Good work Nate, The Z4 has a good following and with the age of the e85 now there will be more newer owners looking to refresh a budget buy just like yours. Should be a good topic to build viewer numbers. Good luck with the series and looking forward to the next one.
Thank you 🙏 I've been away most of this month but I've got a few great upgrades coming up in the next few weeks. Can't wait to get them done, stay tuned!
Hi Nate, Congrats on the successful rebuild of your Vanos. I hope the CCV system is also on your to-do list. And while youre at it: I recommend replacing all hoses and pipes connected to the cooling system. These parts are the weak points of that M54 engine (which is otherwise bulletproof). Two more suggestions for future content: New engine and gearbox mounts Greasing up the steering rack Differential swap for something "shorter" (3.38 or more) M-steering wheel and shift knob Cheers!
Great suggestions! There will definitely be a video coming soon around the engine/gearbox mounts - I've already bought replacements 😜. I also have a 3.46 diff which I'm going to install an LSD kit on which I'm very excited about. Aside from that there's a big brake upgrade and a few cosmetic improvements coming soon too. Stay tuned!
Thanks Pete - I had loads of technical issues getting this together but your previous comment was a key motivator in finishing the edit 😅 More exciting stuff to come!
Excellent video!!! congratulations!!! I plan to do exactly the same in a couple of weeks. The only additional thing is that I plan to change the 2 chain tensioners... Since we are there with everything disassembled, I think it is worth it.
Feel your pain there with having no room to work doing the vanos! I rebuilt the vanos on a m54 in my old E60 and there was even less room than what you have! Also your leak at the rear, mine looked exactly the same! Turned out to be the oil pan gasket that had given up! Not a hard job on the m54, just a bit long and tedious having to drop the subframe etc, can be done without removing it though, jack the engine up and drop the subframe just leaving it to hang you’ll have just enough room to squeeze the pan out, can also be done with the power steering pump left in place despite many people saying it has to be removed.
Thanks! I'll definitely have a closer look at this, it could well be the oil pan. I was considering taking it off anyway to sort the notorious oil pump sprocket nut. Good to know I don't need to drop the whole frame! 🙏
@@n8green Would make things a hell of a lot easier to remove it, but like I said can be done with it just unbolted and lowered, it will be a bit tricky to get it out past the steering pump, but with a bit of fiddling it’ll slide out, a few scraped knuckles and choice words will definitely be thrown in there lol, but it can be done! Good luck! You’ll be surprised in the difference the vanos rebuild makes to the engine too! Especially once the new seals have bedded in properly! The difference is literally like night and day! You may notice at first it could throw up a cam sensor code but that’s nothing to worry about, 3 of mine after rebuilds have done this, either plug her in a reset adaptations or clear the code and take for a good drive and check for codes again and it should have gone.
Excellent progress! the plastic BMW uses for the cooling system is shite, it's like they chose the most brittle stuff on purpose...might be a good idea to replace the lot for reliability...really enjoying the series...I'm learning a lot, hunting for a 2007-08 meself...
Thanks so much 🙏 Yep I did notice how brittle the PCV pipes were when I was doing this work so I used extreme caution! I'll replace them soon I think as it's only a matter of time until they fail I'd imagine. Editing the next vid as we speak, stay tuned!
Its all worth it the Z4 E85 is such a beautiful car with a gem of a motor the straight six 👍 I had a Z4 e85 2.5i before I bought a Porsche Boxster 986.2. Still miss the Z4 sometimes I have to say.
@@n8green Let me put it this way the E85 design is amazing it is a real "mans car" with the big hood and all that and it feels great to drive but it is not a true sports car. The Boxster is a different beast it handles like it is on rails and is a true sports car you can really push it hard. The steering is also hydralic that helps a lot I have to say for the feel of the car. The Boxster 986.2 (facelift 2003) only has a 2.7 litre engine with 228 bhp and 260 Nm of tourqe so you really have to drive it hard and keep it in the rev range (above 4000 rpm) but that makes the drive more fun and engaging. I dont miss the power of an S or a newer Porsche for that matter...at least not yet after 2 seasons! As you can tell I really love my Boxster it does not feel like 20 year old car and for the price of a 986 nowadays I mean its amazing. If you buy one you will not regret it if you really like to drive a car hard and fast!
Just wondered if you have done the disa valve? I haven’t done the vanos yet, but I took my disa valve off and it was completely knackered. Rebuilt it and the car goes way better now. You have probably done it already but if not then it has to be worth taking a look at it.
Thanks Harold! No, I haven't done the DISA yet but it is on the list. The engine runs pretty sweet already but it looks a relatively straightforward job and consensus seems to be that it's worth doing! One for a future video 👍
@@n8green Compared to all the other stuff you’ve done it’s dead easy. I only checked mine to see how it looked out of curiosity and found the flap wasn’t fixed to the spindle so it wasn’t working at all. I’d never have known without looking as I had no symptoms. However now I’ve rebuilt it the car is way more responsive and more power low down too. Worth spending 10 mins taking it off to check in my view as if yours is half as knackered as mine it’s a decent power upgrade when done. Cheers
Great videos and you clearly have a lot of knowledge and experience tinkering with engines. My z4 is similar age but 91k. I’ve only had it a couple of weeks so am working through things like you are, not gone as deep though by far yet but I’ve got some gaskets and a new expansion tank and whatnot on order. The vanos system looks like a bit of a pain to sort but I must admit it would be nice to have done for peace of mind. Just curious did you have any symptoms of dodgy vanos before you did this? My car has rough idling when it starts but it seems to settle down after a while. I have no idea if the performance is affected as I haven’t had one before so have no frame of reference. Did you feel an improvement afterwards?
Thanks 🙏 I didn't have any dodgy vanos symptoms but I figured the car is on 130k so it was worth doing. I think I read somewhere that the vanos seals BMW used are only good for around 20k miles or so before they start being inefficient - the x8r kit I used had upgraded materials so it should never need to be done again. Noticeable difference after doing the job - much more poke and more consistent 👍 The plan is to get all the fundamentals of the car bulletproof before moving onto a few subtle upgrades - brakes, diff, suspension etc. Good luck with your project! Stay tuned, lots more content incoming!
@@n8green I am wondering whether to replace everything in the vanos or just the seals. I don’t have any rattles or any other issues as far as I’m aware but I bet it probably has some performance loss after 20 years. Would you recommend just doing the whole lot? The entire kit is quite a bit more £ than just the seals. But then maybe it’s worth the extra money and effort as it would be a bastard if I put it all back together then it started rattling. Basically I’m a bit nervous about taking the whole lot apart in case I bugger it up.
Nice vid man. The Z4 is definitely coming along nicely. WHats your long term plan with it? Do up and punt on and work to something else? Anything planned?
Yep, I'm going to make it into the best car it can be - keep it mostly stock but with a few subtle and tasteful upgrades. Then yeah, hopefully trade up and give the same treatment to something else 😎
Looking forward to it. Am looking at doing that vanos rebuild but having to mess with the jacking the engine up is putting me off. Such a shame they put they put that cross member where it is. Guess we're lucky in other way as access around the rest of the engine bay is decent.
Great work! Subscribed 👍
Good work Nate, The Z4 has a good following and with the age of the e85 now there will be more newer owners looking to refresh a budget buy just like yours. Should be a good topic to build viewer numbers.
Good luck with the series and looking forward to the next one.
Thank you 🙏 I've been away most of this month but I've got a few great upgrades coming up in the next few weeks. Can't wait to get them done, stay tuned!
Well done! Subscribed 😊
Awesome! Thank you!
Hi Nate,
Congrats on the successful rebuild of your Vanos. I hope the CCV system is also on your to-do list. And while youre at it: I recommend replacing all hoses and pipes connected to the cooling system. These parts are the weak points of that M54 engine (which is otherwise bulletproof).
Two more suggestions for future content:
New engine and gearbox mounts
Greasing up the steering rack
Differential swap for something "shorter" (3.38 or more)
M-steering wheel and shift knob
Cheers!
Great suggestions! There will definitely be a video coming soon around the engine/gearbox mounts - I've already bought replacements 😜. I also have a 3.46 diff which I'm going to install an LSD kit on which I'm very excited about. Aside from that there's a big brake upgrade and a few cosmetic improvements coming soon too. Stay tuned!
Well done on the vanos! Those plastic coolant parts are a bloody nuisance!
Too right!18 years old though it's be be expected I guess 🤷♂️
Great vid mate enjoyed it all and you easy going positive vibe 🤜👍
Thanks so much 🙏
More awesome work, we’ll done buddy 👍💪
Thanks Pete - I had loads of technical issues getting this together but your previous comment was a key motivator in finishing the edit 😅 More exciting stuff to come!
@@n8green awwww don’t 😊😂
Excellent video!!! congratulations!!! I plan to do exactly the same in a couple of weeks.
The only additional thing is that I plan to change the 2 chain tensioners... Since we are there with everything disassembled, I think it is worth it.
Thank you! Good luck!
Feel your pain there with having no room to work doing the vanos! I rebuilt the vanos on a m54 in my old E60 and there was even less room than what you have! Also your leak at the rear, mine looked exactly the same! Turned out to be the oil pan gasket that had given up! Not a hard job on the m54, just a bit long and tedious having to drop the subframe etc, can be done without removing it though, jack the engine up and drop the subframe just leaving it to hang you’ll have just enough room to squeeze the pan out, can also be done with the power steering pump left in place despite many people saying it has to be removed.
Thanks! I'll definitely have a closer look at this, it could well be the oil pan. I was considering taking it off anyway to sort the notorious oil pump sprocket nut. Good to know I don't need to drop the whole frame! 🙏
@@n8green Would make things a hell of a lot easier to remove it, but like I said can be done with it just unbolted and lowered, it will be a bit tricky to get it out past the steering pump, but with a bit of fiddling it’ll slide out, a few scraped knuckles and choice words will definitely be thrown in there lol, but it can be done! Good luck! You’ll be surprised in the difference the vanos rebuild makes to the engine too! Especially once the new seals have bedded in properly! The difference is literally like night and day! You may notice at first it could throw up a cam sensor code but that’s nothing to worry about, 3 of mine after rebuilds have done this, either plug her in a reset adaptations or clear the code and take for a good drive and check for codes again and it should have gone.
Excellent progress! the plastic BMW uses for the cooling system is shite, it's like they chose the most brittle stuff on purpose...might be a good idea to replace the lot for reliability...really enjoying the series...I'm learning a lot, hunting for a 2007-08 meself...
Thanks so much 🙏 Yep I did notice how brittle the PCV pipes were when I was doing this work so I used extreme caution! I'll replace them soon I think as it's only a matter of time until they fail I'd imagine. Editing the next vid as we speak, stay tuned!
Its all worth it the Z4 E85 is such a beautiful car with a gem of a motor the straight six 👍
I had a Z4 e85 2.5i before I bought a Porsche Boxster 986.2. Still miss the Z4 sometimes I have to say.
It really is. I love it more every time I drive it! Really interesting you still miss the Z4 - the 986 is potentially the next one for me. We'll see!
@@n8green Let me put it this way the E85 design is amazing it is a real "mans car" with the big hood and all that and it feels great to drive but it is not a true sports car. The Boxster is a different beast it handles like it is on rails and is a true sports car you can really push it hard. The steering is also hydralic that helps a lot I have to say for the feel of the car.
The Boxster 986.2 (facelift 2003) only has a 2.7 litre engine with 228 bhp and 260 Nm of tourqe so you really have to drive it hard and keep it in the rev range (above 4000 rpm) but that makes the drive more fun and engaging. I dont miss the power of an S or a newer Porsche for that matter...at least not yet after 2 seasons! As you can tell I really love my Boxster it does not feel like 20 year old car and for the price of a 986 nowadays I mean its amazing.
If you buy one you will not regret it if you really like to drive a car hard and fast!
Just wondered if you have done the disa valve? I haven’t done the vanos yet, but I took my disa valve off and it was completely knackered. Rebuilt it and the car goes way better now. You have probably done it already but if not then it has to be worth taking a look at it.
Thanks Harold! No, I haven't done the DISA yet but it is on the list. The engine runs pretty sweet already but it looks a relatively straightforward job and consensus seems to be that it's worth doing! One for a future video 👍
@@n8green Compared to all the other stuff you’ve done it’s dead easy. I only checked mine to see how it looked out of curiosity and found the flap wasn’t fixed to the spindle so it wasn’t working at all. I’d never have known without looking as I had no symptoms. However now I’ve rebuilt it the car is way more responsive and more power low down too. Worth spending 10 mins taking it off to check in my view as if yours is half as knackered as mine it’s a decent power upgrade when done. Cheers
Great videos and you clearly have a lot of knowledge and experience tinkering with engines.
My z4 is similar age but 91k. I’ve only had it a couple of weeks so am working through things like you are, not gone as deep though by far yet but I’ve got some gaskets and a new expansion tank and whatnot on order.
The vanos system looks like a bit of a pain to sort but I must admit it would be nice to have done for peace of mind. Just curious did you have any symptoms of dodgy vanos before you did this? My car has rough idling when it starts but it seems to settle down after a while. I have no idea if the performance is affected as I haven’t had one before so have no frame of reference. Did you feel an improvement afterwards?
Thanks 🙏 I didn't have any dodgy vanos symptoms but I figured the car is on 130k so it was worth doing. I think I read somewhere that the vanos seals BMW used are only good for around 20k miles or so before they start being inefficient - the x8r kit I used had upgraded materials so it should never need to be done again. Noticeable difference after doing the job - much more poke and more consistent 👍
The plan is to get all the fundamentals of the car bulletproof before moving onto a few subtle upgrades - brakes, diff, suspension etc.
Good luck with your project! Stay tuned, lots more content incoming!
@@n8green I am wondering whether to replace everything in the vanos or just the seals. I don’t have any rattles or any other issues as far as I’m aware but I bet it probably has some performance loss after 20 years. Would you recommend just doing the whole lot? The entire kit is quite a bit more £ than just the seals. But then maybe it’s worth the extra money and effort as it would be a bastard if I put it all back together then it started rattling.
Basically I’m a bit nervous about taking the whole lot apart in case I bugger it up.
Nice vid man. The Z4 is definitely coming along nicely. WHats your long term plan with it? Do up and punt on and work to something else? Anything planned?
Yep, I'm going to make it into the best car it can be - keep it mostly stock but with a few subtle and tasteful upgrades. Then yeah, hopefully trade up and give the same treatment to something else 😎
@@n8green Nice, sounds like a good plan. I'll enjoy watching the build and you trading up!
What’s your plans after you’ve finished doing it up ?
If you’re looking to sell it, I might be interested.
I'll probably enjoy it briefly and then sell it to fund the next project 😜 I'll make it known on the channel when it's for sale mate 👍
Any update on the build dude?
It's coming! A few cosmetic upgrades next then a huge brake upgrade. Then something REALLY exciting (I think anyway!). Stay tuned!
Looking forward to it. Am looking at doing that vanos rebuild but having to mess with the jacking the engine up is putting me off. Such a shame they put they put that cross member where it is. Guess we're lucky in other way as access around the rest of the engine bay is decent.
What torque wrench did you buy mate? I struggled to find one that torqued left hand threads!
Just a basic Draper one off Amazon. Draper 78639 BTW 1/4" Square Drive Torque Wrench 5-25Nm