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#1. Route More Air to that CAI! - from Paul Elliott
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Date: Wed, 7 Jun 2000 22:17:52 -0400 From: "Paul Elliott" <pelliott@rcn.com> Subject: Route More Air to that CAI! This post may be self evident to alot of people, but if there are any Dinan CAI or Supercharger owners out there, and from the email I get, there are more than a couple, pay particular attention to this...I dont know if you agree with me, but I abhor the location of the Dinan K&N, and would much prefer an engine location. However if you DO have this CAI, I've taken some measures to get RADICALLY better performance out of it....I suspect this is more so because of the increased requirements of Forced Induced systems...So, here goes... Every day, I come to a new appreciation how important routing AS MUCH FRESH AIR AS POSSIBLE to the cone in a forced induced system really is! Today, I had my dealer install a new brake duct. This time, I had him cut a 3" hole in the top, but just forward of the K&N cylinder. My plan was to route some 3" double faced duct hose from the mouth of the brake duct, up through the hole, and aim it right at the filter....It worked! I didnt have to take off any wheel well liners, or corner plates....Just put my hand inside the hose, and push it through, and up through the hole. Its a good friction fit. Then, I bought 2 fog light covers, and had the inside of one cut out, but for a 1/4" border. I then glued some car colored (alpine white) vinyl mesh inside the border, and mounted them in the vacant fog lamp holes ...( I'll save the fog lamps for the winter). So now, I have fresh air hitting it from the brake duct, fog lamp hole, and gaps above the bumper. The point I want to make is the difference I could feel between driving the car after just the hole was made in the brake duct, to after I routed the hose to the filter and opened up the fog lamps was absolutely HUGE! And, Dinan does not even include a provision for making a hole in the brake duct! I pity all those guys who havent done this...Because without it, the filter is in a rather closed in compartment...Could hardly be called a Cold Air Intake at all...But with these few provisions taken, It pulls incredibly hard in each gear. It almost feels there's a difference of 50 horsepower! There's just no mistaking the difference. Should have put the gtech on it before the air upgrades....I'll certainly post some times now that its done! regards. _____________________________ Paul Elliott '99 Alpine White M3; <15000 mi; Forged M dbl-spokes; Rotex pads; Dinan Stage II Supercharger
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#2. Re: End of an Era.... - from Gleb Arshinov
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Date: 07 Jun 2000 21:09:20 -0700 From: Gleb Arshinov <gleb@barsook.com> Subject: Re: End of an Era.... >>>>> "Jay" == Jay Sala <jsala@mist.com> writes: Jay> This story came up in the old Welty digest too, except that Jay> it was a BMW engine in a Mercedes Benz. OK, OK, my roommate admits he may have been confused. Says, P-car made him do it. I'll make him go to BMW CCA GGC autocross this weekend as a 'punishment.' Gleb
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#3. Re: [E36M3] >Subject: Re:X-Brace oil pan bumper thingie - from Ron Buchalski
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Date: Wed, 07 Jun 2000 21:09:51 PDT From: "Ron Buchalski" <rbuchals@hotmail.com> Subject: Re: [E36M3] >Subject: Re: <FS> X-Brace oil pan bumper thingie Matt, I have a '95 US E36 M3, and the distance between the buffer stop and the REAR of the oil pan is at least 3/8". I believe that the "test mule" for this piece is the Bambislayer, which is also a '95 US E36 M3. If you go to the link that discusses the buffer stop: http://www.uucMotorwerks.com/html_techtip/techtips/e36_xbrace_buffer.htm It states that the buffer stop is designed to prevent the engine from twisting or lifting under load. Well, there's no way that a twisting or lifting motion will cause the engine to come into contact with this buffer stop. At least, not the engine in my '95 US E36 M3. And, besides, the rubber block is held onto the x-brace by three rubber "posts" which are pulled through the three holes on the x-brace. I can grab the buffer stop and move it without applying much force. If I can do this with my hand, how is it going to stop a torqued engine from moving? I'm still guessing that the buffer stop is installed to protect the rear of the oil pan when a crash causes the engine to be forced backwards. Perhaps the buffer stop will prevent the oil pan from ramming into the x-brace and cracking the pan open, spilling oil onto the ground? Oh well. I'm leaving mine in place for those times when I need the placebo effect. "Man, this car drives soooooo much better with that $13 buffer block in place. I'll be the fastest driver in the A-Group today!" ;-) -rb >Date: Wed, 7 Jun 2000 15:44:57 -0700 (PDT) >From: Matt Henson <c> >Subject: Re: [E36M3] >Subject: Re: <FS> X-Brace oil pan bumper thingie > >Ron, Ron et Al, >I remember reading somewhere that the buffer stop is >actually positioned very close (within 1/4") in some >cars and not close at all on others. As I recall, in >this example, it was closer in the '95 car than the >other one (a '96 I think..) Maybe they chahged the >design of the oil pan at some point, making the buffer >stop useless? ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com
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#4. Re: [E36M3] >Subject: Re:X-Brace oil pan bumper thingie - from Ben Liaw
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Date: Thu, 8 Jun 2000 07:33:32 -0400 From: "Ben Liaw" <ben@shortshifter.com> Subject: Re: [E36M3] >Subject: Re: <FS> X-Brace oil pan bumper thingie > Matt, > > I have a '95 US E36 M3, and the distance between the buffer stop and the > REAR of the oil pan is at least 3/8". I believe that the "test mule" for > this piece is the Bambislayer, which is also a '95 US E36 M3. to set the record straight, the Bambislayer does NOT have this piece on. > If you go to the link that discusses the buffer stop: > > http://www.uucMotorwerks.com/html_techtip/techtips/e36_xbrace_buffer.htm > > It states that the buffer stop is designed to prevent the engine from > twisting or lifting under load. Well, there's no way that a twisting or > lifting motion will cause the engine to come into contact with this buffer > stop. At least, not the engine in my '95 US E36 M3. this writeup was NOT done by UUC Motorwerks or myself (sheez, doesn't anyone read the credits on the bottom of each writeup?). It was done by a forum reader on the bimmer.org boards. > And, besides, the rubber block is held onto the x-brace by three rubber > "posts" which are pulled through the three holes on the x-brace. I can grab > the buffer stop and move it without applying much force. If I can do this > with my hand, how is it going to stop a torqued engine from moving? > > I'm still guessing that the buffer stop is installed to protect the rear of > the oil pan when a crash causes the engine to be forced backwards. Perhaps > the buffer stop will prevent the oil pan from ramming into the x-brace and > cracking the pan open, spilling oil onto the ground? if that "buffer holder" wasn't there at all, would this even be a consideration? perhaps the next mod is to cut off the bracket. > Oh well. I'm leaving mine in place for those times when I need the placebo > effect. "Man, this car drives soooooo much better with that $13 buffer > block in place. I'll be the fastest driver in the A-Group today!" one E36 owner i know has a problem with the location of his engine relative to the front of the car (perhaps because of an accident). chances are, if he had a buffer stop, it would be completely smooshed. ben liaw
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#5. X-Brace oil pan bumper thingie - from DOWZX@aol.com
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Date: Thu, 8 Jun 2000 09:33:04 EDT From: DOWZX@aol.com Subject: X-Brace oil pan bumper thingie has anyone with the lightweight oil pan measured the distance yet?
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#6. Fwd: Re: new bushings + proper alignment = rekindled love for your M3 - from Jonathan Evans
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Date: Thu, 08 Jun 2000 06:36:51 PDT From: "Jonathan Evans" <jonathanevans@hotmail.com> Subject: Fwd: Re: new bushings + proper alignment = rekindled love for your M3 This is an email reply that I found very helpful with my unstable at high speeds steering problem. Thanks Danesh! 2 emails: johnathan, the offset, forged rims came on the 95 lightweights here in the US and were an option in other markets. essentially, the problem is this: a 7.5 inch wide rim should not be used for any tire wider than a 225. Michelin told BMW, BMW's marketers refused to listen. the 3.0 M3's handling was heavily panned in europe due to its disconnected feel (blame that front subframe/get an X-brace) and tricky handling on the limit (it nreaks traction with little warning.) the staggered wheels contribute to stability on the limit b/c the tire's tread is more squarely planted to the road surface (for more consistent traction even under camber variations) and less sidewall flex (because the sidewall is not 'pre-loaded' or 'pinched' on the rim. i've been using 225/45R17s all around for nearly a year no with no regrets, save the decrease in accelerationdue to the effective final drive ratio change. my goal was to make the car more like the miata in that i prefer a car that can be driven on the limit and beyond and then brought back gently to one that eeks out more grip on the skidpad but is less precise at the limit. the later cars (the 3.2s) used 225/45s up front and 245/40s in the rear for a number of reasons. the advantages were decreased impact harshness, greater rim protection, more friendly breakaway. the disadvantages were that the car was more difficult to steer with the throttle and less communicative than previous cars (keep in mind that the spring, shock and sway bar rates were tuned with the larger, staggered etup in mind, as was the final drive ratio.) i've driven M3s on a variety of tires by now, my favorite setup would be 225/45s all around (with a 3.23 or 3.38 differential) or 235/40R17 all around with the 3.15 or 3.23 diff. the 3.2s benefit the most from this size because of their advantage in gearing and their sway bar diameters being set up for less understeer when the same tire is used all around. in your original post, you complained of high speed stability problems: there are a few things that can contribute to this: 1) too wide a tire for the rim, 2) alignment settings, and 3) tire design. in your case it seems obvious the alignment shopis at fault -- i went through six alignments to try and correct one bad one. make sure things match side to side (toe and camber) with a full tank and someone of equivalent weight in the driver's seat and that the thrust angle is at zero. my alignment guy pointed out to me that it's very easy to capture the right settings on a printout by jiggling the car and then recording the numbers so it's imperative that the person you're dealing with knows what the M3 should feel like and what works best for your intende application. i've found that less is more with the toe in on the M3, especially in the rear. rear camber is ideally around 1.7 to 1.8 degrees negative, while front camber is dictated by the condition of your front suspension. if you go in complaining that the car wanders at high speeds, the alignment shop may simply increase front toe in. my front end was dead on, it was the rear that was causing my uneasiness. my alignment guy pointed out that the front end dictates where the car is pointed, the rear where it wants to go... my guy charged $120 for the alignment and the bushing swap, but that was at a shop rate. i'd expect you'd pay somewhere in the mid to high 100s as a retail customer. make sure you use the bushings from the late prodiction cars; the 95 ones are apparently still available and arent us to the torque demands of the M3. good luck and let me know if you need anything else. daanesh 95 M3 >From: "daanesh chanduwadia" <daanesh@hotmail.com> >To: jonathanevans@hotmail.com >Subject: Re: new bushings + proper alignment = rekindled love for your M3 >Date: Wed, 07 Jun 2000 13:19:45 PDT > >jonathan, > >you're welcome; feel free to post to whichever list you choose, maybe >someone will see something that they don't already know or i'll stand >corrected. > >re: weighting the car before aligning. i've heard different opinions, most >leaning towards NOT weighting the car, the logic being the car should be >set up for how it's normally used. if you carry passengers and cargo when >attacking the twisty stuff, the weighted method and associated settings >might work best. i've had better luck with just the full tank and myself >in the car (although this may be because the factory spec calls for more >toe in front and rear than i care for.) > >although the 235/40s are technically too wide for the front rims, i'd stick >with that size all around. don't use the 225/45F 245/40R unless your car >is a 96+ (with the swaybars and differential changes.) and even then the >235/40 is the way to go. > >as far as pressures go, i have good luck with the normal load setting rear, >max load setting front. > >fyi, BMW offers a lifetime warranty on replacement shocks (parts only.) do >the math and see which way you come out ahead. > >if you want to reduce understeer further, the rear sway bar from the 96+ >(1mm thicker) and the rear shocks (slightly firmer) can be substituted. >these aren't large scale changes, and i haven't tried either, but i'm >considering either tweaking by mixing and matching factory parts or >importing the Hartge suspension kit myself. > >good luck and let me know if you hear any differently. > >daanesh chanduwadia > > > > > > >----Original Message Follows---- >From: "Jonathan Evans" <jonathanevans@hotmail.com> >To: daanesh@hotmail.com >Subject: Re: new bushings + proper alignment = rekindled love for your M3 >Date: Wed, 07 Jun 2000 08:58:24 PDT > >Daanesh, > >Thanks for the indepth reply, it is VERY helpful. Can I post this on the >list so further generations can become more wise? > >The BMW dealer did put the required weights in the car when they were >aligning it. I'll swap the front tires to the correct 225/45 when the >current set wears out. But for now, I will try to adjust the tire pressure >to see if that helps at all. I think I'll have them check the rear >alignment and then adjust the front toe in till I fell it handles well. >Then I'll get it realigned when I get the new 225/45 up front. The dealer >also said that the front shocks might be on the way out. This car was >tracked several times before I bought it, so that doesn't surprise me. > >Thanks again >Jonathan Evans > >>From: "daanesh chanduwadia" <daanesh@hotmail.com> >>To: jonathanevans@hotmail.com >>Subject: new bushings + proper alignment = rekindled love for your M3 >>Date: Tue, 06 Jun 2000 14:07:34 PDT >> >>johnathan, >> >>the offset, forged rims came on the 95 lightweights here in the US and >>were an option in other markets. essentially, the problem is this: a 7.5 >>inch wide rim should not be used for any tire wider than a 225. Michelin >>told BMW, BMW's marketers refused to listen. >> >>the 3.0 M3's handling was heavily panned in europe due to its disconnected >>feel (blame that front subframe/get an X-brace) and tricky handling on the >>limit (it nreaks traction with little warning.) the staggered wheels >>contribute to stability on the limit b/c the tire's tread is more squarely >>planted to the road surface (for more consistent traction even under >>camber variations) and less sidewall flex (because the sidewall is not >>'pre-loaded' or 'pinched' on the rim. >> >>i've been using 225/45R17s all around for nearly a year no with no >>regrets, save the decrease in accelerationdue to the effective final drive >>ratio change. my goal was to make the car more like the miata in that i >>prefer a car that can be driven on the limit and beyond and then brought >>back gently to one that eeks out more grip on the skidpad but is less >>precise at the limit. >> >>the later cars (the 3.2s) used 225/45s up front and 245/40s in the rear >>for a number of reasons. the advantages were decreased impact harshness, >>greater rim protection, more friendly breakaway. the disadvantages were >>that the car was more difficult to steer with the throttle and less >>communicative than previous cars (keep in mind that the spring, shock and >>sway bar rates were tuned with the larger, staggered etup in mind, as was >>the final drive ratio.) >> >>i've driven M3s on a variety of tires by now, my favorite setup would be >>225/45s all around (with a 3.23 or 3.38 differential) or 235/40R17 all >>around with the 3.15 or 3.23 diff. the 3.2s benefit the most from this >>size because of their advantage in gearing and their sway bar diameters >>being set up for less understeer when the same tire is used all around. >> >>in your original post, you complained of high speed stability problems: >>there are a few things that can contribute to this: 1) too wide a tire for >>the rim, 2) alignment settings, and 3) tire design. in your case it seems >>obvious the alignment shopis at fault -- i went through six alignments to >>try and correct one bad one. make sure things match side to side (toe and >>camber) with a full tank and someone of equivalent weight in the driver's >>seat and that the thrust angle is at zero. >> >>my alignment guy pointed out to me that it's very easy to capture the >>right settings on a printout by jiggling the car and then recording the >>numbers so it's imperative that the person you're dealing with knows what >>the M3 should feel like and what works best for your intende application. >> >>i've found that less is more with the toe in on the M3, especially in the >>rear. rear camber is ideally around 1.7 to 1.8 degrees negative, while >>front camber is dictated by the condition of your front suspension. >> >>if you go in complaining that the car wanders at high speeds, the >>alignment shop may simply increase front toe in. my front end was dead >>on, it was the rear that was causing my uneasiness. my alignment guy >>pointed out that the front end dictates where the car is pointed, the rear >>where it wants to go... >> >>my guy charged $120 for the alignment and the bushing swap, but that was >>at a shop rate. i'd expect you'd pay somewhere in the mid to high 100s as >>a retail customer. >> >>make sure you use the bushings from the late prodiction cars; the 95 ones >>are apparently still available and arent us to the torque demands of the >>M3. >> >>good luck and let me know if you need anything else. >> >>daanesh >>95 M3 >> > > ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com
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#7. FS: BMW fire extinguisher - from John Hearn
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Date: Thu, 8 Jun 2000 09:51:29 -0500 From: "John Hearn" <john.e.hearn@vanderbilt.edu> Subject: FS: BMW fire extinguisher I have a factory BMW fire extinguisher. It fits right under the driver seat and I have the bracket for manual seats in a E36. I have pictures if anyone is interested. $80 John Hearn john.e.hearn@vanderbilt.edu <mailto:john.e.hearn@vanderbilt.edu>
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#8. FS: BMW red Motorsport seat belts - from John Hearn
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Date: Thu, 8 Jun 2000 09:55:30 -0500 From: "John Hearn" <john.e.hearn@vanderbilt.edu> Subject: FS: BMW red Motorsport seat belts I have a set of red BMW Motorsport seat belts. They have black stitching with "BMW MOTORSPORT" in them. If anyone is interested I have pictures of the front and rear belts in the car. They are being sold as a set as no one will want to buy only the rear belts. They are in excellent condition as the car is garaged except when it is on the highway. $450 John Hearn john.e.hearn@vanderbilt.edu <mailto:john.e.hearn@vanderbilt.edu>
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#9. FS: BMW International - from John Hearn
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Date: Thu, 8 Jun 2000 10:08:06 -0500 From: "John Hearn" <john.e.hearn@vanderbilt.edu> Subject: FS: BMW International I have a set of door plagues with "BMW Motorsport International" and the flag. They go where the M3 plaques are. Also in the set is a dash plaque of aluminum. It also has the "BMW Motorsport International" and the flag. It is recessed into the piece above the glove box that is sometime wood. This recessed piece out of Germany runs about $250 because it is an International piece. Only selling as complete set. $175 John Hearn john.e.hearn@vanderbilt.edu <mailto:john.e.hearn@vanderbilt.edu>
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#10. FS: Supersprint Muffler - from John Hearn
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Date: Thu, 8 Jun 2000 14:16:04 -0500 From: "John Hearn" <john.e.hearn@vanderbilt.edu> Subject: FS: Supersprint Muffler I have a Supersprint Muffler with DTM tips. It is all stainless steel with polished tips and weighs much less than the stock exhaust. It is for any of the US E36 M3's. It has about 20,000 miles, has never seen snow or salt, and has been kept in a garage for about 80% of its life. Also, it has never been used for racing or track if it makes a difference. $550 OBO Please send replies directly to me at john.e.hearn@vanderbilt.edu <mailto:john.e.hearn@vanderbilt.edu> John Hearn