95 E36 M3 S50 HPDE Car Build Journal

[bimmerboy318]

I really like that chassis spec sheet. Love all the details such as shocks, rebound settings and tire pressures cold/hot. What a great way to keep track of any changes in setup!

I keep everything in a binder. Some sheets I type out and some are hand written. I constantly tinker with my shock settings and can't remember if it was hot or cold out, or how much wear my tires had etc. I also started playing around with my toe settings with toe plates and use those in between real alignments.

- - - Updated - - -

Well, this corona virus has really put a damper on my track outings. Figured I'd make a post to commerate.

My local track NCM Motorsports Park in Bowling Green, KY has canceled all track days until after April 6th at the earliest. And 1010ths Motorsports postponed their Putnam Park track day. Last outing I opted to stay dry and park it when the rain came in. Regrets!

C4227882-C3D6-4A5F-9540-480C4F9EEBF8 by D S, on Flickr

[bimmerboy318]

Since track season has come to a stop, figured I’d work on my car some more. Ordered a center hood louver with gurney flap from vraptor. Super impressed out of the box with the louver backed with 3/16” plywood (I think).

4872D10A-0131-4A8B-901A-B83D8CF8136A by D S, on Flickr

I traced out the template using the actually louver 14” from the edge of the hood and triple checked that I was satisfied with the layout. Then drilled out the corners and used a 4-1/2 angle grinder with cutoff wheel to make the cutouts.

6E2248BE-7BAB-4914-B3CF-D3F33160842B by D S, on Flickr

752C2866-F6B2-4768-A535-8323D9B8A00B by D S, on Flickr

Rattle canned with Krylon Fusion satin black... which was a bit glossier than I was anticipating. Shoulda went with Matte black. But looks good enough to me! My problem was with the gurney flap. It needed to be bent but didn’t have a brake. Used the good old hammer and wood technique. Not satisfied because it’s kinda wavy. Quick email to Shane at vraptor and I’m buying a pre bent gurney flap that is a 2-piece design. Just waiting on that to put in the final rivets. Here’s where it sits!

CC8A2B14-08D7-4240-8165-BCE9A6C4DBBD by D S, on Flickr

3506FBDF-6F2B-45FE-97C7-3AAB17839015 by D S, on Flickr

4B70850E-300C-4889-A52D-C01568B01E59 by D S, on Flickr

[aeronaut]

Good timing on your post, my hood vent from vraptor arrives tomorrow.

[bimmerboy318]

Please use a brake to bend the gurney flap if you got it. Also, per Shane, 90deg bend is best for louver efficiency but creates the most drag. He is bending my newer style gurney at 60deg.

[aeronaut]

Thanks, I didn't get the Gurney flap.

[bimmerboy318]

Not sure what your cooling needs are, but partially because I’m running an oil cooler (fewer things to go wrong). This video is what convinced me to get the gurney. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRsbvvJrC5Y

[bimmerboy318]

I think my power steering pump was seeping through the o-ring that seals the case halves. Nothing on the floor but would find a drop of red fluid collecting at the lower mounting bolt. Found out there are not many options for a rebuilt pump so purchased a BMW rebuild kit. Everything was pretty straight forward except getting the circlip off. The circlip did not have holes so circlip pliers just slipped off. I resorted to using circlip spreaders and jamming a small screwdriver in before they snapped off. Then I used a larger screwdriver to basically destroy it. A new one was included in the rebuild kit. All the seals were hard and were probably seeping a little. Here’s a few photos during dis-assembly to give you an idea what you’d get into. Removed AFE CAI, entire front bumper (it’s easiest for me with MM underpanel), and drive belt.

6DA1D6A5-476F-4254-9A26-F5B1F8B2A3F9 by D S, on Flickr

542E2D23-F448-4553-B58F-29C5132E426E by D S, on Flickr

C76E081A-F17A-4FB0-9FBA-029EC5CF7B1D by D S, on Flickr

[bimmerboy318]

Finally finished my hood louver install with these (2) piece gurney flaps. Everything came from VRaptor Speedworks who pre-bent the gurney flaps at 60deg. I mangled the first gurney flap trying to bend it myself and Shane really helped me make this install look professional! Can't wait for the tracks to finally open!

670DE6B0-E88B-4EE2-8235-F6398625F851 by D S, on Flickr

9253014E-877F-48D2-9B75-FF92E764CBC0 by D S, on Flickr

CEA7CD63-BEA0-48AE-9A1B-C87DC76A199A by D S, on Flickr

04E27B38-876C-455C-8A7C-9C36A9ECBA3E by D S, on Flickr

[bimmerboy318]

Car would crank but wouldn't start a few days ago.

First I thought it was the fuel pump, but jumping the relay I could hear it working. So then I thought it might be the relay, kept the jumper on the fuel pump and tried to start it, cranks but still no start.

A quick search led me to the crankshaft position sensor. Metered it and it read OL or "open loop". Ordered a new BMW one. Once arrived I measured it at 540 ohms. Re-installed and it fired right up. Seems the car needs to crank slightly less now as well. Looks like the jacketing on the old one started to separate and the wires may have pulled out of the connector. So if you're in there, like I was, might want to change this out if the wire feels brittle or your impedance is far from 540 ohms.

Was easy enough to remove with only taking off the fan/ clutch and CAI up to the throttle body. Some report pulling the sensor out of the hole was tough but I had already cleaned mine up when I did my head gasket and oil pan gasket in preparation for needed to swap it in the future. Should have just replaced it then.

08B7A0F4-F8A3-48C6-B505-5DDAF54A6CCF by D S, on Flickr

[bmw328m52]

Louvers look great and seem to be very effective with the gurney flaps. Keep us posted on any changes you see with under hood temps at 60 degree bends.

[bimmerboy318]

Wanted to keep this with my build journal. The featured photo on the next TC Kline ad in Roundel show my F80 (wife driving) and E36 at NCM Motorsports Park. Pretty cool to have your car in an ad like this! This was the 2nd track day ever I did in the E36. Still had fog lights and I remember running the AC that day. The F80 had passed just before this turn and you can see the E36 was doing everything it could to keep up.

​tck ad by D S, on Flickr

[GG///M3]

Awesome man


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[bimmerboy318]

I've been enjoying the car in it's present configuration with no troubles since the last changes. I've been working on trail braking and kinda stuck at 2:26 at NCM. I'm hoping cooler weather will help lower that a bit.

I decided to try 3/16" toe in the rear to reduce the rear from rear from sliding out under throttle on track out. Also upgraded to a 100tw Nankang AR-1.

2E848E03-6F76-4D5D-9B11-A8192BB450F7 by D S, on Flickr

295C7825-75BD-4FB3-A7E6-16C9445BD19F by D S, on Flickr

[GG///M3]

Sweet. You ever sport cup 2’s?

[DrftKingIII]

I've heard good things about those AR-1's.

It's too bad Nankang got ///M stripe colors out of order, lol.

[bimmerboy318]

I've heard good things about those AR-1's.

It's too bad Nankang got ///M stripe colors out of order, lol.

Update on the AR-1's. They are awesome! Braking is where I noticed the biggest difference. At least 50ft less room needed in heavy braking zones on track. Lateral G's were about the same, and my fastest laptimes matched my personal bests... probably because I was over braking. After (8) 30-minute sessions, they look great! My previous RE71R's would already need to be rotated or flipped.

[bimmerboy318]

So here's the bad news. My S50 is toast.

On track this past weekend at Putnam Park. Had a student riding along. All was well for first 15min, then no power coming out of a corner. Realized maybe a cylinder was missing, maybe a bad coil pack. Limped back to pit lane under power. When I slowed down for the turn into the paddock. Engine stalled during the downshift to 1st. Tried to restart but got nothing, was towed back to pit.

Most thought is was an alternator and battery issue.

Turns out #1 cylinder spark plug was stuck and when I forced it out, the tip was missing! Motor turns freely one way then stops, then turns the other way and stops.

Question is, why did this happen? I had the keepers and retainers replaced to the newer ones when I had the head refreshed this past winter. won't know if a valve dropped until I pull the head. Stock motor, stock tune, dedicated track car. I did have an ugly blackstone report last oil change that prompted me to get a spare motor to freshen up. But I wasn't expecting catastrophic failure like this.

For documentation purposes, the blackstone report is also attached. Maybe I should have parked it after seeing that report and saved the head and block from the scrap yard.

Good news is that I have a spare. And I want to build it right. No additional power, no nothing. Just dead reliable car that I can instruct in.

Don't know anything about this motor other than it came from an e30 as the e34 oil pan is on it. It also sat for 5-6 years at a shop that was known for building e30 track and race car conversion. Based on the cams looking nearly new and how clean everything looks, likely a low mileage motor but I'll go through it anyways. It also has a DOT R head so the dealer must have replaced that at some point.

New parts would include:

Main bearings - Glyco OE ones good enough?
Rod bearings - Glyco OE ones good enough?
Rod bolts (ARP)
Rings
Supertech valve springs/retainers - which spring pressure? 67lbs or 80lbs?
INA lifters
Relavant gaskets
Relavant machine work - you'll notice pistons not listed as I hope I can re-use those.

blackstone by D S, on Flickr

357D64D0-8B18-4D62-8AFB-CDEDC915AA10 by D S, on Flickr

682B866D-8172-4149-BA38-04578712686E by D S, on Flickr

[bimmerboy318]

Pulled the "broken" motor out of my car. Found there were chunks of piston in the intake mainfold. Still haven't pulled the valve cover and head off though.

4E31A731-984D-4B5B-9997-3D77285996D0 by D S, on Flickr

I've never pulled a motor before, not in any car. The closest was replacing the clutch on my daily e46 325i.

I chose to pull the front clip (AC already deleted), disconnect driveshaft, remove intake manifold, disconnect harness from the chassis, unbolt and let hang steering rack, PS reservoir, PS pump, unbolt transmission crossmember, disconnect shifter links, and unbolt motor mounts from subframe. Once I started the lift I forgot the heater hose from spider hose to firewall. I also removed the passenger side motor mount the motor was kinda getting wedged between the frame rails. This think is a whole lot bigger once out of the car!

52E03D7A-FBA5-44C4-B092-A1AC500CD604 by D S, on Flickr

6C356AEB-FBCC-468D-90E9-BCB44B371312 by D S, on Flickr

00A062DB-C948-4398-99B3-EF39C1BD238E by D S, on Flickr

I also pulled the transmission. I'm pretty sure the clutch and flywheel are shot. Anyone think this is the original clutch on a car with 170k miles and the last 2 seasons as a track rat?

EF1FF411-34A4-43B9-945F-B83BA00D2D9C by D S, on Flickr

[aeronaut]

I'll just add, while you've got it out, do anything and everything you think you might want to do in that engine bay for the next 5 years. Wiring, heater hoses, brake lines, steering linkages, etc.
The OEM clutches are amazing, they take all kinds of abuse and mileage.
I'll be interested in what it looks like when you pull the head.

[bimmerboy318]

I'll just add, while you've got it out, do anything and everything you think you might want to do in that engine bay for the next 5 years. Wiring, heater hoses, brake lines, steering linkages, etc.
The OEM clutches are amazing, they take all kinds of abuse and mileage.
I'll be interested in what it looks like when you pull the head.

Yes! Planning to do heater core & blower delete, rebuild steering column, clean, remove or replace firewall insulation, add water & oil gauges, trans detents, tidy wiring. I'll post the engine carnage in my engine rebuild thread.

[aeronaut]

Nice!

[bimmerboy318]

Spent quite a bit of time cleaning the layers of oil, dirt, and grime off my transmission. Planning on doing the detent service with the Bimmerworld kit and Thayer tools.

Couple of questions:

1) If the input seal is not leaking... I should leave it alone right? Trans has 170k miles on it but I'm worried I'll make things worse.
2) What is the hot setup for ltw flywheel and clutch? JB Racing and M5 sprung hub? I also see these ECS ltw steel flywheels that work with the M5 setup.

533A657D-17B7-4E2A-A448-4DBBCD5A979B by D S, on Flickr

E553F5BC-C1D8-4E56-8A77-1375CF8FF38F by D S, on Flickr

[aeronaut]

Cleans up nice.

I asked a similar clutch question last year:
https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...light=clutches

I tried the gripforce clutch many have been happy with, and it exploded after ~3 days.

I now have a ACT clutch and PP, and kept the gripforce steel flywheel, and all is good.
Purchased the ACT/PP from FCPEuro.

The M5 clutch with a lightweight flywheel is probably still a great choice.

IIRC, the BW clutch detent kit doesn't have ALL the bushings/springs/detents.

[bimmerboy318]

Did you get the HD Performance Street Sprung clutch? Interesting that it says to use with an ACT flywheel.

[aeronaut]

Yep, the HD Performance Street is the one I'm using.
Yea, their wording is quite threatening that the clutch/PP must be paired with their flywheel.
I actually ordered the full kit, but a shipping problem caused the flywheel to be about a week late.
While waiting, I talked to a friend with a GTS2 car that's using the ACT clutch and PP with a JB flywheel with no issues, so I had the gripforce flywheel machined flat and then used that.
I will say the ACT prolite flywheel "looks" well made and is pretty light for a steel flywheel (lots of speed holes!).