"Ask a Professional"

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civicious said:
No clue how long it'd take on your back in a driveway (Assuming you don't have access to a lift); can't imagine it'd be too terribly easy that way.
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3-4 hours:) My buddy had a habit of destroying the diffs in his e36 M3 and we got good at swapping them out with hand tools only. (I am assuming they are similar to e46...). IIRC, you can swap in a rear diff from an awd car and get an LSD + better gearing.
 
If diffs are so easy to install and futz with, and I feel comfortable with it (I haven't hit the service manuals yet) then I suppose custom gearing isn't that hard to come by. BMW rally / racing / armored car / autobahn heritage and all.

I may find that the 2.5 simply doesn't have the oomph to work with that diff. There is a reason why BMW engineers moved a lot of the 330 stuff into the 325 in 2004, and not the differential.
 
Celerity said:
Following my new mantra of "The best thing you can do to a BMW is not fuck with it" I am tracking down BMW pros in my area. Which brings me to another "Ask a pro" topic.

I only ask this of you because you're many states away. When looking for a BMW mechanic, what should I ask ? How can I tell if they're worth a hill of beans ?
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Look and see what they've got in stock as far as parts and materials, for one - if they've got a buncha off-brand or parts-store-brand parts and fluids laying around and if their trash cans are full of Auto Zone boxes, or if (like my shop) they've got tons of OEM parts in OEM boxes, factory fluids, Mobil 1 / Pentosin / Febi-Bilstein / cases of OEM BMW oil/ etc.

Also ask them if they've got the specialty tools to do timing on an M52/M54, and ask to see it. Most common specialty tool for BMW's there is, and if they don't have one then that raises a HUGE eyebrow, because you cannot time one of those motors without it. If they're a shop that borrows special tools like that from other shops, you may want to reconsider. Cheaping out and not buying the right tools is one of my biggest pet peeves.

Also ask what type of diagnostic scanner they use. If they have a GT1 or a full-blown Autologic, good deal. If all they have is a generic scanner like a Solus Ultra or a Launch(which I have, but not as my 'primary' scanner) or a (gah! run away!) Alltel generic scanner, don't use them. Period. They won't have the technology necessary, and a shop that refuses to equip themselves properly is a shop that A. won't be able to properly fix your vehicle, and B. has already shown you their work ethic by demonstrating their refusal to purchase the proper tools to work on these vehicles.

Look at the cars that they have in the shop, and come back by a week or so later and see what cars they have in the shop then. If they have the exact same cars in the shop every time you come by, or if they look like a storage lot for broken-down cars that never leave, ask yourself if you want YOUR car to live there for weeks at a time. My shop, for example, usually has cars out the door in 48 hours at the most - we aren't big on being a storage lot. That could also be an indicator of their techs not knowing what the fuck they're doing.
 
Here's a question I've come up with recently. I don't have room for a regular lift. Is there any pros or cons of a scissor lift over just using jack stands? I'm about to undertake redoing every bit of my suspension, and I want to make it as easy as possible.
 
Jack stands. The scissor lifts make it FAST to get a car in the air, but the jack stands allow more access once it's in the air. Scissor jacks can also destroy things if they are caught (Air lines, legs, etc).

One of the walk-aways from working with Clayton in his garage is that the scissor jacks (The ones in your trunk) can actually be faster than pneumatic lift. They can also provide the smaller footprint that may be helpful when putting a jack stand in place.

Jack stand it, shake it with all your force and try to knock it down before the wheels are off and you're underneath it.

Those $1000 or so scissor lifts for the home garage are only good for doing shadetree stuff - Such as brakes and oil. And yes, suspension. But for an overall bang for buck : Jack stands and scissor jacks.

FYI: Scissor jacks are just about free from the local parts yards. Cadillac and Lincoln make some that actually attach the end of a 3/4 socket (or similar) to the end making the jacking process REALLY fast.
 
One I was checking out actually had mounts for the 4 jack points. I mean, the car will be left off to the side until it's done. One good thing about living with parents, there is an extra car in the house to use. But as far as timing of this project goes, I still need to figure out where I'm landing in the next few months. If I'm staying in the lower 48, I'll be taking the car with me, and do it before I leave. If I'm not, I'll wait until I get home to do it.
 
he may be spending a year(?) down under saying things like g'day and playing with wallabies and such
 
It's funny he mentions that.. Australia is full of crazy shop setups. My friend is building a Holden down there and he is taking pictures of some of the shops that it is worked in, and some outside. He actually has a large motorcycle style lift. It's basically a hand operated forklift. My friend uses a pallet jack with shims for his lowered Neon.

Oh, by the way, that was actually a good idea that my friend uses. He got a busted pallet jack from the grocery store that he works in. His car is about 1" off the ground, and the pallet jack lifts the whole car (a Neon) and he can slide 4 jackstands under it. But his suspension also clears the ground with the pallet jack travel. Your experience may vary.
 
Keep in mind the pallet jack thing only works if your vehicle's side skirts/rocker panels do NOT drop below the lift points of the vehicle.

Stock Hondas? You're fine. Just about any European car? Not so much.
 
Celerity said:
did I miss something ? Are you leaving us ?
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Yup. More than likely trying to leave end of May, beginning of June, unless something unforeseen prevents it. Starting out with just a 1 year visa, but we'll see how it goes.
 
Thought about this thread today, and changed my first post - Since it's a sticky and all.


Check it out and tell me what you think.
 
I also asked you on FB but I figured I'd ask here as well.

What's your opinion on the newer Gen Mini Cooper?
 
New one made by Peugeot. Old one prone to all sorts of things, but I understand that a lot of people who are driving the new Minis are now searching for the old ones.

While I have the same basic thing, the Mini sorta tricks you into the complex maintenance schedules of the BMW. The power steering system, for instance. it's an exposed cooling fan. When the fan burns out - the motor overheats. Catches fire. Replacement cost is about $1100. I had to do this on my step mother's Mini a few weeks ago.

Not fun.

That said, her 2005 Mini has 240k miles on it and she loves the little fucker.
 
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