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
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!!!!!
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!
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!
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.
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
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'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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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?
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!
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.
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!
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?
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 ?
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.
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?
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?
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!
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...
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?
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.
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.
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).
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.
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 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.
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.
@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.
I’m studying this video religiously to make sure I don’t mess my car up
Watching it multiple times a day lol
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.
Thank you sir 🫡
dude, your my hero! finally someone with good e30 videos! keep doing what your doing!
anthony gonzales Thanks!
Subscribe!
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.
Definitely does. Don't know why anyone would not
if you take the hood off it makes everything 100 times easier..
his back must have been fucked after this video lmao
My backs bad!and i had the bonnet off😉
Yes, but it is a pain in the ass to align it properly afterwards
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
The level of detail you have provided is awesome. Keep making vids!
+Zachery Nichols Thanks! Will do!
Taking the hood off saves you a great amount of time on this job. Great video, as always.
mucix Thanks!
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!!!!!
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!
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!
Thanks for this.
It really helped out a bunch in areas where I was unsure while doing my timing belt on my '89 320i last weekend!
Your videos have helped SO much. Thank You!
thanks for making this video! best one out there explaining the m20 timing belt replacement. Starting tomorrow!
Just fitted a new belt to my e34 and this video helped a lot! Thanks!
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.
Thanks for taking the time to do the vid, man.
Thanks so much for taking the time to do this
Great video! You just got me through timing belt water pump replacement on my 1989 325i. Thank you.
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
+Anh Nguyen I will see what I can do.
+Dan Cronin what size wrench do you need to take of the clutch fan.
32mm
Thank you for making this, it's very informative.
thanks very much. I followed your video for my 88 320i this past weekend and it was bang on. She's now running great.
+Rob Lang I am very glad I could help!
Enjoy and love your E30!
i have finaly found what im looking for..thanks alot for this video.
Good vid seams like a big job and you make it look easy
if you go to most bike shops (motor bike), you can pick up a 32mm skinny wrench for the fan clutch. Just for future endeavors :D
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.
I just bought the fan tool on Amazon. Came with the wrench and a tool to hold the pulley/clutch. Costs $10
Thanks for this! I've got to do this job either this weekend or next (and replace some cooling stuff) so really useful.
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'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.
This was extremely helpful bro, thanks a lot really appreciated it 💯
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.
How did yours turn out?
Very well explained, one of the best i´ve seen. Thanks.
Awesome help, thank you. For anyone else that has a late model car, it’s 98% the same
Man, you are great!!! Keep up good videos!!!
Awesome vid brother ! Thank you so much!!
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
thanks for sharing you knowledge!
Those cars be very nice car restored, thanks for the video as that is what we are doing to a 1988 right now
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.
Thanks a lot, Dan. I dared to do it myself was able to successfully get it done!!!
Awesome stuff man I’m in the same position as you old e30
I feel bad for all the east coasters, i live in California and my engine and car is rust free
NFG Garage, it doesn't help if you live in Cali and buy the e30 in San Diego. I have a lot of rust spots in the car 😥
Don't feel bad for us. We don't have your stupid laws. I'll take rust over living in Commiefornia.
There’s a lot of e30s in san diego rusty
Another top video!
Excellent video, very well done. Thanks
Keep up the vids they really help out a lot thanks for making these videos..
Hector Torres No prob!
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.
Thank you very much, very informative video!! I am BMW fan and it is very interesting for me!!
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 work
Hey man! Great vid I have a BMW 1982 528e does this video apply to that vehicle? if it does where did you get those parts?
Love the video just got done taking my off lol
very helpful couldnt have removed my alternator without this !!!! really appreciated!
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!
Please do head gasket replacement next. Nice video!
Great video, I have an 87 325e and looking to replace alot of parts sonce I've gotten it 6 years ago and this helped. Good job.
4dr
Same here, '87 325e sedan... About to start this process!
sweet channel !
you need to make a video how to replace intake gasket and fuel line if needed. thanks for your videos very helpful
Dude- this is awesome! I’m looking at purchasing an e30 that needs this! are you in nj?
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.
Well put video, appreciate it very much!
***** Enjoy and Subscribe!
Good video. Subscribed
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!
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?
You should leave a link in the description of a parts list
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
Good Job 👍
Great video, it help me alot. Keep up the great work.
Vicente Ramirez Thanks!
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 ?
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.
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 u dan 😊
great great video thanks friend go head
Does the Euro hood make it easier of harder to work on the car?
Thx for the great video.
Do you think is gonna be same in e30 318 i cabrio 1991?
Also watching your videos several times now.
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?
josh..feel free to contact me..I have the same car
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!
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...
Hey love the videos!! I have a 1990 325is. You should do a head gasket soon it would help out a lot no videos on it
alex peshchanitsky because when ur head gasket fails it can cause warping and sometimes just replacing the gasket will not work
Garl Gamp Have it resurfaced if that's the case
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?
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.
*By the way, can't find the red O-ring that seals the camshaft in any shop or website...any clue? size, material...thanks in advance
can you please do a video on rod bearing replacement!!!!!!
i have bmw 316i e30 1990 1.6 with belt not chain.wondering because i dont see for my engine that water pump must be removed or it must be?
thanks!
Hey man is the car jacked up in this video at all? Thanks
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.
I believe they are iridium plugs, E30s dont like platniums.
I'm a little late but does this apply to a late model m20b25?
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).
Would this tutorial work on a 1987 528e BMW
Does the crank bolt have reverse threads?
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.
I have this too but not bolts that big... damn 20mm bolts for water pump??? they should be 13mm all 3
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!
How long did it take you tp get the job done?
HELLO;
Did the car burn the gasket or am I seeing it wrong?
Nice tutorial bro , thx
BMW Bear No prob!
I subscribe you , me to have an e30 with m20 , look to my videos :D thx
Cool!
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.
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.
@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.
+anthony gonzales It took me about a weekend, on and off working on it.
would this be the same with my 2002 325i