-------------------- 1 --------------------
#1. Re: success installing RTABs and UUC clutch pedal bushings - from Kit Wetzler
Top
Date: Mon, 7 Jul 2003 09:21:27 -0700 From: "Kit Wetzler" <kitwetzler@mindspring.com> Subject: Re: success installing RTABs and UUC clutch pedal bushings Just for Alex and everyone's info, the 96+ bushings are made a considerably harder durometer rubber than the 95 bushings. I'm surprised the 95 bushings were still available, most dealerships have superceded the part number. Definitely keep an eye on them. Also, keep in mind that stock RTABs won't last a whole lot longer with the GC reinforcements, the vertical forces seem to be what kill them, because they don't seem to last any longer. My powerflexes now have 60K miles on them and they're still going strong. Lots of people have had bad luck with powerflexes, though, not sure why. (Mine are the old Purple color) Also, my E46 m3 RSMs have lasted over a year, and I run H&R coilovers with stiffer springs than stock. When I get my shocks revalved at Bilstein, I'm gonna switch to GC mounts, but I modified my E46 mounts to mount like the GCs. (knocked the studs out of the mounts, welded them to a set of Z3 reinforcement plates going down, then you can bolt then on from underneath like the GC) -kit ----- Original Message ----- From: <alex.fadeev@verizon.com> To: <e36m3@bmw-m.net>; <bmwuucdigest@uucdigest.com>; <bmw@digest.net> Cc: "Kit Wetzler" <kitwetzler@mindspring.com>; "Mark Cecil" <mjcecil@bellsouth.net>; <cteague@cox.net>; "J. Ochi" <jochi@hotpop.com>; "Malcolm Reitz" <Malcolm.Reitz@halliburton.com>; "Steve Tymoszuk" <steve.tymoszuk@tds.net>; "Newman, Christopher" <CNewman@LSAC.org>; "Zack Steinkamp" <edsarkiss@yahoo.com>; "Chester Wong" <chester_p_wong@yahoo.com>; <jon@maximumpc.com>; "Brian Kearney" <briank@bkinc.com>; "Khoi" <khoi@eatpho.com>; "Matthew C Smith" <msmith@ma.rr.com>; <Carguymb@aol.com> Sent: Monday, July 07, 2003 8:47 AM Subject: success installing RTABs and UUC clutch pedal bushings > Folks, > Thanks to everyone who had identified the clutch pedal bushings as the > source of my clutch squeak: Jon, Chester Wong, Zack Steinkamp, Chris > Newman, Steve Tymoszuk, Malcolm Reitz, Jim Och, Chris Teague, Mark Cecil, > Kit Wetzler, Brian Kearney, Khoi, Matthew Smith and Martin Bullen. Every > one of you told me to buy and install the UUC bushings. > A local DFW UUC dealer had one in stock and I had added the clutch > bushings swap to my weekend to-do list. Working in the cramped foot well > is a bit tricky, but the outcome is blissful silence every time I press > the clutch pedal. I think the whol job took about 1.5 hours with numerous > back stretching breaks. > > My RTAB (Rear Trailing Arm Bushing) swap went much easier than expected. I > took my time on the first one than discovered that my '95 M3 had '96+ > style RTABs with side skirts that need to be removed before you can use > the VictoryProductDesign tool to pull out the old bushings. After 5 > minutes of hack sawing, I went out and bought a SawzAll at a nearby Home > Depot. I don't know how lived without it all those years! Things went much > quicker from there on with the second side taking around 30 minutes. > After some research and emails with PowerFlex and some other Urethane > bushing owners (one too many of whom related tails premature failure), I > decided to go with BMW RTABs reinforced by GC washers. I purchased all my > RTABs from one of the mail order BMW dealers (forgot which one). > I held both '95 (symmetric) and '96+ RTABs (with a largely decorative > skirt on the outside of the bushing) in my hand before deciding to go with > '95 ones. IMHO, all the internet bru-ha-ha about the desirability of '96 > versions is crap. > > The symmetric '95 RTABs will take 10 minutes to remove the next time > around. That's starting with the wheel on the ground. > GC reinforcements were an impossibly tight fit. I had to file 1 mm off the > side of the inner RTAB sleeve to make them fit into the bracket with the > GC reinforcements. > > Brad, there is only one way to shove the RTABs into the trailing arm > aiming for the centerline of the car from the outside (skirt facing > outboard if you have it). The '96+ RTAB skirts' cut-outs were positioned > at 12 and 6 o'clock on my old RTABs. I'm pretty sure the cut outs are > there to accommodate the BMW RTAB removal tool. I would have installed the > new ones the same way if it came to that, but I could not see any > engineering necessity to do that. > > I had also swapped the lower rear control arms (bent from a dyno day) and > that took much longer than the RTABs. You need to jack the rear > differential way into the floor of the car to remove the bolts holding the > arms to the diff carrier. To get access to the two horizontal rear diff > mounts you need to remove the rear sway bar. Than get parts to align and > bolt-up. Everything is a very tight fit. > The trailing arm does move a lot more freely and tilts all the way to the > floor (easier to work on ) with the lower control arm disconnected. But > it's not really necessary and you do need to re-align the car afterwards. > I had marked the original RTAB bracket position that controls the rear > wheel toe before I removing them. When reassembling, I installed them back > in the original position and set both rear control arms for max negative > camber. Surprisingly, the car now tracks perfectly straight! I will still > take it for an alignment before too much longer (I'm pretty sure I have > way too much negative camber in the rear). > > I also replaced the rear shocks (the shock piston on one of my Koni SAs > had broken in half). That hardly took 30 minutes for both thanks to GC > RSMs. > <rant mode on> E46 RSMs are crap just like the E30 convertible RSMs that > carried the cult status in internet circles before them. I had long ago > switched to GC RSMs and they had already served me longer than any of the > BMW RSMs that had preceded them on 4 other bimmers. GC RSMs are better in > many ways, not least of which is the ability to remove the shock from the > inside of the wheel well (no more pulling the trunk carpeting). > </rant mode on> > > -- > alex f > > P.S.: If there was one thing I would have done different, it would be > pressure washing the underside of the car! >
-------------------- 2 --------------------
#2. RE: Tail lense part # - from Dames, Mark
Top
Date: Mon, 7 Jul 2003 10:29:44 -0700 From: "Dames, Mark" <Mark.Dames@PDO.Co.Santa-Clara.CA.US> Subject: RE: Tail lense part # I need the part number for the left/drivers side CLEAR/Red tail lense on a 1998 M3. After a parking lot strike by an SUV my car came back from the body shop with a new ORANGE/Red tail lense, which doesn't match the clear one on the right side. Can someone alert me to what's going on here? The car previously had Clear/Red lenses on both sides. TIA mark.
-------------------- 3 --------------------
#3. European Tail Lense - from Dames, Mark
Top
Date: Mon, 7 Jul 2003 16:32:38 -0700 From: "Dames, Mark" <Mark.Dames@PDO.Co.Santa-Clara.CA.US> Subject: European Tail Lense Does anyone know what the difference is between a European tail lense with "check control" (part # 63-21-9-403-099) and a tail lense without check control (part # 82-19-9-405-444) Mark.
-------------------- 4 --------------------
#4. Need Body Shop recommendation in Boston area - from Junaidi Irwan
Top
Date: Tue, 8 Jul 2003 06:49:33 -0700 (PDT) From: Junaidi Irwan <cuwei@yahoo.com> Subject: Need Body Shop recommendation in Boston area Yesterday I got into accident. Does anyone have any recommendation on which bodyshops in Boston/Natick area that do great job? I heard Foreign Motor West body shop is pretty good, however they are booked till September. Thanks in advance for the replies. Jay __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? SBC Yahoo! DSL - Now only $29.95 per month! http://sbc.yahoo.com
-------------------- 5 --------------------
#5. 1998 M3 Sedan for sale - from Andrew E. Skopp
Top
Date: Tue, 8 Jul 2003 12:08:09 -0400 From: "Andrew E. Skopp" <AES@GEJLAW.com> Subject: 1998 M3 Sedan for sale After much deliberation, I have decided to sell my 1998 M3 sedan. Here are the specifics: * Silver with black leather interior * Approx. 83,xxx miles, CPO'd until 100,000 or June 2004, whichever comes first. * 5 speed transmission. * All available options, except fold down rear seats, including Harmon Kardon, heated seats, power seats, keyless alarm, OBC, sunroof, cd changer. I have made the following "improvements" during my ownership: * Bilstein sport shocks at all corners. * UUC shortshift kit. * VDO gauge package in center console (oil temp, oil press, voltmeter). * Dinan engine compartment strut brace. * Jim C sharked software. * Jim C cold air intake. * Turner Motorsports underdrive pulley set. * 17 by 8.5 contour rims at all four corners (got rid of staggered setup, so all tires are 245/40-17). * Euro clear tail lights, front markers, and sides. * Euro ellipsoid glass headlights with angel eyes. * Upgraded BMW radio headunit (replaced C33 unit with C43 unit). * A/D/S tweeters and mids in front doors. * Luxury wood package installed (center console, rear ashtray, trim piece on glove compartment, front door handles (have rears, not installed yet)). * Rear factory spoiler. * Brand new factory three spoke steering wheel with airbag (replaced four spoke one) . * AC Schnitzer pedal set. The car is mechanically excellent, and having the CPO warranty is very assuring. Cosmetically, it's very clean, but is not in concours condition. This is primarily due to two things: it has a two or three stone chips/dings, and sometime during the first owner's watch (i.e. before it was CPO'd), it was in an accident on passenger side. Both doors were replaced, and that side, top, and rear were repainted. Not a bad job, but not concours perfect, rear lower valence has some paint flecking off. Title is clean and lien free. Asking $23,900. Pictures available upon request. Please contact me off list if interested. Thanks much. Andrew E. Skopp Baltimore, Maryland 21201 Telephone: (410) 347-1365 Cell: (410) 299-6884 E-mail: askopp@gejlaw.com
-------------------- 6 --------------------
#6. Oil Distribution Block - from Neil Maller
Top
Date: Tue, 08 Jul 2003 13:09:53 -0500 From: Neil Maller <neil.maller@gte.net> Subject: Oil Distribution Block As part of another project, on which I'll report later, I'd like to relocate my VDO oil temp sensor from the oil pan drain plug to an oil distribution block attached to the oil filter housing. Is there any reason to look at anything other than the seemingly very nice JTD part? Neil 96 M3
-------------------- 7 --------------------
#7. Engine Support - from Neil Maller
Top
Date: Tue, 08 Jul 2003 13:16:30 -0500 From: Neil Maller <neil.maller@gte.net> Subject: Engine Support Anyone have a source for the type of engine support that consists of a crossbeam with legs that fit into the fender inner drip-rails? This is shown in Bentley, page 119-7, figure 11. I guess I could rent an engine hoist for a couple of days, but this would be logistically complicated, and way overkill for what I need to do, which is simply to support the engine while the front suspension crossmember comes off. Other suggestions welcome, well, short of screwing giant eyebolts into the finished ceiling of my garage... Neil 96 M3
-------------------- 8 --------------------
#8. Re: [E36M3] Oil Distribution Block - from Jim Bassett
Top
Date: Tue, 08 Jul 2003 11:29:40 -0700 From: Jim Bassett <jim@jimbassett.com> Subject: Re: [E36M3] Oil Distribution Block At 11:18 AM 7/8/03, Neil Maller talked about: >As part of another project, on which I'll report later, I'd like to relocate >my VDO oil temp sensor from the oil pan drain plug to an oil distribution >block attached to the oil filter housing. > >Is there any reason to look at anything other than the seemingly very nice >JTD part? Just make sure that the location of stock oil pressure switch on the oil filter housing (which is where the dist. block connects) is "extended". It should protrude away from the housing. This allows access to the lower tap on the dist. block for proper tightening of whatever sensor you put there. It shouldn't be an issue on your car Neil, but it was an issue on my '93 325 and I think on early M3s. We solved it by putting a late-E36 housing on the race car. If it helps, I can take a picture of my car's housing. Cheers, Jim Bassett
-------------------- 9 --------------------
#9. Re: [E36M3] Oil Distribution Block - from Chester Wong
Top
Date: Tue, 8 Jul 2003 11:33:05 -0700 (PDT) From: Chester Wong <chester_p_wong@yahoo.com> Subject: Re: [E36M3] Oil Distribution Block I can't think of a reason why not to. I think someone on this list made his own, but for me, it's not worth my time and effort with the possibility that it won't fit, etc. In fact, I know someone on this list who has had the block sitting on his desk for like 3 years....duh Chester --- Neil Maller <neil.maller@gte.net> wrote: > Is there any reason to look at anything other than the seemingly very nice > JTD part? =====
-------------------- 10 --------------------
#10. Carfax Check? - from tom eby
Top
Date: Tue, 08 Jul 2003 14:02:54 -0700 From: "tom eby" <thomaseby@hotmail.com> Subject: Carfax Check? Looking for quick info on the following; trying to help a buddy out: WBABF4313NEK01658 92 E36 _________________________________________________________________ The new MSN 8: advanced junk mail protection and 2 months FREE* http://join.msn.com/?page=features/junkmail