Robs E46M Rosso Corsa Street Build

[robgill]

Do you happen to be at Lime Rock today? Had a buddy there with his LRP e92 and sent me an e46 headed the opposite direction. Looked a little too bright to be Imola

Yep! Watched the morning sessions and headed back to NYC 👍👍

[robgill]

Stopped by my old building this morning. The door guys received a lot of parts for this car over two years and wanted to see it finished!

[robgill]

General update! I have put about 3000 miles on the car since the rebuild and overall it has been running great and a blast to drive. Now that it has some decent miles I wanted to check that the cams are breaking in well and also check the valve clearances. I also decided to rebuild the SMG pump as it was acting up when it was really hot out.

After getting the valve cover off everything is looking really good! The cams and followers all are wearing in nicely and all of the valve clearances are still in spec 👍.


Next was the SMG pump... Was hoping not to mess with this so soon. When it got above 90F here in NYC it started shifting poorly at low speeds and in traffic. A quick bleed of the system with INPA would fix it but clearly something was up. My theory was something wasn't sealing up correctly and air was creeping into the system. So instead of chasing the issue I just decided to replace the pump and slave clutch. I already had a spare pump and decided to rebuild it. I got new seals, motor and accumulator from MLR Engineering. I had already relocated the pump to the drug bin so taking it out was super easy. Got the pump apart and started the rebuild, thanks to Good for the DIY.



Back together with new motor and accumulator:



Pump back in the car but sitting horizontal and raising the the reservoir so it will bleed properly. New slave clutch also installed:



Then bleed the system multiple times using INPA:



Once done got the pump back into into the drug bin and took it for a successful test drive. Hopefully that is the last time I have to mess with the SMG for a VERY long time. I'm still committed to keep it as I like the auto function for easy street driving and traffic; but 6 speed conversion is always the back up plan...

[Sharocks]

Be different. DCT swap.

[robgill]

Be different. DCT swap.

I’ve researched it! Short answer is it’s exceptionally hard to do with a ton of custom programming if you keep the S54.

[loudspeaker69]

I’ve researched it! Short answer is it’s exceptionally hard to do with a ton of custom programming if you keep the S54.

Yep,

I’ve heard it’s either that or a stand alone engine management software.

[Casa de Mesa]

Wow. So I stumbled upon this thread when you linked to it from the For Sale section. This is a spectacular build!!

When I got here, I was blown away for so many reasons (the level of build quality, attention to detail, the amount of DIY, etc.)... but this is exactly what I want to do with my car. A color change. I've been slowly assembling factory stickers but couldn't find the e46 chassis color anywhere. Will check out getbmwparts.com as soon as I hit "Post Reply" on this! Great tip!

What I've been trying to figure out is how to remove as much from the engine bay as possible. I'll pull the motor, that's a given, but I've been trying to figure out if I need to pull the brake booster, master cylinder and the ECU plus all the wiring that in the upper right of the engine bay (opposite the drug bin). In the picture above, you did not pull ANY of that and this gives me great hope!

QUESTION: Why did you not remove all this? Can you get paint far enough down there to where it doesn't matter? By any chance... do you have additional pics of the car in this stage and if so, any closer shots of this area? Also... if I'm really pushing it... any closer shots of the car now of that area?

I literally read every post light night while lying in bed. I couldn't stop reading. What an awesome accomplishment!! My lockdown project was completely restoring the undercarriage and rear suspension. Not quite to Redish Motorsports level (did not paint and/or seal the undercarriage) but very, very close. I also went to solid diff bushings if you want my opinion on them...

[Casa de Mesa]

PS. My late grandfather had an auto shop/gas station in the Bronx for quite a while. I'm down in NC now but have a soft spot for the area you're in. Those old school combo shops (car repair & fuel) don't exist down here, or really anywhere too much anymore. But they are still pretty common in the NE.

[Casa de Mesa]

The side windows took some time to figure out, should have taken more pictures when I took them apart 😂, thanks you YouTube! Went ahead and got the vapor barrier and and airbags back in as well.

When you got the car ready for the paint shop, did you completely remove the entire side window assembly from each of the doors? The motor, the glass, the window tracks, etc. Or did you just remove the vapor barrier?

[robgill]

I literally read every post light night while lying in bed. I couldn't stop reading. What an awesome accomplishment!! My lockdown project was completely restoring the undercarriage and rear suspension. Not quite to Redish Motorsports level (did not paint and/or seal the undercarriage) but very, very close. I also went to solid diff bushings if you want my opinion on them...

PS. My late grandfather had an auto shop/gas station in the Bronx for quite a while. I'm down in NC now but have a soft spot for the area you're in. Those old school combo shops (car repair & fuel) don't exist down here, or really anywhere too much anymore. But they are still pretty common in the NE.

Thanks! It kept me very busy during the early days of COVID! Figured my garage in the BX was probably the safest place to be 😆. I'm in Castle Hill and love it. Neighbors are great and all the right shops are near by. I can also get there on Subway, bike, run, uber... very convenient.

QUESTION: Why did you not remove all this? Can you get paint far enough down there to where it doesn't matter? By any chance... do you have additional pics of the car in this stage and if so, any closer shots of this area? Also... if I'm really pushing it... any closer shots of the car now of that area?

When you got the car ready for the paint shop, did you completely remove the entire side window assembly from each of the doors? The motor, the glass, the window tracks, etc. Or did you just remove the vapor barrier?

The primary reason I didn't remove those items is that I didn't want to overcomplicate the rebuild by messing with systems that weren't 100% required to be removed. The body shop we able to get paint everywhere visible with masking and an Airbrush. There is no silver visible in the engine bay. Also I wanted to keep the braking system sealed and functioning as the car was moved around a lot at the shop. I did look at taking out the ECU wiring box and basically it was a huge hassle. In general I try to avoid messing with the electrical systems...

I removed all of the glass from the car including the door windows. I was replacing all of the door trim and seals so it was easier to just take it all off and leave it off for the body shop. Putting that window assembly back together was no fun... should have taken more pics when I took it apart.

After fully reassembling the car the only place that has silver visible is a couple small spots in the trunk not covered by trim. We just didn't realize it was visible and I plan on hitting it with touchup as there is no clear required.

[Casa de Mesa]

Rob - thanks for all these replies. I don't want to stink up your thread so I'll likely post any follow-ups over in the other thread I started. I greatly appreciate all this insight though. I literally went, "Holy $#!T this is exactly what I'm planning on doing!!" when I saw this post the other night. Right down to the rear main seal replacement, oil pan gasket, rod bearings and so on.

Thanks! It kept me very busy during the early days of COVID! Figured my garage in the BX was probably the safest place to be 😆.

Yeah, it looks like it kept you *very* busy. hahaha! #worthit

I'm in Castle Hill and love it. Neighbors are great and all the right shops are near by. I can also get there on Subway, bike, run, uber... very convenient.

I grew up in Northwest Jersey. We used to hit shows in NY, hopping the Path from Hoboken. There's no place like the city and I've heard Castle Hill is really nice.

The primary reason I didn't remove those items is that I didn't want to overcomplicate the rebuild by messing with systems that weren't 100% required to be removed. The body shop we able to get paint everywhere visible with masking and an Airbrush. There is no silver visible in the engine bay.

Ok this was my main concern - having the old color show through. I want this as factory as possible, so yesterday after posting this I was hunting around the engine compartment with a flash light and trying to see how in the hell they painted yours without removing all that stuff there (brake booster, ECU, wiring harnesses). My main concern without removing all that is getting that area clean enough for the paint to have sufficient bite to really adhere well. I only want to do this project once, LOL! Glad to see it's possible WITHOUT removing all of that. I too do not want to over-complicate things.

Also I wanted to keep the braking system sealed and functioning as the car was moved around a lot at the shop. I did look at taking out the ECU wiring box and basically it was a huge hassle. In general I try to avoid messing with the electrical systems...

+1 on the electrical stuff. This was another question I had - could you get the wiring harness out of the way enough without having to completely remove it from the engine compartment. Looks like the answer is "yes".

I removed all of the glass from the car including the door windows. I was replacing all of the door trim and seals so it was easier to just take it all off and leave it off for the body shop. Putting that window assembly back together was no fun... should have taken more pics when I took it apart.

I'll take really good photos, LOL!! I've removed windows from cars before and it's a royal pain in the ass. Was hoping there was an alternate solution here, but I'll do it right. I too will be replacing the trim and seals. I pretty much knew the answer before I asked but had to ask.

After fully reassembling the car the only place that has silver visible is a couple small spots in the trunk not covered by trim. We just didn't realize it was visible and I plan on hitting it with touchup as there is no clear required.

Thankfully... my car is already a blue. So if I move to another blue, it shouldn't be *that* noticeable for areas you need to really dig into the car before you see the original color. At least that's what I keep telling myself!!

-Bryan

[robgill]

Kicking off the last big project for this build. I had put off rebuilding the rear suspension as I just wanted to get the car back on the road and enjoy it during the summer. I previously rebuilt a spare subframe so hopefully this will be a quick swap. Step one was get garage organized and the car up on the quick jacks. Off comes the exhaust for hopefully the last time as well as a bunch of the trim and diffuser.



I plan on following the great DIY put together buy FCPEuro. Goal is to get the subframe out this weekend! In the meantime, jussst enough room to still fit the Silver M3 in the garage 😂

[Casa de Mesa]

Love it! Can't wait to see how this unfolds! Just did mine last year as my CARonavirus project. This is making me want to start a build thread for my car.

That red paint......... drooling

[loudspeaker69]

Definitely interested to see how the subframe will be addressed. Glad I’m subscribed.

[robgill]

Phase 1 of subframe rebuild done! Got it dropped last night and fully disassembled. This went pretty smoothly as a lot of the commonly seized bolts I had previously removed (ball joints, camber arms etc...) so everything came apart pretty easy. This job is so much easier knowing I have a spare already prepped to go in. The one exception was the e brake cable in the hub. Could not get those to budge so I just cut the cables and pulled them out from inside the car. New ones ones are pretty cheap so just going to replace them. Also attempted to remove the wheel hubs as its easier to do on the car, but no luck. I'll get a machine shop to handle that as well as removing the half shafts from the hubs (I plan on rebuilding this subframe to go in my track car).



With the brakes out of the way and various cables and sensors removed it was ready to come out. HF trans jack was perfect for this and dropped with no issues at all. The car isn't high enough to pull it straight out the back but was pretty easy to slide it out the side.



And its out!



The body and underside of the car is in exceptional shape. A previous owner had plates installed and it looks like they did a proper job (other then the olive drab paint color..). I'm going to clean everything up and treat the light surface rust. I'll replace any rusty hardware. Also planning on doing a light coat of black boom mat sound deadening and fluid film likely corrosion areas.




Although a previous owner had the plates installed and also looks like pretty new subframe bushing they did not replace suspension and diff bushings. They should have! The diff bushing were completely shot!



Next steps are to get the cleaning done and reassemble the new subframe. Also going to Por-15 the diff and install a rear strut bar.