[elim11]

Hey guys,
I just got the walnut shell blasting done on my car. I signed up for this "group buy" http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=676703

Drew was the guy working on my car and he is a real genius when it comes to bmws. He knows them inside and out, any and all questions I threw at him he was able to answer it, even down to the torque specs for certain bolts...all off the top of his head. He works with great efficiency and most importantly skill. He made everything look so simple.

Once he pulled off the manifold and I got the first look at the valves, I was shocked. They looked disgusting, especially in cyl 4,5,6 as that is closest to the evap. Enough talking, here are the pictures. Apologize in advance, I only had the iphone and it was tough taking decent pictures. In no particular order, but the dirtiest are cyl 4-6.

Tool:




Engine apart (you can see the tool he used to create the seal to vacuum, no mess):





Dirty Valves (some pictures are duplicates..no i dont have 8 cylinders haha):









Valves Cleaned:



I know you are asking, why do I only have 2 pictures of the valves cleaned. Reason is, I got caught up talking to Richard, the guy who runs the shop about his racing story and experience. Here is one of the culprits: (yes Integra type r race car, one of my hang on the wall posters as a child)
Next thing I know, I turn around and speedy Drew has already bolted on the manifold. He was nice enough to wiggle it out just enough so I could take a "picture".

I saw the valves cleaned and they were nice and shiny..like brand new, mirror finish. It was pretty remarkable. I know people have cleaned these by hand and using gun brushes etc, but i just can't imagine that will be as effective or efficient as this walnut blast. It really does work wonders.

Results:
Idle was a tad bit smoother. I had some weird burbling/hiccuping on cold start idle and I was hoping it was attributed to this, however it is still present. Drew said it was related to my aftermarket exhaust. Idle when warm is very smooth and consistent.

Once I drove out of the shop, I got on the gas a little and was pleasantly surprised. The car just feels a tad more eager. A little more eager to rev, a little more eager to boost, it just feels happier..as do I. For anyone that is on the fence about it, I say that it should be part of routine maintenance performed every 30-50k miles.

I'll say it again, Drew is a top notch tech. He absolutely knows what he is doing. I know he is booked for the next 3 weeks with walnut blasting due to the group buy.
Thanks to drew and OP for the group buy thread.

Cheers.

[XPO186]

Got my car done just tonight by Drew, and my experience basically mirror's the OP's... except that Drew said mine were definitely more dirty and caked with carbon! The car really feels like the first time I drove her.

[nickcalbear]

Anyway someone can PM me his contact info?

[GixxerRican]

PM information and location Please!!! Thanks