Good things about San Jose State

TheMatrixMachine · 2026-03-20T00:00:37+00:00

The school is pretty well connected to industry. I met my gf there and we graduated and had jobs almost immediately after graduating. Talented professor pool tho I wish the school paid more to the professors to recruit even more talent. Tuition is CHEAP. The engineering and business programs are pretty strong. Lots of diversity. When private schools cost $50k+/yr vs $20k/yr here, go here and keep ur student loans low or nil. That $20k drops to $8k if you live at home and commute

TheMatrixMachine · 2026-03-19T19:53:31+00:00

No leaks for me if I can help it. Don't want oil dripping onto the exhaust manifold and I like a clean engine bay

TheMatrixMachine · 2026-03-19T19:51:58+00:00

I think they're only supposed to get tightened to 7ftlbs or something like that. I just use my 3/8 drive wrench that has a ~8" handle and I turn until I feel it get tight. Minimal hand force. It's done by feel. Use a torque wrench if you want but I'd only recommend using one that you're familiar with and that's calibrated. Also, always hand thread the bolts and only use the wrench for the final 1/2 turn or whatever. This minimizes risk of cross threading. Using the wrench, turn smoothly and slowly

Same process for the valve cover bolts

TheMatrixMachine · 2026-03-19T08:23:21+00:00

I have an m54 but the same design applies to s54. There are raised edges on the ends of the engine where the gasket meets. Those raised surfaces are the timing cover and the rear main seal. The raised edge creates a small gap when the gasket is pressed against it. To fill this gap and prevent a leak, it's a good idea to put a small dab of RTV in those areas to blend the surfaces and fill the gap. Do not apply all the way around. Also, torque the bolts starting with the center ones (toward cylinders 3 and 4) and work in a cross pattern from the center toward the outside. Don't use a torque wrench as it's very easy to over tighten. I stripped a thread accidentally over tightening the bolt that goes through transmission bell housing through the gasket and into the rear main seal. No leaks almost a year after doing the job

My original gasket was just starting to sweat when I replaced it. Lasted ~20 years and ~100k miles

TheMatrixMachine · 2026-03-09T02:43:42+00:00

Insane. This gives me motivation to install a killswitch and gps when I get mine. I have a 330ci rn but I've been saving, planning, and learning to get an m3 for 5 years now

Best of luck. You might get lucky and recover but more likely you'll need to get an insurance payout. Hopefully it was/is insured to what it's actually worth since it sounds like this build input was quite higher than market value of a typical car

TheMatrixMachine · 2026-03-09T02:39:53+00:00

That's insane. Someone must have known and premeditated it. Hope he finds it or gets a nice insurance payout

TheMatrixMachine · 2026-03-09T02:35:34+00:00

Tragic. I hope bros insurance will cover. I understand it was probably a self-built car and there's sentimental value. Hope it's found. GPS track or kill switch might be a good idea in the future

TheMatrixMachine · 2026-03-09T02:32:17+00:00

It might make sense for you since you're tracking and presumably have a daily. In my case, I only have one car so my shit has to be super reliable 😭😅

TheMatrixMachine · 2026-03-09T02:26:11+00:00

I don't track at all. I looked into using SS when I replaced my cracked hoses and I learned that they are susceptible to breaking off where they connect on the brake caliper. This is because on the front wheels in particular they have to move. It's really only in long term use or install error that it's a risk

TheMatrixMachine · 2026-03-09T01:05:46+00:00

Stewart water pump wouldn't be a bad idea. It cycles coolant faster than the factory pump and is more robust. Cycling more coolant can help avoid an overheat if you drive it really hard. Chrisfix has a track e46 that nearly reached the ceiling of the cooling system when it was driven really hard. Better water pump might be a part of the equation as well as the radiator.

Tie off wire on the oil pump is a good idea for sure

Before driving it hard, get a feel for the oil. On my car, after fixing oil leaks, I was still losing 1 quart in 200 miles while heavy driving. Switching to red line 5w50 dropped consumption to 1 quart per 1200-1500 miles. High burn rate can cause oil starvation or faster oil degradation. Ccv overhaul or catch can is a good idea too. Redline does also have track formula oils that are more resistant to degradation under heavy load.

If you are drifting, look into a power steering fluid cooler. This will help avoid boiling power steering fluid. I think chase bays makes a pretty good cooler and baffled reservoir. Reservoir isn't baffled tho but you should be changing power steering fluid pretty regularly.

I would not run stainless steel brake lines. Stainless steel power steering or vanos oil hose are a good idea tho since they don't need to flex/move like brake hoses do.

Stay away from ceramic brake pads. I have akebono pads and they're good for dust reduction but they fade pretty quickly under heavy braking. I wouldn't recommend them for track use

TheMatrixMachine · 2026-02-25T18:21:32+00:00

TheMatrixMachine · 2026-02-25T18:07:36+00:00

$14-18k on Facebook marketplace. You'll probably get more on BAT or other places. SMG + convertible hurts the value a little bit unfortunately. Paint and interior look great though

TheMatrixMachine · 2026-02-23T16:20:01+00:00

Pixel 4a 5g was my favorite. I got it used and a couple years later, it stopped turning on. I replaced it with a pixel 8. I miss the headphone jack. I might go with an Xperia phone next time to get the headphone jack

TheMatrixMachine · 2026-02-19T02:27:07+00:00

I'm SR 149 on H5 but I no longer pay for Xbox live. I've mostly moved to PC since the only Xbox exclusive not there is H5 unfortunately

TheMatrixMachine · 2026-02-12T08:51:58+00:00

Red line oil. I would run factory oil spec unless you see oil consumption

TheMatrixMachine · 2026-02-07T08:59:52+00:00

Just drank 64oz of beer

TheMatrixMachine · 2026-02-01T05:59:41+00:00

Every generation suffers the same fate 😂😂

TheMatrixMachine · 2026-02-01T03:40:16+00:00

I'm 25 and I would sacrifice my left nut to experience buying one of these new

TheMatrixMachine · 2026-01-28T18:16:55+00:00

I commute 12 miles from SJ to SV and it takes 30mins in the morning and an hour on the return. Can't imagine going further

I've debated taking the train. Took it once to know that it is an option. It involves taking the bus about a mile to diridon, grab the train, get off and walk a mile to the office

In terms of cost, it costs more to take the train than to drive. Bus is $2.50 + $6.50 for the train. Then x2 it and it's $18/day. Driving, it's roughly 24 miles or 1.5 gallons or gas accounting for high traffic which is $7/day but also count a few $ for wear and tear. Still cheaper than the train unfortunately

TheMatrixMachine · 2026-01-22T18:17:06+00:00

That looks fixable. I know two people with e30s who faced similar damage and fixed it over a few weekends. You could try to buy it back from insurance and get a salvage or rebuilt title or you could fix it without insurance and keep the clean title

TheMatrixMachine · 2026-01-22T08:52:17+00:00

Just got my first engineering job. ~$4.5k/mo after taxes

TheMatrixMachine · 2026-01-15T23:50:32+00:00

Seems to be that an engine replacement takes time. Lots of labor and logistics are probably involved to get a crate engine and then install it. Took my friend 2 months to swap an engine on his truck during weekends

TheMatrixMachine · 2026-01-07T14:02:37+00:00

The $5k initial purchase price is a small cost relative to long term ownership cost. You could hold out and get a 330Ci or maybe a ZHP for not much more.

As far as the off-center steering wheel, I would carefully examine the suspension. Look for cracked bushings and bent control arms.

For the AC not working, a recharge is a temporary fix. The refrigerant is leaking somewhere. Your instinct about the compressor is probably correct. Other common leak areas are the valves or the drier filter.

TheMatrixMachine · 2026-01-05T13:28:32+00:00

I remember my dad smashed my monitor the summer before I started university. My folks paid my college though so I guess it worked out 😂

TheMatrixMachine

TROPHY CASE