high milage e34 540i

netercol

New member
hi guys,

just a quick question for the 540i owners..

im looking for a 540i donor car, and have been chasing a few..

looked at one today with 300k on the clock, with a rough idle.. prolly a nikasil motor.
those that know these motors, would you say there is still life left in this motor? or steer clear?
 

Budleigh

Member
*cough* Donor car?

Speaking under correction, but rough idle might be an intake leak or something similar. Understandably, people rush to assume that the dreaded Nikasil problem has reared its head, but that isn't always the case.

Or so I've heard.
 

Beast_Power

Active member
Budleigh said:
*cough* Donor car?

Speaking under correction, but rough idle might be an intake leak or something similar. Understandably, people rush to assume that the dreaded Nikasil problem has reared its head, but that isn't always the case.

Or so I've heard.

Check the block number :

* 1 725 963 - Nikasil
* 1 742 998 - Nikasil
* 1 745 872 - Alusil

These numbers are stamped into the engine block, and are visible from under the vehicle.
 

zaleonardz

Well-known member
The M60 is actually known for its rough idle until warm.

Could be various from an ICV issue to vacuum,injector ect I would not let that put me off.

I would how ever see if you could run a compression test on the motor seeing though it starts. If thats good, then buy it.
 

Hellas

///Member
netercol said:
*cough* Donor car?

yeah, engine,gearbox and electronics are going in this :)

http://www.bmwfanatics.co.za/showthread.php?tid=8260&page=1

so the general consensus seems to be that 300k is not necesarily a deal killer, as long as the engine's compression is still good?

thanx guys

I forgot about your E46. i kinda thought this donor thing was going the other way round... If you want tot buy a car for the engine, why not buy the engine alone?
 

netercol

New member
If you want tot buy a car for the engine, why not buy the engine alone?

as i said in the other thread, its prolly the easiest way to get hold of ecu,engine,everything to make it work first time without having to hunt for stuff..

besides, have you seen how cheap 540i's can be had for nowadays? because im not much worried about how the body looks, ive looked at a few (in running condition!!) for as low as 17k... :mmm:
 
J

Jandre

Guest
What do you wanna spend Netercol. My 540i has 228k on the clock. Motor was completely rebuilt on 212k. Gearbox and everything else is 100%.

You can buy my complete car if you want.
 

Hellas

///Member
Jandre said:
What do you wanna spend Netercol. My 540i has 228k on the clock. Motor was completely rebuilt on 212k. Gearbox and everything else is 100%.

You can buy my complete car if you want.

Maybe PM me...? (Ooooh the wife's gonna kill me...)
 

WerriesM5

///Member
Good luck!!!!!!!!!!!!

The oil pump and sump on M60 can't be in a worse place....
I'm looking at geting a Moroso dry sump kit to get the engine in my e36....
 

Budleigh

Member
Yeah, you'd need to fabricate a new sump, but that's what Alpina did for the B8, or whatever it was called, so if you got the specs on that, it might help.
 

WerriesM5

///Member
You have to mod the sump and oil pump....
Alpina used a custom pump and sump (smaller) but also used a custom anti roll bar and steering rack to get the engine as far back as posible.

I want the engine alll the way back but I am not going to mod my steering rack... so I'm moving the whole oil pump to the rear of the engine and new sump.
Or dry sump ang get the engine lower.

Alpina oil pump body is infront of chain
100_2126_600x452.jpg


BMW M60/2 oil pump is behind chain
photo-2.jpg
 
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