[yjsaabman]

Welcome! NZ is so beautiful! Someday I hope to get back to that side of the world.

 

[yjsaabman]

With the amount of heart and sweat you've put into it you couldn't ever get back out by selling it. Rest well knowing you're doing this poor, neglected touring right!

 

[yjsaabman]

The clunk may also be coming from a worn u-joint in the driveshaft, a worn driveshaft guibo (flex disc at the trans), or a worn center support bearing. The bad bushing may have been absorbing some of the clunk previously.

 

[yjsaabman]

I have yet to find the armrest in the way with a manual transmission. (8 years of driving a manual E46.) I can't imagine driving one of these cars without it, personally. We'll see if that changes with the BMW Performance shift lever.

 

[yjsaabman]

If you find it's in the way during spirited driving you simply flip it up out of the way. Then back down for highway cruise comfort.

 

[yjsaabman]

I would definitely go with a viton o-ring for the oil valve. Much better life than a standard rubber.

The wire orientation on the reverse light switch doesn't matter. The switch just closes the circuit and activates the relay. Unless you want it to be perfect as it would have been from the factory with a manual trans.

 

[yjsaabman]

Count me as someone who would be disappointed, but not worried. It does look awful.

Same here. I spent a summer working in a machine shop and am struggling to understand how those surfaces wound up like that.

 

[yjsaabman]

All my manual e46s have had to be turned the whole way off and back on again to restart. VWs are the same way. It's just the German way of doing things, not a side effect of way you are handling the swap.

 

[yjsaabman]

I have a cluster that's been hanging out in my basement for 6 or 7 years, now. Shoot me PM with your address and I'll pull the panel and send it down under.

 

[yjsaabman]

Further to the previous post, finally got this in the mail earlier this week. Awesome stuff, owe you guys one. Feel like a bit of a dick for ending up with two of these but both will go to good use as I previously mentioned.
View attachment 969434
Really grateful for this community and all the folk eager to help on here, would never have had the courage to tackle any of this stuff without all the resources and advice provided. Thanks guys!

If I ever make back to NZ (was there summer of '98) I'll give you shout and you can buy me a pint!

 

[yjsaabman]

Keep in mind the 330 diff also has bigger output flanges that match the 330 cv axles which match the 330 hubs and trailing arms at the outer end. So you may be getting into more rear suspension than you were initially anticipating.

 

[yjsaabman]

Ok. Realoem does not show the 325 flanges interchanging with the 330.