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#1. Re: [E36M3] New 3 series? - from John Firestone
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Date: Wed, 1 Aug 2001 22:16:54 -0400 (EDT) From: John Firestone <john.firestone@nord-com.net> Subject: Re: [E36M3] New 3 series? On Tue, 31 Jul 2001, Scott Smith wrote: > a German friend of mine mentioned that Germans don't like old cars (he > couldn't believe I just bought a '95 for a race car: "Why don't you > buy a new one and race that?" -- he couldn't even fathom that I was > considering an E30...) He mentioned the clear signal lenses as an > example -- those came out in Europe mid-cycle as standard equip, > presumably so people would feel like they got something different when > they bought the "new" car. If I remember correctly, the white turn signals and tail lamps were not standard, but part of the three discounted American-style, option bundles (comfort, sport, and luxury) offered in 1997 and 1998, in the closing two years of the E36 four-door sedan. Wait a minute. I just realized what list I'm reading. :) Recollecting a bit more, I think white turn signals and tail lamps did become standard on the M3 at about that time. > of course it seems that Germany would be a good place to pick up cheap > used cars... On the other hand, a car can lead a pretty hard life on the Autobahn. One of the reasons many will not touch a car with more than 100 000 km (60 000 miles) is the fear that something expensive may be about to break. -John '96 318is -- john.firestone@nord-com.net
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#2. Re: [E36M3] broken wheel bolt idea. - from Skip Bogard
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Date: Wed, 01 Aug 2001 18:29:07 -0400 From: Skip Bogard <skip.bogard@alumni.duke.edu> Subject: Re: [E36M3] broken wheel bolt idea. > On another mailing list, there was a talk of a recently introduced > Craftsman kit at Sears for screw removal. They were speaking very highly > of it. Was it called the Drill-Out? These are sold under both the Snap-On name and the Craftsman name! There are three sets available, plus you can buy them ala carte. I bought a set of seven but I have only used the M3 size (very tiny). This is a picture of one Craftsman set: http://www.sears.com/data/product_images/tools/large/00952152000-dlv.jpg The largest M12 size is good for your BMW but probably not for your Porsche. That picture above is for their set of 4 large sizes. Sears sells only one size set in the walk-in store and rarely stocks it. In the catalog they used to also have a set of seven, which includes the sizes in the small set + large set. That is where I got mine. I have also seen them at local True Value stores up by the register (sold as "Drill-Out"). Now, you'd think that a small set (4 sizes) + large set (4 sizes) would give you eight, but the two kits overlap in one size..M6, so you get seven bits. You need a reversing drill, as it is a left-handed drill bit with extractor combined & needs to drill into the stud counter-clockwise. As I mentioned, Snap-On sells these too under the Snap-On umbrella! For about two times the price! Duane Collie would pee in his pants if he learned a Craftsman tool was just as good as as a Snap-On model: Snap On Craftsman ------- --------- 6-12mm (1/4-1/2") L. Drill-Out 4pc. $83.40 $39.95 M3-M6 S. Drill-Out 4pc. $70.75 ---- n/a? M3-12mm Combined Drill-Out 7pc. ? $50-$60 during a Tool Club sale Those given prices verified as of today...pictures of all three as sold at other places: http://www.advancedtools.com/page124/page124.htm or here http://www.npcatalog.com/niche/55-402.html You can also buy them from places ala carte, just like Hanson Extractors. I like using those Hanson's as well...they are a bargain for what they do. Just remember the key to drilling a good hole for any extractor is to use a punch first!!!! If you don't use a punch...well that's just plain dumb if we tell you once and you get lazy & decide not to do it...you deserve what ever results you get. Did I mention to use a PUNCH !!! A spring loaded automatic punch...about $12. Drilling perfectly in the radial center while being perfectly parallel with the center-line of the screw's spire is critical. You can't worry about keeping alignment in both directions at the same time, so use a punch to isolate one degree of freedom and keep the bit from walking. Don't believe that split-point/anti-walking stuff when drilling hard metals. More details here: http://www.drillout.com/service.html Good luck, patience & skill to you. - Skip Chris Papademetrious wrote: > > Date: Tue, 31 Jul 2001 12:40:18 -0400 > From: Chris Papademetrious <chrispitude@yahoo.com> > Subject: Re: [E36M3] broken wheel bolt idea. > > On another mailing list, there was a talk of a recently introduced > Craftsman kit at Sears for screw removal. They were speaking very highly > of it. I personally do not know how big it goes and how well it would > apply to wheel bolts, but it's worth checking into. > > - Chris >
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#3. Re: [E36M3] broken wheel bolt idea [long] - from Andrew E. Kalman
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Date: Wed, 01 Aug 2001 16:00:46 -0700 From: "Andrew E. Kalman" <aek@pumpkininc.com> Subject: Re: [E36M3] broken wheel bolt idea [long] Skip wrote: >Just remember the key to drilling a good hole for any extractor is to use >a punch first!!!! > >If you don't use a punch...well that's just plain dumb if we tell you once >and you get lazy & decide not to do it...you deserve what ever >results you get. > >Did I mention to use a PUNCH !!! A spring loaded automatic punch...about $12. Hear! Hear! Using a punch first makes everything _so_ much easier. Two other thing I've learned about drilling out fasteners (apart from how useful left-hand bits and left-hand drills are): 1) If you're good a drilling perfectly through the center of the fastener (i.e. axially), then the more material you take out of the center (i.e. the closer you come to the minimum diameter of the fastener over its threaded region), the easier it will come out. It's a well-known law of physics that when a threaded fastener is just a hollow shell of its former self, it gets embarassed and wants to get out of its threaded hole as quickly as possible. 2) The BEST broken stud removal tool I ever used was a $5 masonry bit. That's right, a MASONRY bit, used to drill out some severely rusted bolts that held in a suspension console in a Porsche 914 (sorry for off-topic post). These puppies were vertical, accessible only from under the very lowest point on the car, and I had no lift. I drilled for 4 (!) hours with a series of new titanium-nitride drill bits on a good-sized drill, using a hydraulic jack (!) to push up on the handle of the drill to exert force against the stubborn broken stud. I got NOWHERE. As you can imagine, there was much swearing, followed by despair, and then a sense of pathetic acceptance of my fate. Then, in a moment of enlightenment (and after a long bike ride) I took a 5/16" masonry bit (the kind with that funny shovel-head-shaped flat insert at the end) and sharpened both "cutting edges" with a Dremel and a sanding wheel. I kid you not, I chucked up that bit, set up the jack and drill, and within 20 seconds (!!!!) I had drilled right through the bolt. The hardened tips of those masonry bits (they're for impact use), coupled with a sharp, single-edged cutter (well, dual, but it probably behaved as a single), was all that was needed to get through that bolt. Regards, -- ______________________________________ Andrew E. Kalman, Ph.D. aek@pumpkininc.com
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#4. [E36M3] Oil Changing Option - from twisty M3
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Date: Wed, 01 Aug 2001 16:21:02 -0700 From: "twisty M3" <twistym3@hotmail.com> Subject: [E36M3] Oil Changing Option The miles and time seem to fly by at an increasingly speedy pace, and I never seem to get in as many oil changes as I'd like. Part of the problem is because of where I live... I rent, and my "landlords" wouldn't be too happy if they showed up as I was draining black gold in their driveway. I do have to add a quart of oil apx. every 2-3 weeks so I'm wondering if simply changing the filter would be a simple and logical solution. The oil is essentially being changed by simply burning off, but I'd assume, aside from the full oil/filter change, that the filter-only change would be good insurance. Any input? Not worth it unless you're doing a full change? Thanks, Jonathan L. '99 M3 _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp
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#5. [E36M3] The secret to IFG caps - from Margaret Cheng
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Date: 01 Aug 2001 17:24:23 -0700 From: Margaret Cheng <Margaret.Cheng@kp.org> Subject: [E36M3] The secret to IFG caps Last week I posted about my IFG wheels with the center caps stuck on using red Loc-Tite... All the posts were really depressing... As so eloquently described by Andrew Kalman... I felt "despair, and then a sense of pathetic acceptance of my fate." But, for all those who have loc-tited center caps on their IFG wheels---there is hope!!! First go to crack mechanic Dave Birmingham at the Shell station on Wolfe and Reed in Sunnyvale. He pulls out a large screwdriver and a box end wrench, but nothing happens. Hmmm... Then he disappears for a moment and comes back with another screwdriver, with the shaft being ~24" long (now here's a _real_ screwdriver!!). His assistant puts an adjustable wrench on the screwdriver, turns, and zip! Off twists the center cap. It took about 90 secs. to remove the cap. Yahoo! It took more time to take the wheel in and out of the car than it took to take the center cap off... Hope this post helps someone save time and swearing in the future. Margaret M3/4, now looking for some Toyo RA-1s...
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#6. Clear Corners Sold - from Daniel
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Date: Wed, 1 Aug 2001 18:55:08 -0700 (PDT) From: Daniel <m3_driver@yahoo.com> Subject: Clear Corners Sold Thanks for all the inquiries!!! Dan __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Make international calls for as low as $.04/minute with Yahoo! Messenger http://phonecard.yahoo.com/
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#7. BMCCA card? - from Mel Silva
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Date: Wed, 1 Aug 2001 20:58:43 -0500 From: "Mel Silva" <mel.silva@pdq.net> Subject: BMCCA card? Speaking of CCA Cards, how long does it take to activate a BMWCCA membership? I got this in an email: "The following information has been sent to our membership processing department. APPLICATION REFERENCE NUMBER: 5907 on 1; June 18, 2001 @ 22:12" and haven't heard anything since? Anyone know how to pursue this? TIA, Mel
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#8. RE: [E36M3] BMCCA card? - from Jim Bassett
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Date: Wed, 1 Aug 2001 19:05:52 -0700 From: Jim Bassett <jbassett@geysernetworks.com> Subject: RE: [E36M3] BMCCA card? > Speaking of CCA Cards, how long does it take to activate a BMWCCA > membership? I got this in an email: > > "The following information has been sent to our membership processing > department. > > APPLICATION REFERENCE NUMBER: 5907 on 1; June 18, 2001 @ 22:12" > and haven't heard anything since? Anyone know how to pursue this? Give 'em a call? 864.250.0022 Things might take a little longer than normal to get processed; they just recently moved the headquarters from Boston to South Carolina. Hope that helps, Jim Bassett 1998 M3/4
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#9. RE: [E36M3] Oil Changing Option - from Mel Silva
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Date: Wed, 1 Aug 2001 21:12:20 -0500 From: "Mel Silva" <mel.silva@pdq.net> Subject: RE: [E36M3] Oil Changing Option Just adding oil to your engine is not a viable option. The oil retains unburnt hydrocarbon materials that can be very alkaline in nature (acidic). When your oil supply is depleted by burn off, these alkalydes get more concentrated. As you put more miles on the oil between oil changes the same events occur. The only thing you are doing when topping off your oil supply is diluting the alkalydes. You can get a secondary oil filtration system from certain companies to extend the usable life of a good oil. Amsoil sells a By-Pass oil filter system that filters to 1/10 of a micron. It is a supplemental system that filters oil from a "T" off the pressure sending unit and returns it to the pan. It is slow, only filtering about 6 quarts in 5 minutes of 45 MPH driving, but it is very effective. YMMV, Mel > -----Original Message----- > From: twisty M3 [mailto:twistym3@hotmail.com] > Sent: Wednesday, August 01, 2001 6:22 PM > To: E36M3 > Subject: [E36M3] Oil Changing Option > > > Date: Wed, 01 Aug 2001 16:21:02 -0700 > From: "twisty M3" <twistym3@hotmail.com> > Subject: [E36M3] Oil Changing Option > > The miles and time seem to fly by at an increasingly speedy pace, and I > never seem to get in as many oil changes as I'd like. Part of > the problem > is because of where I live... I rent, and my "landlords" wouldn't be too > happy if they showed up as I was draining black gold in their > driveway. I > do have to add a quart of oil apx. every 2-3 weeks so I'm wondering if > simply changing the filter would be a simple and logical > solution. The oil > is essentially being changed by simply burning off, but I'd assume, aside > from the full oil/filter change, that the filter-only change > would be good > insurance. > > Any input? Not worth it unless you're doing a full change? > > Thanks, > > Jonathan L. > '99 M3 > > _________________________________________________________________ > Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp > > > ************************************************************* > 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 to the email address e36m3@bmw-m.net. > ************************************************************* > >
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#10. Goin' down that dark path - from Alain van der Heide
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Date: Wed, 1 Aug 2001 20:54:43 -0600 From: "Alain van der Heide" <ajvdh1@home.com> Subject: Goin' down that dark path Turbo tuning. What fun. Anybody know about installing an A'pexi super-afc on a BMW? So this is where I am: '95 M3. Mechtech turbo kit, running stock pressure (nominally 5 psi, but it peaks at 7 psi around 4k RPM). With the help of Karl at Active, I ditched the devil spawn rising rate fuel pressure regulator, and upgraded the injectors from the stock 18 lb/hr to 35 lb/hr (aargh, aargh, aargh). AA supplied me with a new chip to accomodate the new injectors. Karl did his best effort. The transition into boost is more linear (I'm guessing it's on account that the additional fuel gets added the instant boost comes on, instead of when the RRFPR got around to raising the system pressure). Problem is, since I live 2000 miles away and 5000 ft higher than AA, it ain't perfect. Specifically I'm getting a tad lean at WOT and high RPM. We're not talking instant piston nuke, but lean enough that I don't want to track it until I've got it resolved. So, I've been investigating alternatives. One of 'em is the Unichip. Upside is, if it's done right, it can be very effective - fuel, ignition and Vanos maps specific to my car. Downsides are, I can't mess with it myself, it's only as good as the guy doing the tuning (and I'm not too sure about the local shop that sells 'em), and it's expensive. The other alternative would be the A'pexi super-afc. Less flexible, but much cheaper and I can tune it myself. A'pexi says they don't support BMW, but they've heard people have used 'em successfully. I'm leaning to the second alternative at this moment.