-
Read the WELCOME ALL BMWFANATICS post.
So I'm finally a worthy forum member..
- Thread starter BillyBob
- Start date
Fordkoppie
///Member
BillyBob said:
Otherwize the car really looks to be in great condition. :thumbs:
BillyBob
Active member
Hey guys... Thanks for the comments - much appreciated.
A bit of an update - guessing this is going to eventually become my build / project thread.
Two days of M3 ownership, and I can safely say that this is by far the biggest car project I've ever tackled. Crikes, there's a lot to be done.
Friday night - drove the car home, missing like a mofo, and only clearing up at certain throttle openings. Checked a few things, and let it be..
Saturday morning - she starts up and idles perfectly... go figure. Make a few calls, start sourcing parts and bits, cleaning equipment, etc etc. Spend most of the day driving around to get them.
Plugs (Bargain - R650 for the whole set from Bruma Auto - and big up to Robert Cook, parts guy - helpful as hell)
Oil Filter (agents)
Anti-freeze
10L of Castrol Edge (R279 a bottle on special at Midas)
Clean Green
Shoe brush
Shield Dash / trim and leather wipes
Meguiars carpet stain cleaner
Glass wipes (alcohol)
Intake and filter
Autostyle Diffuser (DOESN'T FIT M3 / COUPE BUMPER - assuming it's for normal E36 sedan model bumpers)
Okay, so - first order of business, was replacing the plugs. When finally replaced, the car misses like a monster again. Sad Bob. Fiddle with the TPS, MAF, etc etc, and no luck - while the miss was slowly clearing up, I couldn't get rid of it completely... Eventually figured I'd try out a BMC 90mm cone filter and see what it does - fitted it straight on to the MAF.. drive it for a bit, and the miss clears up, slowly but surely - until after one brief whack of the throttle, the engine runs and idles perfectly.
Stop at home, flabbergasted. Now a few interior points to be attended to - passenger side window rubber was off for some reason - re-fitted it, as well as the passenger M3 door sill panel, and a few odds and ends in terms of trim panels, etc.
Tired and gatvol of replacing trim panels (having dislodged the bloody side skirt as well during my clambering in and out of the car - need to get new clips and hole linings for it), I then quickly test-fitted the Golf 5 GTI carbon fibre intake shroud I'd picked up for a bit of a bargain - so I yanked off the air filter, MAF and intake elbow - only to find what had most likely been the cause of at least some of the running problems - the intake elbow is a mess, with the concertina bits in tatters and tons of insulation tape put in place to cover this and attempt to make the unit seal. Some of this insulation tape had pulled out of position with the flexing under movement of the engine, and caused the engine to suck unmetered air at times - something which certainly contributed at least partially to the engine's missing and poor running.
Taped it up again until I can find a replacement elbow.. and then test-fitted the intake, only to find that it fits perfectly in principle, except for a section that extends to the back, and knocks up against the bottom of the elbow + the power steering fluid reservoir..
Here's a shot of the intake - note the long "tail" section I'm referring to. Oh, and also note the tiny intake hole - those bloody GTI's and their small piping.
Anyways - I didn't want to hack away at the intake to "make it fit" without checking whether I could find a proper purpose-designed part for the M3, so I called it a day, went inside, ate dinner, and chilled... But my ass started itching again, so I checked for CF intake availability in SA...
BMC CDA is awesome, but costs R3500, and no one has bloody stock of the 90mm unit locally, and I'm no going to fit a 76mm unit that will only serve to constrict the inlet tract.
Only available Simota stock seems to be the same issue - 76mm / 3" fitment only... nothing available for the 3.5" MAF on the M3..
So, a boer made a plan... decided to take the plunge, and start hacking away at the intake.. Tried sanding the hole bigger at first, but that was gonna take forever - so with a dremel bit in a drill, and my girlfriend's assistance, I proceeded to annoy the neighbours for about 15 minutes, grinding the hole larger, until the MAF fit snuggly into the hole. I then proceeded to cut the rear tail section shorter, and used the rubber trim moulding at the bottom to line the section where I'd cut. Finally, I bolted the BMC filter to the section of the MAF protruding inside the housing, ensuring the two won't come apart. Note the shortened tail section in the pics...
Fitted it to the car, and went for a test drive - couldn't hear much of the intake though, because of the deafeningly loud exhaust - make no mistake, exhaust system sounds nice, and according to some twin-63mm is the ideal size when you do further performance mods to the motor - but at the very least, it needs some better silencer boxes, otherwise it's gonna drive me, and the entire neighbourhood downright mad.
Pardon the filthy engine bay - want to complete mechanical work and replacements in there first, and then clean up the relevant sections and bits, before doing the whole bay.
I'll be getting a short length of 88mm pipe and some 90mm silicone during the week in order to space the filter away from the MAF, so it doesn't risk messing with the readings. Retired for a good night's sleep - and two showers to get rid of the itching of the carbon fibre dust... mental note - don't sand or cut carbon fibre without protective gear and a mask - EVER.
Also, I'll get a ram tube, fit it to the bottom of the carbon fibre shroud, pointing at the filter, and run the other end down to the brake duct, to supply it with some nice cool air while the car'son the go.
Today was operation cleanup to some extent... tackled the beadings, window trims and dashboard for a total of about 3 hours... Cleen Green, a shoebrush, a bucket of water, chamois, glass wipes and trim / leather wipes... scrubbed the dash down to within an inch of its life - and amazingly enough, beige/brown has become grey, and blacks are a true black.. I'm shocked at how downright filthy it was - even the OBC screens don't have small grime marks in the corners anymore. Gratuitous use of Shield cleaning wipes saw everything finished nicely, with even the steering wheel showing some signs of life. It was fruitful - the dash, controls and centre console are looking loads better - will post pics soon.
Later this afternoon, I itched to do something on the car again - so I grabbed the coil & plug cover and decided to see what I could do with it. While there is some oxidization corrosion on the motor, it's more a case of dust, dirt, polish residue and rat excrement - don't ask - I'm sure the electric horrors awaiting me are going to be interesting, but we'll cross that bridge when we get there.
A few coats of cleen green, with some vigorous brush scrubbing turned out pretty good... Here's a shot of the cleaned product on the engine to give an idea of contrast to what it looked like before.
While much better, I'd like to eventually polish the raised writing section to a high gloss, and maybe look at a high temperature matt black spray - or powdercoating - but that would have to involve the entire tappet cover coming off - maybe when I do a shim adjustment - but don't even want to think about that right now.
Tomorrow will see me taking the car in to get the wheels balanced, suspension checked out - LCA's most likely replaced, and checking why the right shock seems to be bottoming out - may have collapsed. Also picking up a set of Tein springs from a mate, with a milder drop, so that may as well go in while we're at it. Then the exhaust - sort it the hell out. And take off that oil pipeline lookalike exhaust tip.
Also got a mate who said he should be able to organize window trims all round, the right hand door rubber (mine's stuffed beyond belief), the beading trim panel I'm looking for, rear diffuser and a few other bits on the shopping list.
Loving the car, and it's gonna be awesome when I'm done with it - but gawd, it's a lot of work. Kinda fun though. :inlove:
Oh, and on the rims - I reckon I'll stick with the M-forged alloys, and just get them refurbished... someone mentioned chrome shadow, a-la E39 M5 - I think chrome shadow with a mirror polish would look fantastic...
This colour and finish, just high polished:
Opinions?
A bit of an update - guessing this is going to eventually become my build / project thread.
Two days of M3 ownership, and I can safely say that this is by far the biggest car project I've ever tackled. Crikes, there's a lot to be done.
Friday night - drove the car home, missing like a mofo, and only clearing up at certain throttle openings. Checked a few things, and let it be..
Saturday morning - she starts up and idles perfectly... go figure. Make a few calls, start sourcing parts and bits, cleaning equipment, etc etc. Spend most of the day driving around to get them.
Plugs (Bargain - R650 for the whole set from Bruma Auto - and big up to Robert Cook, parts guy - helpful as hell)
Oil Filter (agents)
Anti-freeze
10L of Castrol Edge (R279 a bottle on special at Midas)
Clean Green
Shoe brush
Shield Dash / trim and leather wipes
Meguiars carpet stain cleaner
Glass wipes (alcohol)
Intake and filter
Autostyle Diffuser (DOESN'T FIT M3 / COUPE BUMPER - assuming it's for normal E36 sedan model bumpers)
Okay, so - first order of business, was replacing the plugs. When finally replaced, the car misses like a monster again. Sad Bob. Fiddle with the TPS, MAF, etc etc, and no luck - while the miss was slowly clearing up, I couldn't get rid of it completely... Eventually figured I'd try out a BMC 90mm cone filter and see what it does - fitted it straight on to the MAF.. drive it for a bit, and the miss clears up, slowly but surely - until after one brief whack of the throttle, the engine runs and idles perfectly.
Stop at home, flabbergasted. Now a few interior points to be attended to - passenger side window rubber was off for some reason - re-fitted it, as well as the passenger M3 door sill panel, and a few odds and ends in terms of trim panels, etc.
Tired and gatvol of replacing trim panels (having dislodged the bloody side skirt as well during my clambering in and out of the car - need to get new clips and hole linings for it), I then quickly test-fitted the Golf 5 GTI carbon fibre intake shroud I'd picked up for a bit of a bargain - so I yanked off the air filter, MAF and intake elbow - only to find what had most likely been the cause of at least some of the running problems - the intake elbow is a mess, with the concertina bits in tatters and tons of insulation tape put in place to cover this and attempt to make the unit seal. Some of this insulation tape had pulled out of position with the flexing under movement of the engine, and caused the engine to suck unmetered air at times - something which certainly contributed at least partially to the engine's missing and poor running.
Taped it up again until I can find a replacement elbow.. and then test-fitted the intake, only to find that it fits perfectly in principle, except for a section that extends to the back, and knocks up against the bottom of the elbow + the power steering fluid reservoir..
Here's a shot of the intake - note the long "tail" section I'm referring to. Oh, and also note the tiny intake hole - those bloody GTI's and their small piping.
Anyways - I didn't want to hack away at the intake to "make it fit" without checking whether I could find a proper purpose-designed part for the M3, so I called it a day, went inside, ate dinner, and chilled... But my ass started itching again, so I checked for CF intake availability in SA...
BMC CDA is awesome, but costs R3500, and no one has bloody stock of the 90mm unit locally, and I'm no going to fit a 76mm unit that will only serve to constrict the inlet tract.
Only available Simota stock seems to be the same issue - 76mm / 3" fitment only... nothing available for the 3.5" MAF on the M3..
So, a boer made a plan... decided to take the plunge, and start hacking away at the intake.. Tried sanding the hole bigger at first, but that was gonna take forever - so with a dremel bit in a drill, and my girlfriend's assistance, I proceeded to annoy the neighbours for about 15 minutes, grinding the hole larger, until the MAF fit snuggly into the hole. I then proceeded to cut the rear tail section shorter, and used the rubber trim moulding at the bottom to line the section where I'd cut. Finally, I bolted the BMC filter to the section of the MAF protruding inside the housing, ensuring the two won't come apart. Note the shortened tail section in the pics...
Fitted it to the car, and went for a test drive - couldn't hear much of the intake though, because of the deafeningly loud exhaust - make no mistake, exhaust system sounds nice, and according to some twin-63mm is the ideal size when you do further performance mods to the motor - but at the very least, it needs some better silencer boxes, otherwise it's gonna drive me, and the entire neighbourhood downright mad.
Pardon the filthy engine bay - want to complete mechanical work and replacements in there first, and then clean up the relevant sections and bits, before doing the whole bay.
I'll be getting a short length of 88mm pipe and some 90mm silicone during the week in order to space the filter away from the MAF, so it doesn't risk messing with the readings. Retired for a good night's sleep - and two showers to get rid of the itching of the carbon fibre dust... mental note - don't sand or cut carbon fibre without protective gear and a mask - EVER.
Also, I'll get a ram tube, fit it to the bottom of the carbon fibre shroud, pointing at the filter, and run the other end down to the brake duct, to supply it with some nice cool air while the car'son the go.
Today was operation cleanup to some extent... tackled the beadings, window trims and dashboard for a total of about 3 hours... Cleen Green, a shoebrush, a bucket of water, chamois, glass wipes and trim / leather wipes... scrubbed the dash down to within an inch of its life - and amazingly enough, beige/brown has become grey, and blacks are a true black.. I'm shocked at how downright filthy it was - even the OBC screens don't have small grime marks in the corners anymore. Gratuitous use of Shield cleaning wipes saw everything finished nicely, with even the steering wheel showing some signs of life. It was fruitful - the dash, controls and centre console are looking loads better - will post pics soon.
Later this afternoon, I itched to do something on the car again - so I grabbed the coil & plug cover and decided to see what I could do with it. While there is some oxidization corrosion on the motor, it's more a case of dust, dirt, polish residue and rat excrement - don't ask - I'm sure the electric horrors awaiting me are going to be interesting, but we'll cross that bridge when we get there.
A few coats of cleen green, with some vigorous brush scrubbing turned out pretty good... Here's a shot of the cleaned product on the engine to give an idea of contrast to what it looked like before.
While much better, I'd like to eventually polish the raised writing section to a high gloss, and maybe look at a high temperature matt black spray - or powdercoating - but that would have to involve the entire tappet cover coming off - maybe when I do a shim adjustment - but don't even want to think about that right now.
Tomorrow will see me taking the car in to get the wheels balanced, suspension checked out - LCA's most likely replaced, and checking why the right shock seems to be bottoming out - may have collapsed. Also picking up a set of Tein springs from a mate, with a milder drop, so that may as well go in while we're at it. Then the exhaust - sort it the hell out. And take off that oil pipeline lookalike exhaust tip.
Also got a mate who said he should be able to organize window trims all round, the right hand door rubber (mine's stuffed beyond belief), the beading trim panel I'm looking for, rear diffuser and a few other bits on the shopping list.
Loving the car, and it's gonna be awesome when I'm done with it - but gawd, it's a lot of work. Kinda fun though. :inlove:
Oh, and on the rims - I reckon I'll stick with the M-forged alloys, and just get them refurbished... someone mentioned chrome shadow, a-la E39 M5 - I think chrome shadow with a mirror polish would look fantastic...
This colour and finish, just high polished:
Opinions?
BillyBob
Active member
Sankekur - all aftermarket CF intakes use some type of cone filter, except the full CSL replica intakes.
I fail to see what the issue is... especially considering some brain donor already hacked the bottom of the OE airbox to pieces - and a well-insulated CF-cone based intake makes more horsepower than the stock box any day of the week.
Horses for courses and personal preference I guess.
Oh, and I do own a Golf and a Civic as well - both turbo, and with cone filters... so I guess the aftermarket intake idea has kinda stuck with me.
Maybe I should trade the M3 on a tazz... :tease:
I fail to see what the issue is... especially considering some brain donor already hacked the bottom of the OE airbox to pieces - and a well-insulated CF-cone based intake makes more horsepower than the stock box any day of the week.
Horses for courses and personal preference I guess.
Oh, and I do own a Golf and a Civic as well - both turbo, and with cone filters... so I guess the aftermarket intake idea has kinda stuck with me.
Maybe I should trade the M3 on a tazz... :tease:
Sankekur
///Member
Well I am yet to see a cone type filter that can perform well consistently, even the ridiculously overpriced intakes (something in the region of $3500) that gruppe M sells have shown on a number of occasions to be not better than than stock M intakes and in some cases have actually shown losses. On an M keep the intake stock.
Even engines like the measly M54 in my car the best you can get with a very good heat shield and a cone is to get back to stock performance - and this engine did not have nearly the amount of engineering go into it as something like the S50.
Even engines like the measly M54 in my car the best you can get with a very good heat shield and a cone is to get back to stock performance - and this engine did not have nearly the amount of engineering go into it as something like the S50.
BillyBob
Active member
Erm, okay then. Honestly, I get the impression that you seem to nit-pick on posts just for the sake of nit-picking - what's the matter dude? PMS? Festive season getting on your nerves? - but I'll bite and continue down this train of discussion.
I find it odd how virtually every one of the UK BMW forum members that's tried an aftermarket cone-based intake (DaveF, Simota, GruppeM) on an E36 M3 reports 8-10 bhp gain on a dyno.
The GruppeM figures you refer to are true - on E46 M3's - they don't make much of a difference... but the E36 M3 airbox is far from ideal, and there are definite gains to be had from intake modifications..
Granted that exposed cone filters are susceptible to heatsoak, which causes power loss - hence the carbon fibre shroud / enclosure, as carbon fibre doesn't conduct heat - by comparison, have you felt an M3 airbox after a bit of stop start traffic? That thing's boiling - so I fail to see how a carbon fibre enclosed cone filter, with a larger surface area and less restriction would yield less power than the stock intake.
But hey, I hear what you're saying, and understand the stigma attached to cone filters belonging in the boy racer circles.
I find it odd how virtually every one of the UK BMW forum members that's tried an aftermarket cone-based intake (DaveF, Simota, GruppeM) on an E36 M3 reports 8-10 bhp gain on a dyno.
The GruppeM figures you refer to are true - on E46 M3's - they don't make much of a difference... but the E36 M3 airbox is far from ideal, and there are definite gains to be had from intake modifications..
Granted that exposed cone filters are susceptible to heatsoak, which causes power loss - hence the carbon fibre shroud / enclosure, as carbon fibre doesn't conduct heat - by comparison, have you felt an M3 airbox after a bit of stop start traffic? That thing's boiling - so I fail to see how a carbon fibre enclosed cone filter, with a larger surface area and less restriction would yield less power than the stock intake.
But hey, I hear what you're saying, and understand the stigma attached to cone filters belonging in the boy racer circles.
Sankekur
///Member
Well I am nit-picky by nature, and you kinda did post this on and open forum so you should have expected this kind of thing...
People will give there opinions, and my opinion is that a cone filter has no place on a BMW let alone an M for that matter and in general I am against the use of all oiled filters.
But in the end this is your car so you can do as you please.
Not hating just stating.
People will give there opinions, and my opinion is that a cone filter has no place on a BMW let alone an M for that matter and in general I am against the use of all oiled filters.
But in the end this is your car so you can do as you please.
Not hating just stating.
BillyBob
Active member
Sankekur said:
Yup, fully - I posted it on an open forum, looking for constructive input and comment - and I welcome your opinion on cone filters - even considering that there's a right and a wrong way to oil aftermarket filters, only one of which negatively affects MAF's - though, let's not even get into that...
But when said opinion includes misquoted "facts" and borderline ridicule in getting it across, it doesn't exactly strike one as intending to be constructive - or fitting conduct for a site admin, for that matter.
Not hating - just stating.
Sankekur
///Member
Well a good thing it was just borderline....else, bad admin :mmm:, admin or no I am still just a normal guy behind a keyboard just like everyone else here, also not been known as being uncontroversial in the past :fencelook:
As for the oiling of the filter, I am sure there is a correct way of doing it, but from what I have seen of the instructions on these oiled filters is that it usually says something like apply oil liberally, which is not very exact, so it is pretty easy to get wrong. Read an article a while back that compared the filtering capabilities of aftermaket filters...but I can't find the link now so won't say anything further about the results of the tests.
Would someday like to do a similar tests with the filters more prevalent here in SA, would be interesting I think.
Meh, but I am tired now, and I need to get up early to sort out a flat on the 540i, sigh.
As for the oiling of the filter, I am sure there is a correct way of doing it, but from what I have seen of the instructions on these oiled filters is that it usually says something like apply oil liberally, which is not very exact, so it is pretty easy to get wrong. Read an article a while back that compared the filtering capabilities of aftermaket filters...but I can't find the link now so won't say anything further about the results of the tests.
Would someday like to do a similar tests with the filters more prevalent here in SA, would be interesting I think.
Meh, but I am tired now, and I need to get up early to sort out a flat on the 540i, sigh.
Sank is just very much the purist ( And so am I for that matter) and hence just argumentative by nature when it comes to BMW's finest.
I think his point is just that if it were a 328 or something, then go for the cone, but on an M....
I will admit the airbox on my M5 is a work of art, it has this special panel on the side blocking it off from the engine compartment, plastic shrouds that make it a cold air intake from behind the headlamps and even a diffuser on the radiator cowling deflecting hot air away from the airbox as well as two custom designed ram air trumpets, one inside and one outside.
I am not sure if they went to this effort with the M3 or not, but it's your car to do with as you please, and at the end of the day you decide.
BB dont stress about it, they even diss me for trying to put some of the rarest genuine BMW parts in the world on my car (My BMW motorsport door handles) which are going on to the car regardless even if they never speak to me again.
Fitted to less than 100 E34 M5's and E36M3's in 1993 as BMW motorsport's 20 jhare anniversary.
http://www.ebay.pl/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170732842410&ssPageName=ADME:X:AAQ:PL:1123
I think his point is just that if it were a 328 or something, then go for the cone, but on an M....
I will admit the airbox on my M5 is a work of art, it has this special panel on the side blocking it off from the engine compartment, plastic shrouds that make it a cold air intake from behind the headlamps and even a diffuser on the radiator cowling deflecting hot air away from the airbox as well as two custom designed ram air trumpets, one inside and one outside.
I am not sure if they went to this effort with the M3 or not, but it's your car to do with as you please, and at the end of the day you decide.
BB dont stress about it, they even diss me for trying to put some of the rarest genuine BMW parts in the world on my car (My BMW motorsport door handles) which are going on to the car regardless even if they never speak to me again.
Fitted to less than 100 E34 M5's and E36M3's in 1993 as BMW motorsport's 20 jhare anniversary.
http://www.ebay.pl/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170732842410&ssPageName=ADME:X:AAQ:PL:1123
billybob i would look at another intake this one will only block direct heat and will still suck in alot of hot air... also it seems to just be dangling there if so it will destroy the new elbow you put on there from flexing all the time...
Congrats buddy, im sure in time u will have her in just the condition you want her, like you said, afterall its a 16year old car and what a car it is.
Congrats!!!!:thumbs:
Well about the cone filter, i think its a matter of own preference, like it or not, they do make the air getting sucked in sound sweet but than again the ///M already has a sweet tone. I personally would not install a cone on my car but i have seen/heard others that have and they are cool!
Congrats!!!!:thumbs:
Well about the cone filter, i think its a matter of own preference, like it or not, they do make the air getting sucked in sound sweet but than again the ///M already has a sweet tone. I personally would not install a cone on my car but i have seen/heard others that have and they are cool!
BillyBob
Active member
Dunno - the car's had a bit of a hard life, but it seems to have been more in terms of neglect and standing around, and being driven by a fucking oaf with no regard for leather / interior care, or the general aesthetic upkeep of the car.
Had the car on a lift today, and mechanically speaking, I found a couple of interesting indicators as to the mileage of the car probably being accurate and the service history at least checking out for the most part.. the engine shows no signs of having been opened, and the tappet cover gasket doesn't seep a drop of oil - same goes for the sump gasket. AC and power steering pumps look to be in good nick, and the suspension wasn't nearly in the state of disrepair I was expecting - control arm bushes are solid and in good nick - the only thing that required replacement in the front was a rack-end / tie rod.
Rear trailing arm bushes have a wee bit of slack, but are still passable - will have them replaced anyway though as they're quite cheap. Lateral bushes in the rear are very soggy - probably never been replaced - which could very well explain the movement from the rear on coming off the throttle for gear shifts when pushing on a bit.. Exhaust turns out to be a very nicely done mandrel-bent twin-63mm stainless system, barring the rear section - clearly some Brakpan clutchplate thought it wasn't loud enough, hacked off the last 60cm, and welded on a mild steel section (now rusted to shit) with the mankiest excuse for a silencer box I've ever seen.... So it looks like the exhaust could be redeemed simply by fitting a new rear section with a beefy silencer box.
Front discs and pads have seen recent replacement - well, at least a few in terms of mileage - the sheer amount of rust on the disc edge and ventilated section, and oxidization on the back of the pad point to them having been on the car for some time... Rear discs and pads will be due for replacement very soon - might as well start looking out for aftermarket kits while in the meantime to see if the OE stuff could be improved on, and also consider braided hoses.
Heater valve seems to have gone, as the car's continuously got hot air coming in... Will check out replacement costs, and maybe just bypass it in the meantime while waiting for a replacement. Need to still take it to get the AC system checked so I can see if anything needs replacing there.
Also asked a mate if mine at BMW to start sourcing some stuff for me - he gets a bit of a staff discount, so it won't hurt all that much.. Rear diffuser, side window trimmings, the fender beading, driver's side door rubber (R4600 normal price from the agents :shock: )
The shudder is still there after the rack end replacement and balancing all 4 wheels... Starts up at about 80 km/h, and gets progressively worse - haven't taken her over 120 yet.. A few opinions have stated it could be the prop shaft... Oops. This could get expensive.
Funnily enough though, with all the driving I did today, the shuddering at about 100 km/h on the highway actually started diminishing while on the way home tonight... A part of me is secretly hoping there may have been some warping of the discs, causing it's own special brand of havoc through continuous contact with the calipers, or perhaps just misalignment of the discs on the hub... But in all honesty, there is the off chance that I might have just gotten used to the shudder and started vibrating sympathetically myself.
Oh, and the drop turns out to be courtesy of a set of bright orange R495 Koenic springs... The antichrist of coil springs. Think I'm going to take up IRJ on his offer of stock springs, and be done with it... And probably also replace the shocks - while they don't appear to be leaking, I'm not too inclined to trust a shock test as being accurate on those springs, and the shocks have no doubt been working overtime and bottomed out a good number of times trying to cope with those absolutely wretched pieces of crap excuses for coil springs. Stock suspension would suit me just fine in fact - I don't like the car dropped - scrapes over even the slightest hint of a speed hump, and makes getting in and out an absolute pain in the ass - especially when parked next to another car in a parking lot, rendering one unable to swing the friggin door out to any meaningful length to allow for convenient access or exit. Crikes, I thought my Opel Turbo Coupe was inconvenient to get in and out of considering the door length - but the M3 takes my contortionist abilities to new heights.. Definitely a car to be parked in that lone parking spot waaaaaaay on the other side of the parking lot, where no one wants to park because it's too far to walk. Stuff it, I'll walk as far as I have to - beats putting my back out and bashing the paint off the door edge..
Gonna take it to an independent specialist that's come highly recommended by a mate of mine who takes his E36 there exclusively... Ex Alberante workshop manager apparently. Will get a full report and quote on all mechanical / suspension / electric repairs and then take things from there.
Had the car on a lift today, and mechanically speaking, I found a couple of interesting indicators as to the mileage of the car probably being accurate and the service history at least checking out for the most part.. the engine shows no signs of having been opened, and the tappet cover gasket doesn't seep a drop of oil - same goes for the sump gasket. AC and power steering pumps look to be in good nick, and the suspension wasn't nearly in the state of disrepair I was expecting - control arm bushes are solid and in good nick - the only thing that required replacement in the front was a rack-end / tie rod.
Rear trailing arm bushes have a wee bit of slack, but are still passable - will have them replaced anyway though as they're quite cheap. Lateral bushes in the rear are very soggy - probably never been replaced - which could very well explain the movement from the rear on coming off the throttle for gear shifts when pushing on a bit.. Exhaust turns out to be a very nicely done mandrel-bent twin-63mm stainless system, barring the rear section - clearly some Brakpan clutchplate thought it wasn't loud enough, hacked off the last 60cm, and welded on a mild steel section (now rusted to shit) with the mankiest excuse for a silencer box I've ever seen.... So it looks like the exhaust could be redeemed simply by fitting a new rear section with a beefy silencer box.
Front discs and pads have seen recent replacement - well, at least a few in terms of mileage - the sheer amount of rust on the disc edge and ventilated section, and oxidization on the back of the pad point to them having been on the car for some time... Rear discs and pads will be due for replacement very soon - might as well start looking out for aftermarket kits while in the meantime to see if the OE stuff could be improved on, and also consider braided hoses.
Heater valve seems to have gone, as the car's continuously got hot air coming in... Will check out replacement costs, and maybe just bypass it in the meantime while waiting for a replacement. Need to still take it to get the AC system checked so I can see if anything needs replacing there.
Also asked a mate if mine at BMW to start sourcing some stuff for me - he gets a bit of a staff discount, so it won't hurt all that much.. Rear diffuser, side window trimmings, the fender beading, driver's side door rubber (R4600 normal price from the agents :shock: )
The shudder is still there after the rack end replacement and balancing all 4 wheels... Starts up at about 80 km/h, and gets progressively worse - haven't taken her over 120 yet.. A few opinions have stated it could be the prop shaft... Oops. This could get expensive.
Funnily enough though, with all the driving I did today, the shuddering at about 100 km/h on the highway actually started diminishing while on the way home tonight... A part of me is secretly hoping there may have been some warping of the discs, causing it's own special brand of havoc through continuous contact with the calipers, or perhaps just misalignment of the discs on the hub... But in all honesty, there is the off chance that I might have just gotten used to the shudder and started vibrating sympathetically myself.
Oh, and the drop turns out to be courtesy of a set of bright orange R495 Koenic springs... The antichrist of coil springs. Think I'm going to take up IRJ on his offer of stock springs, and be done with it... And probably also replace the shocks - while they don't appear to be leaking, I'm not too inclined to trust a shock test as being accurate on those springs, and the shocks have no doubt been working overtime and bottomed out a good number of times trying to cope with those absolutely wretched pieces of crap excuses for coil springs. Stock suspension would suit me just fine in fact - I don't like the car dropped - scrapes over even the slightest hint of a speed hump, and makes getting in and out an absolute pain in the ass - especially when parked next to another car in a parking lot, rendering one unable to swing the friggin door out to any meaningful length to allow for convenient access or exit. Crikes, I thought my Opel Turbo Coupe was inconvenient to get in and out of considering the door length - but the M3 takes my contortionist abilities to new heights.. Definitely a car to be parked in that lone parking spot waaaaaaay on the other side of the parking lot, where no one wants to park because it's too far to walk. Stuff it, I'll walk as far as I have to - beats putting my back out and bashing the paint off the door edge..
Gonna take it to an independent specialist that's come highly recommended by a mate of mine who takes his E36 there exclusively... Ex Alberante workshop manager apparently. Will get a full report and quote on all mechanical / suspension / electric repairs and then take things from there.
calypso
///Member
If you looking for brakes, I have not found much better then OEM unless your looking for proper BBK's. All others are quite heavy compared to the stock items. I would just go with fresh discs and performance pads. They about R1250 each from the dealer.
Also I tried the braided lines and found no difference in feel at all.
Heater valves stick, hopefully can just be repaired, otherwise they are abit pricey for what they are.
Also I tried the braided lines and found no difference in feel at all.
Heater valves stick, hopefully can just be repaired, otherwise they are abit pricey for what they are.
you might find the vibration goes when you do the shocks and springs :rollsmile:
Fordkoppie
///Member
BillyBob said:
That is the way to go.
I am sure those orange things they call springs are normal roundbar a guy bent around his laundry dryer pole in his backyard. They are really pathetic. The OEM shocks are quite expensive, so you might just get a quote before you simply replace.
+10000000000000000000000000 on parking as far away as possible
