my project for the next couple days (done!)

[ZfrkS62]

A little background: 2 months ago a 745i was towed in from another dealer. The car wasn't running because unbeknownst to us, the other place pulled the fuel pump fuse to prevent the owner from taking the car. Why? because when he bought the car from us, he wrote a bad $25,000 check. The D.A. gave him 2 chances to make it right, neither of which he did. So, the car was repossessed.

The car was assigned to me as simply: vehicle not running, check missing parts.

I found that in itself to be odd, and upon popping the hood, found the fan shroud, and covers to be missing entirely. (they're still at the other dealer i'm sure). So i started in on why the car wasn't running. The wiring diagram showed no fuse inline with the pump circuit, and since the pump gets is signal from a satellite on the SRS system, i checked the voltage coming from that satellite and nothing. So i replaced that part and programmed the car. No dice. I get pissed and hook up a battery charger straight to the pump and drive the car out. 2 days later i get back to it. After fucking with it for an hour the shop foreman pokes his head in the trunk and sees the fuse missing (keep in mind that fuse is nowhere on the wiring diagram

Well, now that the engine is running, we start in on what the original complaint was that started this whole reposession in the first place: Engine runs rough. Which had been a complaint for awhile and nothing that had been done helped. But anks to getting slammed with work and me going to training at the end of the week, the car ot put on the backburner until last week. So with the help of a little camera similar to the one used in surgeries, we found that there were scoring marks on the cylinder walls. Engine ordered. Today i spent the day pulling the bad engine out:

The empty engine bay, transmission, random parts on my toolbox and in my cart: (it's an orginized mess)



the new engine almost ready to drop in tomorrow:


the old engine, ready to go back to BMW:


This is my first engine job working for BMW so i was really excited about it until about halfway through the day when i was getting tired of all the tedious crap i had to do. I've already done 4 transmissions and 5 or 6 evaporators, so i think this is pretty much the biggest job i could possibly do...unless it was a V12...which i have no desire to do

also in the shop:

New S550


E21 towed in for what reason i don't know:

[T-Bird]

wow that really doesn't sound too fun. I've helped with an RSX-S engine job but that was like a 2 hour job (book time 8-9) your's looks to be a little more demanding.

[ZfrkS62]

Originally Posted by T-Bird wow that really doesn't sound too fun. I've helped with an RSX-S engine job but that was like a 2 hour job (book time 8-9) your's looks to be a little more demanding.

Book time on this is 17.5

I will probably lose my ass on it, but no surprise since this is my first one. I think wednsday i'll be able to close it out since the alternator was knocking and we had to order it. maybe by lunch time tomorrow the new engine will be snugged in it's place.

[T-Bird]

wow so basically $2K in labor alone. now is this warranty time or customer pay time?

[ZfrkS62]

Originally Posted by T-Bird wow so basically $2K in labor alone. now is this warranty time or customer pay time?

warranty. the car only has 32,000 on it and it's an 02 iirc. Because of the problems BMW had with them at first, all 02 and 03 7 series got warranty extensions to 6yr/100K

[ZfrkS62]

guess that a V8 full of electronic bits here and there is not that easy to work with.....

Well, what i didn't know at first is that the wiring harness comes out with the engine, so i had started unplugging everything BEFORE reading the repair instructions :roll: But now the engine is back in, the intake manifold is getting torqued down momentarily, and the wiring will be hooked up by the end of the day.

Back to the salt mines

[Garretts_turbo]

good luck!

[TransAm]

Good luck zfrk! Rather you than me, mate

[ZfrkS62]

AAARRGHH!!!

The engine is in and wired, but i noticed almost too late that i had forgotten to attatch the trans cooler lines to the new engine before bolting it in :roll: Unfortunately that meant having to suspend the engine, drop the subfame and bolt everything up like that.

I stayed until 9pm tonight just to get the trans bolted in, so i am HOPING AGAINST REALITY that i can finish this pile of crap by the end of tomorrow. I might take thursday and friday off and recover my lost energy if i finish this.

I have other news that makes this weekend worth looking forward to though, so look for another post in a few minutes

[ZfrkS62]

well, after a bad turn of fortune wedsnday, the engine is finally done.

I had to pull the transmission 4 or 5 times because the flexplate rubbed on the starter gear which had us scratching our heads in massive confusion. Turns out it had distorted somewhere between the old engine and new one so we had to distort it back (easier then waiting til next week for a new one) well, it's in, and running strong, i get paid on monday on a 99 hour pay period and i can go karting tomorrow worry free

[gigdy]

thats going to b some rediculous over time. you enjoy that now.

[ZfrkS62]

Originally Posted by gigdy thats going to b some rediculous over time. you enjoy that now.

Unfortunately, working flat rate, there is no overtime There are some techs out there at larger dealers that are consistently flagging 130 hours or more. hell, i had a roomate who worked for nissan who had a series of 24-27 hour days.

[TransAm]

Why are there so many US people online in the middle of the night lol