e90 320 N46 Engine Rebuild

[DarrylvanNiekerk]

I have got the block and head back and they both look almost brand new, another step along this long journey.

I managed to source a replacement boot and service kit for the rear brake caliper from BMW Midrand though it still needs to arrive from Germany. The price was under R400 so not that bad.

You cannot remove the rear caliper boot without pushing the piston fully out which means a rebuild of the caliper. I recently decided that considering I would be stripping, cleaning and rebuilding one of the rear calipers it might be in my best interest to look at doing the same on the others.

The front left seemed like a good place to start. Getting the piston out was not easy, I have seen a few people use compressed air through the brake line hole to blow the piston out but mine wasn't moving at all so I didn't even contemplate that route. It took a lot of head scratching and about half an hour to finally get it out.

I found quite an amount of gunk inside the boot and caliper and the piston was very dirty. I stripped the whole caliper down and set to with a wire brush, a strong degreaser and finally some brake cleaner. Once everything was clean I reassembled it and it is looking rather decent. I do want to get some brake caliper lubricant to make sure the piston moves easily.

I am very glad I undertook this exercise because I do believe the braking ability of the calipers was severely compromised. This refurb with new braided brake hoses will make some amazing braking.

Pics below:

 

[DarrylvanNiekerk]

Another interesting thing is the front calipers are ATE and the rears TRW.

 

[DarrylvanNiekerk]

Another update on the whole scenario - it may be slow on the actual build side but some important steps have been taken.

I contacted a variety of people to get info on how to go about dealing with the lack of engine number on my block due to the skimming during engineering and couldn't get a concrete answer. I tried to find any distinguishing marks in the many photos I took whilst the block was still in the car to see if this would help and even took it past BMW Midrand to get an opinion. I really thought they would be at the top of the game but in reality I came away none the wiser. Their concern was the removal of the engine number could mean the block was no longer within tolerance for a rebuild and directed me to a specialist who could measure it for me and give me a definitive answer. In other words they don't machine the blocks or heads themselves but rather send them out to third parties and have no clue as to what the tolerances need to be.

Their preferred supplier and specialist ended up being the company that did my head and measured my block finding the incorrect clearance in the cylinders and confirmed the block was indeed up to scratch for a rebuild. If anyone is in Joburg and needs to go this route then the guy to go to is Wayne at JR Cylinder Head Services in Wynberg. Their service was top notch and it seems they know better than BMW what will work and what won't, and they can rebore and resleave blocks and skim without removing the engine number.

I took my engine block and car papers with me and started off at Langlaagte licensing department and got sent to a few offices before being told I needed police clearance and was directed to Aeroton SAPS Vehicle Unit. I pleaded my case there, showed them pictures and provided affidavits and after much back and forth they agreed to assist. Luckily I had the block with me because they could then take pictures of it in its current state and I noticed that the original barcode was still on the block with the engine number showing so I could definitively prove it was indeed the same block.

I was then sent back to Langlaagte to get a Police Clearance Certificate for the princely sum of R400 which I then took back to Aeroton and this was added to the file. A new engine number was assigned and stamped onto the block while I was there for an additional R300. So I now have an SAPS assigned engine number which is on the block as well as a bunch of papers which I need to probably keep copies of in the car in case I am ever stopped.

The next step is to finish rebuilding the car, have Microdot come out and mark the car (R600), take the engine papers and Microdot papers back to Langlaagte to have the new engine number officially registered to my vehicle (R800) and then get a new license disc which I have just renewed last week. So because I didn't go with JR Cylinder I have to fork out almost R3k more and spend another day or two running from pillar to post.

In other news the rear caliper boot arrived from Germany and I collected it from BMW. Interestingly the boot itself is a TRW part as noticed with the rear calipers. I did a little seraching online and found that one of the local agents for TRW are Imcomex in Centurion and I wonder if I couldn't just have ordered the part through them perhaps a little cheaper. When I replace the rear discs I will definitely order from Imcomex as they are suppliers of the true OEM product.

 

[Gordvisr]

slowly but surely

 

[DarrylvanNiekerk]

Luckily I had a lot of work to keep me out of mischief towards the end of the year which also meant I didn't get a whole lot of time to work on my car and it kept on staring at me every time I came back home looking all forlorn.

I have slowly started building up a stockpile of parts so that once everything is in place I can can just get on with the build. It just so happened that BMW Midrand were having a special on coil packs and they were near half price so I bought a set of Delphi. Deago has been a wealth of information and I have made quite a few trips to BMW Midrand either to get some advice or pick up some more parts. We have discussed which items are ideal to stay with OEM from BMW and where I can deviate to OE or even second hand. Granted this does change the final cost a bit but it seems there are a few places where it just isn't worth skimping just to save a bit but ending up thoroughly disappointed later. The discount given to BMW Fanatics members has helped quite a bit here.

I was wondering about starting a new thread as this no longer just focuses on the engine build but has morphed into a full refresh. After cleaning the rear arches whilst repairing the brake calipers I saw how much dust and crud had accumulated all over and started trying to figure out how to get the rear bumper off. Watching a tutorial or two lead me in the right direction but the reality was far removed from the simplicity shown and I had to really think about whether it was worth the effort or not. I finally got the bumper off and disassembled whatever I could find so I could get rid of 15 years of dust and grime.

It was here I noticed the funny little vents on the lower rear section of the body that allow air to escape from the boot. The right rear one had all but rotted so I knew I needed to get them out and see if they could be repaired. This necessitated the stripping of the boot interior which I knew I was going to have to do in some form or other to change the rear shocks anyway. I kept on wondering if I wasn't taking things too far as in essence all that was wrong was a wrecked engine. In the process of stripping and cleaning I have come across quite a few seemingly small issues but have decided that I would rather go full OCD and be truly happy with the job and my car once I am done. Even the bleeder pipes from the sunroof that exit near the boot flaps had leaves and dust in them and needed a good clean.

Quite literally anything that can come off or apart has been tampered with and I am really grateful I am going to these lengths. On removing the rear tail lights I found the plastic above the middle bulb was partially melted on both left and right side. After having taken the actual light units out I can see the rear of those two globes have been melted slightly meaning they have been overheating. They are the orignal globes and are 21 watt so it will be interesting to see what the actual cause is. No damage to the light units or wiring so the heat was pretty much contained and hasn't done any real damage. I did come across a post that said the dealer found the car was sending too much voltage to that bulb and they were able to adjust this.

I am splitting my time between stripping and cleaning the entire car and getting all the engine parts ready for when the time comes to rebuild. I was directed by a mechanic to get some "Bliksem" from Midas to clean all the grimy and oily bits and I must say it has been amazing. I don't even want to know what is in it but there is very little it won't clean. Everything that was golden from years of hot oil has come out sparkly clean, even the pistons. Once an item is cleaned it is wrapped in plastic and placed in a box so it doesn't gather dust or get contaminated. Again, anything that can be stripped or opened has been taken apart to be properly cleaned and to confirm there are no traces of old oil or lurking engine pieces to undo all the hard work.

I am also cleaning the wiring loom in the engine bay to get rid of the oily build up, check for any damaged wires and to replace all the tired and torn electrical tape. The final satisfying part of stripping everything is I can not only check there is no accident damage or accident repair but I can also confirm everything is in proper working order.

Below is a picture of the rear wheel arch in all it glory a picture comparison of the old and new rear vent from the boot as well as its shiny new resting place - you can see the exit pipe for the sunroof in the bottom pic:

 

[Andre1983]

Remarkable. I love this!

Sent from my SM-A315F using Tapatalk

 

[Peter@AEW]

Just help me understand please.
The engine number was machined off your engine block.
Why and how is that possible.
Can you post a pic please

 

[DarrylvanNiekerk]

From what I understand when the sleeves were being pressed in after machining the block needed to be skimmed. Instead of skimming it and avoiding the engine number they went ahead and skimmed the entire surface.

Below is the engine in the engine bay:


Below is the engine block currently with the new engine number:



I have had the block measured and apparently it is still within tolerance but they could have been a little more circumspect and not deleted the engine number.

 

[Peter@AEW]

You are likely to discover that the timing will be retarded and compression will increase.
As you remove block deck material so does your chain become longer which effectively retards timing.
If I am correct it looks from the pics that you may have as much as 0.5mm of material removed if not more.
Did they give you the new block thickness measurements?
I have just looked for min block thickness on the BMW Tech spec sheet and cannot find any measurements so I am a little perplexed as to where they found the Specifications to determine that deck height is correct.
I would be apprehensive in assembling this block without first making sure that it will be within tolerance because if it is not you shall experience a whole new world of pain (predominantly in your pocket)
In addition sleeving an aluminium block with cast iron sleeves is not a recipe for longevity.
You would be better served to buy a secondhand engine which does not require re sleeving.

 

[DarrylvanNiekerk]

Thank you very much for your input Peter, it is truly appreciated. These were a few of the issues that concerned me. I did read online that whilst this would most likely increase compression it would also likely affect timing etc.

I had a lengthy discussion with Wayne at Jr Cylinder and voiced my concerns. He advised to buy an over size head gasket (there is only one size 0.4mm) and this should solve the immediate issue.

With regards the resleaving, because it is a 2.0l and not a higher performance engine or turbo variant I believe it is quite safe to bore and resleave.

At this point I can only go on the advice I have been given and whatever information is available on the internet. I have spoken to a few mechanics who have bored and resleaved those very motors without incident.

I do hope all goes well and I have the same positive outcome. I have invested so much time and money to back out now so will bite the bullet and give it a whirl.

This is a scary enough journey as it is but I am enjoying learning as I go along and seeing how it all comes together.

Fingers, toes and everything else crossed.

 

[DarrylvanNiekerk]

It has been quite a while since I last posted an update on where things are mostly because I had reconstructive surgery on my wrist and then shoulder so have been physically unable to do anything anyway.

This first big step was to get the engine registered onto the vehicle and then getting all documentation in place along with a new license disc. Finally that process is finished and dealt with.

I recently decided to get some physical assistance with moving things on because the whole project had just stalled. Luckily I found someone who has a great amount of experience and the same attention to detail as myself.

I have been very glad to have some help with the car for a variety of reasons. Even though it was therapeutic to sit and fiddle with the car I didn't push myself to get it done quickly.

Within the first day the sub frame was dropped, control arms removed and most of the wiring cleaned. I have bought rear shocks and some other items so we can install the shocks and close the whole back section of the car up and refit everything in the boot.

Sub frame is clean and ready to be reinstalled, wheel hubs wire brushed clean, stabiliser bar resprayed, head lights sanded and polished and wheel arches almost completely clean. Things are moving forward really quickly and we should be able to start reassembling the engine in the next few days.

It is also a good time to fix all the other little niggles that have been bugging me. The rear view mirror would sometimes fall off and I couldn't figure out how to resolve it. I pulled the mirror off but couldn't get enough slack on the cabling to assess the problem so had to remove the interior light unit. Luckily I found a video on how to do this without potentially breaking the light unit - remove the sun visor clips so you can pull the liner down and release the clips holding the light unit. Once this was out I could release some cable slack and see into the rear view mirror properly.
There is a nut with three groves stuck to the windscreen and in the mirror there is a bracket with three little metal bars that when you twist it clip into the groves on the nut and hold the mirror in place. I found that these bars were lightly bent and weren't holding tightly into the grooves in the nut so took some pliers and slowly bent them straight again. Once reassembled the mirror clipped strongly into place and doesn't budge anymore.

With the interior light unit out it gave me an opportunity to open the sun roof and check if there was any major dirt build up and thankfully everything is clean and clear.

I have a renewed energy with the project and am really looking forward to getting the car back on the road again after having it stand for so long.

I will post a few pictures during the week but it is looking amazing.

 

[DarrylvanNiekerk]

I generally like to consider myself rather intelligent albeit a little naive or absent minded at times. I have been watching some videos on various aspects of stripping and maintaining the car so I know what to expect when I get there or even to make sure I don't break something when working on it. I ended up going down a bit of a rabbit hole with the interior light console and how the alarm system works as well as other ancilleries. I was absent mindedly watching follow on videos and one came up about how to connect your phone to the Bluetooth system in the car. My first thought was to skip the video as my car does not have that tech but it was late and I had a few minutes to kill so I proceeded to watch anyway. It was then that I recognised the phone button on my radio and also remembered coming across a weird BT setting in my radio in the past. Finally I started to put one and one together - phone button on radio, BT setting in radio, phone buttons on steering wheel - damn, I do have Bluetooth in my car. For however many years I have owned the car not once did I even consider this tech was installed.

Anyway, below are a few pictures and explanations that might help a few people should they need / want to do some maintenance themselves. I have tried to upload images but cannot seem to so will place links to the images below the descriptions so they can be viewed.

As mentioned above my rearview mirror used to be quite loose and would fall off every now and then so it wasn't a trick to remove. I did find some of the wiring was in the way and noticed an odd unit sitting loose inside the housing so I investigated how to remove the housing. Basically you insert a small screw driver along the joins and slowly pry it apart, on mine there are 4 little clips that hold it together.

Mirror Cover.jpeg

www.bmwfanatics.co.za

In the video I watched about how to get the mirror to seat better they simply pushed a flat head screwdriver behind the metal bars and bent them forward slightly. I wanted to be a bit more precise so I undid the three retaining screws and took the bars out to make sure they were properly straight before putting them back in again. The mirror fits nice and snug now.

Mirror Clip.jpeg

www.bmwfanatics.co.za

I found this odd sensor inside the housing so I typed the code into Google and found it is a Windscreen Moisture Sensor. It seems you can simply put a piece of double sided tape on the windscreen and stick it back into position. When the climate control is on auto this reads the moisture levels in the vehicle and adjusts the climate control as needed to stop the windscreen from fogging up.

Moisture Sensor.jpeg

www.bmwfanatics.co.za

To get more cable length on the mirror I had to remove the interior light fitting. This is easiest done by removing the retaining clips for the sun visors closest to the light housing using a flat tipped screw driver to clip open the piece of plastic that is hiding the screw and then using a torx bit to remove the screw. Once you pull the two retaining clips out the headliner will drop slightly in the middle near the windscreen and you and unclip the interior light unit. It has two spring clips that need to be pushed back and then the unit will drop down easily. I took the opportunity to clean the bulbs and glass units which had a light film on them.

Interior Light.jpeg

www.bmwfanatics.co.za

Finally you can see the state of the sub frame below which is waiting to be reinstalled in the next few days.

Sub Frame.jpeg

www.bmwfanatics.co.za