Z3 sills.....

UK forum for general and technical discussion about the Z3 roadster
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Z3Jeremy
Joined: Sun 23 Jun, 2013 08:40
Posts: 71

  Z3 roadster 1.9i

Z3 sills.....

Post by Z3Jeremy »

Good Evening Folks,
Just a quick one, would anyone be able to tell me are the sills the same on an early Mk1 Z3 and the later Mk2 Z3 regarding sourcing a replacement sill.
Thankyou very much..... Jeremy
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Gazza
Joined: Tue 04 Oct, 2005 20:58
Posts: 9521

  M roadster S54
Location: Romford Essex

Re: Z3 sills.....

Post by Gazza »

I checked on realoem.com and it only lists one part number per side 1996-2002

Left 41218401405
Right 41218401406
Gazza

"Understeer is when you hit the wall with the front of the car, oversteer is when you hit the wall with the rear of the car. Horsepower is how fast you hit the wall and torque is how far you take the wall with you"

Z3 S54 M roadster Image, BMW Z1, BMW M3 CSL, Z4M Coupe
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Z3Jeremy
Joined: Sun 23 Jun, 2013 08:40
Posts: 71

  Z3 roadster 1.9i

Re: Z3 sills.....

Post by Z3Jeremy »

Fantastic thankyou for looking Gazza, that keeps things simple which is fine by me!

Regards Jeremy.
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Gazza
Joined: Tue 04 Oct, 2005 20:58
Posts: 9521

  M roadster S54
Location: Romford Essex

Re: Z3 sills.....

Post by Gazza »

My pleasure :thumb:
Gazza

"Understeer is when you hit the wall with the front of the car, oversteer is when you hit the wall with the rear of the car. Horsepower is how fast you hit the wall and torque is how far you take the wall with you"

Z3 S54 M roadster Image, BMW Z1, BMW M3 CSL, Z4M Coupe
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Robert T
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Joined: Mon 12 Jun, 2006 10:35
Posts: 10170

  Z3 roadster 1.9
Location: Cheshire

Re: Z3 sills.....

Post by Robert T »

Almost right, G, but there are actually two variations. The part numbers above are for all pre-facelift wide-body, ///M and facelift cars. There is a different part number for pre-facelift narrowbody cars.

Edit: Pre-facelift narrowbody (in the UK this is the M44 1.9 only) part numbers are:
Left: 41218398649
Right: 41218398650

Cheers R.
Arctic Silver '99 Z3 1.9 & Black '59 Frogeye 1275cc
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Z3Jeremy
Joined: Sun 23 Jun, 2013 08:40
Posts: 71

  Z3 roadster 1.9i

Re: Z3 sills.....

Post by Z3Jeremy »

um so in essence then I need a widebody sill to suit my widebody year 2000 Z3....there are two designs of sill, one to suit widebody one to suit narrowbody… thanks guys....
Fender2004
Joined: Fri 14 Aug, 2009 10:24
Posts: 907

  Z3 roadster 2.8
Location: Houghton-Le-Spring

Re: Z3 sills.....

Post by Fender2004 »

Most people seem to buy new from the dealers as buying secondhand is difficult.
The last price I heard was about £157 each.
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thomasbrown92
Joined: Tue 05 Feb, 2013 18:55
Posts: 36

  Z3 roadster 2.2i
Location: South Shields

Re: Z3 sills.....

Post by thomasbrown92 »

Spookily enough - I've just had mine done at main dealer. Breakdown is as follows:
I've got a 2001 2.2.

Parts - £271.42
Labour - £290.67
Paint - £211.04

They found a bit of chassis corrosion on mine when they took the outer sill panels off - fingers crossed yours isn't as badly corroded!

Tom
Tom
2001 BMW Z3 2.2 Hellrot Red
2018 BMW 420d M Sport Gran Coupé [F36] Black Sapphire Metallic
Z3Jeremy
Joined: Sun 23 Jun, 2013 08:40
Posts: 71

  Z3 roadster 1.9i

Re: Z3 sills.....

Post by Z3Jeremy »

Thankyou all for info update, I wont be going down the brand new sill route that's for sure, my Z3 has done a million miles so as such its not worth a great deal. Car is off the road for now enjoying a slow motion refurbishment of sorts so...If anyone out there has a Z3 passenger side widebody sill ideally in steel grey then im interested in buying...

Regards all, Jeremy. (Come on Villa!)
Z3Jeremy
Joined: Sun 23 Jun, 2013 08:40
Posts: 71

  Z3 roadster 1.9i

Re: Z3 sills.....

Post by Z3Jeremy »

Good evening.....
Ahoy there any BMW Z3 sill removal experts! OK my car is in storage at my brothers so I cant check to see what tools I need to remove a damaged sill, Im heading over there this weekend with my trusty claw hammer and mole grips, joking, if anyone out there could advise me what I need oh and any handy hints then that would be brilliant and no sort of wasted trip.....Thankyou All.

Regards Jeremy....
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Gazza
Joined: Tue 04 Oct, 2005 20:58
Posts: 9521

  M roadster S54
Location: Romford Essex

Re: Z3 sills.....

Post by Gazza »

A selection of metric spanners/sockets and torx and Allen bits
Gazza

"Understeer is when you hit the wall with the front of the car, oversteer is when you hit the wall with the rear of the car. Horsepower is how fast you hit the wall and torque is how far you take the wall with you"

Z3 S54 M roadster Image, BMW Z1, BMW M3 CSL, Z4M Coupe
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woodsta888
Joined: Wed 25 May, 2011 09:26
Posts: 32

  Z3 roadster 2.0
Location: Exmouth

Re: Z3 sills.....

Post by woodsta888 »

Hi,

Deffo some penetrative oil with some lead time. Go for a brew and a breakfast at least.


Depends if they've been taken off before and different fixings used but, Usually 8 or 10mm self tapping hex nut screws.

To get the sills completely off you'll need to remove both wheel arch liners from ALL corners, the front wings and the bases of the rear wings.

Once you get that off, as it's probably the outer sill that is damaged. There is a gap between the outer sill (aesthetic) and inner sill (structural).

Assess for strutural sill damage and corrosion.

Loads of 'how to's' on the forums, check those for a check on tools required.
Z3Jeremy
Joined: Sun 23 Jun, 2013 08:40
Posts: 71

  Z3 roadster 1.9i

Re: Z3 sills.....

Post by Z3Jeremy »

thanks fellas that all helps...J
RobTFC
Joined: Mon 29 Dec, 2014 14:23
Posts: 40

  M roadster S50

Re: Z3 sills.....

Post by RobTFC »

Definitely get them from the dealer - any used sills will likely be no better than what you removed in the first place.

I've had 3 pairs from the dealer over the years for different cars, the last time I ordered I had to wait 2-3 months for a right hand side as they were manufacturing them to keep up with demand.

Also, if possible check the contents of the boxes when you pick them up - it didn't happen to me but the parts manager at my local dealer warned me that they'd had a spate of boxes labelled right side containing left side sills, and checked them for me.
Z3Jeremy
Joined: Sun 23 Jun, 2013 08:40
Posts: 71

  Z3 roadster 1.9i

Re: Z3 sills.....

Post by Z3Jeremy »

Hi Rob,
Appreciate your advice, yes your not kidding theres some rusty stuff out there....do you mean genuine BMW parts or is it possible to source pattern parts?

Thankyou, Jeremy
z3ddie
Joined: Sun 27 Apr, 2008 14:29
Posts: 93

  Z3 roadster 2.8
Location: Chinnor

Re: Z3 sills.....

Post by z3ddie »

Following this with interest - literally this morning had the front wheels off as there was corrosion at the bottom front of both sills - going to have a go at them myself and fill and sand where necessary - as an aside it is a bit of stupid design that forces all the road detritus into and behind the cover and sill - in the meantime just a quick clean, rust eater and a spray of Halfords finest for cosmetics
Bumpa
Joined: Fri 23 Jun, 2017 20:31
Posts: 70

  Z3 roadster 2.2i

Re: Z3 sills.....

Post by Bumpa »

Here's an article pinched from zroadster.org that gives a good idea of what you have to do.

https://zroadster.org/articles/bmw-z3-s ... ection.67/
klm_Z3
Joined: Mon 10 Nov, 2014 08:21
Posts: 9

  Z3 roadster 1.9

Re: Z3 sills.....

Post by klm_Z3 »

Some years ago I removed a set of sills from a scrapped Z3 and I found the sills have sealant around the edges to prevent ingress of dirt and water to the inner sill area. This sealant definitely looks original and I think it is essential that a seam sealer or a suitable silicone sealant is used when refitting or replacing the sills.

I am currently refurbishing the spare sills and like to know of a suitable replacement sealant to use when I replace the sills.
1997 BMW Z3 1.9L M44
1984 Ford Laser KB Ghia 1.5L
1999 Holden Astra CD 1.8L
1960 Morris Minor 1000 Convertible
Jonco
Joined: Sat 04 Jun, 2011 07:24
Posts: 402

  Z3 roadster 1.9
Location: Cheshire

Re: Z3 sills.....

Post by Jonco »

klm_Z3 wrote: Mon 09 Nov, 2020 03:03
I am currently refurbishing the spare sills and like to know of a suitable replacement sealant to use when I replace the sills.
Have recently used this https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/313125386352 after fitting new sill covers. Applied ok and seems to be good but not really tested yet.
klm_Z3
Joined: Mon 10 Nov, 2014 08:21
Posts: 9

  Z3 roadster 1.9

Re: Z3 sills.....

Post by klm_Z3 »

Should the sealant be applied after fitting the sill covers? The original sealant appear to have been applied at the two ends of the sill cover where it meets the front & rear wheel arch and around the bottom screws. It appears the sealant should be applied to the sill cover before placing it on the inner sill. Please clarify.
1997 BMW Z3 1.9L M44
1984 Ford Laser KB Ghia 1.5L
1999 Holden Astra CD 1.8L
1960 Morris Minor 1000 Convertible
Jonco
Joined: Sat 04 Jun, 2011 07:24
Posts: 402

  Z3 roadster 1.9
Location: Cheshire

Re: Z3 sills.....

Post by Jonco »

klm_Z3 wrote: Wed 11 Nov, 2020 06:12 Should the sealant be applied after fitting the sill covers? The original sealant appear to have been applied at the two ends of the sill cover where it meets the front & rear wheel arch and around the bottom screws. It appears the sealant should be applied to the sill cover before placing it on the inner sill. Please clarify.
Sorry don't know about original and there are different opinions on how best to apply/protect new covers.
In my case, I applied Stone Guard to inside and lower outside of new sill covers. I then applied Waxoyl sealant to full inner surface of the sills and covers. With the sill covers on the car and the arch liners partly fitted, I then injected the Silicone sealant between sill covers and liner mating faces and then completed assembly and let it cure. Bit messy but any excess wipes off easily with white spirit.
Time will tell how effective this is. HTH
klm_Z3
Joined: Mon 10 Nov, 2014 08:21
Posts: 9

  Z3 roadster 1.9

Re: Z3 sills.....

Post by klm_Z3 »

Thanks Jonco for the advice. In my view, the main purpose of the silicon sealant is to protect the sills from water splashed from the wheels and no sealant is used along the bottom edge of the sill covers. This I believe is to ventilate and also to drain any water entering the interspace between the inner sill and cover. I hope to apply a product similar to Waxoyl, available in Oz, Tektyl made by Valvolene. I have used Waxoyl in the 70's when I lived in UK and it is a very effective rust preventative. Tektyl may not be as good as Waxoyl but this is the best I could find locally.
1997 BMW Z3 1.9L M44
1984 Ford Laser KB Ghia 1.5L
1999 Holden Astra CD 1.8L
1960 Morris Minor 1000 Convertible
Jonco
Joined: Sat 04 Jun, 2011 07:24
Posts: 402

  Z3 roadster 1.9
Location: Cheshire

Re: Z3 sills.....

Post by Jonco »

klm_Z3 wrote: Thu 12 Nov, 2020 00:37..........no sealant is used along the bottom edge of the sill covers. This I believe is to ventilate and also to drain any water entering the interspace between the inner sill and cover.............
Agreed - when sealing you have to be careful not to block drainage points along the sill length and around jacking point covers. There is also only one very small drainage point in the rear box section of the actual sills. This blocks easily and I believe creates an environment for a lot of the rear section corrosion. This time I have deliberately left one of the securing screws out to create a decent drainage point, which I will check regularly. You will remember we have to contend with a lot of road salt applied in winter months. It is amazing how many leaves you find in front sections behind the liner. Good luck - keep Zedding.
klm_Z3
Joined: Mon 10 Nov, 2014 08:21
Posts: 9

  Z3 roadster 1.9

Re: Z3 sills.....

Post by klm_Z3 »

Thanks again for the advice. I will certainly look for the small drainage point you referred to in the rear box section of the inner sill. Is it the rearmost screw that you left out when refitting the sill covers? This screw is right next to the point where the sill cover meets the rear wheel arch. I also found the bottom screws are covered with some rubber based sealant possibly applied after installation. Did you apply any sealant on bottom screws?

I also note from a previous post that you found rust and old sealant on the lower wing panel which needs to be removed to gain access. Did you apply the same sealant on the wing panel before/after installation? I remember well the damage done to cars by road salt applied in winter months in UK. Although we don't have salt here I will be on to some surprises when I remove the sill covers.
1997 BMW Z3 1.9L M44
1984 Ford Laser KB Ghia 1.5L
1999 Holden Astra CD 1.8L
1960 Morris Minor 1000 Convertible
Jonco
Joined: Sat 04 Jun, 2011 07:24
Posts: 402

  Z3 roadster 1.9
Location: Cheshire

Re: Z3 sills.....

Post by Jonco »

klm_Z3 wrote: Fri 13 Nov, 2020 00:15........ Is it the rearmost screw that you left out when refitting the sill covers? This screw is right next to the point where the sill cover meets the rear wheel arch. I also found the bottom screws are covered with some rubber based sealant possibly applied after installation. Did you apply any sealant on bottom screws? .......
You need the rear screw to secure the arch liner , so next one in - when you have it apart it will be obvious. If you shine a torch in through the sill side cut-outs you will see the lay-out. I just touch painted over the screw heads with Hammerite Red - good enough match on Helrot. First time I had my sills off was 2012 then re-visited in 2015. Had to change 2 screws this time so they have stood the test of time.
klm_Z3
Joined: Mon 10 Nov, 2014 08:21
Posts: 9

  Z3 roadster 1.9

Re: Z3 sills.....

Post by klm_Z3 »

Thanks Jonco for the response. It will be a while before I remove the sills as I am still working on the spare sills. I will report progress.
1997 BMW Z3 1.9L M44
1984 Ford Laser KB Ghia 1.5L
1999 Holden Astra CD 1.8L
1960 Morris Minor 1000 Convertible
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