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agent75

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Posts posted by agent75

  5. Posted · Report reply

    well, I finally got this thing going after a fair bit of arsing around and avoidance.  It goes really well straight out of the box.  flew through a warrant and then i took it to the West Coast the next day.  500km round trip without an issue.  Everything about it is functional and pleasingly tight.  Very nice engine the m54b30 - surprisingly it's a bit gruntier than my E30 M40B18.  Even the suspension feels tight as.  I'd quite like some style 68 wheels.  What is this staggered thing people talk about? and does anyone know how to connect to the bluetooth on it.  i have a small TV screen and tape inside and a nav cd unit and 6 cd stacker in boot.  have tried googling but nothing works.   The missus will use this car quite a lot when I'm not taking it to a track day or stealing it off her and making her drive my work RAV4.  Her main comment is that she doesn't like white -  no amount of "But VANOS, twin cam, alloy block, manual 5 speed, renowned driver's car babe" convinces her otherwise.  I'll punish her with a cool coloured 1300cc auto nissan Micra one day but she'll have to slum it for now.  I have 4 cars - all white -  it didn't happen on purpose but I genuinely like white.  The E46 looks crisp in this colour.

    I'm taking it to a local Ruapuna track day as soon as I can - within the next couple of months.  

    is the blown gasket bottom end/head without sensors or ancillaries of any use to anyone? cams got surface rust from sitting in guys garage without cover on but everything looks good from the bottom

    car.JPG

    • Like 3

  6. Posted · Report reply

    I am very seriously keen on doing this swap.  I take my E30 to the track and love the 4 cylinder weight and feel, but struggle with the bad case of asthma my m40 has.  hmmmmmmmm.  Thanks for posting this

  7. Posted · Report reply

    21 hours ago, Olaf said:

    2.  Have you contacted specialist BMW wreckers e.g.  Brent at BM World  or Ray at HellBM?  To see if you can get good used parts?

    1.  More importantly, have you correctly diagnosed that your current cats are well and truly beyond saving?

    3.  Have you investigated what OEM/aftermarket/performance options are available?  In NZ from one of our forum sponsors, or from abroad?

    2. i know the Auckland guys are well thought of but I'm in CHCH and will call our local Eurorec... I got the engine from them and they seen like sound guys

    1. very likely f#cked.  I'm not going to arse around fitting them for the time of it - the upper manifold looks like the funnel on a steamship which has been dipped in used engine oil

    3. I'll check it out but may be overcome by GPS (gorse pocket syndrome)

    • Like 1

  8. Posted · Report reply

    11 hours ago, Rubix said:

    I'm not sure with BMW's but could you gut the cats? I did this on my TT 300zx.

    If you have pre-cat o2 sensors I couldn't see the above being a problem, and you shouldn't have issues with legality (being that the cats are still there).

     

    I guess i could do that, I know it's still eco terrorism but a 2001 car will still be legal if de catted (spayed?)

  9. Posted · Report reply

    I constantly walk that line between loving fossil fuel based hobbies and self flagellation for loving fossil fuel based hobbies. i do agree with you but also have to bare in mind that a 16 year old 3 litre luxury car with cats that are likely doing more harm than good is not a good place to start for getting my green wings.  I am going to have a chat to the guy i bought the engine from to see if he has anything... or if anyone on here has anything .. but the front cats are toast in my opinion and i ain't buying a brand new manifold and cats!.  There is still what look like more cats further down the system so my green credentials are hanging on by a thread if i remove....and then two silencers after that and then some fancy looking valve thingy in one of the tail pipe tips. Fancy Germans.  On another front my manual says M54 has post cat o2 but cant find anywhere... I don't think it has any.  Its South African import.  anyone else have a 2001 E46 with M54b30 who can shed light?

  10. Posted · Report reply

    Hi all

    I am in full swing with my engine swap on the manual 330i that i picked up almost a year ago for 2k.  I just realised that the 530i manifolds with integral cats on my "new" engine won't do for the E46 so was checking out the manifolds off the E46 blown engine.  When this engine did what it did when it stopped going this appeared to involve a fair bit of oily residue in the exhaust to the point where i doubt the cat is in good nick.  I can even see a black stain on the downstream side of the rear manifold cat suggesting oil getting sucked through it.  I've done some word searches on the forum with no satisfactory answers but thought of some options -

    a. remove cats from factory, wierdy shaped but obviously decent flowing,  manifold and weld in section of pipe (do i deserve to be drawn and quartered?) this car only has pre cat O2 sensors so sweet as there

    b. Where do I buy new cats, do they install those in old manifolds or am i talking getting my wallet removed via my ar*ehole for an entire new manifold?

    C. get some second hand manifolds and try my luck with some old, possibly worse for the environment than having no cat, cats ... meowww

  12. Posted · Report reply

    Well , I'm a bit of a lucky boy.  $200!  I would have thought that was expensive a week ago.  It's crack free but the vinyl is lifting in 2 ten cent piece sized areas in the passenger dash top recess.  I could possibly make a hole in the foam at the back and ease some glue in there and press it down but it's barely noticable.  I think I'm too scared to put it on now knowing they're so rare!  Might have to wrap it up and put it on my future E30 that has more than 80kW.  That's my E46 330i project in full swing in the background - don't worry about the oil filter housing getting dusty, it's scrap.   Now, who wanted an E38 cup holder?IMG_2260.JPG

    • Like 1

  13. Posted · Report reply

    Thanks Andy.

    I can see that the values of these mean i may have to scale back my aspirations.  If I add $100 postage to that I'm looking at quite a few other things i can do for the money.  I'll buy that off you when I get around to buying a repowered twin cam 6cly manual E30 2 door (I don't ask for much)... or when i get around to transplanting in to my own one.  I've still got my feelers out down here in the south...may be something about.

    Thanks for the input!

  15. Posted · Report reply

    As utterly hilarious as some of the replies were thanks to the last couple of posters for reading my question and sticking to the topic rather than exercising their keyboard wit

    I had one parked on a stand for 12+ months. Loaded it onto a trailer and shifted house.

    Strangely enough i am moving house too and will be moving the engine on the stand. I put it on the stand last night and the earth didn't open up and swallow me. Job done. Thank you

    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  17. Posted · Report reply

    I deserve that. I was actually going to get 100000 spiders to spin a giant interlocking web cradle which would be held by fairies but your idea seems equally valid. Otherwise i think I'll just suck it up and bolt the thing to my $85 Topmac engine stand.

    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  18. Posted · Report reply

    Basically an embarrassing question but i somehow feel nervous about putting my m54b30 on to my engine stand with its fancy alloy Constructon. It just doesn't seem right. I'll obviously use bolts that thread on to tapped bell housing holes but any other precautions?

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  19. Posted · Report reply

    Well, I went and bought it.

    I intend to replace/repair the engine and use it for myself. It's a nice tidy car. It's been in the guys garage for 2 or 3 years. The upholstery doesn't look worn to me, in fact the car is very straight and well looked after. It appears to have boiled so i will make damn sure that the radiator/water pump are sound. Engine may be rescuable at a very very long shot but will provide good parts if not.

    I'm actually seriously thinking of selling my 318i E30 manual coupe and the missuses corolla and just having this e46 as her drive around with the young lad car and my "go to a track day" car. Not as cool as the E30 but plenty quicker! I have another project in the garage which needs my attention too.

    Anyone know of an M54b30 engine for sale? I see bmworld has one for 1700 or so

    • Like 2

  25. Posted · Report reply

    Hi all. I am interested in purchasing an e30 touring. I would like a manual and preferably 2.5 but we'll consider anything. If i find one will have a nice 318 face lift 2 door manual for sale. The missus quite likes the e30 but doesn't get on with 2 doors and she's happy to sell her car. I would also consider a 4 door sedan but prefer wagon. Thanks all. Shane

    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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