Grover

My family and I have been on an extended vacation in Europe the last few weeks, and I've come across a few things I thought some of you might enjoy.

1. While in Munich I took the opportunity to take my son to BMW world. The factory was unfortunately closed that day so no tour was to be had, but the museum was great (even my 8 year old appreciated it.) A few photos are attached.

2. Yesterday we were passing through Castelrotto (very Northern Italy) and I came across a magazine at a newsstand which has an article about 50 years of Alpina. Unfortunately it is all in Germany, of which I don't speak a word, but if someone is up for translating it I can scan and post it when we get back next week.

3. Then, on the road from Italy to Austria yesterday I caught a quick glimpse of what looked to be an M5 with partial swirly camouflage. It was unquestionably traveling in a caravan with a black M6, but I couldn't tell what they were up to. Any guesses?

Hope you enjoy the photos:

I'm interested in the bumper overriders if they aren't going with the bumper. Trichardson AT clifbar DOT com

Similar to Toby, I've been really happy with the Aluminum jack I got from Harbor Freight for about $160 I think. I checked out the one from Costco and it certainly looks stout, but given how much I move the thing around the weight was just too big of a deterrent to me.

I just got the box back in with the 3M strip caulk and it wasn't too bad. Yes, a bit of mud wrestling here and there to get things lined up, but it wasn't as awful a job as I expected. I followed the write-up by Wegweiser in the FAQ section (I think in the driveline category for some reason..) and it really helped. Removal took probably 45 minutes the first day, then I cleaned and painted on the second day, put it all back together today, which took more like 2 hours probably (really would have helped to have another set of hands, but I had to make do by myself.) Will see how it feels out on the road.

I'm just finishing up a re-build of my pedal box, and realizing I'm not sure what to re-seal it to the car with. I have a box of old 3M strip calk, these black rubberish/siliconish strips I've used for remounting heater boxes. Guessing these should work, but curious what others have found successful, or unsuccessful for that matter. Thanks.

Found the thread:

http://www.bmw2002faq.com/component/option,com_forum/Itemid,57/page,viewtopic/t,294796/highlight,coilovers/

Simply putting in a coil-over kit isn't overly hard, there is some cutting of the spring perch involved, but no welding. However, if you also want to put in the shorter shocks (such as Rabbit shocks) you will need to do some more serious cutting and the re-welding. Depending on your skill level, this can be a DIY effort. Search for a write up on shortening struts I think by user Fdovargas?? I don't have the direct link anymore, sorry... You can also just send your struts to GC or perhaps even Ireland and have them do the cutting and welding for you, my recollection is that it isn't super expensive and they'll do a nicer job of it than most DIYers could as they've got the right jig set-up etc... Good luck.

Having just read this thread for the first time, a couple of thoughts come to mind:

1. I don't believe you've confirmed an answer to AceAndrew's question regarding the direction of the fan. Are you 100% sure it is blowing air, vs. sucking air?

2. I think a cheap infrared thermometer may be a worthwhile investment as it will take the "my car only reaches 4 o'clock" variability out of the equation; you'll be able to scan the hoses at the top and bottom of the radiator and have a very accurate sense for what the true temps are and how big of an issue you are really dealing with.

Best of luck.

I was born in December of '71, my car was "born" in October of '72. Just 10 months apart.

How are the seats comfort and support wise? Can they tilt forward? Have been contemplating some for my 02.

Email sent

I've noticed some leaking at the back of my transmission but can't get a perfect sense of where it's coming from. Does this look like it's like the selector shaft seal? If so, how hard is this to change? Thanks.

I would tend to agree with everything Midnight just stated. The EDIS, to me, was one of the easiest components to the MS installation process, and it has never given me a single issue since I started running it three years ago. The parts are very readily available at junkyards too.

Supply and demand is what Ebay is for. Treating your fellow enthusiast with respect and fairness is what the FAQ is for.

Like 742002, I"m a fan of Uerige in Dusseldorf. Admittedly this is as much about the experience as the beer, but it's great stuff. As for "local" beers one of my regulars is Trumer Pils, it's made right here in Berkeley and is a great clean and fresh pilsner.

Hi Peter. sorry for the slow reply. Yup, they are still in my garage. Not sure how much shipping will be but I can do some investigation. Drop me an email offline and we can work out the details: trichardson AT clifbar DOT com

Maybe interested, especially if there's a way to validate if it's a genuine article. Could you send me some dimensions? thanks. trichardson AT clifbar DOT com. Would also like a few more photos of the various closure clamps, any damage, etc... Thanks in advance.

Doug. The wheels are 14 x 6. I don't have center caps. Thanks for your interest.

Bottlecaps are still available. Make me a reasonable offer.

I put on a different header recently, and when I pulled the lower 4th cylinder exhaust nut, the whole stud came out. No biggie I thought. However, I then noticed that oil dribbled out of the hole and it appears it may have been seeping out past the stud for a little while. Is it normal for oil to come into direct contact with the hole for this stud? Please tell me it's nothing majorly wrong... Thoughts? Thanks.

My motor seems to have a lot more wiggle than I'm used to seeing. While I know I need to do some tuning at idle speeds (when I'm seeing the worst motion), I also wonder if my motor mounts are getting worn. I don't see any cracks, but just am curious if that is the only way I'd know if they are past their prime. Can they LOOK ok, but still be tired? Will a worn mount allow more engine movement than a fresh one?

I have a Bavarian Autosport header for sale, it has an 02 sensor bung in it. I installed it about four years ago and at the time put some high temperature paint on it, and as you can see it needs a fresh coat in some portions. The rust is surface rust only I believe. $55, pick up only in San Francisco East Bay area. Reply here or email me: trichardson AT clifbar DOT com

If you didn't already know this, the hand brake only activates the rear brakes, via a pair of cables. And yes, when the hand brake is "on" neither rear wheel should spin. You possibly have either very poorly adjusted rear brake shoes on one or both sides, or one of the ebrake cables needs to be tightened or replaced. As for the fronts, does the one that spins less well have a constant drag? Or, rather, does it have one point in the rotation where it consistently gets stuck. Either way, sounds like you should invest some time, energy, and/or money into diagnosing your brake system before putting on too many miles. Good luck.

Sell me one of those 27 airboxes you've got lying around Daniel;)

If I remember correctly, those bushings essentially just sandwich the shock tower, one on each side just like you have shown. As for the mount on the bottom, I take a little pressure off with a jack and then a gentle nudge with a rubber mallet should do the rest. Good luck.