I was surprised too that BMW still offers new M62s for sale, much less the 4.6, which I think was a much lower volume version and used in far fewer cars? I bought it from BMW, via GetBMWParts.com, which I think is actually BMW of Silver Springs MD, cleverly disguised as a discount OEM parts biz. They had the best price on it by far and required no core charge.
Its been slow going for the past few weeks due to the recent storm here in Louisiana, and my work schedule. However, I did get a chance to get to the garage and unpack the motor and get it on a stand. It was my first look at it out of the box and I'm happy to report that aside from the crank hub, water pump and other misc. bits, it also has spark plugs and the oil sensor in the pan installed. The thing was sitting in a couple of quarts of oil (it was packed in a very heavy plastic bag) which I suspect leaked out during shipping and was a preservative they sprayed on/in the motor when BMW assembled it in 2020.
My plan is to install the coolant pipes and manifold as soon as the knock sensors arrive that forgot to order. Then I'll turn my attention to the front and get a rebuilt Bosch alternator and possibly a new power steering pump to go with all new belts, hoses, oil separator, etc. I am thinking the only big stuff I'll rob from my 4.4 are the front diff and the entire fuel injection set-up as one unit. I am thinking I can do a pressure test on the coolant system after I install the engine and before I put the manifold and injection back on the valley.
On another note, I've spent a little time laying out and understanding the wiring for the Kenwood radio upgrade I'm installing. Fortunately everything is pretty much color coded, and/or Crutchfield's excellent customer support is just a phone call away. I am waiting for the back-up camera I ordered to arrive and a few misc. parts before I start pulling the inside apart to finish running the satellite radio/camera wiring up to the dash.
