Fixing The DUMB & Complicated E39 BMW Cooling System & Bizarre Rolls-Royce AC & Ignition System!

No reserve auctions on the E39 and Rolls-Royce! bit.ly/3LzSTZY
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In this video, I fix 2 cars for the price of 1. Ok, that makes no sense but you know what I mean. I fix the overly complicated and dumb cooling system on my V8 E39 and the bizarre air conditioning and ignition system on my 1961 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud 2. This will be the last video on both the cars so let me know in the comments which one you'd rather have if money was no object.
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Here’s the link to the fan clutch tool you SHOULD NOT buy. amzn.to/3FoNlyt
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[@LegitStreetCars]

Follow along the no reserve auctions on the E39 and Rolls-Royce! bit.ly/3LzSTZY Enter the $500 Mods and Miles giveaway! modsandmiles.com/legitstreetcars/ (Free to enter)

[@TheMrNike1996]

Great video as always! But i think you forgot to leave the link to the "good" tool mentioned in 04:27

[@GRosa250]

I never liked the Rolls Royce. I’m glad we never have to see it again

[@DoubleJThe]

Don't forget that you have to register before you can even search for auctions. Pass.

[@ericjenks9596]

@@DoubleJThe I was able to search without registering

[@DoubleJThe]

@@ericjenks9596 Maybe I gave up too early, was hoping the link would take me straight to the BMW auction, curious what it sells for

[@htownblue11]

As a BMW owner, the saying goes “ you never replace just one part….” Hope the auctions fetch good money for you Alex.

[@ecatano]

Hey Alex, I think every one needs a Peter in their life, no pun inteded. He is a great mecanic!

[@WorkableWax]

It is kinda of nice to have two broken cars to go back and forth on, except when it’s the only two you own 😅

[@Ecozzy0123]

Did not expect that rolls to sound as good as it did.

[@paulpavilions]

good for his Facebook

[@brianw4brian]

Regular maintenance like the old valves on vw bugs etc gotta adjust them I think

[@MrTruthAddict]

It sounds like shit

[@charliel2967]

AP, you are the most talented of all. You deserve 1 million subs. I never miss a video. You don’t realize your impact on all of us. Really proud of your growth over the last few years. Keep up the great work and content!

[@16cliffedge]

did you quit heroin

[@davidfernandez3554]

3/4 of the way there!

[@charliel2967]

@@16cliffedge 19 years ago

[@Broadpaw_Fox]

At 5:42 - you don't need the tool to reinstall the fan. They're self tightening while running, so all you need to do is spin them on by hand till they stop. I have 2 BMW's with these engines, and have had more in the past, and never once had an issue with simply hand tight installation of these fan clutches. This also makes removal easier, as it won't take as much force to crack it loose. 😉 **edited for spelling**

[@davevq]

"So Alex...Supercharger?" Best line

[@zollotech]

The more I see people work on BMW the less I want one. Such crazy engineering. The Rolls on the other hand I want, but have nowhere to put it.

[@zemongoose123]

Thought exactly the same thing

[@busterscrugs]

Get a 6cyl E39, they go wrong a lot less often, and when they do they're much easier to fix. Stay away from V8 BMWs lol.

[@beezy7412]

@@busterscrugs for real tho… like for some reason v8 beamers are inevitably terrible.. and don’t get me started on the v10s …. 🤦🏻‍♂️👀😒

[@heineaugustjensen9819]

Got a e39 523ia touring, amazing car to drive, own and fixing them can be done for pretty cheap with all the parted out cars

[@johnnychimpo7539]

@@beezy7412 e39 m5 and e92 m3 are two of the best cars ever made. Definitely two of the best cars made under $100,000. In assuming you’ve never sat in either, let alone driven them

[@PirateMTH_ToddH]

As always, a great video. That cooling system on the BMW is odd. And the ignition wires on the RR is nuts. Relatively simple but nuts. Thanks for the content!

[@JDARJISJ]

The test for a Rolls engine is can you stand a nickel on edge with it running. My stepdad worked on them when he lived in England back in the ‘70s and he always talked about how incredibly smooth those motors ran.

[@weedfreer]

same for the e-type Jag also

[@ernieleithes6545]

in the UK we used a 3 pence coin it had flats on the edge that was before Decimilisation.

[@weedfreer]

@@ernieleithes6545 I heard with the Jag that it was a £1 ccoin they used?

[@Andreas_D-Greek]

The intake tube goes on the intake first, then as you lay the intake back down you can attach the engine side from the front. 18 years of owning an e39 you learn the "easier" way. I also run EVANS NPG 0psi coolant now. got tired of needing a tow home.

[@blattferenc9647]

Sometimes there is no better feeling ,than sitting in your BMW, turning up the music and waiting for the tow truck 😆

[@Andreas_D-Greek]

@@blattferenc9647 lol I have nightmares of smelling coolant then suddenly the "Trouble Ding" goes off and I wake up.

[@Andreas_D-Greek]

@@blattferenc9647 ::LOW COOLANT::

[@JoelKreider]

Compiling my parts list for replacing the water pump on my 540 right now. I tend to want to replace every hose and O-ring I have to disconnect, and with FCP’s lifetime replacement [reimbursement], it makes that decision Much easier. Andreas… did you find the switch to Evans a straightforward one? I’ve been considering it for years.

[@Andreas_D-Greek]

@@JoelKreider Yes, the switch to Evans was pretty straightforward. Just got to make sure you flush out the cooling system as much as possible. To do it the right way u have to crack open the engine block coolant drains and flush the heater core. If you google Evans coolant and e39 540 you should find a couple of write-ups I did on switching to Evans coolant and some oil/coolant temperature differences we found using Evans.

[@sirremusrobinson1070]

You know there's a guy on KZbin, M539 Restorations, it be cool if you two got to know each other as he's constantly bringing BMWs back to life. And he's really good I gotta say. He's changing that coolant line all the time as that's a BMW thing, and it seems all their models have that.

[@HectorMartinez-nk5hj]

Alex you're such a great guy, I really wish there was more mechanics like you. Recently took in my Audi to a lot of different mechanics because no one knows how to work on those type of cars. Spent thousands of dollars and still not running. I bet you would be able to fix that car for much less than what all mechanics have charged me and miss diagnosed.

[@xIdenTiFi]

Living vicariously through Alex every day! Even though I'm younger than him lol. I wish one day to be able to do what you do and bring entertainment to an audience like this. Keep up the great work!

[@JadeStrawberry]

I think car folks have dreamed at least once of owning a Rolls. I loved my 2002 BMW 325Ci, but it didn't have the elegance and people staring everywhere you go aspect. Vintage Rolls Royces are truly a work of art.

[@toddsmelser5168]

I really appreciate these videos. In depth mechanic stuff on a car I will never own, but gives me confidence to tackle all the seemingly difficult jobs on my car or around the house. Thank you for all the time you spend teaching me new skills. Have an amazing day!

[@totallybonkers]

It's about time to change the fluid and filter in my MB GLE, so I figured I would go back and re-watch your old "Lifetime Transmission Fluid Is A Scam" video just for nostalgia. I totally forgot how awesome the Synth track was on that video! Love your channel. Thanks for the great content 👍🏻

[@martenfolkema807]

"Its an environmental channel.." But it is! Saving old cars and keeping them driving means less waste! Love the channel, love all the projects!

[@Bacon__SteezBurger]

Both cars have definitely been my favorites when it comes to the recent projects. That Rolls is just a gorgeous, classy, and timeless piece of automotive history, and deserves to be a frequent driver so hopefully the new owner will treat it to plenty of road time. It’s one of those cars that, if I won the lottery I’d 1000% be buying and dailying my dad around only allowing him to sit in the backseat like a true VIP😂 The BMW is probably the best, most incredible revival project I’ve seen. Not only is it a ridiculously rare spec, but the before and after with every single project was mind blowingly insane, and all collectively added up to the point that whoever is blessed enough with the means to buy it is going to have a hell of a car 😍🤤 Awesome projects man, and can’t wait to see where you’re at with the others, and what you post next with them 🙌🏼

[@rotax636nut5]

I find it very satisfying to watch you work Alex, thanks

[@SonOfTamriel]

Beauty Covers, ugh. I hate those things but I understand why the industry went that way. I remember when my Dad bought a new Taurus SHO in 1993 and you'd take to a gas station and they'd want to check the oil. Pop the hood and they'd say 'wtf is that? or wow, that's a sweet engine' just because that engine was so damn beautiful to look at.

[@jcollins1305]

Very interesting walkthrough for a non mechanically inclined person such as myself. Thanks for a great video!

[@DannysGarage]

As somebody that's worked on dozens of E39 540i's, it's always interesting to see how people work on them when they're not familiar with their quirks. I always just pull the intake, crank pulley, and fan shroud when doing a 540i water pump, I can get one swapped out in under 2 hours start to finish. Valley pan gasket is a good thing to check/replace while you're in there as well.

[@BrovarianMotorWorks]

I've owned quite a few BMW 4.4 motors and you don't have to take the intake off to handle the water pump you can legitimately slide those pipes back and you can feel around and slide them back into where they're supposed to be and still be good for years unless you just want to change the o-rings at the back of the pipe that's not a bad idea

[@FishFind3000]

5:15 I’ve seen a short wrench that you put on the nut and use the air hammer to break it free without damaging anything

[@jonliu9953]

Another good video. I still remember you had under 100k subscribers. You are one of the very few KZbinrs that I follow closely and watch every video. Keep it up man!

[@jasonbucher5622]

Loved this series - looking forward to the Eclipse!

[@alk3myst]

I had a wonderful 2006 M3 ZCP I purchased with 25k miles around 2013. Had a baby so needed a 4 door. Really wanted the E39 M5, but then in 2020 or so they were creeping up in price (nice examples were in the $60-80k range and may still needed work). I ended up in a 2016 CTS VSport and love it. Putting down enough power to break into 11's and nice 60-130 times. Plus everyone loves riding in the car. It's quiet inside, comfortable, and music sounds good.

[@Fernan2010]

I died when you asked Peter what the snap was... and he just turn around with a big ass smile and a broken tool! LMAO

[@karolmalinowski9097]

Everytime someone mentions how complicated E39 cooling system is, I'd like to remind that N63 engine exist. In fact, I kept my E39 just because of how simple and nice to work with it is.

[@rpmrallysport7071]

you make it so tempting - your killing me alex - love both of these

[@SmartDrug]

I looked away from the video on my second monitor to read an email. When I turned back around, I hadn't realized that you guys had switched from the BMW stuff to the Rolls distributor, I was in absolute shock that an E39 would use such an antiquated system. It took me a few seconds to realize what was going on, then I felt stupid and laughed at myself.

[@tomfurie2996]

I did something similar! I had to rewind to figure out where the transition happened, after I finally realized why I was so confused. Ha.

[@friguy4444]

Alex. As the very poor and not at all rich owner of a few BMW's I'll tell you the secret to removing the fan. Put the 1 inch (Or 32 mm or something like that) wrench on the nut. Get a hammer (Large) and whack that sicker (The handle of the wrench) with it. It will come lose right off and then just spin the fan with your hand the rest of the way off. Done. Counter clockwise of course LOL. Oh and just tighten it with the wrench to as much as it will until it just spins the pump. It won't come off as that's why it's a counter clockwise thread. It spins it onto the thread when running. Trust me I'm poor because of my BMW addiction.

[@johnp8409]

Great video Alex, good to see some mechanical work done for a change.

[@davidshort6537]

Hi Alex, Nice fix on the Rolls but still noisy with a non standard exhaust..Great job..keep it up

[@weedfreer]

exactly! It sounds like an American Dragster! it should be quiet and inoffensive...to go with the smooth suspension. Also, when you stab the accelerator, it shouldnt just light up the tyres, it should gently 'whisk you away' on a column of air like like the winds of 'le Mistral' all the way up to top speed so as not to cause your passengers to spill their tea...or, fine single malt whisky 👍

[@davidshort6537]

@@weedfreer Like a graceful swan not a yappy dog...silent and serene turns more heads

[@weedfreer]

@@davidshort6537 yep...that was their mantra after all

[@homehouae2937]

I’ve been loving your vids man, planning on getting a project car to work on with my 14 year old. Keep the content going!!

[@stuartd9741]

Always enjoyed the Rolls content. Something a little different. And that brake pedal system of all them rods and linkages..! She looks a proper Rolls now. .. That BMW water pump replacement looks super complicated and very tricky to get right with all them seals. Always a pleasure watching your channel Alex... Any news/update on the eclipse? That was a clean car just like the fox body.👍

[@AnthonyRiscili]

At the 12:44 mark; When your mechanic goes “Where was that tube connected to?” Hilarious! Like you’re the expert in this shop you should know! Hahaha!

[@tollefreyerson6710]

Just love your channel Alex!! The BMW repairs I crave. Lol. E38 owner. Lol. Been with you from almost day one!! DYI at its best!!

[@andy1056]

Thanks for that “funnel-shop vac” tip. I can never find the stupid hose attachments for my vac. Very useful

[@billshirk1737]

Great video, I always learn something from your videos. Keep up the hard work.

[@marilynmain7375]

how much did the E39 eventually go for you two living the dream keep the vids coming

[@saulgonzalez5679]

I love the random uploads !!

[@xotic8617]

Always look forward to seeing an upload mate.. love the videos 👍🏼 should definitely be well over 1M by now. Watching from Country Western Australia 🇦🇺

[@denmark39]

Quality work 👏

[@persistencewins]

Yo Alex, great job video, but why didn’t you do The Valley pan as well, since the intake is already out? Congrats! Keep it up!

[@rogerjeck9281]

Good show Alex, like the combo of the roller and bay em vay! Assume you torqued the water pump pulley ?🙀 good luck with the sale(s)...

[@terrytamblyn9551]

Love the videos, have been watching for some time now and you never seem to get beaten by anything. One thing though regarding the oil in the carbareter dampening pots, they take a very thin oil such as 3 in 1 definitely not engine oil as you suggested.

[@1068andy]

Alex, it’s always great to watch and learn from your videos.

[@chriskethan5952]

Having done this job on my E38 4.4L engine, you probably should have replaced the valley pan gasket while you had the intake off...

[@Beer_Dad1975]

Guessing the engineers were thinking "nobody will ever need to replace the water pump or the o-rings - we can bury everything under the intake, it'll be fine!"

[@Emily1963eh]

540 Owner here, thinking the same thing.

[@doingyamom]

My family has 2 E38 740’s and an E39 540. I was thinking the exact same thing

[@Oo-IIII-oO]

"Next time"

[@djsonicc]

Tbh sounds like he should've just rebuilt the entire engine and resealed...while in there.

[@Legopassions]

Amazi g work as always Alex. Here is to a million subs 👍🏻👈🏻💪🏻

[@redjar69]

Valley pan gasket is a good thing to do as well. Mine started leaking months after doing the intake manifold gaskets

[@benjischneider4617]

I just did this same job to my 540i manual. Those injector cover bits can just be yanked up without undoing those little injector wire clips. I also did the valley pan gasket while I was in there as this is also something that like to fail. Glad I did it as my gasket was not looking good. Took me about a month to do this job as I had to keep ordering new parts lol

[@benjischneider4617]

Also spent at least 2 full days cleaning everything in there lol

[@YogisGarage]

Nice work guys. Lots of WIIT opportunities! Alex do you have an o-ring supplier you rely on or do you go OEM, FCP OE? Those and crush washers are a must have in my garage.

[@Z32andCG6]

I can say enough hoe much I appreciate you doing proper and thorough work on these cars before they're listed. There's another prominent youtuber that seems like a nice guy but kicks his cars out the door often without doing the easy deferred maintenance.

[@viviennepatterson5950]

Great to see the cars at auction. Maybe a good follow up video would be a breakdown again of numbers ever 5 cars or so. Shame it is so expensive to ship over here to NZ.

[@fransb8543]

I agree with you, chains and guides must have been done before. Probably the vanos as well, since at this age they're bound to make a clacking noise at idle.

[@rosewd2]

on my 75 shadow, those dampers on the carbs are filled with 20w engine oil. those dpark plug wires are about 300$ a set. I'd suggest you get a universal set from Jegs and make your own. you'll need an msd plug wire crimper for the vise to crimp on the ends.

[@joshmeusling3983]

Great video. Keep up the great content.

[@baitse7676]

I believe that's a York compressor for the A/C. Not sure about M62, but the N62 requires disconnecting the oil level sender wire in order to move the wiring harness out of the way. It may be a bigger pain than even this!

[@wernerdanler2742]

When I was a kid our mechanic, Don Bett, had an old Lincoln 2 door, from the 40s. it had aircon in the trunk with vents on the hat shelf behind the back seat. but it had clear plastic tubes that came up along the roof so the air would blow to the front. it also had a power antena. they had some great innovations on cars back then. I also remember seeing a MarkII with electric door latches.

[@victor58010]

That " random house clamp" at 10.42 dropped into the engine when you removed the split coolant hose in episode 5!

[@kevinc31]

Great vid. Thx

[@repentnow1720]

LUV that TA you are bidding on! (Wish it was a hardtop)

[@powermoveschris9891]

Holy engineering on the water pump

[@miscbits6399]

That RR dizzy system is really good - until it gets wet. I'd definitely change it for electronic though (too many mechanical fiddly bits, advance, etc), along with the AC compressor

[@jacedamon922]

I have learned so much from watching you work dude you are legit

[@hgvenom]

7:33 hello Alex, what is this mesh material you have on the floor? I seen it before and it was big enough to a hike car over it and wash it. I don't know how it is in reality but in the video seems like a great great idea to keep the floor clean and walk over a dry surface (I believe it should be cleaned periodically underneath it)

[@getdealtwithquick]

Valley pan gasket while you're in there, Alex. And yes, the thingy on the back of the intake also. AND: always test the heater valve before dissasembly. So much easier to replace with the intake is out when the solenoids fail or the valves are stuck. Ask me how I know... 🙄

[@steved7057]

Not a rolls guy but I do a lot of AC working for a heavy equipment OEM and those pressures look pretty good. They are pretty dependent on the ambient temperature but under 20 on the low side and 160-220 on the high side is the average

[@petepenn1]

Only Alex could mix and match up two opposites. Great ending for 2 Great Cars!!

[@xispaki]

great hack with that "wrench" 🤣🤣! i'm always learning news things with you!!!

[@chosenchild8416]

I really enjoy this channel.

[@markklein437]

I did all the repairs on my cars when I was younger. I’m 74 now and watching your video makes me glad I don’t need to do repairs on my vehicles ant longer. These old bones and joints are simply not up to the task.

[@jasonswift7098]

Nice work.

[@tomfurie2996]

Nice job Alex. I’ll take one of each. (I wish!) You might consider a 30-second update the last morning of the auction reminding us to watch the final action live. GLWTA!

[@martinhudobivnik5895]

I got flashbacks from having to remove the clutch on my Oxford green E39 a few years ago to fix the alternator and a few other things. Did it without this "tool", took me a while to figure out a way to unscrew it - I think I stuck something between the bolts and bent something in the process too.. works fine though. Three more months of enjoying it then it'll be ready for a retirement.

[@abbasssibatra8682]

Good job my friend 👍

[@Digital-Dan]

I can hear the engineers in Munich giggling from here when they designed this engine compartment.

[@Beer_Dad1975]

I wonder if you look up the BMW workshop manual it says "correct replacement procedure for water pump: Replace engine"

[@ianmontgomery7534]

@@Beer_Dad1975 More likely it would start - remove headlights then replace engine.

[@neil7692]

AC in many of the Elite cars of the US Lincoln, Cadillac, Buick, Oldsmobile all had the Evaporator in the rear and it was vented thru the ceiling. On the Rolls (and many cars) look for a site glass in high pressure line near the condenser. They were built into the fitting. That is how you know when its full.

[@shanedoink]

Just noticed you won a NBM TransAm WS6 on Modsandmiles! Cant wait to see this thing show up on the channel.

[@bobmanzi7712]

great stuff thanks

[@rbailey225]

Valley Pan Gasket! A huge while you're in there. That's probably where all the gunked up coolant was coming from.

[@adamborgerding5302]

Love the long videos!!

[@FappinSteve]

Alex - I love cars, but sometimes I have a difficult time watching so many "build montages" (*cough cough* tavarish *cough cough*) however, I really enjoy how you work and still talk to camera. Makes for a much better video.

[@jamesackerman7473]

Love these videos! Why fix my own car when I can watch someone else fix theirs?

[@ragnarocking]

great job!

[@sharnsimmonds]

Eclipse in the background looks nice

[@coopers4491]

Great LEGIT content

[@glassvial]

I'm going to be sad to see that Rolls go, such a classy looking car. Good luck with the auction, Alex!

[@stuartd9741]

Indeed enjoyed watching the rolls series. Something a bit different....

[@IlistentotheRadioRadioStereo]

On the Rolls...did you shrink wrap the ends of the cut spark plug wires so that they don't spark from the exposed end?

[@abdulambon5148]

I’d love to see an early gen B8 S5 with the 4.2 V8 on the channel!

[@gilberesrepairs]

29:45 Looks like you fitted swimming goggles to the manifold 😂

[@chrisoakey9841]

you need to make your own water pump fan spanner. my friend buys the s..ty kmart spanner for grinding/ bending to individual car needs. he labels them and puts them in his specialty pile. $2 sometimes works better than the $300 factory version. and he keeps his good tools for verything else.

[@onekneegro]

Man the RR looks GREAT!!!!

[@Chilly383]

Man that GSX eclipse so good in back ground. 4G63T!

[@musicmanbc9613]

The amount you keep your cool makes me think you edit out hours of cursing! I know for me it would!

[@amargacanica1042]

Best channel on KZbin

[@sethallison4525]

Idk if this is of any help but being a GM Tech, and when an 04 and prior truck comes in I use my biggest wrench and a 3 lbs hammer. Works pretty well honestly. Never have to hold the pulley either. Just a thought.