99 z3 2.8l roadster

[ScottyB]

Jay give this thing a shot. its awesome for reducing overflow and if you don't drain the whole funnel you can just plug it and lift it off without spilling anything.

https://www.amazon.com/Lisle-24680-Spill...way&sr=8-2



i used it on the subaru over the course of a full coolant flush and you can easily do it the "honda way" without making a mess.

[Jake]

Bleeding an M52-ish BMW engine is annoying.

Get the nose HIGH in the air (parking on a very sloped driveway works too). Heat to full blast. Bleed screw open on expansion tank. Fill the tank, run it, rev it, the thermostat will eventually open and start sucking water down. Keep filling the tank. It will piss coolant everywhere out of the bleed screw kind of by design. Yes, this is messy and annoying, but you'll see bubbles come out too. Eventually the bubbles will stop and you'll be done. Take it for a good hard romp around your area and check level once it cools.

[Senor_Taylor]

Jay give this thing a shot. its awesome for reducing overflow and if you don't drain the whole funnel you can just plug it and lift it off without spilling anything.

https://www.amazon.com/Lisle-24680-Spill...way&sr=8-2



i used it on the subaru over the course of a full coolant flush and you can easily do it the "honda way" without making a mess.

Won't work on a BMW. They don't have a radiator cap.

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[ScottyB]

well that's just dumb and BMW should feel bad

[Sijray21]

strange part is i saw the BavAuto (RIP) video where he used this tool, but his was fine. the bleeder screw on the reservoir will overflow by design (like jake mentioned), and Bentley even referred to the M52s as having a secondary bleeder near the thermostat housing, but the z3 doesn't have that hrug:.

i'll just drive it and keep an eye on the coolant, refilling as needed. the last cycle i did last night got most of the air out, but now i'm out of coolant so a trip to get more is needed. Mildly annoying, but a learning lesson for me.

[Sijray21]

Bleeding an M52-ish BMW engine is annoying.

Get the nose HIGH in the air (parking on a very sloped driveway works too). Heat to full blast. Bleed screw open on expansion tank. Fill the tank, run it, rev it, the thermostat will eventually open and start sucking water down. Keep filling the tank. It will piss coolant everywhere out of the bleed screw kind of by design. Yes, this is messy and annoying, but you'll see bubbles come out too. Eventually the bubbles will stop and you'll be done. Take it for a good hard romp around your area and check level once it cools.

Just curious, but why would putting the nose high in the air help? wouldn't that put the radiator and t-stat in the position to have all the air there? i could see that with other M52s that have a secondary bleeder screw near the t-stat housing, but the z3 doesn't have that. having the car level seems that the highest point in the cooling system would be expansion tank, no?

[Sijray21]

Man, switched the settings for the konis to near-full soft... That is nice for driving around. Took her around tonight to ensure the cooling system was running well and decided to soften up the shocks in the rear while i had the car in the air for a few days. It'll stay this way unless i hit the track/auto-x course down the road and if stiffening them up would be a good thing.

[Sijray21]

So during the show I was talking to an older couple about common issues with z3s as they were looking for a fun, older, cheaper, lower hp vert that wasn't a miata that they could also share with their college-aged daughter when she was home. I showed them the pulled spot welds for the diff mount that I knew I had issues with. They haven't gotten visibly worse since I checked last year (despite my seldom aggressive launches to test the clutch), but I got paranoid on my drive home from the show so I inspected them tonight from under the car. No cracks or anything else other than the slight separation from the front of the crossbar and the trunk floor

I'll talk with Deren about repairing it later this year unless it gets worse, but I'm just looking to enjoy cruising in it for a few months. The car won't see auto-x or track time, so thoughts on just waiting and monitoring? Estimate repairs from internet searching are yielding in the $2.5k to $3k range unless I pick up welding and try to learn to do that (which would be interesting and likely dangerous...). If anyone is familiar with this issue or with welding costs, do you think that's a bit inflated? I'm willing to spend some money on the car (especially if it's for parts I can sell later), but I'm trying to avoid sinking a lot into it as I know it'll never be perfect with the money I'm willing to spend on it.

This is the proper procedure for fixing it (albeit a bit overkill for a non-m z3):

http://www.vorshlag.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8039

http://www.bimmerbrothers.com/z3-m-coupe...nt-part-1/

[Evan]

So during the show I was talking to an older couple about common issues with z3s as they were looking for a fun, older, cheaper, lower hp vert that wasn't a miata that they could also share with their college-aged daughter when she was home. I showed them the pulled spot welds for the diff mount that I knew I had issues with. They haven't gotten visibly worse since I checked last year (despite my seldom aggressive launches to test the clutch), but I got paranoid on my drive home from the show so I inspected them tonight from under the car. No cracks or anything else other than the slight separation from the front of the crossbar and the trunk floor

I'll talk with Deren about repairing it later this year unless it gets worse, but I'm just looking to enjoy cruising in it for a few months. The car won't see auto-x or track time, so thoughts on just waiting and monitoring? Estimate repairs from internet searching are yielding in the $2.5k to $3k range unless I pick up welding and try to learn to do that (which would be interesting and likely dangerous...). If anyone is familiar with this issue or with welding costs, do you think that's a bit inflated? I'm willing to spend some money on the car (especially if it's for parts I can sell later), but I'm trying to avoid sinking a lot into it as I know it'll never be perfect with the money I'm willing to spend on it.

This is the proper procedure for fixing it (albeit a bit overkill for a non-m z3):

http://www.vorshlag.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8039

http://www.bimmerbrothers.com/z3-m-coupe...nt-part-1/

Does that seem like something it would take an experienced fabricator 20+ hours to do? Looks like a days work at most to me.

Personally Id probably do all the prep work myself, then take it to a local welder to have it welded up for (guessing) under $200.

[Sijray21]

Personally Id probably do all the prep work myself, then take it to a local welder to have it welded up for (guessing) under $200.

I did think about that, but the issue I'll have is that to do much of the prep requires the removal of the diff and rear sub frame immobilizing the car. I would need to do that in their shop or get the welder to come to me, right? I can't even get it to be a rolling chassis to tow back and forth. Is a mobile welder a thing?

[D_Eclipse9916]

Personally Id probably do all the prep work myself,  then take it to a local welder to have it welded up for (guessing) under $200.

I did think about that, but the issue I'll have is that to do much of the prep requires the removal of the diff and rear sub frame immobilizing the car. I would need to do that in their shop or get the welder to come to me, right? I can't even get it to be a rolling chassis to tow back and forth. Is a mobile welder a thing?

Do you care how the welds look?  Mine are getting prettier, but would have nothing on Deren.

[Senor_Taylor]

Yes, there are mobile welders in northern VA that will do this.

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[.RJ]

Jayray I'll help you prep it. It cant be that bad, its an E30 subframe.

[Sijray21]

OK, I'm learning things. Getting a welder to come to me is definitely preferable. I don't mind doing the prep work myself.

And, no, no fucks as to how the welds look. If it holds up then it's good with me. None of these will be seen anyway.

[Senor_Taylor]

This free Z3 really seems like a worse deal the longer you have it

[Sijray21]

This free Z3 really seems like a worse deal the longer you have it

No free bmw is free, right?

I think I still like these problems over modern black box problems with electrical problems.

[Apoc]

I think I still like these problems over modern black box problems with electrical problems.

Just don't do what RJ does and you'd be fine.

[rherold9]

Why does it seem like all BMW frame, subframe, etc. just fall apart eventually?

[Senor_Taylor]

Why does it seem like all BMW frame, subframe, etc. just fall apart eventually?

They don't. It's just the 3 series used similar designs and the majority of people you know have owned the models affected.

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[Kaan]

the same guy that designed the 3 series subframes... he was promoted to design the motors that need bearings every 15k miles.