Recent content by 02Pilot

The Saab 2.3 in your car has a long history of problems with the crankcase ventilation system; there have been numerous factory upgrade kits to try to resolve oil consumption issues. Test the one-way valves and inspect all the associated hoses and the oil trap to make sure they are intact and...

If it's like most BMW alternators I've ever dealt with, you should see circlips retaining the inner sleeves in the bushings; pop those off and the bushings should come out. They may be stuck due to age and degradation; either use the bolt as a puller, cut through the bushing with a hacksaw...

At 120k miles, I can almost guarantee that you have a leak at the valve cover if it hasn't been changed at some point. The oil filter housing gasket is probably leaking as well. Look carefully around the front of the engine above the air conditioning compressor, and from below as well.

Lots of things could be causing the change as things heat up, but too much fluid is not one of them. Flush the system out and get new fluid in there, then reassess. If it still changes, you've got something going on mechanically with the clutch itself - throwout bearing, pressure plate...

A lot of mechanics (myself included, in the side work I do from time to time) will not install parts the owner has provided unless they are willing to sign off on having zero warranty on them. I will not do extra labor replacing somebody's cheap Chinese parts from eBay when they fail after a...

What I would charge has a lot to do with how much I like him, and how much I want him to continue to like me. Assuming you're not trying to provoke a blood feud, I'd probably charge around half the shop rate (around here that would work out to around 50-60/hour) for actual time and give him the...

Originally Posted By: moribundman Originally Posted By: 02Pilot Plenty of options out there. If you want a more upright position, you probably want to err on the side of a slightly larger frame so you can position the saddle lower than the bars. Another option is to install riser bars...

Plenty of options out there. If you want a more upright position, you probably want to err on the side of a slightly larger frame so you can position the saddle lower than the bars. Another option is to install riser bars. As to suspension, a front suspension isn't going to do anything for your...

If you are plumbing the line to terminate in the intake tract somewhere rather than just vented to the atmosphere, you'll need to make sure it comes in before the turbo, or alternatively you'll need a one-way valve to prevent turbo pressure from backfeeding into the crankcase.

You're not actually loosening the rocker, but the adjusting eccentric held in between the 'fork' end of the rocker arm. The feeler gauge goes directly below the eccentric, between it and the valve stem. Obviously, you need to rotate the engine so that the cam is not putting any pressure on the...

Originally Posted By: mechtech2 They normally have varnish, which is harmless. They run hot and have a goofy PCV system. This is simply not the case for 2002s. The PCV system is the simplest thing in the world: hose from valve cover to air filter housing or airbox, depending on which model you...

Get the 5w30 out ASAP and get a proper oil in there. The bottom end is nearly indestructible, but light oils will not work well in there. The top end is the weak point for a number of reasons, and light oil doesn't help any of them. First off, the valve seals all leak to some degree, and oil...

That's pretty typical of the numerous M10 motors I've pulled apart over the years. There is a ton of oil flowing through the spray bar on top of the cam, and you really don't see any evidence of sludge unless the car has been downright abused. The slight accumulation around the return holes is...

I converted my BMW 2002 to a thermostatically-controlled electric last summer, finally getting rid of the unclutched direct drive mechanical fan. Huge improvement IMHO, especially as I was able to use OEM parts for the whole thing. If you have the option for a good thermo-clutched mechanical...

By and large modern BMWs are pretty easy to work on, particularly the I6 motors. They are logically arranged, the major components are fairly accessible, and there are plenty of resources above and beyond the excellent Bentley manual. Sure, you need a GT-1 to run all the diagnostics, but I've...