E34 wins coveted award!

Not heard of many V8 head gasket failures and it doesn't seem to be a problem compared with the early six-cylinder engines.

The 6-pot cylinder heads are long and can warp if the engine is overheated excessively, which can cause head gasket sealing problems.

The V8 cylinder heads are much shorter and more rigid, hence less likely to warp, although not impossible if you're really unlucky

I've had the heads off numerous sixes and it wasn't a pleasant job with the exhaust manifold canted over 30 degrees.

I think the V8 would be even more unpleasant as the underbonnet of the V8's is very cramped and, being a classic 90 degree V8, the exhaust manifolds are canted over 45 degrees each cylinder bank with hardly any access room or clearance between the inner wings and engine/manifolds.

When I had to slightly nip up the steering box adjuster on my 540i, I had to jack up the engine slightly to raise the manifolds up from the steering box as there was that little clearance to work.

Apart from Nikasil issues the V8's seem to be bombproof although it seems very much a 'fit and forget' engine with very little you can do to it and a hateful repair procedure if it goes wrong

The sixes are much more user-friendly to work on, although they are not altogether trouble-free, mechanically speaking.

From a mechanical point of view, the E32 is no more complex than the E34 as they broadly share the same drivetrain/suspension layouts as 5KXO rightly says.

What does cloud the issue is the electrical systems, as most E32's had high trim levels and equipment count, whereas on the E34 you could get the smaller-engined models with a very basic specification and very few electrical accessories, so they were naturally much less complex from an electrical point of view.

 

RedOctober wrote: Not heard of many V8 head gasket failures and it doesn't seem to be a problem compared with the early six-cylinder engines.

You're not wrong there. Apart from the Nikasil
dramas - which could be avoided if the cars were
properly run in - the 4 litre and 3 litre V8's are good
engines capable of 200'000+. The problems came
with the 4.4's which could blow a gasket but even
then it's normally due to being cooked (viscous fan,
coolant leak etc). But it's one of thoese engines
where if it did overheat and do a gasket, it would be
better to throw the engine away and fit another. The
blocks warp when overheated and they really aren't
fixable.
The problem is that the BMW brerakers still seem to
think they're worth a fortune - to me a 4 litre V8 is a
£300 engine because the cars they fit (old E32 and
E34) aren't worth that much now. When you can buy
a running 740i off Ebay with a decent engine for
£600, who pays £1000 for an engine??

For fear of tempting fate here, I have to say that I've had absolutely no experience of the E34 540 being a moneypit - apart from a cracked oil filter housing in my black one, they've been paragons of reliability (so what are the odds of something expensive going pop now!). Besides, always felt that the 540 (especially if mated to an automatic gearbox) is likely to be the least stressed in the range (as a sweeping generalisation)!

I agree with the above - the most reliable BM I've owned out of all the ones I've had is my current 93 E34 530iA, just the odd fuse blowing here and there and the odd bulb going - apart from that that's it 

I think that'll be a job for me soon - I've found my e34 to be a total pleasure to drive, only bills have been oil+filter changes, just gone straight through the MOT for the second year running, although the transmission oil is still a nice shade of red at the moment

Paul

True and proper recognition for the e34! And I can also vouch the 540 does go like stink! (the stink is the rubber off the tyres) and that is including wife, 2.4 kids and a 40kilo german shepherd!!

I will also say, mine has been very well looked after since birth and has cost me two rocker cover gaskets and just service items. As I do my own mechanics, it's cheap as chips!  I'll never get rid of her unless the scrap yard has it's big greasy paws on her but I won't give up without a fight!!

Here's to the e34

Mike

I'll drink to that red! How poetically put! nice! 

Mine has the M-tec suspension, body kit and 6 speed manual with the added bonus of a pipercross induction kit, minus the air restricter (soon to manufacture my own 'cold air' scoop), so for me it's a case of trundling along at 30, eyes lighting up at the national speed limit sign, dropping it into 3rd and flooring the loud pedal! Then she takes off like a thorough-bred horse thats just had it's ass stung by a wasp! WHOOSH, what a sound a V8 makes when un-hindered with a louder air filter! It's a sound like no other. Maybe just an exhaust now to complete the picture!

Going along with you red, I cannot bring myself to part with it, infact, it is a part of me. When I was hit by an un-insured driver (never traced, still hurts me and my wallet to the day! GRRR) I had to buy it back from the insurance co. because I wouldn't ever find an exact replacement, not with the gizmo's and trim along with the 6 box. so it has cost me money but not through any fault of the cars or mine so that doesn't count! All the more reason to keep her because she is now registered as having been written off before (shows up on the new printed MOT cert.) I can never get any decent money for it even though there is not a single trace of damage now, infact, the whole front had to be re-sprayed to blend in the front end so she looks better than before! If she was ever hit and put beyond repair through no fault of mine, I think I'd end up punching the offenders lights out as I wallowed in my pity for her! Call me sad, but many others out there will know where I'm coming from. I'm not insane, a little mad, insane no!

Mike

Nice words there Alex, I'm watching several 540's that are appearing on ebay at the moment, I'm getting very tempted to plump for one, although I keep putting it off as the 530 is just so reliable, and I'm under strict orders to find the ball and chain another car first, although I may end up getting one anyway and ending up in the doghouse but I can't get her to pin down a car that she wants

Paul

Wise decisions there guys-there's much to be said with holding on to a reliable car, and 530i's are still very nice cars indeed.

I had a very long wait to find my ideal 540i, as you've got to be careful you don't saddle yourself with a sick Nikasil-afflicted example.

All other faults on an E34 540i can be repaired without too much pain-even the autobox-but a failed Nikasil engine will scrap the car as a new engine plus fitting will cost much more than the value of the car at current market levels, as they're all old now.

I may be guessing here, but I think cherished E34 540i's with good engines will be sold through specialist marque and owners club magazines for a good price, and sick Nikasil-engined ones will be flogged off on eBay as cheaply and as quickly as possible.

Of all the cars to avoid buying on eBay, I think an E34/E32 V8 model tops the charts, unless you REALLY know what you're doing and go and give the vehicle a THOROUGH road test from stone cold before bidding for it later.

Sorry to sound alarmist, but I'm an old-fashioned trudge-round-to-the-seller-and-give-it-a-thorough-inspection type of car buyer.

If the car's had a replacement Alusil block and is in good shape, then  the seller would be singing loudly about this if he knows his onions and realises it will get him a better price on the used market.

If not, then why not? The V8 E32/E34 is a specialist car for most people and you'd hope the seller had some idea of what he's talking about.

Having said that, there's always the possibility that there's the odd 'hidden gem' out there, and maybe even healthy Nikasil cars that somehow escaped engine damage and were run largely on low sulphur fuels.

Just a case of being 'streetwise' I guess 

Alex

fingerman wrote: and the lack of decent 540's appearing on EBay

There were a few out there when I was looking. Mind you it is easier to find a better cared E34 with a smaller engine since the 540 does seem popular with the go fast guys. The only downside to the 540 as far as I could see is that 99% of them have auto boxes which just aren't my thing.