Upgrading to 330i Intake Manifold - What Else?

[Cole668]

After a ton of research, I figured out that my angle connector had shorted out and melted part of the manifold. I can't tell if it would still be usable after replacing the damaged parts.

The good news is that I tracked down an 330 manifold for a good price so I will probably go with the upgrade. Since I'll have the motor in pieces, I'm wondering what other preventative maintenance can be done with the manifold out of the car? It's a 2009 with 120k kms on it.

[Suhb]

If your oil filter housing gasket is leaking, that would be easy with the manifold off. You do have to drain the coolant though.

[Cole668]

The coolant is fairly fresh but I'll check the housing for leaks. I'll probably change the gasket regardless... Might as well take advantage of the extra workspace. Thanks!

[markslc1]

I'm still interested in some additional pointers on "what else" to do while I'm in there. Having done this on a couple E36's in the past, there were some coolant and vacuum hoses that were easy to get at so I did those at the same time.

Any other pointers from the experienced?

[Suhb]

This hose broke when I was taking mine off. It gets very brittle over time and is susceptible to braking. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...ilpage_o07_s00

I had to take my manifold off to do the starter. It gave out at 80k. BMW reman part is $400 so idk if you might want to change it out as preventative maintenance. I got the equivalent Bosch starter for $180.

Also, do not forget intake manifold and throttle body gaskets.

[markslc1]

Originally Posted by Suhb

I had to take my manifold off to do the starter. It gave out at 80k. BMW reman part is $400 so idk if you might want to change it out as preventative maintenance. I got the equivalent Bosch starter for $180.

Also, do not forget intake manifold and throttle body gaskets.

I did a starter this way on an E36 and it was still a pain to do. How much time to do the starter on the N52 once the manifold is off. Are E82 starters prone to fail before 100k miles?

[Suhb]

My friend is at 125k and his is still the original. So it really varies. You could have a lot of life left in yours still. Once the manifold is off, the starter is 3 bolts to replace.

[markslc1]

Originally Posted by Suhb

My friend is at 125k and his is still the original. So it really varies. You could have a lot of life left in yours still. Once the manifold is off, the starter is 3 bolts to replace.

3 bolts maybe. But it accessing them that I had the most challenge with. IN an E36 you had to have 3 foot extensions to release the bell housing bolts from under the car. Huge Pain. Different on the E82? Can you just simply unbolt the starter from the top?

[markslc1]

Said a different way. Can you remove the starter from the top without having to go under the car?

[Suhb]

The starter is under the intake manifold. It is replaced entirely from the top. There's one bolt for the wire. 2 bolts that hold the starter. The one in the back is a tight fit but def doable.