Well That Was an Easy Fix

"Logansteno: Bought a VW?" (logansteno) 03/04/2015 at 18:13 • Filed to: Steno's M3

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I now have aligned bumpers all around!

(SO DIRTY. NEED CAR WASH.)

Turns out there's a sort of locking channel thing that the bumper locks into underneath the well liner. The lower part was hooked in, the upper wasn't, shoving it out and looking bad. Hooked it back in and it looks good as new!

The bumpers were both super easy fixes. The front needed new plastic screw/clip things, the back needed to be replaced in it's proper channel.

Now, if this silicone works and holds my door trim flat on the clip until we can get new trim all around, I'll be supremely happy with the body. It's still not perfect buy a helluva lot better than when we got it. I guess (maybe) I'll peel the roof dip off when it gets warm so it doesn't look as ricey. Then I might be okay with showing it off more.

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

Oh yeah, we got the coolant filled up. I'm carrying around a half bottle in the trunk now, just in case. When my dad gets his check we're ordering the new pump, so it won't be too long off, probably next week.

Captain_Spadaro > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 03/04/2015 at 21:52

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DIRTY CAR BE DIRTY

Midwestern US?

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > Captain_Spadaro 03/04/2015 at 21:59

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Yep! St. Louis.

Captain_Spadaro > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 03/04/2015 at 22:08

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I'm so sorry.

boxrocket > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 03/05/2015 at 00:10

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Looks like almost the same thing I had to do to my Volvo after hitting a pothole in South County (which MODOT finally fixed yesterday!). Wheel and frame were fine, both tires got sidewall bubbles and had to be replaced, and the bumper cover is now part silicone adhesive.

BLCKSTRM > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 03/05/2015 at 01:38

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I seriously have two perfectly good pumps you can have.

I replaced the composite pump when I did the head gasket 3.5 years ago. I thought it was the plastic pump everyone warns you about, but it turned out to be the composite pump when I REALLY did some homework.

The new one had a metal impeller, but didn't look as refined.

Fast forward 2.5 years and the car is still getting hot the track and I still have the original factory radiator.

I replaced it with a triple core Mishimoto and added a Stewart water pump, which costs about triple what a normal pump costs. Here, you can see why.

I mean, it's still Dallas and I can still get it to overheat on the track, but it takes a lot longer now.

Anyway, that's why I have 2 perfectly good pumps. No one would ever buy them, but I couldn't throw them away since they didn't have anything wrong with them.

I'll dig them up and ship them to you if you want them.

SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman > BLCKSTRM 03/05/2015 at 17:42

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ill take the composite impeller one please!

I'm doing work on my M3 soon.

Please let me know!

BLCKSTRM > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 03/05/2015 at 21:56

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Did you change your mind? No problem at all - I'd rather put in a new one, too. I just offered if money is really tight. It probably has 30k miles on it, 3 years old (I rechecked my math). The offer still stands, but if you haven't responded by tomorrow around noon I'll let Snap Understeer have the newer one.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > BLCKSTRM 03/05/2015 at 21:59

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Kinja must have ate my reply to you!

If it were up to me I'd take up your offer, but I spoke it over with my dad and he'd rather buy a new one. No idea why, I guess for a better sense of security. It's all Snap's.

Thanks for the offer though!

BLCKSTRM > SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman 03/05/2015 at 22:01

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I think Logan changed his mind. The metal impeller is newer, and I know how many miles / years are on that one (30k miles, about 3 years in the car. Took it out last June).

The other composite one was in the car when I bought it. They're both tight (no play), but I don't know how long it was in there (though I'm going through the records I have).

If I haven't heard from him by noon tomorrow I'll ship you whichever one you want.

BLCKSTRM > SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman 03/05/2015 at 22:02

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Oh, and I'll need your address somehow...

SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman > BLCKSTRM 03/06/2015 at 08:23

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Crap, that's ok then. Mine is 3 years 22k miles old.

Thanks though. I'm gearing up for a headgasket on mine right now

BLCKSTRM > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 03/06/2015 at 09:20

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That's the thing - everything has a finite service life. You use one with some of that already used up, you'll have to replace it sooner. I don't blame him at all.

So no worries.

Did you ever look inside your airbox to see if the restrictor plate has already been removed?

BLCKSTRM > SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman 03/06/2015 at 10:55

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That's what I was doing when I replaced my water pump too.

It was the most ambitious thing I'd ever done, but it went smoothly. I keep saying our cars are like Legos.

Just read up. Bentley, Pelican, Bimmerforums - whatever you can get your hands on. Multiple perspectives will cement common practice and give you things to watch out for.

My best advice is to get a box of sandwich-size Ziploc bags and a Sharpie, and use them for everything. Make sure you write down when different length bolts come out of a piece, like on the water pump.

The other thing is use your phone to take pictures of everything as you disassemble it - makes putting it back together a lot easier.

Also, get a piece of tape and label the fuel and return lines. I don't know how much difference it makes, but they both fit, so you need to label them.

You should probably get help to lift the head out, and definitely get help to put it back so you don't mess up the new gasket.

Other than that, follow the instructions and everything should go smoothly!

Good luck!