[dragonfire6]

I'm coming from a 350z that I don't remember being nearly as hard to work on but damnnnnnnnn BMW why you gotta do me like this?!?!

It would've taken me about 4 hours to replace it but I broke the crankcase breather hose so I'm on my way to the dealer to pick up a new one ($88).

Tips:
1. I was able to install the new starter without completely removing the I take manifold. Yes, doing so would give you more room but the last couple of connections and hoses looked like more trouble than I wanted to put up with. Probably saved me 45-60mins not disconnecting it completely.

2. The hose connectors that attach the crank case breather hose is now #2 on my list of things I had most in the world. It has this ring that needs to be pinched and then pulled with the power of the incredible hulk. I used a combination of needle nose pliers and cursing to finally remove and effectively break the hose.

Good luck to anyone attempting this. Make sure you buy a 6-pack of your favorite beer because you are going to need a few during and after.