E46 320d Touring - life with a high mileage car

[_ethrty-Andy_ 2136]

On 2/11/2024 at 11:33 AM, Vass said:

Bit off topic but have been curious on this for a while. Is there a reason people are opting for M52 conversions as opposed to M54? Have a mate that just got his E30 certified with an M52B28 and have heard of a few others too.

I would have thought the M54 to be, I guess, a superior engine, the fabrication involved and fitment would be pretty much the same and M54's are surely more easily available nowadays. Is it the electronics behind it that are more complex or just down to what people have had available to them at the time?

Possibly just experience with whos doing the work. This will be my 4th M52 swap. I havent done an M54 (and wouldnt have taken the job on if thats what was going in). Its hard enough navigating LVVTA certification, learning time is not billable time

there is also 20 years of information out there on the M50/M52 swap, which were being put in e30s before the M54 was even launched

Rather keep this thread on topic, but feel free to create another thread about it, or even google, im sure there is plenty out there arguing one way or the other.

[_ethrty-Andy_ 2136]

Recieved rear driveshaft back, both UJs replaced, looks schmiko. Fitted brand new center support bearing, and front half back on, taking note of the paint marks i put on it as it came out. 
guibo shows no signs of wear so no need to replace, and all back in.

also replaced the transmission mounts with some 335i ones inhad lying about while in there. one was a bluetooth mount, the other held up coming up but as soon as on ground and In disturbed it it broke. Have never seen so perished, and they have an ‘01 stamp on them so they have been there right from the start

took for a wee drive around the block, its still a diesel so still a tiny hint of vibration, but huge improvement, and no vibration at all under boost any more, so a job well done!

Milage update 313950 miles (505254km)

[_ethrty-Andy_ 2136]

Another four months gone by, done a bit to the old girl so thought I better make another post to update the thread!

May have posted in here already that I sourced a minty black headliner for it. Any decent E46 headliner is a hard find these days, let alone a non-sunroof, black, Touring one! After sitting on top of my Tech2 E30 in the garage for at least a year, and the original one deciding to come away completely, I had a spare afternoon and got it installed into the car. I have to say, doing a headliner job on a touring is a breeze compared to a sedan, as it flys in and out of the tailgate!

I also decided to service the transmission, new filter oil and pan gasket as no idea when those were last done!

At the last Wof I got an advisory that the left front shock had very slight misting and to keep an eye one it. I forgot all about it, but the last month or two I have noticed the car a bit bouncy in the front. So I have ordered some Bilstein B4s, and of course tophats and bumpstops as makes sense to do those while in there. I have a set of M Sport springs here, so I think I will put those in place of the original 320d ones and see how that looks and feels. If memory serves correctly, when Graham owned the car, the front control arms and CABs were changed already, so shouldnt have to do anything more for many more miles!

Other than that, just keeps going and going, starts first time every time, happy days!

[icasak 2]

Just wanted to say thanks to Andy and Graham for such detailed posting over the years, it's been a pleasure to read through everything this car has been through over the years. I'm sure the dozens (maybe??) of us that read this appreciate it!

I'm a long time reader, first time caller - just managed to pick up a new-to-me 2002 320d Touring m-sport so the info in the thread has been invaluable. 

Keep it up! 

[Vass 834]

48 minutes ago, icasak said:

I'm a long time reader, first time caller - just managed to pick up a new-to-me 2002 320d Touring m-sport so the info in the thread has been invaluable. 

Is that the manual one off Trademe? Looked an awesome unit, love the color. Congrats!

[icasak 2]

7 hours ago, Vass said:

Is that the manual one off Trademe? Looked an awesome unit, love the color. Congrats!

Yep that’s the one, it’s got a matte black wrap but underneath it’s like a blue green which is pretty sweet! Might be the same as the M539 restoration guy on YouTube so the plan is to get the wrap off at some stage. 

[gjm 3258]

On 7/2/2024 at 2:58 PM, _ethrty-Andy_ said:

If memory serves correctly, when Graham owned the car, the front control arms and CABs were changed already, so shouldnt have to do anything more for many more miles!

LCAs & CABs were done twice while with me. Once because they needed to be done, and once because I thought they needed to be done (but they didn't).

Trans fluid & filter was an annual service thing. Normally soon after Christmas when the weather was good and I had a bit of time off work.

I'd planned for a set of Konis, probably the reds instead of yellows. B4s will work well too.

Keen to hear how you get on with the turbo!

[_ethrty-Andy_ 2136]

Time for another post! 

In around august or september, i noticed a small puddle of oil directly under the right hand side of the intercooler after a long haul back from Hawkes Bay, which told me two things, one that the intercooler isn't completely sealed, and two that something upstream of the intercooler is leaking oil, which of course can only be the turbo. i recalled that Graham had fitted a new turbo to it during his ownership, however after chatting to him, found that it was fitted, didnt solve the problem he was looking at, so the original one was put back, leaving a minty one in the box with him.
A deal was struck, and I was the owner of the new turbo, ready to be bolted up for the second time.
(As anyone who knows me knows, I have owned several hundred BMWs, at least another 50 or so non-BMs, and worked full time off and on in other shops as well as for myself. It was the first time I have ever done a turbo swap!)
I also made sure that the exhaust was clocked properly, and reinstalled the chassis brace I removed a few years back im sure I mentioned here somewhere!
Road test, and wow, what a difference, and now i believe that 320d are quicker than 325 328i as the internet says they are. initial 1990s/2000s/diesel turbo lag and then hits hard! Never done it again tho, as thats not what this car is in my life for! Tho it does have a very audible whistle to it which i do enjoy, and wish my F15 M50d did the same!
Intercooler went back in as it is, and will deal with that air leak at some other point, if it becomes a bigger problem.

As it turned out, after a few weeks of driving, with the added boost, the DDE was obviously demanding more fuel pressure, and two weeks later the mid fuel pump decided to quit 3km from home on another little road. The 320d run three fuel pumps, one lifter pump in the tank, one mid pump located next to the fuel filter/regulator (both of which are same location as a petrol E46), and a third HPFP which i replaced already. Upon diagnosis, I found all that happened was the plug had come off the pump, however it was covered in diesel, as was the underside of the floor. plugged it in, and the car fired right up, but drips formed quite quickly from the plug. Have seen this a few times before, especially on N52/54/55 waterpumps, but not on a fuel pump before! Ordered a replacement, and good to go once more!

I mentioned earlier i ordered some Bilstein B4s and had some used msport springs here. While the car was in the air and waiting for the pump to arrive, and another WOF a month or so away, i had a quiet day so time to swap the front struts over. Again, these turned out to be another original part from 2002! on removal, I managed to snap the bolt holding in the ABS sensors on both sides. I doubt they have been moved since 2002 either. for now, i have just urethaned them back into place, and will deal with them if/when they ever fall out.
Cant say a huge difference in handling since its not a car i throw around anyways. however, there is a bump in my drive way, and three speed bumps on my street, that feel a lot more solid going over. As for ride height, i was expecting a bit of a drop from the msport springs, but nothing! I measured the car before and after and at best would be 5mm in it!

A pet peeve of mine with the car has always been that the cluster is in miles. I respect that the car is a UK import, and with Graham being a pommy too, i like its part of the cars heritage. but mpg means nothing to me, and if the ODO was in kilometers the number looks much bigger!!! I played around with NCS Expert and PA Soft, and now have the digital part of the dash showing metric. Its still the original cluster with the M35080 chip which means not a lot else can be done with it, which is reassuring! And of course the physical speedo is still in Miles, so still true to its heretige!

Last week, I was pulling out of my street, and had a wee incident with a Mercedes. Young indian chap, learners license unaccompanied, and only in new zealand for a few weeks. almost brand new A class merc, and rubs his bumper along my left rear door and wheel. ripped the whole corner of the bumper off his merc, and only a paint graze no dent at all to the 320d. 

Which brings us up to today. Intending to take it for a roady up to Hawkes Bay tomorrow and being out of a WOF (expired two days after above incident so that was lucky), i took it down today, and another clean sheet WOF. Unfortunately while there, they did mention the fan looked a little wobbly, and sure enough its time for a new water pump! Ive known the viscous clutch has needed doing for some time, however being a diesel they dont get hot anyways. So another couple of things to add to the list.

So tomorrow I will have to take my F15 M50d, which im not upset about obviously. Planning to catch up with Graham too, who has some old paperwork for the car he has kindly kept to give to me!

Its funny these old cars. It's definately not the prettiest in my driveway, and i have parted out much tidier cars than this one. With the parts ive thrown at it over my ownership its not the cheapest to own either, even if the economy would say other wise.
But for some reason, I have quite the affection for it, so Im planning on keeping it on the road as long as it wants to!