E46 M3 (The money pit project) + 130i
Discussion
This has turned out to be quite a long post, so for any not wanting to read:
TL/DR - Bought an M3, it costs too much to run so I've had to brush up on my spanner'ing
Lockdown boredom has meant two things:
1. I have more time to write about the ownership experience of an E46 M3
2. I have time to do a compression test out of curiosity, which then leads to the cherry on the 2020 cake. More on that later...
E46 M3 (Carbon Black, Coupe, Manual):
After a series of good and terrible cars (EP3 Type R, MX5, Various chavved up Civic's and a knackered golf mk4), I finally got the point where I was able to purchase a dream car of mine - an E46 M3. I did as any prospective buyer would do: researched all the common problems (of which there are many), went to view many different cars to get a feel for good and bad examples (I didn't) and made sure to test drive the vehicle before buying it (I didn't).
In typical fashion, I was faced with a car that I had wanted for so long that frankly any problem would have been overlooked. Thankfully, I bought a very well looked after example. Some notable garage invoices included:
- £1,000: New LUK Clutch and DMF (Specialist)
- £1,500: New Exhaust from the cats back (BMW Main Dealer)
- £900: New front wings, fitted and painted (BMW Main Dealer)
- £1,850: Inspection 2, New brake fluid, calipers pained, new interior mirror, wing mirrors resprayed, wheels refurbished
Mileage was 136k at the time of purchase and it hadn't had any of the big jobs done, so revisiting the rod bearings was something that I was prepared for. The good bits were that it had full service history, the 1200 mile running-in service and a huge folder full of receipts and invoices from the previous owners. When I saw it, I had the gut feeling that it had a relatively easy life. I paid £9,000 for the car in December 2019, which now seems somewhat of a bargain considering where prices are currently.
On the day of purchase:
As silly as it sounds, it was incredibly surreal to have it parked outside after wanting one for so long, I still think they have aged very well for a near 20 year old design.
The car itself drove excellently. It was much faster than anything else I had owned prior, and far better in the corners too. I've been lucky enough to have driven quite a few different cars as my mum is a bit of a boy racer. Recent examples are: FN2 Type R, Nissan 350Z and currently a Golf R32, as well as my own collection of McDonald's car park exotica mentioned above.
The M3, whilst lacking somewhat in low-down torque, it is very agile and raw on the limit. It's a characteristic I really liked about the EP3 as it feels most rewarding to drive. Having throttle bodies meant that the response was truly instant; the whole process of moving up and down the gearbox whilst revving to 8,000rpm is addictive. I couldn't have been happier with the purchase.
The first thing I did was take it to BMR Performance in Turners Hill for rod bearing replacement, new engine mounts and a quick checkover. They were pleased to report that the car was in good condition and handed me a bag of bearing shells in exchange for a bag of money. Whilst the shells looked 'OK', unfortunately it is impossible to know until you get them out, so it was for piece of mind if nothing else. BMR were excellent though.
However, it didn't take long before the modification bug set in. This time though, it wasn't going to be loud exhausts and drilled airbox's - I wanted it to look OEM+ with a few choice tweaks. I managed to find a set of CM Wheels CSL replica's for sale on M3Cutters that had brand new Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres. These are good replicas and what most people run if they cannot afford genuine items, like me. I also managed to find a used Eventuri intake to get the induction noise I wanted.
A picture in the work car park after fitting:
You will note two things. One is that it is missing the BMW caps - this was rectified quickly. Two - it rides quite high as standard. I thought so too, so I quickly researched what a conservative method of lowering the car might be. The answer was Eibach springs. The shocks didn't appear to have been changed since new either, so I bought a new set of OEM Sachs dampers to go with it.
This job turned out to be a right PITA. The damper collar bolt, which clamps the lower portion of the damper to the knuckle, is prone to shearing. Of course, I didn't find that out until I heard the distinct 'clink' and subsequent lack of force on the breaker bar I was using - great.
I had two options: one was to drill very precisely and accurately though the middle of the bolt, stepping up the drill bit until the threads fell out. In theory the best option if you have a calibrated eye, which I don't. BMR were not interested in doing this either as it probably isn't much more to just replace with new after the labour costs involved.
The last option was for me to take the knuckle off and try and find a way to un-seize the bolt enough to unscrew it - which I then did. The offending bolt is in the top right...
Once the knuckle was out I took it to work to see what could be done. One of the many advantages in working for an automotive engineering company is that there are people willing to get you out of the s
t. I kindly gave the knuckle to someone with more experience than me to see what could be done. It took an oxy acetylene torch, a blob of weld, a can of penetrating oil and the world strongest mole grips before it came out. I then ran a tap through to make sure the threads were ok and took it back to be assembled.
Aside from this, the job itself wasn't too bad. The good thing about BMW's is that there are assembly diagrams of everything on RealOEM, so if you get stuck there is always a reference to work from.
All back together and in time for the German vs Japanese car show in between lockdowns:
and again at Brands Hatch:
|https://thumbsnap.com/UmMbDH8r[/url]
Then, lockdown 2 came and the time spent driving the car dwindled away momentarily. unbeknown to me, this lapse would turn into long-term downtime. On the last week before Christmas, boredom set in and I decided to buy myself a compression tester. The logic being that I could prove that the engine was in tip top heath and I needn't worry about its imminent failure. I could go home for Christmas and have a relaxing break knowing that good compression results were a prime example of the benefits of a comprehensive maintenance record.
Results:
Cylinder 1: 160PSI
Cylinder 2: 140PSI
Cylinder 3: 140PSI
Cylinder 4: 160PSI
Cylinder 5: 125PSI
Cylinder 6: 125PSI
st
Knowing how common this is on higher mileage examples, I was 99% certain that there is a head gasket split between cylinders 5&6 and 2&3. I always wanted to have a car that I would feel confident in taking apart and putting back together. Perhaps this would be better practiced on an MX5 or Daewoo Matiz, however, I put the brave hat on and started researching over the Christmas break.
Thankfully, whilst it appears initially complicated, the steps involved are not too difficult if time is taken to study every step of the process. M3Cutters has a full head gasket DIY which I am using for this - I don't think I would attempt if this wasn't available.
So, 2021 and still in lockdown, I begin the teardown.
This doesn't look like much, but the viscous fan is an absolute arse to remove:
A bit more progress. Coolant fully drained from engine block and hoses, coolant expansion tank out, airbox out and exhaust manifold nuts removed.
A lot more progress: fuel injector harness out, throttle bodies removed, fuel rail out, thermostat out, coolant hoses removed, valve cover removed.
Out of my own interest I wanted to confirm the timing. This means you have to retard the intake and exhaust cams to the point where you can slide a pin in through a bridge tool (Not pictured). I struggled to retard the cams enough to slide the pin into the holes on the cams, thinking the timing was off, I sought advice from cutters. A chap kindly mentioned that the oil collects behind the vanos piston which prevents you from retarding the cams. Once the caps are removed (as pictured below) the cams can be retarded fully.
I confirmed the timing to be correct, so carried on with the teardown. This involved removing the VANOS solenoid pack (Below the vanos unit), followed by a removal of the complete VANOS assembly. You are then left with the VANOS hubs and splined shafts, as pictured below.
As of today, I am at this point. Exhaust and Intake hubs and gears are removed, which then just leaves the cams and timing chain in place. As per BMW TIS, I removed the crank lock pin and spun the engine counter clockwise by 30degrees to put the pistons in a position where they wont clash with the valves when the cams are removed.
Next will be the process of removing both sprockets, the timing chain and finally the cams and cylinder head - more to come.
In the meantime, I replaced my daily car with a BMW 130i which has proved to be a mini-m3 in a lot of ways. No where near as sharp and fast as the M3, but more than fast enough in it's own right. I will post more about this soon as I have already fixed a few problems.
[url]
TL/DR - Bought an M3, it costs too much to run so I've had to brush up on my spanner'ing
Lockdown boredom has meant two things:
1. I have more time to write about the ownership experience of an E46 M3
2. I have time to do a compression test out of curiosity, which then leads to the cherry on the 2020 cake. More on that later...
E46 M3 (Carbon Black, Coupe, Manual):
After a series of good and terrible cars (EP3 Type R, MX5, Various chavved up Civic's and a knackered golf mk4), I finally got the point where I was able to purchase a dream car of mine - an E46 M3. I did as any prospective buyer would do: researched all the common problems (of which there are many), went to view many different cars to get a feel for good and bad examples (I didn't) and made sure to test drive the vehicle before buying it (I didn't).
In typical fashion, I was faced with a car that I had wanted for so long that frankly any problem would have been overlooked. Thankfully, I bought a very well looked after example. Some notable garage invoices included:
- £1,000: New LUK Clutch and DMF (Specialist)
- £1,500: New Exhaust from the cats back (BMW Main Dealer)
- £900: New front wings, fitted and painted (BMW Main Dealer)
- £1,850: Inspection 2, New brake fluid, calipers pained, new interior mirror, wing mirrors resprayed, wheels refurbished
Mileage was 136k at the time of purchase and it hadn't had any of the big jobs done, so revisiting the rod bearings was something that I was prepared for. The good bits were that it had full service history, the 1200 mile running-in service and a huge folder full of receipts and invoices from the previous owners. When I saw it, I had the gut feeling that it had a relatively easy life. I paid £9,000 for the car in December 2019, which now seems somewhat of a bargain considering where prices are currently.
On the day of purchase:
As silly as it sounds, it was incredibly surreal to have it parked outside after wanting one for so long, I still think they have aged very well for a near 20 year old design.
The car itself drove excellently. It was much faster than anything else I had owned prior, and far better in the corners too. I've been lucky enough to have driven quite a few different cars as my mum is a bit of a boy racer. Recent examples are: FN2 Type R, Nissan 350Z and currently a Golf R32, as well as my own collection of McDonald's car park exotica mentioned above.
The M3, whilst lacking somewhat in low-down torque, it is very agile and raw on the limit. It's a characteristic I really liked about the EP3 as it feels most rewarding to drive. Having throttle bodies meant that the response was truly instant; the whole process of moving up and down the gearbox whilst revving to 8,000rpm is addictive. I couldn't have been happier with the purchase.
The first thing I did was take it to BMR Performance in Turners Hill for rod bearing replacement, new engine mounts and a quick checkover. They were pleased to report that the car was in good condition and handed me a bag of bearing shells in exchange for a bag of money. Whilst the shells looked 'OK', unfortunately it is impossible to know until you get them out, so it was for piece of mind if nothing else. BMR were excellent though.
However, it didn't take long before the modification bug set in. This time though, it wasn't going to be loud exhausts and drilled airbox's - I wanted it to look OEM+ with a few choice tweaks. I managed to find a set of CM Wheels CSL replica's for sale on M3Cutters that had brand new Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres. These are good replicas and what most people run if they cannot afford genuine items, like me. I also managed to find a used Eventuri intake to get the induction noise I wanted.
A picture in the work car park after fitting:
You will note two things. One is that it is missing the BMW caps - this was rectified quickly. Two - it rides quite high as standard. I thought so too, so I quickly researched what a conservative method of lowering the car might be. The answer was Eibach springs. The shocks didn't appear to have been changed since new either, so I bought a new set of OEM Sachs dampers to go with it.
This job turned out to be a right PITA. The damper collar bolt, which clamps the lower portion of the damper to the knuckle, is prone to shearing. Of course, I didn't find that out until I heard the distinct 'clink' and subsequent lack of force on the breaker bar I was using - great.
I had two options: one was to drill very precisely and accurately though the middle of the bolt, stepping up the drill bit until the threads fell out. In theory the best option if you have a calibrated eye, which I don't. BMR were not interested in doing this either as it probably isn't much more to just replace with new after the labour costs involved.
The last option was for me to take the knuckle off and try and find a way to un-seize the bolt enough to unscrew it - which I then did. The offending bolt is in the top right...
Once the knuckle was out I took it to work to see what could be done. One of the many advantages in working for an automotive engineering company is that there are people willing to get you out of the s
t. I kindly gave the knuckle to someone with more experience than me to see what could be done. It took an oxy acetylene torch, a blob of weld, a can of penetrating oil and the world strongest mole grips before it came out. I then ran a tap through to make sure the threads were ok and took it back to be assembled. Aside from this, the job itself wasn't too bad. The good thing about BMW's is that there are assembly diagrams of everything on RealOEM, so if you get stuck there is always a reference to work from.
All back together and in time for the German vs Japanese car show in between lockdowns:
and again at Brands Hatch:
|https://thumbsnap.com/UmMbDH8r[/url]Then, lockdown 2 came and the time spent driving the car dwindled away momentarily. unbeknown to me, this lapse would turn into long-term downtime. On the last week before Christmas, boredom set in and I decided to buy myself a compression tester. The logic being that I could prove that the engine was in tip top heath and I needn't worry about its imminent failure. I could go home for Christmas and have a relaxing break knowing that good compression results were a prime example of the benefits of a comprehensive maintenance record.
Results:
Cylinder 1: 160PSI
Cylinder 2: 140PSI
Cylinder 3: 140PSI
Cylinder 4: 160PSI
Cylinder 5: 125PSI
Cylinder 6: 125PSI
s
tKnowing how common this is on higher mileage examples, I was 99% certain that there is a head gasket split between cylinders 5&6 and 2&3. I always wanted to have a car that I would feel confident in taking apart and putting back together. Perhaps this would be better practiced on an MX5 or Daewoo Matiz, however, I put the brave hat on and started researching over the Christmas break.
Thankfully, whilst it appears initially complicated, the steps involved are not too difficult if time is taken to study every step of the process. M3Cutters has a full head gasket DIY which I am using for this - I don't think I would attempt if this wasn't available.
So, 2021 and still in lockdown, I begin the teardown.
This doesn't look like much, but the viscous fan is an absolute arse to remove:
A bit more progress. Coolant fully drained from engine block and hoses, coolant expansion tank out, airbox out and exhaust manifold nuts removed.
A lot more progress: fuel injector harness out, throttle bodies removed, fuel rail out, thermostat out, coolant hoses removed, valve cover removed.
Out of my own interest I wanted to confirm the timing. This means you have to retard the intake and exhaust cams to the point where you can slide a pin in through a bridge tool (Not pictured). I struggled to retard the cams enough to slide the pin into the holes on the cams, thinking the timing was off, I sought advice from cutters. A chap kindly mentioned that the oil collects behind the vanos piston which prevents you from retarding the cams. Once the caps are removed (as pictured below) the cams can be retarded fully.
I confirmed the timing to be correct, so carried on with the teardown. This involved removing the VANOS solenoid pack (Below the vanos unit), followed by a removal of the complete VANOS assembly. You are then left with the VANOS hubs and splined shafts, as pictured below.
As of today, I am at this point. Exhaust and Intake hubs and gears are removed, which then just leaves the cams and timing chain in place. As per BMW TIS, I removed the crank lock pin and spun the engine counter clockwise by 30degrees to put the pistons in a position where they wont clash with the valves when the cams are removed.
Next will be the process of removing both sprockets, the timing chain and finally the cams and cylinder head - more to come.
In the meantime, I replaced my daily car with a BMW 130i which has proved to be a mini-m3 in a lot of ways. No where near as sharp and fast as the M3, but more than fast enough in it's own right. I will post more about this soon as I have already fixed a few problems.
[url]Lovely M3 OP and congrats on the purchase..
My dad had one (E46 Manual) when I was a teenager and I absolutely fell in love with it, in June last year I finally became an M3 owner too (E92 DCT) it is a surreal feeling isn’t it!
Just about getting mine where I want it to be..
Your a braver man than me taking apart the engine but fair play to you.
Hope all goes well
My dad had one (E46 Manual) when I was a teenager and I absolutely fell in love with it, in June last year I finally became an M3 owner too (E92 DCT) it is a surreal feeling isn’t it!
Just about getting mine where I want it to be..
Your a braver man than me taking apart the engine but fair play to you.
Hope all goes well
Will follow this thread with interest OP - I'm a 130i owner and my dad had a Carbon Black E46 M3 when I was in my early teens, which got me hooked on performance BMWs.
I bought the 130i as I figured it would be more affordable to use as a daily driver than a full fat M-car, and it appears this thread could be the one which satisfies that decision in my head
I bought the 130i as I figured it would be more affordable to use as a daily driver than a full fat M-car, and it appears this thread could be the one which satisfies that decision in my head
Thanks all for the positive comments, I'll have more updates in the next few days when I have time to work on it.
People have had rocker arm wear which would involve a new set of rockers (£1,500 + labour to remove cams to fit). Not to mention the rusty rear arches which don't have replacement panels readily available (only the entire rear quarter from BMW + someone to fabricate it all and spray it). Not forgetting also the famed rear axle carrier panel which can detach itself from the chassis (another job for 2021).
The RACP I will just have to take on the chin at some point as I can't weld and don't have the expertise in restoring the underside like the specialists do.
I went into M3 ownership with my eyes wide open and I still don't think they were wide enough! The 130i is a great daily and far less fragile by BMW standards.
chriscoates said:
Will follow this thread with interest OP - I'm a 130i owner and my dad had a Carbon Black E46 M3 when I was in my early teens, which got me hooked on performance BMWs.
I bought the 130i as I figured it would be more affordable to use as a daily driver than a full fat M-car, and it appears this thread could be the one which satisfies that decision in my head
I honestly think I would lose the love for the car very quickly using it as a daily - there is just too much to go wrong on an E46. Even once I've finished this I will have, by most standards, 3 huge jobs done: Rod bearings, VANOS and Head gasket. Does it stop there? Nope! I bought the 130i as I figured it would be more affordable to use as a daily driver than a full fat M-car, and it appears this thread could be the one which satisfies that decision in my head
People have had rocker arm wear which would involve a new set of rockers (£1,500 + labour to remove cams to fit). Not to mention the rusty rear arches which don't have replacement panels readily available (only the entire rear quarter from BMW + someone to fabricate it all and spray it). Not forgetting also the famed rear axle carrier panel which can detach itself from the chassis (another job for 2021).
The RACP I will just have to take on the chin at some point as I can't weld and don't have the expertise in restoring the underside like the specialists do.
I went into M3 ownership with my eyes wide open and I still don't think they were wide enough! The 130i is a great daily and far less fragile by BMW standards.
I’ll have to agree to disagree there. I think it’s important to check these sorts of things. Actively looking for problems maybe, but better the devil you know IMO.
Honda managed to get 100bhp/litre without failing rod bearings, vvt noise and head gasket problems, to me this engine is fragile - but a legendary engine nonetheless
Honda managed to get 100bhp/litre without failing rod bearings, vvt noise and head gasket problems, to me this engine is fragile - but a legendary engine nonetheless
Edited by MattMF1 on Monday 25th January 23:45
NotNormal said:
I think your just actively looking for problems to resolve coupled up with reading to much internet scaremongering. Just enjoy the car and rectify what actually needs doing.
Been running mine as a daily for 11 years now, they are not fragile cars by any stretch!
Says the nice man who did a complete nut an bolt rebuild on a Lotus Carlton Been running mine as a daily for 11 years now, they are not fragile cars by any stretch!
Mr Tidy said:
B'stard Child said:
Says the nice man who did a complete nut an bolt rebuild on a Lotus Carlton
Maybe, but have you seen the end result? It looked fantastic when I saw it in 2015!My point was the OP is motivated here to make his M3 mechanically fit for future years
MattMF1 said:
I’ll have to agree to disagree there. I think it’s important to check these sorts of things. Actively looking for problems maybe, but better the devil you know IMO.
Honda managed to get 100bhp/litre without failing rod bearings, vvt noise and head gasket problems, to me this engine is fragile - but a legendary engine nonetheless
Oh don't get me wrong, i think what your doing is great and the sort of stuff i'd do when buying a "cheap" version of a car. But when any car (not just old E46's) is circa 20 years old with x mileage, you are then in the realms of general maintenance and upkeep to ensure it remains in good nick. IMO maybe you think "your" car is fragile but to label them all in that bracket is mildly amusing considering the overall abuse that they can put up with. Honda managed to get 100bhp/litre without failing rod bearings, vvt noise and head gasket problems, to me this engine is fragile - but a legendary engine nonetheless
You openly said in an earlier post that your rod bearings were ok and not all M3's blow head gaskets every couple of years (which really would be a problem) so again these sorts of jobs imo are just general age related maintenance, or wear and tear on a car which you purchased knowing the previous owner hasn't maintained perhaps as well as some of us would have liked.
In 11 years of ownership there are plenty of jobs i've had to do on mine, some are the "well known" E46 issues, so I am certainly not saying they are trouble free by any stretch. But all these sorts of jobs are just part and parcel of car ownership and if you want your car to remain in tip top condition, then there will always a never ending list to tick off.... and that's no bad thing for those of us that like a well maintained modern classic
B'stard Child said:
My point was the OP is motivated here to make his M3 mechanically fit for future years
And I think that is great, and why I love this section of the forum. But every single car out there for sale second hand will have known issues/problems that can be prevented/rectified etc etc. As to what extent people choose to go down that rabbit hole of work, well as you say, I have form of going OTT...NotNormal said:
MattMF1 said:
I’ll have to agree to disagree there. I think it’s important to check these sorts of things. Actively looking for problems maybe, but better the devil you know IMO.
Honda managed to get 100bhp/litre without failing rod bearings, vvt noise and head gasket problems, to me this engine is fragile - but a legendary engine nonetheless
Oh don't get me wrong, i think what your doing is great and the sort of stuff i'd do when buying a "cheap" version of a car. But when any car (not just old E46's) is circa 20 years old with x mileage, you are then in the realms of general maintenance and upkeep to ensure it remains in good nick. IMO maybe you think "your" car is fragile but to label them all in that bracket is mildly amusing considering the overall abuse that they can put up with. Honda managed to get 100bhp/litre without failing rod bearings, vvt noise and head gasket problems, to me this engine is fragile - but a legendary engine nonetheless
You openly said in an earlier post that your rod bearings were ok and not all M3's blow head gaskets every couple of years (which really would be a problem) so again these sorts of jobs imo are just general age related maintenance, or wear and tear on a car which you purchased knowing the previous owner hasn't maintained perhaps as well as some of us would have liked.
In 11 years of ownership there are plenty of jobs i've had to do on mine, some are the "well known" E46 issues, so I am certainly not saying they are trouble free by any stretch. But all these sorts of jobs are just part and parcel of car ownership and if you want your car to remain in tip top condition, then there will always a never ending list to tick off.... and that's no bad thing for those of us that like a well maintained modern classic
B'stard Child said:
My point was the OP is motivated here to make his M3 mechanically fit for future years
And I think that is great, and why I love this section of the forum. But every single car out there for sale second hand will have known issues/problems that can be prevented/rectified etc etc. As to what extent people choose to go down that rabbit hole of work, well as you say, I have form of going OTT...NotNormal said:
MattMF1 said:
I’ll have to agree to disagree there. I think it’s important to check these sorts of things. Actively looking for problems maybe, but better the devil you know IMO.
Honda managed to get 100bhp/litre without failing rod bearings, vvt noise and head gasket problems, to me this engine is fragile - but a legendary engine nonetheless
Oh don't get me wrong, i think what your doing is great and the sort of stuff i'd do when buying a "cheap" version of a car. But when any car (not just old E46's) is circa 20 years old with x mileage, you are then in the realms of general maintenance and upkeep to ensure it remains in good nick. IMO maybe you think "your" car is fragile but to label them all in that bracket is mildly amusing considering the overall abuse that they can put up with. Honda managed to get 100bhp/litre without failing rod bearings, vvt noise and head gasket problems, to me this engine is fragile - but a legendary engine nonetheless
You openly said in an earlier post that your rod bearings were ok and not all M3's blow head gaskets every couple of years (which really would be a problem) so again these sorts of jobs imo are just general age related maintenance, or wear and tear on a car which you purchased knowing the previous owner hasn't maintained perhaps as well as some of us would have liked.
In 11 years of ownership there are plenty of jobs i've had to do on mine, some are the "well known" E46 issues, so I am certainly not saying they are trouble free by any stretch. But all these sorts of jobs are just part and parcel of car ownership and if you want your car to remain in tip top condition, then there will always a never ending list to tick off.... and that's no bad thing for those of us that like a well maintained modern classic
B'stard Child said:
My point was the OP is motivated here to make his M3 mechanically fit for future years
And I think that is great, and why I love this section of the forum. But every single car out there for sale second hand will have known issues/problems that can be prevented/rectified etc etc. As to what extent people choose to go down that rabbit hole of work, well as you say, I have form of going OTT...I'm enjoying the ownership and the jobs I am doing are increasing the value of the car should I wish to sell in the future, so nothing lost really.
I'll have a look at your Carlton thread.
MattMF1 said:
Failing rear axle carrier panels I wouldn't put in general 20 year old car maintenance, nor would I put rod bearing replacement in this either.
Agreed, coming from someone who has not only had the floor repaired by BMW under warranty... to then have to recently revisit this work again myself. You are right, this is not a particularly good design and one I would advise you should definitely be cracking on withMattMF1 said:
Either way you look at it, there are well documented failures of each all over the internet. BMW wouldn't have recalled cars over rod bearing issues and provided resin injection to the RACP if the design flaw wasn't there to start with. We'll have to agree to disagree as I say.
I'm enjoying the ownership and the jobs I am doing are increasing the value of the car should I wish to sell in the future, so nothing lost really.
I'll have a look at your Carlton thread.
Correct, the rod bearing thing was definitely an issue on the first early iteration of the cars and hence the recall. Over the years the internet has (rightly or wrongly) decided it applies to all cars...I'm enjoying the ownership and the jobs I am doing are increasing the value of the car should I wish to sell in the future, so nothing lost really.
I'll have a look at your Carlton thread.
As I said, great work and look forward to following your progress
Your E46 looks stunning, I hope you get on top of all the issues!
As a fellow 130i owner I look forward to seeing updates on that. Mine is getting closer to how I want it after new wheels, a complete suspension refresh using the B12 kit and front Brembo brakes from the F2x cars. It is over 160k miles now and I am dreading doing anything to the oily parts!
As a fellow 130i owner I look forward to seeing updates on that. Mine is getting closer to how I want it after new wheels, a complete suspension refresh using the B12 kit and front Brembo brakes from the F2x cars. It is over 160k miles now and I am dreading doing anything to the oily parts!
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