Google for Bimmers, Part II
I have a 2001 BMW 330Ci, which I would like to supercharge, but I can't seem to find a system for my car. I have read an article on the Ralph Kehlenner's conversion and another article in a different magazine. You guys are the experts--can you please point me in the right direction?
Ray Haniff
via the Internet
Google.com revealed your supercharger in less than three seconds:
http://www.activeautowerke.com/Supercharged/E46-330isupercharger.cfm
We have experience with Active Autowerke in Miami, and can recommend their products without reservation. The nice thing about supercharging a 330Ci is that the factory suspension and brakes are so tight and strong that it is not, in my opinion, always necessary to upgrade the rest of the car, depending upon your service demands.
Importation Costs Lots
I would like to find out the cost on converting a 1994 518i from German specification to American specification. It already has ABS brakes and catalytic converter.
Billy G. Locklear
via the Internet
From your letter I'm going to assume you want to ship the car to the United States and register it here. The cost is quite a bit; figure on upwards of $7,000 for inspection and certification, not including shipping. However, not much work actually needs to be done on a contemporary BMW that already has a catalytic converter and U.S.-specification crash bumpers. It's mainly a question of removing the vastly superior German-spec headlights and replacing them with lackluster U.S. version lights--best to do that before you ship the car, so you can keep the good parts and install them later. A conversion garage will not give them back to you. The car also needs the U.S. bumper covers that incorporate side marker lights.
The only glitch I foresee is that the 518i--a 1.8-liter four-cylinder version of the E34 5 Series--was never imported to the U.S., so I'm not sure how they'll compare it to those that were. It probably won't matter. But at the end of the day, I think you should consider that there are oodles of E34 5 Series cars already in the United States that do not need to be imported or certified.
Visit http://www.bmwworld.com/bmw/importing.htm for detailed information.
Upputtender der Windows
I have a money pit called the BMW 633csi and was wondering if you could tell me a manual way to put up power windows that do not function.
T.J. Dellatorre
via the Internet
To get those windows up, you'll have to fix the problem, T.J. The first step is to make sure you don't have a blown fuse controlling the power window circuits. If not, the second step is to make sure you don't have faulty power window switches. Remove the switches by prying them out of the console using a small screwdriver or similar implement. Unplug the harness connector and for power at the pins using a test light or a digital voltmeter.
If you find power, clean the switches by dowsing them with electrical contact cleaner, refit the harness and try the switches. This usually fixes the problem. If there is no power and no blown fuses, then you have a wiring problem but this is unlikely.
If you have power at the switches and you cleaned them but still have no window function, the possibility exists that you have a bad switch. They cost about a dollar at the average BMW dismantler, so you might want to get a known good one as a tester.
If the switches are all good and have power, then you have seized power window motors or perhaps a broken regulator. Your regulator on the driver's side may be worn, but the most likely the problem is the motor(s). With the older motors, sometimes you can fix them. Sometimes the internal lubricant dries out and the electrical part of the motor does not have enough torque to spin the mechanical part. Disassemble the motor, clean the parts, and coat everything with some nice grease. It might work. If not, then you will need to purchase replacement power window motors from BMW.BMW now has a repair manual on CD for the E24 6 Series, part number 01 56 0 030 285, available from any dealership. The Historic Vehicle Parts CD, part number 72 00 0 301 255, will provide you with parts information.
There's a price to be paid for owning any car, T.J. You can perform whatever repairs your 633CSi needs, replace it with another used car that needs different repairs, or replace it with a new car and pay interest and depreciation up front. We pay one way or another.
Timing Query
I have just bought a 1996 BMW 318ti compact. This is the first Bimmer I've owned. It has done 96,000 miles. Does this engine have a timing chain or belt and when does it need to be replaced?
Jo New
England
The M44 engine has a timing chain. Replacement interval depends on wear, but normally shows up around 150,000 miles.
You Never Forget Your First
I have a 1992 318is. It's my first car and I love it. I've started to have problems with it, including the radiator, water pump, and some knocking noise from beneath the car. I would like to do a lot to this car, but I don't know where to start. Having things in mind and jumping ahead of myself made things a lot more confusing.
I've thought of buying a new car like a Nissan 350Z, but I think I should keep this car because it's already paid off. I have done a lot of research and made a list of things to do, which includes overhauling the engine, Downing Atlanta supercharger, adding a limited-slip differential, overhauling the manual gearbox, new clutch including resurfaced flywheel, bigger brake conversion, and a Bilstein suspension setup.
I wonder if I get a Jim C chip now, will it affect the Downing Atlanta supercharger when I have the chance to buy it further down the road? Also, I wonder if doing these things would affect the chances of passing a smog test. If so, is doing all of these things worth it? Or should I invest in converting it to a M3 engine?
Con
via the Internet
You never forget your first Bimmer, Con. Many of us also spend way more than we should restoring our first, in part because we love the car and in part because we don't know what we're doing yet.
The problems you've had--radiator, water pump and the knocking noise (that was rear shock mounts, right?) are typical E36 3 Series problem areas. However, the M42 water pumps are much stronger than the six cylinder water pumps, so I'm going assume your friend there has many miles under his body side moldings. Attached is a short article on enhanced BMW maintenance, which should help you to preserve things.
There is much to be said for working with the car you already own rather than buying new when cash is tight--and for most of us, cash is always tight. For example, the unknowing may scoff if you execute a $600 repair on a 1992 BMW. Remind them that the monthly finance-to-purchase payment on a new German car would likely be at least $600--month after month, for several years. At the end of the day, there's a price to be paid for driving a car, and the price is higher for cars that drive well. You can pay when they're new or pay when they're mature, but you're going to pay.
If your engine and gearbox are in need of rebuilding, then this is going cost a great deal of money, especially if you want to follow on with a Downing Atlanta supercharger, a $4,000 expense right there. Con, let me tell you something: The M42 engine is not powerful. You can supercharge it and get about 215 hp out of it. The average self-respecting minivan today has more than 215 hp. This does not mean the M42 sucks--quite the contrary; it is a very good, if underpowered, BMW engine. But the 318i is a momentum car that encourages the driver to learn the benefits of momentum driving, working the gearbox, and carrying speed through corners. It is not and never will be a stoplight racer; that is not the nature of BMWs.
Sure, you can install an M3 engine--and drivetrain, and suspension, and wheels, and tires, and brakes, and aerodynamics, and interior. Or you could just buy an M3. It's a wonderful thing--BMW has already built the car, so you don't have to! BMW created so many E36 M3s you can't stop fast without one bumping into you from behind. And they are falling in price. The 1995 model year M3s are falling faster, because people stupidly want the staggered wheel and tires sizes from the later cars, not realizing that the original version is better.
My advice is, if your engine and gearbox do not need to be overhauled, then keep the engine in good tune and service the manual gearbox and differential by resealing any leaks and changing the oil in them to Red Line MTL and Red Line 75W-90 ( www.redlineoil.com). Install a short shift kit; you'll love it. If you need a clutch job, do it. You can't resurface a dual mass flywheel; just use 600-grit sandpaper on a DA sander and clean it before reinstallation. Install that Jim C. chip and forget about the $4,000 supercharger if you can't afford it because yes, Downing Atlanta includes their own chip with the kit. Do basic maintenance to sort the car out--change the brake fluid and make sure the front and rear suspensions are up to spec. When you have the money to spend, buy a set of Bilstein Sport shocks, aftermarket sport coil springs, E30 front control arms for the stronger ball joints, E30 M3 offset front control arm bushings, E46 M3 rear trailing arm bushings (tighten with vehicle in normal operating position, with the short springs installed), and install a set of large anti-roll bars. Buy the lower front X-brace from www.turnermotorsport.com, and also their anti-roll bar reinforcements. Engine wise, the chip and a sport exhaust system is about all you can do, and it doesn't make much difference with the M42-- maybe about 10 hp or so. But you'll feel it, because the engine is so underpowered to begin with. When you need brakes, upgrade the rotors to ATE Power Discs and get some cool brake pads. I like Ferodos (www.perfauto.com).
Cap that off with a set of very serious tires--you can even mount them on the stock wheels. Check out the Yokohama AVS ES100 in 205/60-15. Even in this size, it will outperform many other larger tires.
Now, enjoy the car and don't listen to people who harp about its relative lack of power. You will become a better driver by learning momentum driving on a lower powered car. You will also be grooving on about 32 mpg. Then later, if you want, buy a higher powered BMW like an M3 and sell your 318i.
This is the road to not overspending on your first BMW!
Perhaps a Justifiable Engine Swap
I have a 1992 E36 318i 5-speed. I have done many mods, from a Hamann body kit, fiberglass interior, racing seats, to a complete coilover suspension. I know I've been told it's too much to put into a 318i. But it's what I had to start with. Everyone else was doing Hondas but I wanted something different. My problem is that I have the original 1.8-liter M42 engine still.
I want the 1995 S50 M3 engine because of OBD-I, but I am in the dark about the swap. I do everything myself; it's the only way to learn. My dad used to build racecars for a living so I grew up around cars. I've spoken with a local foreign car parts store/shop. They told me that it wouldn't be that hard. All I would need to do is swap the motor, gearbox, ECU, and instrument cluster. They said that the differential and all the rest would be OK. But I don't know if I believe that.
The other option I thought of was supercharging the M42 1.8 that's in the car now.
Darrell Bellar
Huber Heights, OH
Engine swaps are rarely worth the time, money, and effort vice buying the car with the engine you want already installed. However, once you've got so much into other modifications on a given car, the pendulum starts to swing the other way, perhaps in favor of an engine swap. Relatively speaking, you've picked a fairly straightforward swap. You'd need the engine, radiator, ancilliaries, engine harness, ECU, and instrument cluster. Of course, you'd also need a complete exhaust system and the rear valance panel might have to be modified to accommodate the M3 tailpipes unless you've already fitted a coffee can back there. You can actually use the smaller gearbox in the car now--it'll bolt right up to the S50. How long it will last is a different question. Same for the small housing differential.Depending on your front shocks and springs, you might need to upgrade them too because of the extra weight. If you're running stock 318i brakes, you'll definitely want to upgrade there, at least to M3 brakes.
Supercharging the M42 engine means about 215 hp (www.downingatlanta.com) and about $4,000. Bear in mind the newest S50 is now nine years old, so you may be looking at rebuilding an engine, too, especially if you want to modify that, as well. But a normally aspirated S50 can produce about 300 hp if you have a healthy VISA card. Speed costs money, Darrell. How fast do you want to go?As with any modified E36, I would recommend the rear suspension mount reinforcement upgrade from www.turnermotorsport.com. These cars sometimes crack apart in the back. Although installing the reinforcements is a huge job, it's worth it if it keeps your car from disintegrating.
Facing Reality
I have two questions:
1. I own a 1991 E36 316i with M40 engine (99.23 bhp), and that's a problem because the M40 engine uses a method of metering the air only to idle to 3000 rpm, after this the air is not metered and any intake flowing more air than the standard setup causes the engine to run lean as it uses pre-programmed fuel curves. This leads to lost power and increased emissions because the air/fuel ratio is wrong! What do I have to change, or from which BMW should I take the necessary parts to address this problem? I know it would be cheaper and easier to install a more powerful engine, but I want too get the most out of this 1.6-liter engine.
2. This question is actually from my friend, who owns the same BMW as I do. He would like to build in a BMW 318is M42 engine (140bhp), and he would like to know if that is possible, and what else should he replace?
Ales Kasjak
via the Internet
Ales, you should listen to your friend. Trying to get more power out of an M40 engine is like giving your grandmother a boob job. The modification would be counter to the intended purpose of the engine (or grandma), and the money would be better spent on a more suitable subject.The M42 is also not exactly a stellar performer, although it is a very robust and durable engine. You don't mention your country, but from the fact that you have an M40 engine I can assume it is not the U.S. If the M42s in your country have knock sensors, then you may be able to install the excellent Downing Atlanta superchargers available for the later M42 and M44 variants. Check out www.downingatlanta.com for more information. This would be the utlimate M42 modification, as well as the only one that really makes a great deal of power output difference.
Island Bimmers
I live on Aruba. I bought a 1991 M Technic 325is. I want to know if you have any information about this car.
Anonymous
Aruba
Sure do. The M Technic package included excellent high-speed aerodynamic parts including a front air dam, side skirts, rear valence panel, and a large two-piece rear spoiler that was a smaller version of the one on the E28 M5 and E24 M6. Also included are upgraded shock absorbers and coil springs. The springs are about 10mm lower than the standard springs.
In the U.S. market, the E30 M Technic package was only available on late production 1991 and 1992 325i convertibles. It was quite expensive, with the body parts alone costing over $3,000. You can still buy most of it, I believe.
Supercharging the M Roadster
I have a BMW M roadster 3.2-liter with 321 hp. I installed a supercharger, and I am looking to make some modifications in the cylinder head. I would like to know the benefits of cylinder head porting and new camshafts in terms of horsepower and torque.
Hussain Habib
via the Internet
Assuming you have installed a Dinan supercharger (www.dinanbmw.com), that is generally regarded as the most power we can get from the S54 engine and still maintain durability and reliability for street use. Once you go to forced induction, the pressure does all the work for you, and things like performance camshafts and cylinder head porting take sidestage.This cylinder head comes from the factory very clean--there is not much porting to do.Another thing is that the 321-hp engine is at the limits of the E36 chassis, especially in the rear. The E36 BMW chassis is inherently weak.
Now, if you had not supercharged the engine and you wanted a camshaft upgrade, Schrick has one. Visit www.turnermotorsport.com and click on engines/schrick camshafts. The power gain is 15 hp, with no loss in low-end torque.
Tired 320i Turbo Isn't Done Yet...
I am writing you to see if you could lend a helping hand as to where I might turn up some more go-fast parts for my 320i. It's a Callaway turbocharged car with a Garrett T-36 instead of the KKK turbo. Current modifications include Cup racing seats, Blitz b.o.v,, Turbo XS boost controller, TiAL 36mm waste gate, and some different driving lights that I fitted because the old ones were crap. It also has all of the original stuff from Callaway, like the microfuel controller and in-car boost controller which is inoperable, and some kind of basket weave 15-inch three-piece wheels on the back and stock as far as I know on front.
I would like to drop it some and set the suspension up for drifting but I can't find anyone who still has sway bars and suspension stuff for the car like strut tower braces and the like. I would also like to do a roll cage and some lighter larger diameter wheels. All that being said I come to the body. The floorboards are on their way out, so I would like to get a rust free donor car and swap it all out this winter. What do you think?
Sam Clough
via the Internet
The first thing you should do is put the same size wheels and tires all around before you kill yourself! If those "some kind of basket weave" wheels on the back are actually BBS RS wheels in the correct E21 3 Series offset, then you have the Holy Grail of E21 wheels even if you don't want them. You can probably finance a whole set of wheels and tires just by selling those two wheels if they are in good condition.
The problem with wheel upgrades on the E21 is the unique offset. Back in the day, we could buy correct offset 14 and 15-inch wheels for the E21, and BBS was one company that sold them. But that was then and this is now. Today, to get new wheels to fit an E21, we've got to use spacers and longer lug bolts. Try not to use spacers any larger than necessary, as anything you do with wheels and tires beyond stock on this car is likely to create or worsen the E21's characteristic front suspension vibration. Your correct 15-inch tire size is 205/50-15, although some people stagger sizes 205/50-15 rear and 195/50-15 front to deal with the oversteer in this car, but if you're into drifting you'll want to keep them all 205/50-15. Anything larger than that on an E21 is just bling-bling, in my humble opinion. Check with www.tirerack.com and www.tires.com.
Since you have a Callaway turbo, I suspect you already have shorter, firmer aftermarket coil springs and upgraded shock absorbers, probably Bilstein Sports. It's no problem finding performance parts for the E21, Sam. You can buy H&R coil springs from Turner Motorsport (www.turnermotorsport.com), BMP Design ( www.bmpd.com) or Bavarian Autosport ( www.bavauto.com). They'll have Bilstein Sport shocks, too. BMP Design and Bavarian Autosport will also carry sway bars from Suspension Techniques. You can get the trick suspension parts for drifting and the roll bar from Top End Performance ( www.2002performance.com). BMP Design also has front and rear strut braces for the E21. While you're at it, buy a set of BMP Design's polyurethane steering rack bushings for the E21. They are excellent, but a real bitch to install. A rust-free 320i, eh? Good luck, Sam. You'd be better off cutting out the rusted floor areas and welding in new metal. The only rust-free 320is I ever see are not likely to become donor cars.