Good day everyone!!

Well, I have finally pulled the trigger on getting this motor out...

To recap a little... My son and I pulled the valve covers and we found the exhaust cam on bank 1 not in time... I got the cam in a spot where no valves were depressed... I loosened the cam bolt and attempted to spin the motor to the correct position for the cam to bring it back to the proper location for timing tool lock down for precise timing... I had lots of resistance turning the motor... It wasn't a blockage, like the piston hitting a stuck open valve... This was true resistance... And a squeaking noise... Crap!! Spun bearing!! We'll see tomorrow when I pull it and attempt to tear into it before work... I have it ready to pull, but with everyone asleep, I'd rather wait... Gravity is the only thing keeping it in...

So, I figured I would need to get a replacement block at the minimum!! That would mean I'd have to pull one from a 745i since 04 and up E53's aren't in the PIY yet... 745i's are... The blocks are the same...

----- OR -----

I could pull a running perfect motor I have in "4" and put that in "6" to get one normal vehicle... Then I can figure out what to do with "4"... The trans in it is still giving me issues... I'm trying to make one good one from two incomplete vehicles... I may pull the motor and trans from "4" to facilitate the conversion on it... It is a near perfect vehicle... Driver seat is a little worn, and of course the trans, but otherwise it is a really amazing solid vehicle...

So, pictures tomorrow... The wiring for the 04 to 06 incorporates the trans wiring and the motor wiring in one bundle... I'm not sure about the 02 wiring, but it would be great if the trans was separate from the motor... Otherwise I will have to completely remove the wiring harness from the vehicle to pull the auto trans wires from the harness when I do the 6MT conversion...

Oh, I had to cut the half shafts out since the PO put aftermarket shafts in it... The bolt they used did not have a washer and it looked like they used an opened end wrench to tighten it... I'm going to get OEM used half shafts from the PIY the next time I go... They rarely get touched...

Okay, that is all for now...

Cheers everyone!!

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2001 E53 X5 4.4i (03-07-2001 build date) White exterior / hellbeige interior (6MT swap vehicle - Manny)
2002 E53 X5 4.6is (12-20-2001 build date) Imola Red exterior / M-texture interior (Red)
2003 E53 X5 4.4i (06-26-2003 build date) Silver exterior / Black interior (Silvester II)
2008 Mini Cooper S ragtop (04-17-2008 build date) Dark Silver exterior / Gray interior ( Topless)
BMWCCA member (#4745)