A BMW diesel question...
 

Maybe this post doesn't belong here but here it goes anyway.
I rememeber back in the 80's, BMW had a turbo diesel 5 series sedan, the 525 td. I never saw many of them and had forgotten all about them until the other day I got passed by one.
I imagine they were not very popular here in the States otherwise I would have seen them more often.
Does anyone in this forum have any experience with them or may even have one?

As far as I know, BMW made the 524td in 1985 and 1986. I've heard rumors that they also made one in 1984, but I'm not sure about that. I've only seen one of them in my life, and it was a good looking car.

From what I've heard, owners of Rialta (?) RVs buy them up for parts because the RV is powered by the same BMW 2.4 I-6 turbodiesel engine.

Good luck finding one!

I think they were available in manual and automatic... not sure though.

This diesel was also used in the 1984 Lincoln Continental.

Check Ebay
 

There's one for sale on Ebay right now!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=6008&item=2464561325

Too bad its way out in Jersey. If it were in my area I might think about looking at it.
I did a search on the BMW 525td on the web and it looks like it was available in the 90's as well. The 90's model was a much nicer looking car.

I think the motorhome to which you are referring is called a Vixen. They were very avant garde in their time and came equipped with the BMW TD.

BMW did not produce many consumer diesels. I think this was the only one. The 524td was built on the BMW e28 chassis, one of the most successful of all BMW body designs. (The top model of that year, the M5 is an all time classic and handles like it is on rails.) The BMW 524td is a turbo diesel and is quite reliable vehicle. Chassis parts are readily obtainable, but motor parts are getting scarce. The M-B engines are a dime a dozen compared with the BMW. As someone mentioned this engine was also used in the Vixen vans and in the Lincoln Continental (a total dog of a car!).

So with the BMW powered diesel, Lincoln for one time had a reliable car.

You're absolutely right, it was the Vixen. I don't know why I was thinking Rialta. :confused:

The car on eBay looks very nice. I'd probably buy it if I didn't already have my SDL. Too bad it's an automatic... a manual would be really sweet.

That'd be the Bimmer I'd want since it has the automatic. I can't drive a stick in traffic anymore. Bad knees!:(

A stick shift and M5 suspension, and I'd be good to go. :cool:

It looks like this one is going for a pretty fair price.

Looks like I'm missing out on another good deal!http://www.click-smilies.de/sammlung...smiley-023.gif

I've never seen a 534td with stick from the factory. But it would not be a very difficult mod to throw a 5 speed getrag 265 in it.

what would it take to put a manual tranny on one of these cars? is a getrag 265 the manual tranny that came on the 528e or 533i?

wpould there be any tranny support fabrication or is a swap on and off deal, like in a MB?

i would love to have turbo diesel with a 5sp, and i already have a parts car with a manual....

thanks for any info...

The getrag 260 or preferably the 265 would be the tranny to use. The diesel does not put out much power, so a standard 535 clutch would suffice. I would use the flywheel from a 533 because they are lighter. You will need a driveshaft from a manual transmission 533 or 535. you will also need the "pedal box", clutch slave cyl, and transmission mounts from the donor. then, just bolt it on!

If your diesel has the economy/sport transmission (hp422eh), you will need to jump a few wires in the motronic plug. This is documented on my web site http://bmwturbos.scottiesharpe.com look in the libary for a document that discusses swapping in a manual for an auto.