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#1. RE: [E36M3] LTWs and fold down seats - from dzorine@csc.com
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Date: Thu, 29 Mar 2001 10:06:26 -0500 From: dzorine@csc.com Subject: RE: [E36M3] LTWs and fold down seats I'm not sure if it's 100% true, but I also heard that the reason they used 4dr in racing was due to marketing push to sell 4dr M3's... Dmitri But if you will notice, all the race teams are using the 4 door E36 chassis. I have heard that the reason this is, is that the 4 door's chassis is stiffer due to the pillar in between the doors. The coupe does not have this and is said to be weaker. This is just what I have been told by some good sources but I don't know if they have looked at any numbers on the cars. Another thing is that I doubt the numbers they quoted as true. Reason being is that I don't think it is possible for the E36 coupe to be as stiff as the Mcoupe. Was the Mcoupe not stated as being stiffer than or had better chassis rigidity than the E36 coupe? I thought I read this somewhere. Seth Thomas www.m3ltw.com -----Original Message----- From: Fadeev, Alex [mailto:alex.fadeev@verizon.com] Sent: Wednesday, March 28, 2001 4:39 PM To: 'Seth Thomas'; E36M3 Subject: RE: [E36M3] LTWs and fold down seats Seth Thomas [mailto:porsche993@mindspring.com] wrote: > > Marc is correct here in that all the LTWs came with fold down > rear seats. > Why this is I don't know but I don't think that rigidity is a > problem here. > But what is funny to me is that they did not use the 4 door > model as they are a lot more rigid than the coupes. > > Seth Thomas > www.m3ltw.com Seth, There was a debate on this subject a while back. The consensus was that 4 smaller holes (4 doors) effect rigidity more than 2 bigger ones (coupes). I saved the quote but not the author: > ******************************** > Here you go (from Bimmer Mag 12/98): > > Dynamic stiffness > > E46/4 29.8 hz > M coupe 29.2 > E36/2 29.2 > E39 29.0 > E36/4 28.3 > M roadster 18.4 > E36 cabrio 16.6 alex f ************************************************************* List Commands UNSUBSCRIBE - (in subject line) unsubscribes you from the mailing list. DIR - sends a listing of files available in the list's GET directory. GET filename1.ext,filename2.ext - sends the requested file(s). To issue a command/request to the server: Send a message with the command you wish executed as the subject of the message. *************************************************************
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#2. Re: Tranny grind / hard shifting? - from Andrej Dolenc
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Date: Thu, 29 Mar 2001 10:37:36 -0600 From: Andrej Dolenc <adolenc@erols.com> Subject: Re: Tranny grind / hard shifting? Rob, I had something similar happen to my '97 M3. May not be what you want to hear, and hopefully it isn't what's happening to you. In my case, my 2nd gear synchro went bad, dealer replaced the tranny since it was still under warranty. At around 10k miles I went from dino-juice to synthetic oil. While doing that, I had the tranny and diff fluids replaced with Redline stuff. I specifically stayed with the Redline ATF to stay with what the specs called for. At around 18k miles, I noticed that anytime I would shift into 2nd gear, the tranny would make a crunching / grinding sound. At first it was only when I was at somewhat higher RPM's, but it progressed to crunching / grinding anytime I shifted into 2nd. If I double-clutch shifted into 2nd gear, the shift would be smooth and quiet. The dealer saw all this, agreed that it was the synchro that had gone south. Didn't give me any hassles, though I was almost expecting some, especially as I had replaced the fluid with something else. Luckily it was ATF what the spec calls for. I'm not going to point the blame at the Redline ATF I put in there, but I doubt I'll use it again. Andrej '97 M3 Rob Verenna writes: > I think this has been covered before but I can't find anything on it in > the archives. My '95 M3 5-speed grinds when I shift it into third gear > (and only third gear). This used to only occur when the car was cold; > after the fluids warmed up things were fine. Well, it got worse with > the cold weather so I had the dealer "service" the transmission when I > had it in for an oil change a few months ago. They said they did a > drain & fill of the tranny fluid and that I was about a pint low on > fluid. The car has mostly sat since then but I drove the car for a > while today and even after a significant warm-up period, 3rd still > grinds if I don't baby the shift. It seems worse than before I let the > dealer touch it. > Any suggestions? I seem to remember others having a similar problem and > a drain and fill with Redline (?) ATF (?) was the answer? Any advice is > appreciated! > - rob
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#3. parts bin engineering - from daanesh chanduwadia
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Date: Thu, 29 Mar 2001 10:50:07 -0500 From: "daanesh chanduwadia" <daanesh@hotmail.com> Subject: parts bin engineering dave, 3.23/3.15=1.0253968 (~2.5% shorter) the effective gearing change from BMWs change from the 235/40R17s to the 245/40R17s on 3.2 models yeilds a 1.3 percent change (taller). so the 3.0 does have longer legs, but not by as much as the diff would indicate... i agree though... 3.2s are far more satisfying at lower/U.S. speeds -- as a 95 M3 with Euro HFM driver, i love the on-paper benefits, but i'd enjoy the strengths of the 3.2 more often. Seth -- the one thing we haven't mentioned is the wholesale suspension changes to the 3.2. the 3.2s have slightly stiff shocks/springs/bars. my choice would be a 3.2L sedan without fold downs (of course :) and 235/40s all around. is it true that the 3.2 sedans use taller springs than the coupes? -daanesh >> Date: Thu, 29 Mar 2001 09:16:39 -0500 From: "Dave Spragg" <dspragg@mediaone.net> Subject: RE: [E36M3] 3.0 vs. 3.2 and sedan vs. coupe Not too mention that even if you disagree with Lowell on the torque with regards to the two engines you can not deny that the 3.15 rear end in the 95 makes it less punchy around town. On the other hand if you do a lot of highway driving the 95 rear end is nicer as it runs lower rpms... and at the 80-85mph I usually cruise at the difference is noticeable and desirable. I have never driven a 95 with a 96+ diff, it would be interesting though as this may be a good part of the perceived difference between the two cars. Dave Spragg dave@spragg.com Natick, MA 99 M3 Sharked 92 330is Sharked and Supercharged (undergoing surgery) _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com
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#4. Re: [E36M3] Re: Tranny grind / hard shifting? - from Andrew E. Kalman
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Date: Thu, 29 Mar 2001 08:49:21 -0700 From: "Andrew E. Kalman" <aek@pumpkininc.com> Subject: Re: [E36M3] Re: Tranny grind / hard shifting? Andrej wrote: >I'm not going to point the blame at the Redline ATF I put in there, but I >doubt I'll use it again. Interesting -- the first 7500 street-only miles of my LWT's life were with stock fill, and then I switched to RedLine MTL and started racing it (exclusively) . After a while I realized that I would occasionally have shifting problems where it wouldn't go into gear (usually third on a second-to-third shift). About a year ago I switched to RedLine ATF, and have had absolutely no problems since. I don't think my technique has changed -- I think the fluid made a difference. Of course, the tranny has only 12,000 miles on it, so that may be too soon to have synchros go bad. -- ______________________________________ Andrew E. Kalman, Ph.D. aek@pumpkininc.com
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#5. Re[2]: [E36M3] Re: Tranny grind / hard shifting? - from Andrej Dolenc
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Date: Thu, 29 Mar 2001 12:19:08 -0600 From: Andrej Dolenc <adolenc@erols.com> Subject: Re[2]: [E36M3] Re: Tranny grind / hard shifting? Likely my original tranny was just a fluke, I certainly didn't abuse the car all that much - it had been thru 1 season of autocross and one drivers school (my first) when it went bad. I've since put another season of autocross and close to 40k street miles without a problem on the new tranny. Andrej '97 M3 Andrew Kalman writes: > Andrej wrote: >>I'm not going to point the blame at the Redline ATF I put in there, but I >>doubt I'll use it again. > Interesting -- the first 7500 street-only miles of my LWT's life were > with stock fill, and then I switched to RedLine MTL and started > racing it (exclusively) . After a while I realized that I would > occasionally have shifting problems where it wouldn't go into gear > (usually third on a second-to-third shift). About a year ago I > switched to RedLine ATF, and have had absolutely no problems since. I > don't think my technique has changed -- I think the fluid made a > difference. > Of course, the tranny has only 12,000 miles on it, so that may be too > soon to have synchros go bad.
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#6. rear stb - from Kit Wetzler
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Date: Thu, 29 Mar 2001 11:13:33 -0800 From: "Kit Wetzler" <kitwetzler@mindspring.com> Subject: rear stb > 2000. However, if you care to look at the next line, you'll see that he > lists his car as BSP for 2001. It's still not legal. Installing a rear STB requires cutting the carpet, and that's not allowed in street prepared... :( on another note, anyone ever had a rear sway bar link die and make noise? I am trying to track down a bonking noise and am going to try detaching that, next... -kit 97 m3, not ESP legal due to TC Kline spherical trailing arm bushings...
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#7. RE: [E36M3] engine fan removal solution - from Fadeev, Alex
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Date: Thu, 29 Mar 2001 13:28:38 -0600 From: "Fadeev, Alex" <alex.fadeev@verizon.com> Subject: RE: [E36M3] engine fan removal solution LoweSeaton@aol.com [mailto:LoweSeaton@aol.com] wrote: > > Huh! I learn something every day. I never paid attention to that > electric fan in front of the radiator. Silly - I must have thought > it was for the A/C. I'll have to take my engine fan off and go for > a drive. Lowell, Go ahead while it's still cold in Dallas. Once it warms up a bit I would not be driving around DFW without the electric fan. Well, may be driving, but certainly not stooping or turning the AC on. > Anybody ever remove the electric fan? It looks like it blocks more of > the radiator than not. If you weren't overheating with the electric fan on your car all these years, why worry now? ;-) alex
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#8. Re: rear stb - from S Lafredo
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Date: Thu, 29 Mar 2001 11:35:33 -0800 (PST) From: S Lafredo <slafredo@yahoo.com> Subject: Re: rear stb I snapped a D/S rear sway bar link w/factory sway bars and 30K. I have no idea how. Well maybe it's my driving style? Nah... ;) --- Kit Wetzler <kitwetzler@mindspring.com> wrote: > on another note, anyone ever had a rear sway bar link die and make > noise? I am trying to track down a bonking noise and am going to > try detaching that, next... __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get email at your own domain with Yahoo! Mail. http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/?.refer=text
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#9. Re: [E36M3] Bilstein Strut Replacements? - from Ron Buchalski
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Date: Thu, 29 Mar 2001 20:50:15 From: "Ron Buchalski" <rbuchals@hotmail.com> Subject: Re: [E36M3] Bilstein Strut Replacements? Rex, One of our BMWCCA members would always take FTD in BMW autox, and would win nearly every event. He drove a stock '95 M3 with two mods - Bilstein shocks/struts and BFG R1 tires. One question: did your ride height increase with the Bilsteins? I've read that this sometimes happens when retaining the stock springs, but replacing the shocks/struts with Bilsteins. -rb >Date: Thu, 29 Mar 2001 06:00:12 -0800 >From: Rex Tener <rex_tener@yahoo.com> >Subject: Re: [E36M3] Bilstein Strut Replacements? > >At 10:40 PM 3/28/2001 -0600, Tom Tice wrote: >>I would like hear from anyone who has Bilsteins and is happy with them for >>a compromise car (street & track) and especially with the stock springs. > >Hi Tom, > >I have run Bilsteins with stock springs for almost all of the last four >years on my '95 M3. In my experience they are an excellent compromise for >street and autox. With stocks springs, they aren't too harsh on the >street, only a slightly stiffer ride . They do a really good job of >keeping the car under control on the autocross course. > >I was really worried about the ride on the street when I got them several >years ago, but discovered after I got them that the ride was actual better >than a Boxster with the M030 suspension option. > >IMHO, if I could only make one modification to an M3, then it would be >shocks. The stock shocks are underdamped when new and the Bilstiens >totally transform the car. This is how the car should have come from the >factory. > >When you are ready to get the last 5% out of the car on the >track/autocross, get some Koni DA's, they take the car to the next level >over the Bilstiens (in performance and price). >-- >Rex Tener >rex_tener@yahoo.com >1995 BMW M3, SCCA SFR Solo II A-Stock #173 _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com
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#10. Re: [E36M3] engine fan removal solution - from Ron Buchalski
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Date: Thu, 29 Mar 2001 20:57:36 From: "Ron Buchalski" <rbuchals@hotmail.com> Subject: Re: [E36M3] engine fan removal solution Lowell, The electric fan in front of the radiator does two things: 1) It is always on when the AC is running, in order to insure that the minimum required airflow is maintained through the AC evaporator 2) It will turn on if the coolant temp reaches a certain temp (Josh listed the numbers when he discussed optional temp sensors). So, if you're driving in stop-and-go traffic, and the airflow through your radiator is insufficient to cool the engine, the fan will turn on and increase airflow through the radiator. Also, if your fan clutch fails, so your fan free-wheels and doesn't pull sufficient air through the radiator, the electric fan will turn on (when the coolant temp gets too high) and help cool things down. For you (living in Texas), I'd recommend leaving the electric fan in place. -rb >Date: Thu, 29 Mar 2001 03:17:45 EST >From: LoweSeaton@aol.com >Subject: Re: [E36M3] engine fan removal solution > >Huh! I learn something every day. I never paid attention to that >electric fan in front of the radiator. Silly - I must have thought it was >for the A/C. I'll have to take my engine fan off and go for a drive. > >Anybody ever remove the electric fan? It looks like it blocks more of the >radiator than not. > >Lowell Seaton >'95 M3 _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com