plate. Pop the OBC out (there is a small slot in the top of the cubby below the OBD, stick a finger in there and push forward on the OBC, it should pop out). Once this is out, put your hand up and behind the climate controller and push it forward, whilst pushing the faceplate gently onto it. It should clip into place. BEWARE that there is an exposed fan on the back of the climate unit and may be operating for a few minutes after the ignition is off. The fan is in the middle, so try to avoid it (shouldnt cut you but is uncomfortable). Install two screws again, replace knobs (they are keyed so make sure they go on correctly), and pop OBC back in. Done.

Put the fuel savings from it running correctly towards your conversion fund

Yeah, but Redbook is a load of crap and should be taken about as seriously as the Dog and Lemon guide.

Good decision Time for some new pics then

Why does this keep increasing in price? For a while it was around 12-13K, now its 17-22K? Not going to sell much with pricing like that.

Update time. Been putting the KM on this on the weekends, covered over 2000KM since purchase now. Vanos has about 1000KM on it, still getting better as it wears in. Decided today that ill proceed, albeit slowly, with my original plan for the car whilst still having it advertised for sale. I wont be dropping the price, and any offers will need to be close to my asking price. First step was to clean the steering wheel, and look replace the bulbs for the climate control panel and the headlight switch. This is what i started with. Hard, glossy, and slippery. The tri-colour ///M stitching is grey. Grabbed some Lux flakes AGES ago, so chucked some into a container (a small sprinkle) and filled with hot tap water. Began scrubbing the wheel with a toothbrush, and microfibre cloths, and amazingly it started to come up nicely. Unfortunately there is quite a lot of wear on the top of the wheel, so its kind of pitted. Not torn though which is good. I liked this pic for some reason I also scrubbed the arm rest, which removed some of the sheen and made it feel a bit softer Unfortunately the leather conditioner i used (from way back in the bay when i had my Rover SD1) has left the leather a bit shiny, but im hoping itll either soak in or wear off a bit. There is a massive difference in how the wheel feels now, its softer and nicer to touch. Previously it would leave a "greasy" mark on the leg of my pants, ugh. This is as far as i got with the bulb changing, i removed the headlight switch and panel from the climate control. Removed both bulbs and will match them up to something at work tomorrow, to be fitted after work. The next step will be a new gear knob. Its not really high on the should-be-done list, but im trying to do all the touch points of the car first as that means the most to me when im using it. Ill also be buying all the bits to freshen the shifter linkages up.

jeez, what were the dates on the filters you removed?

id either get one of those wee breather filters, or maybe some fine mesh and stick it over the opening. The pump only runs for a period of time on a cold start, otherwise it should be off.

it is indeed for the air pump. Technically should be filtered air, but as it pumps air from that pipe into the exhaust it shouldnt matter much (might shorten the life of the pump though). Its pipe 10 (diagram is from my own pre-evo, but should be similar) http://realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=BF92&mospid=47432&btnr=11_1335&hg=11&fg=50

not so keen on drilling holes in my front lip or bumper, so unless it can mount using the existing holes, im out

do the front M corner splitters attach using the factory M3 Lip holes?

might want to elaborate a bit more.... what exploded?

The M3 engines are self bleeding. Just make sure the coolant level is OK, put the cap on, turn the heaters up and go for a drive.

Thats easily E46 M3 price. Looks nice, but yeah, thats big dollars and only someone that REALLY wants a E36 M3 would buy it.

http://www.bmwarchive.org/vin/ng54092.pdf Genuine motorsport.

Likely to different issues like you say. The heater valve issue is really common, and easy to fix (with a replacement valve). i did mine on my M3 when i got it. http://bimmersport.co.nz/topic/48843-e36-m3-resto-mod/page-2#entry527611 Should be similar. Sourced the replacement valve from HellBM.

realoem? This site will tell you the trans code, http://www.bmw-z1.com/VIN/VINdecode-e.cgi

Surely if it was a sensor, it would be throwing a code?

This is a guide based on my experience of rebuilding an S50B30 vanos using the Beisan System kit. I have made this guide to aid anyone else that is undertaking this work, and to supplement the Beisan Systems instructions, as they are based off the S50B32 engine and is lacking some detail and crucial information. The Beisan instructions are here, http://www.beisansystems.com/procedures/euro_s50_single_vanos_procedure.htm DISCLAIMER: THIS IS MY EXPERIENCES WITH THIS. THIS IS NOT A STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTION, IT IS MEANT TO COMPLIMENT THE BEISAN INSTRUCTIONS TO FILL THE GAPS AND HIGHLIGHT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE 3.2 AND 3.0. PLEASE FOLLOW AT YOUR OWN RISK. The first step was to make sure i had all the tools that Beisan lists. The list they supply is pretty good. MAKE SURE YOUR TOOLS ARE GOOD QUALITY, ESPECIALLY YOUR HEX SOCKETS OR YOU WILL STRIP BOLTS. First step, remove fan and shroud. First issue i had.... 32mm wrench is too big to fit between the fan and water pump bolts. Solution, remove two of the bolts in the pulley. A swift whack of the hammer on the spanner and off the fan comes. Fan is on a reverse thread. Remove the shroud with the fan. Important to keep organised. Next up, remove the coil cover and disconnect all the coils. Move the coil wiring out of the way. Pull the coils out. Remove the valve cover. My gasket is hard and like plastic. Beisan says that the gasket is Viton and does not require replacement. I would HIGLY recommend having a replacement before starting work. Finding Top Dead Center. The Beisan instructions say to line up a pointer like the below one, with marks on the front of the harmonic balancer. After 2 hours of searching and much frustration i finally worked it out. By fluke i found the pointer, a simple mark on the timing cover, and the marks on the balancer arent on the front, but hidden down behind the pulley. Beisan says the solenoids will be linked, and removed in a certain way. Nope, in the 3.0 they are separate and the wiring doesnt exit via the bottom like the 3.2, it exits top and bottom, per solenoid. The top solenoid wiring is also spiral bound to the cam sensor on the vanos bridge, so that needs to be removed before the solenoid comes out. This is the intake piston nut. Its tiny, are this has been the cause of many issues for others. IT IS NOT REVERSE THREADED, LEFTY LOOSEY, RIGHTY TIGHTY. It wont be very tight. Next up was to remove the bolts that hold the vanos unit to the head. There are four bolts on the part behind the vanos (the bridge). Two are easy to see, the other two are recessed in the middle of the bridge. Make sure clean all the oil out of the holes. The two recessed bolts are too deep for my hex socket, so be sure to either have a deep socket or if you get stuck like i did a hex key will work (with some added leverage). This is a 6MM hex head. I had a couple of stripped bolts thanks to cheap tools, so i had to remove the radiator to get them out. THIS IS NOT REQUIRED UNLESS YOU STRIP THE BOLTS LIKE I DID. One thing i will note too, is to remove the radiator you must disconnect the oil cooler. It is held in with one 10mm bolt on the RH end, and then you lever it out of that bracket with a screwdriver. Next up was to begin the removal. First you need to remove all the bolts from the front of the vanos unit, 6 short, 1 long for 7 in total (not the 9 Beisan says). Once this is done, remove the 4 bolts across the vanos bridge, and remove the bridge. Note, all 4 bolts are the same length (not 2 short 2 long like Beisan says) Proceed to carefully slide vanos unit forward a little. Beware of the oil pump driver which is a disk that goes between the vanos unit and the exhaust cam. If dropped, this will take a swift trip to the bottom of the oil pan. Beisan has no picture to show what you are looking for with the driver, so i took a few. Hold it onto the vanos unit with your finger. The driver is a disk that sits here. Looks like this When removing the vanos unit, my piston got stuck to the shaft that sticks out of the intake cam. I had to use my tack lifter to gently lever it off the helical gear. There is a wee notch in the top of the gear above where the piston is stuck that i found to give just enough room to lever from. Removed! Remove piston (push out with finger) Pull the intake cylinder apart Bag of seals Once removed, ALL parts get a thorough cleaning in a mixture of brake clean and degreaser. The vanos bridge and bolts came up mint. This is another part Beisan was not clear about. When you replace the seal on the cylinder and you are refitting to the bore, DO NOT PUSH THE CYLINDER IN. Let is rest, and then use the cover to push it in with the tightening of the screws. If you push the cylinder in you WILL ruin the seal. Rest it like this Put on cover (aligning the indent in the side with the vanos filter next to it). Make sure you remove the oring on the cover as per instructions, first. And slowly wind the screws in, bit by bit and doing them in a star pattern until the cover is seated completely. Remove cover and cylinder should looks like this, Nicely seated. Clean the cylinder cover and renew the seals on that too Another thing Beisan missed is that the cylinder cover has a dowel to align it, and MUST be aligned correctly. Thats that side done. Next up is to remove the oil pump cover. My bolts were really tight, so i soaked in CRC (penetrating oil), cracked them, wound out 3 turns and then put more oil on them and left to soak. Gave it a wipe down and replaced the seals. Be aware that if you rest the unit face down like i did it can and will push the oil pump out of place, so take care to gently push it back into the unit. Vanos unit all back together Next up was the solenoids. I had done a lot of research on how best to approach this, and the E39 M5 boys have some pretty good info about it (same solenoids). I decided it was best to replace the seals, remove the gauze ring and clean the solenoids. The gauze ring is the brown bit you can see in some of the photos of the solenoids. Its a plastic ring with some gauze filled slots. My gauze rings were ruined. The gauze was missing in places, and the rest was blocked. Used a scalpel to lever it off slightly, and then some pliers to break them and pull them off. I then turned my attention to the cleaning of the innards. Obviously i cant disassemble them, so had to find another way. The best way people tend to use is to flush them with brake clean whilst actuating them. I went with this method. Out came the 9V battery and connector. The solenoid leads are moulded with the polarity on the connector, so just join + to + and - to - and hopefully you should hear the solenoid click. I didnt. It turns out the top solenoid was dead. Nothing at all. I began to flush it by blasting brake clean into the ports, and after a few tries i finally get a faint click from it. Yay! I spray and actuate a few more dozen times until im getting a nice, solid, hearty click every time and then move on to the next one. The lower solenoid wasnt as bad, it clicked first try but was very faint. A thorough cleaning fixed that, although some of the rubbish that came out was pretty nasty. Replaced the seals on both, and put them aside. Replaced the vanos filter. Old one was black and you can see blockage in the gauze. Its cheap and easy to get at so ill replace this again in a thousand km or so. Since the vanos unit was done, i moved onto the anti-rattle kit. You need to replace the splined, helical gear from the intake cam. It wasnt easy, mine was reluctant to move forward enough to pop out until i game it some help (by wiggling the can back and forward a bit). I also noticed it was hard to get into the Beisan tool so i gave the spline a real good scrub and it moves much freer now. Once removed the cause of the rattles was WELL obvious. There should be no axial play (wiggle)..... mine had a ton of movement. Loose as a goose. Pulled it apart with my rattle gun, worked a treat. The innards were dirty, with chunks of something inside it and noticeable wear on the end washers. The Beisan kit replaces the outer ring and both end washers. All fitted up with the discarded bits in the background Back in the engine. So i got a new valve cover gasket and spark plug seals, 3 new bolts and 3 new washers for the vanos unit (to replace the rounded ones and a spare), and a new oil cap as the old one weeped. New stuff The new vanos bolts to replace the rounded hex. Its obvious im not the only one to have issues, the new bolts are T30 Torx, not hex. Same deal with the new solenoid cover bolts, no more hex. Vanos solenoids installed. Note the placement, with wires exiting top and bottom, not both exiting down the bottom like the B32. New cover gasket (use a small smear of liquid gasket to hold this gasket to the cover to aid in reassembly) Cover on, with new bolts. New valve cover gasket. The new gasket is much softer, and much better to work with than the old one. Note that with the S50 engines you apply the gaskets to the head, and then the cover onto that. The gaskets have locating lips, ridges and dowels. Cover on. What a prick of a thing to get into place. Took about 3-4 tries as it kept getting stuck on the loom holder above it, and the rear cam cap. Coils in Radiator in This may not be completely necessary, but with the coils still disconnected, I cranked the engine a few times to get oil into the vanos unit. Coils connected, key turned and it roars into life. Idles a bit lumpy. Idle is to be expected, vanos isnt worn in and the ECU has lost all its learning and reset to defaults. Parts used during my vanos rebuild. This is for my car, some parts may vary so please check via RealOEM or your dealer to be sure. Beisan Systems seal kit BS031 Beisan Systems Anti-rattle kit BS032 Beisan System Anti-rattle tools BS094 The following parts are from BMW Vanos solenoid O-Rings (S62, improved design over S52 and direct replacement) 11367830828 x2 11367830829 x2 Vanos filter 11361401973 07119963073 Vanos solenoid cover gasket 11311318323 Vanos cover bolts 07129905121 x4 Vanos intake piston nut 11361313170 Valve cover gasket 11121404358 11121317386 x2 Oil cap 11121716993 And the bolts i had to replace due to rounded heads (hopefully wont be needed by anyone else) 07129903807 (bolts) 07119931044 (washers) Be aware most parts are Ex Germany (all Beisan parts are Ex USA), so order them beforehand. I hope this helps. Its not a hard job, just time consuming, fiddly and a right terror when something goes wrong. Its well worth doing and completely within the range of anyone with a decent set of tools and can follow instructions.

keep in mind that it may look like OBD2 but the output certainly isnt.

Id think the majority of aucklanders would have had dealings with them and rate them highly. Ive bought some things off them and they were good to deal with. Also, HOLY FREAKING GIGANTO SIGNATURE PIC BATMAN!

All our new cars at work, even the AMG Mercs, all have a few KM on them at delivery. Be interesting to see what the cluster on the M5 actually says