“Barn find” BMW e28 / 535i stick shift Lazarus restore project

Impatient

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OK, general topic probably already covered somewhere but multiple questions about how to bring a 1987 535i back to life, after “sitting” for 10 yrs.

OK, it’s my “barn.” For years I would at least fire this baby up every so often to keep the motor lubrication condition in check, but that lapsed a good 5 yrs ago. IE, it hasn’t been cranked lately. Battery has been dead since, therefore no attempted crank. Up to that point, it always cranked up instantly and it sounded smooth. Will try again soon, just wanted some advice before trying.

So:
1) should I use a fogging oil (such as Sta Bil, sprayed into the spark plug holes…or otherwise) before attempting to crank?
2) Sta Bil fuel stabilizer went into the gas tank…but probably 5 yrs ago. I would love to skip draining the gas tank! Thinking maybe I can siphon / pump out most the old gas.
3) oil is relatively clean: Castrol 20w50 GTX. See attachment. But it’s old…I mean OLD. Can I fire it up just to see, before doing an oil change?
4) I think I can find updated GTX, but should I switch to M1 5w-50 or 15w-50? Or other? Note on attached: notice how service manual (1991 vintage Bentley manual) shows 20w-50 pretty good for our local Texas climate, whereas 15w-50 deficient for over 104 F, better below 14 F which we rarely see. Of course, oils back then were SE or SF…obviously conventional, not synthetic. Modern oils probably better at high temp, unless there is something specific to that vintage BMW that REQUIRES such thick oil.)
5) if I replace with Mobil 1, I believe the 5w-50 is a Euro spec, whereas the 15w-50 is more ILSAC (???). Looking for Walmart alternatively, initially. Any comments/suggestions?
6) obviously I need to flush brake fluid, maybe some other fluids, (SAE 80 in the manual trans??

Once resurrected, I intend to sell. As cool as this car was, I prefer my 07 Subaru Outback Turbo (suspension heavily modified) for several reasons (love wagons, for my lifestyle).

The body is a 9-, the interior is an 8+, the wheels are still metric (beautiful German spec “ALCOA” wheels …perhaps Alpina level, but yeah, 390mm is an obsolete spec. North Texas car, no rust, no bodywork. Tires are OLD, though 90%+ tread. TRX 220’s like 6 & 7 series instead of 200’’s, looks right. Too bad. Service records were kept, but I would need to locate them.

In garage for 10yrs. Suggestions? Especially about protecting engine…that lovely inline six.

Curious what @edyvw would say

IMG_2160.jpeg
 
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I would definitely get as much of the old gas out as possible. Also....can we see some pics?? That is one of my favorite cars! How many miles are on it?
 
Those M30 engines date back to 1968. In the past, the go-to was 20w50 in a moderate climate. My friend's Dad's BMW shop exclusively ran Chevron dino oil, 20w50, in those for ages. I personally used Chevron Delo 15w40 in the old BMW engines, if they were drinking too much, bump it to 50-weight.

I would change the oil first and put in a new filter, rotate the engine a few times (manually if possible), and then fire it up. After a few hours of running, I would change the oil and filter again.
 
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118k. I’ll work on getting pictures. 10 yrs of dirt and being ignored. Dang it, I meant to wipe dust off off color label, but blue leather, silver-blue exterior…will get actual color off sticker under hood, was just too focused on figuring out how to pull plugs if the fogging oil is a good idea, and getting battery pulled, and specs. Hah, same battery as Ford Transit (I think…basically an H6…which I own…but too much trouble to swap batteries, unless I keep the new battery in my camper van).

Evidently Walmart has the 15w-50, and Napa has both 5w-50 and 15w-50 on sale though not as cheap as Walmart. Wondering if the Euro spec of the 5w is of any benefit???

I am 2nd owner, since ~1990-91(???), bought with ~53k, now at 118k…been at 118k for 10 years for better or worse, because not driven,
 
Definitely new oil, filter. Check spark plugs and air filters. I would siphon out gas and fill it with new ones.
As for which oil, I mean, idk. I had E30 325i in Europe and used 15W40 Castrol GTX at that time (90's).
 
Definitely new oil, filter. Check spark plugs and air filters. I would siphon out gas and fill it with new ones.
As for which oil, I mean, idk. I had E30 325i in Europe and used 15W40 Castrol GTX at that time (90's).
Plus, 15w40s have solid cleaning detergents, right? I would've leaned on that back in the day, too. I remember the BMW dealer in the 2000s still selling BMW labeled 15w40.
 
I'm very excited to see some picture of an E28 in silver with a blue leather interior right now!

I'd personally change the oil and filter with the cheapest 15w40 you can find and a cheap filter, drain and fill the fuel tank, check the air filter is clear and clean/gap the spark plugs. I'd probably change the oil again after I'd got it up to temp.
 
OK, general topic probably already covered somewhere but multiple questions about how to bring a 1987 535i back to life, after “sitting” for 10 yrs.

OK, it’s my “barn.” For years I would at least fire this baby up every so often to keep the motor lubrication condition in check, but that lapsed a good 5 yrs ago. IE, it hasn’t been cranked lately. Battery has been dead since, therefore no attempted crank. Up to that point, it always cranked up instantly and it sounded smooth. Will try again soon, just wanted some advice before trying.

So:
1) should I use a fogging oil (such as Sta Bil, sprayed into the spark plug holes…or otherwise) before attempting to crank?
2) Sta Bil fuel stabilizer went into the gas tank…but probably 5 yrs ago. I would love to skip draining the gas tank! Thinking maybe I can siphon / pump out most the old gas.
3) oil is relatively clean: Castrol 20w50 GTX. See attachment. But it’s old…I mean OLD. Can I fire it up just to see, before doing an oil change?
4) I think I can find updated GTX, but should I switch to M1 5w-50 or 15w-50? Or other? Note on attached: notice how service manual (1991 vintage Bentley manual) shows 20w-50 pretty good for our local Texas climate, whereas 15w-50 deficient for over 104 F, better below 14 F which we rarely see. Of course, oils back then were SE or SF…obviously conventional, not synthetic. Modern oils probably better at high temp, unless there is something specific to that vintage BMW that REQUIRES such thick oil.)
5) if I replace with Mobil 1, I believe the 5w-50 is a Euro spec, whereas the 15w-50 is more ILSAC (???). Looking for Walmart alternatively, initially. Any comments/suggestions?
6) obviously I need to flush brake fluid, maybe some other fluids, (SAE 80 in the manual trans??

Once resurrected, I intend to sell. As cool as this car was, I prefer my 07 Subaru Outback Turbo (suspension heavily modified) for several reasons (love wagons, for my lifestyle).

The body is a 9-, the interior is an 8+, the wheels are still metric (beautiful German spec “ALCOA” wheels …perhaps Alpina level, but yeah, 390mm is an obsolete spec. North Texas car, no rust, no bodywork. Tires are OLD, though 90%+ tread. TRX 220’s like 6 & 7 series instead of 200’’s, looks right. Too bad. Service records were kept, but I would need to locate them.

In garage for 10yrs. Suggestions? Especially about protecting engine…that lovely inline six.

Curious what @edyvw would say

View attachment 239922
Keep in mind 5w-40/50's weren't available for sale at the time the vehicle was produced so there's no reason to worry about the winter performance. Any modern ACEA A3/B4 in 40 or 50 grade will be fine.

I would pull plugs to look for rust on cylinder walls and hit them with some fogging oil for men.
Siphon off as much gas as possible.
Check coolant.
Charge battery.
Try to start it.
 
Plus, 15w40s have solid cleaning detergents, right? I would've leaned on that back in the day, too. I remember the BMW dealer in the 2000s still selling BMW labeled 15w40.
High TBN because gasoline and diesel had really high levels of sulphur and 5w40 wasn't really all that common. In 1998 sulphur levels for gasoline were on avg 300 ppm in the US and higher elsewhere in the world.
 
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Plus, 15w40s have solid cleaning detergents, right? I would've leaned on that back in the day, too. I remember the BMW dealer in the 2000s still selling BMW labeled 15w40.

Detergents don't clean, they keep contaminants suspended within the oil. If you want an oil that cleans you need to look specifically for an oil blended to clean through the use of esters etc.
 
Well, now I feel like a tease. Yes, I have this car. Yes I intend to get it running and sold. But I’m just beginning to be mobile myself after breaking my leg & ankle. It’s been miserably hot here, and there are several other projects ahead of this. Some quite big. And the car is ‘boxed in” in the garage, so oil change not easy, unless I siphon that too. But I thought if I could get a battery in it just to get it started (I just bought one for the 07 Subaru, which is ahead of the BMW on the project list…and even it is way behind some other non-vehicular projects). Point is, this will take awhile.

But so far, what I’ve gleaned is maybe I need to:
* pull the plugs and use the fogging oil,
* get that 10 yr old gas out of it.
* I guess if I’m going to change oil twice, I could throw just about anything in it (Rotella?) for the first go round? Too bad I don’t have some HPL EC40 laying around.

The responses are encouraging me to get after this. But again, it’s not my first priority, and my capabilities are still quite low at the moment.

PS, the color is “cirrusblau.” this picture is NOT mine, but evidently my twin’s. I just found a cirrus blue 87 on the internet, I have no idea whose it is. I hope that isn’t too

Here are pictures of my “twin,” exterior photos though wheels are different. However, my interior is drastically better, blue leather, and stick shift.:

By the way, looking for the twin, I cam across this (red) one which totally blew my mind: https://carsandbids.com/auctions/rG5BD02j/1987-bmw-535i
 
I would also replace the fuel filter.

There is a youtube channel, m539 restorations, where a guy revives BMWs that have been off the road for a long time, and documents the whole process.

You may be able to get some tips from his videos. He is pretty meticulous and takes a lot of steps to avoid engine damage.

It is a quality channel. Videos are edited to show mostly wrenching without pointless talking.

In my opinion the oil you run in it is probably least of importance. If you are dumping the oil right after starting the engine you could use a thinner oil than your final choice.
 
I would also replace the fuel filter.

There is a youtube channel, m539 restorations, where a guy revives BMWs that have been off the road for a long time, and documents the whole process.

You may be able to get some tips from his videos. He is pretty meticulous and takes a lot of steps to avoid engine damage.

It is a quality channel. Videos are edited to show mostly wrenching without pointless talking.

In my opinion the oil you run in it is probably least of importance. If you are dumping the oil right after starting the engine you could use a thinner oil than your final choice.
Thank you, I’ll check it out.
 
Bentley service manual (printed ~1991) says
* for the power steering, Dextron II…yes, 2!
* Dot4 brake fluid.
* manual trans needs SAE 80 fluid. Then has a little chart that shows viscosity needed for temperature range, but doesn’t include anything above 40 (???). Weird.

***** Re the PS, it has a leak in the hose between the pump and the reservoir. So it’s had 10 yrs to “drain out.” Is all the “son of Dextron” really compatible? I need something in there before cranking, to keep from burning up the pump. Svc Manual says the PS pump also supplies the pressure for the brake booster. This is odd, not the typical vacuum-driven booster, but I remember this bit my wallet a long time ago when booster went out…or so they said.

I found this on internet:

The Dexron II specification includes a number of performance requirements, including:
  • Viscosity: Dexron IIA must have a viscosity of 10.2 cSt at 100°C and 2.9 cSt at -20°C. Dexron IIE must have a viscosity of 11.1 cSt at 100°C and 3.5 cSt at -20°C.
  • Flash point: Dexron II must have a flash point of at least 190°C.
  • Pour point: Dexron II must have a pour point of -30°C or lower.
  • Shear stability: Dexron II must be able to withstand shear stress without breaking down.
  • Oxidation stability: Dexron II must be able to resist oxidation and thickening over time.
  • Anti-wear properties: Dexron II must contain additives that protect metal surfaces from wear and tear.
  • Anti-foaming properties: Dexron II must contain additives that prevent foaming and aeration.
Any 21st century advice? I thought most Dextron or equiv today were MUCH thinner.
.
Is Bosch ESI6 brake fluid a good idea? I would assume this is critical, given the age. Hoping it just needs a DIY flush. Of course, this is secondary to getting the engine to crank. Maybe I’m crazy, but I thought the Bosch ESI6 could be the universal elixir for my 2 Subarus, the Ford Transit van, and now this BMW.

Not sure I will even bother with the transmission, at least initially, as no reason to expect disaster 🙄

I’m still a good ways from doing anything major, but I have a spare battery at the moment, and would love to hook it up and just see if it will crank.



 
Bentley service manual (printed ~1991) says
* for the power steering, Dextron II…yes, 2!
* Dot4 brake fluid.
* manual trans needs SAE 80 fluid. Then has a little chart that shows viscosity needed for temperature range, but doesn’t include anything above 40 (???). Weird.

***** Re the PS, it has a leak in the hose between the pump and the reservoir. So it’s had 10 yrs to “drain out.” Is all the “son of Dextron” really compatible? I need something in there before cranking, to keep from burning up the pump. Svc Manual says the PS pump also supplies the pressure for the brake booster. This is odd, not the typical vacuum-driven booster, but I remember this bit my wallet a long time ago when booster went out…or so they said.

I found this on internet:

The Dexron II specification includes a number of performance requirements, including:
  • Viscosity: Dexron IIA must have a viscosity of 10.2 cSt at 100°C and 2.9 cSt at -20°C. Dexron IIE must have a viscosity of 11.1 cSt at 100°C and 3.5 cSt at -20°C.
  • Flash point: Dexron II must have a flash point of at least 190°C.
  • Pour point: Dexron II must have a pour point of -30°C or lower.
  • Shear stability: Dexron II must be able to withstand shear stress without breaking down.
  • Oxidation stability: Dexron II must be able to resist oxidation and thickening over time.
  • Anti-wear properties: Dexron II must contain additives that protect metal surfaces from wear and tear.
  • Anti-foaming properties: Dexron II must contain additives that prevent foaming and aeration.
Any 21st century advice? I thought most Dextron or equiv today were MUCH thinner.
.
Is Bosch ESI6 brake fluid a good idea? I would assume this is critical, given the age. Hoping it just needs a DIY flush. Of course, this is secondary to getting the engine to crank. Maybe I’m crazy, but I thought the Bosch ESI6 could be the universal elixir for my 2 Subarus, the Ford Transit van, and now this BMW.

Not sure I will even bother with the transmission, at least initially, as no reason to expect disaster 🙄

I’m still a good ways from doing anything major, but I have a spare battery at the moment, and would love to hook it up and just see if it will crank.



Once Dexron II was phased out, Dexron III was the go-to for P/S on this era BMW. AC Delco still makes a Dexron III, among other brands.

Any DOT 4 fluid will be fine for the brakes, that Bosch ESI6 looks like it will fit the bill.

You can still easily buy a BMW MTF LT 2 fluid, which is a 75w80 GL4, and should do the trick for the transmission.
 
Once Dexron II was phased out, Dexron III was the go-to for P/S on this era BMW. AC Delco still makes a Dexron III, among other brands.

Any DOT 4 fluid will be fine for the brakes, that Bosch ESI6 looks like it will fit the bill.

You can still easily buy a BMW MTF LT 2 fluid, which is a 75w80 GL4, and should do the trick for the transmission.
Let me confirm what I think you said:
Though GM says Dexron VI is backward compatible, you’re saying I should use the Dex III instead? Still somewhat confused as there is a “Delco Gold Type III” which I guess is Dexron III??? I want to save money on the initial fill, because as soon as I can get the vehicle out of the cramped garage and out in the driveway (on ramps and jacks) where I can get to the leaking PS hose(s), it will become drained and refilled.

But I still wonder if BMW expected 10 cst fluid in their PS circuits.

Finding BimmerWorld by searching for your BMW MTF LT2 suggestion, they say it is for newer BMW’s, however, the Redline MTLthey also sell, is OK for my older vintage…assuming BimmerWorld is on top of things. So I’ll keep that in mind once I get to worrying about the transmission.

I remember a different rabbit hole I went down, trying to understand Dot 4 vs Dot 4 LV vs Dot 5.1 (which is working fine in my older Subaru). I’ll have to spend a little more time before introducing the ESI6 into my BMW, but would love if it is a true upgrade from the original spec in all 3 brands (Subaru, Ford, BMW). I generally don’t like the “universal fluid” approach unless truly earned, truly exceeding OEM requirements.

But thank you for reply, it will help me build solutions for this project.
 
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Let me confirm what I think you said:
Though GM says Dexron VI is backward compatible, you’re saying I should use the Dex III instead? Still somewhat confused as there is a “Delco Gold Type III” which I guess is Dexron III??? I want to save money on the initial fill, because as soon as I can get the vehicle out of the cramped garage and out in the driveway (on ramps and jacks) where I can get to the leaking PS hose(s), it will become drained and refilled.

But I still wonder if BMW expected 10 cst fluid in their PS circuits.

Finding BimmerWorld by searching for your BMW MTF LT2 suggestion, they say it is for newer BMW’s, however, the Redline MTLthey also sell, is OK for my older vintage…assuming BimmerWorld is on top of things. So I’ll keep that in mind once I get to worrying about the transmission.

I remember a different rabbit hole I went down, trying to understand Dot 4 vs Dot 4 LV vs Dot 5.1 (which is working fine in my older Subaru). I’ll have to spend a little more time before introducing the ESI6 into my BMW, but would love if it is a true upgrade from the original spec in all 3 brands (Subaru, Ford, BMW). I generally don’t like the “universal fluid” approach unless truly earned, truly exceeding OEM requirements.

But thank you for reply, it will help me build solutions for this project.
I can't comment on VI being the right choice, but Dexron III-H (H, which is just an updated version of III) is still available and is safe to use. Here is a gallon of it on Summit Racing: AC Delco Dexron III

Redline MTL is pretty much what BMW spec'd with MTF LT2, as they are both 75w80 GL4 fluids. Pick whatever you prefer, Redline has a good reputation in the BMW world.

For brake fluid, any DOT 4 will work fine. I used ATE in my old BMW's back in the day, but I don't think the brand really matters here.
 
You might want to join BMW car club of America. BMWCCA.ORG. Group of very knowledgeable aficionados. Might be just what you need to get answers to your questions. I had a similar vintage 3 series. Great years for these cars. Drivers cars, not electronic appliances (just my opinion)
 
But thank you for reply, it will help me build solutions for this project.

I owned an E28 535i for 15+ years. MyE28.com is where you want to go for advice. Those folks live and breathe E28.

Redline MTL, any DOT 4 brake fluid, and Dexron IV is fine. For the longest time, Valvoline VR1 20w50 was the go-to oil for those engines. I've been out of the game for a while, so I don't even know if it's available anymore. The only real weak point in that engine bay is the heater valve. It goes bad and you have no heat. Bleeding the coolant system can be a bit of an annoyance. Lots of folks will drill a small hole at the very top of the thermostat before they put it into the thermostat housing. Control arms were underbuilt, so a common upgrade is pressing in bushings from a similar vintage 7 series. Calipers/rotors are backwards compatible with 7 and 8 series (big upgrade).

Great car! I'm jealous. I miss mine.
 
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