What have you done to your BMW today?
Discussion
dhutch said:
What does that entail? Plugs, Camcover Gasket, Vanos sealts? N52 in those isnt it, last of the nat-asp str6's?
Everything that perishes, has perished 
So it's having a new rocker cover, all new rocker gaskets, new oil cooler & oil filter housing gaskets. New spark plugs, new tensioner/belt and pulley, and new gearbox mounts, as well as a thorough clean as the oil crud build up was manky to say the least
Should collect it today as didn't have time yesterday with today being my last day in work until 6th Jan

danb79 said:
dhutch said:
What does that entail? Plugs, Camcover Gasket, Vanos sealts? N52 in those isnt it, last of the nat-asp str6's?
Everything that perishes, has perished 
So it's having a new rocker cover, all new rocker gaskets, new oil cooler & oil filter housing gaskets. New spark plugs, new tensioner/belt and pulley, and new gearbox mounts, as well as a thorough clean as the oil crud build up was manky to say the least
Should collect it today as didn't have time yesterday with today being my last day in work until 6th Jan

I don't know what BMW puts in their rubber compounds, but they don't age well do they.
Oil filter housing gasket is a very common failure, for something that should be an easy joint to make good for life, ie 50+ years.
Just had a clutch put in the E46 and the garage has advised that the engine is, again, covered in oil having got it dry in spring! Light misting on the flywheel, if nothing on the clutch. Rear main seal wasn't leaking, but rightly or wrongly I had that replaced, so hopefully they got it seated correctly without damaging it and that's now all set for another decade or two.
New clutch and flywheel into the 330ci this weekend as per above.
- LUK clutch kit, as used 8 years and 75k miles ago, because they appear the best option certainly for a road car.
- Valeo dual mass flywheel, because the LUK is on back order till 'end of Jan' and again for a road car i'm unconvinced on single mass conversion.
- New rear main seal, but retained the slave as it looked in good nick, costs £70, and being external you can change them at any point.
"Worn to death mate" was the mechanics comment on the condition.

Couldn't get the 5th detent cap and pin out without risking damaging the cap, and couldn't get hold of a service kit (cap and guide brg) till end Jan as BMW no longer carry them, so that's ordered from Latvia and will sit in the spares box till the next opportunity arises.
Certainly a sign of having owned a car for a while when you are getting the clutch replaced for the second time in your ownership. Currently reading 203k miles having bought the car nine years ago at circa 120k miles. And yes, I have replaced the front wings twice too!
£530 LUK Clutch kit and labour
£390 Valeo Flywheel (dual mass)
£55 Rear main seal
£965 Total
- LUK clutch kit, as used 8 years and 75k miles ago, because they appear the best option certainly for a road car.
- Valeo dual mass flywheel, because the LUK is on back order till 'end of Jan' and again for a road car i'm unconvinced on single mass conversion.
- New rear main seal, but retained the slave as it looked in good nick, costs £70, and being external you can change them at any point.
"Worn to death mate" was the mechanics comment on the condition.
Couldn't get the 5th detent cap and pin out without risking damaging the cap, and couldn't get hold of a service kit (cap and guide brg) till end Jan as BMW no longer carry them, so that's ordered from Latvia and will sit in the spares box till the next opportunity arises.
Certainly a sign of having owned a car for a while when you are getting the clutch replaced for the second time in your ownership. Currently reading 203k miles having bought the car nine years ago at circa 120k miles. And yes, I have replaced the front wings twice too!
£530 LUK Clutch kit and labour
£390 Valeo Flywheel (dual mass)
£55 Rear main seal
£965 Total
dhutch said:
Fair.
I don't know what BMW puts in their rubber compounds, but they don't age well do they.
Oil filter housing gasket is a very common failure, for something that should be an easy joint to make good for life, ie 50+ years.
Just had a clutch put in the E46 and the garage has advised that the engine is, again, covered in oil having got it dry in spring! Light misting on the flywheel, if nothing on the clutch. Rear main seal wasn't leaking, but rightly or wrongly I had that replaced, so hopefully they got it seated correctly without damaging it and that's now all set for another decade or two.
From memory the late 00s stuff was particularly susceptible to leaking gaskets due to the higher temperatures the engines ran at for emissions purposes. I don't know what BMW puts in their rubber compounds, but they don't age well do they.
Oil filter housing gasket is a very common failure, for something that should be an easy joint to make good for life, ie 50+ years.
Just had a clutch put in the E46 and the garage has advised that the engine is, again, covered in oil having got it dry in spring! Light misting on the flywheel, if nothing on the clutch. Rear main seal wasn't leaking, but rightly or wrongly I had that replaced, so hopefully they got it seated correctly without damaging it and that's now all set for another decade or two.
I know I've done most of them on my N52 - and a new sump - except the CCTV. As it's still getting through some oil I suspect that will need replaced in the new year.
bodhi said:
dhutch said:
Fair.
I don't know what BMW puts in their rubber compounds, but they don't age well do they.
Oil filter housing gasket is a very common failure, for something that should be an easy joint to make good for life, ie 50+ years.
Just had a clutch put in the E46 and the garage has advised that the engine is, again, covered in oil having got it dry in spring! Light misting on the flywheel, if nothing on the clutch. Rear main seal wasn't leaking, but rightly or wrongly I had that replaced, so hopefully they got it seated correctly without damaging it and that's now all set for another decade or two.
From memory the late 00s stuff was particularly susceptible to leaking gaskets due to the higher temperatures the engines ran at for emissions purposes. I don't know what BMW puts in their rubber compounds, but they don't age well do they.
Oil filter housing gasket is a very common failure, for something that should be an easy joint to make good for life, ie 50+ years.
Just had a clutch put in the E46 and the garage has advised that the engine is, again, covered in oil having got it dry in spring! Light misting on the flywheel, if nothing on the clutch. Rear main seal wasn't leaking, but rightly or wrongly I had that replaced, so hopefully they got it seated correctly without damaging it and that's now all set for another decade or two.
I know I've done most of them on my N52 - and a new sump - except the CCTV. As it's still getting through some oil I suspect that will need replaced in the new year.
However I don't think the temps are that far adrift from normal to explain away filter housing gaskets, cam cover gaskets etc, but I do work actively with them in my day job, am not really a seals expert.
dhutch said:
bodhi said:
dhutch said:
Fair.
I don't know what BMW puts in their rubber compounds, but they don't age well do they.
Oil filter housing gasket is a very common failure, for something that should be an easy joint to make good for life, ie 50+ years.
Just had a clutch put in the E46 and the garage has advised that the engine is, again, covered in oil having got it dry in spring! Light misting on the flywheel, if nothing on the clutch. Rear main seal wasn't leaking, but rightly or wrongly I had that replaced, so hopefully they got it seated correctly without damaging it and that's now all set for another decade or two.
From memory the late 00s stuff was particularly susceptible to leaking gaskets due to the higher temperatures the engines ran at for emissions purposes. I don't know what BMW puts in their rubber compounds, but they don't age well do they.
Oil filter housing gasket is a very common failure, for something that should be an easy joint to make good for life, ie 50+ years.
Just had a clutch put in the E46 and the garage has advised that the engine is, again, covered in oil having got it dry in spring! Light misting on the flywheel, if nothing on the clutch. Rear main seal wasn't leaking, but rightly or wrongly I had that replaced, so hopefully they got it seated correctly without damaging it and that's now all set for another decade or two.
I know I've done most of them on my N52 - and a new sump - except the CCTV. As it's still getting through some oil I suspect that will need replaced in the new year.
However I don't think the temps are that far adrift from normal to explain away filter housing gaskets, cam cover gaskets etc, but I do work actively with them in my day job, am not really a seals expert.
It had a cam-cover gasket at 107K just before I bought it, and I've had the oil filter housing gasket replaced but it still leaks a bit of oil. Looks like it might be the sump (I hope not) or CCV. For now it's cheaper to just keep topping up.
dhutch said:
New clutch and flywheel into the 330ci this weekend as per above.
- LUK clutch kit, as used 8 years and 75k miles ago, because they appear the best option certainly for a road car.
- Valeo dual mass flywheel, because the LUK is on back order till 'end of Jan' and again for a road car i'm unconvinced on single mass conversion.
- New rear main seal, but retained the slave as it looked in good nick, costs £70, and being external you can change them at any point.
"Worn to death mate" was the mechanics comment on the condition.

Couldn't get the 5th detent cap and pin out without risking damaging the cap, and couldn't get hold of a service kit (cap and guide brg) till end Jan as BMW no longer carry them, so that's ordered from Latvia and will sit in the spares box till the next opportunity arises.
Certainly a sign of having owned a car for a while when you are getting the clutch replaced for the second time in your ownership. Currently reading 203k miles having bought the car nine years ago at circa 120k miles. And yes, I have replaced the front wings twice too!
£530 LUK Clutch kit and labour
£390 Valeo Flywheel (dual mass)
£55 Rear main seal
£965 Total
Good effort, and £965 doesn’t sound awful when the flywheel is included also. My 330i had a clutch at 90k, but was a London car in its early life. It’s on 222k now, and the flywheel is a little noisy when the clutch is up in neutral. Should mine need a clutch again I’ll also fit a DMF, but I’m hoping to not need to. I try and be gentle on it in traffic. The tale of fifth gear pin and front wings is classic E46 though. My 328ci had a new box under extended warranty for it, and multiple repairs of the wings before I got tired and replaced them with good used ones. - LUK clutch kit, as used 8 years and 75k miles ago, because they appear the best option certainly for a road car.
- Valeo dual mass flywheel, because the LUK is on back order till 'end of Jan' and again for a road car i'm unconvinced on single mass conversion.
- New rear main seal, but retained the slave as it looked in good nick, costs £70, and being external you can change them at any point.
"Worn to death mate" was the mechanics comment on the condition.
Couldn't get the 5th detent cap and pin out without risking damaging the cap, and couldn't get hold of a service kit (cap and guide brg) till end Jan as BMW no longer carry them, so that's ordered from Latvia and will sit in the spares box till the next opportunity arises.
Certainly a sign of having owned a car for a while when you are getting the clutch replaced for the second time in your ownership. Currently reading 203k miles having bought the car nine years ago at circa 120k miles. And yes, I have replaced the front wings twice too!
£530 LUK Clutch kit and labour
£390 Valeo Flywheel (dual mass)
£55 Rear main seal
£965 Total
Used the throttle quite a lot, and I had a bit of fun with a chap in a Golf R. 

I really enjoyed it, and it reminded me of years gone by when it used to happen a lot. Opportunities for a bit of fun are very few and far between now I've found, but it got the adrenaline pumping nicely I thought.


I really enjoyed it, and it reminded me of years gone by when it used to happen a lot. Opportunities for a bit of fun are very few and far between now I've found, but it got the adrenaline pumping nicely I thought.

JakeT said:
dhutch said:
New clutch and flywheel into the 330ci this weekend as per above.
- LUK clutch kit, as used 8 years and 75k miles ago, because they appear the best option certainly for a road car.
- Valeo dual mass flywheel, because the LUK is on back order till 'end of Jan' and again for a road car i'm unconvinced on single mass conversion.
- New rear main seal, but retained the slave as it looked in good nick, costs £70, and being external you can change them at any point.
"Worn to death mate" was the mechanics comment on the condition.

Couldn't get the 5th detent cap and pin out without risking damaging the cap, and couldn't get hold of a service kit (cap and guide brg) till end Jan as BMW no longer carry them, so that's ordered from Latvia and will sit in the spares box till the next opportunity arises.
Certainly a sign of having owned a car for a while when you are getting the clutch replaced for the second time in your ownership. Currently reading 203k miles having bought the car nine years ago at circa 120k miles. And yes, I have replaced the front wings twice too!
£530 LUK Clutch kit and labour
£390 Valeo Flywheel (dual mass)
£55 Rear main seal
£965 Total
Good effort, and £965 doesn’t sound awful when the flywheel is included also. My 330i had a clutch at 90k, but was a London car in its early life. It’s on 222k now, and the flywheel is a little noisy when the clutch is up in neutral. Should mine need a clutch again I’ll also fit a DMF, but I’m hoping to not need to. I try and be gentle on it in traffic. The tale of fifth gear pin and front wings is classic E46 though. My 328ci had a new box under extended warranty for it, and multiple repairs of the wings before I got tired and replaced them with good used ones. - LUK clutch kit, as used 8 years and 75k miles ago, because they appear the best option certainly for a road car.
- Valeo dual mass flywheel, because the LUK is on back order till 'end of Jan' and again for a road car i'm unconvinced on single mass conversion.
- New rear main seal, but retained the slave as it looked in good nick, costs £70, and being external you can change them at any point.
"Worn to death mate" was the mechanics comment on the condition.
Couldn't get the 5th detent cap and pin out without risking damaging the cap, and couldn't get hold of a service kit (cap and guide brg) till end Jan as BMW no longer carry them, so that's ordered from Latvia and will sit in the spares box till the next opportunity arises.
Certainly a sign of having owned a car for a while when you are getting the clutch replaced for the second time in your ownership. Currently reading 203k miles having bought the car nine years ago at circa 120k miles. And yes, I have replaced the front wings twice too!
£530 LUK Clutch kit and labour
£390 Valeo Flywheel (dual mass)
£55 Rear main seal
£965 Total
While I dont thrash it pointlessly and am in fact quite slow and deliberate with the gear changes, the way I look at it there is little point in having a car with a 3ltr nat Asp Straight 6 and driving it gently. The car puts a smile on my face every time I drive it, which is often a very welcome lift regardless of wherever am upto with everything else. Less side effects than the fluoxetine which is £10/month itself! Is it the most practical or cost effective daily driver, no its not. Does it give reasonable return for the outlay of time and money, absolutely.
But yeah, they have been around long enough to and established their little penchant. I've opted for pattern wings, plenty of paint, and a lashing of cavity wax on the back face, the are cheaper than a set of disks and pads, so I just think of them as consumable! Plenty of rads as said, blue parcel shelf obviously. and the lining is coming of the pillar trims lovely, see also door seal trim. But it's reliable, comfortable, fast, practical enough, and in my opinion looks cool af. Sold!
Absolutely, I can’t disagree on the medicinal purposes of dailying and old BMW. In the last 9 years I’ve put around 165,000 miles on old BMWs as my daily, and it’s been great. I could save some pennies by running around in something else, but the misery it would inflict would be far more costly.
JakeT said:
Absolutely, I can’t disagree on the medicinal purposes of dailying and old BMW. In the last 9 years I’ve put around 165,000 miles on old BMWs as my daily, and it’s been great. I could save some pennies by running around in something else, but the misery it would inflict would be far more costly.
Absolutely agree, I don't use mine as a daily, but it definitely feels better when it's used regularly.It hadn't been used much when I bought it, but after a week and a 1000 miles in Scotland it felt much better. Hopefully get it out for a run this weekend if it's dry.
Someone was asking on YT how best to layup a car for the winter and the response was, don't! Much better to use it a little on dry days rather than leave it for months.
Calipers all built up with new HEL bleed nipples, Brembo caps and I’ve applied eBay special Brembo decals as well; see how they last
For a DIY refurb, IMO, they look really well. Deffo not perfect but more than adequate






They’ll be paired with HEL braided lines, Brembo 2 piece discs and Pagid Street+ pads

For a DIY refurb, IMO, they look really well. Deffo not perfect but more than adequate







They’ll be paired with HEL braided lines, Brembo 2 piece discs and Pagid Street+ pads

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