OV9

Rich B wrote: Sat Apr 26, 2025 3:20 pm

Sundayjumper wrote: Sat Apr 26, 2025 3:16 pm Sounds like one of the universal joints to me, probably the lower one as that’s more likely to get dirt etc on it.

yeah, that’s my thought, but i don’t know how you’re supposed to get to the fuckers! there’s literally no room for a full sized human to access them!

i’m going to take the seat out to see if that helps….

Seat out will help but you’ll still be flat on your back with legs in the air.

Copied over from PH, and pasted in the right thread this time :

Fitted a new large DISA valve yesterday. Old one was still rock solid though - no slack in it and I couldn't budge it. Slight oil weep but not too shabby. Car's done 140k and is 19yo this year so I'm pretty impressed given the state you see some DISAs in. The old one is good enough to be put back in the spares box for now.

|https://forums-images.pistonheads.com/34440/202504278061495

Also fitted new PAS reservoir mounts (the rubber bits), a new pipe clip, cabin filter and a few new screws here and there. Also waxed a few areas of the chassis rail with Dynax UC as there's some minor bubbling starting - mainly where there are pipe clips that have been rubbing.

Also there seemed to be an unusual amount of fine gravel (I assume just general road detritus) on top of the chassis rail. You'd think it had been taken rallying. Weird

Rich B wrote: Mon Apr 28, 2025 2:58 pm
TBF, that is the exact state of every DISA valve i’ve ever seen in my life….*


*what’s a DISA valve?

"A DISA (Differentiated Intake System) valve is a component found in some BMW engines, specifically those equipped with a variable intake manifold. It controls the length of the intake manifold runners to optimize airflow and engine performance, particularly at different engine speeds. By adjusting the length of the intake runners, the DISA valve helps improve torque at low RPMs and horsepower at higher RPMs"

There are 2 in the N52 - a small one and a large one. Both cost the same (c£280) but it's the large one that tends to fail. The large one is also fairly straightforward to replace, with just airbox out, some trunking and a bracket in the way. The smaller one is between the head and the inlet manifld so it's either a manifold off job, or various bits of tricky and working blind.

The larger ones fail by either getting a bit slack, or full on breaking up with the flaps heading into the inlet. Some have gone to do this job and found the flaps sitting over the inlet ports Hence it's one of those jobs that's good preventative maintenance. BMW updated the design from plastic shafts to metal at some point, hence worth doing.

Whole fleet briefly together to take a crap photo:



Any impression that the R5 looks big next to the S6 is very much tempered by the lump of Cayenne.

Just got to replace the Mini with a 911 and I think I probably won’t change cars much at all now. My intention has been to buy the stuff I want to keep forever, optimistically.

Luuuurvley

Still lots of little jobs to do but it’s nice to be able to do this after 10 years of building it.



Video credit to Chris

My smaller fleet was clean at the weekend for once. I took the Elise to a car meet in Runnymede with my little boy which was fun. A good variety of cars there, loads of american stuff.



The van is now how i want it, new wheels, lowered springs, bulkhead removed. Personally i love it!



It’s comical how different they are, i don’t think i could have picked much more of a diverse pairing. The size difference is great. The front of both is level….



it still makes me laugh that both my vehicles added together have no where near the bhp of what they replaced though!

dan wrote: Mon Apr 28, 2025 7:37 pm Still lots of little jobs to do but it’s nice to be able to do this after 10 years of building it.



Video credit to Chris

I'm very pleased to confirm the 11 years in the making HPE One is suitably epic.

It's about the most intense road legal four wheeled hit I can imagine. I could only think of an Atom vaguely comparing to it.

That engine is totally feral at high revs and full throttle, blips on downchanges are a religious experience, even from the passenger seat

Despite being a track car, the ride on B roads was about right and it was honestly pretty compliant. Iron fisted body control doesn't cover it though, zero slack, anywhere

Looking forward to yet also mildly terrified of the track debut!

Still not stopped babbling about it clearly, 537bhp/tonne will do that

I changed the engine oil on the Beetle yesterday. There's no oil filter to change, just a strainer that you remove and clean. As I was under there I checked the gearbox oil and discovered that most of the oil decided it preferred being on the outside of the box so I've cleaned that up and will see if I can trace the leak next weekend.

dan wrote: Mon Apr 28, 2025 7:37 pm Still lots of little jobs to do but it’s nice to be able to do this after 10 years of building it.



Video credit to Chris

it'd be great to see some photos of it and the details, maybe a video walk around too?!

speedingfine wrote: Mon Apr 28, 2025 9:08 pm

dan wrote: Mon Apr 28, 2025 7:37 pm Still lots of little jobs to do but it’s nice to be able to do this after 10 years of building it.



Video credit to Chris

I'm very pleased to confirm the 11 years in the making HPE One is suitably epic.

It's about the most intense road legal four wheeled hit I can imagine. I could only think of an Atom vaguely comparing to it.

That engine is totally feral at high revs and full throttle, blips on downchanges are a religious experience, even from the passenger seat

Despite being a track car, the ride on B roads was about right and it was honestly pretty compliant. Iron fisted body control doesn't cover it though, zero slack, anywhere

Looking forward to yet also mildly terrified of the track debut!

Still not stopped babbling about it clearly, 537bhp/tonne will do that

Is that bhp/tonne ratio car alone or two up?

Rich B wrote: Mon Apr 28, 2025 9:47 pm

dan wrote: Mon Apr 28, 2025 7:37 pm Still lots of little jobs to do but it’s nice to be able to do this after 10 years of building it.



Video credit to Chris

maybe a video walk around too?!

Video coming in the not too distant, not presented by me I might add.

DeskJockey wrote: Tue Apr 29, 2025 6:19 am

Is that bhp/tonne ratio car alone or two up?

P2W figures are never quoted with passengers. Its over 550 anyway

DeskJockey wrote: Tue Apr 29, 2025 6:19 am
Is that bhp/tonne ratio car alone or two up?

Are you calling Dan & Chris fat?

speedingfine wrote: Mon Apr 28, 2025 9:08 pm
I'm very pleased to confirm the 11 years in the making HPE One is suitably epic.

It's about the most intense road legal four wheeled hit I can imagine. I could only think of an Atom vaguely comparing to it.

It's great to experience a paridigm-altering car. Different thing of course, but the first time @Nefarious demonstrated his Westie to me was like that : I was expecting it to accelerate like a stabbed rat so that aspect didn't melt my brain. The "inertia-free" direction changes definitely caramelised the grey matter a little, as it was a level higher than I had imagined, but the retardation levels and stability on the brakes was the real "whaaat??" aspect. Highly

Jobbo wrote: Mon Apr 28, 2025 5:49 pm Whole fleet briefly together to take a crap photo:



Any impression that the R5 looks big next to the S6 is very much tempered by the lump of Cayenne.

Just got to replace the Mini with a 911 and I think I probably won’t change cars much at all now. My intention has been to buy the stuff I want to keep forever, optimistically.

Nice pic and fleet! Interestingly selection across German, Japanese and now French!

mik wrote: Tue Apr 29, 2025 8:13 am

DeskJockey wrote: Tue Apr 29, 2025 6:19 am
Is that bhp/tonne ratio car alone or two up?

Are you calling Dan & Chris fat?

Dan says it feels "slow" with a "passenger" on IG....that's pretty harsh on Chris tbh.

dan wrote: Tue Apr 29, 2025 8:02 am

Rich B wrote: Mon Apr 28, 2025 9:47 pm

dan wrote: Mon Apr 28, 2025 7:37 pm Still lots of little jobs to do but it’s nice to be able to do this after 10 years of building it.



Video credit to Chris

maybe a video walk around too?!

Video coming in the not too distant, not presented by me I might add.

Excellent, looking forward to it.

Are you hoping for publicity from this project or is it purely a personal thing?

I drafted up a long, rather angry email for the insurance at the weekend, but thought better of it and just asked:

Is the car getting repaired or written off
If it's getting repaired, what's the timescale

Just keep it simple.

If they fob me off again, they're getting both barrels with that long email, including a timeline showing it taking a fucking week to get anything done at all, at every stage (never mind the further damage, which they still haven't tracked down the cause of)

Transporter passed its MOT this morning - 35 minutes no issues.

I suspect the Elise (in Sept) will be more drama!