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#1. Clutch Forks - from Steve D'Gerolamo
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Date: Wed, 20 Sep 2000 11:03:20 -0400 From: "Steve D'Gerolamo" <steved3@idt.net> Subject: Clutch Forks Thanks to everyone who replied. I remember hearing about the E34 fork elsewhere, but can't seem to find any specifics on it after searching the usual web sites and archives. What's the benefit of this swap? To further complicate things, the ETK shows the E34 M5 and all 535 models using P/N 21-51-1-204-229 for the release fork. E34 525/530/540 use P/N 21-51-1-223-302. The '95 3.0 M3 also shows 21-51-1-204-229 for the fork, while the '96+ 3.2 shows the 21-51-1-223-302 number. I'm confused. Anyone know the specific part number of the preferred part? ================================================ ............and to even further complicate matters, BMW NA had the 2 different forks mixed up in their bins. This problem filtered down to all of the aftermarket parts distributors. Put the wrong one in the car, put the trans back in and then see what happens. The 2 parts are not interchangeable as you'll quickly discover. SD ========================================= Steve D'Gerolamo - The Ultimate Garage 201-262-0412 / steved3@idt.net / http://www.ultimategarage.com
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#2. advice sought re harnesses - from Lee, Peter
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Date: Wed, 20 Sep 2000 17:22:50 -0400 From: "Lee, Peter " <plee@mlundy.com> Subject: advice sought re harnesses Does anyone know what type of MOMO harness will fit on the HMS Motorsport harness bar? TIA, P
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#3. Re: [E36M3] E36 M3 head work - from Skip Bogard
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Date: Wed, 20 Sep 2000 18:11:28 -0400 From: Skip Bogard <skip.bogard@alumni.duke.edu> Subject: Re: [E36M3] E36 M3 head work I have Titanium valve spring retainers in my '95 M3. They've worked great for me for the last 70,000 miles. If you plan to use them, the springs have to be blueprinted for Ti. Titanium is very strong (stronger than steel and about 1/2 the weight which will give you a couple more hundred RPM redline and a little more HP)..but Ti is called by metallurgists to be "Notch Sensitive". This means it is subject to nick fracture. This means that if it gets a moderately deep scratch in it (not minor micro finish scratches, but something substantial relative to the thickness of the retainer) it will possibly choose a failure mode of breaking along the nick (notch). Any metal will do this, but it particularly makes Ti unhappy. What can cause the Ti to get nicked? Well springs, contrary to popular belief, are not formed from a heat process...they are cold formed between rollers (kinda like dragging Christmas Curling Ribbon on a scissors blade to impart a curl). And then the ends are snipped. Straight out of the box, some springs have sharp ends from the snipping that can scratch a retainer, these ends need to be taken care of...the "Blueprinting part". What does blueprinting really mean? It means: "Take your TIME" and "Look at EVERYTHING". Usually the more time spent, the better the blueprinting. There is ~no~ free lunch here. But lets not make it mysterious either. <Ron Stygar blueprinted his clutch pedal!> It just means being anal <in a good way> about every detail. Now, on machining these, as the springs were cold formed you need to be careful not to overheat them with a grinder, or will you change the characteristics of the spring steel in the vicinity of the heat. Not to mention possibly nicking a winding in the spring itself...this would be very bad, just toss that spring if you do. Heat the spring too much with a grinder? You are now an inadvertent metallurgist...maybe I should say alchemist instead. Ti retainers are a good upgrade, I have 70,000 miles on my head with Ti (the first 30,000 miles were with the stock head). They have been running about three years without any problems and now I'm at 97,000 miles. I think Will Turner sells them, as well as Korman and BMP. Steve Hennessy puts them in his Hennessy Viper...my dream machine. There was a recent Circle Track article on blueprinting springs by some guy right outta Nascar who was valvetrain specialist for the Henderson Motorsports (Jeff Gordon's & Labontes car) group. His name is John Barilka, article was in July's issue I think. Great article, you should get it. One really interesting thing I learned from that was to look BETWEEN the end coil and the 2nd to the last coil of both ends of each spring. Those last two coils are often touching (think about the last time you looked at a spring). NOW PAY ATTENTION: WHEN THE SPRING IS CUT, THE TOP COIL SOMETIMES "SNAPS" BACK to HIT the adjacent coil and can nick it. This happened at spring manufacturing time (if it happened). Now, this probably wouldn't cause your retainer to fail, but it could cause a spring to fail since now it is nicked. You might want to hunt up that Circle Track article if you blue print your own springs...you won't find info like this anywhere. I remember a pic of the guy lifting the coils apart with a popsicle stick to look for healthy coils at the ends. - Skip '95 M3, 97,000 miles 70,000 of those on Ti retainers next upgrade is a Stygar Blueprinted Clutch Pedal! daanesh chanduwadia wrote: > > Date: Tue, 19 Sep 2000 21:33:02 GMT > From: "daanesh chanduwadia" <daanesh@hotmail.com> > Subject: E36 M3 head work > > the time has come to replace the VANOS in my 95 with 51K miles (the problem > started at 37K miles, about 100 miles after filling with redline's 10W40 > motor oil.) > > the quesition is this: anything else to be done while i'm in there aside > from the tensioner and the head gasket? specifically i remember hearing > alot about the retainers being soft on the 95s, should i replace these with > the 96+ ones or Ti ones? how about the cam? correct me if i'm wrong but > the 3.2 cam is hollow and the 3.0 billet... any difference in profile? any > reason to change? > > it's one of those 'while i'm spending alot of money shouldn't i spend more' > impulses... > > thanks much, > daanesh > 95 M3 > > p.s. any chance i caused permanent damage driving around with the VANOS on > the fritz?
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#4. Tire recommendations - from Robert Biggs
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Date: Wed, 20 Sep 2000 18:23:50 -0500 From: "Robert Biggs" <parm3@home.com> Subject: Tire recommendations Ray, How do you intend to use the tires that will go on your M3/4? All around street use? Drivers schools? It is difficult to recommend a tire without knowing the intended predominant use. On Friday Sept 8 Ray C wrote: I know this has been discussed before but I am in need of tires for my 97 M3 sedan. Any suggestions, comments, recommendations? Thanks
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#5. vortech supercharger kit... - from Paul Elliott
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Date: Wed, 20 Sep 2000 21:40:26 -0400 From: "Paul Elliott" <pelliott@rcn.com> Subject: vortech supercharger kit... >>Where can i get a kit for a reasonable price for my 95 m3. Also is there any involved oil plumbing I must perform with the installation. Is it hard to install or should a pro do it?, turners, ert etc... thanks << The Vortech supercharger unlike the Powerdyne requires an oil feed...Dinan's Vortech kit includes a new Oil dip stick with a feed for a return oil line. And a line must be run to the blower. But , in addition to the blower itself, they include a new fan and fan clutch because its relocated forward and is a little smaller, 24 lb injectors, an electronic unit to remap the intake air, and software to control the ignition timing. Vortech does NOT include a 'native' kit, for the M3. Not that its impossible to put together the necessary pieces and software....Only that its beyond the scope of most of us. _____________________________ Paul Elliott '99 Alpine White M3; <20000 mi; Forged M dbl-spokes; Rotex pads; Dinan Stage II Supercharger; Stygar Short Shift Kit and clutch stop; Skaags pedals
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#6. changing spark plugs - from Mdriver13@aol.com
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Date: Wed, 20 Sep 2000 21:57:46 EDT From: Mdriver13@aol.com Subject: changing spark plugs OK Guys, Would it be worth changing the plugs to give my engine a top-notch spark. My 97 M3 only has 22,000 miles, but is 4 years old, with four years of autoxing. Have noticed a slight decrease in mpg over the last five months. Very important autox this weekend ;-) Thanks in advance, Bob Gill 97 ///M3 coupe Philly Region SCCA 1st AS - '97 2nd AS - '98 & '99 mov'in to ESP in '01
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#7. Re: [E36M3] Clutch Forks - from nabli@attglobal.net
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Date: Wed, 20 Sep 2000 22:43:15 -0400 From: nabli@attglobal.net Subject: Re: [E36M3] Clutch Forks Steve, 21 51 1 204 229 is an old part number which was superseded by 21 51 1 223 302. It's probably the 229 but I'm not sure you can still get it. 302 has a really broad application which even includes most new models such as the M5, X5 3.0, 330CI etc... Cheers, Jim E. Steve D'Gerolamo wrote: > Date: Wed, 20 Sep 2000 11:03:20 -0400 > From: "Steve D'Gerolamo" <steved3@idt.net> > Subject: Clutch Forks > > Thanks to everyone who replied. I remember hearing about the E34 fork > elsewhere, but can't seem to find any specifics on it after searching > the usual web sites and archives. What's the benefit of this swap? > To further complicate things, the ETK shows the E34 M5 and all 535 > models using P/N 21-51-1-204-229 for the release fork. E34 525/530/540 > use P/N 21-51-1-223-302. The '95 3.0 M3 also shows 21-51-1-204-229 for > the fork, while the '96+ 3.2 shows the 21-51-1-223-302 number. I'm > confused. Anyone know the specific part number of the preferred part? > ================================================ > ............and to even further complicate matters, BMW NA had the 2 > different forks mixed up in their bins. This problem filtered down to all > of the aftermarket parts distributors. Put the wrong one in the car, put > the trans back in and then see what happens. The 2 parts are not > interchangeable as you'll quickly discover. SD > ========================================= > Steve D'Gerolamo - The Ultimate Garage > 201-262-0412 / steved3@idt.net / http://www.ultimategarage.com > > ************************************************************* > List Commands > UNSUBSCRIBE - (in subject line) unsubscribes you from the mailing list. > *************************************************************
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#8. Re: [E36M3] changing spark plugs - from nabli@attglobal.net
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Date: Wed, 20 Sep 2000 22:47:59 -0400 From: nabli@attglobal.net Subject: Re: [E36M3] changing spark plugs Bob, Time to splurge on Bosch FGR 8 KQC (12 12 9 069 877). Cheers, Jim E. Mdriver13@aol.com wrote: > Date: Wed, 20 Sep 2000 21:57:46 EDT > From: Mdriver13@aol.com > Subject: changing spark plugs > > OK Guys, > > Would it be worth changing the plugs to give my engine a top-notch spark. My > 97 M3 only has 22,000 miles, but is 4 years old, with four years of autoxing. > Have noticed a slight decrease in mpg over the last five months. Very > important autox this weekend ;-) > > Thanks in advance, > > Bob Gill > 97 ///M3 coupe > Philly Region SCCA > 1st AS - '97 > 2nd AS - '98 & '99 > mov'in to ESP in '01 > > ************************************************************* > List Commands > UNSUBSCRIBE - (in subject line) unsubscribes you from the mailing list. > *************************************************************
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#9. Re: [E36M3] changing spark plugs - from Greg Cernosek
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Date: Wed, 20 Sep 2000 21:48:05 -0500 From: "Greg Cernosek" <gcernosek@inetx.net> Subject: Re: [E36M3] changing spark plugs Hi Bob, I changed the plugs in my 98 M3/4 at about 30k miles. I did notice an improvement in the smoothness of the motor. It seemed to start and idle more smoothly. I spoke with SteveD when I did it (so I could order the plugs from him) and got the impression that BMW used some different plugs in different cars and it didn't always make sense as to which car got which plug. I pulled one of mine just to be sure that I would get the right ones. I say go for it. I seriously doubt it could hurt. Plus, it will make you feel better (just like when you change the oil before all the S.I. lights are out). Greg Dallas, TX 98 M3/4 with lots of stuff At 09:04 PM 9/20/2000, Mdriver13@aol.com wrote (stuff deleted): >OK Guys, > >Would it be worth changing the plugs to give my engine a top-notch spark. > >Bob Gill
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#10. Re: [E36M3] changing spark plugs - from Andrej Dolenc
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Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2000 00:29:26 -0400 From: Andrej Dolenc <adolenc@erols.com> Subject: Re: [E36M3] changing spark plugs > Would it be worth changing the plugs to give my engine a top-notch spark. My > 97 M3 only has 22,000 miles, but is 4 years old, with four years of autoxing. > Have noticed a slight decrease in mpg over the last five months. Very > important autox this weekend ;-) I noticed an improvement in gas mileage and overall engine smoothness when I changed the plugs on my '97 at a similar mileage (24k). I did exactly what Greg C. did - pulled a plug out, and got 6 new ones like that. Plugs turned out to be the ones Jim E. mentions - Bosch FGR 8 KQC. I seem to remember that the manual indicated a different plug, I went with what was in there. Andrej '97 M3