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#1. OT: e46 323 Diff Bushings - from Mark D
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Date: Thu, 29 Nov 2007 11:47:41 -0500 From: Mark D <mdlkml@atari-source.com> Subject: OT: e46 323 Diff Bushings OT only because the rear end of that car is fairly different from an E36 rear end, but I just did the differential bushings on it. From e36 to e46 they seemed to have changed from 4 small bushings holding the diff (I think, haven't looked at my m3 closely yet) to 2 small in the front and 1 VERY large bushing in the rear. That's all fine except the large bushing in the rear will NOT come out with a puller tool and has to be chiseled out. (I've heard of 3-4 people who've done this job report that they've broken GR8-12 threaded rod trying to get it out). It took me about 6 hours of air chiseling to make it happen. I made sure to score the bushing surface like an idiot too :-P, but nothing a dremel didn't take care of. In the end I learned the trick. Chisel out around the old bushing and then use a smaller pusher tool to rip the bushing core out. The tool you need for the front bushings with a 2" endcap on the other side would work great. Once you core it, getting hte rest out isn't so bad. Getting the new one in seemed impossible. It took me a solid 45 minutes and 8 tries to get the big rear bushing to line up and go in straight. It really makes me wonder how well the subframe bushings go in and out. I bet most people pull the subframe and use a press. It was a horrible horrible job and now my arm hurts because I pulled some muscle somewhere. My mechanic wanted $500 to do it. I'd rather do a head gasket than this job and the head gasket he wanted $3000+ for. I don't think though that it would be so bad on an E36 though with the 4 small bushings. Much easier actually. Goes to show you, there's still some jobs worth taking the car to the mechanic for! Another data point, the diff was whining in that car when cold only and only between 20 and 40mph. I drained and filled with royal purple 75W90 and it's nice and quiet now. So that's that, and the clunk is gone :-P My girlfriend didn't even say thank you. Pssh... Now I can finally do the subframe bushings on my M3, except I'm not sure I'm going to do that now since it's so horrible :-P I may drop the subframe myself and farm it out to someone else to press in the bushings. Nice and easy then :-P Thanks, Mark
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#2. RE: Instrument cluster removal - from Burgess, Kim L
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Date: Thu, 29 Nov 2007 08:48:27 -0800 From: "Burgess, Kim L" <kim.l.burgess@boeing.com> Subject: RE: Instrument cluster removal The question remains has anyone with a late model 3-Spoke wheel removed the cluster. I've replaced the bulbs for back lighting but was unable to fully remove the cluster for fear of damaging the wheel of dash. Of course I've later learned that removing the wheel is little more than a 15 minute job. Be sure to mark the steering shaft and the metallic splines in the wheel to re-align the wheel in the column. I used a cold chisel/hammer to make the mark. KLB -------------------- 1 -------------------- Date: Thu, 29 Nov 2007 06:45:14 -0500 From: Bill and Jan Klemme <wklemme@gmail.com> Subject: Re: [E36M3] Instrument cluster removal That sounds way too easy based on my experience yesterday. I am beginning to wonder if my steering wheel is a different design than .... I don't know, earlier models? Mine is a 1999 and some publications I've seen don't recognize the '99 as an E36 since apparently the E46 came out that year. My Bentley manual for example for the 3-series says "....Sedan, Coupe and Convertible 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998" but has a copyright date of 1999. Could it be that mine has a newer model steering wheel? It is definitely too fat on the inside to allow that cluster to come out....and it's not _evenly_ fat in back...some spots are fatter than others so it has to be rotated. There is no way I would be able to reach in behind the cluster to unplug the connectors either. I am not a mechanical dummy but I AM getting old....maybe I'm missing something. Best regards, Bill K 99 M3 convertible (80% snowmobile, 20% beach cruiser) 92 M5 (garage queen) 93 Volvo wagon (parts mover)
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#3. Re: [E36M3] Power Steering - from Mark D
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Date: Thu, 29 Nov 2007 11:53:16 -0500 From: Mark D <mdlkml@atari-source.com> Subject: Re: [E36M3] Power Steering Robert Exconde wrote: > Date: Thu, 29 Nov 2007 00:06:00 -0600 > From: "Robert Exconde" <99e36m3@exconde.com> > Subject: Power Steering > > Well my power steering is getting worse and I think since the winter months > are approaching I'm going to have to get it done. A really bad time for me > > How much does this typically go for or what is considered a reasonable > amount for replacement. I'm not planning on going to the dealer, but another > shop. > > When I was having my last summer tires changed out they showed me how loose > it was and the leak at the boot. I was told that I was going to have to > change it out. > > Should I go with a remanufactured rack? And where is the best place to get > them? I'm assuming that I have to get a new pump and alignment as well. As I > type this I'm realizing this is going to be really expensive. I would do it > myself but I don’t have the facilities or time to do it. > > I've got 178K on the car and from what I'm reading I'm pretty lucky too.. > > I would go with reman rack and if the pump isn't noisy or leaking, leave it. I would put a new reservoir and filter on the pump, and if any of your hoses are leaking I'd replace those too. You may be able to rebuild the rack yourself. Never thought of that before but seems like a lot of money for what amounts to a couple valves and seals being replaced. It sounds like you're going for the long haul, and you want to save your pennies for important things like the engine and clutch. Power steering is overrated. As far as pricing, no idea. Sorry. I wouldn't pay over $500 for the labor though without a good explanation, + $50 for alignment. As far as I can tell, it's pretty accessible. Thanks, Mark
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#4. RE: [E36M3] OT: e46 323 Diff Bushings - from Goss, Patrick - PA
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Date: Thu, 29 Nov 2007 11:14:18 -0600 From: "Goss, Patrick - PA" <Patrick.Goss@GMACM.COM> Subject: RE: [E36M3] OT: e46 323 Diff Bushings -----Original Message----- From: Mark D [mailto:mdlkml@atari-source.com] Sent: Thursday, November 29, 2007 11:55 AM To: E36M3 Subject: [E36M3] OT: e46 323 Diff Bushings Another data point, the diff was whining in that car when cold only and only between 20 and 40mph. I drained and filled with royal purple 75W90 and it's nice and quiet now. --------- Same experience, different car (my jeep was quieted by the purple). So that's that, and the clunk is gone :-P My girlfriend didn't even say thank you. Pssh... Now I can finally do the subframe bushings on my M3, except I'm not sure I'm going to do that now since it's so horrible :-P I may drop the subframe myself and farm it out to someone else to press in the bushings. Nice and easy then :-P -------- I'll press them out for you, consider it vanos tool rental. Patrick ************************************************* Please help support the E36M3 list by visiting our sponsors: Bimmerworld http://www.bimmerworld.com Turner Motorsport http://www.turnermotorsport.com Eurosport High Performance http://www.eurosporthighperformance.com Rogue Engineering http://www.rogueengineering.com Treehouse Racing http://www.treehouseracing.com Elephant Motorsports Inc. http://www.elephantmotorsports.com DIGEST INFORMATION: http://www.bmw-m.net/resources/digest_info.htm *************************************************
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#5. Re: Flanged RTABs - from Neil Maller
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Date: Thu, 29 Nov 2007 12:18:17 -0500 From: Neil Maller <neil.maller@gte.net> Subject: Re: Flanged RTABs on 11/29/07 11:24 AM, "Burgess, Kim L" <kim.l.burgess@boeing.com> wrote: > Original RTABs can be had at places like Turner Guys, the original poster clearly indicated that he's in Germany. I doubt that he'll be planning on mail order from Turner. There may or may not be any original RTABs available to him over there. On the other hand I also highly doubt that the new Z4 RTABs are causing the rear end instability he described. on 11/29/07 6:44 AM, "Azik [hotmail.com]" <Azik@hotmail.com> wrote: > I had some instability during hard braking from high speed- rear was trying to > get loose from side to side. I'd be looking at alignment (both front and rear), tires/air pressure, or possibly worn out rear shocks. Maybe even a corroded/sticking brake caliper? > Would stiffening the front do this even worse? No it won't. The E36 chassis has a somewhat, umm, flexible front structure, at least by current standards. Think of a sturdy cardboard shipping carton that's tightly taped up along all the edges. Pretty rigid, right? Now take a sharp knife and cut out most of the bottom and most of the top. Oh yeah, and make whole bunch of holes in the front and sides. How rigid is it now? This pretty much describes the front end of a car, which is open on the underside and has a non-structural hood/bonnet on the top, holes for the wheels and radiator grille, and so on. The X-brace makes a significant improvement to that, and is the probably single best bang-for-the-buck thing you can do to our cars. Azar, I do understand why lying under the car during a German winter isn't all that attractive! You might consider taking it to someone with a lift, even a local gas station. Once the car is up in the air the X-brace installation is a 5-minute bolt-on job. Neil Fort Wayne, IN 96 M3 - Bastard child 03 525iT - Sterling Grey Metallic 05 Mini - Cooper S with LSD
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#6. re: [E36M3] 97 starter grinding - from bnmhead-bmw@yahoo.com
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Date: Thu, 29 Nov 2007 09:46:03 -0800 (PST) From: <bnmhead-bmw@yahoo.com> Subject: re: [E36M3] 97 starter grinding I found Pelican Part's technical writeup on the clutch very helpful (especially the pictures - I'm a picture kind of guy :) ) when I did my clutch, and covers what you'll need to do to pull the starter. I had the so called (dreaded) non-threaded starter, but found that I could get my arm up and around the top of the starter to where I could get a wrench on the nut, something I'd have said was an inpossibility if I hadn't gotten frustrated and decided to somehow squeeze my arm up there. My car was a '95 325i, yours is later enough that I think you should have the later starter. The external torx IMHO are a blessing in this case - once you get the socket on the head it doesn't slip off easily. 3/8" extenstions have a lot of twist in them for the length you'll need - mine are decent quality (SK Tools) but the amount of spring in them still made it tough. Best case would be air tools with the right length 1/2 impact extensions and u-joints.. I broke a good Facom u-joint (with only using a 3/8" rachet - guess I don't know my own strength!!) getting it loose. Make sure you disconnect the battery before you start working, no need to do any unintended welding while you're at it. hth, Barrett
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#7. RE: [E36M3] Power Steering - from Robert Exconde
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Date: Thu, 29 Nov 2007 11:56:12 -0600 From: "Robert Exconde" <99e36m3@exconde.com> Subject: RE: [E36M3] Power Steering >You may be able to rebuild the rack yourself. Never thought of that >before but seems like a lot of money for what amounts to a couple valves >and seals being replaced. It sounds like you're going for the long >haul, and you want to save your pennies for important things like the >engine and clutch. Power steering is overrated. > >As far as pricing, no idea. Sorry. I wouldn't pay over $500 for the >labor though without a good explanation, + $50 for alignment. As far as >I can tell, it's pretty accessible. Well, I thought that I read somewhere that if you change the rack you have to change the pump too because the old pump wont keep up with the new rack. I don’t necessarily need the ps but I gotta maintain what it does have. I am in for the long haul unless I can find a new daily driver that is as fun as this one and I have yet to find one. :) I've done the clutch already. And I'm going to need to do engine work next. Robert 178K on my M3 No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.503 / Virus Database: 269.16.10/1159 - Release Date: 11/29/2007 11:10 AM
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#8. RE: [E36M3] Re: Flanged RTABs; OT structural rigidity - from Matt Bader
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Date: Thu, 29 Nov 2007 13:00:27 -0500 From: "Matt Bader" <mbader@exammaster.com> Subject: RE: [E36M3] Re: Flanged RTABs; OT structural rigidity On a similar topic, I have heard that the four-door E36 is much stiffer than the coupe, not to mention a convertible. I have no data to support this, though. Matt Bader 98 M3/4 -----Original Message----- From: Neil Maller [mailto:neil.maller@gte.net] Sent: Thursday, November 29, 2007 12:25 PM To: E36M3 Subject: [E36M3] Re: Flanged RTABs Date: Thu, 29 Nov 2007 12:18:17 -0500 From: Neil Maller <neil.maller@gte.net> Subject: Re: Flanged RTABs on 11/29/07 11:24 AM, "Burgess, Kim L" <kim.l.burgess@boeing.com> wrote: > Original RTABs can be had at places like Turner Guys, the original poster clearly indicated that he's in Germany. I doubt that he'll be planning on mail order from Turner. There may or may not be any original RTABs available to him over there. On the other hand I also highly doubt that the new Z4 RTABs are causing the rear end instability he described. on 11/29/07 6:44 AM, "Azik [hotmail.com]" <Azik@hotmail.com> wrote: > I had some instability during hard braking from high speed- rear was trying to > get loose from side to side. I'd be looking at alignment (both front and rear), tires/air pressure, or possibly worn out rear shocks. Maybe even a corroded/sticking brake caliper? > Would stiffening the front do this even worse? No it won't. The E36 chassis has a somewhat, umm, flexible front structure, at least by current standards. Think of a sturdy cardboard shipping carton that's tightly taped up along all the edges. Pretty rigid, right? Now take a sharp knife and cut out most of the bottom and most of the top. Oh yeah, and make whole bunch of holes in the front and sides. How rigid is it now? This pretty much describes the front end of a car, which is open on the underside and has a non-structural hood/bonnet on the top, holes for the wheels and radiator grille, and so on. The X-brace makes a significant improvement to that, and is the probably single best bang-for-the-buck thing you can do to our cars. Azar, I do understand why lying under the car during a German winter isn't all that attractive! You might consider taking it to someone with a lift, even a local gas station. Once the car is up in the air the X-brace installation is a 5-minute bolt-on job. Neil Fort Wayne, IN 96 M3 - Bastard child 03 525iT - Sterling Grey Metallic 05 Mini - Cooper S with LSD
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#9. '95 M3 parts for sale - from Kirk Lachman
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Date: Thu, 29 Nov 2007 10:01:21 -0800 (GMT-08:00) From: Kirk Lachman <admranger@earthlink.net> Subject: '95 M3 parts for sale I have a ton of stuff of my '95 M3 (<50k miles). All items were working prior to removal. Shipping from 89144 is the responsibility of the buyer. AC compressor -- $75 AC lines -- $35 Aux fan -- $75 AC condensor -- $50 3.0 liter short block w/<50k miles (alot on the track though) -- $500 email me w/questions, requests for pics, or offers. Cheers, Kirk Lachman Sin City Chapter
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#10. Re: [E36M3] Re: Flanged RTABs - from Peter Loron
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Date: Thu, 29 Nov 2007 10:32:15 -0800 From: "Peter Loron" <peterloron@gmail.com> Subject: Re: [E36M3] Re: Flanged RTABs Can somebody send me or point me to a clear picture / diagram of where the x-brace goes on the car? I've got one to install, but I don't know where to put it! :-) -Pete On Nov 29, 2007 9:24 AM, Neil Maller <neil.maller@gte.net> wrote: > Date: Thu, 29 Nov 2007 12:18:17 -0500 > From: Neil Maller <neil.maller@gte.net> > Subject: Re: Flanged RTABs > > on 11/29/07 11:24 AM, "Burgess, Kim L" <kim.l.burgess@boeing.com> wrote: > > > Original RTABs can be had at places like Turner > > Guys, the original poster clearly indicated that he's in Germany. I doubt > that he'll be planning on mail order from Turner. There may or may not be > any original RTABs available to him over there. > > On the other hand I also highly doubt that the new Z4 RTABs are causing > the > rear end instability he described. > > on 11/29/07 6:44 AM, "Azik [hotmail.com]" <Azik@hotmail.com> wrote: > > > I had some instability during hard braking from high speed- rear was > trying to > > get loose from side to side. > > I'd be looking at alignment (both front and rear), tires/air pressure, or > possibly worn out rear shocks. Maybe even a corroded/sticking brake > caliper? > > > Would stiffening the front do this even worse? > > No it won't. The E36 chassis has a somewhat, umm, flexible front > structure, > at least by current standards. Think of a sturdy cardboard shipping carton > that's tightly taped up along all the edges. Pretty rigid, right? Now take > a > sharp knife and cut out most of the bottom and most of the top. Oh yeah, > and > make whole bunch of holes in the front and sides. How rigid is it now? > > This pretty much describes the front end of a car, which is open on the > underside and has a non-structural hood/bonnet on the top, holes for the > wheels and radiator grille, and so on. > > The X-brace makes a significant improvement to that, and is the probably > single best bang-for-the-buck thing you can do to our cars. > > Azar, I do understand why lying under the car during a German winter isn't > all that attractive! You might consider taking it to someone with a lift, > even a local gas station. Once the car is up in the air the X-brace > installation is a 5-minute bolt-on job. > > Neil > Fort Wayne, IN > 96 M3 - Bastard child > 03 525iT - Sterling Grey Metallic > 05 Mini - Cooper S with LSD > > > > > ************************************************* > Please help support the E36M3 list by visiting our sponsors: > > Bimmerworld http://www.bimmerworld.com > Turner Motorsport http://www.turnermotorsport.com > Eurosport High Performance http://www.eurosporthighperformance.com > Rogue Engineering http://www.rogueengineering.com > Treehouse Racing http://www.treehouseracing.com > Elephant Motorsports Inc. http://www.elephantmotorsports.com > > DIGEST INFORMATION: > http://www.bmw-m.net/resources/digest_info.htm > ************************************************* > > >