ChrisO

The car has a new fuel pump and fuel lines, the previous owner just put the tank back in in the last two years
I havent personally cranked it, but in the last two years the previous owner tried to get it to run on multiple occasions
I really appreciate the advice from everyone, I'm definitely going to put some oil down into the cylinders before I try to start it and put a quart through the motor. I'm probably going to pull the valve cover gasket to take a look at the sludge and make sure I see no obvious damage
For now, there isn't a chance I could have gotten it to run today. I went over the engine bay very thoroughly and found several different issues that would prevent the car from running.
The cam pulse sensor that surrounds a spark plug wire is destroyed. Unfortunately this is a $170 sensor, and is s38b36 specific and only available as a genuine BMW part.  @straight6pwr you were right, it's already expensive

Next pretty much every vacuum line is bad. The one off the fuel pressure regulator is completely split in half



The intake boot post-maf is torn wideee open
The maf plug was half plugged in 

So I need to order that cam sensor and a intake boot, and redo the vacuum lines. All pretty simple things, I'm going to pull the plenum off and redo all the vacuum lines while I wait for the sensor.
I did put power to the car today though, just to see if everything worked. All headlights, tail lights, turn signals all work. Blower motor works, windows work, all seat functions work. Radio turns on but nothing comes out of the speakers, assuming It's thanks to the hellish wiring and amp/sub set up in the trunk.
It was a good feeling to see the car come to life with power

Just under 192k miles
A lot for having sat the last 11 years, would probably be over 250k if it never stopped running
I spent most of the day just degreasing and cleaning inside the engine bay, it was really bad and now I have a pretty clean motor to work with
 

The itb throttle linkage was pretty gummed up, I really focused on that and it's much better now
Gave the car a wash on the outside the best I could without running water, I just wanted to make it look less like a abandoned car in the parking lot of my apartment haha

But yeah, no wonder the car wouldn't start... More to come

The car has a new fuel pump and fuel lines, the previous owner just put the tank back in in the last two years
I havent personally cranked it, but in the last two years the previous owner tried to get it to run on multiple occasions
I really appreciate the advice from everyone, I'm definitely going to put some oil down into the cylinders before I try to start it and put a quart through the motor. I'm probably going to pull the valve cover gasket to take a look at the sludge and make sure I see no obvious damage
For now, there isn't a chance I could have gotten it to run today. I went over the engine bay very thoroughly and found several different issues that would prevent the car from running.
The cam pulse sensor that surrounds a spark plug wire is destroyed. Unfortunately this is a $170 sensor, and is s38b36 specific and only available as a genuine BMW part.  @straight6pwr you were right, it's already expensive

Next pretty much every vacuum line is bad. The one off the fuel pressure regulator is completely split in half



The intake boot post-maf is torn wideee open
The maf plug was half plugged in 

So I need to order that cam sensor and a intake boot, and redo the vacuum lines. All pretty simple things, I'm going to pull the plenum off and redo all the vacuum lines while I wait for the sensor.
I did put power to the car today though, just to see if everything worked. All headlights, tail lights, turn signals all work. Blower motor works, windows work, all seat functions work. Radio turns on but nothing comes out of the speakers, assuming It's thanks to the hellish wiring and amp/sub set up in the trunk.
It was a good feeling to see the car come to life with power

Just under 192k miles
A lot for having sat the last 11 years, would probably be over 250k if it never stopped running
I spent most of the day just degreasing and cleaning inside the engine bay, it was really bad and now I have a pretty clean motor to work with
 

The itb throttle linkage was pretty gummed up, I really focused on that and it's much better now
Gave the car a wash on the outside the best I could without running water, I just wanted to make it look less like a abandoned car in the parking lot of my apartment haha

But yeah, no wonder the car wouldn't start... More to come

The car has a new fuel pump and fuel lines, the previous owner just put the tank back in in the last two years
I havent personally cranked it, but in the last two years the previous owner tried to get it to run on multiple occasions
I really appreciate the advice from everyone, I'm definitely going to put some oil down into the cylinders before I try to start it and put a quart through the motor. I'm probably going to pull the valve cover gasket to take a look at the sludge and make sure I see no obvious damage
For now, there isn't a chance I could have gotten it to run today. I went over the engine bay very thoroughly and found several different issues that would prevent the car from running.
The cam pulse sensor that surrounds a spark plug wire is destroyed. Unfortunately this is a $170 sensor, and is s38b36 specific and only available as a genuine BMW part.  @straight6pwr you were right, it's already expensive

Next pretty much every vacuum line is bad. The one off the fuel pressure regulator is completely split in half



The intake boot post-maf is torn wideee open
The maf plug was half plugged in 

So I need to order that cam sensor and a intake boot, and redo the vacuum lines. All pretty simple things, I'm going to pull the plenum off and redo all the vacuum lines while I wait for the sensor.
I did put power to the car today though, just to see if everything worked. All headlights, tail lights, turn signals all work. Blower motor works, windows work, all seat functions work. Radio turns on but nothing comes out of the speakers, assuming It's thanks to the hellish wiring and amp/sub set up in the trunk.
It was a good feeling to see the car come to life with power

Just under 192k miles
A lot for having sat the last 11 years, would probably be over 250k if it never stopped running
I spent most of the day just degreasing and cleaning inside the engine bay, it was really bad and now I have a pretty clean motor to work with
 

The itb throttle linkage was pretty gummed up, I really focused on that and it's much better now
Gave the car a wash on the outside the best I could without running water, I just wanted to make it look less like a abandoned car in the parking lot of my apartment haha

But yeah, no wonder the car wouldn't start... More to come

All good suggestions. I’d over prepare for the first start being a high tolerance motor.  If you want to pull the tank, they are fairly simple on e34’s, just two tank straps to undo. The front strap bolts can be tricky if things are rusty though. 
 
Really cool that this car still has its dealer tags on the keys. The keyless entry system is easy to reprogram too if everything is working. 

I would pull the engine, just because it appears to be my favorite activity. 
Maybe even put it in a lifted E30. 
Who knows. 

But for real. This thing is cool and uncommon. 

I know a mix of ATF and Seafoam with the oil is good for clearing stuff out (only let it run for a bit). 

That documentation alone would be enough for me to try and save it.
If I were you, I would fill that motor with marvel or a detergent and let it sit a day or two. Then I would drop the pan and remove the VC. Thoroughly clean it and pour new oil through the head and allow it to flow through the motor until its clean and no longer gross. Rotate the oil pump and motor by hand till it seems to spin free and easy. Then reassemble and do the basics. Motors are pretty durable, its just contaminants and lack of lubrication that usually cause failures.
Also: http://www.mye28.com/viewtopic.php?t=123682
    

Thanks Chris, very cool!

Will u cum to one of my threads and roast me next 

Here’s just a few more pics of the car and some interesting things 
PO gave me a bucket of stuff from the car and these diagnostic tools were in it, along with a custom ground down spark plug socket (s38’s have very narrow spark plug holes)


also in the bucket was a 12v adapter that plugs into where the glovebox flashlight goes 

Car has all the keys it came with from the factory, I think. Also has full documentation from the dealer 


Break in period sticker from when the car was new, assuming this is pretty damn rare to see

full size m system spare and a almost complete tool kit


Few interior shots 


 

Yes! 
I love that they even suggest the idea of running at max speed for a long duration in the break in label.
amazing to see keyless entry from that vintage as well.
id squirt some oil/atf down the cylinders and look into priming the oil pump before firing it up. 
 
Fun project

That's very cool!

Here’s just a few more pics of the car and some interesting things 
PO gave me a bucket of stuff from the car and these diagnostic tools were in it, along with a custom ground down spark plug socket (s38’s have very narrow spark plug holes)


also in the bucket was a 12v adapter that plugs into where the glovebox flashlight goes 

Car has all the keys it came with from the factory, I think. Also has full documentation from the dealer 


Break in period sticker from when the car was new, assuming this is pretty damn rare to see

full size m system spare and a almost complete tool kit


Few interior shots 


 

i don't mean to rain on the P.O.'s parade, but there's a perfectly good spark plug tool in that tool kit...yet there he was, grinding and grinding and grinding 

Here’s just a few more pics of the car and some interesting things 
PO gave me a bucket of stuff from the car and these diagnostic tools were in it, along with a custom ground down spark plug socket (s38’s have very narrow spark plug holes)


also in the bucket was a 12v adapter that plugs into where the glovebox flashlight goes 

Car has all the keys it came with from the factory, I think. Also has full documentation from the dealer 


Break in period sticker from when the car was new, assuming this is pretty damn rare to see

full size m system spare and a almost complete tool kit


Few interior shots 


 

Here’s just a few more pics of the car and some interesting things 
PO gave me a bucket of stuff from the car and these diagnostic tools were in it, along with a custom ground down spark plug socket (s38’s have very narrow spark plug holes)


also in the bucket was a 12v adapter that plugs into where the glovebox flashlight goes 

Car has all the keys it came with from the factory, I think. Also has full documentation from the dealer 


Break in period sticker from when the car was new, assuming this is pretty damn rare to see

full size m system spare and a almost complete tool kit


Few interior shots 


 

Will u cum to one of my threads and roast me next 

Yes, moisture over the course of ten years will cause that.

Thanks for all of the kind words, and not-so-kind words 
While I know it's not everyone's cup of tea, I like it and I'm glad I got it. I'm excited to see how it feels once I take the car out of the garage. I do plan on finishing my original M-Sport center trim and will at least install it to see if I like it better without so much carbon fiber. I'll be sure to post an update on that so we can open the flood gates again 

the oil mixed with condensation, acidic goo, etc etc is obviously no good, but draining it the best you can and filling with fresh oil (maybe with some cleaner with it, like seafoam) and running the engine for a little while to clean the rest shouldn't hurt. maybe putting some oil directly into the cylinders days prior would be helpful.  then just change the oil again with fresh stuff. i'd think disassembling the engine would cause more problems than it would help.
 

Real promising start here, took me 3 seconds to see the crank position sensor wires are cut clean in half, not sure how or why that happened. Also I've noticed inside of the oil cap, the head has a nice creamy sludge pooled at the bottom off the head bellow the cams in those pockets. It's pretty thick gunk... I know moisture can cause stuff like this but it's pretty thick. PO told me he changed the oil last year when he tried to get it to run, and the oil in the pan looks perfect (although very thick). One observation I made is the oil is way overfilled. I wonder if the motor was filled with sludge that wouldn't drain completely when he added 8 quarts of fresh oil?

Under no circumstances does it seem normal to me, but I might be mistaken? the car did sit with the same oil in it for 10 years... I can't run most of the blown headgasket tests thanks to the car being a no start, and the cooling system being completely dry/ probably not holding pressure due to old hoses. I can do a leak down and compression test. Opinions? When I have more time I'm going to pull the valve cover gasket to better get a look at the inside of the head. 
also I discovered some subs and a amp under all the garbage in the trunk 😂

Looks like it has some kind of custom box for e34's, if anyone wants it all for super cheap let me know haha

Real promising start here, took me 3 seconds to see the crank position sensor wires are cut clean in half, not sure how or why that happened. Also I've noticed inside of the oil cap, the head has a nice creamy sludge pooled at the bottom off the head bellow the cams in those pockets. It's pretty thick gunk... I know moisture can cause stuff like this but it's pretty thick. PO told me he changed the oil last year when he tried to get it to run, and the oil in the pan looks perfect (although very thick). One observation I made is the oil is way overfilled. I wonder if the motor was filled with sludge that wouldn't drain completely when he added 8 quarts of fresh oil?

Under no circumstances does it seem normal to me, but I might be mistaken? the car did sit with the same oil in it for 10 years... I can't run most of the blown headgasket tests thanks to the car being a no start, and the cooling system being completely dry/ probably not holding pressure due to old hoses. I can do a leak down and compression test. Opinions? When I have more time I'm going to pull the valve cover gasket to better get a look at the inside of the head. 
also I discovered some subs and a amp under all the garbage in the trunk 😂

Looks like it has some kind of custom box for e34's, if anyone wants it all for super cheap let me know haha

Real promising start here, took me 3 seconds to see the crank position sensor wires are cut clean in half, not sure how or why that happened. Also I've noticed inside of the oil cap, the head has a nice creamy sludge pooled at the bottom off the head bellow the cams in those pockets. It's pretty thick gunk... I know moisture can cause stuff like this but it's pretty thick. PO told me he changed the oil last year when he tried to get it to run, and the oil in the pan looks perfect (although very thick). One observation I made is the oil is way overfilled. I wonder if the motor was filled with sludge that wouldn't drain completely when he added 8 quarts of fresh oil?

Under no circumstances does it seem normal to me, but I might be mistaken? the car did sit with the same oil in it for 10 years... I can't run most of the blown headgasket tests thanks to the car being a no start, and the cooling system being completely dry/ probably not holding pressure due to old hoses. I can do a leak down and compression test. Opinions? When I have more time I'm going to pull the valve cover gasket to better get a look at the inside of the head. 
also I discovered some subs and a amp under all the garbage in the trunk 😂

Looks like it has some kind of custom box for e34's, if anyone wants it all for super cheap let me know haha

^^ Same. They are fairly straight forward, and I have had my hands on just about every part of an S38 minus the bottom end internals. 
Fun Fact: the S38's have a few variables in the castings, components, and other features from Model to model, year to year. Not everything will bolt from one S38 to another. Example: S38B36 may have different engine mount tabs vs. S38B38. (kind of typical for BMW though)
 

If the engine has problems, let me know.  I haven't rebuilt an S38 but I have done a few others and although high output it isn't that different.