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[JamesV6CDX]

You're mad turning a turbo change(which, even on something as horrible to work on as a BMW, is basically a service job on an old diesel) into a costly engine out strip-down. Bear in mind that the straight sixes are huge and heavy things to deal with when not in a car.


Bung a turbo on it, and drive the thing. Or put the money and time into a better one.

Where are you going to find a better one these days? They're 17yrs old... they'll all be the same or made into bean cans by now 

I meant to say... I don't want a newer e61. I like the e39. And mines as good an example as you'll find for its age.

I want to keep this one. So I don't think considering changing the timing gear on a 175k mile car, whilst I have the chance to do so, is tooooo mad... certainly no more unstable than I usually am

[Andy H]

You're mad turning a turbo change(which, even on something as horrible to work on as a BMW, is basically a service job on an old diesel) into a costly engine out strip-down. Bear in mind that the straight sixes are huge and heavy things to deal with when not in a car.


Bung a turbo on it, and drive the thing. Or put the money and time into a better one.

Where are you going to find a better one these days? They're 17yrs old... they'll all be the same or made into bean cans by now 

I meant to say... I don't want a newer e61. I like the e39. And mines as good an example as you'll find for its age.

I want to keep this one. So I don't think considering changing the timing gear on a 175k mile car, whilst I have the chance to do so, is tooooo mad... certainly no more unstable than I usually am

The mad part will be lifting an astonishingly heavy engine above head height to get it out of the car and then trying to drag it into your warm dry garage to work on it

I have an engine crane and stand you are quite welcome to borrow (but you might be able to find something a bit closer to home..........)

[Doctor Gollum]

Sump only needs to clear the lower crossmember

[aaronjb]

I hope you have a good memory for putting it back together. Lord only knows how many spare parts I'm gonna have from the 740 when it finally gets reassembled after 6 months in bits 

I put my 300ZX back together (front end of the engine - cam pulleys, timing belt, covers, cooling system, intake etc) after more like 6 years in bits and still managed to not end up with bits left over - I was amazed..

You're mad turning a turbo change(which, even on something as horrible to work on as a BMW, is basically a service job on an old diesel) into a costly engine out strip-down. Bear in mind that the straight sixes are huge and heavy things to deal with when not in a car.


Bung a turbo on it, and drive the thing. Or put the money and time into a better one.

What he said - there's keen and there's keen .. and I get that it's a learning exercise while you're recovering, but I can't help feel there are better ways to mess with that kind of thing in a simpler easier environment than trying to haul 300Kg of straight six out of an E39..

Still, more power to you and good luck!

[Marks DTM Calib]

That engine mount looks like it's seen better days eh. 

Shhhhhhh!!!

This is the problem when one goes digging in their engine bay on such an old car .... 

Yeah... things can... escalate... quite quickly. One minute you're wiping oil off the filler cap then this happens... 

Standard, the timing chain will be stretched, the timing gears will be worn, the camshaft will be worn, the followers will be worn and chances are the head gaskets are blowing into the valley....

[X30XE]

Nope. It's all fine. They like not having their oil changed in god knows how many years. It's good for them.      < rose tinted spectacles FIRMLY ON 

I'm contemplating inspecting the timing gear... can't figure how to lock the crank pulley to undo the bolt though. Suggestions?

[Nick W]

Nope. It's all fine. They like not having their oil changed in god knows how many years. It's good for them.      < rose tinted spectacles FIRMLY ON 

I'm contemplating inspecting the timing gear... can't figure how to lock the crank pulley to undo the bolt though. Suggestions?

Jam a hefty bit of wood between a crank journal and the crankcase. Apply an impact wrench to the bolt. Loosen the flywheel/flex plate bolts while you're at it.

[aaronjb]

Standard, the timing chain will be stretched, the timing gears will be worn, the camshaft will be worn, the followers will be worn and chances are the head gaskets are blowing into the valley....

Looks like a late block minus the outside row of head bolts, so there's a chance the head gasket is OK, at least.. maybe?

[Kevin Wood]

Standard, the timing chain will be stretched, the timing gears will be worn, the camshaft will be worn, the followers will be worn and chances are the head gaskets are blowing into the valley....

Looks like a late block minus the outside row of head bolts, so there's a chance the head gasket is OK, at least.. maybe?

.. in which case it got that shitty without the aid of any exhaust gases.

Then again, that piston in No. 7 look suspiciously clean... 

[Marks DTM Calib]

Standard, the timing chain will be stretched, the timing gears will be worn, the camshaft will be worn, the followers will be worn and chances are the head gaskets are blowing into the valley....

Looks like a late block minus the outside row of head bolts, so there's a chance the head gasket is OK, at least.. maybe?

Trouble is they went composite on the Thors so they rot out instead of being unevenly clamped.......you fix one bit, you screw the other up.....its the 'Over' way on the V8

[Marks DTM Calib]

Nope. It's all fine. They like not having their oil changed in god knows how many years. It's good for them.      < rose tinted spectacles FIRMLY ON 

I'm contemplating inspecting the timing gear... can't figure how to lock the crank pulley to undo the bolt though. Suggestions?

Jam a hefty bit of wood between a crank journal and the crankcase. Apply an impact wrench to the bolt. Loosen the flywheel/flex plate bolts while you're at it.

Yep or fab up a bit of bent metal to lock the flywheel having removed the starter.

[X30XE]

Would it be possible for an Admin to un-threadjack James's thread and move this into a new thread purlease? 

[JamesV6CDX]

Having considered, I'm going for a half way house. I will slowly work through a de coke and rebuild of the top end, (all pretty straightforward) but, I'm not doing the chains. It's a disproportionate amount of money to spend on the parts, and I feel I'm not yet at the point in my recovery I would cope with heavier work.

[JamesV6CDX]

Not too much work lately. Been busy with medical appointments and such and the weather has been grim.

I noticed that the no5 glow plug was broken off (not my doing) - that'll account for why I've always had a "glow device" fault code, then!

This has confirmed my decision to pull the head off, having got this far, as I will also sort this out at the same time and fit a set of 6 new glow plugs.

I bought a locking kit for this engine. It's simply a case of locking the flywheel at TDC using a pin (I say simply, it's a bastard to locate it!) - and then fitting a tool over the cams to which must sit flush with the head. You can then remove the top chain guide, rotate the exhaust camshaft carefully clockwise a small amount to release tension, and insert another pin into the tensioner in order to lock it off.

Here we are with the sprockets off, and camshafts out:

[JamesV6CDX]

I should have added - before removal and refitting of cams, it's necessary to turn the crank back 45 degrees to make certain you don't get any piston / valve contact