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#1. RSMs - from Alan Taur
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Date: Sun, 10 Feb 2002 09:27:31 -0800 From: "Alan Taur" <alantaur@yahoo.com> Subject: RSMs Paul, Paul, If you're really that motivated in finding out the source of the clunk/clink, I would suggest that you pull the stealthbox on the offending side and inspect the RSM yourself. There are special washers that sandwich the rubber part of the RSM that prevent metal-on-metal contact. These must be assembled in a proper way. You should get a print out of the BMW ETK screen that shows the proper orientation of all the washers (which are cup shaped). If they are flipped around, you may very well get the noise you're describing. Actually, the best way to ensure that you have properly assembled RSMs is to unbolt the RSM and the shock itself. This will allow you to check the entire stack of components as a whole. Anyway, this stuff is child's play, and shouldn't take you more than 30 minutes total to do all the assembly/disassembly. Good luck. -Alan _________________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com
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#2. Re: Re:[E36M3] Diff/Tran fluids and Redline - from The Abels
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Date: Sun, 10 Feb 2002 12:42:36 -0600 From: "The Abels" <aAbel@austin.rr.com> Subject: Re: Re:[E36M3] Diff/Tran fluids and Redline > Jeff Abel wrote > > > The smoothness of my gearbox with redline d4 atf has diminished noticably > > after 6 months. That includes several track events, and lots and lots of > > heavy city driving. > > > Here's my story with the D4 ATF in my 95 M3. YMMV > > When I bought the car I switched it to the Redline D4 ATF as recommended. > Never noticed much difference with the shifting. About 30k later when I hit > 100k I changed the D4 again. On the first trip down the road the tranny was > grinding on the 4-3 downshift. Checked the fluid level and it was OK, but > unless I was deliberately slow with the 4-3 shift it would grind every > single time. > > With Winterfest at Sebring coming up this would be acceptable out on the > track. I've got plenty of other things to worry about without trying to > baby that shift, especially since the almost entire track is 3rd or 4th > gear. I decided I would try Redline MTL instead. After the first change > the grinding was better, but still happened occasionally. Drove it for a > couple of weeks, then flushed it again. Since then, including a weekend at > the track, I've had NO grinding at all. Trans shifts the smoothest since > I've owned the car. So if your having shifting issues, you may want to try > MTL. > > Eric > 95 M3 > 00 Passat Wagon Just an update on this issue. Given the notchiness that I was encountering, I ran out to the parts store and picked up a couple bottles of redline D4 ATF, and replaced the tranny fluid. All is well now. Notchiness gone. Makes me wonder, however. When I replaced stock fill with Redline 10k miles ago, I noticed no improvement in shifting (like Eric). But, then again, I had no particular problems with the stock fill. I changed it out b/c I figgered I needed to. I now think that unless you encounter shifting issues with the stock fill, leave it alone, as it now looks like I'll have to flush and fill every 6 to 12 mos. :-/ Jeff 97 M3/4, smooth shifting again
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#3. Re:[E36M3] Diff/Tran fluids and Redline - from Mark Siismets
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Date: Sun, 10 Feb 2002 11:38:49 -0800 (PST) From: Mark Siismets <msiismets@yahoo.com> Subject: Re:[E36M3] Diff/Tran fluids and Redline Eric wrote > Here's my story with the D4 ATF in my 95 M3. YMMV (snip, snip) > So if your having shifting issues, you may want to > try MTL. IIRC, D4 ATF is not recomended for the '95 M3. OK for some of the later M3s, but not the '95 tranny. I could be wrong, but this is what I remember. By the way, I've been using MTL for the past 5 years with no problems. Regards, Mark '95 M3 - Houston __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Send FREE Valentine eCards with Yahoo! Greetings! http://greetings.yahoo.com
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#4. Re: Re:[E36M3] Diff/Tran fluids and Redline - from Michael
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Date: Sun, 10 Feb 2002 14:44:16 -0500 From: "Michael" <95m3ltw@charter.net> Subject: Re: Re:[E36M3] Diff/Tran fluids and Redline Several folks, myself included experienced the same problems with redline. I switched to Mobile One syn ATF in both of my M3s and had buttery smooth shifting ever since, this was back in 98 btw. I know of atleast 10 or more folks that switched and noticed a improvement going to mobil one over redline, FWIW Mike ----- Original Message ----- From: "The Abels" <aAbel@austin.rr.com> I now think that unless you encounter shifting issues > with the stock fill, leave it alone, as it now looks like I'll have to flush > and fill every 6 to 12 mos. :-/
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#5. Re: Re:[E36M3] Diff/Tran fluids and Redline - from Michael
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Date: Sun, 10 Feb 2002 15:03:07 -0500 From: "Michael" <95m3ltw@charter.net> Subject: Re: Re:[E36M3] Diff/Tran fluids and Redline Both of my 95s require ATF Mike ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mark Siismets" <msiismets@yahoo.com> > IIRC, D4 ATF is not recomended for the '95 M3. OK for > some of the later M3s, but not the '95 tranny. I > could be wrong, but this is what I remember.
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#6. In the middle of clutch job,.. need some advice - from Matt Henson
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Date: Sun, 10 Feb 2002 12:41:25 -0800 (PST) From: Matt Henson <hensonator@yahoo.com> Subject: In the middle of clutch job,.. need some advice Hey Gang, Well, I ordered the Sachs HD pressure plate from Zygmunt motors and have removed the transmission. Like all good projects, I've found some problems.. 1) The guibo has some cracks. Bummer. I'll just get a new one. 2) How do you get a wrench on that top starter nut? The one on the front side of the starter? I used an air gun to zip the bolt out but how to get it back in? 3) The P.O. neglected to re-install the bolt at 12 o'clock (also know's as Nick's Nightmare ;-) ). The P.O. apperantly lost some of the PP bolts and replaced 2 of them with regular hex head bolts. Nice.. Do I need to replace the PP bolts anyway? 4) The flywheel has some uhh.. burn marks? It feels smooth but has some significant discoloration. Should I get this turned? Or just put it back in? Or replace it. My car is a '95 with 70K and a turbo so I don't want to take any chances with things not working correctly. 5) When I removed the flywheel the bolts had some oil on them. I think that the rear main seal must be leaking a bit. There's also some residue along the back of the oil pan. 6) Does anyknow know of a good deal on a LTW flywheel? I don't want to pay more than $500 for this. Does anyone know how much the stock dual-mass unit costs? 7) I was planning on using the same type fork and release bearing (new bearing, of course). Has anyone heard that it's necessary to use the longer fork or bearing for the HD PP? Or is this just for the LTW flywheel? Thanks! -Matt __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Send FREE Valentine eCards with Yahoo! Greetings! http://greetings.yahoo.com
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#7. Re: Rear Shock Mount problem? - from Paul Elliott
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Date: Sun, 10 Feb 2002 16:27:22 -0500 From: "Paul Elliott" <elliott.paul@worldnet.att.net> Subject: Re: Rear Shock Mount problem? Hi Alex, With the Stealthboxes in there, there's no way I can remove the side carpet panel to expose the rsm. HOwever, what I did do was jack up the driver side of the car so the rear wheel was hanging...This allowed me to reach in and pull hard on the shock..I could see clearly the underside of the rsm, and theres no doubt to me that its on there = solid. I even took a hammer and screwdriver, and banged on each side of the bottom of the rsm, looking for any movement at all...there was none. The top wouldnt budge...Anchored in there real good....So, theres got = to be something else. =20 =20 What about the bottom of those rear headrest poles...Id love to get = them out, but I cant lift them ...I think theyre anchored in there some where, and it wouldnt surprise me at all if they were the culprit.. =20 Anybody know how to remove 'em? Or, maybe its something else still...I can see this is going to be one of those long lasting annoyances that will be devilish to locate. =20 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 ----- Original Message -----=20 From: HYPERM3@aol.com <mailto:HYPERM3@aol.com> =20 To: elliott.paul@worldnet.att.net = <mailto:elliott.paul@worldnet.att.net> Sent: Sunday, February 10, 2002 11:50 AM Subject: Re: Rear Shock Mount problem? If you want to get to it from the inside, there one or two plastic screws, big, that hold the carpet to the side below the bolster. Then you just pull down from the top, don't worry about bending or folding it, it goes back into place in the end. You might have problems with = the stealth boxes, but all in all its not that hard.=20
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#8. Re: [E36M3] In the middle of clutch job,.. need some advice - from NickG
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Date: Sun, 10 Feb 2002 17:09:51 -0500 From: "NickG" <nikog@MediaOne.net> Subject: Re: [E36M3] In the middle of clutch job,.. need some advice > 2) How do you get a wrench on that top starter nut? > The one on the front side of the starter? I used an > air gun to zip the bolt out but how to get it back in? What exactly do you mean by 'front side'? Towards the front of the car, or towards the rear of the car? I didn't have to undo any bolts from the front side of the car. Everything was accessible from the rear, alongside the tranny, using a 24-36" extension. (well, except for a little 9/10mm bolt that held on the flywheel cover) > 3) The P.O. neglected to re-install the bolt at 12 > o'clock (also know's as Nick's Nightmare ;-) ). The ha-ha, at least somebody can benefit from my experience ;) > P.O. apperantly lost some of the PP bolts and replaced > 2 of them with regular hex head bolts. Nice.. Do I > need to replace the PP bolts anyway? Yes, you MUST install new PP bolts. These are very soft, one-time use only bolts. > 4) The flywheel has some uhh.. burn marks? It feels > smooth but has some significant discoloration. Should > I get this turned? Or just put it back in? Or > replace it. My car is a '95 with 70K and a turbo so I > don't want to take any chances with things not working > correctly. Sounds totally normal. It is very difficult finding a place that will resurface the BMW dual mass flywheel. They do exist, but they're not widespread. What I did was mount the flywheel onto a brake lathe. Then while the flywheel was spinning, I used a pneumatic HD angle grinder with a sanding disc and cleaned up the surface. I gave it a nice cross-hatch pattern. All the discoloration was then gone. So far, it's been just fine. > 5) When I removed the flywheel the bolts had some oil > on them. I think that the rear main seal must be > leaking a bit. There's also some residue along the > back of the oil pan. Make sure to install new flywheel bolts also. Again, they're one time use only. > 6) Does anyknow know of a good deal on a LTW flywheel? > I don't want to pay more than $500 for this. Does > anyone know how much the stock dual-mass unit costs? The stock dual-mass unit costs around $700 or so. > 7) I was planning on using the same type fork and > release bearing (new bearing, of course). Has anyone > heard that it's necessary to use the longer fork or > bearing for the HD PP? Or is this just for the LTW > flywheel? I believe that's just for the LTW flywheel. Here's a comparison you can make to help in the decision. Place your original pressure plate and new plate, friction side down, side by side, on a flat surface. Now compare the height of each plate's "spring fingers" where the throw-out bearing would ride/contact. If the height of both plates is the same, then you can reuse the factory issue parts. If the new plate places the throw-out bearing contact surface in a different location, then you'll want to make up for it with a throw-out bearing and/or fork with different dimensions. Nick
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#9. Re: [E36M3] In the middle of clutch job,.. need some advice - from Chester Wong
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Date: Sun, 10 Feb 2002 14:26:48 -0800 (PST) From: Chester Wong <chester_p_wong@yahoo.com> Subject: Re: [E36M3] In the middle of clutch job,.. need some advice --- NickG <nikog@MediaOne.net> wrote: > Date: Sun, 10 Feb 2002 17:09:51 -0500 > From: "NickG" <nikog@MediaOne.net> > Subject: Re: [E36M3] In the middle of clutch job,.. need some advice > > > 2) How do you get a wrench on that top starter nut? > > The one on the front side of the starter? I used an > > air gun to zip the bolt out but how to get it back in? > > What exactly do you mean by 'front side'? Towards the front of the car, or > towards the rear of the car? I didn't have to undo any bolts from the front > side of the car. Everything was accessible from the rear, alongside the > tranny, using a 24-36" extension. (well, except for a little 9/10mm bolt > that held on the flywheel cover) From E36s came with start motors that didn't have threads on the body. So the bolt goes through and you have to secure a nut from the engine side of the assembly. D'oh! > > P.O. apperantly lost some of the PP bolts and replaced > > 2 of them with regular hex head bolts. Nice.. Do I > > need to replace the PP bolts anyway? > > Yes, you MUST install new PP bolts. These are very soft, one-time use only > bolts. Hmmm...the TIS doens't mention replacing the PP bolts. They are also only torqued to a really low value. Then again, new bolts are cheap and I'd replace them too ;) > > 4) The flywheel has some uhh.. burn marks? It feels > > smooth but has some significant discoloration. Should > > I get this turned? Or just put it back in? Or > > replace it. My car is a '95 with 70K and a turbo so I > > don't want to take any chances with things not working > > correctly. > > Sounds totally normal. It is very difficult finding a place that will > resurface the BMW dual mass flywheel. They do exist, but they're not > widespread. What I did was mount the flywheel onto a brake lathe. Then while > the flywheel was spinning, I used a pneumatic HD angle grinder with a > sanding disc and cleaned up the surface. I gave it a nice cross-hatch > pattern. All the discoloration was then gone. So far, it's been just fine. I don't think you need to clean it up unless runout is bad. > > 7) I was planning on using the same type fork and > > release bearing (new bearing, of course). Has anyone > > heard that it's necessary to use the longer fork or > > bearing for the HD PP? Or is this just for the LTW > > flywheel? > > I believe that's just for the LTW flywheel. Here's a comparison you can make > to help in the decision. Place your original pressure plate and new plate, > friction side down, side by side, on a flat surface. Now compare the height > of each plate's "spring fingers" where the throw-out bearing would > ride/contact. If the height of both plates is the same, then you can reuse > the factory issue parts. If the new plate places the throw-out bearing > contact surface in a different location, then you'll want to make up for it > with a throw-out bearing and/or fork with different dimensions. That's not an accurate way of determining throw out bearing figures. You'd have to plate the flywheel on the floor, put the clutch disc in the middle, then install the pressure plate by tightening down the PP bolts. The fingers go down. If the Sport PP has a different leverage, wouldn't the travel of the spring fingers differ as well? It's the height of the spring fingers when the whole assembly is assembled that will let you know if you need anything longer. My guess is that no, you wouldn't need anything different than stock especially considering Sachs' part number for the throughout bearing is the same for all different pressure plates. HTH, Chester ===== __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Send FREE Valentine eCards with Yahoo! Greetings! http://greetings.yahoo.com
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#10. Ack, creaking doors! - from The Abels
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Date: Sun, 10 Feb 2002 17:51:40 -0600 From: "The Abels" <aAbel@austin.rr.com> Subject: Ack, creaking doors! I have a 97 sedan, and it seems that the doors are creaking, mainly the rear doors. A creaking sound can be heard particularly when the car is exposed to torsional loads (driving onto ramp into parking garage or driveway at an angle). Also can be heard when launching the car from a standstill. So, I opened the rear doors when pulling into my driveway, and voila, creaking gone. I then gummi phledge'd (sp?) the molding, to no avail. Is there a way to address this short of buying new molding? Thanks, Jeff creaky 97 M3/4