M42club.com - Home of the BMW E30/E36 318i/iS
DISCUSSION => Engine + Driveline => Topic started by: P. Kennedy on August 17, 2007, 05:28:08 PM
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It takes a fair amount of gas pedal to get my beat 318is moving. What steps can I take to improve the throttle response? If you were to say "buy a Mark D. chip," that would be great, as I am looking for an excuse to get one. But other suggestions welcome.
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Lighter flywheel? The m42 one's ridiculously heavy..
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+1 on the lighter flywheel - I wish I had one. It takes a fair amount of time to get all elebenty-billion pounds rotating... well, really only like 30 lbs, but still....
Make sure your AFM is in tip-top shape. I understand a conversion to a MAF will help, but don't know that it helps enough to make it worthwhile. Someone with some experience in that should chime in here.
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If you swap to a alloy flywheel, or a early m20 flywheel you would get better resons.
In case you got a bigger budget you could change the intake manifold.
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Tighten your throttle cable.
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Thanks hombres. I hope to do a flywheel swap in the not too distant future.
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....get the revs up above 4K, that should do the trick.
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Removing the heater plate on the throttle body is meant to make a difference as well. Yet to get the engine in yet to see the difference yet though.
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Try tightening the throttle cable a little. If the pedal does not press perfectly smooothly and there is a lot of resistance, you need to replace the cable. THa can make a world of difference.
+2 on the flywheel. Best mod aside from a chip.
If you press the pedal and the motor does anything short of revving happily & willingly, you might have problems. Maybe a vacuum leak or bad AFM? How does the motor do above 4000RPM?
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Thanks for your response. My throttle cable appears to be somewhat screwed up, there's electrical tape holding things together. I will attempt to get that sorted out. Above 4K, the car runs like a scalded dawg!
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convert to a electric fan also.
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You know, I have heard many many things regarding the electric fan swap. Assuming you did it (and nothing else simultaneously), did it really make a difference in response? I am always looking for an excuse to mess with things in there, but the cost/benefit ratio I hear about this put me off a bit.
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If you have a good functioning clutch fan that shows a lot of resistance when you try to turn it while hot, yes you will notice the difference with the clutch fan. I tried it out at first by simply driving the car with the clutch fan removed (cold night, no idling) and I was convinced. Also removed the PS which also helps in throttle response. Next step for me is chip and flywheel.
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If you have a good functioning clutch fan that shows a lot of resistance when you try to turn it while hot, yes you will notice the difference with the clutch fan. I tried it out at first by simply driving the car with the clutch fan removed (cold night, no idling) and I was convinced. Also removed the PS which also helps in throttle response. Next step for me is chip and flywheel.
qft :D
I removed my fan clutch and it was deff noticable. I decided to go electric. But I have since taken off the PS, AC and have the m20 single mass flywheel now. Throttle response is pretty good I would say, although its not ITBS...
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early m20 flywheel you would get better resons
I suppose M40 engine is not available in the USA? In Europe 316I & 318I use 1,6 & 1,8 liter variants of M40 engine. basically it is a 8V version of M42 engine. M40 flywheel is lighter than M20 flywheel and it is a direct bolt on job to M42 engines. Actually most of the european 318IS have this flywheel, because in most cases 318IS does not have AC. Plenty of those flywheels available in Europe.
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M40 flywheel= 22 lbs. Can be reduced to 16-18lbs with machine work. Mine came out at 17.6 lbs. IIRC the M20 will be lighter, but you have to change the starter gear, or the ring gear on the flywheel. M20 allows for a bigger clutch, which equals more weight, but also handles more power if needed. Non AC M42's have the M40 flywheel. Most US 318is' have AC. I got lucky and found one for sale on e-bay, by a salvage yard in Georgia. $75 shipped. Best mod I have done next to the Mark D chip. Dramatically improved throttle response.
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maybe this will help
http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=567986&referrerid=56200
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Good info. I'll keep this in mind on my next trip to Europe.
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BTW the m20 starter DOES work on the getrag 240. I'm not sure if anyone has confimed that yet but I've been running it all summer and it works perfect. OBV this is for those who swap to the m20 flywheel.
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+1 on the starter.
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Let me see if I'm understanding this right. When doin the m20 flywheel swap, instead of taking both the m20 and the m42 starters apart to swap the gear, you can just throw in the m20 starter have a beer and call it a day.
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For the M20 flywheel swap, all you need is the flywheel, clutch, and M20 starter?
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check this: http://www.blackforestindustries.com/m20flywheel.htm
Or you may spend some hard working money and go: http://www.jbracing.com/flywheel-bmw3.php
I will probably go for jbracing in the near future
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For the M20 flywheel swap, all you need is the flywheel, clutch, and M20 starter?
You also need an E21 323i throw out bearing. I heard somewhere that you can use a different, less rare, less $$$ one, but I cannot remember the details. The shorter M20 flywheel studs are also needed.
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Let me see if I'm understanding this right. When doin the m20 flywheel swap, instead of taking both the m20 and the m42 starters apart to swap the gear, you can just throw in the m20 starter have a beer and call it a day.
yep, exactly right