DIY: Crumbling Cowl / Center Engine Closing Panel / Plastic Panel Behind Engine

[OnTheFence]

I started a new thread b/c all other threads referencing this are titled "What do you call this part?" which does not lend itself to future searches.

In hindsight, the most interesting aspect of this DIY is the realization that this cowl doesn't seem to have any obvious purpose.
Look at the photos. The only thing it does is keep that center hose in place. Yet, there is no play anyway. It's not going anywhere.
I bet you can just remove the decaying cowl and not even replace it.

Here is the DIY
http://www.bmwtips.com/tipsntricks/Cowlreplace/cowl.htm

I will add this to the DIY (which is very good)

• As you remove the old cowl, chunks will fall off. I took the time to fish out the chunks of cowl that fell beck into the tranny. Use a coat hanger or your hand.
• Before removal, take note how to cowl seats behind the air box ducts.
• Be patient putting the new cowl in. You need to flex it concave to get it to fit.
• Make sure to seat the air hose into the cowl grooves WHILE you are positioning the cowl. You can't seat it after the cowl is in place.
• Careful putting the 4 "cam" bolts back in. It is very easy to drop them. You need to press HARD then twist. If engaged properly, the twist will "suck" the bolt right into place.
• To reattach the air ducts, make sure you seat the underside of the oval collar first. Then, the top 3 clips slides right into place.

The entire job takes 1 hour if you take your time, but get stuck in a few places, etc.

Here is the realOEM
http://realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?...92&hg=51&fg=80

Part number 51718158237
Type it into www.furiousmethod.com to find the best price.
Right now, it's ECS Tuning for $32.

If you want to play it safe, there are 4 locking "cams"
$1 at ECS, in case you drop/lose one, etc.
Part number: 51718204904

Some pics:




This final "step" felt good. You want to crumble? I'll show you CRUMBLE.

[Al's540i]

Good job! I did this several years ago as well. Engine bay looks much better!

[aspensilver540]

I started this DIY on accident during Intake Manifold removal. I think it is a natural step on a 15 yr old car.

The entire job takes 1 hour if you take your time, but get stuck in a few places, etc.

You should know better than "1 hour" promised DIY times, this took me 7 hours. I got stuck because of exploding rubber, parts that would only crumble loose, then of course it took 2 hours to even figure out how to orient the cowl for the right installation angle

[OnTheFence]

LOL. This was one of the few DIYs with an honest time estimate (50 mins)

If nothing goes wrong, it will take 30 mins.

Personally, I had to take a little extra time with:

• jamming the cowl into place,
• getting the hose fastened to the cowl,
• getting the "cam" bolts back in.
• getting the air ducts reseated
• fishing out the plastic chunks that fell onto the tranny.

[edjack]

So, why did you replace it? It's an old car, after all.

[OnTheFence]

ed,

This was a low priority DIY that took 8 months to finally get around to.
It was a part I added to a larger order.
For $30, I figured I'd learn something new.
Also, who knows if enough chunks crumble off and melt onto the wrong thing.
In other words, I figured it couldn't hurt.

Timing chain tensioner is next.

[Jason5driver]

I soooo need to do this...!

Thanks!
Jason

[jase007]

I did mine last summer.

Plastic parts + age + heat = no bueno

[Johntee540]

I did mine last summer.

Plastic parts + age + heat = no bueno

Good to know Jase. I will be over to do mine in a week! - JT

[luminmiller]

I will definitely get a new one.... after I saw the awesome crumble photo...cheers!

[97heath528i]

I need to do this cowl and the one under the wiper blades at base of windshield.

[larrym3711]

Question: is there any easy to obtain "plastic preservative" that we could use to minimize plastic degradation? Maybe a silicon spray? Or ???

larrym3711
2001 540iA Sport
(with currently good plastic parts)

[97heath528i]

It would just need to be something heat resistant. I am not sure of anything out there like that as a spray.

[Maineiac 1]

My windshield wiper motor died two weeks ago, right before I was scheduled to leave on a long trip. Got it into the shop day before I left. Got called into the shop after the tech had removed the wipers, the cowl, and about 4 or 5 other plastic parts underneath the cowl. Was shocked to see how deteriorated this plastic stuff is. No time to order new plastic parts, but got the wiper motor in and left the next day. Now that I am back home, I would like to order replacement parts for the bad ones.
QUESTION - This thread has the name and part number for the cowl itself, but what are the other plastic parts' names that lay underneath the cowl, and what are those parts numbers?
As an aside, I could not believe all the crap that had to be removed to get to the wiper motor, including these plastic parts. I guess it could have been worse if the motor were located under the dash instead, but for something that usually fails on these older e39's, it seems to me that the wiper motor could be located in a more accessible place. The owner of the shop said Mercedes are even worse, and the labor costs are twice as much to replace the wiper motor on Mercedes than on BMW's.

[jamesdc4]

QUESTION - This thread has the name and part number for the cowl itself, but what are the other plastic parts' names that lay underneath the cowl, and what are those parts numbers?

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts...51&fg=80&hl=15