'04 AW/Blk coupe project (engine replacement first)

Okay, finally got some progress to report.

Got a G.A.S DISA repair kit, glad the DISA in the bad engine was a BMW OE unit and the diaphragm was holding vacuum.

As others have noted the GAS kit is well made, very high quality. I went with a Viton o-ring, for a few cents more, why not:

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/HF...Y=w678-h509-no

The old DISA was just flopping around, the plastic socket of the flap was rounded out:

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Yw...I=w530-h706-no

All done, probably took 30-45 minutes working slowly (and getting distracted by text messages):

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/ea...A=w530-h706-no

Next up, I noticed the intake manifold had a plug and o-ring seal. It goes between the runners for cylinders 3-4. I guess the earlier cars (maybe < 03/'01) had intake temperature sensor that plugs in and this plug just seals up the port. I thought I'd replace the o-ring, who knows maybe it was compression set and leaking? Probably not, but now I have more confidence in it. The o-ring is cheap (8x3, PN: 13-62-1-743-299).

New one is 8mm ID x 3mm. The old one measured about 2.67-2.72 mm (variance due to elasticity of material and the Harbor Freight caliper; good enough for this application):

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/a5...A=w530-h706-no

Good as new:

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/ie...c=w530-h706-no

Ok... onto the meat and potatoes (engine extraction). I had to disconnect the fuel lines, took the opportunity to replace the fuel filter. Glad I did, the old one looks to be original - date stamped "13 04 04" - and the mfg date of the car is 04/04. Oh well, new filter, and even a new used engine to go with it.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/fH...E=w194-h259-no


Link to video of black fuel pouring out of filter. That's original for sure.

...

Back to prep for engine extraction. Disconnect the transmission selector cable:

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/WZ...I=w678-h509-no

Lots of road grime, will get a thorough cleaning before going back in.

Disconnect the other hoses, cables, brake lines and sensor.

Remove the exhaust. This thing is such a pain in the butt. One piece from header to exhaust tips, wth. I'm sure they saved a few bucks on nuts/bolts/gaskets. Pain in the butt. Good thing I had a couple extra jack stands to support the damned thing when unbolting. I really need to buy a lift. PB Blast on the header bolts/nuts for 30 minutes or so and it was relatively easy with a breaker bar. It's out:

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/6E...Q=w530-h706-no

No action shots of the engine being pulled out, too busy doing it to take photos. I enlisted the help of my mom to hold the AC condenser and AC compressor (I didn't want to have the system recharged as that would be extra $$) while I pulled the engine/trans/subframe/front suspension out in one unit. I used a Harbor Freight transmission jack under the transmission (seems appropriate) and a HF engine hoist to the front lift point. Just wheeled it out. I forgot to disconnect the headlight level sensor from the control arm... and the arm of the sensor broke... doh! :facepalm. It is what it is.



...and it's out. Mom checking out our good work (gloves make her an official helper. :thumbsup lol):

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/d5...8=w530-h706-no

This is a milestone. :applause2 Lots of good feelings (even with the broken sensor).


Driver's side of the transmission. This will be cleaned and the transmission filter and fluid will be changed.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/f1...I=w678-h509-no

Engine bay will be cleaned - have to eliminate the remnants of the rats. Hoses will be replaced, and electrical connectors will be cleaned with Electromotive or similar type of spray.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Pv...k=w530-h706-no


The garage is full... I need to get these parts back on the car so I can park a car in here again:
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/RV...Y=w530-h706-no

While the wheels were off I took them to Costco and got a set of Michelin PS4S at the end of 2018 when they had a great deal (it was like buy 3 get 1 free), they're under the work table.

Nice werk!

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by johnrando

Nice werk!

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

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+1

Sent from my Note 9 using Tapatalk

Thanks fellas. It feels good to make some progress. Reading and seeing photos of others' projects motivates me to work on mine.

A little more today. First up, clean up the engine bay and remove remnants of the rats. Looks a lot better now:

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Cy...A=w848-h636-no

I found this while cleaning up, damned rats. It'll have to be soldered and covered:

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Kg...Y=w848-h636-no

I guess it'll be good practice since I think my M3 has the same problem. Damned rats.

Moving on. Since I have easy access, I changed the heater core coolant hoses.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/V_...E=w536-h714-no

It seems the Rein hoses are OE, unless they only use OE BMW clamps, which is doubtful:

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/uN...8=w536-h714-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/0N...s=w848-h636-no

Now onto cleaning up the transmission. Before:

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/6L...k=w848-h636-no

After:

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/aW...4=w848-h636-no

And since I have easy access, replace the trans mounts. Lots of deformation over the 99k miles. I went with Lemforder.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/gy...k=w848-h636-no

And since the engine was out, it was easy to install the siren for the alarm (no picture). Installed the tilt sensor as well as the inside sensor:

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/7M...s=w536-h714-no

It's nice that the car was prewired, kudos to BMW for that. I'll get it programed after the car is running.

Not much more progress than moving things around the garage in preparation of mating the engine to the trans. The old engine will have to sit in the driveway - I can't imagine someone taking it, but if they do at least they will save me the trouble of disposal. lol.

Damn man, props on doing this all on jack stands! I rebuilt my front end on jack stands after my fender bender and di some maintenance items like the oil pan gasket. So much easier with a lift but almost everything can be done on the stands!

Really wish I could say my oil pan was as clean as yours. It took an hour to remove all the scorch lines, previous owner did not do good Maintenance :(

Do you plan on keeping the A/T or going to swap that too?

Also, I've seen a few coolant pipe O-rings like that before. Maybe they weren't pre-lubed going in? Or they were just jammed into the holes. I did this by accident with my dipstick tube and ruined that O-ring. When I smoked tested the car I was like wtf? But luckily a really cheap O-ring was the fix.

How much did the inside sensor cost you? Also, what does this do?! lol

Quote:

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Originally Posted by GotZHP

Damn man, props on doing this all on jack stands! I rebuilt my front end on jack stands after my fender bender and di some maintenance items like the oil pan gasket. So much easier with a lift but almost everything can be done on the stands!

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Thanks! Yeah, doing this on jack stands wasn't ideal, but it's what I've got to work with. I'm glad I spend the extra money for the Esco jack stands. You're right, just about everything can be done on jack stands and the proper motivation. The project threads on this forum and others help to inspire and motivate me to get after it, otherwise Youtube and Netflix are so much less work haha.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by GotZHP

Really wish I could say my oil pan was as clean as yours. It took an hour to remove all the scorch lines, previous owner did not do good Maintenance :(

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I was lucky with this engine, the PO took good care of it as evidenced by the clean cams, top end, and pan.

My previous '01 330i was not like this, it had the typical yellowed varnish and much thicker layer of crude in the oil pan while the exterior looked messy as hell from a bad oil pan gasket. PO's mechanic repaired leak with some gasket maker wiped onto the outside, can't blame them... the labor costs for a $20 oil pan gasket is significant.

I've found that Super Clean works the best, along with elbow grease. Not sure if it's just me, but it is oddly satisfying to see things cleaned.

As a side note:
I've also started using a P95 mask for vapors when using these chemicals on cars, or when there's fuel and oil vapors around. I'd rather not breathe in fuel, oil, and detergent. The minor discomfort of a mask is easily forgotten once my mind is focused on the job, but the peace of mind from not having that stuff in my lungs last a long time. This was a lesson learned when I was doing a leak-down test on another engine... I didn't feel too well afterwards (chest and sinus congestion, as well as slight headache). I know it's for paint vapors, but the difference is noticeable (3m P95 mask). I noticed a difference as soon as I was done and removed the mask... that's when I could smell all of the chemicals in my garage - yes, garage doors are always open.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by GotZHP

Do you plan on keeping the A/T or going to swap that too?

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I think this car is going to stay the way it is, unless the transmission starts to give me crap. This car was just my "large Lego project" as I'm planning on giving this car to my brother once completed. He's currently driving my old '01 330i, but that thing wasn't in the best of mechanical condition when I got it, much better once I did the usual suspects (OFHG, oil pan gasket, cooling sys, etc). This one's in far better shape, a better foundation for longer termed ownership. I do, however, still prefer the non-Ms in the sedan, which that '01 is. However, the e46 coupes are still one of the best looking cars around. Just a great car, imo.

I have a e46m3 6mt so I won't have any e46 withdraws - I just wished BMW did a better job with the cooling system (of non-Ms) and the window regulators. lol.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by GotZHP

Also, I've seen a few coolant pipe O-rings like that before. Maybe they weren't pre-lubed going in? Or they were just jammed into the holes. I did this by accident with my dipstick tube and ruined that O-ring. When I smoked tested the car I was like wtf? But luckily a really cheap O-ring was the fix.

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Yeah, the coolant pipe o-ring was strange, probably just jammed it in there with some twisting during installation. Glad it's fixed. I always use a little bit of silicone lube on the oring and mating surface whenever I install pipes/hoses with o-rings now.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by GotZHP

How much did the inside sensor cost you? Also, what does this do?! lol

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Are you referring to the inside ultrasonic sensor for the alarm? I think it detects when a window gets broken. It was all 1 kit (siren, US sensor, tilt sensor) that I found from a junked car. I think people sell these for about $100 on e46fanatics. The cars are prewired for it, and just takes some coding to have it active.

P95 are def and improvement over an N95 but they will not stop all vapors and contaminants. They will help with oils but wont help with some solvents. If this is something you are worried about I would recommend a half face respirator. A box of 3m p95s can cost over $20 depending and a half face starts around $40 and will last a lot longer with proper care.

Also, if you want to stay with a dust mask, I recommend the Moldex AirWaves

I am an EHS Manager and have to buy safety supplies as part of my job :)

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by GotZHP

P95 are def and improvement over an N95 but they will not stop all vapors and contaminants. They will help with oils but wont help with some solvents. If this is something you are worried about I would recommend a half face respirator. A box of 3m p95s can cost over $20 depending and a half face starts around $40 and will last a lot longer with proper care.

Also, if you want to stay with a dust mask, I recommend the Moldex AirWaves

I am an EHS Manager and have to buy safety supplies as part of my job :)

Sent from my SM-G935R4 using Tapatalk

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Thanks for the heads up! I'll definitely look into a half face respirator. Do you have any recommendations?

I started wearing it after my bad experience with the leak down test a year ago. I don't want to experience that discomfort/damage again. Also, I starting thinking about this stuff after taking some interdisciplinary occupational health courses with many of the industrial hygiene folks.

A slight detour of my project, but still e46 related (cross posted on m3forums):

I picked up my red sled from the body shop today. Long story short I rear-ended someone on the freeway last month. :facepalm:

Thankfully no serious injuries, no airbag deployment, no frame damage, no drivetrain damage. But the initial tally of parts and labor made me fearful insurance was going to claim total loss, thankfully that didn't happen.

Lots of parts up front had to be replaced, an incomplete list: hood, bumper, bumper reinforcement, radiator support, radiator, airbox, headlights, grills, AC condenser, aux fan; pretty much all new OE BMW parts. Fenders refinished and paint matched to existing hue.

Before:
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_2...8=w950-h712-no


After:
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/OK...g=w950-h712-no

PSA: Give yourself an extra car length; drive safely. :thumbsup2:

Many thanks to my friends at Signature Autobody in Orange, CA. Owners are car enthusiasts and great guys, check them out if you need repairs or paint and body work.

Next on the list: replace the fog lamps and get cleared bra'd.


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Back to the regularly scheduled program...

Hopefully I'll have some updates on the ZHP next time I post.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Will

Thanks for the heads up! I'll definitely look into a half face respirator. Do you have any recommendations?

I started wearing it after my bad experience with the leak down test a year ago. I don't want to experience that discomfort/damage again. Also, I starting thinking about this stuff after taking some interdisciplinary occupational health courses with many of the industrial hygiene folks.

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Can't go wrong with anything 3M for a half face respirator. If you want something a little bit cheaper check out a company called North. They were recently bought out by Honeywell and have great products for the price.