E39 Engine/Motor Mounts Helpful Info

There are many tutorials on how to replace engine mounts for E39s but here are some useful tips that they are missing or did not emphasize enough. This job is simple and can be done relatively quickly with my tips below.

Tips: 

• My driver side mount required a 21 mm socket for the top cover
• Universal sockets or adapter is required due to the angle of the nuts
• Raise the car onto four jack stands or ramps. I made the mistake of only lifting the front and it was impossible to remove the mounts
• Other tutorials say jack engine one or two inches. That is not enough to remove passenger side engine mount. You must remove engine fan using 32 mm wrench and holding tool to lift engine. Otherwise the fan will bump into fan shroud and crack
• I highly recommend using two people when lowering engine. One person lowers car jack while other person ensures engine mount studs go through mounting holes
• Penetrating oil on the nuts, especially if mounts have never been replaced before
• Motor mounts are a good preventative maintenance item on E39s and E46s because if they fail the engine fan could hit the shroud and explode, destroying your coolant lines. 
• Use a deep 16 mm socket for the nuts. 

Go with Lemforder engine mounts, they are OEM for BMW. Other brand engine mounts are much cheaper but will not last long. 

There is a big difference in ride quality and idle smoothness after changing my engine mounts. No more harsh idle or front swaying in corners.

I don't know if it's a coincidence or changing my mounts caused my airbag light to go on and steering wheel radio controls to stop working. When I turn off the car the radio keeps playing. 

E39 Windshield Spray Nozzle - Needs Adjustment

You must adjust the BMW windshield spray nozzle on an E39 after installing. Otherwise it will spray over your windshield.

To adjust, I suggest using plastic picks to carefully aim the nozzles downward. It's okay if aiming is incorrect, you can always adjust. Aiming requires some patience as I have noticed it's difficult to break tension but very easy to over-adjust and aim too low.

Please be careful using metal picks or needles, it's really easy to damage the E39's nozzles.

I replaced my spray nozzles because the intensive cleaning hose was cracked, The hose was extremely hard and difficult to remove from the spray nozzle and I ended up breaking the male adapter.

Intensive Windshield Washer Nozzle is part # 61668361042
Regular Windshield Washer Nozzle is part # 61668361039

Intensive washer hose is part # 61608364209
Regular washer hose is part # 61608364200

Guide to Maxing Out Certs in Planetside 2

Farming certs shouldn't be a chore and here is my way to quickly get the most amount of certs.

Pick an Engineer

Equip primary with NS-AM7 Archer anti-materiel rifle and shoot at everything, especially Maxes.

• Purchase 4x scope
• Equip with straight pull bolt if you spend most time looking down scope
• Equip with laser sight if you don't use scope much

Secondary weapon

• NS-44 Commissioner or NS-357 Underboss if you are a great shot
• If you are not a good shot, then find a pistol that you like

Put as many certs as possible into repair tool. 

Anti-infantry mana turret.

Suit slots, implants, and equipment choice is dependent on your play style and situation. 

I love this NS-AM7 Archer because you can take down Maxes in three hits and you can shoot at anything and rack up experience. It doesn't do much damage with infantry so I would follow up with secondary or use anti-infantry mana turret against large waves. 

This build it the ultimate support build and I would pair this up with a Sunderer the ammunition reloading slot and watch the certs roll in. 

Galaxies, Maxes, and Valkyries are my favorite targets. Base/Hive buildings are a good targets as well. The Archer doesn't do a whole lot of damage against vehicles but it's enough to annoy them and gain assist kill damage experience. 

EMP Stewart Water Pump

Comparison of EMP Stewart water pump and OEM on E39 530i.

The EMP Stewart water pump is a high performance all metal pump that comes with lifetime warranty. They claim 20% increased water flow over OEM which works well with larger pulleys for maximum performance.

I have been using the EMP Stewart water pump for over 10K miles and hope to get many more miles. It's not cheap at $175 - $195, but the benefits outweigh the costs.

Used on my M54B30 engine and will fit any related engines.

High quality construction and looks great

Beefier than OEM and larger impeller

Installation is the same as OEM. I highly suggest buying an aftermarket aluminum pulley instead of using the OEM plastic one. Since you have removed everything to get to the water pump, replace the pulley to prevent it from cracking over time.

This pump is a E36 M3 favorite with lower drag and more efficient cooling. Many E36 M3 drivers in my BMWCCA club swear by this pump on their tracking days.

Ammo Boost Winter Wash Unboxing

I ordered Ammo NYC's Boost after watching the release video.

We get really nasty winters and there is so much road salt and crap being thrown on the roads. Corrosion is a big problem because of the large fluctuations in temperatures and weather in March.

Boost is what I have been looking for since I have started detailing and the answer for additional protection while washing road salt and grime off your vehicle.

The only place to purchase boost is Ammo NYC's website and costs $25. Shipping on all order is a $10 flat rate. Their shipping is what prevents me from ordering their other items. Other detailing shops will most likely give you free shipping or a discounted rate if you have large orders.

Boost wrapped in some paper.

Boost comes in the standard Ammo 16 oz bottle with nice clean labelling. 

Review: 

I poured a small amount of Boost into a 5 gallon bucket as shown in the video and Meguiar's Ultimate Wash and Wax. I could tell the difference immediately just by the amount of suds and foaming action coming out of the bucket. As I dipped my wash mitt into the bucket, I noticed the water was much more slippery than without boost. The same slippy and yet smooth feeling could be felt while washing my car.

Boost can be very helpful if you have hard water and can't get a lot of suds out car soap. It definitely does what it is supposed to do and the bottle will last a long time with only a couple of squirts in each wash bucket.

Time will tell if Boost protects against corrosion. If Boost minimizes or eliminates corrosion than the $25 per bottle is well spent.

In the past I would dump a capful of Optimum No Rinse because of the high lubrication and protection against scratching while washing. However, it seemed like No Rinse decreased the amount of suds. Boost doesn't have that issue and in fact, increases the amount of suds by a lot.

I still can't get over $10 shipping. If Larry can lower shipping I would buy more from him.

iPhone 6 vs iPhone 7 Rear Camera Picture

iPhone 7 rear camera has a 12 megapixel sensor with an aperture of f/1.8 and six element lens.
iPhone 6 rear camera has a 8 megapixel sensor with an aperture of f/2.2 and five element lens.

The iPhone 7 also comes with optical image stabilization and a Quad-LED flash, the iPhone 6 does not have this.

Both can record 4K videos and take 8 megapixel still photos while recording.

Pictures on the iPhone 7 look much better, especially in low light conditions. 

How the iPhones have grown in size.

Zimmerman Z-Coated Rear Rotor on E39 530i

Zimmerman Z-Coated rear rotor and StopTech street performance brake pads on a BMW E39 530i. H&R sport springs and Bilstein sport shocks shown as well.

Braking performance is amazing and I love this setup. Only downside is the amount of dust the StopTech brake pads generate.

Aftermarket Cup Holder Replacement for BMW E39 5 Series

This DIY applies to all E39 5 Series 97-03.

OEM cup holders are notorious for breaking because they are extremely flimsy and there aren't any other cup holder locations. If you are lucky, the cup holder will break while open so there is access to the Phillips screws. If the cup holder is broken while closed and you cannot open then removal of the audio and climate controls may be necessary. A small flat head screwdriver may be used to pry open the flanges from the side to access the screws.

Luckily there are aftermarket options that are durable and cheap. The only downsides are they take up the tray area because there aren't flanges and accessibility to the climate control may be difficult with drinks.

I went with the FGT Motorsport E39 Front Cup Holder Upgrade which has been working great. Every aftermarket cup holder looks exactly the same and another good one is the TrunkNets E39 Premium Front Cup Holder.

I have added pictures below of what the aftermarket cup holders look like and how they attach to the tray.

If the flanges are open:
Locate screws on cup holder and remove using Phillips screwdriver.

Cup holder removed to reveal cheap flimsy plastic parts.

Cup holder removed.

Remove tape cover and attach aftermarket cup holder to tray. 

Done! Enjoy your drinks without having to holding them in between your legs. The FGT cup holders are very sturdy and I can fit large drinks in them. No more annoyance looking down at seeing broken flanges, they are replaced with a clean and classy aftermarket mod.