[uucdigest] Thursday, January 30 2003 Volume 03 : Number 6071
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Send 'em to [EMAIL PROTECTED] |__________________________________________________________________ In this BMW UUC Digest: [uuc] Canadian Cars [uuc] H*elp - my friends 1997 528i is acting up Re: [uuc] Ski (mis)adventures at Vail RE: [uuc] Feedback on TC Kline, other custom cages RE: [uuc] Re: Feedback, other custom cage builders RE: [uuc] <E36> wheel fitment, 96 vs 92 Re: [uuc] Torque for wheel bolts Re: [uuc] RE: 325iS will not start Re: [uuc] Re: Feedback on TC Kline, other custom cages Re: [uuc] H*elp - my friends 1997 528i is acting up ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 30 Jan 2003 23:07:13 -0500 From: "Stan Jackson Jr." <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [uuc] Canadian Cars All this discussion of Canadian cars has me wondering about something. Do any (which years?) Canadian cars have MPH primary (US) speedos? Specifically, I conversed with a guy claiming to be selling a 1988 (10/87 production) 325iX. He claimed it had an MPH speedo to start with. I thought that all NA 1988 325iX cars were the same (2-door, loaded), but maybe it was just all US 1988 cars. Regardless, the claim of a speedo that had not been converted (and did not need to be) did not seem to make sense. Stan ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 29 Jan 2003 22:15:45 -0600 From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [uuc] H*elp - my friends 1997 528i is acting up Guys, Been lurking for months enjoying the various PF posts etc but now I have a real BMW question. A good friend of mine called tonite with the following problem (he has a 1997 528i slushbox and lives in Westchester cty NY - ie coollddd). He had an empty tank, filled it up with premium at our favorite Shell station. Immediately afterwards he notices that he only has about 25% of the normal power. Additionally his ASC light came (as he says "asc abs ..whatever it is" I'm guessing the traction control). He drove like this all the way home. Let it sit. Then went back, started it up, noticed the lite out. Went to move it, stepped on it, ASC (ABS) lite came on and still had the power loss. Ideas? Thanks much, David Moore 1995 540i ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 30 Jan 2003 23:25:00 -0500 From: "Stan Jackson Jr." <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [uuc] Ski (mis)adventures at Vail Umm, Pat, you bought high tech undies and a helmet for one day of skiing but you are not sure that you should buy a new pair of boots?? Come on, Pat, is that a trick question? Woody and Pat, why not make the trek to NH again? Come for an ICE RACE and some skiing!!! Stan Pat Donahue wrote: > Now I don't know whether or not to get new boots since I don't ski very > often. The last time out was two years ago for a single day in New > Hampshire. I just bought a helmet for skiing and wore it the first day. > Also bought some of the new high tech undies and stuff and was really really > comfortable. > > Those boots were pretty comfortable on me as I had had the sides blown out > some for my wide feet and had the moulded footbed thing done too. If the > top of the boot had had just a little more clearance for my high arches I'd > have been in perfect comfort. Some of the new boots I saw really looked > cool. There are some made with translucent plastic with exotic bindings so > you can somewhat see inside the boots. Maybe I'll buy another pair the next > time I go. > > Geeeze MR. Woody wrote: > Yeah son Brian was trying on his orange Tecnicas here at the house. After > buckling 'em up, he flexed forward and BANG - it sounded like a firecracker. > One boot split down the back. They were about 3 seasons old and Tecnica > replaced the shells for $100. > > It sounds like you were having a great day. I'm amazed you were able to > keep going with multi-part boots. > > And sorry to hear that Sandy is an ex again. Was it her skiing? > Woody ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 30 Jan 2003 01:10:33 -0500 From: "Andrew-Taylor Autosport" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: RE: [uuc] Feedback on TC Kline, other custom cages >Anyhow, I've spent some time talking to Bimmerworld, and even more time on >their website. Specifically, they have on their website a blue M3 with a >stock class cage that I've looked at many times. The construction looks >good, but the design includes a bar that runs just fore of the B pillar, >immediately to the left of where the driver's head would be. >I've never claimed to be an expert, but in a crash, couldn't having your >helmeted head slam into tubing be problematic? Subaru added these bars first, back in '94 or so to their rally cars. It is an effort to reduce chassis flex in the door opening. (What was it James I said to you when you saw those pics of my racecar and asked why I added these Sube bars? I said something like "it's to fill the big gaping hole that the door opening is". Glad you added them to your design, they do help significantly.) So in a similar explanation, the history is that the Subes had them first almost a decade ago in an effort to stiffen the chassis front to rear. Audi and others added them within a few years c. 1996 (FWIW, the first disappearance of the "main hoop" was also with the Audi A4 supertourer). BMW finally added the Sube bars on the e46 factory cages. Neil, you have to realize that all factory built cars are built with one thing in the back of their heads: "driver's are expendable, there's always another hotshoe itching for the chance at a works drive." Sometimes this is evident in looking at the cars and ways that even in today's enlightened age of race car safety you can see this line of thought show up in works cars. These bars will make the car faster, but they also do pose a risk (BTW, HANS devices have little effect, other than digging into your neck, on reducing lateral head movement. They are really only for forward impact protection). On the risk of these bars: the best example is Bill Auberlen's crash at Lime Rock in the E46 GTR in '01. His head hit the B-pillar Sube bar, split his helmet open and he missed the next few races due to physician's orders. Supposedly he was only unconscious for a very short period though. Are they on my racecar though? Yes, but they are not as prominent as on the e46 (the angle is more acute to the B-pillar), and I'm built like a hobbit, 5'7" but a 25.5" inseam, so my seat is really far forward. I have no risk of my helmet hitting these bars, unless the seat were to rip from the floor, and in that case I have far bigger concerns. Like my nads. As for the current state of the art? Bars are always present in similar angles as the Sube bars, but they are part of a larger picture that doesn't even involve a "main hoop." The main hoop as we know it has been relegated to the dustbin of current SCCA requirements and European vintage cars from the '80s and early '90s. Andrew http://www.taylorautosport.com/ The only cages we build are our own. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 30 Jan 2003 01:24:57 -0500 From: "Andrew-Taylor Autosport" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: RE: [uuc] Re: Feedback, other custom cage builders > Mark McMahon is still in business for himself in Akron, and his > custom cages > are excellent. Jack Money has one in his E30 M3, and I've > carefully examined > the one he did for Scott Galaba's E46 M3. The latter was a sheer > work of the > fabricator's art, with wonderfully tight fit. I probably have McMahon's > phone number somewhere if you want it. I also have seen some of McMahon's work. I would be completely comfortable recommending him from what I have seen. I've also never heard a bad thing about him. Except the wait time. Fabrication quality is excellent. There's also Kurt Weiss who has an excellent reputation. He's closer to NH as he's in (north?) Jersey. Do a Google seach for Kages by Kurt, or Cages by Kurt or something. Best advice I can give is if there are specific things you want design wise, have example pictures. And don't get a seat back brace. They're evil. Andrew <--not happy unless he does it himself and takes way too long to ensure it's perfect. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 30 Jan 2003 01:22:41 -0800 From: Herman Chan <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: RE: [uuc] <E36> wheel fitment, 96 vs 92 >The one caveat that hasn't been discussed is the lack of the steering lock >limiter on 1992 E36s. This should be added for fitment of wheels wider than >7", IIRC. > >The part number I have for this is 32 11 1 140 464, but check with your >local dealer to be safe. > >- - -Matt, former 92 E36 owner That -464 number refers to the 'later' E36 tie rod lock plates, which are thicker than those originally installed on '92 E36s. The complete steering lock limiter retrofit kit that used to be referenced in the BMW wheel catalog consisted of those plates plus new clamps for the steering rack boots. It wouldn't surprise me if the old 'thin' plates have been NLA'd and superceded to the -464, if only to eliminate any discrepancies and simplify the situation. Herman ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 29 Jan 2003 21:34:03 -0500 From: "Gary Derian" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [uuc] Torque for wheel bolts WIRE WHEEL: Cleans rust off old bolts and then throws them somewhere under the workbench with the speed of light. Also removes fingerprint whorls and hard-earned guitar callouses in about the time it takes you to say, "Django Reinhardt". Gary Derian > This may seem obvious to most of you but I figured someone here may benefit. > > I have taken my lug bolts over to my bench grinder which has a wire wheel mounted on one side. I then clean all the threads and taper with the wire wheel. This alone makes a huge difference on the smoothness of the threads and properly torquing them. I then wipe the threads very lightly with anti-seize (so there is a light film and nothing more) before reinstalling. I torque to 60 - 70 ft. lbs which has felt about right. But, my arm isn't calibrated as well as Gary D. > > I have yet to have a lug nut fall out, break or over stretch to my knowledge :-) > > Later, > > Rich > > PS - the wire wheel on a bench grinder set-up idea I stole from Brett at KoalaMotorsport. > ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 29 Jan 2003 21:47:25 -0500 From: "Gary Derian" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [uuc] RE: 325iS will not start When it is very cold, and the plugs are not very new, and get wet with fuel, they will conduct the voltage to ground across the surface of the insulator and not let voltage build up to fire a spark. Install new plugs. Gary Derian > > My 1987 325iS is makin' me crazy! It wouldn't start in our recent cold snap > (no surprise there), and my wife ground the battery down in frustration. > Today its a little warmer, and I jump the battery. Engine turns fine, > plenty of juice, but no fire at all. Finally we have ignition after I > cranked it for maybe 30 seconds, ran rough for a few minutes, smoothed out, > idled okay, then died. When I tried to restart, it just crank, no fire. > Fuel? Ignition? Why? > > Russ Gardner ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 30 Jan 2003 08:35:17 -0500 From: "KMS - Brett Anderson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [uuc] Re: Feedback on TC Kline, other custom cages Hi Neil, I don't think you're information is entirely accurate. There was no falling out between Mark McMahon and TC. Mark was too busy doing custom cages (still does them for TC), so sold the jigs to TC and TC outsourced the work to the west coast. There was one point when TC moved his base to the west coast, and had a fabricator out there doing his custom cages also, but now TC is back in Ohio. Kathy Lyle's MCoupe has a McMahon cage in it. See the videos at www.koalamotorsport.com under "death of an MCoupe" to see how well it held up. I highly recommend Mark's cages, even if it means transporting the car to get it done. - ----------------------------------------------------- BMW Special Tool Rentals Pay per incident tech support - ----------------------------------------------------- Brett Anderson KMS (440) 338 1650 www.koalamotorsport.com OSS committee member - ----- Original Message ----- From: "Neil Maller" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Who is TC's cage fabricator this week? > > Their original cages were made by Mark McMahon in Akron. Then there was some > kind of a commercial falling out between them, and the jigs, which TC owned, > were shipped out to ProParts West in California. That was of course when TC > was still ProParts East, which isn't the case any more. Some cages were made > in Cali before that deal fell apart too, then the jigs went to Bimmerhaus in > Colorado, but it appears they actually made few if any. > > Mark McMahon is still in business for himself in Akron, and his custom cages > are excellent. Jack Money has one in his E30 M3, and I've carefully examined > the one he did for Scott Galaba's E46 M3. The latter was a sheer work of the > fabricator's art, with wonderfully tight fit. I probably have McMahon's > phone number somewhere if you want it. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 30 Jan 2003 08:38:45 -0500 From: "KMS - Brett Anderson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [uuc] H*elp - my friends 1997 528i is acting up Sounds like his ASC throttle plate has jammed closed. Possibly moisture in the cable or the throttle itself, that froze. - ----------------------------------------------------- BMW Special Tool Rentals Pay per incident tech support - ----------------------------------------------------- Brett Anderson KMS (440) 338 1650 www.koalamotorsport.com OSS committee member - ----- Original Message ----- From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > A good friend of mine called tonite with the following problem (he has a > 1997 528i slushbox and lives in Westchester cty NY - ie coollddd). He had > an empty tank, filled it up with premium at our favorite Shell station. > Immediately afterwards he notices that he only has about 25% of the normal > power. Additionally his ASC light came (as he says "asc abs ..whatever it > is" I'm guessing the traction control). He drove like this all the way > home. Let it sit. Then went back, started it up, noticed the lite out. > Went to move it, stepped on it, ASC (ABS) lite came on and still had the > power loss. ------------------------------ End of [uucdigest] V3 #6071 *************************** | | In memory of Michel Potheau - friend, enthusiast, founder of the BMW CCA. |________________________________________ | Please visit these UUC-approved BMW parts vendors/service providers: | (listed alphabetically) | | Autoscope-Motorsports - http://www.autoscope-motorsports.com | |==================================================== | | Koala MotorSport . BMW technical information, special tool sales/rental | http://www.koalamotorsport.com | |==================================================== | | Taylor BMW - http://www.taylorbmw.com - Doc Bimmer! | UUC Motorwerks . http://www.uucmotorwerks.com |__________________________________________
