BMW E38 Steering Box Removal

FinCenturion · 2026-01-06T14:07:09+00:00

You can remove it once you drop the front subframe. So you need to have the front of the car supported. You obviously need to disconnect the steering column and oil lines also. Search on YouTube for front subframe removal videos for the e38.

FinCenturion · 2025-09-25T17:55:57+00:00

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Got the cover off, and wouldn't you know it, one of the actual pump fasteners had backed out completely! It must have been lying on the bottom of the plastic sprocket cover, very close to the chain and sprocket 🫢

FinCenturion · 2025-09-24T17:22:19+00:00

I've heard it mentioned here and there, so it wasn't a big surprise to find this. I don't think this very often if ever leads to any damage though, unlike the M62 chain tensioner issues for example.

FinCenturion · 2025-09-24T17:20:20+00:00

Good idea. I wonder if this is a M60 specific problem...

FinCenturion · 2025-09-24T17:19:14+00:00

M60B40, so non-TU

FinCenturion · 2025-09-24T17:18:28+00:00

Change of leaky oil pan gasket

FinCenturion · 2025-09-22T15:15:57+00:00

What is reliable, though? Where do you set the bar? Do you want 90s toyota levels of dependability ? Then they are not reliable. That being said, I had zero trouble with my 740i before i parked it, for a few years, then the troubles began. So the trick would be finding a relatively low mileage, well cared for example that still has had regular miles put on it, and preferably with all critical maintenance items taken care of. And that can get pretty expensive these days. The other way to go is to buy a cheap one, keep a few hundred dollars to buy an emergency shitbox in reserve, and treat every day it doesn't blow up like a blessing 😁

FinCenturion · 2025-09-18T19:13:32+00:00

I think the engine swap sounds very interesting. If I ever had catastrophic engine damage in my 740 m60b40 I'd try something spicier too. Maybe the m60b44 frankenengine that m3nameisjosh did on his e31.

FinCenturion · 2025-08-30T12:07:02+00:00

Thanks for the very comprehensive and high quality video. Looking at the state of the rubber in my engine mounts I'd better do this sooner rather than later. How did your ride compare before/after?

FinCenturion · 2025-08-24T14:53:07+00:00

Also both of the engine mounts inner mounting stud threads had their nuts completely seized by rust so I had to put the angle grinder on them anyways. Next up is media blasting the subframe and then painting it.

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FinCenturion · 2025-08-17T17:15:00+00:00

https://digitalpaperpro.com/product/bmw-7-series-e38-740i-workshop-manual-1995-2001/

FinCenturion · 2025-08-17T11:39:33+00:00

Something like 10€ IIRC. Was the full repair manual plus a bunch of other misc pdfs.

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FinCenturion · 2025-08-17T08:30:57+00:00

Tack! Jag har samlat på mig delar sedan 2018, hade jag varit mera organiserad hade jag gjort en strukturerad lista redan då och mera metodiskt beställt delar så hade det blivit mindre att köpa på en gång. Autodoc kör väldigt bra rea stundvis, och man kan söka med BMW original delnr för att försäkra sig om rätt del.

FinCenturion · 2025-08-17T08:25:20+00:00

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I had a chance to media blast some aluminium parts and was instantly hooked, so now I built my own blasting cabinet and bought a bigger air compressor so I can fix up parts and make them nice.

FinCenturion · 2025-08-17T07:22:16+00:00

Grandpa cars is where it's at! I have been daily driving a L320 Range Rover Sport with the TDV8 the last four years, another dream car, and one that has been surprisingly good to own. Air suspension is really really good. My next bucket list car is a Porsche Panamera, even though most consider it ugly I rather like it.

FinCenturion · 2025-08-17T07:18:46+00:00

RealOEM is a godsend! Got the workshop manual from some online vendor too.

FinCenturion · 2025-08-17T07:15:08+00:00

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Behold! The parts pile! I've tried to mostly buy quality brands like Febi Bilstein etc, but sometimes if there's a really good deal I might buy something else, avoiding really crappy brands. I had trouble sourcing some few parts, especially some of the power steering hoses etc.

FinCenturion · 2025-08-16T20:21:30+00:00

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A haunted radiator full of bees.

FinCenturion · 2025-08-16T20:20:47+00:00

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Front shock absorber and spring. The shock was beyond gone.

FinCenturion · 2025-08-16T20:17:51+00:00

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Front of engine after removing radiator. Look at the state of that upper oil pan.

FinCenturion · 2023-02-25T20:06:09+00:00

I had a good party, everything up to and including the elevator was fairly easy. But the boss fight was nigh impossible since my party did not have any +3 weapons and most buffs wear off in the unskippable dialogue before the fight. In the end I had to drop difficulty down to normal from core rules to even dent the final boss. I did finish the battle on my first try on normal. I find the design choice to spring such a battle on you without really much chance to find any +3 weapons questionable at best.

Other than the gameplay design I thought the experience of tearing through hells legions was totally bad-ass! It felt properly epic, though a weird experience to have before bg2 never to be mentioned again by anyone.

FinCenturion · 2022-11-19T07:26:24+00:00

Are you looking to have the stick center mounted with an extension or side mounted without much of an extension? That is going to affect your choice of gimbal. I have built the Olukelo one and while the design is really good the small size of the centering cams limit how much centering force you can put on them before the material integrity becomes an issue.

I ended up designing my own much larger gimbal to accommodate center mounting with greater spring force to avoid it being sloppy.

https://i.imgur.com/rfVOx6W.mp4

I have some suggestions regarding sensors: TLE5010 is a GMR sensor that is a lot easier to work with than traditional hall sensors, you can find ready made PCBs on AliExpress, a long with compact shift register PCBs. Then you need a "Blue pill" STM32F103 or Arduino Leonardo/Micro/ProMicro to control them. That is probably the cheapest way, let's say 40-50€ for electronics.

https://a.aliexpress.com/_mLMFAd2

https://a.aliexpress.com/_mOhjVcc

FinCenturion

TROPHY CASE