My son and I successfully replaced the timing belt, water pump, cam seal and all three belts on his 89, 325i. We couldn’t have done it without this video. Removing the hood is a must. This video was absolutely fantastic. Can’t tell you how it helped. Well done, well done
I don't think you mentioned to loosen the tensioner bolts from tight about a half turn to where it moves freely, test by prying against the long bolt protruding from the engine block,( just don't pry too hard and break it if the tensioner doesn't move) then turn engine by hand two revolutions in the normal direction of rotation (clockwise from front) to seat and take slack out of belt and allow tensioner to move out as far as it needs to properly tension the belt. Make sure the spring is on the pin that rests against the WP and through the hole in the tensioner arm. Good video for the do-it-yourselfer.
manstersr That is extremely valuable information. Everyone doing this job needs to read your comment. That was the only thing he left out. Overall a good video.
Just wanting to note that removing the hood (about 10 mins work) makes the entire job a lot easier. Remember to mark the position of the hood with some Sharpie around the brackets.
I know I commented earlier, but I left my project set for a couple months while I went south for the winter. I had to watch your video again to refresh myself. Again I am so impressed by your clarity and degree of professionalism. Keep up the Great work. thanks
Thanks Dan. I used your video as a refresher for my one '86 325e belt change. I've owned the car since new but it's been sitting for 15 years in my garage. It's been a while since I did this, so this video was much appreciated. Keep up the good work!
I've been following his vids. This guy inspired to pick up my first e30 325i. Bought it as a project car to learn and build my own road worthy e30. Hope to see a video on how to replace a fuel filter. My hose is cracked and spewing gas everywhere
Wow thank you so much for your time Dan been looking for this for a while now and could not find one that wasn't time lapse or provided as much details as you did thank you again!!! Great Job!!!!!
P G Or, Probably cheaper... Go to Harbor Freight/Princess Auto/Whatever discount tool company you have in your country and grab a cheap 32mm and grind it down to fit. It cost me $12 for mine and it's probably way stronger than the bike wrench.
Very helpful. There's one thing I'm not sure was correct. You say that after putting the new timing belt on we should turn the engine over two rotations, and we see you turning the crankshaft counterclockwise. My Haynes manual says to turn the camshaft counterclockwise, and that makes a difference because that way it pulls on the part where there's no tensioner, whereas if you do it on the crankshaft it doesn't. I think it should be mentioned that one needs to be careful to get the new belt on without changing the relative positions of the sprocket on the crankshaft and the one for the distributor (the one slightly above the crankshaft sprocket). I apparently didn't get it right, so the car wouldn't start, and it took me a lot of work to get it right. Also, when you say "You can take out that 13-mm bolt there that you just loosened", it looks like you're taking out the other one.
I am currently doing this to my 87 325e. On my car, I had a giant plastic guard blocking my view of the radiator, belts, etc. I had to jack it up, take off the front two wheels, and remove that plastic guard before I could get at the bottom hose on the radiator. Thanks for your help!
A very informative and helpful video. I was replacing the water pump and WOAH! I saw the timing belt. Probably another 5K left on it and it would shred. I almost threw int he towel because I am far from a mechanic but this...this was AWESOME. I ain't scared.
I'd like to see more of the re-installation process in your videos as you can encounter different challenges, also it would be nice that you show the engine re-starting and taking a test drive after finished.
Very Excellent video, I like how you show up in detail the steps to take. Sometimes just reading the forums with still photos is not enough these cars need alot of work but are worth it when you take that first drive after fixing. Keep up the good work!
Here's a pro tip for the water pump gasket. apply vaseline on the water pump before installing. this will allow you to put the gasket on without it moving everywhere and install the water pump. Also, what worked for me when adjusting the tensioner, is i set the cam gear TDC mark one tooth ahead, so when I put tension on the belt, both TDC marks lined up perfectly. Took me 10 times to figure it out.
how did you figure it out and how did you go about adjusting it to make sure it was TDC... say my TDC is like a tiny tiny bit ahead is that bad? its in the groove on the crankshaft but just slightly more to the right ... the camshaft appears basically perfect too maybe a little the same as the crankshaft if you get me... what do you think?
Thanks I did that on 1990 for my car but now i have a co worker and ask me for a favor. i forget, but thanks to your video i remember now. Thanks also the valves has to be adjust.
Great timing on the video. I was just about to change the timing belt on my iX this month. Great to have this video as a reference. Love the videos my friend! Keep up the great work.
Several small differences for my 1988 325is m20 engine but basically pretty good. Contrary to some comments removal of hood not really necessary. As far as camshaft front seal I would say if no signs of leakage the not broke dont fix it saying. You'll be back in in 4 years or less anyway.
I'm about to replace my timing belt soon and want all the parts together before starting. Where would i be able to get the proper O ring located behind the sprocket at 9:11-9:16? I'm planning on buying the performance timing belt kit from turnermotorsports. Well explained video! It's my first time ever working on a car and i feel this video has taught me a lot, super stoked to get started!
Great video. A little long however. Don't need to see turning wrenches we can assume that the wrenches turn. Lol. Thanks for pointing out bolt locations, that's extremely helpful. Great Job.
Hello, great video, congratulations .. I have a question to ask: how to align the camshaft (without special tool) after loosening the pulley bolt? Are there any marks on the camshaft?
Great video! Just getting into the E30, bought an 88' 325 "super eta" for $100. It's been left sitting in an orchard for 5 years. It still runs, but boils coolant out of the reservoir. Are there any parts or procedures that are specific to the "super eta" as opposed to what is demonstrated in this video?
Thanks for the video. I have done this twice now and the second time went much smoother. But i refer to your video to make sure I am on the right track. Well also my Bentley guide. Teresa
Had a question. So I have a 1987 325i I align the bottom one straight as can be but when I put the hormonic balancer it is like 2 cm off with the line of the hormonic balancer do I align it with the hormonic line or the other line?
Thank you very much for your video. I would take off the hood first to have better access. Also I would clean it first and spray some rust spray on everything to make sure nothing brakes. Then. Do it in a garage instead of a street. All other things are good.
Hi Dan, thanks for the video. I'm planning to do the timing to a m40 316i, slightly different from this but even though, very helpful to see your video. One thing: does the water pump box include the gasket? thanks from Spain!
It helps to mark the gears with some white out before you take it apart (if the engine ran before starting the job ) it's easy to see the marks you made than the originals but do check the original marks when finished
The crank pulley of the m20b25 and 28 , how many mark is on the crank it self ? I’ve heard there’s a few mark on it . I also heard there are some crank pulley with out the ot tdc writing . Have you seen this ?
Hey after you have done the timing belt and out everything back together, what do you do with the radiator and coolant? How do you re bleed it and so on? Also at the start off the video you didnt explain how to drain the radiator coolant and stuff. But thats for the video helps me allot:) will soon be doing the timing belt
+mak ten You can try leaving the cap off the expansion tank, and there is a bleeder screw on top of the thermostat. Crack the bleeder open and see if some air comes out, then repeat until the air is completely bled.
I needed to replace my water pump,made a mistake by loosening the tensioner. I know know alignment on both sprockets needed to be aligned.. what do I do?
how do i re install the key lock barrel in my e30???? there are no access holes in the door!! any ideas?? all electronics are still in place. i can lock all the doors from the trunk... they took them out during body work for the paint job...
Good morning Mr. Cronin, I'm getting ready to pick up a Gates' timing kit today at O'reilly. which spark plugs do you recommend and/or does BMW recommend? Thank you.
So when are you going to make a new video? I really enjoy them! They're fantastic. I think an introductory video of your car, a tour if you will, a review of both, that would be amazing. Really!
Thanks for your channel! I just bought my first E30 and am doing the timing belt now. My confusion: the 3 bolts holding on the water pump don't match. 2 are M8x20 and 1 is M8x25. I'm kinda thinking someone swapped in the 25 mm at some point and I should just replace it with the correct 20mm? Any help is much appreciated.
I have heard this before and I think it came this way. It is important to make sure you remember which bold came from what hole. Rumor has it that if you place the longer bolt into a shorter hole, you can snap the bolt off...leading to a whole new project to remove it.
Dan good morning bro,good job thanks for share. Question please; Do you have anythink video of change belt to 318i of 1991 M40 Engine? Thanks for your time and dedication,best wishes.
This is a good ass tutorial, if you had a camera man it would be perfect, not hating btw. I just bought an 87 325es and Im not a mechanic, other than oil, sparkplugs, brake pads and that kind of stuff I dont mess with cars, so I'll be watching your videos. Keep it up man. You just got yourself a new subscriber.
Angel Flores If you have E30, then I've found alternator/belt and coolant flush/service including thermostat replacement to be easy jobs too. There is a Wikipedia on www.e30zone.net to help too (I think Pelican autos website has some good instructions too, that's more US based, E30 zone is euro, but still the best E30 wiki out there).
Dan.... JUst got an E30 325i. Drove it for 4 days and the TBelt broke. This is very helpful but its a start to take the cylinder head out. You got something on this?
Too late for belt change....it broke, love tne car 91 e30 conv but don't want it to put me in the poor house. What are the options when you have limited funds but lots of time, not a car guy but can handle a wrench, If I do it myself are there resources that can get me through the job ?
@E30Source how long did it take you to do the timing? my co worker said it took him 11 hours to do it and that he had to modify a tool to get to the fan clutch (sometimes i think he is BSing but IDK). im guessing if you do it correctly it should take 4 hours.
What is the third toothed pulley? Is it just an idle pulley or is it a balancer shaft or something else? If it is a balancer shaft or needs to be times as well.
I'm guessing it is just the oil pump drive, you don't need to refit the front pulley you can use the line on the bottom belt/ crankshaft pulley to line the crank shaft using the small notch on the front seal housing.
Hi- I've seen a mechanic cut a timing belt right through the centre of its length, remove half of the cut piece and put on the new one without moving the timing marks out of line--this was on a different car but wondering could it be done on an e30 if you know what I mean.
So you said you have to make sure the lines match up on the head AND on the bottom side the crank, but you did not say if they both are not lined up already, how to make both sets line up. You just said dont go any further and make sure they are both lined up. How would you get them to both line up?
+A.Mak You can turn them both at the same time carefully. If the cam feels like it is getting "stuck" as you turn it, it is most likely the valves hitting on of the pistons while it is at top dead center. Not good to do.
Hey I've been looking at buying a e30 325i! And Just wondering how much life I can expect out of that motor with 200,000+ miles on it before anything major(or expensive) needs to be done?? Thanks for all your help!!
+Grayson Pulver i have a 325e that had an engine last 270k until the timing belt snapped... Ive heard of guys running in the 400's.. just basic maintenance is key
I have a 1987 bmw 325is and it has been sitting since 2010 and I started it today what should imchange on it it's been sitting cause something with the brakes and it wouldn't pass inspection
@E30Source Hey your videos rule! My 86 325e had the timing belt replaced exactly 2 years ago. My odometer is broken of course so I'm not sure how many miles it's been driven since it was last replaced. I've driven it everyday for work in LA for the year I've owned it. Not sure how much the previous owner drove it but I don't think he drove it that much, he had an M3 that was his main car. Do you think it's about time to replace my belt?
+PANTHERBURNS I had a similar situation back in 1990, my belt broke while I was thinking about to change it; thanks god my grandfather bought me a new engine; hate these belts since then. Better change it little before it's about time for that in the maintenance schedule
l[KAUPAKAY]l You really need to take the radiator out. Why dont you put a bucket or catch pan to catch the coolant and then refill the system once your done?
I would not use a razor blade for removing the gasket residue from the thermostat housing, this could lead to leaks around the gasket. Use a plastic scrape instead, that wont scrape the surface, just a tip :)
Just did it on my 520i. That stupid hood really kills someone's back. Something very important: mark the marks with white paint AND MARK THE MIDDLE GEAR AS WELL! It is responsible for spark timing. Your engine will run like shit or even won't go on if it's not aligned correctly. And the second thing I wanna say: don't let the coolant splash on the ground. It's very poisonous and you could get in trouble with the police. But anyway, thanks for the video. It helped me doing this job tremendously!
hey off topic question but i have a 1991 318i convertible and need to replace front springs... are the springs from the 325 models the same size? i know that the shocks are different... thanks!!!
