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Thread: M60s and alternators

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Location
    Eastern Tennessee USi
    Posts
    14,839

    Default M60s and alternators

    Absolutely SUCK!

    Read every trick, still a no go.... did I mention this SUCKS?
    95 E34 530I V2.37
    ===========
    Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.

    John F. Kennedy

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Benneton (United Colors of)
    Posts
    3,067

    Default

    attach a riding lawnmower alternator somewhere on the belt drive to make up for the lack of output, and you'll be good to go.
    "..Torchinski v. Peterson that it is legal to carry a concealed weapon, so long the weapon is totally slick like a huge ass machine gun that you carry under a trench coat, like in the Matrix."


  3. #3
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Location
    Eastern Tennessee USi
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    tell me about it. worst 2 hour project I think yet, no wonder I have put this off for 3 years. To pull it out you have to really manhandle the oil filter deal and it still dont move far enough out of the way. Eventually I got it out but then what? the bottom has the steering pump in the way and the top sure has a lot of crap in the way. Eventually fished it out from the top. Installation went much easier, not sure why but that's okay. Old alt was burning out lights and ****, boiling the battery, smelled pretty bad. Checked the voltage, went up to 20 at 3k, didn't want to rev it any higher than that for fun.

    1-10 id say this is a 7.5 or an 8. Anything 8 or more goes in for fixin, this had to get done right away.
    95 E34 530I V2.37
    ===========
    Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.

    John F. Kennedy

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
    Posts
    4,894

    Default

    You did take out the fan and the cover right? I never done it yet on my car.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Location
    Eastern Tennessee USi
    Posts
    14,839

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Tiger View Post
    You did take out the fan and the cover right? I never done it yet on my car.
    Ingredients:

    remove rear seat bottom
    disconnect battery
    observe all the battery acid and vent hose that blew off
    remove Fan
    remove shroud
    engine cover
    intake boot from manifold to the filter
    surf net for a clue
    remove bolt & nuts on filter housing
    remove outer belt
    remove belt tensioner
    alternator bolts
    wiggle alternator around for a long time
    surf web for more clues
    try again damaging several fingers
    surf again
    remove waterpump pulley
    the 2 vacuum lines that cross there
    unhook upper rad hose at rad
    Surf for more clues
    study bently for the umpteenth time*
    remove inner stud on filter housing
    wiggle without profanity but red face
    *Bently says clockwise but they are WRONG!
    surf web, think porn is more constructive but don't give in
    pry on filter housing again
    wiggle alternator again
    call son and have him manhandle filter housing while I wiggle alt
    doink! Success!
    Just like removing a bad under the bone wisdom tooth with a stick
    install in reverse order saving much time not surfing.

    the install went very smoothly with son holding housing towards fender,
    I do not think I could have done this by myself in all honesty.
    I mean it would have gotten done by me cutting the other filter stud off
    and using a shitload of bungee cords or something, or perhaps the wife
    <(^_^)> but she's kinda short and with the car on ramps you never know.
    Removal from underneath looked to be way more trouble then it's worth. Under is only good for the bottom alt bolt and handling the alternator in and out of the birth canal (besides obviously the wiring).
    The alternator is much bigger than I thought when actually trying to get it out of it's birth hole. This I assume is why I waited 3 years to do the job, 3 years ago I was getting fluxuating voltages and bought the new alternator. Car was fine since but in the morning the belt would slip and make noise I assumed till voltages were better. Yesterday 18-20 volts at 3k and climbing endlessly wow, not good.

    Results are better than expected, no belt noise at startup. The car, even though I put the snow tires on seems quieter. Forgot the radio code today so I watched (the foglight message) the MPG thing on OBC, I averaged 24MPG which is much higher than the standard of 19-20ish. Engine is very quiet even at idle... just very weird to tell the truth. I have not monitored the voltage for 3 years so I do not have a clue what was going on that whole time.
    95 E34 530I V2.37
    ===========
    Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.

    John F. Kennedy

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
    Wisconsin
    Posts
    239

    Default

    I pulled the alt out of my 540 for a regulator replacement last spring while I had the water pump out. I'm afraid that made my project less entertaining -- although it may have been a lot funnier with you narrating, Jeff.

    I suppose that blown-off battery vent hose came from charging the battery at 20 volts. Glad you didn't notice the presence of all that free hydrogen when you were lighting up a smoke.

    Does your 530's alt have that black plastic cover on the back for the air duct like the 540? It adds to the fun at removal time.

    Moreover, when I took the back cover off my alternator I found it had trapped a shitload of animal and vegetable matter -- dead bugs, leaves, etc. Considering that it gets hot enough back there that BMW decided it needs forced ventilation, it gave me pause.

    Anyway, the V8 alternator isn't BMW's finest engineering moment, that's for sure.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Location
    Dunlap Illinois
    Posts
    1,198

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    http://www.bmwtis.com/repair/main/741en/index.htm Did you look at this before starting the deed Jeff?

    There are quite a few pain in the ass jobs like this one, for example, the E39 and E60 PCV or Cyclone valve. Recently, it froze on Lori's E60 from condensate and unfortunately froze in the open position. In this position, the oil in the sump is sucked up into the cylinders and pumped through the exhaust. She noticed the smoke from the exhaust about 5 miles from work one cold windy afternoon and called me. I immediately told her to pull it over and I would call for a tow truck. The next day I checked the car and the oil wasn't even touching the dipstick. When I replaced the valve with the cold weather version, (it's all wrapped in foam insulation) and drained the oil, there was only about 2 quarts left out of seven.....the last time it happened was on the E39, the valve froze in the closed position, overpressurized the crankcase and blew the valve cover gasket and proceeded to pump oil out all over the exhaust manifold, filling the cabin with smoke. That time I told her to drive it back home. Again, only 5 miles away from startup, and avoiding a $200 tow bill.
    The job itself does rate up there on the "suck-o-meter" at 6-8 hours of standing on your head as they thought a good place for it was underneath the intake runners behind the throttle body connected by 4 hoses.
    Sometimes I hate BMW's.....

    Have a Merry Christmas Jeff,

    JR

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
    Posts
    4,894

    Default

    Yike! Maybe I should change my alternator while I change my waterpump in future... LOL

    As of right now, of all the years I have owned this car, the battery is still alive... usually they last only two years... this one is going 4+ years.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Posts
    879

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by 632 Regal View Post
    Ingredients:

    remove rear seat bottom
    disconnect battery
    observe all the battery acid and vent hose that blew off
    remove Fan
    remove shroud
    engine cover
    intake boot from manifold to the filter
    surf net for a clue
    remove bolt & nuts on filter housing
    remove outer belt
    remove belt tensioner
    alternator bolts
    wiggle alternator around for a long time
    surf web for more clues
    try again damaging several fingers
    surf again
    remove waterpump pulley
    the 2 vacuum lines that cross there
    unhook upper rad hose at rad
    Surf for more clues
    study bently for the umpteenth time*
    remove inner stud on filter housing
    wiggle without profanity but red face
    *Bently says clockwise but they are WRONG!
    surf web, think porn is more constructive but don't give in
    pry on filter housing again
    wiggle alternator again
    call son and have him manhandle filter housing while I wiggle alt
    doink! Success!
    Just like removing a bad under the bone wisdom tooth with a stick
    install in reverse order saving much time not surfing.
    As frustrating as this may have been for you it made for an excellent read!

    I'm on my 3rd battery in less than 3 years

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    East Brunswick, New Jersey
    Posts
    879

    Default

    If you have pulled the alternator as many times as I have you won't complain as much. The trick? Remove the power steering pump pulley and drop the alternator to the floor.

    http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum....php?t=1364995
    '01 540it, 6/01
    '03 325i 5 speed, 9/02
    '10 535ix. 9/09
    '10 mini 6 speed
    '15 mini countryman 6 speed

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