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#1. RE: [E36M3] Cams or SC? - from Dmitri Zorine
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Date: Mon, 20 May 2002 11:06:01 -0400 From: "Dmitri Zorine" <dzm3@technologyoasis.com> Subject: RE: [E36M3] Cams or SC? I seem to be putting awfully lots of miles on my car, and it'll hit very high mileage way before it'll get old, so I was thinking about engine "refreshing" right way. As in I/H/E plus software and maybe some internal work, such as cams, valves, etc... And now you all are talking about turbo vs. SC vs. cams. Like Rich, I'm a fan of N/A engines, so cams and other work is more preferable than any form of forced induction. But either way done properly it'll end up costing upwards of $5-7K to get above 300 hp. What about used low mileage E36 Euro motor with 321 hp on tap. I saw some places advertising them for $6-8K. How much/difficult are they to install in US E36? Dmitri > I plan to do the cams some day as I am a fan of normal > aspiration, particularly with the E36 M3. I have seen and > heard of way too many problems with superchargers and turbo > systems for our cars and I am just not that interested in all > the extra headaches/costs they seem to bring (heat soak, > blown head gaskets, DME control problems, water injection, etc.). > > I know Matt said he only paid $5k for his turbo (I don't know > if this is an all in cost or just for the kit) but this seems > awfully cheap. Most people that go the turbo route spend > anywhere from $8k to $15k by the time they are done and > supercharges cost anywhere from $6k to $10k all in before it > is all said and done. Even then, there are reliability > issues as the systems don't always play nice with our cars > and turbos and superchargers are much harder on our > drivetrains than what they are designed for. > > Considering I can upgrade to the Eurosport > cams/injectors/chip (from my Euro HFM, JC Chip and JC Intake) > for $1,499 plus installation costs, it seems to be a > no-brainer for me ;-) > > I do agree though with one thing, if you aren't going to be > happy with ~300 hp going the cams route, don't bother and go > directly to the turbo/supercharger route. > > Later, > > Rich > > 95 M3 > > > > > ************************************************************* > 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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#2. Not as jealous of you West Coasters as before - driving Watkins Glen - from Wayne Miller
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Date: Mon, 20 May 2002 11:11:27 -0400 From: "Wayne Miller" <m3@waynemiller.com> Subject: Not as jealous of you West Coasters as before - driving Watkins Glen This past weekend's adventure started on Thursday night when I installed my new Eibach springs to go along with my SA Koni's, TC Kline camber plates and UUC sway bars (for those keeping track, this is Suspension Version 3.5 or so on my car - I swapped the Euro springs out for the Eibachs). I had it aligned early Friday morning and discovered that I couldn't get the desired 2 degrees of negative camber in the front because the camber plates only allowed for a minimum of about 2.5 degrees so what the heck, I'll get some funny tire wear but the handling will be great. I then met up with Chester, Jim El Nabli, and Harold Chang for our drive out to Watkins Glen. With our walkie-talkie things (the real 2 & 4 watt ones - not the silly FRS ones), the ride from NJ to the hotel took less than 4 hours. We woke up very early Saturday morning to find it raining and headed over to the track. Then it started to snow and they wouldn't let us out on the track in the snow. After a little wait in the cold weather, the snow turned to rain and we were allowed out on the track. All 4 of us were in the same run group (C - Intermediate) and we went out with Harold and I staying on our street tires. It was probably a good thing that it was raining because I was able to learn the track at a much slower pace than I would have tried if it were dry. I didn't pass anyone and I gave point-bys to a new Mini Cooper and a 911 Carerra 4. The rain stopped and the track started to dry so our last session was mostly dry but Harold and I kept the street tires on. This session was FUN. As I learned the course and the speeds rose, I really started to appreciate how great of a track Watkins Glen is. As soon as we came in, Harold and I swapped our tires (Harold has Hoosiers for his Dinan modified 540 6-speed and I had the Kumho ECTSA Victoracers) for the predicted dry sessions on Sunday. Sunday started out cold but dry and this time I set up my in-car camera. After the tires warmed up during the first lap or 2, I started to get faster and faster. The S's are just about as much fun as can be had on 4 wheels as you are accelerating up a hill through a slight right-left-right out onto the back straight and the car almost automatically does the weight-transfer from side to side when you get it right. I had an absolute blast. We were in a classroom session between run-groups so I didn't have a chance to set up the camera for my second session which was too bad because we were FLYING and having a great time. My instructor was great and told me that I should take it a little easier for my last session when I was to take out a newly graduated instructor as his first student (Jim had the same thing). For the last session, I lined up behind Jim, Chester and Harold so I could get some good video of them on the track and I hope to have that online this week so everyone can see how much fun it is. I didn't scare the new instructor too badly but he didn't like my first instructors rally-type rotation of the car around the heal of the boot with a quick left-right of the wheel to bring the rear end around. I don't know which was faster but the sliding was more fun. We all finished safely and had another great ride home (3.5 hours) where I found out that my trailer is good up to at least 110 with a steady cruising speed of 90 or so. Overall, Watkins Glen is just a blast to drive and I am already looking forward to my next school there. You can see the layout of the track here: http://www.na-motorsports.com/Tracks/images/glen/glen4.gif but to get a better idea of the elevation changes, look here: http://www.na-motorsports.com/Tracks/images/glen/elev.gif - see, it looks like a 3.4 mile roller coaster. This is me going through the Esses with Harold behind me: http://64.14.56.30/m3/watkinsglen/watkinsglens.jpg or a larger version http://64.14.56.30/m3/watkinsglen/watkinsglen.jpg . Other notes: 1) I am EXTREMELY happy with the Eibach/Koni SA/UUC sway bar/TC Kline suspension - it does ride a little harsher than stock but it handles GREAT - my car was completely neutral (I also run 8.5" 245/40/17 SO3's on the street and Borbet Type T (which I do like because they are easy to clean) 8" 235/40/17 ECSTA Victoracers on the track). The ride is significantly more comfortable than Suspension Version 2 (Bilstein/H&R's) 2) Harold was really able to make that 540i kick some serious butt on the track - all he needs is a Quaife or LSD. The 2 E39M5's in our group were easy pickings compared to catching and passing Harold. 3) Jim needs the OBDII cam kit. I had no issues, troubles, CE lights, etc. with it and even without my fan the temperature stayed exactly where it should have been (it was also about 50 degrees outside which didn't hurt). 4) Chester can still stop better than all of us. I had some serious pad material buildup on my front brakes (Rogue Engineering big brakes) with the PF-90 pads. I didn't have any fade but the first few stops of each new session had a terrible grinding noise until the caked up stuff wore away with a few hard stops. 5) Remember to find out the details of the other person's car before trash-talking them and saying that you are going to kick their butt (that's for Mike in the Z3 3.0 that said that he could easily keep up with me with his street tires - seeeeeya). 6) I really should be getting to work now but if you ever have a chance, drive Watkins Glen. As usual, I am always open to any questions, -Wayne
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#3. Re: Stirring the pot. E46 M3 vs. E36 M3 track day - from Neil Maller
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Date: Mon, 20 May 2002 10:19:13 -0500 From: Neil Maller <neil.maller@gte.net> Subject: Re: Stirring the pot. E46 M3 vs. E36 M3 track day on 5/20/02 9:09 AM, Gerry <gerry@parallel-mkt.com> wrote: > The relentless testing will continue over the next few weeks as the cars are > further developed and a report will be submitted... Well Gerry, it's a dirty job, but somebody has to do it... There's also the question of track. For instance I know that Gerry lives in Ontario, Canada. If driving at say Mosport, a very high speed track, then I'd expect the E46 M3 to be able to capitalize on its horsepower superiority. But on a tighter more technical track, such as Gingerman (Michigan) or Putnam Park (Indiana) then maybe the lighter E36 M3 could make up in the twisties what it loses on the straights? Neil 96 M3
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#4. RE: $6 inspection II - from Bob Stommel
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Date: Mon, 20 May 2002 10:37:03 -0500 From: Bob Stommel <rstommel@iquest.net> Subject: RE: $6 inspection II The best gas-tank-added fuel injector cleaner is BG 44K. It is sold only to auto shops and is not available retail to consumers. You can get more info on it at: http://www.bgprod.com/autofuel.html Contact BG Products for an auto shop near you that might be willing to sell it to you. It is affectionately referred to in the auto repair trade as "car cocaine". It will remove most of the crap from your fuel injection system with one use. Many shops routinely use it as part of a 15K or 30K service. Any fuel injection cleaner used in the gas tank will still be less effective than removing the injectors and getting them back-flushed. Bosch injectors have an internal micro-screen which is the last line of defense from crud going through the injector pintle. The screen is cup-shaped so that it collects debris and holds it, eventually clogging the injector (or at least reducing its flow). Fuel tank cleaners won't remove the debris because the gasoline is always flowing one way into the cup. The only way to completely clean an injector is to back-flush it. If your engine has over 60K miles on it, you'll be amazed at the improvement from back-flushing the injectors. If you have the skills to remove your own injectors, send them to RC Engineering in California for the backflush. For $24 per injector, they will clean and test them and send you a complete report on function and flow rates. They'll turn the work around in 24 hours. You can find more info at: http://www.rceng.com/service.htm I don't have any financial interest in this stuff. I've just used it on a lot of BMWs. HTH, Bob Stommel SPG Motorsports Indianapolis > Date: Fri, 17 May 2002 23:58:32 -0400 > From: "Paul Elliott" <elliott.paul@worldnet.att.net> > Subject: $6 inspection II > > >>). But, while I was filling up, thought I'd give a bottle of fuel > injector cleaner a try on > the last tank of gas. STP Concentrated Fuel Injector Cleaner (around $6) << > > Usually, Techron has been the recommended fuel additive to use in our > cars...Do you think that STP would be more effective for this application? > > Paul Elliott
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#5. Re: OBC Language Change - from Ron Buchalski
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Date: Mon, 20 May 2002 16:13:57 +0000 From: "Ron Buchalski" <rbuchals@hotmail.com> Subject: Re: OBC Language Change Go to: http://www.unofficialbmw.com/repair_faqs/obc.html Test #10 -rb >Date: Sun, 19 May 2002 17:08:17 -0400 >From: m3bs@comcast.net >Subject: OBC Language Change > >I had the battery disconnected to change the (expletive deleted) fuel >filter. Now my OBC reads in German. Anybody know how to make it display >in >English? _________________________________________________________________ Join the world’s largest e-mail service with MSN Hotmail. http://www.hotmail.com
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#6. [E36M3] A/B students in CA, open spots - from twisty M3
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Date: Mon, 20 May 2002 09:37:15 -0700 From: "twisty M3" <twistym3@hotmail.com> Subject: [E36M3] A/B students in CA, open spots Just got word that there are still spots available for the June 14 one-day event at Buttonwillow with the Central Coast chapter. It's only open to A and B students, though I *think* they may accept very experience C students, and should offer plenty of track time at a decent price (considering the amount of on-track time and low traffic). I believe it's about $195 (sent my check and decided to forget the amount after that), water and lunch are included and we should get five 30 minute sessions. That works out to over and hour more track time than you'd get in a typical day of BMW CCA schooling. (Only 45 spots total for the day, with 15 per group) The URL for those interested: http://www.cccbmwcca.org/ Come out 'n play with us! (No affilation, but want to be sure enough people go so that future prices stay low) Jonathan L. _________________________________________________________________ Join the world’s largest e-mail service with MSN Hotmail. http://www.hotmail.com
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#7. Why no overdrive? - from Mel Silva
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Date: Mon, 20 May 2002 11:43:55 -0500 From: "Mel Silva" <melsilva@mindspring.com> Subject: Why no overdrive? I was surprised to read that ratio for 5th gear in the E36 M3 was 1:1. Does anyone know the explanation for this? I always assumed that 5th gear (as well as 6th gear in the E46) would be an overdriven gear. Was the source that I got this information from accurate? Mel Silva 97 M3 / 4
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#8. Re: [E36M3] Re: Stirring the pot. E46 M3 vs. E36 M3 track day - from Gerald Low
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Date: Mon, 20 May 2002 13:03:48 -0400 From: "Gerald Low" <gerry@parallel-mkt.com> Subject: Re: [E36M3] Re: Stirring the pot. E46 M3 vs. E36 M3 track day Neil, Your understanding is appreciated. On tighter and more technical tracks, the E46///M3 is surprisingly good. Its Achilles' heal is its stock brake pads that do bad things to the rotors and stopping distances. A comparison of stock E30, E36 and E46 M3's would find an improvement in the breed over time. However, very few enthusiasts keep their M's stock thereby making comparisons difficult. Gerry > > "Well Gerry, it's a dirty job, but somebody has to do it... > > There's also the question of track. For instance I know that Gerry lives in > Ontario, Canada. If driving at say Mosport, a very high speed track, then > I'd expect the E46 M3 to be able to capitalize on its horsepower > superiority. But on a tighter more technical track, such as Gingerman > (Michigan) or Putnam Park (Indiana) then maybe the lighter E36 M3 could make > up in the twisties what it loses on the straights?" > > Neil > 96 M3 >
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#9. Thoughts of Cages Running Through My Head - from Gerald Low
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Date: Mon, 20 May 2002 13:08:43 -0400 From: "Gerald Low" <gerry@parallel-mkt.com> Subject: Thoughts of Cages Running Through My Head Neil, Thoughts on your new cage (full or half?) after a weekend at Putnam Park? Also, how did the Vader seats with 4 or 5 point harness hold you in place? Seems that I am a week behind you with the modifications. Gerry
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#10. Clock Display - from DiVincenti, A.J.
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Date: Mon, 20 May 2002 11:54:31 -0500 From: "DiVincenti, A.J." <ADiVin@lsuhsc.edu> Subject: Clock Display Suddenly the clock display on the computer isn't lighting anymore. The rest of the functions will work and display, but the clock will not. Has anyone run into this before? AJ 95 MW