EXCITED! Valley Pan Gasket Repair.

[Heckler]

Damn, I didnt do it like that! Did you have the intake completely removed from the car? I did and after I did the valley pan gasket I attached the hoses to the oil drain tube then attached them to the OSV and left it hanging back by the firewall. I then installed the intake, mounted the OSV onto the bracket on the intake, then commected the upper OSV hoses.

You sure you dont want to do the upper timing chain covers while your in there? Mine were leaking pretty good.

[Turbo_Bimmer]

Originally Posted by Weasel

And remember, we only get paid 8 hours to do the whole valley pan job, no matter how long it takes us....

I hope that only applies to the dealer, and not the tech.

[TwinTurboGTR]

Yeah I checked my TCC's and they looked pretty good. Damn now that you said it, next week I am going to post, "Ok who wants a Timing chain cover DIY tutorial? haha. Yeah but one part led to another part being taken off just to get to the original part I was working on. Someone must have went in there at one time and then fobbed it all up. Things were zip tied that I know aren't Plus BMW Usually used black zip ties, these were clear or red. Weird.

[Heckler]

Haha that's funny, I actually had to use a red zip tie on mine because I didn't have a black one big enough.

[TwinTurboGTR]

Heckler, did you work on my X at one point? haha. Yeah I'm starting the write up now and will add the pictures later. I forgot one photo of putting anti-seize on the plugs before putting them in. But then again, anyone tackling this job should know what that looks like and how to apply it, right? Hell i forgot myself to put some loc-tite on the water manifold bolts and such. I'm sure they will all hold.

[Weasel]

Originally Posted by Turbo_Bimmer

I hope that only applies to the dealer, and not the tech.

That applies to the tech for every job he does. If it pays 2.4 hours to replace an alternator that's what we get paid, no matter if it takes 3.6 hours or 1.2 hours to actually do it. Which is one reason we buy so many nice expensive tools, to help speed up the process of these jobs so we can come out ahead. I personally have at least $20k in tools all sitting in my $10k toolbox....and a few techs in the shop have almost double what I have! It can be ab expensive vocation for sure.

The part that sucks is it seems the better you get the worse jobs you get. We have a handful of new techs in the shop, naturally they aren't as good at diagnosing yet... so they get all the simple parts changing jobs that pay good. Meanwhile the other experienced techs get cars like: "this guy's battery goes dead overnight, but it only happens once a month... and he wants to wait for it" SERIOUSLY????

[TwinTurboGTR]

I didn;t know that Weasel. I thought the book was a suggestion but whatever time it took for the tech, that was the hours clocked. Now I would feel bad for a tech doing my car(Valley pan) They didn't have a lot of parts. You figure the car would have at least a day of downtime and then 2 days to do the job. So my car would sit in the bay for 3 days, but only get paid 8 hours. Shame. But I hear ya about people waiting. When I was at the dealer picking up a torx screw, a gentleman was talking to his SA. He described his X kept going "Dead" (Really the X was going into limp home mode.) SA said well leave the X and we'll take a look and see. This was 4:30pm. Guy said, nah I'll wait for it. I laughed. This guy has no clue what it could be and he says he'll wait. Fianlly SA said that they will give him a loaner. Prob just a courtesy to get him the hell out of there. (He didn't purchase the car from Circle BMW)

On a side note, so when I went to the dealership, I walked in my work clothes and grimed up hands. I looked pretty bad with all the grease. Well walked in and I get these looks of shame. Pick up my part and said hi to a few SA's and GM and I don;t get anything back, just a stare of, "GTFO of my dealership" But of course they have no problem with me when I walk in there coming home from work in my suit and tie and trying to sell me another BMW. You got to love it.

[TwinTurboGTR]

Just doing the coolant bleeding proceedure but she started and running strong. Man what clouds of blue smoke comes out of her. I guess she doesn't like oil in her intake. Anyways, did the initial proceedure(Fan to low, thermo to 90*" ran for 15 mins, a lot of burps bubbles and such. Smoke flying everywhere. Then the moment of truth, turned the key, a bit of hesitation then HUGE clouds of smoke from my twins in the back. Now the engine is purring, injectors are clicking, and she sounds awesome.

Only thing, I got a DSC, BRAKE, and ABS light on now. Got to figure that bastard out now. But she runs! Anybody experience those lights showing up on the dash?

Thanks everyone!!!

[Heckler]

I have had those lights on for a while now, a while back when it was in the shop they said I needed a new steering angle sensor, I'll tackle that one after I get the damn P0155 code worked out. Then the damn display pixel problem fixed.

Some have success resetting the steering angle sensor, start the car and turn the steering wheel all the way right then all the way left then back to center.

[o. l. t.]

Originally Posted by Weasel

That applies to the tech for every job he does. If it pays 2.4 hours to replace an alternator that's what we get paid, no matter if it takes 3.6 hours or 1.2 hours to actually do it. Which is one reason we buy so many nice expensive tools, to help speed up the process of these jobs so we can come out ahead. I personally have at least $20k in tools all sitting in my $10k toolbox....and a few techs in the shop have almost double what I have! It can be ab expensive vocation for sure.

When I owned car audio stores I practically lived on the Snap-on, Matco, and Mac trucks when they came by. I rarely took home any money, but always had new tools. My specialty tools were things that I still have a few of like Mac SP29a and Sp29b cotter pullers and Snap On gun style speed strippers, Matco panel poppers, etc......

Without them it was barely worth trying to work. It just took too much time and effort to get something done.