Camber Quandary
I need help on a camber issue. My camber for rear right and left do not match even after maximum adjusting. The front also doesn't match, but no adjustment is possible. I went to a few tire shops but both also say this is a mechanic's job, not theirs; they have no equipment.Please advise. My rear now reads one side +2.5 and the other -.05--a huge difference. I want to fix it soon.
Anonymous
via the Internet
You didn't tell us what model and year BMW we're talking about here, so it's kind of hard to get a handle on the question. My guess is you have damaged parts at the rear, most likely a bent control arm, trailing arm, or rear axle carrier depending upon the model and year BMW. If possible, bring the car to a BMW dealership and have the rear suspension components inspected and measured. Then compare the measurements with the factory dimension specifications. However, if you are off that much, they'll probably be able to tell something is bent by looking at it.Now, that said, BMW only recently got onboard with camber adjustment. Traditionally, camber was not adjustable at all on BMWs without aftermarket parts that were of questionable durability on the street. It is normal for BMWs without camber adjustment to have uneven amounts of negative camber side-to-side. However, it's usually a question of less than 0.75 degrees.
Weber Carbs: Easier than iDrive
I have a 1972 3.0CS with dual Weber 32/36 carburetors. I've had it since 2000 and don't drive it much. I adjusted all linkages and had it sounding perfect at idle, CO at smog test was half of allowed in Colorado and right on spec. But the car is way too lean at 2,500 rpm. I just can't figure out what to adjust for that.
How do I adjust the two short (three-inch) linkages with the nylon cups at the end, how long should they be? How do I adjust the carbs so that at full throttle the two secondaries are open? I have new hardware on there so I can easily adjust the location of the arms on the main two shafts, but I'm lost on the small linkages and the rich/lean adjustments off idle.
Jim Connell
via the Internet
Your engine probably has dual Weber 32/36 DGAV carburetors, which are the most common Weber conversion for the early M30 engine. The first thing you need to do is stop guessing and buy the Haynes Weber Carburetor Manual, which is inexpensive these days. It's not perfect but it's better than nothing.
The two short linkages or control rods are adjusted simply so that there is no slack. These are factory BMW parts, so f you want the actual procedure buy the BMW Mobile Tradition Repair CD for the E9 coupe, BMW part number 01 56 0 004 535. You should have this manual for other work on this car, as well.
You say the engine is way too lean at 2,500 rpm. How do you reach that conclusion? Does it run well at that speed? If so, leave it alone. If it doesn't, you need to start over with the basic adjustment procedure, as there is only one mixture adjustment on these carburetors. Do you mean it runs lean at 2,500 under full throttle acceleration? If that's the case, then one or both carbs probably have issues with the accelerator pump diaphragm assembly or the throttle valves are not opening fully, which you alluded to in your letter. In that case, check for anything that prevents the secondary throttle control lever from fully activating the secondary throttle valve on each carb. There could be wear between the secondary throttle control lever and the primary throttle control lever, or there could be an issue with worn springs on the loose levers or the bush retaining springs. There is an adjusting stop screw on the secondary throttle, which should yield a gap of 0.05mm between the outer edge of the secondary throttle valve and the secondary barrel. There could also be incorrect float level adjustment.
If it gets to be too much, don't hesitate to take the car to an old school BMW technician with experience adjusting these carburetors, and ask if you can watch him at work. I'd recommend an independent BMW shop for this purpose.
E9 CS Coupe Revival
I have a 1972 E9 CS coupe with no rust. I know that's unbelievable, but there are downsides. It was repainted with a GM paint which is totally different from original, so I am not planning the desecration of an icon. Rather than remove and rebuild the original engine and four-speed manual gearbox, I lean toward replacing the engine with as late a fuel injected engine as is practical, plus a five-speed overdrive gearbox.
I have no wish to make a rocket ship of the vehicle, just to update engine reliability, increase fuel mileage, have at least 200 horsepower, and have emission controls in place which are effective and socially sound. My goal is to keep the project as simple as possible, e.g., no tin cutting to accommodate new manifolds, no exotic fabrications, no new holes in the transmission tunnel, etc.--just a reasonably straightforward swap. I am aware that I'm fantasizing in my oversimplification, and that there would be many accommodations necessary just to utilize the emissions controls, but I'm willing to do what it takes in the interest of having a reliable modern drivetrain.
J. Williams
via the Internet
Your letter doesn't mention how much money you want to spend on this project, your level of BMW savvy, or the nature of your working facilities and tool collection. What you propose to do is not straightforward, and will require a trial and error process--probably more error than trial. Unless you are intimately familiar with the E9, BMWs in general, and the BMW parts system, you're in for quite an ordeal--the sort of ordeal that, in my experience, sometimes never sees the light of day. Let me first try to talk you out of it.
Initially, there is much to be said for using the parts you already own. Assuming the engine and four-speed gearbox are in need of rebuilds, let's not assume that a replacement engine and gearbox would not be in similar condition. The newest 3.5-liter M30 engine and accompanying five-speed gearbox from an E34 535i is now eleven years old. It is an unfortunate reality that most people do not maintain their cars, and those who do rarely have drivetrain components for sale. So, the worst-case scenario is that you would toil endlessly only to wind up with two worn out engines and two worn out gearboxes. Moreover, it is a lot less expensive to rebuild a Getrag four-speed than a five-speed.Part of the beauty of a 1972 car, at least for most of us, is not having to worry about invasive emission control devices. You social conscience is admirable, but there may be aspects of this question about which you are not aware. A fresh 2.8-liter carbureted M30 engine in good tune is not a high pollution emitter. More than a 1993 535i? Yes. But the first indifferently maintained V8 Buick that passes you in blue smoke emits 5,000 times more bad stuff than your engine. I would put forth the proposition that rebuilding your 2.8-liter and ensuring it's in good running condition IS the socially sound thing to do.
The 2.8-liter M30 can easily be made to produce 200-220 hp in the course of a rebuild. I recommend 9.0:1 JE pistons in place the U.S.-spec units, a Schrick 284 camshaft, Stahl headers, a lightened flywheel, and duel Weber DGAV downdraft carburetors in place of the original Zeniths.Most people who want to covert a four-speed BMW to a five-speed overdrive wish to do so to lower engine rpm at highway speeds. As drivers, we have grown accustomed to cars that lumber along barely over idle speed at 70 mph or so. This is not the car you own, J. Vintage BMWs are designed to rev. This car has a 3.45 differential, which is just about the perfect performance gearing for a 1:1 fourth gear. If you install a five-speed overdrive gearbox, your effective final drive will drop to a 2.76:1 ratio. This means you'll be downshifting into fourth gear every time you want to pass someone or ascend a steep grade. Bear in mind we can do much to increase power in the M30, but what we cannot do is make it a low-end torque motor like an American V8. BMWs of this vintage are not about low-end torque.
If you convert to a later M30, you will have to mix and match oil pans until you find the one that works, wire the entire engine bay, rig fixtures for engine hardware, rig a larger radiator, custom build a driveshaft and the complete exhaust system, and mount the engine management computer in the glovebox. And that's just what I can come up with off the top of my head. BMW shops in California often have experience in this sort of thing due to their state air bureaucracy essentially legislating older cars out of existence. Shipping the car there would probably save money in the end.
Here are some Web sites:
www.metricmechanic.com--gearbox rebuilding, flywheels, engine rebuilds
www.kormanfastbmw.com--engine parts, engine rebuilds
www.2002performance.com--engine parts, engine rebuilds
www.bimmerdoc.com--E9 parts
www.perfauto.com--Stahl headers
E30 M3 vs. 325i
I'm a car enthusiast posting from the Philippines regarding the choice between an E30 325is and an E30 M3. Neither car is easy to come across here but they show up now and then in the classified ads. Whenever they do, they surely are overpriced. But I have made up my mind to choose between these two cars, as I am a big fan of BMW E30s. I will be limited to M3 availability, and might regret having to pay the price the seller asks for (at the very least $11,000 in terms of your market). Could you please give me some strengths of the 325is over the M3? I'm sure it still doesn't come close to an M3 in terms of performance, but is it still a great performing car?
If I do get the 325is, I plan on using the extra money modifying it with what you usually recommend (air filter, chip, exhaust, suspension, lightened flywheel, brake upgrades, etc.). What I really want to do is reduce as much weight as possible wherever I could. I'm also considering reducing the rotational mass of the engine later on. Is it really worth adding lightweight components such as pistons, valve retainers, rods, and pins, while still having an M20 engine? Any other engine components I could upgrade, like a lightened crankshaft? I want an engine which is lighter and revs more freely. About how high can I expect the M20 to rev with an aftermarket chip and the other mods?
Finally, regarding compression ratio on the 325is: What would be the highest ratio I could use (I think the stock ratio is around 8:1) while still retaining the stock camshaft and fuel injector sizes? Do I really have to change them?
Andrew Alarcon
via the Internet
The E30 represents one of the last real driver's BMWs in my opinion. With emphasis clearly placed on engineering and performance rather than styling, the car is the product of engineers in the traditional BMW way, not marketing weenies. I think the M Coupe was the engineering rebels' last gasp against the Empire, who wants BMW to be a luxury car manufacturer.
Although similar, the E30 M3 is a completely different car from the E30 325i. The entire drivetrain, suspension, brake system, body parts--even the body skeleton is different--massaged by BMW Motorsport for performance. (Today's BMW M was formerly known as BMW Motorsport. Enthusiasts joke that "M stands for Marketing.") Production numbers are extremely low. The street E30 M3 was built simply to homologate the car for European Touring Car racing, in which it was the most successful car in the history of the series. Street versions have an enormous following around the world, but their appeal was lost on the vast majority of U.S. market buyers, many of whom are impressed solely by torque and 0-60 acceleration, neither of which is the E30 M3's forte. As a result, two types of E30 M3s in the U.S. are most prevalent: scrappers that need $15,000 worth of engine rebuild and other work, and those that have been cut up into racecars. Nice, well-maintained examples bring big money--a lot more than $11,000--and prices seem to be edging upward. Finding one with less than 100,000 miles is pretty difficult.
The 325i is totally different in that God made zillions of them. It has more torque and feels faster at the low end than an E30 M3, but some 12 years after the last 1992 325i convertible was built for the U.S., it's now regarding as just another old car by the great unwashed out there. This means scrappers, lots of them, that need lots of work. However, they are also cheap and worth the repair investment in terms of performance and durability. The E30 3 Series is widely regarded, even among E36 aficionados, as the most durable and reliable 3 Series to date. On the downside, it's probably harder to find a pristine 325i than a pristine M3. Both will cost you lots.
Functionally, one of the biggest differences between the two car is that the M3 suspension was nearly perfect right off the showroom floor, whereas the 325i cried out for Bilstein Sport shocks, shorter, firmer aftermarket coil springs, larger aftermarket sway bars--and the big secret, E30 M3 offset front control arm bushings.The E30 M3's S14 2.3-liter DOHC four-cylinder engine is more race than street, making power in the upper end of the rpm range, and is not as durable as the M20. It also requires costly tune-ups and valve adjustments every 15,000 miles. Vibration from this engine kills intake manifold gaskets, motor mounts, and eventually even wears out the shifter linkage parts. However, the aftermarket and the factory have solutions to the gaskets and shifter. Rebuilding an S14 will run you upwards of $10,000. In the U.S. market, the E30 M3 runs a massive Getrag 265 five-speed overdrive gearbox spinning a 4.10 limited-slip differential. The 325i runs a smaller Getrag 240 five-speed overdrive and a 3.73 differential, with limited-slip optional. One of the biggest acceleration secrets for the 325i is a swap to the M3's 4.10 differential. The overdriven fifth gear makes either diff viable at higher speeds, although today drivers are accustomed to cars that lollygag along at 2,000 rpm--that is not the case with the E30. Remember, we're talking about Real Man Bimmers here, not status symbols.
In terms of which car to choose, it really depends on what you want out of it and how much you can spend to maintain it. Every part for an M3 that is not shared by the 325i--and that's most of them--will cost at least twice as much as the corresponding 325i part, usually more. I don't know what the parts situation is on the island, but I'd say you can plan on buying everything you need from the BMW dealer, and much if not all of it will have to be special ordered. You can't expect a dealership in the Philippines to stock E30 M3 parts.
I don't know how you drive or what you expect from the car, but a 325i will require a complete suspension upgrade along the lines mentioned previously to yield M3-like handling. The M20 engine modifications you're talking about mean a complete professional high performance rebuild costing upwards of $10,000. Mahle European-specification pistons for this engine are 9.7:1 compression, although JE can build you whatever you want. No camshaft or fuel pressure regulator upgrade is necessary, but why stop there? I would recommend a Schrick 288 cam. Many other special parts will be required to build an engine of this sort, so I would recommend you have it done in the U.S. and shipped to your location unless there are BMW performance engine building experts on the island.
Rebuild or Repair?
Is it better to get a rebuilt engine or have the existing engine repaired for $1,650? I'm looking at engine rebuild prices from $1,300 to $1,600.
Ben
via the Internet
You haven't given us much to work with here, Ben. What exactly is the problem with this engine? If you can get a complete rebuild for the same price as the repair, then why not get the rebuild? However, we suspect the price range you're quoting does not include boring the block and replacing the pistons with oversized units, so that's not a complete rebuild. On the other hand, we don't know if that work is needed on this engine, either.
E36 S50 Swap
I have recently returned from a brief deployment in the Middle East and was planning on buying an E36 318is. For this particular car, would it be possible and somewhat easy to swap in an S50 3.0-liter engine? I know I would have to probably put an M3 exhaust system on and maybe a new gearbox. What is your input?
Nick Ellert
via the Internet
Welcome home, Nick, and thank you for your service.Sure, you can install an S50--why would you want to? Why not just buy an M3 with the S50 already installed by BMW? If you think it's going to be cheaper to build it yourself, you are incorrect. It's not just a question of the engine, which, by the way, would bolt to your existing gearbox even though it is smaller. You'd be looking at a full brake and suspension upgrade as well to handle the extra power. Plus the M3 has better seats, better aerodynamics, 17-inch wheels, and the stronger gearbox.
More 318i Power
I have been trying to find a way to get more power out of my E36 318i but I don't have the money. I was wondering how much an E23 745i turbo engine swap would cost and if I could swap that engine in.
Daniel Lee
via the Internet
I'd say it would cost quite a bit, Daniel, but that's just an estimate. I've never seen an M30 engine installed in an E36, but there's certainly enough room and with enough money anything is possible. It wouldn't just be the engine, though, as no E36 gearbox will bolt to the M30; you'd need an M30 gearbox and, no doubt, a custom-made driveshaft. You'd also have to fabricate the shift linkage and the exhaust system.
The car would have weight issues due to the M30, probably best solved with a coilover front suspension in terms of hardware, but it would always be nose heavy. You'd have to upgrade the brakes to M3-specs or beyond to handle that much power, not to mention the rest of the suspension. Frankly, you'd be better off just driving the 745i.The best way to significantly increase power in an E36 318i is by supercharging. Check out Downing Atlanta at
www.downingatlanta.com.
Free-Flow Exhaust: Quiet Please
I own a 1998 BMW M3. I am in the market for a cat-back exhaust system. I understand that as a magazine that depends on advertisers for revenue youmay hesitate to recommend one over another. I've read the issue that covered many systems that are currently available. Also, I've seen the SuperSprint was chosen for the turbo M3 build-up.
My concerns are probably typical. I want a good sound, and understanding that is subjective, it's probably the main thing stopping my from writing a check today. I have read that the SuperSprint and Borla offered by Turner Motorsport are not as loud as, say, a UUC System U or TSE. Additionally, I don't want issues with fit or installation or a droning sound at steady throttle. The systems I am considering are SuperSprint, Borla, UUC System U, UUC TSE, and Active Autowerke.
Mike Ruth
Richmond, VA
You're right. Exhaust sound is entirely subjective, and that makes it extremely difficult to recommend one over another. However, our advertisers understand that we make recommendations tailored to a reader's needs.Mike, your well-written letter is sufficiently wary of exhaust sounds that we will recommend what is clearly the quietest system: the SuperSprint. Whenever quietness is key, look for a European-made free flow exhaust system. European exhaust manufacturers are constrained by noise legislation pushed through by the radical anti-car Greens parties. Still, there's that subjectivity--no warranties are given or implied.
Freshening a 325i
I was recently given an 1987 325is (6/87 production date) with an automatic transmission. The interior and exterior is in sad shape. The motor is relatively leak free and was just freshened up by your truly. I want to do the exterior with color keyed trim and bumpers. The chrome does nothing for this car. How do I find out what fits? I was told I was SOL on the bumpers, as they would require major modifications to make later year color keyed bumpers fit. Also, I want to add later factory wheels. Which ones will fit correctly?
Fresh Fish
via the Internet
You're far from SOL. It is true that the later (1988-1992) E30 bumpers will not work on this car without modificatons rising to the level that would pay for a 1988-1992 E30. But if you want to color key the existing parts that's no problem. All you need to do is remove the bumpers, center rub strips and end rubbers from the car and make sure they are squeaky clean. The aluminum bumpers themselves will have to be sanded or bead blasted prior to painting, and the rubber parts will require use of a flex additive in the paint. Regarding the bumpers, personally, I think they look best powdercoated flat black, which is often less expensive than painting.
You're less fortunate with the wheels, due to the 4x100 lug bolt pattern. Your choices are thus limited to aftermarket wheels or non-M3 E30 3 Series wheels (the E30 M3 used a 5x120 lug bolt pattern). The choice is "bottlecap style" wheels or BBS cross-spoke wheels, which came with the "s" cars like the one you have. Both are 14-in., and both will easily accommodate 205/60-14 tires including Yokohama's outstanding AVS ES100 high performance tires. If you want to do this on the cheap, I recommend you consider keeping your cross-spoke wheels and using 205/60-14 AVS ES100s. Other factory alternatives with 4x100 bolt patterns did not come on U.S.-spec E30 3 Series cars: the Star Spoke wheel and the BBS cross-spoke both came in 7x15-in. sizes, which can accommodate 205/55-15 or 225/50-15 tires. However, the only place you are likely to find either one is brand-new special order from BMW, at considerable expense. You can also check www.tirerack.com and www.tires.com for aftermarket wheel fitments.