[bshambam]

Originally Posted by theMeeks

Notice you did the OFHG... Any issues with the VCG or ESS seals?

Good catch and you are right! I did have problems with both the valve cover gasket as well as the ess seal. I had misfire on cylinders 3, 4 & 5 when i tried to change ignition coils because of oil soaked grounds.

Here are some of the images of the replacement




one of the VC bolts covered in oil from the VCG leak


Removal of the old gasket. It was brittle, dried up and cracked.

[bshambam]

Originally Posted by Runnin'Rich

Wow you're doing a really good job here bringing this e91 manual back to good health.
I'm in BC too, I have the same car but in white,

I've done the same jobs as you:
Water pump & thermostat
Clutch & flywheel
except I chickened out of doing the rear main seal when I saw the price of the tool!
When I originally bought the car, I found it really hard to shift smoothly - if I didn't really concentrate I would perform a jerky shift. My partner didn't like to drive the car at all!

I found changing the clutch and flywheel really improved the lash in the powertrain making easier to shift smoothly.

Last week I replaced the oil pan gasket and ended up replacing the two front axle shafts too. I checked the play in the front axles and it was moderate, much less than the lash in the diff and transfer case. However In my quest for better shifting I spent the money in hope new axles would help!
Luckily I found this has removed the 1st gear kangarooing / bucking / shunting I was feeling when going on and off the throttle in 1st gear in a car park.

I'm still not 100% happy with the drivability. My current gripe is: if I push the clutch down before completely coming off the throttle (trying to do fast shifts) I get a thud in the Powertrain. I think this could be transmission mount / engine mounts.

I guess I want to be able to bang through the gears quickly when pulling onto the highway from stationary. Right now I have to be super smooth and careful with releasing the clutch perfectly or it just becomes jerky in the cabin.

I also find when I turn the car off sometimes there is a slight rattling / clacking noise as the engine winds to rest.

Curious to see how new vanos solenoids improve the idle on yours. Mine is a little rough on hot restart

Did you try driving w/ the Clutch delay valve removed?

[theMeeks]

Originally Posted by bshambam

Good catch and you are right! I did have problems with both the valve cover gasket as well as the ess seal. I had misfire on cylinders 3, 4 & 5 when i tried to change ignition coils because of oil soaked grounds.

Here are some of the images of the replacement




one of the VC bolts covered in oil from the VCG leak


Removal of the old gasket. It was brittle, dried up and cracked.

Nice! Looks familiar... Just went down that path a few weeks ago myself.
Changed the sensor as well. Read horror stories of it failing shortly after the VCG change and needing to go right back in.

[bshambam]

I don't know what you mean by falling shortly?
The gasket or the sensor?

I'm afraid I'm going to have to remove the valve cover again. I didn't check on the rear vanos bolts, and I don't want to run into that problem.

[bshambam]

I got this kit for 13 dollars from amazon. It came with a grey button that I had to remove, and replace with the OEM one that had the BMW decal.

The old case was relatively easy to dismantle and to de-solder the chipboard. Once the battery was replaced, everything was re-assembled.

[bshambam]

Once I managed to wrap that up, I ceramic coated the new case for a quick level of protection, and I grabbed one of these faux-leather carrying sleeves for the finished job.

[bshambam]

I pressure washed the radiator and on my god...



11-12 years of grime

[bshambam]

This photo was before I installed the belt guard & pulley but I had to pressure wash everything.

I mean everything.

[theMeeks]

Originally Posted by bshambam

I don't know what you mean by falling shortly?
The gasket or the sensor?

I'm afraid I'm going to have to remove the valve cover again. I didn't check on the rear vanos bolts, and I don't want to run into that problem.

Given the high mileage, there's potential for the VC to crack or the ESS to fail (oil to fill up sensor). If that happens, the valve cover has to come off again. I didn't want to have to do this again twice lol.

[bshambam]

Its getting closer to the point where maintenance is turning into modification.
In the mean time, lets continue replacing worn out and used up parts

Replacement wipers


Replacement Xenon Light Bulbs


Replacement Exhaust Manifold Studs & Copper Bolts


All those fluids

[bshambam]

Also, someone asked for a comparison between the oem pulley & the ati pulley so here we go:

[Skoidat69]

Originally Posted by bshambam

Also, someone asked for a comparison between the oem pulley & the ati pulley so here we go:

I'm intrigued by the ATI pulley but the price is holding me back.. let's us know if it's worth it

[Runnin'Rich]

Quote:
Did you try driving w/ the Clutch delay valve removed?

-yeah I have removed it. But I imagine this would make the shock to the drivetrain worsen and induce more thud when I stab the clutch in a high torque situation. A slowing down of the clutch action would help my symptom.
I'm starting to think maybe it's just inherent to this car. I will always have to shift it 'carefully and slowly'
I think the transfer case cannot handle vibration. I read a thread where someone has stripped the input splines. This is perhaps why the TC has a saggy bushing to reduce vibration on its input shaft.
The CDV would hide the saggy TC bushing.
Polybushing the TC will probably wear the splines due to increased vibration - although it would shift amazing!
I'm gonna try removing the clutch pedal helper spring next, maybe with more feel I can shift better.

[bshambam]

3 or 4 lol x VHC Ceramic Coating in WHITE

[Phil325i]

Impressive. Have you refitted since the coating? If so, any effects..?

[bshambam]

Originally Posted by Phil325i

Impressive. Have you refitted since the coating? If so, any effects..?

Thanks! I've run the car with the coating but it is rather difficult to tell its impact.

I think I need one of those temperature guns. Perhaps I can do a comparison with someone who is running the oem exhaust.

[lab_rat]

I am really enjoying this thread and looking forward to more updates. The 3D printed parts are ingenious talent and workmanship. Thanks for sharing.

[bshambam]

The coating was followed up with Titanium based exhaust wrap. Trying to keep as much heat as possible out of the engine bay to avoid cooking the brittle plastic again.

[bshambam]

Just for anyone who is ever considering wrapping their exhaust, make sure you tape the ends of the wrapping material so it is easier to cut.

[bshambam]

since I was doing some coating and clearing of parts... I kind of started going with a different color palette than oem..... lol



2 coats of prime, 3 coats of paint, and 4 coats of clear. Its still got orange peel on it from the clear coat but i'm happy it is well protected beneath the car.

[bshambam]

I also cleaned up and coated the front clip in VRP, and then sealed it with ceramic coating for that continuous high gloss shine that no one will ever see.

[tetsuo111]

Originally Posted by bshambam

The coating was followed up with Titanium based exhaust wrap. Trying to keep as much heat as possible out of the engine bay to avoid cooking the brittle plastic again.

The ceramic thermal barrier and heat wrap make a substantial contribution to noticeably cooler under hood temperatures.