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#1. Re: [E36M3] Re: Corner Balancing/Coil Over Post Install - from Zack Steinkamp
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Date: Thu, 6 Dec 2001 10:22:48 -0800 (PST) From: Zack Steinkamp <edsarkiss@yahoo.com> Subject: Re: [E36M3] Re: Corner Balancing/Coil Over Post Install --- Ron Katona <rkatona@bellatlantic.net> wrote: > You can only adjust cross weight with the spring perches. > To > alter F/R or L/R distribution means physically moving (or removing) > weight around the car. ron, can you explain what "cross weight" is? i've never heard the term. thanks zs 98 M3/4 with H&R coilovers boxed up in the kitchen waiting patiently... __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Send your FREE holiday greetings online! http://greetings.yahoo.com
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#2. News on my car and recommendations to buyers.... - from Mark Radelow
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Date: Thu, 06 Dec 2001 18:46:29 +0000 From: "Mark Radelow" <radelow@hotmail.com> Subject: News on my car and recommendations to buyers.... Hi everyone. Well my motor has been taken apart and we have figured out what happened. The previous owner had at some point overheated the engine and forget to "mention" it to me. Check out the photos at: http://photos.yahoo.com/radelow under M3 headgasket Basically coolant had gotten stuck in the headgasket and over time correded to the point that it started exhausting into the combustion chamber. You can see this by the super clean marks on some of the pistons at 11 and 1 o'clock. You can also see coolant migration paths as well as some water corrosion on the head and on the headgasket. So we are replacing all the gaskets, thermostat, switching to a metal thermostat housing, and putting a new radiator in there while we are at it. My water pump was upgraded to a metal one when I bought the car. What's the lesson from this? Unless your mom owns the car there is no way to really know what condition an M3 is in. My mechanic explained the biggest fault of the S50/M50 motors is failure of the coolant system because of cheap parts (either water pump or thermostat) or just basically lame owners that don't take care of their car. The coolant that was caught in my head could have been there for 20k+ miles before anything was noticable. So even though the car tested perfectly when I bought it 12k miles ago it was an accident waiting to happen. The PO lied to me about the car and I am paying for it now. If you are going to buy an M3 and you don't know the history expect that there is a chance at some point you might be doing a headgasket. Oh well. :) BE POSITIVE!!!! Mark 95 ///M3 - Sick 88 Chevy Fullsize - 210,000 miles and still going strong on the original motor. _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp
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#3. New Stereo Q's, plus stealthbox power... - from Reid Conti
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Date: Thu, 6 Dec 2001 11:17:41 -0800 (PST) From: Reid Conti <reid@conti.net> Subject: New Stereo Q's, plus stealthbox power... I'm going to be upgrading the stereo in my 95 and have a few questions. I plan to stick with the stock head unit and changer, but replace the front speakers with focal or a/d/s/ 5.25" units, put the JL Audio stealthboxes in the back, and fit a 4 channel amp. So here are the questions: 1. Focal or a/d/s/, and where to buy 2. What kind of power do I need to the stealthboxes? They're 8ohm, 150 watt power handling (for the pair). I'm looking at a JL Audio 300/4 amp recommended to me by someone. I figure if I bridge the 2 rear channels and run the wiring in parallel I can pull off 150 watts RMS at 4ohms. However, according to the JL spec sheet, the 8IB4 woofer is rated at 87dB efficiency, which is pretty damn low. Their sheet claims this is not a good measure of how "loud" a speaker is relative to another, but everyone else says otherwise. For example, the 8IB4 is 87.4dB efficiency (1W/1m) and the 12 is 92.2dB. Seems like the 8 is not very efficient. 3. Amp mounting - I plan to mount the amp upside down on the rear shelf, perhaps by putting a board under the package shelf and screwing the amp into it upside down. 4. Wiring - I've looked at the unofficialbmw stock amp wiring, and can figure out where to tap into what. A few questions, though. First, is there a wiring harness I can buy so that I don't have to cut the factory stuff, in case it's ever desireable to return to stock? I'm sure I won't return to stock even when I end up selling the car some day, but it would make me feel better about cutting into wires if they weren't original fixtures on the car and could be removed. 5. Wiring - What are the inputs coming from the deck? Are they line-level inputs, or speaker level, or what? How do I turn these into RCA connectors for the amp? Or do I need an amp with speaker-level connectors? Thanks for any help/info you can provide.. - reid
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#4. Re: [E36M3] Re: Corner Balancing/Coil Over Post Install - from Chester Wong
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Date: Thu, 6 Dec 2001 11:45:12 -0800 (PST) From: Chester Wong <chester_p_wong@yahoo.com> Subject: Re: [E36M3] Re: Corner Balancing/Coil Over Post Install http://www.grmotorsports.com/cornerweight.html > ron, can you explain what "cross weight" is? i've never heard the > term. HTH, Chester ===== __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Send your FREE holiday greetings online! http://greetings.yahoo.com
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#5. Re: [E36M3] New Stereo Q's, plus stealthbox power... - from David Bauer
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Date: Thu, 06 Dec 2001 13:58:55 -0600 From: David Bauer <dbauer@blkbox.com> Subject: Re: [E36M3] New Stereo Q's, plus stealthbox power... Reid, 1. I am leaning towards Focals myself but I can't make up my mind between Focal Polykevlar, Diamond Hex and DEI Studio (excellent reviews and $100 cheaper). Unfortunately nobody in town carries more than one of these so it's tough to audition them. www.mmxpress.com and www.theautophile.com were recommended to me and www.uscaraudio.com is another place I have seen Focals. 3. I thought about hanging mine from the rear deck but the weight of the amp plus the MDF got me worried. I ended up doing something like Chester did (see unofficialbmw.com). 4. I was wondering myself if the connectors were standard ones that could be picked up from digikey or somewhere. 5. I've seen some people stick RCA connectors on the head unit outputs and others use a level matching device. I just replaced my deck. HTH, Dave 95 M3 Reid Conti wrote: > > Date: Thu, 6 Dec 2001 11:17:41 -0800 (PST) > From: Reid Conti <reid@conti.net> > Subject: New Stereo Q's, plus stealthbox power... > > I'm going to be upgrading the stereo in my 95 and have a few questions. I > plan to stick with the stock head unit and changer, but replace the front > speakers with focal or a/d/s/ 5.25" units, put the JL Audio stealthboxes > in the back, and fit a 4 channel amp. > > So here are the questions: > > 1. Focal or a/d/s/, and where to buy > > 2. What kind of power do I need to the stealthboxes? They're 8ohm, 150 > watt power handling (for the pair). I'm looking at a JL Audio 300/4 amp > recommended to me by someone. I figure if I bridge the 2 rear channels > and run the wiring in parallel I can pull off 150 watts RMS at > 4ohms. However, according to the JL spec sheet, the 8IB4 woofer is rated > at 87dB efficiency, which is pretty damn low. Their sheet claims this is > not a good measure of how "loud" a speaker is relative to another, but > everyone else says otherwise. For example, the 8IB4 is 87.4dB efficiency > (1W/1m) and the 12 is 92.2dB. Seems like the 8 is not very > efficient. > > 3. Amp mounting - I plan to mount the amp upside down on the rear shelf, > perhaps by putting a board under the package shelf and screwing the amp > into it upside down. > > 4. Wiring - I've looked at the unofficialbmw stock amp wiring, and can > figure out where to tap into what. A few questions, though. First, is > there a wiring harness I can buy so that I don't have to cut the factory > stuff, in case it's ever desireable to return to stock? I'm sure I won't > return to stock even when I end up selling the car some day, but it would > make me feel better about cutting into wires if they weren't original > fixtures on the car and could be removed. > > 5. Wiring - What are the inputs coming from the deck? Are they line-level > inputs, or speaker level, or what? How do I turn these into RCA > connectors for the amp? Or do I need an amp with speaker-level > connectors? > > Thanks for any help/info you can provide.. > > - reid > > ************************************************************* > 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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#6. Re: Aftermarket Exhaust Recommendations - from Ron Buchalski
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Date: Thu, 06 Dec 2001 20:39:44 From: "Ron Buchalski" <rbuchals@hotmail.com> Subject: Re: Aftermarket Exhaust Recommendations Clark, I'm happy with my Supersprint exhaust. It looks great, fit perfectly, and the sound inside the car is not louder than stock. In fact, I can detect some slight increase in sound inside the car, but it's so slight that it's essentially the same sound level as stock. I bought mine from BimmerToys, who sells it for $699. First time customers receive an additional $10 off. I couldn't find it at a lower price. The sound outside the car is deeper, and it's louder behind the car. However, being TUV approved, it's not loud enough to get you a ticket! I have sound clips of the stock and Supersprint exhausts, if you're interested. Ron Buchalski 1995 E36 M3 >Date: Wed, 5 Dec 2001 21:43:37 -0500 >From: "Clark Cook" <cooksan@prodigy.net> >Subject: Aftermarket Exhaust Recommendations > > >I currently have a second generation Borla system on my '95 M-3 coupe-I >say second generation because it does not have the turbine fins in the >exhaust tips-Borla says they eliminated this feature some years back. >My problem is that the first Borla installed fit perfectly with no >rattles or clearance problems. Unfortunately it was damaged in a close >encounter with some guardrail and had to be replaced. The replacement >bumps in the differential area and the tips vibrate-hitting the plastic >cut-out. We've tried refitting, making sure everything is tight >etc.--no luck. Has anyone had similar problems--and what's the >recommended aftermarket system now? Thanks Clark Cook > _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp
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#7. Re: [E36M3] New Stereo Q's, plus stealthbox power... - from Chester Wong
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Date: Thu, 6 Dec 2001 13:11:30 -0800 (PST) From: Chester Wong <chester_p_wong@yahoo.com> Subject: Re: [E36M3] New Stereo Q's, plus stealthbox power... > 1. Focal or a/d/s/, and where to buy Dunno about Focal, but if going with a/d/s/, contact brad@evosport.com > 2. What kind of power do I need to the stealthboxes? They're 8ohm, 150 > watt power handling (for the pair). I'm looking at a JL Audio 300/4 amp > recommended to me by someone. I figure if I bridge the 2 rear channels > and run the wiring in parallel I can pull off 150 watts RMS at > 4ohms. However, according to the JL spec sheet, the 8IB4 woofer is rated > at 87dB efficiency, which is pretty damn low. Their sheet claims this is > not a good measure of how "loud" a speaker is relative to another, but > everyone else says otherwise. For example, the 8IB4 is 87.4dB efficiency > (1W/1m) and the 12 is 92.2dB. Seems like the 8 is not very > efficient. Could it be that the 8IB4s are infinite baffle? > 3. Amp mounting - I plan to mount the amp upside down on the rear shelf, > perhaps by putting a board under the package shelf and screwing the amp > into it upside down. Overheating issues? The best way to mount the amp is vertically with the fins running perpendicular to the floor. This best capitalizes on convection. Why don't you do this: Keep the factory rears or replace with favorite set of rear replacments. Get a sub box with whatever favorite subs you want. Mount the amp to the box. Make the whole box/amp assembly latch down with some special latches and make the wiring plug-n-playable. This way, when you're at a track session or autox, you can leave the box and amp and home. Though the Stealthboxes are good, for the money, I think something better can be obtained. You can even make your own adapter plates to mount stuff to under the rear deck. > 4. Wiring - I've looked at the unofficialbmw stock amp wiring, and can > figure out where to tap into what. A few questions, though. First, is > there a wiring harness I can buy so that I don't have to cut the factory > stuff, in case it's ever desireable to return to stock? I'm sure I won't > return to stock even when I end up selling the car some day, but it would > make me feel better about cutting into wires if they weren't original > fixtures on the car and could be removed. Those are proprietary connectors....good luck finding ones that will mate to them. I've heard (haven't actually held the physical pieces in my hand) that BavAuto makes a set of connectors, but they'll only sell it if you buy the amp/speakers/etc from them. The bigger connector looks like something from one of the AMP lines of connectors. The polarizing molds will be different, but if you can gut out the inside, then it should hold together. Then you can zip lock the two halves together. It ain't pretty, but you didn't have to cut wires, did you? The smaller connector can be pulled out of the slide/lock mechanism. Once you have this, it looks like a standard 1mm on center dual row (26 pin, I think) connector that computer IDE connectors use. Perhaps you can rig something up. > 5. Wiring - What are the inputs coming from the deck? Are they line-level > inputs, or speaker level, or what? How do I turn these into RCA > connectors for the amp? Or do I need an amp with speaker-level > connectors? Dunno, but my amp (a/d/s/ 840) had no problems handling the input from the stock head unit. Be forewarned, though, the factory head/changer combo sucks. The head clips at a certain high frequency. Of course, the factory amp has a filter that cuts the frequency range (I'm not being very technical here...it's been a while). IMHO, you'll be greatly disappointed after having replaced all that hardware to still end up with a mediocre sounding system. Your best bet is to replace the amp. HTH, Chester ===== __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Send your FREE holiday greetings online! http://greetings.yahoo.com
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#8. Re: [E36M3] Re: Sucking Splash shield - from RogRacer@aol.com
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Date: Thu, 06 Dec 2001 16:29:02 EST From: RogRacer@aol.com Subject: Re: [E36M3] Re: Sucking Splash shield ...or, yet another option like I used, is to apply fiberglass fabric/polyester resin directly on the shroud to reinforce the mounting tab area...redrill the mounting holes when finished.... -Roger RogRacer@aol.com
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#9. Anyone have any info about the Hella Headlight Kit?? - from JUSTIN GERRY
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Date: Thu, 06 Dec 2001 16:30:50 -0500 From: "JUSTIN GERRY" <JGERRY@butchers.com> Subject: Anyone have any info about the Hella Headlight Kit?? I saw some info that Hella has designed a replacement headlight kit for the E36 that has the "angel eye" rings. From the one picture I saw it appears that it is a projector type headlamp that might have a xenon option. No info on the hella website yet... Hmmm.... -Justin (not affiliated with Hella in anyway, just found some info on the web) -- '76 02 (Whimsical) '97 M3 (Orion) BMW CCA#77056 check out http://users.vei.net/jgerry
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#10. Re: [E36M3] Anyone have any info about the Hella Headlight Kit?? - from Reid Conti
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Date: Thu, 6 Dec 2001 13:55:31 -0800 (PST) From: Reid Conti <reid@conti.net> Subject: Re: [E36M3] Anyone have any info about the Hella Headlight Kit?? I think it's in.pro that's doing this. Someone once passed me their US url, I think they had pictures there. I'm personally afraid they'll use cheap ellipsoids instead of good ones. I'm just gonna buy the standard ellipsoids, myself.. I don't need angel eyes :) Hopefully they do it right and use the quality headlights to do it, though! - reid > I saw some info that Hella has designed a replacement headlight kit for > the E36 that has the "angel eye" rings. From the one picture I saw it > appears that it is a projector type headlamp that might have a xenon > option. > > No info on the hella website yet...