Alpina B3s wagon. Head off, brainwave re vanos

[Simon13]

put a deposit down this week on this baby








Alpina blue with black leather. Doesn't get a lot better colour spec imo

[E30_Aza]

You've turned into a right little alpina snob ain't ya!!

[Simon13]

if this is what it takes to get the wife out of that golf then so be it!

its broken of course and needs some work doing to it

[Kos]

How broken

What happened with no786 ?

[DanThe]

Break it and sell me the donkey Si

[TPS]

Very nice Simon

[scott180gtb]

Nice Simon

Auto or Manual?

Sell me the Bi please. You are far too greedy.!

[Simon13]

It was posted up as an alpina project on the alpina forum and I can't help myself!

The guy took it for its MOT and started it up and it was running rough.........they idle slighty offbeat because of the camshafts fitted. It cleared itself quickly. then it was the same when he picked it up in the afternoon. Theres some mayo under the oil cap. He's not moved it since and has 3 other cars one of which is a project so hes calling it a day on this one rather than plough the cash into it. So suspect headgasket, which these later 3.4 engines are famous for now. 116,000 on the clock so this ones done well to get that far. As I know of some cars on their 3rd headgaskets now!

Kos I gave up with the 3.3 one in slough and tbh i'd always wanted a b3s as the engines a belter on these

305bhp and 270lbs of torque, and theres lots of it low down. I've read good ones do more like 315-320bhp. Alpina are always conservative with their power and 0-60 figures. IT's Single vanos and iron block which makes it like my e36 3.2 so fixable. All e46's from bmw are double vanos....... must of been a reason alpina carried on with the single vanos engines? cost?

Its got black Montana leather, this is upgrade from standard leather is good quality. My e36 has Montana leather also. Not huge spec on the inside but its got the toys i'd want like cruise, heated seats and xenons. I'm a sunroof man but not many e46's have them. Its the last RHD one built being number 104 of a 116 car production run.

Scott is auto/switch-tronic he thinks it might need a valve in the gearbox which is another common problem also doing, wheels need refurb but tyres are Michelin pilot sports 3's all round , stone chipped up front end, wishbone bushes and a scab on each rear arch. The alpina shocks have been replaced with bilstein B6 dampers - no bad thing in my book. Wishbone bushes going also.


As always I can't afford market value but I can afford one with some issues as I've a good set of spanners! Good ones seem to be in the 8-9,000 grand price bracket. Only 8-9 rhd tourings came over so not as rare as the e36 wagon (1 of 5 rhd) but again the rarest body style

[pnd]

very pleasant and certainly very fast. i am surprised about the iron block though i thought they used a 330 block.

[Simon13]

the engine can trace its roots back to the 3152cc US spec m3 engine - this is in itself a slightly tuned M52 with an iron block instead of the ali m52 one. The engine in my e36 b3 uses this with a few alpina tweeks like new inlet manifold, exhaust, inlet cam and ECU mapping.

The later 3.3 is based on the 3.2 with a longer throw crank to get to 3.3 for the early e46's. Then they bored it out to 3.4 for the b3s. So it uses a unique crank and pistons to get to 3.4

[powelly]

What you going to do for work wheels?? Is it time to get van

Should have kept the Bronzit

[B7]

Lovely

Silver war paint?

[Simon13]

I had my eye on this compact, for a new daily

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1998-BMW-E36- ... 2a2c00bdf5

I've got cruise control I could add to it









This up on e36 coupe forsale and tickles me! The wife says everyone would take the p I s s out of me for driving it?

My bro in law wants the e36 and I think i'll just have his 318i touring for a daily.

Got a golf mk4 GTI to get rid of now also anyone?!

[Kos]

That compact rocks !

[Simon13]

It does indeed, in a gay way.

Whats the best way to get this home? its 420 miles. Don't fancy driving it, I've had some quotes by recovery firms of £300 to £350 to transport it down here.

I can't think of a cheaper way bar taking a risk and just flying/train up there and driving it the long way home.

Any ideas are welcome!

[Simon13]

dunno, i'm not buying it really

[csl]

Nice!

Stripes would suit it imho.

[TPS]

It does indeed, in a gay way.

Whats the best way to get this home? its 420 miles. Don't fancy driving it, I've had some quotes by recovery firms of £300 to £350 to transport it down here.

I can't think of a cheaper way bar taking a risk and just flying/train up there and driving it the long way home.

Any ideas are welcome!

Where is it, Scotland?

[Simon13]

Edinburgh

I think silver stripes shes not keen, but I think we could settle with just the front spoiler done

[bab-91]

Very nice!


What happened with that black Alpina?

[TPS]

If you really get stuck, getting up there, let me know, I might be able to sort something.

[B7]

I think the misses is right si. That's completely bumder style in a big way. Kos only likes it as it'll draw the women more than his joop and lynx when dogging.

She's wrong on the stripes though.

[Kos]

I think the misses is right si. That's completely bumder style in a big way. Kos only likes it as it'll draw the women more than his joop and lynx when dogging.

Actually it's

[B7]

I put you more as a 'denim' man.

[Kos]

If si gets the pink compact he'll be splashing on the jean paul gaultier

[Andyboy]

If si gets the pink compact he'll be splashing on the jean paul gaultier

Nah, Blue Stratos ftw.

That Compact is bender fodder. Scottish E46? Is it Titanic spec underneath? If it's road legal, I'd get a cheap flight up to E'boro with three empty 5l water bottles in a sports bag and drive it back carefully, heater on medium and chance it. If it does get hot and bothered, it's a free ride home courtesy of the AA/RAC. Either way, you've not got alloy block nonsense to fret over.

[Simon13]

look what the nice recovery man eric delivered!

Bit of a risk buying it unseen but its as described tbh






Leather is much better than I expected, especially drivers seat

theres a pukka car here with some TLC, full history all MOT's handbooks but only 1 key - the expensive one al least

[B7]

Blimey the Griffiths driveway is looking a bit clear Si!!!

That looks a nice car that. Whens the strip down?

[Speedtouch]

Ubiquitous engine bay shot required, else we won't believe it's an Alpina!

[Simon13]

With the bi turbo running well, we can divert to this baby!


Suspected head gasket, which they are famous for across the fire rings. Although so mayo was present





So onto a compression test see whats what. It was running badly anyhow

So the results where

No.6 190 psi
No.5 215 psi
No.4 220 psi
No.3 175 psi
No.2 145 psi
No.1 135 psi

Hmmm, all over the shop, no 10% deviation here! My moneys on pots 1 and 2 sharing some air! So this warrants further investigation.






Rocker off, this explains the mayo. These engines always end up like this if they sit like this clearly has for a while.






I thought i'd time it up to check how things were. Now this slots over both cams and sits down on the head when all is well. The timing is out on this! No way it was ever going to fit!




this is how the same tool sits when its all spot on. From my e36 top end rebuild







Something well awry here, the chain has been wearing the bolt heads down on the back of the vanos unit! The unit is also stamped up with "99" on it. Theres no way a 2004 built alpina would of left the factory with a 99 vanos unit in my eyes








The chain is worn, the sprocket is f ** ked its all ball bagged here really and theres aloads of play in the vanos gear in every direction. I can't remember if this is normal when off the engine?


No wonder it felt flat? It can't of gone very well like this even before the now potential headgasket going?





Horrid, these where nasty when they were 5 years old. No chance of getting this undone on the car.......so to plan B. But First






My favourite BMw tool for removing the cams on these 24v sixes also does the 318iS engines





Cams out, inlet unbolted. Theres surprisingly a lot more room on the exhaust side than an e36 so I was able to unbolt the manifolds from the head with ease tbh.





Head off and just like they all do! big time here





It was going here and on another also which eplains the other iffy compression readings.








Even with timing out its not had any contact in my eyes






So that's where its at. I'm going to get the head pressure tested to be sure. And get some expensive alpina bits on order


Theres other job to do while i'm waiting like discks and pads all round, wishbones as theres play in the ball joints on both sides and the rear bushes are gone.

[Andyboy]

It's normal for these go have 1999 Vanos units and blocks. That's the last year that BMW made them and Alpina just stockpiled hundreds of engines

[Simon13]

ok, so whats gone wrong then as i'm a bit lost on the vanos bit myself.