[uucdigest] Friday, April 4 2003 Volume 03 : Number 6282
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Send 'em to [EMAIL PROTECTED] |__________________________________________________________________ In this BMW UUC Digest: RE: [uuc] Catalysts [uuc] Roundels - come and get 'em (eastern MA, USA) [uuc] <E36> manual tranny question Re: [uuc] Catalysts [uuc] Re: Questions about adjustable shocks Re: [uuc] <E36> manual tranny question RE: [uuc] Potential Dex-Cool Class-Action Suit RE: [uuc] Potential Dex-Cool Class-Action Suit RE: [uuc] Potential Dex-Cool Class-Action Suit [uuc] Re: cooling system life ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 4 Apr 2003 00:48:47 -0500 From: "KMS - Brett Anderson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: RE: [uuc] Catalysts That should have been http://www.koalamotorsport.com/misc/burn.jpg Brett Anderson > -----Original Message----- > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of KMS - Brett > Anderson > http://www.koalamotorsport.com/misc/burn.bmp > > ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 4 Apr 2003 08:16:42 -0500 (EST) From: "Steve.Goldstein" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [uuc] Roundels - come and get 'em (eastern MA, USA) About 50 issues from the 1980s as follows: 1981 April, May, June, August-December 1982 complete 1983 January-July, September 1984 missing March 1985 complete Free to a good home, but you'll need to come pick them up. Please reply by private email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Steve ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 4 Apr 2003 08:19:21 -0500 (EST) From: "Steve.Goldstein" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [uuc] <E36> manual tranny question Sometimes my 1999 323is (last of the E36s) seems to have a second detent when shifting into 1st gear from a dead stop. The shifter stops about halfway with a very positive feeling and doesn't really want to go further. If I go back to neutral and try again it usually goes all the way into gear. This only happens with 1st gear from a stop, and is not consistent. Any ideas? I still have 2 months of warranty in case I need to use it. Thanks! Steve ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 4 Apr 2003 08:09:09 -0500 From: "Gary Derian" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [uuc] Catalysts Yup, as long as there is oxygen and fuel. As you said, misfire is the biggest problem. Gary Derian > But...... > > You dump all that fuel into the exhaust during a rich condition, then the > condition leans out. Now there's oxygen in the cat, and a tonne of fuel. > > Cat proceeds to ignite everything around it. > > Seen it many times. > > Now granted, the most common cause for cat ignition is a misfire, not a rich > condition. One or more cylinders dumping gas, while the rest are pumping > oxygen. That way you get raw gas and oxygen and tremendous heat. All of > which equals this...... > > http://www.koalamotorsport.com/misc/burn.bmp > > > ----------------------------------------------------- > BMW Special Tool Rentals > Pay per incident tech support > ----------------------------------------------------- > Brett Anderson > KMS > (440) 338 1650 > www.koalamotorsport.com > > OSS committee member > > > -----Original Message----- > > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Gary Derian > > By excess fuel I mean a rich mixture. Rich means more fuel than a > > stochiometric mixture which translates into no or nearly no oxygen in the > > exhaust. No oxygen in the exhaust means the catalyst cannot catalyze > > anything. It can get some oxygen by reducing NOx to N2 and O2. > > > > When the engine goes into power enrichment at full throttle, the > > fire in the > > catalyst nearly goes out. It stays plenty hot though because the > > exhaust is > > plenty hot and there is lots of it. > > I know this is contrary to the old mechanics tales we've heard. > > > ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 04 Apr 2003 08:33:35 -0500 From: Neil Maller <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [uuc] Re: Questions about adjustable shocks By the way, notwithstanding the goofy adjustment method of the normal Koni rear shocks, my poking a little fun at that, the ingenious remedies various of you have come up with, or the fact that reasonably priced external adjustment is now available, I would like to add that functionally these are really good shocks. I've had these Konis on my car since 1997, and they continue to perform flawlessly after many, many track days. Anecdotally I'm not so sure that the very expensive Koni DAs are as reliable, since I know a couple of people who've had failures. On the other hand they're club racers, who do tend to hammer the equipment just a little. So maybe that's it? I'd certainly like to try the DAs, but I'm not willing to pay the freight. Not to mention the issue that I'm nowhere near knowledgeable enough about suspension not to screw up the settings. Neil - keeping those variables in check 96 M3 ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 4 Apr 2003 08:36:14 -0500 From: "Gary Derian" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [uuc] <E36> manual tranny question When the gears are stopped, the synchronizers don't work. All my transmissions do this. Engage 1st a second or two after pushing in the clutch, not more not less. Engaging too soon unnecessarily wears the synchros, engaging too late the gears have stopped turning. Gary Derian > Sometimes my 1999 323is (last of the E36s) seems to have > a second detent when shifting into 1st gear from a dead > stop. The shifter stops about halfway with a very positive > feeling and doesn't really want to go further. If I go back > to neutral and try again it usually goes all the way into > gear. This only happens with 1st gear from a stop, and is > not consistent. > > Any ideas? I still have 2 months of warranty in case I need > to use it. > > Thanks! > > Steve > > > > ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 4 Apr 2003 09:13:18 -0500 From: "Chris Baker" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: RE: [uuc] Potential Dex-Cool Class-Action Suit Back when I was a co-op at a GM plant in Canada, the Plant Manager's secretary (male, 60+ years old) told me about when he was younger and needed to add a quart of oil to his car. Took him forever and he made a big mess. Eventually somebody showed him where the fill cap was on the valve cover so that he didn't have to fill it through the dipstick tube. Chris B. > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of steve lyon > Sent: Thursday, April 03, 2003 4:18 PM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: Re: [uuc] Potential Dex-Cool Class-Action Suit > > > Another ignorant owner story... I had a friend in high school who > bought a used Honda Civic. He decided one day to change his own oil, > and was doing fine until he got to the part about filling the engine > with new oil. He *FILLED* the engine. All the way to the top, oil > level right up to the top of the valve cover. > > The unbelievable part is the car somehow started and drove > for about a > block before it quit. He blew out all the seals and had oil > leaking/sprayed/dripping/puddling everywhere. I asked him > how much he > put in - he said something like 9 quarts. > > steve > > > Robinson, Lee wrote: > > I had a friend who had this stupid fiancee. <snip> ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 4 Apr 2003 09:22:28 -0500 From: "[EMAIL PROTECTED]" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: RE: [uuc] Potential Dex-Cool Class-Action Suit I guess now we know how that tube got its name! ;-) NJay > Back when I was a co-op at a GM plant in Canada, the Plant Manager's > secretary (male, 60+ years old) told me about when he was younger and > needed to add a quart of oil to his car. Took him forever and he made a > big mess. Eventually somebody showed him where the fill cap was on the > valve cover so that he didn't have to fill it through the dipstick tube. > > Chris B. > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of steve lyon > > Sent: Thursday, April 03, 2003 4:18 PM > > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Subject: Re: [uuc] Potential Dex-Cool Class-Action Suit > > > > > > Another ignorant owner story... I had a friend in high school who > > bought a used Honda Civic. He decided one day to change his own oil, > > and was doing fine until he got to the part about filling the engine > > with new oil. He *FILLED* the engine. All the way to the top, oil > > level right up to the top of the valve cover. > > > > The unbelievable part is the car somehow started and drove > > for about a > > block before it quit. He blew out all the seals and had oil > > leaking/sprayed/dripping/puddling everywhere. I asked him > > how much he > > put in - he said something like 9 quarts. > > > > steve > > > > > > Robinson, Lee wrote: > > > I had a friend who had this stupid fiancee. <snip> > > ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 4 Apr 2003 09:36:14 -0500 From: "Pharr, Jeff" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: RE: [uuc] Potential Dex-Cool Class-Action Suit The last time I had a Quicky-Lube-Type place change my oil (~8 years ago), I was waiting in the 'lounge' when the kid doing the work came in to talk to me. Picture in your mind the acne-faced Simpson's kid with the cracking voice that is always behind the fast food counter. He came up to me and said "Sir, I'm really sorry but something really bad has happened to your car." "All I did was change the oil and now I can't get it to start." I walked back into the service area with him and looked under the hood. I put my hand on the dipstick and noticed that it was not pushed all the way in. This was an E28 535i and it just won't run if the dipstick is not well seated. I pushed it back in and the car fired right up. The kid thought I was some sort of mechanical genius for figuring that out so quickly. I did not, of course, tell him how I came to know that little trick... - --Jeff - -----Original Message----- From: Chris Baker [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, April 04, 2003 9:13 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: RE: [uuc] Potential Dex-Cool Class-Action Suit Back when I was a co-op at a GM plant in Canada, the Plant Manager's secretary (male, 60+ years old) told me about when he was younger and needed to add a quart of oil to his car. Took him forever and he made a big mess. Eventually somebody showed him where the fill cap was on the valve cover so that he didn't have to fill it through the dipstick tube. Chris B. > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of steve lyon > Sent: Thursday, April 03, 2003 4:18 PM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: Re: [uuc] Potential Dex-Cool Class-Action Suit > > > Another ignorant owner story... I had a friend in high school who > bought a used Honda Civic. He decided one day to change his own oil, > and was doing fine until he got to the part about filling the engine > with new oil. He *FILLED* the engine. All the way to the top, oil > level right up to the top of the valve cover. > > The unbelievable part is the car somehow started and drove > for about a > block before it quit. He blew out all the seals and had oil > leaking/sprayed/dripping/puddling everywhere. I asked him > how much he > put in - he said something like 9 quarts. > > steve > > > Robinson, Lee wrote: > > I had a friend who had this stupid fiancee. <snip> ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 4 Apr 2003 09:41:49 -0500 From: Phil Marx <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [uuc] Re: cooling system life My own experience is somewhat different. Though primarily based on BMWs, I also drive and maintain two high-mileage vehicles that have been in my family since new. An '84 Toyota pickup I bought new has no specified interval for changing anything other than oil and fuel filter. It is now nearly 20 years-old and recovering from a collision with a large deer. The water pump, fan clutch, and pulley were changed as part of this repair but were otherwise original. Clutch and brake fluids are original and all hydraulics are in good operating condition. Coolant was changed many times over the years as part of my BMW ethic, but that introduced a system failure through the use of a popular but inferior coolant (Peak antifreeze) though the original radiator showed no signs of leaking until the deer went through it. It did cause two thermostat failures and one temp sensor disintegrated inside the cooling system. It still has all its original hoses. My Plymouth van is a '91 with over 180,000 miles on it. It was my mother's before we took it over. It has never had the brake fluid changed and I replaced the water pump during a belt change but as preventive maintenance only. The radiator needed replacing when my Mom still owned it but who knows, maybe someone installed Peak in it. I replaced some hoses recently but only the short trans. cooler and thermostat bypass hoses showed any signs of detrioration. The transmission, like all Chrysler products, was replaced at 80,000 miles with a rebuilt unit which has logged over 100,000 miles since with no fluid changes. My wife's '86 535iA has over 200,000 miles on it and I replaced a leaking water pump on it at 187,000. This was the original unit. The pump longevity statistics with which Drew takes issue here were probably accurate back when 2002s and Bavarias were new cars. I would like to get hold of whatever it is that Toyota puts in their hydraulic systems at the factory back in '84. That's totally amazing performance. - -Phil Marx >Drew Sheppard wrote: >Regarding this statement: >>"Domestic thermostats last 20-50K miles. Water pumps 30-60K. Hoses rot >>and >>start leaking, etc, etc." > >As a former GM powertrain engineer I have to say I disagree, both >from what I saw/did in development and as a satisfied customer. Is >this based on any recent data? ------------------------------ End of [uucdigest] V3 #6282 *************************** | | 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 |__________________________________________
