gjm

Lol. It's the same everywhere.

The space isn't such an issue - the money is. Bad time of year for buying naked rims, but I'll see what I can do.

A view on why: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11170914

At least Holden lasted longer than Saab under GM... But it does seem GM Is still struggling, even after the huge bailout they took.

Ya know ya want to.........................

They do look rather nice... If someone had bought my 45s it'd be so much easier!

I think the reps I have seen are made by Stilauto, and are model 'Racing C'. In 17x7.5" size they weigh around 11kg each.

Can't quickly find details of the 18" version, but haven't looked very hard. After all, it's 17s I'd be after! I know they were made in 8.5x17" et35 too, so there is the possibility of a staggered set up, although in the interests of simplicity and daily driving, a square set up has to be preferred.

17x7.5 et38(ish). Very tempting...

Aye... I suspect you're right.

I just wanted to offer them to folk on here first.

Not even an offer...?

Please don't make me try TradeMe!

Bought a PS3 just so I could drive the 'ring in GTx... Can't remember which one!

Not got GT6. May take a look.

Not sure about what? Your sexuality?

:-P

I'll have you know I really do like pink shirts!

Hmm. Not sure.

If you have AA or similar cover, it's worth giving them a call.

If not, it is possible to buy 'keys' for locking nuts, but it'll probably be cheaper to buy another suitably-sized socket.

he said he was confident in his ability so i thought it was fairly safe to be a smartass.

i find it interesting about the threads stripping out, is this common occurrence or is it one of those once in a blue moon things

I did a double-take when I saw your comment, checked how many posts you made and assumed you were kidding. No worries.

I've read several accounts of threads in ally blocks stripping out, although it doesn't seem to happen in all cases. I've worked on Porsche 928s (and other ally block engines) and while it isn't unheard of for a thread to strip, it has been unusual. I've no idea if it is more common with the BMW blocks (perhaps a different thread rate is used?), or if it is a case of a few examples having been well-reported.

I'm very pleased with my E46 320d Touring (so far - touch wood), and may well consider something like a M-Sport 530d Touring in the future. When I've saved lots of money.

I think someone said the 530i had been for sale for a while. Not sure why - it looks OK.

drain the water... job done

???? Really ???

Made me smile.

Something along the lines of a punctured tyre only be flat at the bottom, so just turn it over.

She'll be a'right.

I couldn't (*) see that the clamp was in two halves?!? There seemed to be a continuous metal band around the outside, which appears to pull down on something which compresses and clamps on to the join between the two pipes. I was very wary about attacking this as I had no replacement clip, and I really didn't want to end up with a dead car in the drive!

The 17s are as much for retaining as much ride comfort as anything else. Putting 18s on my car now wouldn't look right and would require suspension work to suit, something I don't have time or money for at present.

I can get a set of 4 used 17x7.5s for no more than $500, probably less. The (single) 17x8.5 (but wrong pcd) was new and offered in Germany for €59. Useful only as a guide price.

Edit: (*) - somehow I missed the n't from couldn't - completely changes the meaning and tone of the post. Sorry!

Some of the plugs will be different and you'll find that the B28 will be a Siemens DME and the B25 will possibly be Bosch. If the B28 has ASC and the B25 doesn't you'll have to get a non ASC throttle body and DME. It really depends on what the mixture will be. You also have to factor in the gearbox type as well, auto or manual

Thanks Glenn. It's far from a done deal, but the donor car is a nice one, 'right' spec (for us) and reasonably priced... Just has this teensy ickle engine issue where water is finding it's way into the combustion chambers.

Lap time? Well, McLaren have said the average speed was 'more than 111mph' suggesting a sub-7 minute lap.

McLaren released a shot of the P1 at the 'ring a month or so ago, with the inscription '6:33' on it.

But yes - no categoric info as to what they have achieved.

If substituting a M52B28 for a M52B25, will the 2.5 engine electrics etc bolt up and work, or would I need all the 2.8 electrics and so on, too?

I've spoken to a man who knows about these things, and he assures me that the two engines are electrically and electronically compatible. So, remove 2.5, junk it, and replace with 2.8 is a possibility.

I've never tried this on an E36, or any BMW post-E21. Oh, boy...

I had to do a double take there as that photo looks EXACTLY like my wagon outside my old house in the Uk - pretty freaky!!

Before I brought the car over I had a set of those CSL reps put on it, they are pretty cheap in the UK, 600 quid with tyres fitted and balanced for a set of 18"s pretty easy to clean. Look pretty good on the wagon, and not very common wheels, so look different.

I think the reps I have seen are made by Stilauto, and are model 'Racing C'. In 17x7.5" size they weigh around 11kg each.

Can't quickly find details of the 18" version, but haven't looked very hard. After all, it's 17s I'd be after! I know they were made in 8.5x17" et35 too, so there is the possibility of a staggered set up, although in the interests of simplicity and daily driving, a square set up has to be preferred.

The changes may be psychological, or maybe the needle on the fuel gauge was empathising with me and didn't want to move today. Regardless, I've done 100 miles (160km) and the needle has finally raised sufficient interest to lift itself from the (full) end of the fuel gauge. I know the car will do 200 miles on the first quarter of a tank, but don't recall it being quite this lethargic to start indicating before. Maybe the golf tee solution really has made a difference?

Driving style has, if anything, been more aggressive. Certainly the car feels more responsive at higher revs, which has encouraged me to use those revs more...

We'll see.

This pic from Realoem shows part 14, the EGR. The pipe pointing up at 11 o'clock is the one that caused problems yesterday; the thin pipe at the bottom right is the vacuum connection that I have disconnected, and blocked the pipe.

This image shows the culprit clamp:

Rightmost part labelled number 7. I cannot see how to free this from the EGR - it looks to be steel, and the EGR housing is (of course) aluminium. 10 years, and lots of miles later, they seem to have fused together. I can undo the clamp nut (using a 7mm socket) and even wind the band completely out of the clamp, but it just... will... not... let go of the valve housing. Even with the housing bolts all removed.

Oh well. Something for another day.

P1024 again points to the VVT - "VVT-Self-Learning Function Faulty Lower Learning Range (Bank 1)"

Could just be coincidence that the fuel gauge (or more likely imo, the sender) is playing up.

Awesome. Great work.

It stopped raining this afternoon. And I deferred a look at an M-Sport E36 to stay home and sort dinner, and look at my car. (The jury is out on whether this was a good idea.)

I pulled all the plastic cover stuff off the engine and decided to try cleaning the EGR (Exhaust Gas Recirculation) valve. Simple enough - it's at the right front of the engine, easily visible. However, the clamp/band around the pipe to the left as viewed from the front (I'll work out what it connects to later) refused to release. It's not so much a Jubilee clip, as a welded-in-place clamp belt. Yup, it is actually spot-welded to whatever is underneath. Removing it isn't a quick option.

There was wet, dirty oil in the EGR housing, which I suspect can't be good. However, in the absence of any really good ideas, I chose the easy option and stuffed a plastic golf tee into the vacuum line connecting to the EGR housing. (Collected from the works 'do', last week. )

Initial impressions are that the engine is more responsive. Hmm. Maybe. I'm sceptical, but corroboration from other forums suggests it may be true. Reports are that cleaning the EGR valve (not really possible, unless you can remove it) can improve economy by up to 10%.

Still, performance ain't the aim. Reliability and economy, while retaining existing performance, is. I'll give it a (careful) week and see how it goes.

I plugged the vacuum tube to the EGR with a plastic golf tee.

Hard to tell if it has made a difference, but the car feels more responsive. (Must remember to turn off the ASC if I want to be enthusiastic in future!) I'll give it a week and see how fuel consumption is going.

I've confidence in my ability, and even though it would take me several times longer than any specialist, I'm happy the outcome would be good.

I'm told the M52's block threads for the studs can rip out when they are being re-torqued as it's made from aluminium. especially if it has been overheated.

I would be looking for a whole M52B28 and just throwing that in with new oil seals and replacement parts.

Yup - ally blocks are generally known for this. The bolts are steel, so there is always the opportunity for problems. Throw in some overheating and there is a real chance of problems.

If substituting a M52B28 for a M52B25, will the 2.5 engine electrics etc bolt up and work, or would I need all the 2.8 electrics and so on, too?

I had my fluid changed for me because I knew it needed doing and had no time to do it myself. Use good fluid - I had planned to use Penrite AFS-FS or possibly their DX VI. The key thing is to ensure whatever you use is appropriate. If you want to drop me a PM with your email address, I have several docs I can send you.

The whole system hold 9+ litres of fluid; the gearbox hold about 4-4.5, so it is vital to drop fluid at the cooler too. You'll probably still not get all of it, but you'll get a lot more.

Here's a pic from RealOEM showing where everything is (on my car) - I anticipate yours will be similar.

It sounds as though you have a reasonable idea of what you're about. One of the important things is to fill the transmission gradually, ensuring the whole system is filled - you obviously can't drop several litres of fluid in and hope for the best! There are several threads on t'internet that help with this (I probably have some bookmarked).

Check the electrical/electronic connections to the gearbox, too.