zero

Bolts should be at 120Nm.

Are these rear subframe bushings? Sorry, not 100% what you are selling?

Axle stands from supacheap can be had for little money. You will wonder how you ever did without them.

Looks cool, but you shouldn't use bricks to hold a car up as they can crack or crumble expectantly. Wood is fine, just not bricks.

Great progress. Holy crap that oil filter was bad!

Its a good car, just needs a repower. Could go the stroked 6 route too. Wont go ls1 because its blasphemy to put a holden motor in a bmw. The only car I would put a chevy engine into would be a hotrod or a kit car.

Thats a good deal. Wish I was in chch

Bought another car to tide me over. Another black motorsport e46 wagon, but with a m54b25 in it. I need to pull the head off my car and have a look before I settle on which direction I'm gonna go, but its now officially a project car. Will either put the m54 from the parts car in it or go full retard and squeeze in a m60 or m62. I've just been so busy with work, and helping a mate with his e36, that I haven't had the time (or the heart) to pull the head yet.

Yes, but what was the car like?

Engine didn't seize but made terrible noises and the cylinder 4 spark plug became stuck in the head. When I tried to remove the plug it was so tight it felt like it threaded itself and its still in there. I would have thought a poorly aligned collet would have let go straight away - not 150kms after the rebuild? If I can bring myself to look at the motor I will pop the head and take photos.

Thanks Glenn for your kind words. What do you mean by 'result rather than cause'? I would have thought that if a collet came off it would have done so on first start straight after the rebuild? It was running smooth as before it went pop.

It certainly wasn't over revved. I tried to protect the springs by keeping them soaking in jars of simple green before they were installed, and then when they were installed I coated then in crc or oil. But yeah, building the engine under my house it probably gets a bit damp under there. I don't suppose simple green concentrate damaged the spring, but who knows?

One of cylinder 4's exhaust valves. The one closest to cylinder 3. The valve will have dropped into the cylinder and will be making babies with the piston and the cylinder walls. I was only idling in traffic when it happened so took me by surprise. How common is valve spring failure?

Game over. Time to buy a new car. I got 83kms of good smooth running before this, so that works out at about $15 per kilometre not including my time. I'm heartbroken.

These guys hire them out for $125 for four days and are good to deal with; All Euro Parts Ltd Tel: 09 425 5023 www.alleuroparts.co.nz

One day I'd love to swap in a tweaked m60 or m62. Thats a project for another day though.

Yea I got mine too. Thanks Ollie.

Latest update - car is running great, and I'm a bit embarrassed. So couldn't figure out the ticking noise, and I was scared it was a sticky lifter or the eccentric shaft not timed correctly. The planned second oil and filter change was done after 70kms of running, and the noise was still there. I went and saw Glenn at Botany Motor Worx and he quickly had it diagnosed. Using a stethoscope he could tell it wasn't a problem anywhere in the valve train. He located the ticking to an exhaust leak at the back of the motor. He let me listen through the stethoscope and taught me what to listen for - the guy is a legend. Needless to say I will be buying a stethoscope this weekend as its a very useful tool to have. Got it home and checked the torque on the exhaust manifold bolts (for the third time) and it all seemed correct, so I wondered if I had damaged the manifold gasket on install. And now for the embarrassing part. I took the vacuum pump off to check the seals as Glenn had also spotted an oil leak there. And it was then I noticed I had forgotten to install an engine plug in behind the vacuum pump, and that is where the exhaust leak was! I installed the plug, reinstalled the vacuum pump (with the o-ring correctly aligned this time) and fired it up. She runs beautifully! No smoke, and no funny noises. Took it on the motorway and kicked it in the nuts and it performed awesomely. So happy. Big thanks to Glenn.

What size? I have some 16's with good tyres from an e46

What a great story.

Can you put a trolley jack under the diff?

Went for a drive today. Car runs good, and is not spewing smoke anymore now that the valve stem seals have been done. I am getting a ticking noise from the engine though, which I have no idea about?

Thanks mate. Vacuum pump was rebuilt.

It was hard to tell exactly, but it was definitely blown as it was a mess under there. We spent a long time cleaning up the block.

Yup they held fine. I breathed a huge sigh of relief when I had tightened the last bolt.