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#1. Re: [E36M3] How Noisy are Koni SAs? - from twisty M3
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Date: Fri, 25 Jan 2002 12:02:19 -0800 From: "twisty M3" <twistym3@hotmail.com> Subject: Re: [E36M3] How Noisy are Koni SAs? Hmm, sounds like you're referring to the spring pads. I'm pretty sure those are an integral part of the suspension... even dedicated track cars (AFAIK) keep those in. That could be the source of your noise. Otherwise, if it's only on big dips, as you said, you could also be experiencing some tire rubbing. My rear would rub on big dips, so I had to end up getting the rear fenders rolled. Jonathan L. _________________________________________________________________ MSN Photos is the easiest way to share and print your photos: http://photos.msn.com/support/worldwide.aspx
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#2. M3 Seats - from Chuck Hanson
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Date: Fri, 25 Jan 2002 13:11:16 -0700 From: Chuck Hanson <chuckh@dpsabq.com> Subject: M3 Seats Help! I'm still M3 shopping and I'm getting very confused. I have driven a 97 sedan with the luxury package (wood trim and everything) and my wife loves the shape of the seats. They just fit her I guess. We just drove a 99 coupe with the "Vader" sport seats and she hates them. We also sat in a 98 convertible and she liked the seats but we aren't sure what they were. They had adjustable thigh supports and the cool colored "M" stripes, but they were clearly not the Vader seats. This car did not have wood trip so I'm sure it wasn't the luxury package. Do E36 M3's have a "standard" seat, as well as "luxury" and "sport"? Please reply privately since I'm on the digest and I'm really curious now. Chuck Hanson
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#3. RE: [E36M3] Sheesh... - from Chris Turrisi
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Date: Fri, 25 Jan 2002 15:15:19 -0500 From: Chris Turrisi <cturrisi@worldnet.att.net> Subject: RE: [E36M3] Sheesh... At 11:18 AM 1/25/02 -0800, jim.bassett@alloptic.com wrote: > > OK guy and gals...you are all starting to scare me a > > little...OK a lot... > > > > I am going to pick up my new to me 1992 325ITS car next weekend.... > > > > and I am way past the start of the slippery slope... > >Hi Chris, > >Sounds a lot like what I've done. Is the car already prepped & ready to >race? If it is, this is the smart way to go IMO. I spent the better part of >a year prepping an E30 M3 that I co-drove, and watched (and occasionally >"supervised" :-)) Donna prep her car, and buying one already prepped I fell >will limit the "money pit" aspect. > >There's an awful lot of time & expense taking a street car and turning it >into a decent track/race car. given the condition of the 325is I bought, I >spent a minimal amount of time & money getting it ready: >- Race seat & harness >- About a day and a half to re-install the cage & seat >- JimC intake (already had chip) > >Since I've had it, and not counting the overrev :-), I've added a LS diff >and changed the front brake pads. > >Anyway, that's my 2 cents. > >Jim Bassett >1998 M3/4 >1993 325is #44 KP Hey there, I am buying Bryan Watt's car. http://www.wfu.edu/users/wattba02/325.html I will be picking it up on Feb 2nd if everything goes as planned... From what I know, the only thing the car needs is brake rotors/pads and a passenger side harness. We will see after the pre-purchase inspection. I was told the same thing about converting a street car to a race car (even though I am mechanically able to do it). Thanks for info and good luck racing this year, Chris T. 92 325ITS - (baby that is on the way)
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#4. Re: [E36M3] Re:PSS9 Suspension - from Steven Tom
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Date: Fri, 25 Jan 2002 13:08:50 -0800 From: Steven Tom <stom@qualcomm.com> Subject: Re: [E36M3] Re:PSS9 Suspension Also I think because of the spring setup and that the springs sit lower in the shock body than that of the H&R you might have to run wheel spacers. steve At 09:47 AM 1/25/02 -0600, Sean Silva wrote: >Date: Fri, 25 Jan 2002 10:26 -0500 >From: "Sean Silva" <sean.silva@crbard.com> >Subject: Re:PSS9 Suspension > >I have been told that the only reason they don't fit is because the front >shock >bodies do not have all of the necessary "ears" welded to them. The one >ear they >are missing is for the purpose of attaching the stock M3 sway bar links. This >can be resolved by purchasing 325i sway bar links and mounting them to the >control arms as opposed to the shock bodies.
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#5. Piston Slap / Chain Tensioner Follow-Up - from Michael Wylie
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Date: Fri, 25 Jan 2002 13:29:08 -0800 From: "Michael Wylie" <mdwylie@ix.netcom.com> Subject: Piston Slap / Chain Tensioner Follow-Up Back in #1923, Brian described a concern about piston slap. This turned into a thread on chain tensioners. I replaced my tensioner (11 31 1 405 081, as described on Rick Poon's site) and crush ring. This is the upgraded tensioner (no spring) specifically for the 95 M3 engine. I too have the piston slap when cold noise and the rattle on deceleration noise. Installing the new tensioner had no effect on the two noises. It might be my imagination, but the decel rattle does seem a little less noisy. Although the tensioner did not solve the issue, at least I now know it *isn't* the tensioner. :)<< Tip when installing the tensioner: Screw it about half-way in, then turn it clockwise and counter-clockwise and listen. With about 20 degrees of back/forth rotation a clicking sound can be heard confirming the tensioner piston slot is properly seated in the tensioner arm. Michael Wylie 95 M3, 27K miles, and a little noisy Novato, California
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#6. Racing: a lesson to be learned - from jim.bassett@alloptic.com
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Date: Fri, 25 Jan 2002 14:10:50 -0800 From: jim.bassett@alloptic.com Subject: Racing: a lesson to be learned My apologies to Jeff & the List for including the List in the reply to a private email. But I think as long as we're on the "racing & preparation" thread, hopefully someone can learn from my costly mistake. > Not counting the WHAT? The overrev :-) > Did you already hurt your new toy? Hurt and fixed. The story (it's a long one, so bear with me): I took possession of the race car on Oct 30. Next race was Nov 3&4 at Laguna Seca. I was already signed up and was NOT going to miss debuting my "new" car. All I had to do was re-install the cage and install the new race seat & harness. BTDT, I thought, piece of cake. Ha! By Thursday night, I don't have the hardware needed to finish installing the seat and I have a tech inspection in the morning. And who would have thought Home Depot DIDN'T carry metric bolts! Argh, I give up. Friday dawns and I figure eff-it, I'm going to give it a try. So I take the day off work and finish the cage & seat install, requiring 3 trips to the hardware store. Call Conversion Techniques and they can do a tech inspection after 5PM. Heading through downtown Oakland, at 5PM on a Friday, and BAM, a loud noise from the front right under braking. WTF?!? Lost a caliper braket bolt, so the caliper is banging against the wheel. Call AAA and get towed to CT for the tech inspection (the irony is not lost on me :-)). They have a spare bolt. It's installed, I have my inspection paperwork and I'm on my way. Sat AM at the track. 60(!) cars in our group. Only 2 sessions for the day, qualifying and race. 3rd lap of the day, going into the braking zone for Turn 5, downshifting from 4th to 3rd, but grab 1st instead (I didn't know a tach could go that far south :-)). Drive straight off at 5. Lots of words not fit for a family forum :-). End result, bent ALL 12 exhaust valves (pictures soon). Bill Arnold did an AMAZING job, getting the car up & running by the following Thursday, in time for the Sears point race that weekend. Since the head was off, I went ahead and installed '95 M3 cams (hey, I wasn't going to let an upgrade opportunity pass me by). All told, $3500. Ouch! Moral: DO NOT RUSH. GET SOME TESTING TIME BEFORE RACING. The car was new to me, and unfamiliar (short shifter, seating position, etc), and I was rushed and probably feeling a bit of pressure with the first session on track ever in the car being a qualifying session. Oh yeah, CALM DOWN :-) Now, almost 3 months later and about 5 track days, I fell MUCH more comfortable with the car. I had a great time last time out at Laguna, running a best time of 1:51.7, and consistently in the 1:53 range - my best in the M3 was 1:55. Not only have I been working on getting familiar with the car, but really working on my mental preparation. I think that really helped me at Laguna, a track I've historically struggled at. Next weekend I'm at Sears with NASA, followed by a day at Thunderhill. The main goal of these sessions is to get familiar with the car at these tracks (and have fun :-)), with the same setup (Hi Donna :-)). Then I'll be ready for this race season. Anyway, sorry for the length, but as you can see it was more than a simple overrev situation. I hope it can be useful, not only for racers but for anyone preparing to go to the track. Jim Bassett 1998 M3/4 1993 325is #44 KP
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#7. Re: [E36M3] RE: Strange Situation - from Cheng, Margaret
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Date: Fri, 25 Jan 2002 09:26:28 -0800 From: "Cheng, Margaret" <Margaret.Cheng@kp.org> Subject: Re: [E36M3] RE: Strange Situation Also, remember that the car may never be quite the same. Bending something back probably isn't the same as "straight in the first place". Even if it feels pretty good at the beginning, you might experience creakiness, etc. earlier than you would have if not involved in an accident. any chance you can argue for a similar type car (year, mileage, etc.) off their lot? One would expect that they would bend over backwards to keep you happy--a stuffed front end isn't like a small dent on the fender, and it probably happened because someone was having more fun with the car than the implicit authorization when you drop off the car at the dealer... Good luck. Margaret JMMn@pge.com on 01/25/2002 08:46:00 AM To: e36m3@bmw-m.net@Internet cc: (bcc: Margaret Cheng/CA/KAIPERM) Subject: [E36M3] RE: Strange Situation Date: Fri, 25 Jan 2002 08:30:30 -0800 From: "Mount, Mike" <JMMn@pge.com> Subject: [E36M3] RE: Strange Situation I'll add my .02 here also re- diminished value. An insurance company no doubt will try to weasel out on a diminished value claim by saying that it will only apply when you sell the car. This is not correct. All you need is an expert witness to testify to the vehicles diminished value and be willing to argue the point with the insurance carrier. If this was my vehicle, I would be 'bending them over a barrel' as they have ZERO defense regarding their actions. My guess is that the dealership is rather anxious to avoid publicity or embarrassment. (not to mention litigation, btw) Just my opinion, Mike Kevin, You should be concerned about diminished value. You car is worth at least 10%, maybe even 20% less now than before the collision (assuming no prior accidents). Insurance companies like to pretend that diminished value isn't legitimate but it is and in most states they have to pay you for it. Now the question is how much can you get. I'd try to negotiate for 20% and hope to get 15% at the end of the day. Good luck and sorry to hear about your baby.. -Matt --- Kevin Cox <bigk@w-link.net> wrote: > Date: Fri, 25 Jan 2002 06:40:48 -0800 > From: "Kevin Cox" <bigk@w-link.net> > Subject: RE: Strange Situation > > Recently the mirrors were stolen from my 99 E36 > M3/conv. Expensive mirrors. > Subsequently or as a result of the mirrors being > stolen, the warning light > for the roll-over protection system came on. I took > the car to my trusted > repair shop, they ordered the mirrors, had them > painted and were going to > re-install them. Their testing equipment could not > determine the problem > with the RPS so they contracted with the only BMW > facility in our large city > (the dealership I bought the car from)to determine > the fault. After the BMW > facility has had the car for a while, someone took > the car out on a test > drive and it was involved in an accident. The damage > is substantial. The > front end is stuffed in and the car is undrivable. > The air bags did not > deploy but the RPS did so the convertible top and > rear window is being > stretched out. The BMW facility is anxious to get it > repaired but I am > concerned by the diminished value of the car. Anyone > out there had a similar > experience? Any suggestions? I am hesitant to > publish the location and name > of the dealership just yet but I will warn you if it > doesn't go well. > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Great stuff seeking new owners in Yahoo! Auctions! http://auctions.yahoo.com ************************************************************* 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. ************************************************************* ************************************************************* 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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#8. FS: 95 M3 only 31K mi. Dakar Yellow - from sjenkins@voyager.net
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Date: Fri, 25 Jan 2002 23:25:11 +0000 (US/Eastern) From: sjenkins@voyager.net Subject: FS: 95 M3 only 31K mi. Dakar Yellow I have a 95 Dakar Yellow / Black 5 speed M3 For Sale with only 31k Miles. The car has been stored every winter prior to this one. It has the following options/ add ons: Cloth/Suade Sport seats (Heated) White corners/sidemarkers/rear turns. Body colored rear valance E46 Rear lip spoiler (looks perfect IMHO) Light Tint Active Autowerks Stage II (CAI, HFM, Injectors & Chip)installed about 4k miles ago. Xbrace Euro Rotors BMW CD changer and I'm sure there is more I'm forgeting!! The car is Exceptionally clean!! I'm asking $24,900 OBO and you can see pictures on my companys website @ www.thelastdetail.com Please pass this along to anyone you know who may be in the market for a used M3! I'm selling due to the recent arrival of My 02 SMG! Thanks for your bandwidth! Steve Jenkins Sales Manager The Last Detail, Inc. www.thelastdetail.com
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#9. viscous & electric fans - from Paul Elliott
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Date: Fri, 25 Jan 2002 19:08:55 -0500 From: "Paul Elliott" <elliott.paul@worldnet.att.net> Subject: viscous & electric fans >>As for freeing up HP, that's the big question<< Maybe I'm missing something here, but lets say the average M3 or track M3 is making about 260 hp. And lets say the alternate fan frees up 5 hp. Well that amounts to about 2% increase. And I dont think there's a person alive who can feel a 2% increase in hp. Im not even convinced that if you compared some 0-60 runs back to back, that the variance youd see between the before and after fan switch would be any greater than the variance youd see between runs with the same car...I might be wrong, but thats just how it seems to me. --------------------------------------------------------- Paul Elliott '99 White M3; < 40K miles; Dinan stage II SC kit with 6" RMS crank pulley: 11 psi; AA Water Injection; Rotex pads;X-Brace; Dinan Koni Suspension; Stygar SS and Clutch Stop; Sound by Polk, Excelon, JLAudio
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#10. new plugs - from Paul Elliott
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Date: Fri, 25 Jan 2002 19:16:40 -0500 From: "Paul Elliott" <elliott.paul@worldnet.att.net> Subject: new plugs Before I went in for my Inspection II, I had about 37K miles on the original plugs, and I didnt know what was causing my somewhat irregular idle...Nothing serious mind you, but the idle would occasionally feel like it would skip, or lose a beat. You would hear a slight quick decrease in tone, and it would pick right back up again...Sometimes, while driving, the engine instead of maintaining a smooth steady idle, would dip below 500 rpms for a second, never to stall, but uncomfortably low, before building right back up again. Now, after the service, it purrs like a kitty. Smooth as silk....So I conclude it must have been the plugs...I assume Im talking about dirty or well used plugs as the culprit...But since I had them install different plugs for the service, ie NGK R5671A-7 single ground strap plugs instead of the standard Bosch 4 ground strap issue for BMW, it could just as easily be the type of plug. I cant tell because 2 factors changed; the condition and the model of the plug. Im only mentioning this because Ive heard from other folks who have commented on a somewhat lumpy idle, and I just wanted to let them know that in my case, plugs solved the condition 100%. --------------------------------------------------------- Paul Elliott '99 White M3; < 40K miles; Dinan stage II SC kit with 6" RMS crank pulley: 11 psi; AA Water Injection; Rotex pads;X-Brace; Dinan Koni Suspension; Stygar SS and Clutch Stop; Sound by Polk, Excelon, JLAudio