1886 BMW 735i restoration

Hello:

I just bought a 1986 BMW 735i for my son. He and I plan to restore the car. I am very new and not very experienced at this. I was wondering if anyone can provide me with some direction?

1) I need to find an owners manual for this car and/or something that can help me identify parts of the engine (especially hoses - see below.)

2) A long hose connected to the power steering reservoir and going underneath the engine block broke. I am trying to find out exactly what part to order to replace this hose. I've been to many sites that sell parts for this car, but I don't see a picture of the long hose and the fittings within the parts they sell under the "steering" section. I know its not the P/S hose from the power steeting pump to the pressure regualtor. I had an auto store order for me a P/S hose - pressure side that looks a little like what I need to replace it, but it wasn't long enough and didn't have the right fittings. (I think the auto store ordered a P/S hose from the pressure accumulator to steering box.) The only other item I see available is a P/S hose - reservoir to steering pump. But the hose I need has fitting on each end, is about 4ft long, has two couplings about 1 ft a part from each other, and one end is contected to the P/S reservoir. I've talked to a couple local dealers, but they seem a little uneasy providing me with information on a car more than ten years old.

Any advice, direction, or useful websites would be greatly helpful.

Thanks so much.

rkillion76

I think you'll come to love your e23 as much as I love mine. It is a great car that with good maintenance will last over 300k miles. The HVAC is balky but with patience, DIY fixable. The instrument cluster has a lot of little problems, but for the most part is also DIY repairable.

Here is the overall checklist I like to give people:

http://bimmer.roadfly.org/e23/messages/archive/msgsy2002w11/25654.html

It is for the e28 (5-series) but ports over well for the e23. Here is another link with a LOT of information:

http://www.e38.org/e23/

Also, and this is really important, become a member of the e23 forum on roadfly.org. There is so much information there from an excellent, friendly, group of e23 enthusiasts who will share their knowledge with you freely.

Here is a part that sound like the one you described. Look on ebay. Do a search for BMW e23 and you will see lots of parts for our cars there. Here's the url for the PS hose:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=33588&item=2454432313

Get parts cd rom from Bavarian autosport.