The Official Hot Rod Thread - Part 2: No Replacement For Displacement

[Leadeye]

Want meat on the rear wheels to stay in the wells? Buy Dodge.

295/50/15

 

[ChristianPatriot]

Want meat on the rear wheels to stay in the wells? Buy Dodge.

295/50/15

My ‘04 Mustang had 315’s

 

[Leadeye]

Positrac burn stripes.

 

[Leadeye]

265/60/15 on the front

 

[Hop]

Slightly off topic, but certainly related...

I'm new to the world of BMW, but reading thru a lot of these pages, it appears there are a few well versed in that arena. My specific question is regards to a private shop in Noblesville. Does anyone have a good reason as to why I should avoid Reggie's? I recently obtained an E46, & before I go to any track days, the rear subframe reinforcement is my priority. Unfortunately, I lack welding skills & equipment to DIY at home. I've had no luck in finding shops around the Ft. Wayne area that are both familiar & confident with this common issue. Therefore, I have no problem driving down to Noblesville for the service. I've talked with one of the Nick's on the phone & I briefly visited the shop last fall, although I caught them on lunch & basically nobody was there. Personally, I'm feeling pretty good about it, but before I drop that stack of cash for this surgery, I'm seeking as much info as possible.
(As mentioned, I'm looking to have reinforcements welded in, not epoxy patched or foam filled)

I had no idea about this. My 335i Xdrive is mostly a stock daily driver but I do have a JB4 installed and run map #5. It's got some go for sure. How common are these failures at bolt on power levels?

 

[femurphy77]

You can take the pipe off the back of the cylinder head instead of removing the water pump. Only need two small gaskets. Its like a transfer pipe where the two stainless pipes connect in the rear. It will be tight but it is another option.

Thanks for the tip, I'll check into that!

 

[IrishSon of Liberty]

@IndyBrownsFan
Thanks, I greatly appreciate the info. I was looking at Reggie's since it's the closest for me driving down from the northern part of the state.

@Hop,
I'm not sure how susceptible the entire E46 lineup is to rear subframe stress fractures, but the M3 most certainly is due to torque from hard shifts & spirited driving. I'm working toward track days & for peace of mind, subframe reinforcement is a must. The way I understand it, for normal everday driving, you should be alright.

 

[bobzilla]

My ‘04 Mustang had 315’s

My c10 can hold 345’s on 12’s. My 275’s look tiny in there

 

[churchmouse]

Want meat on the rear wheels to stay in the wells? Buy Dodge.

295/50/15

Th few MoPars I have owned would always allow for more tire. Always.

 

[ChristianPatriot]

I’m hoping to get at least a 275 under mine

 

[thunderchicken]

Well, I ordered up a new wheelie bar kit this morning. Had the same set since 2004 and have broken and repaired them a couple times. Our HP & Torque has gone up significantly since then so we should have upgraded these a few years ago.
But, as an added bonus the old bars will serve just fine on the Mustang

 

[femurphy77]

Got the 540 torn back down, decided to go ahead and just pull the water pump back off because it's a LOT easier to access than the crossover tube on the back of the heads. I had planned on just reusing the existing valley pan but someone has had it off before and tried siliconing everything back together and obviously didn't work. The PO said that the dealer had replaced the valve cover gaskets and done some other work on it but I hope that isn't true as they only tore it down and resealed it instead of using new gaskets. Another week or two and I should have this thing back on the road!

 

[churchmouse]

Got the 540 torn back down, decided to go ahead and just pull the water pump back off because it's a LOT easier to access than the crossover tube on the back of the heads. I had planned on just reusing the existing valley pan but someone has had it off before and tried siliconing everything back together and obviously didn't work. The PO said that the dealer had replaced the valve cover gaskets and done some other work on it but I hope that isn't true as they only tore it down and resealed it instead of using new gaskets. Another week or two and I should have this thing back on the road!

 

[indybrownsfan]

Got the 540 torn back down, decided to go ahead and just pull the water pump back off because it's a LOT easier to access than the crossover tube on the back of the heads. I had planned on just reusing the existing valley pan but someone has had it off before and tried siliconing everything back together and obviously didn't work. The PO said that the dealer had replaced the valve cover gaskets and done some other work on it but I hope that isn't true as they only tore it down and resealed it instead of using new gaskets. Another week or two and I should have this thing back on the road!

I have never resealed the Valley Pan...Always replaced the pan and the bolts ..That is a job you only want to do once.

 

[ChristianPatriot]

So are the cork valve cover gaskets supposed to be tightened more than normal? I put a new set on and just snugged em and they leaked like a sieve when I took it out for a drive. Smoked like an old train and throughly lubed my driveway and garage floor when I got back.

 

[thunderchicken]

So are the cork valve cover gaskets supposed to be tightened more than normal? I put a new set on and just snugged em and they leaked like a sieve when I took it out for a drive. Smoked like an old train and throughly lubed my driveway and garage floor when I got back.[/Qtrouble

What kind of valve cover? Stamped steel ot cast aluminum? I only use cork gaskets with a steel insert. But to answer your question cork valve cover gaskets need to be tightened so they kind of form the the lip on the head. I would however recommend Felpro's silicone gasket with the steel insert if you have any more trouble.

 

[churchmouse]

So are the cork valve cover gaskets supposed to be tightened more than normal? I put a new set on and just snugged em and they leaked like a sieve when I took it out for a drive. Smoked like an old train and throughly lubed my driveway and garage floor when I got back.

Did you put them on the stock tins...???

There is a process that requires you to flatten the old tins back to straight and then make sure you have the spreaders on the bolts.

 

[ChristianPatriot]

They’re Edelbrock stamped steel covers

 

[thunderchicken]

They’re Edelbrock stamped steel covers

Never used Edelbrock stamped valve covers, but have tried 2 sets of the stamped steel Moroso valve covers. JUNK. Both sets crushed around the bolt holes and tore. Even with the use of spreaders to distribute the load from the nuts.
I have seen some used successfully but I recommend getting something with a solid rail and use weatherstrip adhesive to glue the gaskets to the valve covers

 

[churchmouse]

They’re Edelbrock stamped steel covers

Pull them. Look at the bolt holes to see if they need to be put back flat. They will dimple in and cause the issue you are having. A dolly and a hammer is the fix here. Also adhesive but once the cork is wet with oil that is a non-fix.