BMW E46 M3 daily driver

5 January, 201511 yr

Model: BMW E46 M3 Coupe

Engine: S54B32 3.2 straight 6 on ITBs, 343 BHP, K&N panel filter is the only mod

Suspension: Standard M3

Brakes: Standard M3

Wheels and Tyres: 18" M3 alloys with 265/35/18 Uniroyals on the back and 225/40/18 on the front

Exterior Styling: Carbon fibre kidney grills, carbon fibre side vents and carbon fibre rear diffuser

Interior Styling: Full M3 black leather interior all electric, built in tv, sat nav and onboard computer

ICE and Security: Full Harman Kardon 12 speaker sound system with 6 disc cd changer

Comments: One of the most perfect cars out of the box I have ever driven!

Haven't been able to spend as much time or money on the Polos over the last few months because as I mentioned in my GT build thread I went and bought an E46 M3.

The plan was over the winter run this and the not so cheap mk2 runaround and take the GT off the road to get the bodywork sorted and continue buying and finally fit all the suspension components I've bought or want to buy.

But then after having this car just a couple of months and putting less than 2000 miles on it the diff decided to let go. Now I know a few of you guys on here have BMWs so you will know that parts aren't as cheap as Polo parts. I knew this, but what I have now discovered is that any BMW part that has M3 attached to the name increases the value by 100000%. So anyway between November and December I bought the following.

Second hand diff off a low mileage M3

Diff oil direct from BMW

Powerflex diff bushes

Uprated diff bolts

E Torx spanners (everything underneath a BMW is held together with E Torx bolts!)

10W60 Castrol Edge engine oil

Oil filter

The above doesn't look like much (diff isn't pictured) but I could have bought coilovers and painted the GT for the same price!

Anyway luckily for me in my new lockup I have access to a 2 post lift. So I put the car on it and set to work. (my mate with the gay pose came free with the use of the ramp...)

The utterly HUGE exhaust had to come off.

Driveshafts and propshaft disconnected

Look I can lift a car :)

Old diff out, turns out it was the input shaft bearing that had totally collapsed.

After a whole day we got to this stage

So day 2 came and it was time to prep the new diff. Heard lots of horror stories of standard diff bushes collapsing in these creating a horrible clunking noise. So decided to replace them all with powerflex items.

Couldn't press the old bushes out using the trick with sockets and threaded bar so I turned pikey and got the drill out

Once the centre was drilled out of was a case of cut a slot in the outer casing and free it from the race

New bushes cam in 2 halves so just like the end to a good night, lube up and slide in.

Powerflex YO!

After lots of lifting and straining we got the new diff in

Once it was all in and back on the heavy exhaust went back on. I fixed one of BMWs mistakes and used stainless bolts for the exhaust flanges. Why BMW used steel bolts on these when the rest of the exhaust is stainless is beyond me.