M54 engine replacement - final stages, hopefully! .
- Thread starter Jamie25
- Start date
Swampy1982
Member
Well done! Chuffed it's sorted, been reading from the flood thread! Get some pics up with you looking proud next to her 
Did your son continue to "help" or did his interest subside?
Did your son continue to "help" or did his interest subside?
My son "helped" on and off, although more off. Think the temperature was a factor there though. He did actually really help out with one bolt into the gearbox that simply held a plate to route the exhaust O2 sensor wires - buggered of I could reach it but he got it sorted in no time!
My saga has continued. Took it out for an intend 20 mile route on Friday only for it to overheat with a few miles. Found a lower hose had popped off. I had stopped before the red light came on so reconnected the pipe, begged some water from a nearby house and limped home. I couldn't get it bled properly, the radiator wasn't getting warm before the needle went above half way. Then I realised the thermostat housing on the replacement engine was very slightly different to my original engine. Where the electrical connector goes on mine was solid, whereas the new one fitted onto an actuated arm
So after work on Saturday I put a new housing and pump on and all good. Running sweet.
Should've taken the advice to replace the thermostat when the engine was out!
This afternoon I found my battery was dead! To be fair it's been a bit 'lazy' for a few months so a new one is likely needed. I'll test it properly later, I was rushing to work today so didn't get a chance.
Hopefully that'll be the end of my car woes for a while!
My saga has continued. Took it out for an intend 20 mile route on Friday only for it to overheat with a few miles. Found a lower hose had popped off. I had stopped before the red light came on so reconnected the pipe, begged some water from a nearby house and limped home. I couldn't get it bled properly, the radiator wasn't getting warm before the needle went above half way. Then I realised the thermostat housing on the replacement engine was very slightly different to my original engine. Where the electrical connector goes on mine was solid, whereas the new one fitted onto an actuated arm
So after work on Saturday I put a new housing and pump on and all good. Running sweet.
Should've taken the advice to replace the thermostat when the engine was out!
This afternoon I found my battery was dead! To be fair it's been a bit 'lazy' for a few months so a new one is likely needed. I'll test it properly later, I was rushing to work today so didn't get a chance.
Hopefully that'll be the end of my car woes for a while!
RobertJames
Member
You’ve done a great job checking things! The MAF might still be the issue, but testing a known-good one first could save you money. Also check coils and plugs on 3, 5 and 6. And be sure to wear good gloves when working, which helps protect your hands from dirt and chemicals!Thanks everyone for the kind words. Not posted for a while as I've had a few days off tinkering and looking on here; I was starting to feel it had taken over my life!
But I'm back, but having issues getting it running properly.
I've checked for inlet vacuum leaks and eventually found one of the Ccv hose connections wasn't pushed home. As I'd removed some air filter box and ducting thought I'd clean the maf with electrical contact cleaner. It has been immersed in flood water so thought it prudent.
Got it all back together and fired it up and after a could of seconds of hunting it smoothed out and idled really nicely. But then it started misfiring. What a fear inducing nose that is!
P0300, P0303, P0305, P0306 which all relate to misfires.
I've done a smoke test on it, of sorts. I removed the air filter box and maf and zip tied the wrist of a latex glove over the inlet ducting. Attached the outlet of a hand air pump to one (cut off) finger of the glove and pumped smoke in. The glove inflated which I believe shows I have no leaks. It did very slowly deflate over about two minutes but I think this is likely because the glove seals weren't prefect. I removed the oil filter cap and the pressure released.
I also tried the same test with the pump attached to the dip stick tube and got the same result.
I think the next step is to replace the MAF?
I've taken it for a short test drive. It only misfires at idle and it also hunts or stalls at idle. Disconnecting the MAF seems to make little difference other than throwing codes. P0102, P0113.
It also occasionally throws P0056 but did this before the engine change. Exhaust 02 sensor.
Any thoughts on what to do next. If it needs a MAF I'll obviously get one, but their pricey and I don't want to just randomly start buying parts, the bills are adding up.
Only a requirement to volunteer that information if a trader. The lesson there is we should do our own checks when buying privately, and/or make a point of asking and getting the response in writing, if important to us!
Seems odd until you remember that not having a Cat N doesn't mean a car hasn't had an accident, just that the value of the car when it did (or every time it did) exceeded the repair cost by enough that the insurers authorised a repair. You can have quite a big prang in a new car and it won't even get a Cat S marker, whereas it can pick a Cat N up just from someone looking at it funny when it's 20 years old. Cat markers are an insurance industry tool to save them unknowingly paying out full value twice for the same car, they were never intended to be an indicator a car is accident-free.
BMW engines (or at least M54s) don't have engine numbers, do they? Could be wrong but pretty sure I've read they don't. Edit - having looked at my V5, I see there's an engine number on there so they must!
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south yorkshire
Well done for saving your Z