Messages

1

Suspension / Is the Z3 rack really any better?

« on: April 16, 2008, 01:55:41 PM »

Yes.

My turning radius is no different (can still make a U on a 1.5 lane road).  2.7 turn ratio versus 4...you feel the difference, trust me.  I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

2.7 - Wow! That's as quick as my wife's 2005 Honda Civic 4 door.

2

Exterior / A newer one.

« on: April 16, 2008, 01:32:08 PM »

I swapped headlights and added fogs. Headlights were Euro Hella Smiley with city lights. I added the cross hair plates and painted part of the reflector in the low beams. I may go back to the original low beam look.

3

Engine + Driveline / E30 & E36 difference

« on: April 16, 2008, 01:08:39 PM »

I have a M42 out of a 10/95 E36 318ti. I changed oil pans, intakes, and crank pulleys. I reused all of the accessories from the E30 because I had a good A/C, alternator, and PS pump and didn't want to replace anything just to use the serpentine belt drive.  I also used E30 electronics. In other words, I stripped the E36 motor to a long block. The cast rather than forged crank would only be an issue if you were going to race and/or turbocharge the motor and even then failures are just as rare in the E36 four cylinders.  I have no objective evidence but I think the E36 motor responds and performs a bit better with the E30 intake. Then again I had a pretty tired E30 motor.

4

How-To's / HELP removing front valence

« on: April 16, 2008, 01:22:49 AM »

If it's the one in the last picture, just grind the head off and then exercise your vocabulary.

5

Suspension / Is the Z3 rack really any better?

« on: April 16, 2008, 01:12:01 AM »

Common opinion states that the Z3 rack is the best because it has the least turns from stop to stop. But I've also read that all the e36 racks have essentially the same turning ratio, just some have tighter bump stops. I also read on this thread that the Z3 rack actually increases your turning radius because its shorter due to fitment issues on the Z3 chassis.
So is there any real, significant benefit to be had by going with the Z3 rack?

All 10/93 to 9/95 M3 and 10/95 with the S50 instead of the S52 motor have rack #32132227191 which is the quick one that is 3.0 turns lock to lock. The E36 cars in general are 3.2. The Z3 rack is limited to lateral movement as noted above but it could be the rack or it could be mechanical stops between the control arms and spindles. Not sure which. The E30 M42 cars are 4.0.

6

General Topics / how much should i pay for this 318is?

« on: April 14, 2008, 03:49:59 PM »

$1200 - $1250
He'll take it now or later. The check engine light can be a number of things from a converter to EFI components at $100 - $200 each. I see $1000+ in parts if you do the labor yourself.
Front lip
Exhaust
Rebuild front suspension w/rack & pinion.
Electronics
Fuel injection parts for check engine light.

7

Engine + Driveline / Camshaft Sensor Where?

« on: April 14, 2008, 03:40:37 PM »

I think the car will run with a faulty camshaft sensor. It will simply fire a spark everytime the cylinder comes up instead of just during the actual compression stroke where it would fire if the cam sensor were working. Not sure if you actually need one or were thinking it would fix a not running at all situation.

8

General Topics / BMW e30 Lower X Brace available in May

« on: April 14, 2008, 12:07:25 AM »

It's tied to the car in a very solid manner. It appears to be the front at the subframe and the rear at the lollipop mounts. It's too bad you can't do the same thing at the top. I've always thought that the strut bars were connecting two points that were both trying to move in the same direction in response to lateral G's. You can only do it properly on a track car where you can go through the firewall and triangulate to the cage. This lower one looks good and is well designed. Triangles FTW!

9

Engine + Driveline / Gearbox question

« on: April 13, 2008, 01:23:01 PM »

Check this out on a New Zealand forum. I love this guy's hometown. "From: Napier Boys High School Changing Rooms getting dicks in my arse, im loving it"
http://www.bimmersport.co.nz/forums/index.php?showtopic=2582
Oh, the answer appears to be "yes".

10

Engine + Driveline / My Car's Exhaust Stinks

« on: April 13, 2008, 01:16:04 PM »

Sometimes on damp cold mornings ( 40-50 F. in Texas) I will get a really strong smell when I back out of the driveway and drive through the exhaust. It smells like cat piss!

11

Electrical / MAF Conversion V5.2 - Things Are Looking Up!

« on: April 11, 2008, 05:49:54 PM »

It was from a forum for the Skoda which is some kind of VW/Audi. The thread was about them being prone to breaking from plugging/unplugging them. I like the MSD connectors as they are readily available and you can buy new pins, special crimping pliers, seals, and a special tool to take them apart - a lot handier than poking around with the little screwdrivers.
http://www.jegs.com/i/MSD/121/81735/10002/-1?CT=999

12

Electrical / MAF Conversion V5.2 - Things Are Looking Up!

« on: April 10, 2008, 11:05:59 PM »

Is this it?



Do you need the part numbers for the pins and sockets or do they come with this stuff?

13

Engine management / intank fuel pump FTL

« on: April 10, 2008, 03:17:34 PM »

I know you can use a number of fuel pumps in an E30 by hooking them up with the rubber hose and connecting the wires. I've known of people using Escort, Mustang, and Taurus in tank pumps in any number of street and race cars. We used to just go out in the junk yard and get one. Hook it to the pipe with a piece of rubber hose and clamps and connect the wiring.

14

Engine + Driveline / Quick and dirty spark plug wires

« on: April 08, 2008, 01:49:19 PM »

I filled two of mine with water the first time I cleaned the engine after doing the COP conversion. A piece of plastic during motor hose offs solved the problem.

15

General Topics / Crankshaft Offset grinding

« on: April 08, 2008, 01:21:02 AM »

Cranks are also stroked by grinding and welding stellite or a similar hard alloy on the journals and then reground. You can add up to 3/8" of stroke this way. It eliminates finding smaller bearings and the danger of going through the hard outer layer of the journal. I don't know the cost these days or how it would compare with a  M47 crank costwise. There's also the thing of keeping the bore happy with the stroke for the intended use - torque, high end, or low end  power.