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#1. Aluminum radiator - from Robert Manger
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Date: Mon, 23 Jan 2006 08:44:52 -0500 From: Robert Manger <Robert_Manger@Mastercard.com> Subject: Aluminum radiator Hello listers, Looking for some insight on to putting in a new radiator into my car before the track season starts. I have seen there are a couple of choices for aluminum radiators out there now, assuming that is the way to go (i.e. not getting the factory S54 unit), and was wondering which product be it zionsville, PWR, fluidyne, etc is better for dual purpose track/street? I plan on doing this in the coming month while things are quite on the home and track day front. As a preventative while I am in there should I swap out the metal impeller water pump? Rob ----------------------------------------- CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE This e-mail message and any attachments are only for the use of the intended recipient and may contain information that is privileged, confidential or exempt from disclosure under applicable law. If you are not the intended recipient, any disclosure, distribution or other use of this e-mail message or attachments is prohibited. If you have received this e-mail message in error, please delete and notify the sender immediately. Thank you.
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#2. Re:Thermostat - from Shane Kleinpeter
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Date: Mon, 23 Jan 2006 06:27:58 -0800 (PST) From: Shane Kleinpeter <sak335@yahoo.com> Subject: Re:Thermostat James, I assume you mean 160-180 F as optimal temperature. I don't think any of us want to run 340 F in our track cars :-) My ITS car seems to run about 215-220F on summer days, slightly cooler if I leave the electric fan on all the time. Would you recommend switching from a stock radiator to one of the all-aluminum units for improved cooling? As it stands I can't imagine getting it to 170F. Shane K. >Cooler engine is better to a point. A colder thermostat will >help you run there. 80 is typical for a dual use car, 71 is >fine for a track car. Looking for 160-180C water temps >optimally, you can tape the opening on a track car below that - >which probably won't happen with a stockish radiator. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com
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#3. Re: Quick Bilstein Sport review - from david kroth
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Date: Mon, 23 Jan 2006 06:28:50 -0800 (PST) From: david kroth <david_kroth@yahoo.com> Subject: Re: Quick Bilstein Sport review Scott wrote: > How do you like the setup after you've lived w/it > for a while? I like it just fine. I'm not a track junkie and at 65K miles I was simply looking to replace the tired factory units. I think the Bilsteins fit that bill perfectly. I'm running factory springs. > I notice the biggest raise in the rear. When I put my rears in I made a mistake - I had cocked the one spring in its perch. It resulted in a clunk from the back of the car. The way the spring was situated in the perch I'm sure it was adding to ride height. So if you think your car is abnormally high, you might want to crawl under there again and make sure everything is buttoned up properly. Just a thought. David Kroth david_kroth@yahoo.com __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com
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#4. RE: Now to the radiator cap question - from Burgess, Kim L
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Date: Mon, 23 Jan 2006 06:51:41 -0800 From: "Burgess, Kim L" <kim.l.burgess@boeing.com> Subject: RE: Now to the radiator cap question I recently bought a 97 328 Coupe for the wife and it initially had cooling issues. I replaced the T-Stat and housing and coolant. I began to loose coolant. Turns out the radiator cap O-ring seal had a slight nick and was not sealing completely. KLBurgess
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#5. Dashboard removal - from Walter J
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Date: Mon, 23 Jan 2006 10:07:02 -0500 From: Walter J <m3gtr@adelphia.net> Subject: Dashboard removal Does anybody have a trick for removing the 7mm hex head screws under the defroster vanes w/o removing the windshield? I can't get a 1/4" drive ratchet in there and I can't quite get enough leverage on the the socket alone with my fingers to crack 'em loose. My next plan of attack is to put a cut-off wheel in the dremel and take the heads off... but then how do I re-install when it comes back from the cage builder? I thought maybe I could use a phillips head screw and a right angle screw driver but its pretty tight in there. Any alternate idears before I go nuts with a sharp instrument? -- Walter
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#6. Leaking valve cover seal.. - from Don Eilenberger
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Date: Mon, 23 Jan 2006 22:21:00 -0500 From: Don Eilenberger <deilenberger@verizon.net> Subject: Leaking valve cover seal.. Noticed the other night that whenever I stopped for a light I got a burning odor inside the 'vert. As soon as I took off the odor would go away, and if I turned the heater to recirc the odor wouldn't occur at all. This sort of upset SWMBO - she seemed to have an image of the car going up in flames with us trapped in it. Go figure. Finally had a moment to look for the source tonight. Sniffing all around under the hood, I found I could get a good whiff of the smell back by the rear right side of the engine. Looked closely and saw some oil was dripping off the right rear side of the engine - down right on the exhaust manifold. I think I found my source - so I took off the plastic engine cover to do a looksee. What I found was oil around the rearmost coil area - coming out it appears from the rubber compression washer under the bolt that is used for the rearmost ground connection for the coil carrier (whew!) I removed the rearmost coil and there is NO oil in the plug-well.. I noticed that I could move the ground wire where it was bolted down - and indeed the cover nut and the smaller nut above the grounding lug were turning together. I remove the grounding nut, the lug and tightened the 10mm nut that pushes the compression washer down on the cover. I then cleaned up all the oil in the area with some carb cleaner and reinstalled everything. No odor now.. which is good, but I'm guessing I should REALLY replace the compression washer right? Since I'm sure someone here has had the cover off.. am I correct in thinking this is PN: 9 on http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=BK93&mospid=47479&btnr=11_2308&hg=11&fg=15 (BMW PN: 11 12 1 437 395) ?? My ETK shows a different illustration.. which has PN 11 12 1 721 879 I'm confused.. anyone BTDT? Don Eilenberger, Spring Lk Hts, NJ JMP#1, PSJ, SquidBOOF#1 deilenberger@verizon.net NJ Shore BMW Riders web page: http://www.njsbmwr.org/ Moderator BMW E39 Enthusiast Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bmwe39 ==================================================================== "Argue with an idiot and he will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience" - Dilbert "The difference between intelligence and stupidity is - there is a limit to intelligence" - Anon ====================================================================
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#7. Wheel Fitment - from Jeff Bjerke
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Date: Mon, 23 Jan 2006 23:38:59 -0600 From: "Jeff Bjerke" <jbjerke@charter.net> Subject: Wheel Fitment Am I asking too much to run an 18x8.5x40mm with a 245-40-18 on a lowered car with the possibility of adding a Stoptech kit up front which would require a spacer? I have no problems rolling fenders, but not interested in pulling them outward to make clearance. Anyone run 235-40-18 with this setup?? Appreciate any insight as to what others are running. Jeff 98 Red/Black Coupe (Converting to track rat)
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#8. Tire Fitment - Hoosiers 255/45x17 on '96 M3 with 8.5" wheels? - from Stan Shaw
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Date: Tue, 24 Jan 2006 09:04:37 -0500 From: "Stan Shaw" <Stan.Shaw@Excell.Net> Subject: Tire Fitment - Hoosiers 255/45x17 on '96 M3 with 8.5" wheels? Will Hoosier RS304 255/45x17 on 8.5" wheels be a (relative) easy fitment choice for all four corners on a '96 M3? I wouldn't mind some fender rolling, if that is all it would take. I have 245s on now for street tires without any issue. Regards, Stan Shaw Stan.Shaw@Excell.Net Phone: (413) 599-0399 Fax: (413) 599-0421 Excell.Net Owner/Operator http://www.Excell.Net/ 928 Owners Club President http://www.928OC.org/ 928Racing.net Team Member http://www.928Racing.net/ "Liberty once lost is lost forever." - John Adams
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#9. Re: my m3 fell off moving ramps today :( - from Kurt Hoofnagle
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Date: Tue, 24 Jan 2006 22:31:33 -0800 (PST) From: Kurt Hoofnagle <kurthoofnagle@yahoo.com> Subject: Re: my m3 fell off moving ramps today :( Adam, Glad to hear all is well with your car. Those photos were pretty scary. Please tell us about B-Line's work (paint matching, panel fit, etc.). I have heard good things, generally, but not an actual first-hand report. I live in the Bay Area and have been considering them for some minor body work on my M3. Thanks in advance for your comments. Kurt <Original Message> Date: Fri, 20 Jan 2006 10:43:35 -0800 From: Adam Lazur <adam@lazur.org> Subject: Followup: my m3 fell off moving ramps today :( Adam Lazur (adam@lazur.org) said: > View the pics and small narrative at: > > http://adam.lazur.org/gallery/v/m3/fallen-ramp Just to follow up on this. I got my car back yesterday from B-Line Body Shop in San Jose after 34 (!!!) days in a rental.
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#10. RE: Thermostat - what temp rating am I looking for? - from Burgess, Kim L
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Date: Wed, 25 Jan 2006 07:43:43 -0800 From: "Burgess, Kim L" <kim.l.burgess@boeing.com> Subject: RE: Thermostat - what temp rating am I looking for? I think someone on the list touched on this briefly. The T-Stat is not intended to be open all the time nor is it open all the way all the time, if it was every car would overheat all the time. My understanding is that the T-Stat works as a 'gate' to keep water in the radiator so that heat transfer can occur. If the T-Stat in our cars was unable to control the temperature of the coolant then there would be no reason to have one in the system (unless one was able to control the volume of fluid the water pump 'moved' by varying the speed of the pump). I believe in an 'ideal' system the T-Stat cycles open and closed or from partially open to full open in order to maintain reasonable engine temperatures. Heat transfer from the fluid in the radiator to the outside air only happens when the fluid in the radiator is held 'captive' by the T-Stat for a few moments. Running a 'cooler' T-Stat or a T-Stat that opens at a lower temperature allows the engine to operate at a lower temperature and as result produce optimum power. It is a known fact that hotter engines (to a point) reduce emissions through more complete combustion. Cooler engines produce rated power due to less heat transfer to the incoming air or air-fuel mixture. A dense charge results in a higher CR the result of which is power output close to the factory rating. Higher overall engine temperatures result in loss of CR due to loss of charge density entering the combustion chamber. As was pointed out internal combustion engines run at optimum power output when coolant temperatures run between 160deg - 180deg F. There is a trade off between engine wear, fuel mileage, and emission output. I think some of us have experienced a T-Stat that 'stays open' and the cooling system really never captures enough heat to warm our feet. KLBurgess -----Original Message----- From: Carlos.F.Lopez@jci.com [mailto:Carlos.F.Lopez@jci.com] Sent: Friday, January 20, 2006 1:39 PM To: Burgess, Kim L Cc: e36m3@bmw-m.net Subject: Re: [E36M3] RE: Thermostat - what temp rating am I looking for? >My 99 M3 came with a 88C, which I replaced with the same...My wife's 97 >328 has a replacement 92C. Cooler produces more power - hotter helps >clean-up emissions, and reduces engine wear. Could you elaborate? I was under the impression that when a thermostat is open... it's open. What do I care when it opens (unless it is winter <g>)? It's not like it controls the temperature of the engine when it's hot, it can't make it run cooler, the radiator, the water pump or a fan may be able to. The colder aux fan switch AFAIK can make the car run cooler while it's idling or if you're running the A/C, at speed it should not come on though. Anyway if I'm totalling missing it an explanation would be nice. :-) Carlos 98 M3
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#11. black box question E36 M3 95 - from marco
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Date: Wed, 25 Jan 2006 09:56:46 -0800 From: "marco" <m3driver@iname.com> Subject: black box question E36 M3 95 sorry for the cross post - In my effort of removing the wiring harness one wire at a time I came across a black box buried drivers side above and to the left of the clutch pedal. It has two connectors, one black, one white. From the Bentley I deduce it is the check control module. Can anyone confirm that? thanks Marco
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#12. heat cycling...yes, no, or maybe - from Mdriver13@aol.com
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Date: Wed, 25 Jan 2006 18:49:37 EST From: Mdriver13@aol.com Subject: heat cycling...yes, no, or maybe Group, I've been discussing this issue with some local autox members lately. The opinion of most is that it really seems to make little difference in tire wear for autox'ing, however, for track this is where it matters. What's this Group's opinion?? I've done it both ways, and my last set of tires for autox'ing performed well and lasted forever without having TireRack heat cycle them first. So I might be in agreement with them. After all, you can save an easy $60... regards, Bob Gill 97 ///M3 coupe (sponsored by WCC, JT Designs) Philly Region SCCA 2005 Philly Region BSP Champion