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Thread: The new BleedsBlue moneypit: GD62389 '92 M5 3.8

  1. #26
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    Quote Originally Posted by doubleJC View Post
    I don't want to derail the thread more but if you ever decide to part ways with the 2+2 setup, I'll gladly trade you the same M-Confetti cloth rear seats when I acquire them later this year!

    John
    Ha! Now that would be a tough one. Given the mileage and condition of this car, I probably don't want to part with the rear setup, but you'd be the first to know my man! :cheers

    Quote Originally Posted by Jackson42 View Post
    Welcome from BK06090 - '91 M5 with a 3.5/3.8 hybrid motor.
    Sweet - my old car followed yours right off the assembly line. Sounds like a tasty motor for sure, you should start a thread!

    Quote Originally Posted by blckstrm View Post
    I need to see this thing in person.

    I've been over on the E36 side for along time, but have started trying to get up to speed on the E34 side of the house in preparation for picking one up for my wife (or daughter depending on how nice / ratty it winds up being). I bought an E32 that I decided to flip and wasn't ready in time to pick up this M5 that just sold last week. (https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...ver-Grey-12000 It would have been perfect - enough miles to make it OK for a daily driver, well taken care of enough that I wouldn't spend a fortune updating everything. And in that sweet spot for price, too). The E32 should go up on BaT this week, though I've never sold anything with them so I'm a bit uncertain how that will go.

    In any case, I'm here in Austin and I'd love to meet you and the M5. I'l drop you a line on your website and send you a PM. In the mean time, I'll cast another vote for ramping up here and avoiding Facebook.

    My M3 is in my sig, but here's a shot of the E32. I'm a sucker for M Parallels, and if I was keeping it I'd swap the wheels, but this thing is super original with only 61k miles so I bough a couple new center caps and just left them.

    Attachment 666678
    I replied to your email - but just for the forum, sounds good and I'll be happy to show you this E34! I started off with an E36 and can give you a good comparison. I also have a secret crush on E32s... did that car go to BaT yet?
    - Brent
    www.angry-ass.com

    Quote Originally Posted by danespann View Post
    Every E34 needs the same things in the end.

  2. #27
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    Quote Originally Posted by BleedsBlue View Post
    I replied to your email - but just for the forum, sounds good and I'll be happy to show you this E34! I started off with an E36 and can give you a good comparison. I also have a secret crush on E32s... did that car go to BaT yet?
    No, I don't have the title back yet (I waited a bit while I was working on it and not driving it) and BaT requires that to be sorted first. I should have the car for at least a couple more weeks before I have the title and BaT is ready.

    I'm a little worried my M3 is so far from stock that even an M5 will feel like a Buick. The E32 is softer than I'd like, even as a cruiser for my wife (she had a first Gen CTS-V before we had to get the Escalade). I expect (I HOPE) the M5 is a larger, softer cruiser that maintains the poise of the M3 (which was the reason I kept the M3 and not the V when we had to upgrade).

    Let's just say I WANT the M5 to be what I hope it is. And I'd be more than happy to let you scratch your E32 itch - that is what this is all about!

  3. #28
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    Sadly, nothing new to report since my last update, minus the acquiring of parts for an eventual jack stand session. I've just been driving the car from Point A to Point A often enough to top off the battery and keep the oil pump primed, and to do some underhood temperature testing for our upcoming carbon plenum.


    The parts I have stockpiled so far include:

    • Ground Control street camber plates
    • H&R 50413 springs
    • Bilstein rear shocks
    • SLS "soft" delete components (IE, I will just loop the lines under the car for now)
    • Modern Continental head unit w/ Bluetooth, USB etc - but orange backlighting and more period-correct buttons
    • Staggered, forged, polished M Systems with gold Throwing Stars
    • 235/255 Continental ExtremeContact tires

    This list will expand slightly depending on what I find in the suspension, since the goal is to do everything at once; and yield a slightly lower car that is both daily-drivable and ready for autocross and light track work. The rear SLS definitely needs new bombs, but since the EDC is non-functional anyway, I'm taking the opportunity to swap over to a temporary rear setup that proved acceptable on my old car. For now, I'll adapt the camber plates and springs to the front EDC struts, which are not blown despite having the wires cut and fed with resistors. This is all somewhat temporary until coil overs at a later date.


    The temperature testing has been easy as we have seen near 40C temperatures here lately! I recently took a few of us out to grab ripe peaches, and other than the stiff rear suspension, the car is a lot nicer to be in than my old car!


    Can you feel the ambient heat in this pic? I feel like I can.





    I'm digging the low profile vibe of this narrow grille, debadged car, on Turbines especially (caps removed for safety):





    Got the goods! This car has a factory CD changer, now wasted space. And I'm always on the lookout for a damn trunk net! But never find 'em.





    Most things were closed, but on the drive back I had to stop in my favorite nearby one-road town. Again, digging the sleeper status of this early 3.8 a great deal.


    - Brent
    www.angry-ass.com

    Quote Originally Posted by danespann View Post
    Every E34 needs the same things in the end.

  4. #29
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    Lookin peachy.



    Srlsy doh


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  5. #30
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    Quote Originally Posted by a777fan View Post
    Lookin peachy.



    Srlsy doh

    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    Someone had to say that, buddy!

    Also OMGWTFBBQ, I'm an idiot. I forgot to post a picture of the upcoming wheels!

    Last edited by BleedsBlue; 07-10-2020 at 12:28 PM.
    - Brent
    www.angry-ass.com

    Quote Originally Posted by danespann View Post
    Every E34 needs the same things in the end.

  6. #31
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    Have you gotten around to sorting/installing your suspension upgrades yet? Such a beautiful car. I cannot wait to see how it looks with the front down a little bit and those throwing stars!

  7. #32
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    Quote Originally Posted by consti2tion View Post
    Have you gotten around to sorting/installing your suspension upgrades yet? Such a beautiful car. I cannot wait to see how it looks with the front down a little bit and those throwing stars!
    I appreciate the compliment! I feel very lucky to have fallen into this car's ownership. I plan to do right by it in every possible way.

    A wordy update, but I PROMISE payoff photos will come soon!
    Skip to the bottom for the token photo and a note on a future Angry Ass SLS delete kit

    I recently bought a house needing some work, so the summer has gotten away from me! I did get the car on the lift for the first time for a true inspection. This was brought on by a BMWCCA weekend driving school at Hallett near Tulsa that I'm attending this upcoming weekend. I knew the condition of the suspension pretty well, but needed to check everything myself on the comfort of a lift.

    We used the opportunity to do a quick SLS delete to get the car at least drivable on track. "Locked out" SLS via bad accumulator(s) is no joke! I was worried about puncturing a shock tower before long in street use, and not having fun with how unsettled the rear end could become at the slightest bump. I have no photos of before or after because we were on a timeline and the end result had the car sitting at about the same ride height, LOL, so visually there was no difference.

    I pieced together an "SLS elimination kit" using the existing Turner/ECS kit as a starting point. I didn't end up needing it all, or having all I needed, and it honestly gave us at Angry Ass a lot of ideas on offering a better kit and documentation for this common service.

    We ended up stealing the shortest SLS line (which are basically brake lines) from the back axle, carefully bending it to a new shape, and looping the supply and return lines right by the driver side front frame rail. Then, we removed all rear SLS components, including the lines. In went Bilstein Touring shocks and H&R 50413 springs, with all new shock hardware. Side note: I'm kicking myself now as, after the fact, I found a Sachs OE rear shock online that I could have used instead, which is slightly cheaper and meets the same criteria. Bilsteins are high quality, at least, and this spring and shock setup is only intended for 1-2 years anyhow.

    That was all I did for now, but I've verified that I want to do a full front end suspension refresh and, before too long, drop the rear subframe and do all of that rubber (I might do dog bones sooner, since they are cake).

    Other "discoveries":
    • The car has B36 cats, likely as part of federalization. No biggie, the car feels strong and I'll be going to our upcoming exhaust anyway
    • The car has ugly steel lower control arms up front and both they and the upper control arms are of indeterminate Chinese make. I have E31 LCAs and fresh Moosehead uppers ready to go in
    • Someone has gutted the front EDC struts and snuck in non-EDC inserts! I already knew EDC was disabled, but this was a big find. I read that it was possible though painstaking to pull the EDC inserts, but honestly planned to leave the EDC struts alone for future rebuilding. Oh well: this just means I can now put in new inserts when I do the front suspension, and not have to swap knuckles/housings until I go coil-overs
    • I found some pinch weld rust in the front driver-side corner. It won't be hard to address, but is never good to find! Thankfully this car won't see true winter driving now that I moved to Austin, TX. The rest of the car is clean on this front, aside from some small spots in the common areas of lower door and sunroof panel


    Lil candid photo (before the suspension work lol) from a desperately-needed and delicious small-town TX taco spot before 93FIM5 and I pulled a long night on the car. Very good times.



    For future SLS elim kit options for Angry Ass, we've got some good ideas:
    Deleting SLS is not difficult, but as always, misinformation abounds online, and we'll seek to fill that void with definitive and clear answers, along with a few potential options for true kits with minor custom parts and install documentation. A few ideas listed in order, most invasive/least reversible to least invasive/most reversible:
    • Retain factory PS pump/Reservoir, but remove as many lines as possible: with a special but easily made tool, there's actually a way to access and remove the power steering pump piston that feeds SLS, which would allow for more lines to be removed (less leak points, less weight). This is a clean option for those with a healthy PS pump not interested in swapping in 535i parts
    • Loop engine-bay feed/return lines: I was confident in my ability to correctly bend a brake line into the new shape, but especially if done incorrectly, or if the line is in bad shape already, scavenging a line from your own car is not great. Heck, if you want to keep all of your SLS components installed for true reversability, you won't even have a line to scavenge. To that end, we'd offer a short, flexible line that would be used to connect the feed and return lines, pinned to a safe location like the frame rail. The installer could then either remove all rear SLS components, or leave them intact and use supplied caps to prevent leaks from the lines


    Either option would also contain the full host of new shock install and mounting pieces, since no matter what, you can't reuse the rear shocks or springs. I didn't list the nuclear option of swapping in a 535i power steering pump and reservoir (what my old M5 had) because that is less of a kit, and just sourcing new or good used parts. That's obviously least reversible, but still bolt on.


    More to come on this idea, just thought I'd share for now!
    - Brent
    www.angry-ass.com

    Quote Originally Posted by danespann View Post
    Every E34 needs the same things in the end.

  8. #33
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    The new BleedsBlue moneypit: GD62389 '92 M5 3.8

    It sounds like you are doing more than right by it! It’s great you are bringing so many options to the e34 chassis. As awesome as the SLS can be I am kind of glad I do not have it, sounds like even more maintenance on a wonderful car that is riddled with maintenance.

    I did not see on the AAS site where the pulleys were listed before? Edit: see it on the mobile site

    Car looks amazing as always! I would have loved to go to Hallet. When I get one of my turds sorted I plan to get into track days.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    Last edited by consti2tion; 09-16-2020 at 05:10 PM.

  9. #34
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    you'll notice a difference with better cats. I've used 3.6 cats for smog on my 3.8 wagon, it's a noticeable difference vs the metallic 3.8 cat.

    The 540 M sport i had for a bit had the same thing done up front. Gutted the EDC housing, put bilstein inserts in. Still had EDC/self leveling in the rear, which worked, and had no fault code oddly.
    Mike
    93 M5 3.8 Sterling Silver/Black (euro)
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    86 745i

  10. #35
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    Quote Originally Posted by consti2tion View Post
    It sounds like you are doing more than right by it! It’s great you are bringing so many options to the e34 chassis. As awesome as the SLS can be I am kind of glad I do not have it, sounds like even more maintenance on a wonderful car that is riddled with maintenance.

    I did not see on the AAS site where the pulleys were listed before? Edit: see it on the mobile site

    Car looks amazing as always! I would have loved to go to Hallet. When I get one of my turds sorted I plan to get into track days.
    I'm certainly trying to do right by the car, sir, and we at Angry Ass are trying just hard to support these cars!

    I loved SLS in my Touring, and would never have removed it if this car was a Touring; if I didn't also have ripped up EDC; or if I planned to resell. Nothing beats it when you plan to carry or tow loads.

    Appreciate the compliments, again - Diamond Black hides dirt a lot better than Jet Black. We're also doing Cresson Motorsport Ranch November 21-22!

    Quote Originally Posted by mottati View Post
    you'll notice a difference with better cats. I've used 3.6 cats for smog on my 3.8 wagon, it's a noticeable difference vs the metallic 3.8 cat.

    The 540 M sport i had for a bit had the same thing done up front. Gutted the EDC housing, put bilstein inserts in. Still had EDC/self leveling in the rear, which worked, and had no fault code oddly.
    I definitely agree that the 3.8 cats are a big upgrade, I've seen that proven with dyno graphs too I believe. I would find some but we'll have an exhaust option soon that saves a lot of weight, so I'll hold out for that.

    I was wondering about the EDC light. My Nurburgring switch isn't lit up, which tells me the whole thing is shut down. The plugs on my front struts aren't just removed, they were ground down (ugh), and the rears will still plugged in. Either way, I'm officially no longer an EDC or SLS car
    - Brent
    www.angry-ass.com

    Quote Originally Posted by danespann View Post
    Every E34 needs the same things in the end.

  11. #36
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    This stuff is addicting...
    My first trackday in the books in the form of a well-run, and COVID-friendly (well, wait: I mean COVID precautions were taken, not that it was conducive to COVID ) BMWCCA Track School at Hallett Speedway near Tulsa. It's a little over 500 miles from my house in Austin, and I linked up with one @CaneDVM in Fort Worth to caravan up. This was to be his first true track experience as well.

    We were running late, so no good photos on the way up - it's just I35 mostly, anyway - but had to snap the cars at the top, fast road trip meal spot in TX/OK.



    I have also never had the opportunity to snap a picture like this, so I took it!



    Sidebar...
    I have a strange connection to C5 Z06 Corvettes, which was CaneDVM's steed of choice that weekend. My first BMW, a dog of an E36 M3, was being sold in favor of a C5Z acquisition; and to this day, the fastest I've been on a track was as passenger in a supercharged C5Z on PMP. CaneDVM's was super stock, and the value proposition and out-of-the-box performance is bonkers. I used to call them the more expensive, domestic E36 M3 of track day bargains, but now they are sometimes cheaper than E36 M3s in equivalent condition!

    Super sketchy, late night Tulsa hotel check-in aside (we switched hotels the next night, lol), we were up after 3 hours of shut-eye bolstered by some signature fresh-ground BleedsBlue pour-over. I liked the Top Gun-esque HUD on my rear bumper in this photo. Also those 'Vettes run high oil temps!



    As total novice drivers (and official Novices per registration), we were assigned instructors and started the day in the classroom, which was very helpful (at first). Interestingly, COVID dictated lead-follow instead of in-car instruction. I can see the value of both, but will have to experience in-car before I determine which I prefer. I do expect lead-follow to yield faster lap times more quickly, while also allowing for more bad habits. Either way, I had a great instructor I'm keeping in touch with for future events.

    We met a lot of good folks. Our class of 12 was mostly new BMWs - and two other non-BMWs (one older Miata, one brand new 992 C4S Porsche) - so I had about the slowest and oldest car there for sure. Most didn't give it a glance, which is how I like it, but everyone knew to respect the Z06. I found out later all of the modern BMW folks drove the whole weekend with full electronic aids on, which kinda blew my mind. Some of them were faster than I, but given it was just me and a stick and three pedals, I have to think I was actually learning more about how to control the car.

    I digress. The nice thing about our cars was that we only had to empty them to be ready - no tire swaps, etc. Just check air pressure, lugs, and go. My car's setup is detailed above, but the recent setup included:
    • 235/45R17 Michelin PS4S on 17x8 M System (all around)
    • MSI Racing Product stud conversion with yellow "pit" nuts; 85mm rear, 95mm front studs
    • Angry Ass "Street" F30-based BBK with BMW rotors and BMW pads
    • Motul RBF600 brake fluid
    • Rear SLS/EDC delete with Bilstein Touring + H&R 50413 springs
    • Front EDC delete with mystery strut inserts and stock springs


    The mornings were chilly but it quickly warmed up. You'd drive your first session around 9am in a hoody, and be down to a T shirt 2nd session close to lunch. It would top out around 85 F midday. The snap below was from bleary-eyed and bumbling Day 1, session 1 prep.



    Later in the day we found better spots to pit closer to our respective instructors, so I ended up shacking up next to a 991 GT3. Impressively for a GT3, that car rolled over 20,000 miles that weekend, which is great to see compared to all of the BaT/investor specials who don't top 1,000 miles.





    We netted 4x 20min sessions a day, which sounds sparse, but felt like plenty. As the day wore on, we kept lowering our cold tire pressures as we gained smoothness (and learned about tire management), picking up grip and pace to the delight of our instructors. My brakes performed well, never showing a hint of fade despite repeated threshold braking in this large barge. The photos at the bottom actually don't show terrible body roll, but the suspension combo and worn bushings I have were disconcerting at pace. I felt like I was driving a couch, especially after my last M5, exquisitely poised on ex-track car KW coil overs.

    I think a combo of overdriving and no negative front camber beat up the shoulders of my front tires, but they held up well and I had none of the dread chunking I've seen posted online. Note the darker line right on the shoulder below (from that area crumpling under the car), and the distinct texture on the outer shoulder from heat. The latter is something that is pretty hard to engender on the street, at least if you drive responsibly on public roads.



    These BMW rotors are solid, but the pads are not my favorite. Their only advantage is being quiet, but they are very dusty, lack initial bite, and will (maybe obviously) not last on track.



    This snap also shows how my front wheels are close to positive camber. Great for long highway drives, but that's it.



    We were, to use @CaneDVM's phrase, totally bushed after Day 1. Aside from showers and giant steaks at a steakhouse near our new, spiffy hotel, we took it easy Saturday night and woke up feeling like kings on Sunday. Day 1 nerves are gone, you'll usually have slept better, etc - so from Session 1 on Sunday, we had pace and really felt like we picked up where we left off. After lunch, our instructors were talking about going into the Intermediate group with us, for us to lead and they to follow, but we ended up calling it to get home earlier.

    I was even able to get 500 miles home before it was too late Sunday night. We're signed up for another school at a much closer track in November, and then it'll likely be quiet until Spring. Hopefully we'll retain what we learned and get setup in Intermediate this time around!

    Since this event, I've looked at all sorts of track prep and other slippery slope items, but will need to limit my costs and treat it more as a hobby + company part testing. In the future, I'd have to get a dedicated track beater if I started doing more than a few days a year.

    I'll close with photos from the track photographer, Tim, who took some great shots!



    (no, I was not actually "ahead" of my compatriot here - also, I don't tire of the narrow grill badge delete look - also also, the E92 M instructor was very quick, it turns out those cars can be track beasts with upkeep)







    (check that front tire folding!)







    (my new best friend, instructor Ken and me! Mini sidebar: I also have a weird connection with Scion/Subaru FR-S/BR-Z. It wasn't a school, but the first guy who helped me a lot at my first autocrosses drove a car identical to my instructor at this track day. Both guys are calm and clinical, and good teachers. Weird coincidences!)

    - Brent
    www.angry-ass.com

    Quote Originally Posted by danespann View Post
    Every E34 needs the same things in the end.

  12. #37
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    Excellent summary of a most excellent time!

    While the Z06 was an absolute blast, perhaps for MSR Cresson we should both be in B38 M5s? Maybe with some really tasty AAS bits?

    -B

  13. #38
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    Quote Originally Posted by CaneDVM View Post
    Excellent summary of a most excellent time!

    While the Z06 was an absolute blast, perhaps for MSR Cresson we should both be in B38 M5s? Maybe with some really tasty AAS bits?

    -B
    B,

    Count on it, buster.

    -Also B
    - Brent
    www.angry-ass.com

    Quote Originally Posted by danespann View Post
    Every E34 needs the same things in the end.

  14. #39
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    Love to see E34's out on track, even if in stock form. Just so much fun. Our buddy Kurtis (who still won't make a thread for his s50 car) has worn the letters off his continentals from sidewall folding with no camber.
    1990 Alpine 535i/5 - BC Coilovers, LSD, M5 Swaybars, 540 Brakes, A/C Mods, Sport Seats
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  15. #40
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    Quote Originally Posted by danespann View Post
    Love to see E34's out on track, even if in stock form. Just so much fun. Our buddy Kurtis (who still won't make a thread for his s50 car) has worn the letters off his continentals from sidewall folding with no camber.
    I think it's best to start stock and then tinker, so you can really see how mods or changes affect the car. As fun as it is to mod for the sake of mods...

    Is Kurtis on IG? And FWIW, I think the "sidewall fold" if we are calling that correctly, is preferable to the outer shoulder chunking at least.
    - Brent
    www.angry-ass.com

    Quote Originally Posted by danespann View Post
    Every E34 needs the same things in the end.

  16. #41
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    Quote Originally Posted by BleedsBlue View Post
    Is Kurtis on IG?
    Yeah he's kurtis_e34.
    1990 Alpine 535i/5 - BC Coilovers, LSD, M5 Swaybars, 540 Brakes, A/C Mods, Sport Seats
    1986 Alpine 528e - 500k+ miles daily driver
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  17. #42
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    Quote Originally Posted by danespann View Post
    Yeah he's kurtis_e34.
    Ah very cool, I know his IG then and have been DM-ing him actually. You AZ guys are going hard on E34s, I love it!
    - Brent
    www.angry-ass.com

    Quote Originally Posted by danespann View Post
    Every E34 needs the same things in the end.

  18. #43
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    Looks like you had a great time! This should be inspiration for a lot of guys with stock cars that just want to have fun a few times a year. Looking forward to getting both of my clunkers sorted well enough to make a couple of events a year. Right now just maintenance and upkeep is happening.

    I think the oil temps are high on the LSX engines because of the design of the oil passages in the block, after the oil pump the passages make a lot of 90 degree turns before they reach the first bearing. At least this is what I was told by a master engine builder that I worked for many moon ago. I don't know if there is an actual technical term for someone who builds extremely high HP engines but if anyone is a master it is that man.

    Are you planning on putting coilovers on your M5 before next years track days?

  19. #44
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    Quote Originally Posted by consti2tion View Post
    Looks like you had a great time! This should be inspiration for a lot of guys with stock cars that just want to have fun a few times a year. Looking forward to getting both of my clunkers sorted well enough to make a couple of events a year. Right now just maintenance and upkeep is happening.

    I think the oil temps are high on the LSX engines because of the design of the oil passages in the block, after the oil pump the passages make a lot of 90 degree turns before they reach the first bearing. At least this is what I was told by a master engine builder that I worked for many moon ago. I don't know if there is an actual technical term for someone who builds extremely high HP engines but if anyone is a master it is that man.

    Are you planning on putting coilovers on your M5 before next years track days?
    Man, your first comment is such a great point! I think folks hesitate to hit the track for at least two different reasons: thinking their stock-ish car is not up to it (I'm speaking less about maintenance, more about capability), or getting too deep into the armchair race car modding that is so easily done online, and tempts all of us. Hell, I've been scoping parts and tires nonstop since

    Assuming a healthy and road-worthy car, it's mainly about your braking system being up to snuff, and even more so about the fluid and lines. It doesn't take much, especially to attend a school like this. You only go as fast as you want and can handle!

    That makes sense to me about the LS motors. It's definitely common with them, and does not cause issues.

    To be honest, I'll probably wait until my company gets into coil-over building before I make the jump. With fresh bushings, a few upgrades like spherical front control arms, and fresh shocks + H&R, this car will do me just fine for now. If I bought any before we make our own, I would go with Ground Control or KW as I had before. But that's a $2500 minimum entry fee on something that won't stay on the car, and loses value quickly.

    We've got some cool ideas to innovate the coilover market for these cars. With truly streetable rates, Ground Control and the mid- to upper-range KW are great for your average weekender/light track duty E34, but we can do better
    - Brent
    www.angry-ass.com

    Quote Originally Posted by danespann View Post
    Every E34 needs the same things in the end.

  20. #45
    moroza's Avatar
    moroza is offline MORΩN ΛABIA BMW CCA Member
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    SLS accumulators are becoming NLA, apparently not because they're out of production, but because of some change to shipping laws whereby they're considered explosive devices if shipped charged. I'm 90% through an off-the-shelf (and surprisingly cheap) solution that I'll post about once it's running.

    The biggest problem in HPDEs I've attended was the distracting deadweight chatterbox to my right. Add one to the growing list of upsides to the pandemic.

    Car looks fantastic as always. Agreed on the clean debadged look.

  21. #46
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    Quote Originally Posted by moroza View Post
    SLS accumulators are becoming NLA, apparently not because they're out of production, but because of some change to shipping laws whereby they're considered explosive devices if shipped charged. I'm 90% through an off-the-shelf (and surprisingly cheap) solution that I'll post about once it's running.

    The biggest problem in HPDEs I've attended was the distracting deadweight chatterbox to my right. Add one to the growing list of upsides to the pandemic.

    Car looks fantastic as always. Agreed on the clean debadged look.
    Very cool - I look forward to seeing that!

    And I could see the distracting chatterbox being a problem for sure; as with any form of teaching, the teacher makes all the difference. I feel lucky to have been paired up with such a cool, collected, and helpful cucumber. I'm still interested in experiencing in-car instruction at some point, but I doubt that will be the case in November

    Appreciate the compliment
    - Brent
    www.angry-ass.com

    Quote Originally Posted by danespann View Post
    Every E34 needs the same things in the end.

  22. #47
    moroza's Avatar
    moroza is offline MORΩN ΛABIA BMW CCA Member
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    The single biggest appeal of an HPDE is precisely that it removes human bullshit from the driving experience, strips away the monkey politics and leaves just me, the car, the road, and the laws of physics. Having to avoid other cars is no big deal, but having to engage the social part of my brain to deal with the monkey next to me 80% defeats the purpose.

  23. #48
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    Awesome car and pics!

    "Big Red" 9/88 Build 535i/5: E.A.T. Chip, 24lb Bosch Design III, 3.46 LSD, 4x Clear corners, DINAN-style 750i muffler, Racing King Subframe Inserts, Koni/Vogtland suspension, E34 M5 swaybars, Brembo/Porterfield brakes, Turbodiesel grills, 16" Style 8 rims, Euro front plate, M5 rear filler plate.
    Save
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  24. #49
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    Quote Originally Posted by sbeckman7 View Post
    Awesome car and pics!
    Thank you, sir!

    I have a secret - thread titled accurately
    I don't like to spread woes or misfortune online - both because I'm fairly private and because I think these mediums should exist to share positivity and inspire each other to enjoy this hobby.

    To that end, I left out the details of how my track weekend actually ended until I had a happy solution in place. In reality, I had a 2nd (out of 4) session Sunday immediate retirement, less than one lap in, with my clutch seemingly slipping ALL over the place. We were actually considering leaving after this 2nd session on the 2nd day to get started on the drive home early, and because apparently lots of folks do this.

    I was initially confused. I was so laser focused on the track, my windows were down, this was just the warm up lap (so no WOT), and I had never had a clutch fail before. I noticed the car was not putting power down halfway through the lap, and then while signaling that I needed to pit immediately, the sinking feeling set in: I was 500 miles from home.

    My attitude coming into the paddock was bolstered by the knowledge that it appeared to be purely clutch-related, not trans ($$) or engine ($$$), and by the fact that the car had, since purchase, made a rattle with the clutch disengaged that would go away once the pedal was depressed. A few friends had guessed it was the TOB or flywheel, but either way I had accepted the sound as a future failure and wallet-opening-event. I guess I felt I had it coming.

    Once in the paddock, I poked around the car with my instructor, who is actually a Porsche mechanic. There was a noticeable smell of burned clutch, but the fluid was fine (not boiling, no leaks etc) and visual inspection of everything under the car produced nothing obvious. Once CaneDVM finished his session and came over, I gave him the rundown and his first thought was dual mass flywheel separation - a potential 3.8-only issue unbeknownst to me, but familiar to a walking E34 M5 guru like my friend.

    We decided to leave at that point, considering I wasn't sure how far I would make it. I did have a USAA roadside tow in my back pocket, if needed. The 30min scoot back to Tulsa for gas made it clear that the car was pretty drivable if I stayed under about 30% throttle and 3k RPM. So, we went for it, and I felt lucky to sneak the 500 miles home without issue - just got passed by a lot of folks

    This changed my plans for the next month or so, as I had another BMWCCA track day school in mid/late-November. I had been assembling parts for a big suspension overhaul, but now clutch and flywheel (and the while-you're-in-theres) took top precedence. I put together a little spreadsheet and planned for these potential secondary jobs, based on what I found on disassembly (all with new BMW hardware included):
    • Guibo
    • CSB
    • RMS
    • Full shifter rebuild w/ upgraded parts


    Looking back, I should have also done a LeoGrande stainless clutch pivot pin (which my own company sells, for heaven's sake) and the coolant fitting and hose on the back of the S38. The latter showed me a nice fat bead of coolant as soon as I dropped the trans, the little f*cker.

    I actually limped the car back to Fort Worth several weeks later to take advantage of tooling at CaneDVM's, and got started one Friday evening. I pulled the exhaust myself without a stand, which was potentially ruinous for my neck (using my head as a jack) - I blame the heavy-ass B36 cats. I can't wait to throw our upcoming Angry Ass exhaust on this!



    I ended the night early after unbolting the guibo and tying the DS up and out of my way. The guibo had tears, but the CSB was solid, so the new CSB part went back in the bin for later.



    The next day, I had both a CaneDVM for assistance and a sturdy stand to help us balance the heavy stuff on R & R.





    Things were going smoothly - too smoothly, as they say - including one eTorx transmission bolt being partially stripped but still magically coming undone for me. Then what I thought was the last tight trans bolt proved to be a stick in the mud, however momentarily; the head was already a bit stripped from whichever gorilla had already split the powertrain previously, and the breaker bar slipped on me. I snapped "just the tip" clean off, which surprised me to say the least!

    Faced with very little of the bolt head left, I decided pretty much immediately that I would be Dremel-ing the head off, since the bolt was one of the lower ones and both accessible with the Dremel, and not at risk of damaging the bell housing. There really wasn't enough bolt head left to hammer a socket onto it, either.

    After about 20min and a very hot Dremel, the little guy unthreaded with zero effort. While it doesn't apply to every situation, the number of times a Dremel has saved my bacon in cases of stripped or seized hardware is nearing double digits.



    We shimmied the transmission gently for 30min of cussing. But once CaneDVM figured out there was an 11th, topside and invisible trans bolt (duh, we even had a Bentley) to remove, the thing slid right out beautifully. The tar pit in the bottom was evident before we pulled the trans out, and of course I figured - RMS.



    But actually, the RMS was in great shape - that part went back on the shelf for later. The culprit is actually most likely the oil pan, which has clearly been off and resealed with gobs of RTV. Gross! I wonder if this means my bearings were done, or just inspected. A job for another year.

    Sure enough, the tell-tale sign of a separated DMF was present: https://youtu.be/kqNRJeuMvC4

    The clutch itself, as expected, had decent life left, but oh well. I had always wanted to install a JBR LWFW in my B36, so I went with one here combined with an OE Sachs clutch. JBR has great instructions and all new hardware, and was very satisfying to install.

    Don't judge my paint-penning, I was beat and using a crappy tire touch up marker!



    Turns out the Sachs clutch did not come with a new throw out bearing or a clutch alignment tool. I had foreseen both issues; I cleaned out the bell housing, cursed myself for forgetting the clutch pivot pin (though my plastic pin looked great at 112k miles), and slipped on the TOB I had bought separately just in case.

    Painfully, and CaneDVM had warned me of this, there don't seem to be any easy options for a clutch alignment tool for the G280. After some research, I had bought one that I thought might work for most BMWs (made from plastic). The splines fit nicely, but the input shaft was thicker than the dainty 12mm 280 input shaft.

    CaneDVM saved the day there, turning down the alignment tool input shaft using first a drill, and then a Dremel. Then, hey presto - a perfectly-fitting tool! It seems like some kits (maybe OEM BMW, but Sachs is the OE supplier, so why would they not include one...?) may include the right tool, but Angry Ass is considering making one to rent out for these cars. Likely of metal.

    From there, it was time to lube up the splines and slide the trans back on. Everything bolted back up (including a fresh OEM guibo and hardware), and only the exhaust put up a fight at the end. I need a lighter exhaust!

    I couldn't really throttle the car on the drive home, no matter how tempting it was, because the clutch and flywheel need about 400 miles of gentle relationship-building time; which means my 200 mile drive home, and my upcoming 200 mile drive back to Fort Worth for my next track weekend will break those parts in just in time for a track day beating.

    But the massive flywheel weight reduction was impressively obvious, as was the immediate clutch take-up, right off the floor. I probably cut 30+ min off the return leg of the round trip, lol. I can't wait to take this thing on track! Unfortunately, the day I spent on this job was about all I had to devote to maintenance, so my suspension is unchanged from last track day. No matter, I'll keep gathering parts and do a big blow-out job over the "winter" (we don't really have that here).

    Parting shots at the same taco spot as last time - love this place.



    Last edited by BleedsBlue; 11-17-2020 at 10:29 PM.
    - Brent
    www.angry-ass.com

    Quote Originally Posted by danespann View Post
    Every E34 needs the same things in the end.

  25. #50
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    Sweet work. Thanks for posting.

    Took me back a few months to the clutch and flywheel job on my 540. Glad you were able to dremel that offending bolt out. Can’t tell you how much adrenaline I’ve been juiced with in similar situations.

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