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Young new owners DIY requests welcomed

6K views 48 replies 15 participants last post by  Sailor24 
#1 ·
I quit a few years ago, I was sick of you. I came back and the new young owners seemed to have changed. Are you guys learning stuff?
The new group of young owners seem to be enthusiasts!
So I guess the question is are we sending the info correctly? Are we still being assholes because you don't know how to test your fuel pressure? Not one DIY on the board for that. Lets call this the basic thread. If you need to know how to test something basic, I will answer you here. Assuming I know how to test what you are asking. IE I can only know if your wife is cheating if she is cheating with me. Noting that if your wife wants to cheat with me, your question goes to the top of the list.
 
#5 ·
I haven't been driving the M5's much but am hoping to start drifting again in the fall. That always seems to break the car. I'll have plenty of questions for you then Sailor and I always appreciate your input.



You could do it but it's not worth the extra headache in my opinion. You will have such limited access to the guibo itself that it makes more sense to drop the exhaust. Physically dropping the exhaust is a lot of work but it is pretty straight forward.
 
#10 · (Edited)
THIS, so many properly enclusive and advanced diy posts have all or cruicial images missing.
 
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#14 · (Edited)
This problem exists because people want to use their own picture hosts. If people would just use the paper clip and upload the photos to the board servers the pics will stay as long as the post does.
I think the answer to this is to point it out to the poster when you see they have uploaded the pics elsewhere. If you want to spend some time on someone elses DIY while the pics are still there. Save all of the photos and quote them. In the quote upload the photos to the board and insert each one under the photo stored elsewhere. Eventually yours will be the only photo in the quote.
 
#30 ·
Thanks so much for taking the time to snap and post the pictures.

Is it ok to reuse the guibo bolts as long as new nuts are used?

And the center bearing support bracket looks to be slotted at the mounting points - does the bracket need to be "aligned" a certain way? I just want to make sure I don't stress the center bearing in any way (think proper adjustment of wheel bearings).
 
#31 ·
Uhm, I think I need a new chain tensioner. How do I check and if I've only done oil changes and brakes, am I capable enough to perform this task on my own? Also spark plugs. I think I need new spark plugs. Easy DIY? Thanks! I hope people like me don't make you regret your decision of coming back. :(
 
#32 ·
The only way to check *for sure* is to pull the tensioner and inspect it. If you hear a lot of start up noise, Id replace it anyways. It is pretty easy:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uzpxz2U05Ww


Parts:

Chain tensioner 1 11311406261 $122.43
Gasket ring A22X27-AL 1 07119963355 $0.36 (aluminum crush washer)


Torque value 70N m (51 ft-lb).


Note, you can probably find the tensioner at a lower price than that.


Spark plugs:

Here is a DIY sans pics:

http://www.m5board.com/vbulletin/e3...41-diy-spark-plugs-requested-pics-inside.html

But here is an M62 plug change and it is pretty much the same thing:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5aaTlBC3Ol4


If you have wrenched on your brake pads, I think this is within your capabilities.
 
#38 ·
Honestly I bought a few rolls of neo ten or fifteen years ago still using it up. It was for my purple 93 M5 that I got in 99 or maybe the black one purchased in '03. I have replaced the lines once on this car. It is good quality, but I might have to do it again, but I will still have lots left.
 
#39 ·
Thank you for doing this Sailor.

I would say yes please to:

Check a ball joint for play
Fuel pressure tests
Also common areas that weep and identifying a weep vs. leak.

Thanks again.
 
#40 ·
Thank you for doing this Sailor.


Also common areas that weep and identifying a weep vs. leak.

Thanks again.
I don't know what you mean by that?

For those two jobs you need tools but at least for the fuel you can make it. Want to start there?
Ball joint you need a dial gauge, but how you mount it can be of your own configuration. The dial gauge can be used for many other jobs.
 
#42 · (Edited)
Checking Ball Joints

To check the bushings is very simple, all visual. There is oil inside the bushings on the control arms. You can look for cracks but you will not likely see any and if you do then the failure is old, and should have been changed long ago. Basically with regular inspections of your bushings when you see dirt build up that is the sign. The reason the dirt builds up is the oil is leaking out. The dirt builds like it is growing, in other words there will be a hump of dirt. Most often the build up is were the rubber meets the tube of the bushing, outside of the rubber inside of the metal tube. I need a picture which I don't have.
Can you picture that?
The sign you are looking for is possible oil leak. If they have never been inspected you may just have to wait for the symptom that tells that the thrust arm bushing is well past dead. When the front end shakes coming to an off ramp under braking, ~50 mph that is the tell tale sign. The other control arm bushing doesn't fail before the ball joint fails and they are only rubber, no oil.

The big trick is the balls. The ball to socket must have 0 play. There is a government number attached here likely there will be one elsewhere it is 10 thous to pass the safety in Ontario. Like I said it is 0 play so any movement is a no no. On my car 5 thous on one and 10 on the other ( I will call them front but they are lowers) caused tire related vibrations. That is the problem with these arms, they add to other problems. Because the arm is mounted on rubber, the tiny movement in the ball travels to the rubber where first it is compressed and the the rubber sends it back full speed. If you have something else with play, things feed off each other until the wheel shakes.

You can't see 5 or 10 thou movement. The dumbass rule is get a prybar between the hub and control arm and look for movement. That is a joke because you would likely be hard pressed to see a 1/16" movement, in fairness you can feel it, if you have a ton of experience. Ergo we are doing the basics so you will not see or feel the play. You must measure it and since we are dealing with a very small measurement you must have a dial indicator.

Here is the basics you need to ask questions so I can make it clear, because I don't have pictures. You need to mount the dial indicator on the control arm in a position so that the needle of the dial indicator will hit some part of the hub that is as close to the location where the pin from the arm is bolted to the hub. You can't have the needle referencing some spot that could move do to steering of the wheels.

A couple things that sound easy but are not. Mounting the dial indicator to the arm, most of the kits come with magnetic mounts. That is not going to work on alum. The kit that I have is for brake runout. Short of me spending a thousand words, your home work is to search on line for all the different types of dial indicator kits. Yes there will be a test. LMAO

There is more to mounting but I would like to leave that to conversation. So ask away, besides with time I may get a pic of how I set up.
Lets assume you have it mounted, the car goes back on the ground loaded and you pry and see where the gauge moves. Simple sort of takes a lot of time. Two arms you will be looking for fore and aft play and the others side to side.
 
#44 · (Edited)
For most lube situations I use petro jelly, which is not petro it is silicon based. I look at it this way if it is safe enough for a babies bottom... Brake lube is the same. Just taste both you will see.

I have a couple of bore scopes. The one I use the most is the cheap one think it was 140 or there abouts. I also have a 600 buck one I bought years earlier but they got cheaper so lets say it is 400 on todays scale. The major difference is the more expensive one has better resolution, bigger screen, color and a light around the camera. The resolution can help but since you are mainly doing and inspection to determine if you need a closer inspection, not really that useful. The color does not help much in automotive everything looks black and white. The light is very significant but can't always be used because it adds reflection or better put double images. The cheap one I have to use a flash light, but I found this very cool light, similar to this one.
W98AT USB Snake Scope Endoscope-7MM DIA Lens-10MM DIA Flexible Tube-1200MM Flexible Tube-6 LED Light-5X Zoom
Using that light I find I get a much better image no matter which scope I use.

I think My cheapy is this one
Flexible Endoscope PCE-DE 25
Made with many different names but all appear to be the exact same.

The more expensive one is similar to this one.
ENDO KAM MICRO: Wireless endoscope color camera, Findoo Micro at reichelt elektronik
except mine is blue, but has the same features.

The biggest deal is the attachments for the end, like mirrors. I use the attachments off of the expensive unit on the cheap unit. That said the expensive unit has a smaller head so I had to mod. The attachments for the cheapy were useless.

I would not buy one off the net, I would go to an auto supply or tool house and play with them in the store and decide from that. Just take some tubing with you and then also go to the bathroom and look down a drain. It is easy to know which you want from looking at the screen.
 
#45 ·
Thanks for that info Sailor. I'm interested as to how useful a Borescope might be - example, would it be possible to look into the sump through the sump plug hole (or anywhere else? Dipstick tube too small?) to reliably see any chain guide debris? Looking into the sills for corrosion? Like a lot of tech stuff these things seem to be getting cheaper every week when they were once out of the question for an occasional use toy. Sorry, tool. Definitely not a toy. (Tool - something you buy because you need it. Toy - something you buy because you want it.:D )
 
#46 ·
Thanks S24. I want to inspect cylinder walls so I'm wondering if it is necessary to get a steerable device to be able to get a 360 degree look inside the cylinder.....

Also with regard to lube, since fuel injectors sit in gasoline wouldn't it be best to use a petroleum based lube and not silicone for this application?
 
#47 · (Edited)
Injectors are around gas not in it. Don't you think that petro based products would dissolve in gas and eventually there would be none? Really it hardy matters the lube is just to get the o ring in without tearing.

To get the 360 view from a scope you will need to put a mirror attachment on. Should come with the kit and is angled at 45 so you can see the side walls. You put the tool straight in and rotate the tool. If that is your main objective you will need that light. The light on the scope will reflect in weird ways with the mirror in place. That is what I found but have old man eyes, young eyes may not have the same problem.
 
#49 ·
Back to the scope and a lesson I must have learned earlier. I was inspecting a diesel today and put the scope in, I could see the mirror and the surrounding area. Not what you want, the camera should only see the mirror. What that is - the mirror was the wrong distance from the lens.

Likely because I am using to kits together. All you need to do is move the mirror closer to the camera. If all you see is mirror then do the opposite until you dial in where the mirror should be clipped. Ideal would be as far as possible without missing any part of the mirror.
 
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