[uucdigest] Friday, February 7 2003 Volume 03 : Number 6098
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Send 'em to [EMAIL PROTECTED] |__________________________________________________________________ In this BMW UUC Digest: Re: [uuc] E36 sways [uuc] E39/E36 M52 engine questions RE: [uuc] E39/E36 M52 engine questions Re: [uuc] E36 sways, WTB M3 rear [uuc] Swaybars and suspension setup - 2 notes [uuc] Bad tire shops (was E34 525iA post balance shimmy) [uuc] E34 525iA post balance shimmy [uuc] FS: 98 M3/4 In San Jose, CA Re: [uuc] E39/E36 M52 engine questions ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 7 Feb 2003 15:16:26 -0500 From: "James Clay" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [uuc] E36 sways I know, but it really isn't that hard or expensive to get good handling. If you don't want to spend the time, let someone that has help you - no need to re-invent the wheel! For street/track cars: E30 - Bilstein sports, Coilover kit (350/500), stock F bar, no rear E36 - M3 Bilstein Sports, Coilover kit (375/600), stock F bar, no rear I have driven both setups on both platforms in different engine flavors and it is dead on, you actually save the money on the sways and even if you did use them, the spring kit is only $150 more than the other alternative. As far as minor tuning changes - these are neutral and what I think is the fastest setup (I can adapt to more or less under/oversteer, but there is a time penalty), but springs come in 25 pound increments in this range and I can tweak the package. That is what makes a custom package nice. I should also have some setup notes when we used a more traditional anti-rollbar package. James Clay http://www.bimmerworld.com Engineered BMW Performance 540.639.9648 - ----- Original Message ----- From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "James Clay" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Friday, February 07, 2003 1:00 PM Subject: Re: [uuc] E36 sways > > Properly tuned $uspension would be ideal, yes. Most of us aren't willing > to invest the time or money experimenting to get it right. Even with the > recommendations of others, everyone likes theirs set up just a little > different. > > I like adjustable sway bar for fine-tuning the handling balance without > having to change the springs. > > Scott > > > > > "James Clay" > <james@bimmerworl To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > d.com> cc: > Subject: Re: [uuc] E36 sways > 02/07/2003 09:29 > AM > > > > > > > Yeah, I caught that this AM. Long day yesterday... Here is the deal - on > an E36, I would go with the swaybar setup I recommended - they really do > work better with a big front bar and small rear. But, you are right, that > isn't going to help their particular problem. I guess it would be upgraded > R bar with a stock F. This will help with the right balance but is not > optimum. I will skip the rant about swaybars usually being a crutch for a > poorly tuned suspension that normally comes in about now... > > > James Clay > http://www.bimmerworld.com > Engineered BMW Performance > 540.639.9648 > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Cc: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Friday, February 07, 2003 12:08 PM > Subject: Re: [uuc] E36 sways > > > > James, I thought the original poster's intent was to reduce understeer. > > Going to a larger front bar and NOT matching it with a larger rear bar > will > > only increase understeer, assuming the same springs and shocks with > either > > bar setup. Or am I mixing up the questions? > > > > In E30s, it is pretty common for owners to buy two sets of sway bars to > get > > the optimal combo, a front bar from one supplier and a rear bar from > > another. That may also be the case with E36s, but I have no personal > > experience with that chassis. > > > > Scott Miller > > GGC BMW CCA > > 1990 325i, still needs aftermarket bars > > > > >Date: Thu, 6 Feb 2003 18:17:34 -0500 > > >From: "James Clay" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > >Subject: Re: [uuc] E36 sways > > > > > >I think the hot setup is UUC bars, Bilstein M3 shocks, and a Ground > > Control > > >coilover setup. We spec out the springs to get all of the understeer > out > > >and you can choose ride quality. If you already have the 325 F struts, > > then > > >RD bars are probably the way to go for a very stiff front bar. By the > > way, > > >no one says you have to install the bigger rear just b/c you have it. > > >Stiffer front and stock rear works well too.... > > > > > >James > > > > > >James Clay > > >http://www.bimmerworld.com > > > > > > > > > > > > > ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 7 Feb 2003 15:39:51 -0500 From: Kelvin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [uuc] E39/E36 M52 engine questions Hi folks, Long time Bimmer owner, and once upon a time a subscriber to this list. I've owned an E30-M3, and currently have a E30-325 as an everyday car. The reason that I've resubscribed and that I'm writing is this. I'm interested in a '97 E39 528i. The problem is that the block is cracked. I'm thinking I could just go hunt down another 2.8L engine and drop it in. But this is harder then I thought. My questions are: 1. Can any OBDII 2.8L bmw engine fit? (ie, from '97+ 528s, and '97+ 328s) If this is the case, I can open up more choices if I can hunt for engines from E36 328s as well. I've found a M52 TU from a '99 328i, and I wasn't sure if it would be a direct fit or not. 2. What do you think a '97 528i would be worth with a non-running engine? Assuming everything else is clean on the car? One thing is that I would not be able to verify if everything works, if the car drives straight or anything like that because the car does not run right now. 3. How the heck do you crack a block on these M52s!? Any other words of wisdom would be appreciated. Thanks! - -kelvin ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 7 Feb 2003 16:14:25 -0500 From: "Robinson, Lee" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: RE: [uuc] E39/E36 M52 engine questions The question has to be asked.....why settle for 193 when you can get 240 probably without much more outlay.....hmmmm, a 532i Lee > -----Original Message----- > From: Kelvin [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > Sent: Friday, February 07, 2003 3:40 PM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: [uuc] E39/E36 M52 engine questions > > > Hi folks, > Long time Bimmer owner, and once upon a time a subscriber to > this list. > I've owned an E30-M3, and currently have a E30-325 as an everyday car. > > The reason that I've resubscribed and that I'm writing is this. I'm > interested in a '97 E39 528i. The problem is that the block > is cracked. > I'm thinking I could just go hunt down another 2.8L engine > and drop it in. > But this is harder then I thought. My questions are: > > 1. Can any OBDII 2.8L bmw engine fit? (ie, from '97+ > 528s, and '97+ > 328s) If this is the case, I can open up more choices if I > can hunt for > engines from E36 328s as well. I've found a M52 TU > from a '99 328i, and I > wasn't sure if it would be a direct fit or not. > > 2. What do you think a '97 528i would be worth with a > non-running engine? > Assuming everything else is clean on the car? One > thing is that I would > not be able to verify if everything works, if the car drives > straight or > anything like that because the car does not run right now. > > 3. How the heck do you crack a block on these M52s!? > > Any other words of wisdom would be appreciated. > > Thanks! > -kelvin > > ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 7 Feb 2003 13:15:29 -0800 (PST) From: "Neil N." <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [uuc] E36 sways, WTB M3 rear - --0-1628250066-1044652529=:39859 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii DANG! I think I knew that too... > He can't. > Non-M3 E36 strut towers do not have a sway bar attachment > bracket on the shock tower. - --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now - --0-1628250066-1044652529=:39859 Content-Type: text/html; charset=us-ascii <P>DANG! I think I knew that too... <P>> He can't.<BR>> Non-M3 E36 strut towers do not have a sway bar attachment<BR>> bracket on the shock tower.<BR></P><p><br><hr size=1>Do you Yahoo!?<br> <a href="http://rd.yahoo.com/mail/mailsig/*http://mailplus.yahoo.com";>Yahoo! Mail Plus</a> - Powerful. Affordable. <a href="http://rd.yahoo.com/mail/mailsig/*http://mailplus.yahoo.com";>Sign up now</a> - --0-1628250066-1044652529=:39859-- ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 7 Feb 2003 17:01:14 -0500 From: "James Clay" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [uuc] Swaybars and suspension setup - 2 notes 1) The M3 bar set is stiffer than the standard (not sport) non-M by a good bit. The stiffness in the front is achieved by moving the links to the strut housing. An easy adjustment on the M3 to loosen up the front bar is to change to 325 style links going to the control arms. 2) You can achieve a proper balance in a lot of ways. Change air pressure, spring rate, camber, swaybars, corner weighting, etc. However, there is a right way to do it and following too far down the wrong road to fix a problem can leave you perfectly balanced, slower than the optimum balance, and way out of whack. First get the tires planted. There is a correct hot pressure that gives you an even spread across the surface of the tire. Get your temps right by adjusting camber and pressure. They are not tuning tools except for minor tweaking as a last resort. Crossweight should be a specific %, springs are the true tuning tools, swaybars should be used to follow a plan, not to correct everything that is wrong (i.e., my plan is to use no rear bar, balance with the front, all in an effort to keep the drive tires planted). I know that not everyone has the parts installed or the time to do the full process, but it is surprising to me how many guys, even in the racing ranks who have blown TONS on the right parts, don't use them properly. James James Clay http://www.bimmerworld.com Engineered BMW Performance 540.639.9648 ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 7 Feb 2003 16:05:08 -0600 From: "Al Buchanan" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [uuc] Bad tire shops (was E34 525iA post balance shimmy) Don Eilenberger wrote: FWIW - I won't have my wheels balanced unless: i. They let me stand there and watch - insurance regs be damned.. what is acceptable when you're in the waiting area isn't as acceptable while you're watching. ii. They hand torque when done - ------------------------------ I wholeheartedly agree. If the tire changers won't let you observe their work, then run, don't just walk, away from the shop. And make sure they use the proper equipment. That means: (1) a torque wrench, and (2) a "touchless" tire changer. Here's my horror story. On my way to the track, I made the mistake of stopping at a tire shop I had never dealt with before. My first question was whether they had experience mounting stiff-sidewall race tires on large wheels. "Yes, we do it all the time," the manager assured me. So I asked him to mount a new Hoosier on my perfect, as-new 17-inch BBS wheel. When I walked back to the service area to observe, the manager yelled at me to get out, explaining, "We know what we're doing. You don't need to be in here." So I went back to the customer area and waited. Before paying the bill, I looked at the finished piece of work and to my horror discovered dozens of tiny puncture holes all over the inside of my new wheel. Needless to say, I didn't pay the bill. But it really wasn't worth my time to pursue a claim for cosmetic damage. BTW, does anyone have any suggestions for a do-it-yourself patch job for all these little puncture marks? I'd thought about grinding down the sharp edges with a Dremel tool and then filling the holes with some sort of liquid aluminum goop. Any suggestions, based on actual experience or otherwise, would be appreciated. Al Buchanan Chicago, IL 1984 633 CSi Three perfect BBS wheels + one with puncture holes ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 7 Feb 2003 18:09:34 -0400 From: "rblangille" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [uuc] E34 525iA post balance shimmy Had exactly the same problem with my E36. Figured it couldn't be the balance, since I just had them balanced. So... I went to another tire shop, and paid for a second balance. Still had the shimmy, aggravated by braking. Then... went to a third, and..... they fixed it. How? By using a balance machine that actually worked. I insisted that, after they balanced the wheel, they loosen the collar and the rotate the wheel manually 180 degrees on the balancer, and balance it again. If the wheel isn't warped, it should balance out at zero, no matter how many times the wheel position is changed on the balancer. At the third shop, it did balance out at zero, but not at the first two shops, And you wouldn't believe the bullsh_t excuses I got from the first two shops. I was all set to start replacing front-end components.. The moral - if they won't agree to spin it 180 on the balancer, and let you watch, move on. Roger ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 07 Feb 2003 14:23:24 -0800 From: E3 <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [uuc] FS: 98 M3/4 In San Jose, CA Quick note to let the group know that I'm selling my M3/4: Complete details and pics here: http://www.ad9.com/m3/ Thanks, Ed ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 07 Feb 2003 17:48:55 -0500 From: Ed MacVaugh <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [uuc] E39/E36 M52 engine questions The only question I can help with is the last one. These cars are generally with a cracked block due to water. Ingestion by driving through water and sucking it into the intake, or having the water in the cooling passages freeze. Ed Kelvin wrote: >Hi folks, >3. How the heck do you crack a block on these M52s!? > >Any other words of wisdom would be appreciated. > > ------------------------------ End of [uucdigest] V3 #6098 *************************** | | 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 |__________________________________________
