M42club.com - Home of the BMW E30/E36 318i/iS
DISCUSSION => General Topics => Topic started by: deansweet on January 29, 2013, 03:06:44 PM
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I'm growing weary of this process. If the car was closer and not my 19yr olds only transportation in downtown cincy I guess it wouldn't happen so often.
Does anybody out there have a spare set of OEM springs for a 1991 318i?
I looked in to skid plates but that's really only a band-aid?
If you have a set. Please PM me with price you;d want shipped to 45036.
Thanks
Dean
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Check out the peerless skid plate, it's a heavy duty solution. I don't have one but I've thought about it.
http://www.e30tech.com/forum/showthread.php?t=95327&highlight=peerless+skid+plate (http://www.e30tech.com/forum/showthread.php?t=95327&highlight=peerless+skid+plate)
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Found this on eGay... Might be better than nothing?
(http://i.ebayimg.com/t/BMW-e30-OEM-aluminum-skid-plate-325i-is-ic-e-great-cond-/00/s/OTAwWDE2MDA=/$(KGrHqJHJCYFCsWSvZKBBQy-jZPwng~~60_57.JPG)
http://www.ebay.com/itm/170982120484?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649 (http://www.ebay.com/itm/170982120484?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649)
Talking to my brother about fabricating our own pan guards as he is a wizard with a plasma cutter and a master welder.
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Yep, it's pretty easy to scrape the pans, especially when lowered. But I have even done so on my stock 318, so that's no guarantee of oil pan safety.
There are a few good skid plates out there for the M42, the only one I have seen in person is the raceskids one which is a bit over $200 shipped IIRC, looked like a quality product too. If you really want to pay shipping and handling I can send you a set of stock springs, but you should be able to get some locally for peanuts/free.
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http://www.ebay.de/itm/Stahl-Olwanne-fur-alle-BMW-E30-4-Zylinder-Rallye-Cross-/120861552357?pt=DE_Autoteile&hash=item1c23e8eee5&_uhb=1#ht_1597wt_952
Next problem is the different thermal expansion, a guy here on e30.be had the problem of the thermal expansion, think he fixed it with silicone sealant. Gasket only wont cut it.
Other then that I think its a great idea. Maybe you could cut and tig-weld the original pan in the same way.
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http://www.ebay.de/itm/Stahl-Olwanne-fur-alle-BMW-E30-4-Zylinder-Rallye-Cross-/120861552357?pt=DE_Autoteile&hash=item1c23e8eee5&_uhb=1#ht_1597wt_952
Next problem is the different thermal expansion, a guy here on e30.be had the problem of the thermal expansion, think he fixed it with silicone sealant. Gasket only wont cut it.
Other then that I think its a great idea. Maybe you could cut and tig-weld the original pan in the same way.
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and after I get the RaceSkids plate installed I now need to buy engine mounts as the oil pan is just barely resting on the skid plate... I called and talked to the owner of raceskids and he said there should be .25" clearance?!
I should buy stock in Pelican Parts...
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I don't exactly see how the mounts could sag like that unless they were really past it, but I suppose it's possible. Try rockauto for the engine mounts, someone on here pointed out they were much less expensive, but they may not be so now as sales there come and go.
As for clearance, I suppose you could just add some shims between the plate and mount points to achieve greater clearance if the mounts don't solve it. As for shims I would suggest something like the M42 valve cover bolt donuts, they might be a perfect fit.
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I have the only real solution to your problem and its so very simple that it should be a no brainer, but its not.
whatever skid plate you put on a e30 with a m42 motor you MUST weld 2 small bars from the sides of the plate running up to the bottom side of the frame rails.
and a few strips of angle iron running the length of the skid plate.
(I ran mine along the edges)
I made the one pictured, the bars run in od directions if u have a/c (I use to). I went to home depot and bought the steel there to make my bars.
after doing this I can and have used the plate as a jacking point its so strong.
its been in place for about 2 years now . My 1991 318is is lowered , I never worry about hurting my pan .
I suck at welding as you can see and it wasnt painted yet but i put it on for like a month or so and decided to make oil changes easy (cause taking the skid plate off sucks )
so I put a ball valve on the pan. safety wired the handle so it doesnt open . now i just hook a rubber hose to the valves end , cut safety wire and turn handle..
oil change (empty) in less than 3min. and now 2 yrs later its all good.
yes its ugly its under the car so who cares... it works!
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i think it cost me 8 bucks.
simple, easy & clean oil changes.