Rock solid at 100+ is what these cars are amazing at! Still don't know how you'll ever be able to sell her, but hey. I'd buy it if I had the cash (which I certainly don't).
Nate J.
(oOO\ (|||)º(|||) /OOo)
Titanium Silver/Black Nappa Full 07-18-2001 E39 M5 Heritage (BZ99672). 198,000mi+. Increasing daily. Engine rebuild thread.
(eŌō\ (||||)º(||||) / ōŌe)
Alpineweiss III/Black Merino Full 03-26-2007 E60 M5 Manual (CX08265). 157,000+. Dead starter -_-
RIP, Seabiscuit. Black Sapphire/Schwarz 03-11-2003 530iA Sport (CK39185). T-boned 03-01-2017 at 155,861mi.
Take 2 "Otto" - Toledo Blue/Sandbeige 04-25-2002 530iA Sport (CH98032). Sold 11-10-2017 at 147,743mi.
Take 3 "Manuel" - Toledo Blue/Grau 10-29-2001 530i5 Sport (CE92358). Sold 02-01-2019 at 217,600mi. I regret that. Build Log
Reliable P.O.S. - Green/gray 1995 Camry V6 LE. 270k mi. Sold for space.
Nice Thad! Your stuck with us now. I'm glad it won't sell
98 540i 6, 525 whp, 120 mph 1/4, V3 Si S/C'er @16 psi, W/A I/C, Water/Meth, Supersprint Headers, HJS Cats, 3" Custom Exhaust, UUC Twin Disc, Wavetrac LSD, GC Coil Overs, Monoball TA, AEM FP, Aeromotive FPR, AEM Failsafe AFR/Boost, Style 65's w/275's, M5 Steering Box, Eibach Sways, M3 Shifter, Evans Coolant, 85 Deg Stat, PWM Fan, 10" Subs, B.A. speakers, Grom Aux/BT, Still Rolling as my DD!
Haha, thank Nate and Chris, it really does kind of look like you might be stuck with me!
I do think I might do a partout of the drivetrain though. That would help pull some money out of it for recent expenses, and to start the funding of the next drivetrain.
I'm guessing there might be some interest in the only fully functional front mount turbo setup for an E39 540 that retains A/C and cruise, known to man... Do any of you guys think someone might want this stuff for some decent money (not giving this stuff away, it was expensive to make and took a year and a half to fabricate and fit, lol):
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Video needs more rev. Lol. Clean looking build!
98 540i 6, 525 whp, 120 mph 1/4, V3 Si S/C'er @16 psi, W/A I/C, Water/Meth, Supersprint Headers, HJS Cats, 3" Custom Exhaust, UUC Twin Disc, Wavetrac LSD, GC Coil Overs, Monoball TA, AEM FP, Aeromotive FPR, AEM Failsafe AFR/Boost, Style 65's w/275's, M5 Steering Box, Eibach Sways, M3 Shifter, Evans Coolant, 85 Deg Stat, PWM Fan, 10" Subs, B.A. speakers, Grom Aux/BT, Still Rolling as my DD!
Had another good time drifting the 540 last weekend. It's a big girl with relatively little steering angle and a turbo that is just a touch too slow to spool for drifting with a manual trans (unless you want to kick the clutch like is so expected in drifting these days), so it difficult to manage. I'm hoping some video of it will surface, but so far there's just a few stills, like so:
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Interestingly, the day before the drift event I had a thought that maybe my cam sensor might have been causing a little intermittent issue in boost that was hard to nail down, but seemed to be creating a lack of performance. So I quickly whipped up a wasted spark and "sequenced batch fire" tune that doesn't use the cam sensor. There is a DEFINITE difference -- The car rips like a mutha now!! Not only that, but it was 100% consistent and reliable all day, banging off the rev limiter at a little over 7k.
The trusty old butt dyno thinks it may be around or over 600bhp now, and it's probably going to be necessary to hit the drag strip some time soon to see if I can finally apply a little pressure to Chris' record. I'm also thinking that at some point I will probably need to setup a clutch switch for launch control/flat shift so I can actually launch in boost, and stay in boost throughout the entire quarter mile run. That should make a huge difference.
Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately depending on your perspective, the factory M5 pressure plate and China friction buttons on the 6-puck clutch are not going to hold up to that abuse, so I probably need to install the Clutchnet Stage infinity clutch and pressure plate to find out. Lol... Prior to that I need to get the new drivetrain in the LRS.
What do you think of the 540i steering for track use? People always seem to complain about it being too slow (in terms of ratio).
1995 525i 5-speed - Thread
I guess I would probably tend to agree with the masses on that one regarding the slow ratio, to some degree at least. To break it down further, I would hazard a guess that I'd think it is definitely too slow for autocross, where you need a fast ratio to get aggressively through slaloms and whatnot. For road course stuff that could be more similar to a tight, winding back road, I don't think the ratio would bother me very much, if at all. In that environment I find the steering to have a nice amount of resolution, and obviously no dartiness.
On the other hand, the steering needs for drifting are rather strange. The trick is to chuck the car and then let go of the wheel, or throw the wheel, and then catch it. A lot of the steering/guiding of the car is done with the throttle and with left foot braking. Interestingly, the more you get that stuff figured out, the more it gets back to where it's nice to have some resolution in the steering again.
That's why some FD drivers like Chelsea Denofa use a fairly large diameter steering wheel. The angle mods that are done to the steering components naturally quicken the steering action, so to get back some of the accuracy a large diameter wheel can come in handy I guess.
Since I don't really feel like I have provided a very useful answer I guess I would summarize it this way: "I don't think the ratio is too horrible unless you're autocrossing, in which case it might be horrible. Or maybe I don't really know what I'm talking about."
LOL. Excellent and typical-tptrzn answer. Aka right on with loads of goodniz but also modest and self dep.
I have ZERO knowledge of drifty requirements but the M5 box is notably different. I’d hazard it’d be a good driftard mod.
But also I’m a believer that there’s a optimization point for steering ratio, and most derps - like suspension stiffness - are toopid and stuck in an oversimplified more-always-better erroneous mindset. So yeah fast is good but more fast is not always more better aka “resolution” as TP says is important.
Sure if yer an F1 driver taking crazy radius turns at 180 - yes, you need that max ratio, but you better mutha frackin have (aka also need) 99.9 percentile reactions and motor skill precision (which the have and... make no mistake... none of us do... unless any of us happen to be like, navy fighter pilots or something).
For most derps, super super fast ratios are a mistake. Probably for me they are a mistake. Prob same reason bmw made the M3 rack ratio slower than the normal 330 or Z3 ratios. Of course like too-hard suspension, too-fast ratios feel “super sporty” driving to McDo’s and to the club, so, they’ll always sell to the ill informed and unreflective ...
2003 M3CicM6 TiAg
2002 540iT Sport Vortech S/C 6MT LSD TiAg
2008 Audi A3 2.0T DSG (the daily beater)
2014 BMW X1 xDrive28i (wifemobile)
Former:
1985 MB Euro graymarket 300SL
1995.5 Audi S6 Avant (utility/winter billetturbobattlewagen)
Haha, thanks dude!!
Maybe one of these days I will finally install my M5 box then, who knows.. Gotta get the LRS running first though. I finally had a chance to get cracking again yesterday on the trans valve body reassembly. I hope to make some decent progress on it again today.
I guess I didn't mention that I slapped a new cam sensor in the engine a few days ago.. After really getting the "sequenced batch fire" tune dialed in super nicely, I flashed the full-sequential tune back into the MS3. Man, I thought the engine ran really well before (better than stock by quite a bit as far as drivability), but wow, the full sequential with the cam sensor not doing any funny stuff is REEEEEEEALY nice! Not to mention that I think it rips just as well in full-sequential now as it did in wasted spark "sequenced batch fire" previously.
I'm actually kind of shocked at how well this sucker drives now, with 750cc injectors currently, a Walbro 450 in the tank, and a 6-puck clutch. Drives fantastically.
Actually even before this latest improvement in drivability I taught my 15 year old daughter to drive a manual transmission in this car. First thing I did was just have her engage the clutch and get the car rolling without any throttle. No problem. It's a damn good driving car. I might just have to do what several of you have told me to do right along, and just keep it. There are always new ways to make more money, right? Lol
Glad to hear it’s doing well
Nate J.
(oOO\ (|||)º(|||) /OOo)
Titanium Silver/Black Nappa Full 07-18-2001 E39 M5 Heritage (BZ99672). 198,000mi+. Increasing daily. Engine rebuild thread.
(eŌō\ (||||)º(||||) / ōŌe)
Alpineweiss III/Black Merino Full 03-26-2007 E60 M5 Manual (CX08265). 157,000+. Dead starter -_-
RIP, Seabiscuit. Black Sapphire/Schwarz 03-11-2003 530iA Sport (CK39185). T-boned 03-01-2017 at 155,861mi.
Take 2 "Otto" - Toledo Blue/Sandbeige 04-25-2002 530iA Sport (CH98032). Sold 11-10-2017 at 147,743mi.
Take 3 "Manuel" - Toledo Blue/Grau 10-29-2001 530i5 Sport (CE92358). Sold 02-01-2019 at 217,600mi. I regret that. Build Log
Reliable P.O.S. - Green/gray 1995 Camry V6 LE. 270k mi. Sold for space.
I love your work Thad!!
I think Philly and Jimmy need to have a BFC M62TU challlenge to see whose got the fastest 540!!
Thanks!
I like your idea for the challenge for sure! As it turns out I was just googling drag strips in Pa. about an hour ago to see if there was somewhere that Philly Chris and I could meet up and face off. Lol
Would be great to get Jim in on it too, but he's quite a hike away from us anymore... Especially far from Philly. Still it's a good idea!
That would be some great fun. I know that Philly's car is faster than mine, I drove his before he upped the boost again so I'd need to throw in more juice to be competitive......or I could just bring the '33 hotrod, maybe throw in some juice if needed and clean house.
Thad, good to hear your car is running great.
Still waiting for Schitzo to update his M5 427LS build.
Yeah, get the LRS running!
Looking forward to your new clutch and traps on the 540! Your car will beat 120.
98 540i 6, 525 whp, 120 mph 1/4, V3 Si S/C'er @16 psi, W/A I/C, Water/Meth, Supersprint Headers, HJS Cats, 3" Custom Exhaust, UUC Twin Disc, Wavetrac LSD, GC Coil Overs, Monoball TA, AEM FP, Aeromotive FPR, AEM Failsafe AFR/Boost, Style 65's w/275's, M5 Steering Box, Eibach Sways, M3 Shifter, Evans Coolant, 85 Deg Stat, PWM Fan, 10" Subs, B.A. speakers, Grom Aux/BT, Still Rolling as my DD!
A drag meet up would be awesome!
98 540i 6, 525 whp, 120 mph 1/4, V3 Si S/C'er @16 psi, W/A I/C, Water/Meth, Supersprint Headers, HJS Cats, 3" Custom Exhaust, UUC Twin Disc, Wavetrac LSD, GC Coil Overs, Monoball TA, AEM FP, Aeromotive FPR, AEM Failsafe AFR/Boost, Style 65's w/275's, M5 Steering Box, Eibach Sways, M3 Shifter, Evans Coolant, 85 Deg Stat, PWM Fan, 10" Subs, B.A. speakers, Grom Aux/BT, Still Rolling as my DD!
Thanks Jim!
In the honor of the deadpool, I think you need to bring an M62 or S62 powered car Jim with all of the juice you can slam into it, but if you also brought the '33, that would be BONUS (especially with some laughing gas on it)! Same with Robert coming with his brute M5/7.0 or whatever it would be, lol.
Agreed! Do you have any logistical thoughts on how to actually do it?
In other news, some more cool shots of the July 7th drifting day popped up:
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Time to buy more stock in Achilles tires.
Would have to meet 1/2 way. 2200+miles for an east coast drag race is a bit too far.
That is a heck of a hike for a drag race Jim! Haha
We'll see if Chris wants to do anything. I think he's the one with the least flexible schedule these days. And he's the king, sooooo....
I'd love to be part of this plan but the miles are just to many lol
1999 540 Auto with Eaton M112 supercharger
Airlift 3H/P management, M5 steering box, M5 LSD, Eibach/Dinan front and rear anti roll bars, PM Modifich door boards, 4 Eton 6.5s, Sound Magus VS3500.1, 2 x 10" Kove audio subs, Alpine ICS X7 Headunit, 19" BBS Hammer Sports RT245/RT246, Muffler delete, electric coolant fan.
Yes, that would be a rather long, wet ride just for a day at the drag strip. I'm guessing in the end we will just have to keep comparing time slips from our own local drag strips, but it would be fun if we could figure out the logistics...
On the topic of clutch switches, so far I'm not liking my totally DIY solutions, so does anyone remember/know the workings of the factory switch? Seems like I recall it was a hall effect sensor or some goofy thing like that? Anyone? JC?
If it is a hall effect, it's possible that I may be able to work with that, and maybe it would even be preferable since I guess maybe it would be software configurable for the exact engagement point? If so that would actually be awesome.
On our pre TU cars, it's just a normal switch iirc.
If my crazy busy summer schedule ever let's up, I'd be up for a meet at some dragstrip. My car is really liking the intercooler setup in the summer heat. Definately a nice improvement.
98 540i 6, 525 whp, 120 mph 1/4, V3 Si S/C'er @16 psi, W/A I/C, Water/Meth, Supersprint Headers, HJS Cats, 3" Custom Exhaust, UUC Twin Disc, Wavetrac LSD, GC Coil Overs, Monoball TA, AEM FP, Aeromotive FPR, AEM Failsafe AFR/Boost, Style 65's w/275's, M5 Steering Box, Eibach Sways, M3 Shifter, Evans Coolant, 85 Deg Stat, PWM Fan, 10" Subs, B.A. speakers, Grom Aux/BT, Still Rolling as my DD!
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