Spec X5 Overland Build

[Henn28]

Slow going on my build lately, but I installed a Bosch rebuilt alternator yesterday on my 4.6 motor. 10 minute job with new bolts, bit of dielectric grease around the pre-installed water jacket seal and a drop of blue threadlocker on the M6 bolts. I couldn't find a torque value anywhere for those bolts, which seemed odd, so I turned them to about 15 or 20nm with my crappy torque wrench.

Backorder parts and long shipping times are really slowing me down on my engine build. I have some time off in early December that I'm planning on doing the engine swap during, assuming the rest of my parts come in.

I did get a huge box of hoses in, but I'm waiting on a dipstick tube, one hydraulic belt tensioner (the AC came fully assembled, including the bracket, but no tensioner or bracket on my "refresh" kit on the water pump side), a second CCV valve (first was broken from ECS/Turner) and a bunch of bolts and a ton of misc fasteners. I'm still trying to decide if I want to spring for a "new" LUK steering pump, or try to find somewhere to rebuild the pump from the 4.4. I also did receive the ebay secondary air pump tube (to the heads) and gave it to the fabricator who will make blank-off plates from it.

Since I'm in a holding pattern for parts I decided to fully build the long runner intake I bought on ebay. I cleaned and painted (flat black) the intake and ordered a used fuel rail complete with injectors from an ebay seller I've been using. It will be drop shipped to Injector RX in Houston who will clean and test the injectors, and fully clean the rail so I can paint or powder coat it flat black too. I expect to have to buy an injector or two, but hopefully the majority of them will be good and I can save $60+/ each.

I bought some black stainless nuts and bolts to mount the rail and intake as my goal is to leave the cover off the motor. The secondary air pump delete and perhaps some re-routing of other vacuum lines should make for a nice clean look with the flat black intake and rail.