05Dec2014
BMW 330ci Clutch and CCV Install

Had this little 330ci in the shop a few weeks ago for a new clutch, factory short shift install, and replacing the high mileage crankcase vent valve system. There was quite the oil leak coming from the rear main among other areas, so hopefully we can slow a few of these down! Exhaust removed, and getting the transmission ready to remove. I still thing the BMW bellhousing bolts are some of the hardest to get to due to the lack …
05Dec2014
BMW X5 Waterpump

Had this BMW X5 with the 4.4L motor come in this last week with a squeaking noise from the front of the engine. Luckily the owner is on top of stuff like this, and caught this early as it was the bearing in the waterpump starting to make noise. After pulling the belt, the pulley was starting to get play in the bearing, so it was time to replace! Not bad for 135k miles on the original pump! Can’t say …
25Aug2014
BMW E46 M3 Maintenance

Had this little BMW in the shop this week for a laundry list of maintenance items that it needed to be caught up on. A pile of suspension parts ready to refresh the car! Bilstein HD shocks, new upper mounts, all new rubber, reinforcement plates, etc. Rear shocks in place. And front shocks in as well. Also on the list was to replace the front belts, tensioner, and rollers to get rid of some pulley noise. New main accessory belt …
20Feb2014
BMW 650i Exhaust Install

Had this nice little 650i come into the shop for a little maintenance and a big sound improvement 🙂 Some basic stuff such as brakes, fluid flush, oil changes etc were in order and taken care of quickly. Then it was on to the exhaust. Time to get rid of this neutered system! We chose to go with Magnaflow’s full system which provides a great sound on these 650i’s! The old exhaust out. Unless you are on jackstands and can …
16Apr2013
ChumpCar Racing Watkins Glen, NY
This last weekend our “Car 54 Where Are You” team made the 2200 mile round trip for a Chumpcar race at Watkins Glen. 94 cars registered and over 400 drivers made for a potentially crowded track. After having an overheating issue at Hallett last month, I dropped in a replacement motor and trans that we had for spares and we loaded the car without any testing and headed out! We met up with our good friends from South Dakota (Chump …
27Mar2013
We Be Chumpin RennsportKC
Yup, it’s that time of year again. Chump car racing! A couple weeks ago we ventured down to Hallet for the Luck of the Irish twin 7’s. We had a few small issues from last year which I took care of for this season, and the car ran flawlessly on Saturday, taking us to a 6th place finish out of about 35 cars. Sunday was not so kind, as she made it through 3 hours, then Kris “Hammerfist” Loveless overheated …
Had this little M3 come in for a quick repair after the droplink bracket broke off the strut tower. So I put it up in the air to see if the strut was saveable. As you can see, a chunk of the metal broke clean off and of course the drop link came off with it. Now, I’m a little fuzzy on the story, something about “Refueler, Dave, The Destroyer” and “Get A Bigger Hammer, Chuck” using torches, 12 foot …
14Dec2012
BMW 330Ci Maintenance
Picked up the BMW the other morning for service as the owner had complained about having an burning smell in the cabin at stop lights. Up on the lift to check it out! Found the leak was pouring out of the valve cover gasket at the front of the motor, so a replacement was needed! But, on the way to the shop, I noticed the car was not getting up to operating temperature. Figured likely a stuck thremostat. Pulling apart …
11Nov2012
BMW Chump Car Maintenance RennsportKC
Since I was stuck waiting on parts for the 964 and GT3, I decided to tackle some maintenance on the chump car. First thing to do was to tackle the engine mounts. Our fan shroud kept popping off during the race, and I kind of figured it was likely due to the motor mounts being shot and the engine moving around enough that the fan was hitting the shroud. Easy problem to fix though. From the looks of them, they …
After knocking out the oil pan job on the 745Li, I tackled the door check. The owner had left the door open and the car rolled backwards into the garage door which bent the door forward. Luckily, all it broke was the hydraulic door shock which keeps the door from swinging too far open and causing damage. How the sheet metal wasn’t bent, I don’t know. Off comes the door panel to replace the shock. Here you can see the …