So it begins!

[Trumpetdude]

It begins! Vanos x 2 done, check out the vid to see the state of the 2nd / lower vanos . Still got an engine flush and oil change to do buuuuuuuut! Locking wheelnuts and no wheel nut key put an and to that. I was intending on draining the oil whilst the front was up to free the brakes so it's off to soft play with the kids.. Thankfully, BMW Edinburgh are getting me a replacement key for next to nothing tomorrow - hoping it's a match to what's on there.. They look original.

Car is booked in for Monday for an MoT and I'm away all weekend - I'm hoping the caliper swap O/S front will be straight forward tomorrow. Concerns about the drivers door being stuck disappeared when it popped open as is should!

 

[enuff_zed]

It begins! Vanos x 2 done, check out the vid to see the state of the 2nd / lower vanos . Still got an engine flush and oil change to do buuuuuuuut! Locking wheelnuts and no wheel nut key put an and to that. I was intending on draining the oil whilst the front was up to free the brakes so it's off to soft play with the kids.. Thankfully, BMW Edinburgh are getting me a replacement key for next to nothing tomorrow - hoping it's a match to what's on there.. They look original.

Car is booked in for Monday for an MoT and I'm away all weekend - I'm hoping the caliper swap O/S front will be straight forward tomorrow. Concerns about the drivers door being stuck disappeared when it popped open as is should!

I'm not sure if the N46 is exactly the same vanos set up as the N52? At first glance it seems to be a 2/3 scale version. If so then get those Non Return Valves out of the side of the block. (See Project Spa). They are supposed to prevent oil draining away from the vanos units, and incorporate a fine filter. My ones were minging!

 

[Trumpetdude]

I'm looking forward to least getting it moving freely and hoping so much that the manifold is fine. I've got no emissions light on do taking that as a +. I think it needs a really good run and I'll probably give it another interim service and change the oil level sensor (2F9E)...
I also need to get to the bottom of the P1129 as there's not a lot of info on it out there.

Will check out Project Spa!

 

[Trumpetdude]

This poor Z hasn't had a lot of cuddles in its life. I think it's sat out in rain since it's last MoT over a year ago. Both front calipers weren't just siezed, the pistons were rusted, they looked like they'd been at the bottom of the sea,obviously scorched too.

Upon trying to do the oil change, the service hatched watch srmcrewed shut with with weird self tappers and a a cable tie just for luck.. Worse than that, the sump plug is just spinning .

So, here's the plan.
1. Finish fitting new front calipers and pads, brake bleed and then check rear calipers and pads, (not going in with high hopes).
2. Put everything back together and get the car up on ramps, way more secure than axle stands to address the sump.


Question time. What to do about the sump?

I've noted that the sump gasket is a bit weepy, no surprise there.

Plan 2.
My Oil level sensor is throwing an occasional code, so:

1. Removed the engine tray.
2. Remove the Oil Level Sensor - a messy affair with the oil in - for inspection and also draining the oil in the engine.
3. Remove and replace sump, gasket and potentially an oil level sensor if it appears to be defective.
4. Finish oil change!

My biggest idiot moment was putting engine flush in the car already, (again, no oil history wanted to make sure it was degunked) stopping me from driving it to a garage to get help with the sump. I could still tow if I get major issues.

Any thoughts, recommendations or problems with my plans I'd be really grateful to hear.

Cheers all! Still don't know about the emissions test obviously!

 

[enuff_zed]

If that plug is spinning it could well be a stripped thread in the sump.
That would probably mean finding another sump pan.

 

[Usel]

Can the oil not be sucked out the top through the dipstick with a pela pump?

No dipstick I assume?

 

[Trumpetdude]

If that plug is spinning it could well be a stripped thread in the sump.
That would probably mean finding another sump pan.

Yeah... That's currently where I'm - question is, will the sump come out without the subframe being removed?

 

[Trumpetdude]

Can the oil not be sucked out the top through the dipstick with a pela pump?

No dipstick I assume?

Correct, no dipstick.

 

[Trumpetdude]

An update on Project Zed!
Dropped at the garage this morning to replace the sump. I could have gone heliocoil but kind of glad I didn't as it was quite weepy around the sump gasket. I've got a used item from a breakers and getting it replaced. It's a subframe off job which is a bit beyond me.
They also found a sheered lower steering column bolt but the uncertainty now is that one of the sump bolts has sheered coming off and they're not sure that there wont be others :| - so I've asked them to proceed. At some point that gasket was going to need repaired as was that bolt that would probably have failed the MoT.

Report is going to come back on Monday and they may have to drill and Heliocoil the some bolts now which is unforeseen expense buuuuut... One glimmer of hope I'm hanging onto was that I drove to the garage , (still with Wynns in it) slowly. No exhaust noises, no emissions lights and to be honest, everything felt great. So fingers crossed the worked proceeds without too many more hitches and it gets a clean emissions pass on Monday.
Good Luck Zed!

 

[Trumpetdude]

Well, could have been better... :|
I'm going to work from the bottom up as most of that is just labour. Ironically I'm showing no fault codes (Car Scanner Pro) but I am detecting Cat / emissions errors and fair play to the garage - they wouldn't commit to a reason without a proper investigation, they've been quite helpful so far.

The upper suspension work, (shocks & top mounts) will have to wait but won't be neglected, to be addressed once I've got to the bottom of the emissions which I'm fully expecting to be the manifold and or cat.

I'm a bit stumped by the ESP error, thoughts there would be appreciated!

So much to do away from the car due to work and other commitments, it'll be a little bit here and there when I can - aiming to have it on the road by June.

 

[enuff_zed]

I'm a bit stumped by the ESP error, thoughts there would be appreciated!

Sorry if I've missed it somewhere, but what is this fault. Which light is on? DTC or Traction Control, or both? Or handbrake as well?
What codes?

 

[Trumpetdude]

No idea, no fault codes actually. Maybe by scanner isn't sufficient or maybe it's a soft code. The garage dropped the car at my house yesterday as I was working away. When I scanned the codes this morning there was nothing but the traction control warning light was on. Scanned the car - no codes . The only thing I can think of was that there was a low tyre pressure line ght on when I dropped the car off dor the sump work / MoT.. Nothing else.

I'm actually going to book it straight back in to diagnose these issues before I do any serious driveway work, (it was really just on for the sump and MoT).

 

[raymond.harper]

Before spending more money on the car, the emissions should be tackled first. It may be a simple case of needing to run the car hot for a while or a catalytic converter cleaner. But if it needs a new catalytic converter, the part is very expensive and difficult to source.

 

[Trumpetdude]

Actually, my wife said the exact same thing and other than a couple of things like polish the lights and look at the rear brake I'll be booking it back in when the garage have the space.

Cheers!

 

[Trumpetdude]

Almost stacked the front control arms replacement. I tightened up the subframe mount OS before getting the Lollipop in place, (don't ask - I don't know why either). After deciding to move onto the other side to see if I really should have had everything attached loosely before tightening anything up I realised the error of my ways . Finished the nearside and got back into the offside which is more of a PITA anyway. Split of the hub ball joint ( which thankfully hadn't been tightened - much) and got down to carefully but with much effort levering and lining up the lollipop and hand tightening the bolts as much much as I could until I was sure everything was located and wasn't threading - (thinking of the helicoil notes in TIS). Boom, it worked.
Now - the car still isn't road legal for a couple of reason but I'm lucky to have a couple of quiet roads around that I could road test it. Previously, driving it to a garage it felt like it would just veer off into a ditch, what a difference! I went for Meyle HD and they feel great! Going to get the same on the rear once we're road legal. A downside to the work was noticing how much of a state the rest of the suspension is but that's a post for another time although I am thinking about coil overs from EBC etc, something 'packagey' that's straightforward to swap in.

 

[j3nks79]

Did you tighten the arms and ball joint bush nuts while it was in the air?

 

[Trumpetdude]

Well, it doesn't have to be on the deck to be torqued but there is a sequence for the lollipop to be able to be lined up with the bolt holes.

 

[Trumpetdude]

We passed! Re-christened 'Zedna' by my girls, another Zed lives on. A couple of advisories but nothing too bad - new suspension soon will take care of that.