peter's Touring project [Archive] - Page 4 - BMW E46 330 ZHP For Sale Forum

slater

09-27-2017, 02:32 AM

No effing way is that a CAE?

nope, but i did consider the CAE - and also the samsonas shifter. this is the RTD 300mm non-reverse lockout model, and i chose it for several reasons:

1. price. kinda stupid, but it is the cheapest (CAE: ~$900, samsonas: ~$600, RTD: ~$425). there is/was a group buy for them that i got in on. also, maher from RTD has been super responsive to emails. they are made to order, and the machining is super high quality.
2. fitment. this is the only one that doesn't require hacking up the console to make it fit; when installed, it just looks like a taller shift lever.
3. features. it works with the factory boot, AND the factory knob also! kind of a great design. it's also not as tall as the CAE or samsonas (although they do make a taller model); and while i did want extra height to get it closer to the steering wheel, i wanted a happy medium. the 300mm height hopefully will work. also, i didn't need the reverse lockout feature. also also, it eliminates the rear shift rod bushing, and also the white plastic shifter slop-city 'ball cup' that starts wearing at a ridiculous rate the day after you install a new one.

all in all, i am stoked to use this. i never thought i would buy one, but after watching some videos and probably way way way too much thinking about how to make the shifter feel even better than i already have - because i still felt it was lacking - this thing should be the answer.

That is the largest garlic press I have ever seen.

:)

dude, it also makes great fries.

Ah cool I guess they updated the design!

I lean more towards the classic, myself:

<snip>

LOL! priceless. love it.

do people even use those anymore?

slater

09-27-2017, 02:45 AM

Pic with the ZHP front springs and koni yellows up front. The ZHP springs actually sit about 10mm lower than the stock Touring sport springs.

Started off with the konis around 1.25 turns (halfway), they felt OK. Moved up to 1.75 turns (stiffer), and that was way way better. Liking it.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170927/3031f035b9994262830b0d8bb6fdd0de.jpg

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az3579

09-27-2017, 04:11 AM

do people even use those anymore?

You'd... be... surprised...

There are a couple of brand new cars in the neighborhood that have them on. With the security features of this day and age, I'm sure 99% of thieves wouldn't be able to steal these cars, and that 1% that would wouldn't want them anyway.

slater

09-28-2017, 07:15 AM

deposit received on black Touring... selling to a local guy named peter! weird.

replacement vehicle for the wifey is already selected, hoping to bring it home early next week.

az3579

09-28-2017, 07:33 AM

deposit received on black Touring... selling to a local guy named peter! weird.

replacement vehicle for the wifey is already selected, hoping to bring it home early next week.
Automotive ADD comes to mind. LOL

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slater

09-28-2017, 07:50 AM

Automotive ADD comes to mind. LOL

yep. i'm generally insatiable. but this decision was made purely for my wife's benefit.

johnrando

09-28-2017, 09:01 PM

Cool. Good luck w the new ride.

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Stigissimo

09-28-2017, 09:05 PM

deposit received on black Touring... selling to a local guy named peter! weird.

replacement vehicle for the wifey is already selected, hoping to bring it home early next week.

Lol so you bought a touring only to change the rear wheel bearings then sell it. If that isn’t masochism, I don’t know what is

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slater

09-29-2017, 03:57 AM

Cool. Good luck w the new ride.

thanks john!

Lol so you bought a touring only to change the rear wheel bearings then sell it. If that isn’t masochism, I don’t know what is

ha. i only changed one rear wheel bearing, so, hey, not so bad....

and, really... if i spewed out my automotive history you wouldn't think this was bad at all. :blink ;)

wife likes to sit up higher. kept feeling like AWD was better for her than an open-diff RWD car in the winter (i'm not buying an LSD for it ;)), and absolutely wanted to have a manual. and we'll have some towing capacity with it, which will be nice. and it will be familiar to work on.

any guesses? :)

san

09-29-2017, 04:00 AM

X5 eh?

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ZHPizza

09-29-2017, 05:10 AM

X5 eh?

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Nope, manual Montero.

san

09-29-2017, 05:20 AM

Nope, manual Montero.

I thought he was getting rid of it?

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Sockethead

09-29-2017, 05:40 AM

No one should get an X5 unless their wallet is very deep or have a third party warranty....

san

09-29-2017, 05:48 AM

No one should get an X5 unless their wallet is very deep or have a third party warranty....

For the m54's as well? I thought only the v8's were money pits...

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Sockethead

09-29-2017, 05:56 AM

Everything is a money pit on an X5 but yes, engine wise, the 6 cylinders are more reliable...

BMWCurves

09-29-2017, 10:21 AM

any guesses? :)

Suzuki Samurai

slater

09-29-2017, 10:25 AM

X5 eh?

Nope, manual Montero.

good guesses. not good enough, though... ;)

I thought he was getting rid of it?

yep. will be up for sale soon.

No one should get an X5 unless their wallet is very deep or have a third party warranty....

agreed. my wife and i really wanted an E70 X5... they are gorgeous. on paper, they are awesome. but in reality... too expensive.

Suzuki Samurai

close.... like, it's got 4 wheels.

az3579

09-29-2017, 11:08 AM

It's an E91, duh.

san

09-29-2017, 11:10 AM

It's an E91, duh.

But he said higher up seat position though

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az3579

09-29-2017, 12:15 PM

But he said higher up seat position though

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Raise the seat. :)

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BMWCurves

09-29-2017, 12:22 PM

close.... like, it's got 4 wheels.

Huh, that's a weird way to spell "Yes, I bought a Suzuki Samurai"

slater

09-30-2017, 03:44 AM

Raise the seat. :)

LOL, that was a good one. :)

i considered an E91, especially since canada didn't get RWD ones - but i just don't like the interior, or the quality. my dad bought an E90 335xi last year and it felt like a pile of garbage when i drove it.

was very happy to get back into my E46.

Huh, that's a weird way to spell "Yes, I bought a Suzuki Samurai"

dude, never underestimate the power of the samurai.

BMWCurves

09-30-2017, 08:26 AM

dude, never underestimate the power of the samurai.

I'll be honest, the Suzuki Samurai is my guilty pleasure mini-SUV.

slater

10-02-2017, 03:53 AM

brought home the wife's new rig last night: 2007 X3 3.0si (260hp), M Sport, 6-speed. black on black. 1 of 6! :) (details quoted below.) it's pretty cool. nicely optioned - being an M Sport, it's got the anthracite headliner, nice M steering wheel, gloss black shadowline trim, MTech bumpers, adaptive bi-xenons, etc. 3.0si not only means 260hp, but bigger brakes, too.

it has higher KM (284K KMs... ~175K miles for you imperialists), but was well-maintained for the last 60K KM - all of the stuff i don't like dealing with was done (fluid changes), brakes are fairly recent, came with two keys, a full set of weathertech mats, sprint booster (installed), and two sets of wheels - 18" square (style 113, winter), 19" staggered (style 147, summer). planning to ditch the 19's and get some lower-offset 18's with some larger rubber - likely 1" larger in diameter. it needs it.

the mirrors don't work (heat or power functions - gotta figure that one out), but everything else is good.

overall, really impressed with the vehicle, and the handling. will do bushings (OE replacements) and dampers (either koni FSDs or bilstein B6), and that's it. this is the newest car i've ever owned.

production data:

532 - 2007-2010 BMW X3 3.0si / X3 xDrive30i (PC93) - NA painted in Black Sapphire Metallic (475) with Black Nevada Leather (LUSW) interior were built for the Canadian market. 11 manual (6 M Sport), 521 automatic (89 M Sport).

2,282 were built for the US market. 72 manual (38 M Sport), 2,210 automatic (717 M Sport).

The most rare option in this car is the option S775A - Headlining anthracite. It was installed on 493 out of 71,749 cars.

fredo

10-02-2017, 04:32 AM

Well done, peter. In for pics. LOL @ imperialists.

704sw

10-02-2017, 04:51 AM

Congrats Peter! I know people hate on the E83 but I love it. It drives very well, and the LCI models I think have aged nicely. I always wanted the 6MT, but the only one I could find when I bought mine was red and about 1500 miles away.
The N52B30 is definitely a fun little powerplant, even if the car is 4000 lbs.

Check the front sunroof drains (they are right behind the front wheels on either side). They will be clogged, and (edit: removed extra word) you'll need to do it at least once a year. Otherwise you get the lovely experience of wet floorboards from dripping down the A-pillars [emoji51]

At least you don't have to worry about that garbage GM automatic tranny. Has the transfer case already been addressed?

slater

10-02-2017, 05:09 AM

Well done, peter. In for pics. LOL @ imperialists.

haha. i'll try to get some pics soon.

Congrats Peter! I know people hate on the E83 but I love it. It drives very well, and the LCI models I think have aged nicely. I always wanted the 6MT, but the only one I could find when I bought mine was red and about 1500 miles away.
The N52B30 is definitely a fun little powerplant, even if the car is 4000 lbs.

Check the front sunroof drains (they are right behind the front wheels on either side). They will be clogged, and (edit: removed extra word) you'll need to do it at least once a year. Otherwise you get the lovely experience of wet floorboards from dripping down the A-pillars [emoji51]

At least you don't have to worry about that garbage GM automatic tranny. Has the transfer case already been addressed?

thanks spenser!

as for the transfer case... do you mean fluid? if so, yes, done recently.

i think two of the subtle benefits to the E83 are that it was built in austria by magna steyr, and it has a lot of E46 roots. it definitely has proven to be a reliable vehicle since it's introduction in 2004.

yes, the 6MT is hard to find - especially with the M Sport package. this one kind of fell in my lap. i didn't want black, but hey, everything else was right (including the price). i even made a friend out of the previous owner! so it all worked out nicely. and yes, the N52B30 is pretty nice - it has good top end, and definitely enough power - i'm pleased with how quick it is. there is a lot of slop in the drivetrain though, which i will hopefully eliminate with fresh mounts. and a CDV delete will help clutch engagement.

thanks for the tip on the sunroof drains! i will check those soon. are they in behind the wheel well liner?

704sw

10-02-2017, 05:52 AM

I can't find a good undercarriage picture, but if I remember correctly they're basically below the A-pillar. You can reach it and pull the plug out without lifting the car once you know where to feel for it. This is what it looks like clean:
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171002/58ce3c9a9fdf98e442e98658bc93b07b.png
(I'm having a hell of a time uploading this pic, so I apologize for the screenshot of an already crappy picture)

Mine looked like this when clogged:
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171002/6a127e1e1f80e1983d3a5933e53710bc.jpg

It just picks up all the road crap from the front tires, I think? I never had a problem with the rear drains, so I can't help you on that one.

I think the transfer case problem is more than fluid, I think it's the case itself that goes bad. The MT could be immune from it, I'm not too sure. Ours was replaced (somewhat preemptively thanks to an amazing service advisor) the last week before the extended warranty's expiration.

slater

10-02-2017, 06:22 AM

I can't find a good undercarriage picture, but if I remember correctly they're basically below the A-pillar. You can reach it and pull the plug out without lifting the car once you know where to feel for it. This is what it looks like clean:

Mine looked like this when clogged:

It just picks up all the road crap from the front tires, I think? I never had a problem with the rear drains, so I can't help you on that one.

I think the transfer case problem is more than fluid, I think it's the case itself that goes bad. The MT could be immune from it, I'm not too sure. Ours was replaced (somewhat preemptively thanks to an amazing service advisor) the last week before the extended warranty's expiration.

thanks man, those pics help a ton!! :cheers

i'll do some checking on the transfer case... i seem to remember reading that the issue was failure due to lack of fluid changes?

Sockethead

10-02-2017, 07:44 AM

I know on the e53 transfer case, there is a bronze gear in there that fails/ strips. It's a non serviceable part but some people just reverse the gear to get a good bite on the opposite side
Not sure if it's the same on the X3 of that generation

i_b_bass

10-03-2017, 05:40 AM

Congrats on the purchase.

I had a 128i with the N52B30 (only 230 hp in the 128i, no 3IM and slightly more restrictive headers) and it was a fantastic motor, strong, smooth, and plenty of power at the top end.

warrenbrown

10-03-2017, 06:39 PM

slater

10-03-2017, 07:41 PM

"the mirrors don't work (heat or power functions - gotta figure that one out), but everything else is good."

Check the fuses, I just picked up a 2004 325CI sport package, manual for my daughter. Not sure about the heat function. Mine mirrors worked when I looked at the car. A few days later nothing. The fuse wire was intact but where it attached to the terminals it was all black. New fuse, the mirrors operate.

Warren

thanks... have not gotten there yet (just finishing work for the day... started at 6AM!). will check tomorrow, as we're planning on taking it on a 5-day weekend trip starting thursday. would be nice to have the mirrors working that easily. :)

san

10-13-2017, 09:16 AM

Recall time for your new whip
http://www.bmwblog.com/2017/10/13/bmw-recalling-85300-vehicles-repair-passenger-airbag-problems/

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704sw

10-13-2017, 09:32 AM

Recall time for your new whip
http://www.bmwblog.com/2017/10/13/bmw-recalling-85300-vehicles-repair-passenger-airbag-problems/

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It doesn't actually say "3.0si" which I'm assuming is just an oversight? I guess I'll keep an eye on the mailbox for our recall letter too.

az3579

10-13-2017, 11:03 AM

It doesn't actually say "3.0si" which I'm assuming is just an oversight? I guess I'll keep an eye on the mailbox for our recall letter too.

'si' is just a trim package, kind of like "SE" overseas. Kind of like ZHP - no recalls affect us specifically; we just get rounded up into 330i's.

slater

10-17-2017, 06:18 AM

Recall time for your new whip
http://www.bmwblog.com/2017/10/13/bmw-recalling-85300-vehicles-repair-passenger-airbag-problems/

thanks san! that reminds me... need to register the X3 with BMW Canada so i can get the notices. :)

It doesn't actually say "3.0si" which I'm assuming is just an oversight? I guess I'll keep an eye on the mailbox for our recall letter too.

yeah, it's definitely affected.

'si' is just a trim package, kind of like "SE" overseas. Kind of like ZHP - no recalls affect us specifically; we just get rounded up into 330i's.

true, kinda - the 'si' indicates the 260hp motor instead of the base 3.0's 225hp. that's it.

slater

10-17-2017, 06:19 AM

oh, and i ordered some FSDs for the X3. :cheers thinking about eibach pro-kits too...

704sw

10-17-2017, 06:40 AM

true, kinda - the 'si' indicates the 260hp motor instead of the base 3.0's 225hp. that's it.

The 2.5i and 3.0i naming was for the M54/Pre-LCI models. The 3.0si indicated it was an LCI model with the N52B30 motor. There shouldn’t be any non-si models from 2007+.

slater

10-17-2017, 06:42 AM

The 2.5i and 3.0i naming was for the M54/Pre-LCI models. The 3.0si indicated it was an LCI model with the N52B30 motor. There shouldn’t be any non-si models from 2007+.

yep, you're totally right. my bad.

704sw

10-17-2017, 06:47 AM

yep, you're totally right. my bad.

All good, bud! I wasn’t sure if us ‘Mericans got a silly naming convention like “si” to make us feel more special than you [emoji6] I spent 4 years with the LCI X3, after dating a girl with a Pre-LCI. I got pretty familiar with the variations.

slater

10-18-2017, 08:36 PM

couple of updates...

got my friends' metal brake out of my garage finally (he is doing soffit and fascia work for me), cleaned a bit, and got the ZHP into the garage on saturday. started teardown monday night, but i've only had about 2hrs each night so progress has been slow... fortunately, bumpers and side skirts are gone (now on anando's car), hood and fenders are gone (on horatiu's car).

- drained coolant
- removed radiator (i replaced it with a new OEM radiator last year, so it's going in the Touring), aFe intake, SAP, radiator core support, lots of other misc items in the engine bay in prep for removal
- removed exhaust, heat shields, driveshaft, M3 seats, M3 wheel, gauge cluster (going to separate both ZHP and Touring clusters and mate the Touring guts to the ZHP face, to get the nice matte silver gauge trim), sensors, etc....lots of other misc interior bits
- began prep for rear end removal; it comes out tomorrow

my new engine hoist doesn't want to actually hoist, so i need to investigate that - likely will drain and refill the hydraulic fluid. if i can get that done in a timely manner tomorrow, engine and trans should come out tomorrow - if not, friday for sure.

i'm hoping to get the ZHP shell out of the garage saturday AM, and get the Touring in and remove the exhaust/driveshaft/rear end first, so i can begin installing the VinceBar and VinceSkins... it needs to be fairly warm for the epoxy to cure, and it's supposed to be near 18-19C for the next week - so that's my timeframe for getting that stuff done. then the engine swap and suspension swap can happen. :)

704sw

10-18-2017, 08:59 PM

BMWCurves

10-18-2017, 09:58 PM

Nice! I'd ask for detailed documentation pics, but I know who I'm dealing with...

slater

10-19-2017, 02:48 AM

Can you use localized heat if the ambient temp isn’t high enough? Like a small little ceramic heater? Heck, I use a lamp with a metal shade + incandescent bulb for heating up paint in the winter if I need to touch up a chip.

yeah, i actually have a little heater that would work for that, and have been considering it... will probably use it in conjunction with the hopefully warmer ambient temps. :)

Nice! I'd ask for detailed documentation pics, but I know who I'm dealing with...

LOL. dude... my days start at 5:30AM, i go go go at work/family/house/car stuff, until midnight. if i post pics, it will be of reconstruction. no one cares about dismantling. ;)

Vas

10-19-2017, 05:41 AM

yeah, i actually have a little heater that would work for that, and have been considering it... will probably use it in conjunction with the hopefully warmer ambient temps. :)

LOL. dude... my days start at 5:30AM, i go go go at work/family/house/car stuff, until midnight. if i post pics, it will be of reconstruction. no one cares about dismantling. ;)

Install a camera in the garage and live stream?

slater

10-19-2017, 06:21 AM

Install a camera in the garage and live stream?

that would be cool. but i hate being on camera. :)

az3579

10-19-2017, 06:37 AM

Install a camera in the garage and live stream?

Who would actually watch that? lol

704sw

10-19-2017, 06:56 AM

Who would actually watch that? lol

I leave the tv on for my doggos when I’m away. I’m sure they’d be just as happy watching Peter dismantle cars as watching financial market coverage on CNBC.

johnrando

10-19-2017, 07:07 PM

Lol. New youtube channel

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slater

10-23-2017, 09:30 AM

UPDATE...

or, How Making Plans Is An Exercise In Futility...

i've had so many interruptions in even getting this project off the ground. i did not get much time over the weekend to work on stripping the ZHP, but the rear end is basically ready to drop now, then the engine and trans will come out. then the shell goes bye-bye.

however... my wife and i really need two cars these days, and while the montero was going to be my vehicle to drive while the Touring is under the knife... it decided to start leaking fuel the other day. so bad that it actually stranded me about 12min from home. so now i need to fix that before i can even think about taking the Touring off the road... and the leak appears to be on the topside of the tank. W. T. F.

anyway. just gotta roll with it. it'll all be OK in the end. :)

san

10-23-2017, 09:51 AM

Thats the curse of the Zhp sedan, it ain't gonna go down without a fight lol

Anyway, must be frustrating but glad you are being positive as ever...

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slater

10-30-2017, 08:40 PM

Thats the curse of the Zhp sedan, it ain't gonna go down without a fight lol

Anyway, must be frustrating but glad you are being positive as ever...

thanks. i was definitely stressed about it... but that doesn't help anything.

tonight i got some time to work in the garage, and got the front suspension out, steering rack out, front subframe out, and the engine and trans out. tomorrow i will hopefully get the engine onto the engine stand... just have to remove the doors and shadowline trim, and the ZHP shell can leave the garage.

i accidentally tore a boot on one of the ZHP control arm ball joints... F. now i gotta order new control arms.

then i can get started on disassembling the Touring, finally.... well, after getting the montero to stop leaking fuel... hopefully found a solution for that today.

Sockethead

10-31-2017, 05:40 AM

Nice progress... you doin all of this by yourself? I always have to work solo... makes for some interesting ways of doing things...

slater

10-31-2017, 06:21 AM

Nice progress... you doin all of this by yourself? I always have to work solo... makes for some interesting ways of doing things...

thanks. yep, solo..... i try to get my son to come and help me with stuff, but he 'gets bored' after about 10 minutes. i keep asking though!

i did show him the RTD shifter this morning. he thought that was pretty cool, and wants to see how it feels once installed.

got these goodies yesterday... thanks to nate for sending me the link to this cool russian site with obscure (but genius) parts - DISA valve membrane, awesome!

31319

i thought this was interesting. i mentioned this once before, but here is a pic - i've got a getrag 6-speed trans from my ZHP. i thought they were all ZF boxes...

31320

BMWCurves

10-31-2017, 01:08 PM

More info on those parts, please.

slater

10-31-2017, 03:54 PM

More info on those parts, please.

Which parts?

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slater

11-01-2017, 02:46 AM

yesterday was halloween, or Martin Luther Day around our house, where we watch a family movie and eat way too much junk/candy together. so i didn't get much work done at all - only had about 30min - but i got the trans separated from the engine, and decided to take a little video to demonstrate DMF wear.

so here ya go. this is the initial inspection - i'll do another today after i remove the PP/clutch/DMF and get it on the engine stand.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TeZQg98suWU

Sockethead

11-01-2017, 05:38 AM

Yikes! I wonder what mine looks like.... I haven't been easy on my car in the 100k+ miles I've owned it...

slater

11-02-2017, 05:21 AM

Yikes! I wonder what mine looks like.... I haven't been easy on my car in the 100k+ miles I've owned it...

ha! me either, i've put 85K KMs on it since i bought it (roughly ~53K miles).

i got the PP and clutch removed yesterday, along with assembling my new engine stand and realizing that i needed some long and strong M12x1.75 bolts to fasten the engine to the stand - which means a 35min drive each way to pick some up either today or tomorrow - bollocks.

interesting notes: the bolts that secure the PP to the flywheel are REALLY soft - one rounded out without my effort, and i had to cut it off with my grinder. oh well, it's all going in the trash anyway. clutch had decent meat left - for 3 owners and 261K KMs, that's good. happy with that. the flywheel was as expected... no real hot spots (i'm not a clutch-dumper), but the axial play was surprising... i've never examined a DMF up close before. here's a brief video after the clutch and PP were removed...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uZsnaP4BQQ

i pulled a few more little bits off the ZHP last night, and today the doors, gloss black shadowline trim, master cylinder and brake booster, and trunk are getting pulled. the shell is scheduled to be picked up tomorrow afternoon! progress! :)

BMWCurves

11-02-2017, 08:48 AM

Nice updates. The amount of play there is pretty impressive.

Which parts?

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So...I just thought that membrane was for the VANOS and was very confused, instead of just reading the packaging. Ignore me.

slater

11-02-2017, 09:00 AM

Nice updates. The amount of play there is pretty impressive.

yeah, considering it shouldn't have any. i'll post another video, or pic, with the new SMF on there. also going to clean the engine (not ridiculously clean, i don't see a point... but just get most of the grime off), fully remove the old CCV and install the G.A.S. CCV finally, replace the oil pan gasket, clean the IACV, replace the A/C belt tensioner pulley, and rear main seal (mine is weeping slightly... which could be from too much vacuum introduced to the crankcase from my catch can setup - as gary @ G.A.S. theorized). i might as well replace the OFHG (which is only 2-3 years old) with the viton one from bavauto. all of that stuff is WAY easier on an engine stand (except the RMS) than in the car, so.... yep.

still deciding whether i will end up putting the ZHP rack into the Touring or not... i like the ZHP rack in the twisties, but the stock Touring rack is so much calmer on straight roads, like highways. hmmm.

also, ordered a new set of TRW ZHP front control arms today. i used one on a friend's car last spring and was impressed with the quality - especially for only $111USD/each at FCP!

So...I just thought that membrane was for the VANOS and was very confused, instead of just reading the packaging. Ignore me.

done.

er....whoops. :)

BMWCurves

11-02-2017, 10:14 AM

Keep the ZHP rack.

az3579

11-02-2017, 03:36 PM

slater

11-02-2017, 04:49 PM

Absolutely no question. ZHP rack all day long.

Not really sure what you mean by calmer. The ZHP rack still feels perfectly relaxed on the highway. The twitchiness is usually caused by tires.

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my alignment specs likely have more to do with it than the tires, because my black Touring had a ZHP rack and it was twitchy also. you have to remember that i am bouncing between cars, so i notice the changes... if i was driving the ZHP and nothing else it wouldn't seem weird to me. :) on the ZHP, i was running -1.5º camber up front, and -0.8º in the rear. once the Touring is complete, i will likely run -1.0º up front and -1.2º in the back. it was a little too tail happy for me before... especially with my driving style. ;) those camber specs should be a happy medium between stock and what i ran before.

slater

11-03-2017, 08:31 AM

ZHP shell went bye-bye today. picking up 100mm M12x1.75 class 12.9 bolts this afternoon so i can get the M54B30 onto the engine stand. going to get get as much prep work done ahead of time before taking the Touring off the road - even though i have a lot of work ahead of me once the Touring swap is underway as i have the install the VinceBar and VinceSkinz - and that is a lot of cutting, drilling, test fitting, epoxying, etc - also, i've never done it before, so i will be going quite slowly.

BMWCurves

11-03-2017, 12:32 PM

I'm loving the progress, though. Looking forward to bandwidth heavy (i.e. literally 10s of photos) updates.

704sw

11-03-2017, 12:36 PM

I’m going to help Peter out and say the reason he posts so few progress photos is because he does a lot of work late at night. Is that true? Idk, but it sounds like a valid reason.

slater

11-03-2017, 07:21 PM

I'm loving the progress, though. Looking forward to bandwidth heavy (i.e. literally 10s of photos) updates.

I’m going to help Peter out and say the reason he posts so few progress photos is because he does a lot of work late at night. Is that true? Idk, but it sounds like a valid reason.

there is definitely some truth to that. i like to take my time when working on stuff, and because my time is limited, i generally am not interested in taking pictures unless it's because i have to make a note of how something is supposed to go back together.

so, yeah... don't expect many pics. :)

BMWCurves

11-03-2017, 09:09 PM

there is definitely some truth to that. i like to take my time when working on stuff, and because my time is limited, i generally am not interested in taking pictures unless it's because i have to make a note of how something is supposed to go back together.

so, yeah... don't expect many pics. :)

We've been down this road so many times, I know what to expect.

holyc0w

11-04-2017, 05:34 AM

We've been down this road so many times, I know what to expect.

Yes, good back-lighting and lots of quality pictures

slater

11-05-2017, 05:26 PM

we had unexpected guests for the weekend so i got basically nothing done, and now i'm stuck on a work project. barf.

tomorrow... get the engine on the stand, clean it and get it prepped. hopefully get the garage organized a bit so its ready to pull the Touring in.

BMWCurves

11-05-2017, 09:37 PM

slater

11-08-2017, 05:25 AM

got some good work done last night...

- got my workbench cleaned up and tidied up the garage for the Touring
- oil pan gasket replacement
- oil pickup tube inspection
- cleaned off oil grime
- rear main seal replacement
- cleaned throttle body + gasket replacement
- cleaned IACV
- removed old CCV
- wire-brushed and PBBlasted header-to-block nuts + studs, and see if they would break free nicely; i figured, i have good access now, might as well get this done now if i ever decide to do headers in the future - it will make the work easier. fortunately they all broke free without issue.

getting started... man, this is nice. my garage is normally in the midst of multiple projects - and it still is - but at least i can use my bench. super helpful to wheel the engine right over and have a workspace. also... this is my first engine stand. this thing makes working on an engine SO easy.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171108/0c2e7b20a42bd4d81e83b67638a3398a.jpg

grime. my oil pan gasket had been weeping slowly on the right side (top of the pic), and the grime on the underside of the engine mount arm and PS pump bracket is fallout from the OFHG leak (fixed 3 years ago).

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171108/f5bfb1597ae547aeb15698bc50470458.jpg

oil pan removed. did i mention how nice it is to be able to turn the engine upside down? ;)

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171108/00abe841c9426b2f4c92416216d5c596.jpg

inside of the pan.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171108/a5ae990c841451924fe10a7d2a769487.jpg

inspecting the oil pickup tube... wait, what is that?

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171108/38ebda40b4e5a7212de86348760d8a7c.jpg

rescued these bits from the oil pickup tube screen - that's some kind of writing on that one bit. i'm assuming it's broken brittle bits from when i replaced the VCG a few years ago - WILLIAM, i'm looking at you here. ;)

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171108/23598e11bb6a8436394e1cc1cbab4c67.jpg

clean pan. i'm not cleaning for health inspection here, just for my own sanity.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171108/ba41e7f41ae5de81419057a39db7d412.jpg

new rear main seal installed in the original housing. the OEM seal comes with this nice installation tool (the white thing) for when you install it on the crank. new housing-to-block seal on the upper left... old bits on the right.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171108/c527473011994c97a66da1f88356927e.jpg

back together with new pan gasket, and degreased. bolts torqued to 7.5lb-ft. this was incredibly tedious... cleaning, mostly. the pan gasket + clean job took me about 2.5hrs.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171108/249fa7786ce772f0d99dc5b4ed02be2c.jpg

tonight i will install the G.A.S. CCV (finally!!), and rebuild the DISA valve with, ironically, the G.A.S. DISA valve kit, which has been sitting on a shelf for 2 years now (my DISA valve is actually working 100%).

Vas

11-08-2017, 06:46 AM

Good job man.

Sockethead

11-08-2017, 07:02 AM

Nice progress! Sweet having that engine stand to do the pan and rear main seal.
Nothing like a clean organized garage.... one of the reasons I still haven't made any progress with my car.... I need organization!

BMWCurves

11-08-2017, 08:04 AM

1. That looks straight up fun to work on the engine on an engine stand. It takes out almost all of the annoying bits of working on the engine (weird angles, knocking your knuckles due to weird angles, fear of dropping screws/nuts/tools/etc into some weird nook or cranny (THE ALCOVES (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQXlW0GzlD4)) of the engine bay)
2. YES, that is what my oil pickup tube screen if I didn't do a thorough job last weekend. No joke.
3. Did you tighten/fix/do whatever to the oil pump nut, or have you already done that?
4. Excellent progress. LOVE THE PICTURES.

slater

11-08-2017, 09:23 AM

Good job man.

thanks vas!

Nice progress! Sweet having that engine stand to do the pan and rear main seal.
Nothing like a clean organized garage.... one of the reasons I still haven't made any progress with my car.... I need organization!

ha... it has help me up many times before! and it's amazing how much better you feel in an organized space.

1. That looks straight up fun to work on the engine on an engine stand. It takes out almost all of the annoying bits of working on the engine (weird angles, knocking your knuckles due to weird angles, fear of dropping screws/nuts/tools/etc into some weird nook or cranny (THE ALCOVES (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQXlW0GzlD4)) of the engine bay)
2. YES, that is what my oil pickup tube screen if I didn't do a thorough job last weekend. No joke.
3. Did you tighten/fix/do whatever to the oil pump nut, or have you already done that?
4. Excellent progress. LOVE THE PICTURES.

1. yeah - that's why i'm trying to tackle as much stuff as i can now. :)
2. sorry man.
3. no, i figured since it was threadlocker'd at the factory, it's probably fine. but now that you mention it, i'm becoming paranoid. thanks.
4. ha. knew you would. :)

Sockethead

11-08-2017, 09:56 AM

If if that oil pump nut is loose, you'll know it with just mild pressure on a wrench... mine was tight as hell

BMWCurves

11-08-2017, 04:19 PM

3. no, i figured since it was threadlocker'd at the factory, it's probably fine. but now that you mention it, i'm becoming paranoid. thanks.

https://i.imgur.com/gOKuxAd.gif

slater

11-09-2017, 04:54 AM

william, dude... jack is creepy. don't bring that into my thread. :)

anyway. back to business!

UPDATE -

got the motor buttoned up last night, and the trans tidied up and ready for install:

- G.A.S. CCV kit installed
- replaced A/C belt tensioner and pulley
- tested (and reinstalled) DISA - still, somehow, it's 100% functional with zero flapper play... decided to not bother with the G.A.S DISA kit, again... no need to make more work
- reattached intake boots, clips, connectors, etc for engine so it's ready to be installed
- de-scaled the brake rotors
- cleaned grime from trans and engine-to-trans plate
- replaced old plastic clutch fork pivot pin with aluminum one

PICS

the ZHP hadn't been driven much other than up/down the driveway once a week (or two) to keep stuff moving... but the rotors were rusty. i didn't want to wire wheel them, so i did some research... turns out, a full 24h bath in white vinegar will totally descale the rust from the rotors! you just wipe them clean after 24h of immersion. i did the fronts first - dumped them in a bucket with white vinegar on tuesday night, and pulled them out last night. rotor on top is just out the tank - still wet - the bottom one is out of the tank, and simply wiped clean with a rag (or 2). amazing. rears went into the bucket last night.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171109/0f9b26970b0e6e373569ada4860154ec.jpg

ready to go. i wish the rest of the engine looked as good as the G.A.S. CCV. wowzers... shiny. note the garbage bag to the right... about half of that is torn latex gloves and probably 2 entire rolls of used shop towels. :) nuts...

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171109/35f0275daffc83174495cf242e4f16fa.jpg

i hadn't replaced the pulley on the A/C belt tensioner before because it does not appear to be available separately... so i picked up a new tensioner + pulley assembly along the way. here it is.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171109/81c500e09b37ddadb4b1b1a8dcdea249.jpg

The CCV. dang. a work of art. the tolerances! wowzers. gary @ G.A.S. deserves a medal for the execution of this thing. i took my time with the install, but it was quite easy.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171109/539918749024b7e2f487c539ade4daa7.jpg

the details. gary does this differently now for the newer kits (i got one of the first 10), but this is an OE-style squeeze-to-release fitting with a silicone hose and aluminum plug for the secondary port on the distribution block.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171109/664e5c605f4cf7e70cbaf882bfe99d8c.jpg

the tolerances for this thing are ridiculous. gary even supplied an adhesive-backed piece of felt for the backside of this piece, where it lays against the fuel rail. i would imagine some misalignment between cars is expected here - the port in the distribution block (top left of pic) doesn't fit in 100%, maybe 1-1.5mm of gap there - but the o-ring is fully seated. this was the only part of the kit that didn't fit exactly 100% - but i am splitting hairs here, because it does totally fit. i love the piece that fits into the port in the valve cover. so well thought out.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171109/0a8a3d4ee8b8283c7ef74d1dcb2fee16.jpg

the drain back to the oil pan. gary supplies an excellent quality hose and clamps, and it's exactly the right length. i replaced the dipstick tube o-ring also, which is advised, but not included in the kit. gary does include new o-rings for the distribution block on the intake manifold, though - very nice.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171109/f098d3619ce2f1df8d10b490eae1630c.jpg

here's the hose connecting to the drain port on the CCV. it's tight, but it fits very well. connecting this hose was actually missing from his instructions, so i will be emailing him about that - anyone installing it shouldn't miss this step anyway because, well, duh, but his instructions are so detailed anyway, it should be in there. ;)

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171109/72d98a0d38101095d412eea1fbe085bf.jpg

seriously. way too shiny for my engine bay, but beautiful nonetheless.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171109/bc3adb34fed60bb34f2b365a1efe3f5b.jpg

this is in the instructions - you have to file away part of the seam on the intake manifold in order for the CCV to fit - this was a little tedious, but not difficult.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171109/f7e37344bc8d76c422bd16d65a1dbf0f.jpg

tonight... the Touring goes under the knife! should be down for 2 weeks, i imagine.

cakM3

11-09-2017, 05:08 AM

Peter, that G.A.S. CCV!!! :drool :drool :drool

holyc0w

11-09-2017, 06:03 AM

What can be used to file away the side of the intake manifold?

slater

11-09-2017, 06:12 AM

Peter, that G.A.S. CCV!!! :drool :drool :drool

hahaha... it is definitely admirable!

What can be used to file away the side of the intake manifold?

a file. ;)

or, a dremel with a grinding bit. i used a medium-grit file with a rounded profile.

Sockethead

11-09-2017, 06:39 AM

BMWCurves

11-09-2017, 06:53 AM

How difficult do you think it would be to install the CCV with the engine still in the car?

slater

11-09-2017, 06:54 AM

Peter, just throwing this out there since you already have the parts.... I was chasing down a mid powerband stumble which I thought was the DISA. I checked multiple times over the years and it seemed to be working perfectly on the bench. However, when I rebuilt it with the GAS kit, the stumble was virtually gone...

Everything looks great as far as your engine goes... It must be a great feeling to have all that stuff done before you put it in the car

interesting - but why would that be? i don't have any play. the diaphragm (not included in the G.A.S. kit) tests fine.... did you replace the large DISA-to-manifold gasket with the new o-ring from G.A.S.? if so, maybe you had a vacuum leak? i replaced that already.

anyway... easy enough to do later. the ZHP stumbled around 2600-2900rpm in higher gears, but that's it. no 4K RPM issues.

and YES it feels great to get all of this done ahead of time!! :cheers

How difficult do you think it would be to install the CCV with the engine still in the car?

not hard. two things that would be more difficult than on the stand, are:

1. gaining access to the drain tube - still, with the airbox removed, you have pretty darn good access
2. leaning over the front end of the car - if you're a wimp

so, really - about the same level of difficulty. what does nike say? oh yeah, just do it.

Sockethead

11-09-2017, 06:59 AM

BMWCurves

11-09-2017, 07:14 AM

Awesome. I've got to run to work, but I am loving this level of detail. Nice work on...all the work you've gotten done. You're nothing if not efficient.

slater

11-09-2017, 07:19 AM

I have no clue why that would be... I did replace the gasket so maybe that was it... also it could of been binding a bit while in the manifold under vacuum something you can't test on the bench. I liked the piece of mind that the top nut wasn't going to fall off and much a piston...

Forgot to add.... nice tip about the vinegar.... Vinegar has a really low ph so it's basically a mild acid... much better that trying to figure out how much to dilute something like muriatic acid...

yeah, the vinegar trick is cool.

maybe i will pull it back off and rebuild it. just for peace of mind.

Awesome. I've got to run to work, but I am loving this level of detail. Nice work on...all the work you've gotten done. You're nothing if not efficient.

work? crap. i knew there was something i was supposed to be doing right now...

thanks. i don't feel efficient. i will likely be posting detailed pics of the VinceBar stuff, but everything else is boring (and has already been covered in my ZHP build thread), so those updates will be less detailed. :)

Sockethead

11-09-2017, 07:24 AM

Looking forward to the Vince bar write up... :)

ZHPizza

11-09-2017, 08:20 PM

Man I finally got a chance to catch up on this and am blown away. Really appreciate you taking the time to grab some pics for the crowd following along. I'm usually also trying too hard to make the most of my little garage time to stop and document the process. Great job, Peterman!

johnrando

11-09-2017, 10:23 PM

Nice werk!

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

slater

11-10-2017, 04:43 AM

Looking forward to the Vince bar write up... :)

:)

for my sake, and everyone else's sake, i hope it goes smoothly and without hiccups. i have a nagging suspicion that i am going to run out of epoxy, so i should probably order a second tube - they are tiny. i should post a pic. i know i don't need much between the surfaces, but still... that would suck to run out.

Man I finally got a chance to catch up on this and am blown away. Really appreciate you taking the time to grab some pics for the crowd following along. I'm usually also trying too hard to make the most of my little garage time to stop and document the process. Great job, Peterman!

thanks nate. my wife has been gracious enough to gift me more garage time to get this project done - i am soooo thankful for her. going to be making some life changes when this project is done.

Nice werk!

thanks john! :cheers

slater

11-14-2017, 05:23 AM

UPDATE

didn't have time over the weekend to get started, but got the Touring into the garage yesterday after work. got this done:

- removed trunk interior panels and rear seat in prep for VinceBar
- removed exhaust
- removed driveshaft
- removed heatshields
- dropped rear end
- removed front undertray + cross brace
- RACP inspection

had the unfortunate situation of two broken bolts - first time i've ever broken a 'real' bolt on a BMW. one of the front aluminum cross brace bolts sheared off - unfortunately, one of the ones that goes into the body. i was using impact for these too. so i need to drill it out... not fun. i will likely hire this out, drilling out bolts - especially ones of this nature - are one of my least favorite things to do. the other broken bolt was for one of the small tunnel/exhaust cross braces - again, my impact gun sheared it off. strange as it usually doesn't do that. anyway. onward and upward...

both rear shock mounts were replaced when the bilstein sport rear shocks were installed, about 6 months before i bought the car. they're both bad. i'm guessing meyle. the RR mount was definitely clunking.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171114/fd7b3f6296b1e22c9b6f2a5230172015.jpg

i'm getting better at this. got the entire trunk and rear seat area stripped in about 45 minutes.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171114/8bab6223c7dc0a5b84cac1c6f5ec7b06.jpg

the workspace. i took this before i dropped the rear end, but you can see i'm low on space, so the top of the car makes a good holding place for the interior bits i had to remove. M54B30 is waiting. also, my bilstein PSS' are sitting over in the corner - i'm going to be moving to a 300#F/600#R linear spring setup, and will likely send the dampers off to shaikh at Fat Cat Motorsport (FCM) in california for overhauling... they offer custom valving for bilsteins, along with their 'Ripple Reducer' and 'KBO' (Kerb Blow-Off), but it's very pricey - full options (revalve, RR and KBO) is over $3000. just the revalve and RR is about $1750 - i will likely go that route. it's stupid money to spend on this car, but i am really curious about what this guy (shaikh) does - he really seems to understand chassis harmony, and i like his concepts. his work gets great reviews. plus he drives an E46 330i. :)

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171114/12fdf62b433df778b3babd2b3e526bdf.jpg

tonight, hoping to get the trans and engine pulled, and degrease/wire-wheel the RACP area under the car - it's pretty crusty under there, way worse than i was expecting. no cracks, just rust. i hate rust. so much prep work. it makes it not fun anymore.

Vas

11-14-2017, 06:22 AM

Way to go... Slowly but it will be done.

BMWCurves

11-14-2017, 07:20 AM

Sorry about those bolts, never fun. I am really surprised those rear shock mounts are already toast. What are you going to replace them with?

slater

11-14-2017, 07:41 AM

Sorry about those bolts, never fun. I am really surprised those rear shock mounts are already toast. What are you going to replace them with?

well, at least they aren't 100% critical bolts... i mean, the one for the aluminum cross brace is important, but i will drive it on 7 bolts to the shop to get them to drill out the other one. :)

i already have some rogue RSMs from the ZHP, so those are going in - an extremely good product for the Touring as it allows rear shock changes without having to tear apart the interior!

slater

11-14-2017, 07:42 AM

Way to go... Slowly but it will be done.

thanks vas. and, yeah... slowly.

Sockethead

11-14-2017, 08:10 AM

Looks like my garage... organized chaos LOL.
I always throw a big comforter on the roof of my car and pile stuff on it when I run out of room...
The prep work sucks, I hate it. It's much worse when you are OCD but finished product wouldn't be as nice without it...

slater

11-14-2017, 09:07 AM

slater

11-15-2017, 07:11 AM

last night's progress...

- dismantled old 325iT rear end and got it out of the garage
- first pass on cleaning up rusty spots on RACP underside; mostly focused on the subframe mounting points

i think i spent 2hrs just grinding with a couple of different wire wheels, and then degreasing the RACP with POR-15 degreaser. once the VinceSkinz are epoxied and riveted on, i will paint them - and other previously-rusty bits i've cleaned up - with POR-15 gloss black.

tonight, i am hoping to drill out the subframe mount holes through to the cabin, and then mark out and cut the VinceBar and front gusset cup mounting locations. also, mock up the VinceSkinz and mark out their perimeter so i can grind away all necessary paint where they will be epoxied to the RACP.

and at some point i need to remove the engine and trans. ;)

Sockethead

11-15-2017, 08:36 AM

How did you keep the floor of your garage clean while degreasing?

slater

11-15-2017, 09:17 AM

How did you keep the floor of your garage clean while degreasing?

i just held a rag up as i sprayed the POR-15 degreaser. the RACP area is actually pretty small, so it's not too bad.

the floor is pretty crusty from the wire-wheeling, though... and so was my face. :) (except for where my safety glasses were, LOL)

Sockethead

11-15-2017, 09:46 AM

I was thinking a thick sheet of plastic would be something that could completely cover the floor then just roll up and throw away

Oltorf

11-15-2017, 10:39 AM

subbed

slater

11-16-2017, 08:38 AM

awesome stuff beginning to happen with the VinceSkinz! check these beautiful pieces out... vince hand-forms each piece. they are truly works of art.

here's pics of the left front and left rear mounts - with VinceSkinz temporarily held in place for perimeter-marking and hole-drilling (for rivets) - respectively. besides the exquisite Skinz, vince supplied drill bits, rivets, brushes, metal prep solution, hole saw, etc... he is thorough and probably the world's leading RACP expert at this point.

left front, with Skinz; note the hole placement - vince did not guess, he has RACPs that he's cut from junkyard cars for analysis so that he can find where is best to place the rivets:

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171116/f84657856eef11a6cbdb4a94b2417a2b.jpg

left front, sans Skinz and post-hole drilling for rivets. note the marker outline - this is where i will need to remove paint:

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171116/63ad9a3886ee0414da623fa0531a1de3.jpg

left rear, with Skinz; note the 'kink' coverage (typically first crack location):

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171116/a97b2cccedc8166f5a8a72bf7ab07b69.jpg

left rear, sans Skinz and post-hole drilling for rivets:

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171116/988268556df6ebce376acdd8560d1537.jpg

in other news, my new TRW ZHP FCA's arrived this morning. and tonight, i will be doing more grinding and cutting - hoping to get the VinceBar and front gusset cups test-fitted. :)

BMWCurves

11-16-2017, 11:35 AM

Do you need to paint or otherwise protect the new drill holes from rust?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Sockethead

11-16-2017, 11:54 AM

slater

11-16-2017, 12:39 PM

Once it's sandwiched with epoxy, that will protect the holes.... some will bleed out during the rivet installation.
Another advantage of going with epoxy... no need to worry about bare metal between the plates and body.

exactly. and once they're epoxied on... i will paint everything with 2 coats of POR-15.

i will be posting in the next couple of days about the VinceBar... vince actually came up with a new design which i am trying out. it is supposed to be simpler to install - i'm all for that! :)

ZHPizza

11-16-2017, 01:28 PM

This looks amazing. Let us know what the epoxy tastes like.

slater

11-20-2017, 05:30 AM

This looks amazing. Let us know what the epoxy tastes like.

Ha. Fortunately... did not have that experience. :)

UPDATE:

got this done on saturday. vince's kit is nothing short of amazing; it fits perfectly, and everything is included - even rivets, brushes, drill bits, guides, hole saw, POR15 metal prep fluid....! i will say that i spent a lot of time studying pics from him so that i could be prepared... and i still have probably 15-20hrs into just metal prep (grinding, degreasing, cutting, etc) and installing the VinceBar and VinceSkinz. definitely a lot more time-consuming than i expected, but i also was not rushing things and am definitely a "measure twice, cut once" kinda guy (although sometimes my 'cuts' aren't as good as i would like, LOL).

pics!

access panel cut out; this bar is vince's new design, which was initially for my Touring but he may offer it as the 'standard' bar from now on. definitely less cutting required. i used a combo of 5" grinder and dremel with heavy-duty cutting disc. i had to trim a bit more after i took this photo, but not much.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171120/6d3b66e4661ffade8c5bb7052ece2df8.jpg

rear seat 'gusset cup' prep; vince even supplies a long drill guide and a hole saw for this. it was super easy - the sheet metal is ridiculously thin...

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171120/2952092a037cbfe63fee6335f51262c5.jpg

test fit of the bar - if you look at the first pic, you'll see a 20mm lip between where i cut and the 'ridge' on the floor section towards the front of the car; the sheet metal strip that is welded to the bar rests on this. the bar fits perfectly.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171120/67f3b8b434d77f1b125c81b58e4d220f.jpg

gusset cup test fit; for the top edge and lower outer edge, you need to hammer it down to get it to conform with the profile of the sheet metal. not hard. holes drilled here already for the rivets.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171120/7e4fede36b432c987fe2ec7bb1571796.jpg

holes drilled for the bar. these holes in end plate use massive 4.8mm rivets... these same rivets would later break my arrow rivet gun.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171120/41bcde56a238e64c950c2efaf5246587.jpg

gusset cup area prepped; welds ground down on the top of the receiver (i had to run a tap - also supplied by vince! - through each receiver) to make a flat surface, and the outer edge of the hole made by the hole saw was ground down more to fit the gusset cups. paint removed via wire wheel, and metal surface 'etched' as per vince with a dremel cutting disc 'bouncing' on the surface, to create better adhesion with the epoxy.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171120/e3facfd6a5e86fab7a73e691f1906a93.jpg

bar epoxied and riveted in. there is seam sealer (also included) underneath the bar and the strip. i didn't take any photos of the 'T' under the bar that needs to get cut (actually... see the first pic above, you can see the 'T'), flattened and ground down, or the reinforcement panel that gets epoxied and riveted to it....whoops. the bar covers all of these. fitment is perfect, and my trunk panels will cover this 100%. i love that. also, i painted the bar with anti-rust gloss gray paint (the entire bar, except the outside of the end plates, because it needs to be epoxied to the frame rails there) before installing.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171120/398bc54f53608a55a2e644b9914196c7.jpg

there is an arc'ed metal strip that is welded to the bottom of the bar, and it fits in between the inside and outside layers of the spare tire well... it is then riveted together (all 3 panels). i covered the front and back of this strip with seam sealer. note the height of the bar compared to my floor - it fits perfectly.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171120/8d5dae9ef74f9d957abe0d5d8a27d46e.jpg

gusset cups epoxied and riveted in. wheel bolts and washers are used to hold them down while the epoxy cures. also, i cleaned up the mess before i took this and the last two pics. :)

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171120/f80cb1268723a97d2fa85f13b2505806.jpg

VinceSkinz installed! i had to degrease and apply two coats of POR-15 metal prep to every bare metal surface to keep it wet for 20 minutes before hand... then wipe with a damp cloth. then i applied the araldite 2014 epoxy (easier than i anticipated) with a 2:1 mixer gun i bought on amazon, and a stubby brush . the instructions for the araldite dictate that you put a thin coat on both mating surfaces for the strongest bond (i think it was no more than 0.5mm thick); i followed that. Skinz were held it in place with a wheel bolt, then riveted on (wheel bolts removed for the pics, and also so i could clean up the epoxy from the receiver holes). this is the front right mount; note the hole does not line up perfectly, but it's oversized and the bolt has no problem threading in.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171120/84a2c3c86c04dd70e90b10fdd78bb985.jpg

left rear. i will be painting all bare and rusty surfaces with two coats of POR-15 gloss black paint.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171120/029fd0be2895bed4212f66484e14633a.jpg

right rear.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171120/985465c61b1bd4eb204dd4db840f964a.jpg

left front.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171120/178720117f5bd7d12076ec5c829f5694.jpg

all in all... it was a success! tonight i will hopefully be removing the old engine, trans, steering rack, and front suspension! then tomorrow, two coats of POR-15, and ZHP engine, trans, rack, and spindles with new control arms.

:cheers

BMWCurves

11-20-2017, 05:50 AM

Who are you posting all these pics and what have you done with Peter?

Looks like you're trucking along, great stuff!

Sockethead

11-20-2017, 07:36 AM

Must feel good to get that out of the way... looks like you did a great job and an A+ for neatness ;)

slater

11-20-2017, 07:41 AM

Who are you posting all these pics and what have you done with Peter?

Looks like you're trucking along, great stuff!

yep, thanks! going slower than anticipated, but that's normal for me, i suppose... i have been burning the candle at both ends lately trying to get this done, as i have a lot on my plate and my wife has been gracious enough to basically not get much attention from me while i get this project done. i owe her many dates and pretty dresses.

i'm very excited to drive it, and see if it feels any different than my ZHP in terms of rigidity under load. but more importantly, i don't have to be concerned about the RACP if i want to hang the tail end out... which has been known to happen. ;)

Must feel good to get that out of the way... looks like you did a great job and an A+ for neatness ;)

thanks rob! i do like to keep things tidy (although don't look at the state of my garage right now!!). it does definitely feel good to have it installed finally - it's been at least 14 months since i started this process with vince to get a bar... and then i changed cars... and then he developed the Skinz... so lots of changes and delays. so my RACP has relief, and so do i. ;) hahaha.

Sockethead

11-20-2017, 07:52 AM

Be careful burning the candle at both ends.... I did that after we moved in to our new house and ended up getting pretty sick and burnt out.... I'd hate to see that happen to you...

slater

11-20-2017, 07:57 AM

Be careful burning the candle at both ends.... I did that after we moved in to our new house and ended up getting pretty sick and burnt out.... I'd hate to see that happen to you...

thanks. BTDT also....i'm making sure to take sundays off as a day of rest - after all, the bible tells us to take a day of rest... and what do you know, it works! ;) monday morning comes and i'm ready and recharged for the week. :)

i am hoping to be finished with the car this week. it's getting colder here (-2ºC this morning, although it's supposed to be 10ºC tomorrow, go figure), and as i get older i like working in the cold garage less and less. :)

slater

11-23-2017, 06:49 AM

happy american thanksgiving, everyone! i pulled a turkey out of my car:

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171123/815e2872e8c366a184f3bba7938def6d.jpg

the 2x4 there is being used to push the hood up about another 1" (taking up slop in the hood shocks), and also because i needed that 1" of clearance - it was that tight coming out under the hood, and above the radiator support!

this took about 5x as long to do as it should, because there was ONE trans bolt that i just could not get access to... it was the one way up on top on the passenger side. i could see it, but no configuration of wobble extensions or U-joints could get on the bolt. so i decided to put the hoist on the engine, and start lifting it out in an attempt to tip the entire assembly back enough to get to the bolt. well, it turns out the bolt was also frozen, so i ended up shearing it off. not a problem - and much joy was proclaimed when it broke! because then i just had to persuade the starter off the trans, and i used my sweet trans jack to support the trans and wiggle it off the engine.

anyway. the old engine is now safely sitting on a pallet with wheels. and now engine bay is going to get cleaned up, and then the ZHP engine goes in.

and also, of course, now i'm concerned about getting that bolts' doppelganger installed on the ZHP engine/trans......... poop.

Johnmadd

11-23-2017, 06:59 AM

Oh yeah!

holyc0w

11-23-2017, 07:01 AM

That's a huge turkey. Hope it goes smoother from there

ZHPizza

11-23-2017, 07:19 AM

A little late, but you can get about 6 more inches of travel out of the hood just by popping off the shock attachments. Might help you with the reinstall at least.

Good luck, brother! I'll check back in after the weekend and see what kind of mess you've made.

Sockethead

11-23-2017, 07:55 AM

Congrats! Great progress!
How's the wife holding up? ;)

slater

11-23-2017, 08:50 AM

That's a huge turkey. Hope it goes smoother from there

thanks, me too. :)

A little late, but you can get about 6 more inches of travel out of the hood just by popping off the shock attachments. Might help you with the reinstall at least.

Good luck, brother! I'll check back in after the weekend and see what kind of mess you've made.

ha, thanks dude. and thanks for the tip on the hood shock - i didn't even think of that! i will definitely do that, it will for sure make it easier and less nail-biting...

Congrats! Great progress!
How's the wife holding up? ;)

thanks!

wife is doing OK - thanks for asking! :) i'm really fortunate, she is being super patient. i'm also trying to spend less time in the garage, even though i have a metric ton of work still to do. my plans for this weekend (i was supposed to be away) changed, so that's awesome, as i will get sunday with the family and most of the day saturday to hopefully wrap most of this stuff up!

stuff left to do (making a list here for my sanity ;)):

- clean engine bay
- remove front suspension and steering rack from Touring front subframe
- install new control arms, ZHP steering rack with new tie rod assemblies, and M3 engine mounts on Touring front subframe
- install new steering coupler
- install M3 swaybar, and ZHP spindles and brakes on front suspension
- install ZHP engine
- install ZHP radiator (only a year old)
- install new rear main seal
- install new valeo SMF kit
- install ZHP trans
- install ZHP fuel filter (it's nearly new)
- flush remaining old PS fluid and put in fresh fluid
- fill/bleed coolant
- fresh oil
- fire up the engine and make sure the SMF kit components are working, and check for leaks at RMS and oil pan (since i replaced that gasket)
- install RTD 300mm shifter
- install ZHP headlights and non-washerjet undertrims
- replace AKG poly rear subframe mounts with TMS aluminum ones
- clean up new rust on rear subframe
- paint POR-15 (2 coats) on RACP area and rear subframe rust spots
- spray rust-resistant paint on VinceBar stuff inside the car to cover seam sealer
- install rear end, with ZHP springs and top-adjustable koni yellows
- install driveshaft
- install heatshields
- cut ZHP muffler off exhaust and install BMW Performance muffler
- install exhaust
- install aluminum cross brace and plastic undertray
- bleed brakes
- install new front strut bar
- merge ZHP gauge cluster face with Touring cluster guts
- install half-perf leather steering wheel
- put winter wheels on, lower car to ground
- reflash DME with ZHP software
- test drive
- alignment
- get broken aluminum cross brace bolt drilled out by professional

crap. that is still a lot to do!!!! :blink

Yelkos

11-23-2017, 08:55 AM

Am i the only one who thinks Peter's power cord holder is freakin' awesome!
I have a bent Style 5 I now have a use for.

slater

11-23-2017, 10:12 AM

Am i the only one who thinks Peter's power cord holder is freakin' awesome!
I have a bent Style 5 I now have a use for.

haha, thanks. it's a damaged kosei K1 from a set i had a LONG time ago. 15x7. :) i kept it around for this specific purpose... well, or i was going to make a coffee/end table out of it. i sometimes wish i had one of those retractable ones that i could mount to the ceiling, but this works great too!

another similar thing i've got in the garage is a 50' compressor hose on a reel... just pull on the hose when needed, and use the handle to wind it back up when done. it's also pretty slippery hose so it doesn't bind up, either.

BMWCurves

11-23-2017, 10:44 AM

Great progress as always, Peter.

slater

11-23-2017, 11:12 AM

Great progress as always, Peter.

well, i wouldn't want to let you down, now would i! :)

thanks. i was getting kinda burned out on the project, but getting the engine and trans out is kind of like the mid point, and the exciting stuff is going to start happening. it's always nicer installing new and/or clean parts, then removing old crusty junk.

i just want to be done with it, and wring the snot out of it!

BMWCurves

11-23-2017, 11:15 AM

well, i wouldn't want to let you down, now would i! :)

thanks. i was getting kinda burned out on the project, but getting the engine and trans out is kind of like the mid point, and the exciting stuff is going to start happening. it's always nicer installing new and/or clean parts, then removing old crusty junk.

i just want to be done with it, and wring the snot out of it!

Definitely. That midpoint can be a real bugger of just feeling like you're almost there but not quite. I love installing new parts though, makes it all worth it.

slater

11-23-2017, 11:18 AM

Definitely. That midpoint can be a real bugger of just feeling like you're almost there but not quite. I love installing new parts though, makes it all worth it.

yeah. all new, clean, beautiful parts... the stuff dreams are made of.

Sockethead

11-23-2017, 11:41 AM

i just want to be done with it, and wring the snot out of it!

The best part of any car project ;)

ELCID86

11-23-2017, 03:58 PM

Keep on it! Nice work brother.

---
"ZHP is a garbage option anyway- just some cosmetic upgrades with a different cam and diff to claw back some of the performance lost fitting those hideous and heavy wheels. Any 330 with a 3.46 diff will smoke a ZHP every time. The whole Mafia thing reeks of childish behavior." - anonymous E46 fanatic

johnrando

11-24-2017, 07:45 AM

+1

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

Vas

11-26-2017, 02:34 PM

Hey Peter.

What kind of rear main seal did you go with ? Is it a kit ?

Also are you replacing the plastic clutch pivot pin and the clutch salve cylinder?

Also did your kit come with the clutch allignment tool?

I got a clutch job to do as well.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

slater

11-27-2017, 05:16 AM

got this stuff done (in italics) on friday night and saturday... the engine did not want to go in, it was weird - it was like putting a square peg in a round hole. had to drop the front subframe down all the way, and remove the A/C compressor bracket and idler pulley to get enough clearance. in hindsight i think my angle of approach may not have been level enough (it was tipped back too far), but it's in and sitting on the mounts now. i got the RMS in and torqued down to spec, and the flywheel is on.

my wife is going in for surgery today, so progress will be minimal this week, i imagine.

- clean engine bay
- remove front suspension and steering rack from Touring front subframe
- install new control arms, ZHP steering rack with new tie rod assemblies, and M3 engine mounts on Touring front subframe
- install new steering coupler
- install ZHP engine
- install new rear main seal
- install RTD 300mm shifter
- clean up new rust on rear subframe
- paint POR-15 (2 coats) on RACP area and rear subframe rust spots
- spray rust-resistant paint on VinceBar stuff inside the car to cover seam sealer

Hey Peter.

What kind of rear main seal did you go with ? Is it a kit ?

Also are you replacing the plastic clutch pivot pin and the clutch salve cylinder?

Also did your kit come with the clutch allignment tool?

I got a clutch job to do as well.

hey vas! i bought an OEM RMS with install tool from the local dealer... i didn't get the housing, just the seal. i then removed it from the old housing on my bench, and installed the new seal - it was easy enough with a rubber hammer.

i replaced the plastic clutch pivot pin with an aluminum one (it was an OEM part i got from the dealer).

i did not replace the clutch slave, although i elected to just use the one from the Touring - i left it connected, and it is super clean, making me think it may have already been replaced. i haven't gone back through my records from the PO (he was the original owner) to see if it was or not, yet.

the valeo 835101 kit didn't come with a clutch alignment tool - which i thought was kinda of weird, as the kit is remarkably complete aside from that - it even has a new pilot bearing installed in the flywheel (i didn't know it did and i had bought one just in case). i bought one separately, i think from ECS or FCP.

PICS:

RTD shifter. a work of art. my only concern is the OEM rubber boot that is used to seal the shifter hole from the elements... i hacked it up to 'fit' as best as a i could, but it's not working well. i will need to spend some more time trying to figure out a solution here... clearly this is a more 'racecar' piece, so most people wouldn't even care about the rubber boot, but i do. also, this style of shifter does away with the shift fork entirely.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171127/c8f139e1b01c8ebd2546266e60af2f3b.jpg

final paint on the VinceBar after seam sealer was applied (and dried). it's not pretty, but functional. and hey, it's going to be 100% hidden by carpet so it doesn't matter that i didn't color-match. ;)

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171127/c60d578794255c312b9b9eb614a017ff.jpg

final paint on the front gusset cups. i still have to fab up a way to mount the two brackets that i had to remove here, that hold the lower seat back piece for the Touring. if you'll notice an extra hole on the gusset cups (inside edge, above the 2nd rivet), this was actually for a rivet but it's in the exact place of where the bracket spot weld was, so i added an extra rivet above and below, and left that hole for the seat bracket... so once i have the brackets ready i can just rivet them in place there. it will make a lot more sense once installed.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171127/cd96c2c04177c6a2cf290cfa7da98a24.jpg

the next two pics are of the VinceSkinz after two coats of POR-15. man, this stuff is incredible! it says it actually adheres better to rusty surfaces than to smooth surfaces, but i did apply the POR-15 metal-prep fluid to all surfaces that i ground paint away from - it etches the surface and creates a zinc-phosphate coating that helps the POR-15 paint to adhere... especially on smooth surfaces. also, it's supposed to dry to a hard, enamel-like finish that won't chip/flake/scratch. i believe it - this stuff feels tough as nails to the touch when dry! i did the entire rear subframe as well, and a few spots under the rest of the car that were a bit rusty. curious to see how it holds up - but it should be a permanent, life-of-the-car solution. after all, this is the stuff they use on the salt trucks. i used a 2" wide foam brush, which i felt like was a good choice because i could 'dab' it on in the hard-to-reach or rusty areas, and it would fill in the gaps nicely.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171127/6dc2f490554441ae727d73606ac09620.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171127/edbfe2a0c3715cf44215183bcece3041.jpg

trans ready, M3 mounts in, new steering coupler (had to cut the old one off... it came off in 3 pieces ;)), CDV deleted, new TRW ZHP control arms in, AKG FCABs in, new tie rod assemblies in, ZHP steering rack in... and i used almost an entire can of brake cleaner to clean up the steering rack! it was pretty oily from an old OFHG leak (was leaking when i bought the car). let's hope it stays this clean. i also took this opportunity to fix some heat shield fastener issues (where the heat shield had broken away around the fastener holding it), using a slightly-larger washer behind the fastener.

also, in hindsight i should have replaced the PS lines.... but that is purely cosmetic.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171127/636854527ca7d1be6796f5d5da2271a0.jpg

new RMS in, with a new gasket, and red RTV applied in the lower seam where the RMS housing, oil pan and block all meet. i also got the starter hooked up. flywheel is on now (not pictured), that was the last step i got to saturday night before being way too tired to keep going.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171127/596479cd7233c3be3c3f7b6039175f26.jpg

ZHPizza

11-27-2017, 05:54 AM

Awesome work, Peterman! Thanks for sharing the progress pics.

That shifter is just as obnoxious as I hoped it would be. Perfect fit for the #radioflyer #racewagon

san

11-27-2017, 05:55 AM

Surgery? Hope it goes well

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

slater

11-27-2017, 06:19 AM

Awesome work, Peterman! Thanks for sharing the progress pics.

That shifter is just as obnoxious as I hoped it would be. Perfect fit for the #radioflyer #racewagon

ha, well... i did test fit the trim pieces and shift boot, and it's much less obnoxious. :) and this model accepts a factory shift knob, too... so it will be minimally obnoxious. :)

Surgery? Hope it goes well

thanks. it's minor surgery, but we're still anxious. recovery time is supposed to be 1-6 weeks. quite a variance.

704sw

11-27-2017, 06:32 AM

slater

11-27-2017, 06:56 AM

Those PS lines look like mine. *nightmares intensify*
I just replaced mine. Well, all except one (I couldn’t get one of those wonky compression fittings to release). I had to completely remove the rack to remove (read: cut into 3 pieces) the guibo, so replacing the lines just made sense.

yeah. fortunately the metal on the lines is very thick (thank you, German Engineering), so really it's just cosmetic.

i was thinking about your picture of the 3-piece steering coupler as i was cutting mine off...! after spending 45min trying to remove it the old-fashioned way. 5min with a grinder and it was off. needless to say, i applied a little anti-seize to the splined shaft before the new coupler went on!

Sreten

11-27-2017, 07:21 AM

Just reading and catching up. Hell of a work, Peter! You made impressive progress.

Wish a speedy recovery to your wife. Keep posting pics and progress. Great read.

704sw

11-27-2017, 07:32 AM

i was thinking about your picture of the 3-piece steering coupler as i was cutting mine off...! after spending 45min trying to remove it the old-fashioned way. 5min with a grinder and it was off. needless to say, i applied a little anti-seize to the splined shaft before the new coupler went on!

Happened to you too? So it is Canada’s fault!
I was using a Dremel with metal cutting discs instead of a grinder. I cut through the rubber and metal rods with a hacksaw (not a big fan of the smell of burning rubber unless it’s my tires graffitiing the asphalt), and then cut the lower half in two. Even after that, half of it was still seized on there! What a joke lol.

slater

11-27-2017, 07:35 AM

Happened to you too? So it is Canada’s fault!
I was using a Dremel with metal cutting discs instead of a grinder. I cut through the rubber and metal rods with a hacksaw (not a big fan of the smell of burning rubber unless it’s my tires graffitiing the asphalt), and then cut the lower half in two. Even after that, half of it was still seized on there! What a joke lol.

ha! i had the same experience! (with half of it being seized on)

ironically the coupler i changed on the black wagon actually came off... and that car was from montreal (i.e., Salt Capital Of Canada). crazy.

Vas

11-27-2017, 08:05 AM

Great update.

How high up do you have the car on those jack stands?

slater

11-27-2017, 08:24 AM

Just reading and catching up. Hell of a work, Peter! You made impressive progress.

Wish a speedy recovery to your wife. Keep posting pics and progress. Great read.

thanks man!

Great update.

How high up do you have the car on those jack stands?

about 17"... i don't like extending the jack stands all the way, so i've got a 10" long section of 2x8 under each stand.

i really want some of those jack stands that spenser mentioned on here a few months ago. the ones that are bomb-proof. and expensive.

BMWCurves

11-27-2017, 10:21 AM

Surgery? Hope it goes well

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

+1

slater

11-28-2017, 07:57 AM

+1

thanks man.

the surgery itself went OK but we were surprised (misinformed - not something you want to experience the day of the procedure...) by the technical details of the actual procedure, and the recovery expectations. my poor wife cried in front of the nurse we met with before the procedure because they were going to do intubation as she was going to be so heavily put to sleep... intubation scares the crap out of my wife. but she soldiered on and is home now. last night was rough... she is doing much better today, but will be bed-ridden for several days, and she's on morphine, which makes things interesting. i am praising God that she is better and that i work from home - i can check on her a few times an hour and make sure she gets her meds on time, eats correctly, etc. and my mother-in-law came yesterday to help with my kids! she is awesome.

danewilson77

11-28-2017, 09:36 AM

Glad to hear she recovering. Thinking of you guys.

Sent from my S8+

san

11-28-2017, 12:44 PM

+1

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

nextelbuddy

11-28-2017, 01:01 PM

that shifter is a work of art. is it the tall shifter that I have seen online lately?

slater

11-28-2017, 06:28 PM

Glad to hear she recovering. Thinking of you guys.

+1

thanks guys - it's greatly appreciated!

that shifter is a work of art. is it the tall shifter that I have seen online lately?

probably not - this one is not that tall, although they do make a 360mm tall 'race' version. you've probably seen the samsonas shifter (~$600), or CAE (~$1000); both are very nice, but not for me - too tall, i didn't care about having a reverse lockout, and i didn't want to hack up my console to fit it. the RTD 300mm shifter ticks all of my boxes... let's just hope it performs how i am expecting it to perform. :)

holyc0w

11-28-2017, 06:56 PM

Is this the one that returns to neutral position after every shift or is that something else?

704sw

11-28-2017, 10:16 PM

Am i the only one who thinks Peter's power cord holder is freakin' awesome!
I have a bent Style 5 I now have a use for.

Funny enough that caught my when I was up there buying my car. Not sure how I was able to see anything other than that obnoxious blue thing, but I thought “how dare a K1 be on the wall and not on the road! This guy’s cool, and knows his shit, must be a good reason. Ohh shiny blue car!”

i really want some of those jack stands that spenser mentioned on here a few months ago. the ones that are bomb-proof. and expensive.

The ESCO ones? So I bought two of them last month, and I absolutely love them! I like the flat rubber top design so much, and frankly it’s hard to believe no one else is doing that design. Honestly I feel just as safe under the car with them as I do under Nate’s QuickJack. No way in hell I’d have done the work I just finished up doing if I only had four of the traditional style stands. I’ll be buying two more for a Christmas gift for myself.

I hope your wife is doing better, Peter. She struck me as a pretty tough gal.

slater

11-29-2017, 05:46 AM

Is this the one that returns to neutral position after every shift or is that something else?

yep, it does.

The ESCO ones? So I bought two of them last month, and I absolutely love them! I like the flat rubber top design so much, and frankly it’s hard to believe no one else is doing that design. Honestly I feel just as safe under the car with them as I do under Nate’s QuickJack. No way in hell I’d have done the work I just finished up doing if I only had four of the traditional style stands. I’ll be buying two more for a Christmas gift for myself.

yep, those are the ones! i need to add them to my christmas list also. :)

I hope your wife is doing better, Peter. She struck me as a pretty tough gal.

thanks - she is pretty tough, although still likes being taken care of. a good mix. :)

Vas

11-29-2017, 06:21 AM

I am looking into at least getting 2 of the Esco stands. $65 each on amazon prime. Adjusts from 13" - 21"

But then Esco makes a shorty stand which has a shorter base and post. Adjusts from 11" - 17"

Sockethead

11-29-2017, 06:41 AM

Good stuff! Trying to find the time to take notes on all this stuff! Glad to hear the wife is doing better...any kind of surgery is not fun

704sw

11-29-2017, 07:04 AM

I am looking into at least getting 2 of the Esco stands. $65 each on amazon prime. Adjusts from 13" - 21"

But then Esco makes a shorty stand which has a shorter base and post. Adjusts from 11" - 17"

I bought the 10499 Low Profile version. I was able to get the rear subframe out without issue (it was a huge issue, but not because of the jackstand height lol), and I don’t think I was even at the top pin.

Vas

11-29-2017, 07:19 AM

I bought the 10499 Low Profile version. I was able to get the rear subframe out without issue (it was a huge issue, but not because of the jackstand height lol), and I don’t think I was even at the top pin.

Mind sharing where you got them from? I will be doing a clutch job shortly and need some stands that will go high enough and are sturdy.

The bigger version seems kinda overkill.

slater

11-29-2017, 07:38 AM

704sw

11-29-2017, 08:10 AM

Mind sharing where you got them from? I will be doing a clutch job shortly and need some stands that will go high enough and are sturdy.

The bigger version seems kinda overkill.

i think amazon has them, but if i remember correctly, spenser got a crazy deal on them?

i will likely get the big ones. i like overkill.

No crazy deal for me (crying.emoji), although I don’t think I paid $83. I think I paid $65, the same as the 10498 is currently listed. I bought them from Amazon.

It was another member here who bought them from Northern Tool for something like $40/each (I’m still bitter—I went to buy them the next day and the price was back up).

Edit: the only *deal* I got was opening an Amazon Visa, which I’d been meaning to do for years. You get an $80 Amazon gift card, and I think 5% back on Prime purchases.

johnrando

11-30-2017, 03:43 PM

Sorry a bit late on this, so good to hear that things went well.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

slater

12-14-2017, 09:58 AM

Sorry a bit late on this, so good to hear that things went well.

thanks john! she had a longer, harder recovery that expected, but she's almost 100% now.

things around here have been very, very busy... christmas is always a busy time of year around our house, but i've had to be out of town a couple times and all of that has meant very little has gotten done since my last update... and by very little, i mean, in the span of 2.5 weeks 'little' has gotten done compared to what happened previous to that. :)

so here's where it's at:

- engine installed (there's a lot going on here besides chucking it in the engine bay hole)
- trans installed
- rear end installed
- all brakes installed (not bled yet)
- front M3 swaybar installed
- fresh oil, coolant, PS fluid
- modified my aFe ProDry S intake mounting bracket/shield for better intake boot fitment (no kink! but the filter is touching the coolant expansion tank... i don't like it, but we'll see how it does)
- made and installed some custom rear seat back mounting brackets with my son - unfortunately they will be hidden behind the seat back, but this was really fun and i hope he thinks about them when he gets in the car (i'm going to have him reinstall the interior with me)
- lots of fiddly bits dealt with
- Touring + ZHP gauge clusters merged to form A BIONIC ZHP-T CLUSTER OF SILVER-RINGED POWER
- perf-leather steering wheel installed
- DME REFLASHED :cheers

let me preface this next bit by saying that nearly every single thing has been a PITA on this project. broken bolts (i've had 4 broken bolts... very weird for me, especially on a BMW. i've still got two of those bolts to drill out yet). stuff not lining up properly. stuff not wanting to go back together. everything has been hard.....i've done lots of this stuff many times before, without issue. but this time has been difficult.

and then i went to reflash the DME on tuesday night with a custom flash TerraPhantm made for me last summer, and WinKFP kept crashing when it got to 100%. so i tried using the latest ZHP factory software... and it errored out halfway through - DME ACCESS DENIED.

and the car wouldn't start. i thought i bricked my DME.

F.

so last night i spent a couple of hours researching. i stripped all of the coding software off of my laptop (running Windows 10 x64) - which was the stuff that came with my INPA cable - and downloaded and installed BMW Standard Tools from bimmergeeks.net. after loading in the daten files and configuring my WinKFP ini files, i noticed that this version of WinKFP was in english! bonus already. i also set my COM port to COM1 for my USB-to-serial adapter (was COM5 - and WinKFP can use any COM port, but the bimmergeeks' instructions said to use COM1, so i did). i finished that around 1AM.

this morning i went out to my garage - sitting at lovely -8ºC (it was -18.5ºC outside this morning when i brought my daughter to the bus stop - it's WAY too early for these january/february kind of temps!) - and attempted to flash the DME with Terra's files, and IT WORKED! and then i started the car, and the engine roared to life... (literally roared - it has no exhaust on it right now) and settled to a nice idle. i nearly shat myself. because not only was this a hugely invasive project - both in terms of the car, and my life! - the coding aspect was an unknown, the drivetrain was transplanted from my ZHP, and i installed a new SMF/cluch/PP as well, so i just prayed.. and prayed... (there has been a lot of prayer going on in this project) that i didn't mess anything up. which i didn't think i did, because i take my time doing stuff, but it was definitely a tense moment. the 330iT ZHP lives!! :)

so i'm curious to see how the software runs - because Terra actually was able to extract the dump of my ZHP's shark-injected DME and build a new set of flashable files from it.... so technically i'm running the identical shark-injected tune that i was on my ZHP. without having to use the shark injector. ;) and i am definitely going to try the latest factory software at some point, too... especially in light of the recent findings on the actual 'performance' of the shark/conforti tune.

so...at this point, i've got to:

- FREEZE MY ARSE OFF
- let the engine run for a bit, check for leaks
- bleed the brakes
- install the driveshaft, and heatshields
- drill out last two broken bolts (aka TIME-SUCKING BOLTS OF DEATH)
- install the electric cooling fan
- install the exhaust (with BMW Performance muffler)
- install the rear shocks (top-adjustable koni yellows ;))
- mount the wheels
- install new strut bar
- TEST DRIVE (!!!!)
- reinstall rear interior panels/rear seat
- BREATHE :)

if you made it this far....thanks for reading. i'm so excited to have this thing done.... you have no idea. :)

have an awesome day! :) :cheers

EDIT - unbelievably, this post was #5000 for me. i had no idea! so cool! what an epic day to have this post. i'm pumped. :fistpump

Johnmadd

12-14-2017, 10:18 AM

Man Peter, that's a lot of good stuff for your 5000th post. I know that first drive will put a huge smile on your face.

Yelkos

12-14-2017, 11:26 AM

Well Done Peter

ZHPizza

12-14-2017, 12:09 PM

Dr. Slaterstein this morning:

https://assets-auto.rbl.ms/bc9d82f01eb56e8dbfa928a2152a2d00ce481109956cc9c78c 35199397bab56a

congrats, dude!

Vas

12-14-2017, 02:03 PM

Killing it man.

anandoc

12-14-2017, 04:12 PM

Well done man, this is amazing! I can't wait for you to drive this thing down to Toronto :)

BMWCurves

12-14-2017, 05:31 PM

Yoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

https://i.imgur.com/hwaB52n.gif

san

12-14-2017, 06:08 PM

For some reason my Tapatalk isn’t showing your entire post. I had no idea what you folks are talking about until I used web view.
31603

Anyways great progress! Almost there [emoji4]

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

704sw

12-14-2017, 06:49 PM

johnrando

12-14-2017, 07:05 PM

+1 to the prev comments, good stuff!

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

BMWCurves

12-14-2017, 07:39 PM

I too was confused as crap.

Peterman, this is simply awesome.

Yup, came home and looked on a desktop browser for the full details.

slater

12-15-2017, 05:40 AM

Man Peter, that's a lot of good stuff for your 5000th post. I know that first drive will put a huge smile on your face.

Dr. Slaterstein this morning:

congrats, dude!

Well Done Peter

Killing it man.

Well done man, this is amazing! I can't wait for you to drive this thing down to Toronto :)

thanks, dudes! very excited to be done with this freakin' thing...

For some reason my Tapatalk isn’t showing your entire post. I had no idea what you folks are talking about until I used web view.

Anyways great progress! Almost there [emoji4]

I too was confused as crap.

Peterman, this is simply awesome.

Yup, came home and looked on a desktop browser for the full details.

very weird. oh well. at least they're not lost.

worked a few hours last night...

- driveshaft installed
- heatshields installed
- cut the stock ZHP muffler off
- installed exhaust with BMW Performance muffler
- installed electric cooling fan and remaining air intake components
- installed engine covers - had to modify one of them to work with the GAS CCV
- sorted out ABS light issue (just had to clear codes)

today i'll hopefully get it on the ground! :cheers

704sw

12-15-2017, 05:57 AM

Found this footage of Peterman after it started up:
https://media.tenor.co/images/febebde87fbaa406830506073591ccf9/raw

slater

12-15-2017, 06:32 AM

LOL... what’s that guys’ story?

here’s a picture of the BMW Performance muffler, being test fit. they did a wonderful job with this thing. i weighed the stock muffler after i cut it off, and then the BMW Performance muffler:

- ZHP muffler: 30lbs
- BMW Performance muffler: 23lbs

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171215/5d8491ccb6ed706d8d48bf2e151b66b3.jpg

also, while we are on the topic of exhausts, here is a clip with no exhaust:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVCFwRZB2rs

it was actually WAY louder than it is in the video. weird. and i sorted the ABS light issue.

Yelkos

12-15-2017, 06:52 AM

[QUOTE=slater;549399]LOL... what’s that guys’ story?

That's a great GIF, its Jim Cantori of the Weather Channel during thunder and lightning snow storm. he gets a liitle excited about weather.

704sw

12-15-2017, 07:27 AM

[QUOTE=slater;549399]LOL... what’s that guys’ story?

That's a great GIF, its Jim Cantori of the Weather Channel during thunder and lightning snow storm. he gets a liitle excited about weather.

Bingo. I think he called it “thunder snow,” and he went bonkers. He seems like an interesting person to grab a drink with.

also, while we are on the topic of exhausts, here is a clip with no exhaust:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVCFwRZB2rs

it was actually WAY louder than it is in the video. weird. and i sorted the ABS light issue.

I recorded a similar video when I did my subframe and driveshaft work, and forgot to post it (thanks for the reminder, I’ll do that and we can compare who’s audio came through better lol). It was very grin-inducing, but after attending some endurance races, my benchmark for “loud” has definitely changed lol.

Vas

12-15-2017, 07:41 AM

Yeah I really like the BMW performance muffler on the wifes car as well.

az3579

12-15-2017, 11:47 AM

Don't you have a portable heater in the garage or something? -7C is way too cold to be crawling around on the floor! lol

ZHPizza

12-15-2017, 12:40 PM

Just watched your video:

1. Those gauges are clean af. I digg.

2. Referring to your comment at the end of the video on how loud it is: "yeah, I could do with it every once in a while..."

https://www.ebay.com/i/152131023350?chn=ps

just sayin

slater

12-16-2017, 05:17 AM

Don't you have a portable heater in the garage or something? -7C is way too cold to be crawling around on the floor! lol

yes, i do - but it doesn't do much, and my garage is uninsulated. that said, it was -15ºC outside, so there is some insulating properties to the garage. :)

-7ºC was about as cold as it got in the garage, which is good considering last year when it was -15ºC outside, it would be about -14ºC inside. i've removed all of the old wooden siding from the garage, sheeted it and house-wrapped it (it's getting siding ASAP), and a new garage door seal....so that alone has made a big difference. i have insulated coveralls, i wear a winter hat, and i wear two pairs of gloves. all of this insures i can actually feel my body parts...

Just watched your video:

1. Those gauges are clean af. I digg.

2. Referring to your comment at the end of the video on how loud it is: "yeah, I could do with it every once in a while..."

https://www.ebay.com/i/152131023350?chn=ps

just sayin

thanks man... the canadian gauges are so much cleaner yeah!

that link is definitely interesting.... i will have to think about that. ;)

az3579

12-16-2017, 07:45 AM

I wonder how that pipe would hold up during Canadian salty winters.

Sockethead

12-16-2017, 09:26 AM

I used a propane forced air heater (aka salamander) in my garage up north. It burns really clean and uses the same tank as my grill. It was only $99 at Home Depot. Kept the garage toasty

az3579

12-16-2017, 11:37 AM

I used a propane forced air heater (aka salamander) in my garage up north. It burns really clean and uses the same tank as my grill. It was only $99 at Home Depot. Kept the garage toastyThose things are awesome! Loud as hell though, but they definitely did a perfect job in the toast department. Never heard them called Salamander though...

Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

Sockethead

12-16-2017, 11:41 AM

that's what they called them when I was in construction

derbo

12-16-2017, 11:42 AM

WOOOO

slater

12-17-2017, 05:07 AM

buttoned it up last night and took it for a test drive.... i got the alignment surprisingly pretty close (new tie rods), and the RTD shifter is SO nice, albeit quite noisy. solid rear subframe mounts transmit even more noise - i think i'm actually going to look at doing some sound-proofing under the rear seat (i had to toss most of the factory stuff because it just crumbled to bits).

the car feels great, but a new clutch means i have to take it easy for the break-in period.... more challenges. ;)

i do have a strange click/clack from the trans when i release the clutch quickly in neutral - not sure what that is. but the clutch and flywheel feel good - like OEM, without the rubberband-ness of the DMF. there is basically no drivetrain slack in this car now, except for the flex disc on the driveshaft, LOL. throttle response is immediate.

i made some suspension changes, i will post on them tomorrow. happy sunday everyone! :)

BMWCurves

12-17-2017, 09:30 AM

Exciting!

https://i.imgur.com/7u60wpu.gif

ELCID86

12-17-2017, 02:32 PM

Glad you are making progress!

I got a parabolic dish heater (electric) from Costco that helps quite a bit. Of course it doesn’t get nearly as cold here for long periods.

holyc0w

12-17-2017, 04:48 PM

Great work!

I am looking into at least getting 2 of the Esco stands. $65 each on amazon prime. Adjusts from 13" - 21"

But then Esco makes a shorty stand which has a shorter base and post. Adjusts from 11" - 17"

$57 on tooltopia

nextelbuddy

12-17-2017, 05:08 PM

Sockethead

12-17-2017, 06:27 PM

Damn Peter, you whipped that out quick! Excellent!

Sreten

12-18-2017, 06:25 AM

Stunning work Peter! Congrats on put it back together, proud moment.

slater

12-18-2017, 07:12 AM

Just watch the video that sounded freaking awesome. On a side note you sound a lot different than I imagined lol. I imagined you with the older more raspy voice.... Oh yeah and expected to end a sentence in the form of a question lol

LOL... you thought i was british? :)

i am fortunate that i look and sound a lot younger than i am. i'm more appreciate of this every year. :) i got carded back in october, to which i said "thank you!" and when the cashier looked at my DOB on my driver's license, she just said, "oh." LOL.

Damn Peter, you whipped that out quick! Excellent!

haha, not really! 5 weeks!! it felt like an eternity. but the proof is in the pudding, as they say - and i've had a couple drives now without issue.... except that i have a brake pad warning light that is neither of the brake pad sensors. stupid.

I wonder how that pipe would hold up during Canadian salty winters.

they're not any saltier than NE winters!

Stunning work Peter! Congrats on put it back together, proud moment.

thanks man! it was. kind of anti-climactic, though - like i was almost expecting something to break. :)

i will be posting some more pics and impressions soon. and videos once the clutch is broken in. :)

Vas

12-18-2017, 08:52 AM

Share some pictures of the rear of the car with the new muffler installed.

slater

12-21-2017, 08:41 PM

Share some pictures of the rear of the car with the new muffler installed.

will do.

got an alignment today. i eyeballed it pretty well, but it drives even better now. -1.1º camber up front, -1.2º camber in the rear. stock toe settings.

so for suspension, i am running all of the stuff i had on my ZHP sedan, but for springs and dampers i'm running OEM ZHP springs (and i think they're from a coupe, because they sit pretty low), with koni yellows up front (adjustable; set on about 60% stiff), and bilstein PSS9 rears (adjustable; i've got them set halfway), with my RE RSMs. the car feels so good - 'gooey stiff' is how i would describe it. high levels of grip, but compliant and super tight and quiet. of course, the drivetrain is loud, but the chassis is not. this is the nicest setup i've run on an E46; that said, i am turning my bilstein PSS into a linear-sprung setup (300/600 rates), so i will be trying those. likely getting ground control camber/caster plates too.

i'm about 500 shifts into my clutch break-in.... need 800. nuts. should hopefully hit it tomorrow or saturday.

Sockethead

12-21-2017, 08:45 PM

How are the solid subframe bushings? The clutch sounds promising for my car... I wonder what the maximum torque/HP rating is on that clutch?

slater

12-22-2017, 06:23 AM

The solid mounts are fine... better than poly as the transfer load better.

Liking the clutch so far - feels OEM, but without the worn-DMF cacophony!!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

slater

12-27-2017, 09:42 AM

tiny update:

CLUTCH
we had company over christmas, but i was able to finish the clutch break-in. i had read that the pedal would feel soft at first, but get progressively stiffer; i can confirm that this is indeed the case and the clutch pedal feels a normal firmness now. engagement is great, and the SMF is, to my ears, totally silent. i hear trans gear whine, but everything else is quiet as can be. and since the SMF is the same weight as the stock DMF, it doesn't feel 'aftermarket' - i'm pleased with it. i would love it if this kit came with, say, an 18lb flywheel (quicker revs), but for the price you cannot beat it.

NOISE
the BMW Performance muffler is a lot bassier than the stock muffler and, on my car at least, is very 'growly' - it does not sound like a normal ZHP at all. also, the basically-solid-mounted RTD shifter is soooo nice to shift with, but it does transmit engine/trans noise that is maybe not that pleasant. the shifter itself has a very mechanical 'snick-snick' kind of sound when shifting, and coupled with growly noises, it reminds me a little of a Eleanor from gone in 60 seconds (the remake with nicholas cage). it's not what i was expecting, but it's certainly entertaining.

SUSPENSION
all of my ZHPs' goodies, but new TRW ZHP front control arms, new lemfoerder tie rods, 26/20mm sway bars, ZHP springs, with koni yellows up front and adjustable bilstein PSS9 inverted rear dampers - it feels very, very good. it absorbs bumps, stays flat both in straight line undulations and also in turns, and is QUIET - it feels so composed and 'expensive,' for lack of a better term. it also is sitting lower than a stock ZHP sedan would - i think my ZHP springs might be from a coupe (i bought them used). overall, i am very pleased. i still want to try out the linear-spring-converted bilstein PSS set that i am building, but these are really good....

ETC
i am really enjoying the car. the ZHP rack is great and it's been handling well in the snow, despite me wanting to keep it sideways. i have no idea how to measure the additional stiffness/rigidity/"plantedness" of the VinceBits in the rear of the car, but let me just say that is feels confident and secure. much moreso than my ZHP sedan did with basically the same setup.

i do have an issue that i need to sort out. i had the car aligned last thursday and the alignment guy said he had to bring one of the rear toe adjusters (RTAB) almost all the way out to get it to spec.... and the car now wants to wander slightly to the left, as well as pull left a little on hard acceleration. my gut feeling is that this means i have either a bad RTAB or a bent rear trailing arm. i don't think that one of the bimmerworld spherical RTABs is bad, as they're quiet and did not exhibit any play off the car, but i am sort of remembering that my ZHP sedan did this before i dismantled it.... so clearly i brought the issue over with me. now i need to figure out how to measure the trailing arms to see if i can figure out if one is tweaked...... but in the meantime, the issue is minor is not really curbing my use of the car. and it's going to be -20ºC for the next 10 days, so i'm not going to dig into it for a bit. :)

merry christmas and happy new year, everyone! :cheers :)

slater

12-27-2017, 09:54 AM

Winter apparel.

You can see the BMW Performance exhaust here. I'll post more pics later. We got about 2' of snow from the 23rd til the 25th.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171227/8c449f97345262744377e7879a44d3e0.jpg

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Sockethead

12-27-2017, 10:04 AM

Great updates Peter...

Clutch: good to hear about the stock feel. That's what I'm looking for as well. My car has some gear whine too. It went away for quite a while after my last gearbox oil change but it's back. Also, my UUC shifter makes that same mechanical sound when shifting.

Your rear end issue: I'm going through the exact same issue on my car. The alignment showed a bent rear trailing arm but I haven't done anything to have caused that. The only thing I've done to the rear suspension is M3 RTAB and limiters and RE RSM. Nothing else has been apart and I haven't hit anything that would cause that. My car pulls to the right under acceleration and pulls to left under deceleration. Very frustrating. I thought it mat be because I have the newer version of the Hankooks on the rear and the old version on the front but now reading your post, it looks like there is something else going on back there.
I'm not going to have time to really get into it until the end of February so I'll be watching your progress.

slater

12-28-2017, 10:50 AM

johnrando

12-28-2017, 02:27 PM

Good stuff yet again!

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

slater

12-28-2017, 07:30 PM

wife drove the Touring for the first time today, since it was 'done.' my son was in the car with her, and when he got home he told me she said: "why is it so loud?"

it is really growly. makes me think of this (i am in awe of this car, btw):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZ6Bwr48ytg&t=162s

Your rear end issue: I'm going through the exact same issue on my car. The alignment showed a bent rear trailing arm but I haven't done anything to have caused that. The only thing I've done to the rear suspension is M3 RTAB and limiters and RE RSM. Nothing else has been apart and I haven't hit anything that would cause that. My car pulls to the right under acceleration and pulls to left under deceleration. Very frustrating. I thought it mat be because I have the newer version of the Hankooks on the rear and the old version on the front but now reading your post, it looks like there is something else going on back there.
I'm not going to have time to really get into it until the end of February so I'll be watching your progress.

so, rob.... i have been doing some reading. most folks say "RTABs" for this issue, but one UK fellow had the same issue and it turned out to be a sticking front caliper. seems odd, right? i would assume that would exhibit some vibration in the steering wheel, and i don't have any of that. but perhaps it's a sticking rear caliper? hmmmm..... i need to check the heat situation next time i'm out for a drive.

i really hope it's a bad RTAB though. easiest scenario.

Good stuff yet again!

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

thanks john! merry christmas! :)

anandoc

12-29-2017, 05:05 AM

Sockethead

12-29-2017, 06:52 AM

I don't know how it could be a bad RTAB bushing in my case, I only have a few thousand miles on the car since I did them and I properly preloaded the bushings before tightening.
I definitely gotta check the calipers though.... I can't remember the last time I changed the fluid... been several years I bet. I used to keep really good records but that all went out the window afterhaving kids...

slater

12-29-2017, 10:00 AM

A sticky caliper is easy to diagnose. When my front driver's side caliper was sticking, I could feel the heat by just standing next to the wheel. Also, you can find a spot with a slight incline and put the car in neutral and see if it starts to roll or not. Hopefully it is something trivial like a sticky caliper for you...

yeah, i don't feel anything like that when driving. also, it only does this under acceleration.... which makes me think it's not a sticking caliper. but - stranger things have happened! :)

I don't know how it could be a bad RTAB bushing in my case, I only have a few thousand miles on the car since I did them and I properly preloaded the bushings before tightening.
I definitely gotta check the calipers though.... I can't remember the last time I changed the fluid... been several years I bet. I used to keep really good records but that all went out the window afterhaving kids...

haha, agreed! i keep an excel spreadsheet of maintenance with dates and mileage... that's it. and i haven't put in the stuff i just did over the last 5 weeks yet.

re: the RTAB... yes, it does seem illogical given that they're new. mine are only about 15K miles old.

one other thing i found was.... tires! what are you running on the back for tires, and how is their tread depth relative to each other? do you have another set of wheels you can mount? i'm going to swap my tires front to back and see what happens.

Sockethead

12-29-2017, 11:34 AM

I'm running a staggered setup so I can't swap front to back but in my case, I'm running two different versions of the Hankook Ventus V12 which could very well be causing the pulling. I'd hate to have to scrap on set of tires because the discontinued fronts have well over 50% tread left...

az3579

12-29-2017, 12:35 PM

Sockethead

12-29-2017, 01:01 PM

IDK if that will work with the offset I'm running but only one way to find out...

Newjack

12-29-2017, 02:16 PM

IDK if that will work with the offset I'm running but only one way to find out...

Whatever you do, don't put your balding thinner front tires on the rear and take a hard exit ramp in the rain.

704sw

12-29-2017, 03:31 PM

Whatever you do, don't put your balding thinner front tires on the rear and take a hard exit ramp in the rain.

Bad news, guys. Rob says we’re not allowed to have any fun.

johnrando

12-29-2017, 07:08 PM

Lol

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slater

01-09-2018, 05:28 AM

I never lose this thing in the snow.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180109/c7fe3e3f884c777ec4bad5d691cdc4d4.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180109/6582fe8d1d32b446c543e1b75af0b6d7.jpg

And here are a couple pictures of the BMW Performance exhaust, for vas. I staggered the tips, like the stock exhaust. Do you think it sticks out too far? I could bring the tips in a little closer.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180109/a29e99a743d3afb2e426a52b860b8b61.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180109/d4dff5db7ef4f24c2af1a399f6ecfc75.jpg

Also, this is what happens when you get stuck in 6 inches of very wet snow. X-ice fries. 🤣

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180109/87f7f85230c7890d5716df653927c978.jpg

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Stigissimo

01-09-2018, 05:33 AM

slater

01-09-2018, 05:50 AM

1) wholly agree that these cars are just the BUSINESS in the snow. Sideways and smiling.

2) I actually like the non-staggered tips...looks just a bit sportier while still being subtle. Now I’m kind of wishing I had those tips.

3) love the m5 wheels.

1. ahhh... when i said 'lose', i meant....well, hey, it's really red... :) but yes, sideways a lot. especially with the LSD, and almost zero drivetrain movement.... i touch the throttle and it's wanting to step out. it's kind of a catch-22 for winter driving, when you want to be as smooth as possible. this thing is eager.

2. i tried them non-staggered at first, but due to the curvature of the bumper, it just looked a bit weird to my eyes. i do like that they are adjustable, though!

3. thanks. they are 17x8 ET38 replicas... i've had them for years. they look great and make awesome winter wheels. plus they only weighs 20lbs each - bonus!

704sw

01-09-2018, 06:48 AM

I’m a big fan of those Style 65 reps, Peterman. And I do not think the tips stick out too far (my fart can tips stick out less than OE, which I’m a little undecided on).

johnrando

01-09-2018, 07:38 AM

Exhaust (and car) look good.

Vas

01-09-2018, 08:17 AM

Car looks great Peter.

I also did a stagger look with the exhaust tips. Seems to flow better with the curve of the bumper/diffuser.

slater

01-09-2018, 08:36 AM

I’m a big fan of those Style 65 reps, Peterman. And I do not think the tips stick out too far (my fart can tips stick out less than OE, which I’m a little undecided on).

Exhaust (and car) look good.

Car looks great Peter.

I also did a stagger look with the exhaust tips. Seems to flow better with the curve of the bumper/diffuser.

thanks guys! :)

and vas, i totally agree. it's funny, for as much as i'm a nuts + bolts kinda guy, there are some times when i very much care about the aesthetic of certain things. i want the tips looking right, but my car is dirty and the paint is not blended well in spots. oh well. :)

BMWCurves

01-09-2018, 04:32 PM

I like the staggered look for the same reasons. My TSE3 tips are staggered and they follow the profile of the bumper nicely.

anandoc

01-09-2018, 06:24 PM

slater

01-09-2018, 09:33 PM

I see you have embraced the "McDonalds" look with the yellow fogs :)

And your house looks so different? More renovations going on? Sorry, I have not been following your thread here so I am lost. Oh well...we'll catch up tomorrow I guess!

haha, i have yellow bulbs... so the yellow only comes out at night. :)

yes, lots is different with the house. just getting started with siding now.

Sockethead

01-10-2018, 07:15 AM

slater

01-10-2018, 09:12 AM

Looks like the car and house are coming along nicely. It's gotta feel good to be making all that progress and having the ZHP swap behind you for the most part. I still an in awe on how fast you got that done!

it definitely feels good to have the swap done, yes.... although i want to get to the bottom of the pulling-to-the-left-on-acceleration thing, i might put a spare (open) diff back in to see what happens. my gut feeling is that there's something wrong with the diff.

it was 5 weeks, i think, to get it done - with 1 week of downtime while my wife recovered from surgery. so 4 weeks, i guess - i was fortunate that work was not too heavy, and also hugely fortunate that my wife was cool with me just plowing through it - she definitely got the short end of the stick during that time period. i owe her bigtime for that!

i think i put about 50-60hrs into the swap. crazy. i wouldn't do another, that's for sure! but i am enjoying it immensely.

the house is almost done - a few projects left. we actually have decided to sell, and will be moving in the summer. not sure where yet - there are some interesting developments happening at work now that might influence it.

Sockethead

01-10-2018, 09:27 AM

Hopefully you'll be able to recoup your project cost and then some when you sell. When we were looking for a new house, it was all about the garage, then the actual house lol

slater

01-10-2018, 10:36 AM

Hopefully you'll be able to recoup your project cost and then some when you sell. When we were looking for a new house, it was all about the garage, then the actual house lol

the housing market has exploded where i live, so i'm hopeful that we'll do pretty well. we need to! :)

Sockethead

01-10-2018, 10:42 AM

Awesome! Good time to sell then!

ZHPizza

01-10-2018, 11:00 AM

Awesome updates, Peterman!

I love seeing pics of the radio flyer in the snow. Really makes it pop.

Excited to hear more about where the next adventure is for your clan. My vote is somewhere without snow and salt.

slater

01-10-2018, 11:33 AM

Awesome! Good time to sell then!

yeah, the timing should be pretty good.

Awesome updates, Peterman!

I love seeing pics of the radio flyer in the snow. Really makes it pop.

Excited to hear more about where the next adventure is for your clan. My vote is somewhere without snow and salt.

LOL @ 'pop' - because you love red! :)

my vote is also that, but we may have a pit stop somewhere else in between. we'll see.

BMWCurves

01-10-2018, 11:48 AM

I’m sure all that effort was worth it though. The touring distinctly yours, especially the high quality of execution.

Where are potential places you might move? Back to the States of Freedom?*

*”Freedom” is a relative term and is not a legally binding or contractual obligation by the federal government of the United States of America.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

slater

01-10-2018, 12:57 PM

I’m sure all that effort was worth it though. The touring distinctly yours, especially the high quality of execution.

thanks... i tried hard to make it as 'OEM+' as possible, however there are definitely some bits in there (like the shifter, some mounts) that make it very much 'my style' - i'm sure it's not for everyone, but i'm loving it.

Where are potential places you might move? Back to the States of Freedom?*

*”Freedom” is a relative term and is not a legally binding or contractual obligation by the federal government of the United States of America.

LOL.

my daughter goes to an IB school in a nearby city (small city), and she loves it, so that place is on the table - i'd love for her to be able to walk to school - also, my son will likely go into the same program in 1.5 years, so that's something to consider also.

moving back to toronto is on the table also. some stuff is happening at work that might dictate i am in the office every day, but i will find out more soon.

BC is always desirable... especially now that my brother-in-law and sister-in-law are moving there, along with most likely my in-laws... meaning all of our closest family lives there.

i love bellingham, though - if we moved to the US that would be on top of my list.

ZHPizza

01-10-2018, 01:28 PM

Dude I'll meet you in BC after I drop my cat off in Portland

slater

01-10-2018, 01:50 PM

Dude I'll meet you in BC after I drop my cat off in Portland

cool. deal.

az3579

01-10-2018, 03:43 PM

anandoc

01-10-2018, 06:51 PM

I met the Peterman this evening for dinner...and also got a ride in his beast of a ZHP touring. You guys wanna know what it sounds like? Watch this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZ6Bwr48ytg

704sw

01-10-2018, 07:42 PM

I need your help guys.

After telling a friend of mine that tourings are so cool, she called tourings 'mom-mobiles'. After a very stern scolding, she still didn't get the point.

We need to straighten her out. [emoji52]

Man I'd love an M3 touring............

Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

My first wagon-love dates back to the 1995-1997 Volvo 850R (f/k/a T-5R), so I’m afraid I’m not much help. A Volvo wagon screams “mom-mobile.” Hell, I’d still love to own one, but after owning a regular 850 I don’t think I’d do it again.

Totally with you, an M3 wagon is what dreams are made of.

BMWCurves

01-10-2018, 08:08 PM

my daughter goes to an IB school in a nearby city (small city), and she loves it, so that place is on the table - i'd love for her to be able to walk to school - also, my son will likely go into the same program in 1.5 years, so that's something to consider also.

moving back to toronto is on the table also. some stuff is happening at work that might dictate i am in the office every day, but i will find out more soon.

BC is always desirable... especially now that my brother-in-law and sister-in-law are moving there, along with most likely my in-laws... meaning all of our closest family lives there.

i love bellingham, though - if we moved to the US that would be on top of my list.

West coast, west coast, west coast!

Dude I'll meet you in BC after I drop my cat off in Portland

Only if the cat is in the Mazda's trunk.

I need your help guys.

After telling a friend of mine that tourings are so cool, she called tourings 'mom-mobiles'. After a very stern scolding, she still didn't get the point.

We need to straighten her out. [emoji52]

Man I'd love an M3 touring............

Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

I think the cool factor of wagons are lost on a lot of people. It's an argument/point of view you'll rarely win. When I showed a friend BMW's one-off M3 touring, she said "why would you ever want a soccer mom car?" Sigh.