quick- help with sub frame

[ak96ss]

you could'v put a long screwdriver inside the bushing and wiggled it arround, i did 2 frozen bushigns like that. or a punch at and angle working in a circle will do it as well. good luck

I tried that with mine, didn't work. As you can see from the pics I posted above, it was seized well and good. I had to cut the remnants out with a dremel after the 'nipple' on the bushing broke off. That's after 3 days of soaking in PB Blaster and many, many tries at getting that thing to come out. Hell, I hit it with an air hammer and it wouldn't budge.

New bushing has antiseize on the nipple, shouldn't happen again. :)

[kowalski]

I tried that with mine, didn't work. As you can see from the pics I posted above, it was seized well and good. I had to cut the remnants out with a dremel after the 'nipple' on the bushing broke off. That's after 3 days of soaking in PB Blaster and many, many tries at getting that thing to come out. Hell, I hit it with an air hammer and it wouldn't budge.

New bushing has antiseize on the nipple, shouldn't happen again. :)

doh! i thought about doing that. o well, i shouldn't have to do the subframe bushings again... and i'v got the trick that works for me. i was also hitting it with a sledge hammer... for like 15 min:)

[redhatpat]

That part is $33 at BMA new for your 1990 325i....

Not to knock these guys, I know nothing about them, but I have had very good experiences with both BMA Parts and Pelican Parts: both have reasonable prices and excellent customer service. BMA tends to be less expensive, FWIW, and I order most of my parts from them now.

Just to clarify, I was talking about the thermostat housing block, the larger assembly that bolts to the engine block. I suspect you're talking about the thermostat cover, a much smaller piece. What I needed wasn't a regular service part, and I needed it NOW so I could drive to work.

Also, what Kowalski said, $cdn vs. $us. Also, I remember now I talked to the guy down to $30Cdn since there was some unsightly corrosion on one part of it. So the price was okay.

As far as that wrecker being a rip off, well, I've found all wrecker's are willing to haggle over the price. I just go to them for parts I just can't get anywhere else.

[ak96ss]

Just to clarify, I was talking about the thermostat housing block, the larger assembly that bolts to the engine block. I suspect you're talking about the thermostat cover, a much smaller piece. What I needed wasn't a regular service part, and I needed it NOW so I could drive to work.

Also, what Kowalski said, $cdn vs. $us. Also, I remember now I talked to the guy down to $30Cdn since there was some unsightly corrosion on one part of it. So the price was okay.

As far as that wrecker being a rip off, well, I've found all wrecker's are willing to haggle over the price. I just go to them for parts I just can't get anywhere else.

Part number 11531730470, item number 1 here http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts...59&hg=11&fg=35
is the one I was talking about at US$ 33 from BMA, and it shows up in their online catalog, so it is definitely available from them.

Whatever floats your boat - I've found that I can buy most parts brand new pretty reasonably, so I tend to not screw around with wrecking yards. I prefer spending a little extra to get a new part instead of taking my chances that the used part will fail.

Which is not to say that new parts won't fail, just that they are less likely to.

[redhatpat]

Part number 11531730470, item number 1 here http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts...59&hg=11&fg=35
is the one I was talking about at US$ 33 from BMA, and it shows up in their online catalog, so it is definitely available from them.

Whatever floats your boat - I've found that I can buy most parts brand new pretty reasonably, so I tend to not screw around with wrecking yards. I prefer spending a little extra to get a new part instead of taking my chances that the used part will fail.

Which is not to say that new parts won't fail, just that they are less likely to.

Wow! Yes, thats the same part. I'm pretty surprised to see it's pretty readily available. I'll just have to bookmark that page. Thanks for the info.

[ak96ss]

Wow! Yes, thats the same part. I'm pretty surprised to see it's pretty readily available. I'll just have to bookmark that page. Thanks for the info.

I'm constantly amazed at what you can still get. Within 5 years of buying my Impala SS (the last model year of three, but the body style had been around nearly unchanged for years, and the chassis is essentially unchanged since the mid-1970's), Chevrolet had stopped manufacturing many wear items, not to mention things like door panels, plastic trim, etc.

I just bought a new splash shield from BMA, with OEM BMW stickers still on it. This is the large plastic piece that fits underneath the front end, between the bumper and the engine compartment. OK, it was $77, but I could still order it new from them!

Then again, when you consider that BMW Mobile Tradition is building a 'new' 2002tii sourced almost entirely from their parts catalog, it's not too amazing. It won't be cheap at an estimated $97k, but still...

Check this out: http://vintagecars.about.com/od/rest...02bmw.htm?rd=1