What did you do for your ZHP/ BMW / MINI today? #2

[t.er]

If your friend likes more money than 0 but less than a shop, please pm me! I still live in constant fear. I also ripped my sway bar off and need new mounts installed if that’s up his ally. I need to pay SOMEONE to do these things, but it can be him if he wants. Also as standard, I can provide food for the job and company! If you guys like to geek out, I can show y’all my office bench. I made it all fit in an Amazon box.

Oh, when I say garage, I meant the garage at his house, hahahahaha. Unfortunately he has since moved away (allowing me to buy his motorcycle off him in the process). He helped me do a bunch of work to my car (vincebar, cooling system, shifter bushings) because a few months' prior I spent most of my weekends helping him 2ZZ swap his MR2 lol.

Are these your front sway bar mounts? Unfortunately, I don't have access to a welder. Actually, the Vincebar we installed was the epoxy & rivet version (I had Redish plates welded at a shop).

[YoitsTmac]

Oh, when I say garage, I meant the garage at his house, hahahahaha. Unfortunately he has since moved away (allowing me to buy his motorcycle off him in the process). He helped me do a bunch of work to my car (vincebar, cooling system, shifter bushings) because a few months' prior I spent most of my weekends helping him 2ZZ swap his MR2 lol.

Are these your front sway bar mounts? Unfortunately, I don't have access to a welder. Actually, the Vincebar we installed was the epoxy & rivet version (I had Redish plates welded at a shop).

Mine can be welded in or epoxied, but I am under the impression that once you cut the "trunk trim" to get to the top of the subframe bolts, there's a T shaped bump for "rigidity" you have to sand and weld down first. Could be a fun project. But since you're in the area, let's definitely do something soon. Photo shoot, come meet my CCA gang, if you need/want a hand with some projects, don't be stranger! I'll PM you though if we get good weather for a car meet, and the LCM is as good as yours

[t.er]

I've been putting off doing the valve cover gasket for 1.5 years, but finally got around to ordering the parts and getting it in. I was really curious how clean the top-end is, and was pleasantly surprised (note, intake cam baffle was removed in the below pic):



Also found a good deal on a Hotchkis front sway bar, so swapped that out with my ST bar. Both are 30 mm, but the ST one is solid, so there's a good bit of weight savings. In the process I moved it from STIFF AF (closest to bushings) to softest (farthest from bushings) for ride comfort.

Lastly, swapped the air filter for the first time in my ownership lol - why the hell are there like 3 separate things to take apart and like 8 screws to swap it out? Honestly, one of the most complicated air filter swaps I've come across... but I'm never swapping out this intake for anything else

[YoitsTmac]

After about 7,000 miles, I did a well overdue oil change in the rain. Man, my oil was SO BLACK. I felt like a terrible owner. Clearly, I will have to do more stringent intervals...

I still have an awful and concerning clunk on my rear axle, and as long as the weather is good, I'll be hunting for it next weekend.

[Galapolis]

I've been putting off doing the valve cover gasket for 1.5 years, but finally got around to ordering the parts and getting it in. I was really curious how clean the top-end is, and was pleasantly surprised (note, intake cam baffle was removed in the below pic):

Oh wow, I'm only at 293k and my top end was basically black the last time I checked. Maybe I should just do an engine swap in the future.

Lastly, swapped the air filter for the first time in my ownership lol - why the hell are there like 3 separate things to take apart and like 8 screws to swap it out? Honestly, one of the most complicated air filter swaps I've come across... but I'm never swapping out this intake for anything else

What if I told you that changing the air filter in a V8 Vantage requires you to remove 50 bolts?

After about 7,000 miles, I did a well overdue oil change in the rain. Man, my oil was SO BLACK. I felt like a terrible owner. Clearly, I will have to do more stringent intervals...

I see many E46 owners on the German forums who do 9-15k mile intervals so I think you're fine.

[az3579]

After about 7,000 miles, I did a well overdue oil change in the rain. Man, my oil was SO BLACK. I felt like a terrible owner. Clearly, I will have to do more stringent intervals...

I still have an awful and concerning clunk on my rear axle, and as long as the weather is good, I'll be hunting for it next weekend.

It seems like the oil gets black the moment you put it in. lol
I once did a 3k mile oil change and it was black.

[t.er]

After about 7,000 miles, I did a well overdue oil change in the rain.

Ha, yeah I was doing all that in my flooded garage, and I don't have a workbench so I was using cardboard and all sorts of stuff on the floor to put tools and parts on. The struggles of a tiny 1-car garage...

Oh wow, I'm only at 293k and my top end was basically black the last time I checked. Maybe I should just do an engine swap in the future.



What if I told you that changing the air filter in a V8 Vantage requires you to remove 50 bolts?

Yeah, credit goes to the previous owner, I re member him saying he used seafoam every year or so. I don't do that, but I use Rotella and change often - I'm doing it once a year, so this time around it was after just 6k km, and now at 365k.

Also hahaha yeah Iooked that up, wtf?! Also apparently the 992 is similar, it's in the right rear wheel well and you have to take the wheel off to replace it.

I suppose air filter intervals aren't that often, but the BMWP intake is so much more involved than a stock airbox with zero tools and 2 minutes lol

[Will]

My intermittent wiper was not functioning, but it's fixed now (fingers crossed).

Symptoms: When the stalk is placed into the intermittent setting it would wipe once, but then not again. I would adjust the sensitivity knob on the stalk and it would wipe once.

Actions:
1) I tried unplugging the Rain Light Sensor (RLS) and plugging back in (lol), but it still didn't work.
2) I swapped the RLS with the one in my m3 and magically it works in both cars when tested with a spray bottle. We'll see if it's a fluke now that the malfunctioning RLS is in the m3.

Now I just need to figure out the wiring modifications for the auto-dimming rearview mirror with compass and garage door opener into the zhp. I'm not so good with the electrical stuff.

Changed engine oil, engine air filter, and cabin air filter.

Engine feels slightly smoother - maybe psychosomatic lol.

Just adding some photos.

I used M1 0w-40, and added a quart of the HPL engine cleaner oil (link). The engine I have appeared to be very clean when I originally swapped it in, but I was curious about this cleaner oil so I'll just try it. I don't think my engine or piston rings are gunked up, my car doesn't burn any oil between oil changes, so it could be just throwing away some money.

I try to do 5k oil change intervals.

[sillieidiot]

Ha, yeah I was doing all that in my flooded garage, and I don't have a workbench so I was using cardboard and all sorts of stuff on the floor to put tools and parts on. The struggles of a tiny 1-car garage...



Yeah, credit goes to the previous owner, I re member him saying he used seafoam every year or so. I don't do that, but I use Rotella and change often - I'm doing it once a year, so this time around it was after just 6k km, and now at 365k.

Also hahaha yeah Iooked that up, wtf?! Also apparently the 992 is similar, it's in the right rear wheel well and you have to take the wheel off to replace it.

I suppose air filter intervals aren't that often, but the BMWP intake is so much more involved than a stock airbox with zero tools and 2 minutes lol

Doesn't seem like it takes that long. JR takes the BMWP off on his car in seconds every time we work on his car lol I don't even remember there being 8 screws lol

[t.er]

Doesn't seem like it takes that long. JR takes the BMWP off on his car in seconds every time we work on his car lol I don't even remember there being 8 screws lol

Removing the airbox from the car is the same as stock and super quick, but replacing the filter is another story. You have to remove 2 screws to get the filter housing off the top half of the box, then a further 6 screws holds the filter housing halves together:



For how often you have to change the filter and how pretty the box is, it's fine lol. But it's for sure waaaaaay more involved than a lot of other cars