$6,000
Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
Category
-
Mileage
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Posted Over 1 Month
The time has come to let go of my 1998 BMW 532i Sport. This car has a very substantial amount of work
invested in the engine overhaul and general maintenance. All that is left to do is some tuning and refinement. No
corners were cut, and you won't find any workmanship below the standard that is acceptable for a BMW. The car was my daily before being parked in favor of my truck, and is presentable as-is. Below are the specifics.
Engine:
The engine is an S52B32 clone with 14k miles since the build. I pored over the ETK, identified the differences
between it and the M52B28, and ordered any parts that were different, oil filter housing and power steering pump
included. It took some extra work to fit these parts, but I figured it was worth it so I wouldn't have to answer
the "if it's an S52, why does it have a plastic oil filter cap" question a million times.
The hardest of the work has been done. What remains is some final tuning. I used what little information I could
gather from the internet to do some basic tuning, that yielded a 14.7:1 AFR at low to mid throttle, then as you
approach WOT, it enriches down toward 13:1. Timing is set safe, and I have never heard a hint of a knock under any
set of conditions. Tuning the MS41.1 ECU is not straightforward (for me, anyway) and I am positive there is more
power and smoother delivery to be extracted from this engine. The check engine light also remains on due to fuel
trim out of range. The tools to communicate with and manipulate the vehicle's electronics will be included in the
sale.
I have receipts and a set of photos from the build, as well as a maintenance log and receipts dating back to when I bought the car in 2011.
Intake is the M/S50 style. Power delivery is smooth, and builds as RPM increases. Low-end torque is about what it
used to be when the car was a stock 528i.
Exhaust is stock 528i. Very quiet; it's mostly the intake you hear when opening the throttle.
1998 528i block, bored to 86.4mm, honed, resurfaced and checked for straightness.
Rebuilt, never-been-cracked head.
Crankshaft is from an M54 3.0
Camshafts and ledges are from an S50.
VANOS unit does not rattle; repaired with Beisan Systems anti-rattle kit and seals 6/2011.
Pistons and rods are from a 38k mile M3. I disassembled them, ultrasonically cleaned and performed a dye
penetrant inspection (to check for cracking or fatigue) – no issues found. They were dimensionally
perfect, with no measurable skirt wear and no scoring.
The car has only been driven a handful of times within the past year, and has developed an oil leak from the
camshaft cover during this time. I have ordered the parts to fix this, and will do the job when they arrive.
Clutch, transmission & shifter:
Fidanza one-piece, lightweight steel flywheel, remanufactured Sachs non-SAC pressure plate and Kevlar-impregnated
disc. Sachs release (throwout) bearing and Genuine BMW pilot bearing. Engagement is fairly smooth, but can be a
little jerky if you're not used to it. CDV deleted and new clutch master/slave cylinders installed 3/2013.
Transmission is the stock manual ZF S5D-320Z. Shifter is a Z4 unit with a UUC DSSR. Shifts are tight and
predictable, but not overly notchy. Transmission is filled with the fluid mixture UUC recommends to minimize gear
rattle at idle, though you can still hear it a little after a hot run. Driveshaft was replaced 3/28/2011 at 157810
miles.
Lighting and exterior:
DJ Auto facelift-esque headlights from DDM Tuning, with FX-R bi-xenon projectors and 55w ballasts installed. These
illuminate the road ahead as if it were daylight, but do not offend oncoming drivers. I have never once been
bright-lighted while running these. Activating the brights opens the xenon shroud and simultaneously energizes the
halogen high beams, which makes for a VERY bright casting of light ahead. Halogen angel eyes turn on with the
parking lights.
Rear lights are facelift Hella LEDs. Everything is properly controlled with an LCM-IV retrofit.
Wheels are genuine 18 inch ///M Parallels, including spare. Hankook Ventus V12 EVO K110 tires. These have worn
well, and give extreme confidence cornering in any [warm] weather. About 50% life remaining. They will flat-spot
after sitting overnight, but this goes away after a few minutes of driving warms them up.
I would give the overall exterior condition a 6.5/10. The paint shines up nicely with waxing, but there are 190k
miles of scratches and dings, the roof has peeling clear coat, and there is a crack and paint chipping on the
front bumper from getting caught on a parking block. There is also slight damage to the passenger side doors and
body where a previous owner sideswiped something, though this is only noticeable from certain angles.
Interior:
As usual, some pixels do not illuminate on the radio. Climate and cluster displays are good. Automatic heat and
A/C work well. Air conditioning keeps up with the brutal Florida sun - expansion valve, dryer and aux fan all
replaced in 2011. All power windows are functional. Sunroof is inoperative; I never got around to fixing that one.
Leather is a 7.5/10. Comfort seats with wear on the driver's seat, and a small hole in the rear seat. There is one
small area of headliner separation at the driver's side rear. Trunk is decent, but has some staining from dirty
things being carried/stored in the past. Jack and lug wrench are present, along with some of the tools, but the
tool kit is not complete. Trunk and interior smell good.
Suspension & steering:
There are no clunks or excessive shakes, and 90mph arrives effortlessly, but the suspension could certainly
benefit from being freshened. Tire wear is normal. There is a hint of a shimmy during light medium-speed braking.
Brakes are at about 50%. Power steering pump whines a little, and the steering rack has a small leak at both ends.
$6000.
Located in Palm Beach Gardens, FL.
I welcome any questions or inquiries.
Joe
More photos at: http://s172.photobucket.com/user/dillonman1/library/E39%20532i%20BV55063
