BarryM

Had a chat with my mechanic and he recommended I get the pre-load checked on the box before I get it installed. I cant find anywhere remotely local who service power steering boxes so I guess I’m imhterested in whether anyone has experience of the M5 power steering boxes and whether they need servicing/checking after 20 odd years or should I just stick it in and hope for the best - given how much work it is to install I only want to do this once!

Thanks for the reply, just re-acquainted myself with your B10 thread and good to see I got my kit at a better rate a few years later Looking forward to getting this stuff fitted.

Thought I should post this here.....I’ve bought new Alpina suspension for my E39 B10 V8 although the car still handles great but I think after 19 years new springs and shocks should be a nice improvement. I contacted Alpina directly to make sure I had the correct PNs as they vary based on specific model. Alloy Wheels Direct offer the best pricing and I could buy everything as a single kit which arrived only 10 days after ordering. I’ve got the car booked in with Lee Shannon based near Guildford who really knows his E38s & E39s and he’ll be replacing any bushes etc that need doing, although tbh I don’t have any knocks or other noises. Here are a few photos, was particularly surprised to see a new ARB arrive but guess that’s part of the kit so that might be going on ebay!

Hi Tim, I’m after a plastic tray from the engine bay.....can’t find it in Realoem I’m afraid but it’s the plastic tray that sits behind the n/s headlight. I think it can only be one part so hopefully you can recognise it from my description. My car is a facelift but would think the part is the same across all E39s - can you help? cheers Barry

Great news, I’ll see you there

Nice, wish I'd seen that sooner - the only breakfast meet I was booked on was for V8s a year or so back that got cancelled

Look for all the usual E39 issues, but the Alpina Register forum pages will be best for anything specific about the 3.3 engine.

What condition are the contours in, are they electric/heated and are they def contour or maybe comfort?

Interesting, I did follow that thread on the M5 forum but thought they were just trying to find a way to fix the soft brake pedal after trying everything else so didn't look at this as an improvement for all E39s. I've got my brakes all back and running now so too much effort to try this for now but one to keep in mind.

I like Duncan's answer but here's how the guide shows it: I'm not sure those screws are really up to the job so as I mentioned I went with rawlbolts and large washers to spread the load as much as possible. Shed still in the garden after a day with storm Ciara so fingers crossed!

Decided today would be a good day to bolt the shed down.....used 8 x M10 rawlbolts and large washers instead of screws and rawlplugs recommended by Keter.

Temp runs at around 107 in traffic and when cruising, if you boot the engine the temperature drops as the engine management system recognises the engine is under load, here's a snippet from one of the BMW docs that explains the map controlled thermostat: With the aid of the characteristic map thermostat, the coolant temperature can be influenced specifically within the operating range (thermostat control range). A higher coolant temperature is set in the partial load range of the engine. Higher operating temperatures in the partial load range achieve improved combustion, reflected in lower fuel consumption and pollutant emission. However, higher operating temperatures in the full load range would involve specific disadvantages (ignition timing (angle) reduction due to knocking). For this reason, lower coolant temperatures are set specifically in the full load range with the aid of the characteristic map thermostat. Whether you buy into the improved fuel consumption or not I think the M62 engine is very 'clean' - my MOT man is always very impressed with the emissions results The bottom line is I'm happy to leave the engine running as BMW intended and if I can make the cooling as efficient as possible when it kicks in then that's a bonus.

I appreciate there are many that think the temp BMW run the M62 at is too high and I understand that. But I'm happy to leave as is and if I can tweak anything to improve the situation I will - for instance the B10 comes with the slightly larger capacity tropical radiator. I'm also planning on fitting the OEM 'gulf' engine oil cooler to help in the summer but I don't want to fit a different thermostat to my engine.

Agreed , I’m hoping for slightly less noise and slightly quicker cooling when I’m sitting in traffic and the needle is hovering around 107 degrees.....

I copied someone from one of the US forums who noticed the E53 fan & clutch are a direct bolt-on to the E39 V8, pretty obvious when you figure the E53 also has the M62 in it. The theory goes that the curved blades and connecting them makes for a more stable fan that flows more air and runs quieter too so seeing as I don't want to go with a lower temp thermostat this seems worth a try. The new viscous coupling is a bit heavier than the E39 version but as it fits the M62 in an E53 with the same water pump I figure its not a big deal. The main plus for me will be if it runs quieter as I do find the jet engine noise the original fan makes when it cuts in as you're sitting in traffic a tad disconcerting, will report back with any findings! Comparison: Original fan: E53 fan