My name is Earl, and I have a Stainless Steel bolt fetish =)

[Earl]

So Saturday wasn't too bad of a day.

I started by mocking up my e46 skirts

It is really hard to tell how they will look with no front fender on, and the car in the air. I would also really like to shave the raised center to give it a nice smooth look similar to the AC Schnitzer skirts. 

After that I lubricated my cams, timing chain, and chain guides with engine assembly lube before buttoning the covers up. I then installed my upper timing cover

And then installed my water pump and thermostat housing

The thermostat housing is only on hand tight at the moment because I got the wrong gasket and my thermostat didn't come with an o-ring. 

The valve cover is only one because I had to tighten it down to seat the timing cover on the profile gasket properly. I was told that the pressure down on it should seat the end of the profile gasket that wasn't sitting well. I sure hope it works out. I put a large dab of silicone on the inside edges like the Bentley specifies. I also put a small dab on the outside edge. If it leaks it still shouldn't be a hard fix=)

My buddy Greaser Kyle made it out and shaved all of the unneeded holes in my radiator support that you will be able to see

I found a great condition black carpet that should be shipped out today. I have also been contemplating buying aftermarket rear strut mounts since my e46 m3 vert mounts don't look like they held up too well. I was looking at either choosing Rogue Engineering mounts of the Ground Control mounts. I ended up opting for the Ground Control mounts because they are poly and seemed to be made a little beefier. Those should be shipping out today as well=)

Here is my canvas of a back window

Hopefully all of the microscratches will buff out lol

[jc43089]

Looks good Earl, glad you got some work done, you should move into your shop so you don't have to drive to it.

[Rowleym]

I swear no one in the shop can draw anything except for dicks. WHAT THE HELL. Sick of having every shape of penis on my car.

[Earl]

Achieved zero progress over the weekend. The girlfriends rear drums brakes proved to be a weekend long endeavor. 

These came in however:

I will be installing those Saturday, as well as installing my new sway bar endlinks, bushings, brackets, and hardware. 

I will also be getting the inside of the valve cover cleaned out and then installing it for good on the engine. 

I gave my friend Greaser Kyle the pass code for the garage door so that he can work on the bay/shaving while I am not there so we can get this done=)

[Derflaminflitzer]

56 pages and the car doesnt run....im starting to feel a bit let down earl.

[Earl]

Lol

[Derflaminflitzer]

If there is anything I can do to help speed this up without the cost of my money I will. Time is not money in this case

[KaiserRolls]

Earl said:

Lol

Lol

[StewCrew]

KaiserRolls said:

Lol

Lol

[StewCrew]

Earl said:

Lol

  

KaiserRolls said:

Lol

Lol

[RamRod E28]

hey stewcrew how did you get such a big pic on ur sig?

[KaiserRolls]

Ramze46 said:

hey stewcrew how did you get such a big pic on ur sig?

it's been there for forever

[Earl]

I made the purchase of a more period correct steering wheel yesterday=)

This means that my Grip Royal Grain with the horn button will be for sale shortly. 

Obviously it is in brand new shape since the car has never been driven with it and I bought it brand new. 

The new wheel is an Italvolanti that I found for an excellent price and it was one of the only wheels that I could find that I thought would flow well with the OEM+ vibe and is 350mm. 

I will post a pic once it arrives and is installed so that I can make sure it looks as fitting as I am hoping. 

Other than that I painted the proper side of my waterpump pulley last night since I painted the wrong side before=P 

Saturday should involve me installing my Ground Control RSMs, swaybar endlinks/bushings/brackets/hardware, and possibly starting to replace the wheel bearings.

[StewCrew]

Ramze46 said:

hey stewcrew how did you get such a big pic on ur sig?

I'm not sure hahah. I just went off the specs the website gave me for sizes!

[Earl]

I got my Ground Control rear shock mounts installed Saturday.

Here is the set of e46 m3 vert mounts that I replaced (less than a years worth of driving on them)

New versus old

Installed top plates

Then installed the shocks with the mounts

Also installed the new lower shock mounting bolts

After that I removed the rear sway bar to sandblast, repaint (not happy with how it looks from before), and then to prepare for the new bushings, brackets, end links, and hardware.

I noticed that the under side of my diff surface rusted through the rust reformer/paint and that my trailing arms are starting to do the same around the edges. I have been thinking of dropping the sub frame again to replace all of the bolts with new and this has me wanting to repaint it all again. I am not sure why said rust reformer would not have neutralized the rust like it looked like it had=/

[Earl]

After that I got the thermostat and housing installed with the gaskets, as well as the water pump pulley

The pile of scrap from the end of the day

After that I cruised up to Oshkosh for Collins BBQ=)

I now have an m44 crank pulley on the way and will have my new steering wheel and misc parts within the next month.

[B C]

Earl said:

After that I removed the rear sway bar to sandblast, repaint (not happy with how it looks from before), and then to prepare for the new bushings, brackets, end links, and hardware.

I noticed that the under side of my diff surface rusted through the rust reformer/paint and that my trailing arms are starting to do the same around the edges. I have been thinking of dropping the sub frame again to replace all of the bolts with new and this has me wanting to repaint it all again. I am not sure why said rust reformer would not have neutralized the rust like it looked like it had=/

also

I spy an engagement ring

[Earl]

This ring has been on my finger for almost four years. No engagement here=) 

.

Also, I don't want the diff and trailing arms to be rusty. Not sure how it even happened since it had rust reformer and was rustoleum paint.

[jc43089]

I would use some serious paint like KBS rustseal, it is very easy and looks good when done, I prefer the gloss black.  You can buy it on their website or Napa usually stocks it, at least mine does.  Rustoleum paint has not been very durable in my experience.

[Earl]

I was thinking about grabbing some of that for when I seal my front inner fenders=) I will have to look into it. It wouldn't take any more than 15 minutes to drop the subframe again and a day to redo the paint.