+- Madison Motorsports (https://forum.mmsports.org)
+-- Forum: Technical (https://forum.mmsports.org/forumdisplay.php?fid=4)
+--- Forum: Member's Projects (https://forum.mmsports.org/forumdisplay.php?fid=12)
+--- Thread: Das Race: My '97 M3/4/5 (/showthread.php?tid=10430)
Re: Das Pace: My '97 M3/4/5 - Sully - 12-08-2014
Yea, free to a good home.
Re: Das Pace: My '97 M3/4/5 - Jake - 02-09-2015
I had previously removed the intake manifold to install a water temp gauge - the sender goes into a port on the head - and upon reinstallation, missed a vacuum line or three. My excuse is that it was 17* outside and working on cars is hard when you can't feel your hands.
So, I removed the intake manifold again yesterday after deciding that a car that cold idles at 2,900 rpm and dies after ten seconds is probably not much good as a track car. Manifold removal is really simple, actually, except there's no good place to let the fuel rail sit. I usually rest it gently against the valve cover and work around it.
Well, yesterday, I didn't really remember the "gentle" part, and it kinda smacked against the valve cover. *ka-pow!* and three pintle caps exploded. Dammit.
Pulled the injectors and they are off to Xavier at Injector Pulse to be tested, cleaned and rebuilt. Yay, friends' discount.
Once I get those back, the list is...
- Reinstall injectors
- Reinstall manifold and don't miss that one big vacuum line this time, you idjit
- Bleed power steering
- Bleed brakes
- Mount temp gauge to dash (it's there, just not bolted to anything)
- Deliver to RRT for wheel bearing(s)
Re: Das Pace: My '97 M3/4/5 - Jake - 02-14-2015
Injectors are back!
![[Image: LRxxnBA.jpg]](http://i.imgur.com/LRxxnBA.jpg)
Got the fuel rail and intake manifold back on, so everything under-hood is now buttoned up. I'm 99.5% sure I didn't miss any vacuum lines or anything. Pretty sure I left off a line that goes to the CCV when I last installed things - this is a fairly big line (inner diameter about pinky-finger-ish) so hopefully that was the source of my idle problem.
Started mounting the water temp gauge but the adhesive strips they included were complete junk. There are screw holes, so I may ghetto-rig it with some self-tapping screws. Plus, I have a feeling the screws will hold that gauge down better if I happen to get in any sort of crash. I'd rather not have it go flying around the cabin.
Re: Das Pace: My '97 M3/4/5 - Senor_Taylor - 02-14-2015
Now you'll just have a gauge AND screws flying around!
Re: Das Pace: My '97 M3/4/5 - Jake - 02-15-2015
Senor_Taylor Wrote:Now you'll just have a gauge AND screws flying around!
Surprise piercings!!
Re: Das Pace: My '97 M3/4/5 - Jake - 03-03-2015
2015 Time Trial license has been paid for and is in the mail. TT classing form is filled out and annual inspection form is printed and ready to be filled out track-side at VIR.
Wheel bearing is done thanks to Coho in Manassas. Good guys, they are.
To-do's now:
- Mount water temp gauge
- Mount driver's side harnesses (previously removed because #reasons)
- Re-tighten coolant hose clamps at bottom of expansion tank
- Fill tank with coolant
- Check oil level
- Wash car and apply Injector Pulse vinyls
- Go baby go.
Re: Das Pace: My '97 M3/4/5 - Jake - 03-08-2015
Got a bit of work done yesterday in the "balmy" 40* afternoon... reinstalled the driver's side harnesses, tightened coolant hoses, re-filled coolant expansion tank, checked oil, and bled the brakes.
I can't remember when the brakes were last bled, I think it may have been about halfway through the last season. Regardless, this is what came out after 20 minutes of power bleeding:
![[Image: 8Xxr1uP.jpg]](http://i.imgur.com/8Xxr1uP.jpg)
Ick. So, hopefully pedal feel and braking abilities will be more betterer.
I gotta wait until we get some consistently warmer weather to complete my list of "mount gauge" and "wash car." The hose is currently frozen solid and my 3M double-sided tape won't stick below 50*.
Re: Das Pace: My '97 M3/4/5 - Jake - 03-09-2015
Jake Wrote:I gotta wait until we get some consistently warmer weather to complete my list of "mount gauge" and "wash car." The hose is currently frozen solid and my 3M double-sided tape won't stick below 50*.
Sunday's afternoon weather turned out to be really nice, so I finished my checklist.
The 3M tape still wouldn't stick to the dash, even after lots of cleaning and cursing. So, I said "fuckit" and grabbed two bolts with pointy ends from my toolbox, bolts that probably held part of the 128i's under-tray on or something, and ran 'em into the dashboard. The gauge stays put now. :mrgreen:
Bled the cooling system, gave it a bath, and promptly got it the same amount of dirty again in a 20-mile test drive. Oops. Gotta wash it again before VIR.
It drives really well, the wheel bearing was definitely my source of awkward noises, and it popped a CEL for P1525 but runs fine. The internets claim P1525 on the E36 is related to the VANOS solenoid, either starting to go bad, or the plug not having a 100% connection. Given I've pulled the intake manifold at least three times over the winter, I'm putting my bets on a bad connection at the plug. Going to check that tonight. I cleared the code and will take it for a spin again after checking wires to see if it comes back. It certainly drove like it had VANOS working yesterday. Maybe it was just a fluke after sitting for so long. :dunno:
Re: Das Pace: My '97 M3/4/5 - Kaan - 03-09-2015
:thumbup:
I feel like I need a garage elf
Re: Das Pace: My '97 M3/4/5 - rherold9 - 03-09-2015
Jake Wrote:It certainly drove like it had VANOS working yesterday. Maybe it was just a fluke after sitting for so long. :dunno:
![[Image: vanos.jpg]](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-f_mAooJFs-8/U3vPC_w47GI/AAAAAAAAEOo/_6SYcsr_iYo/w640-h400-p-k/vanos.jpg)
Re: Das Pace: My '97 M3/4/5 - *insertusernamehere* - 03-09-2015
Jake Wrote:It certainly drove like it had VANOS working yesterday. Maybe it was just a fluke after sitting for so long. :dunno:Italian tune up, yo!
Re: Das Pace: My '97 M3/4/5 - Jake - 03-23-2015
Post-VIR Update: 152k miles
Back from VIR, and both DJ and I managed to join Joey on Team Milkshake:
![[Image: FI28SVN.png]](http://i.imgur.com/FI28SVN.png)
I went out Saturday morning for a 30-minute practice session and the car ran great. My newly-installed temp gauge was showing 190*F (ish) the entire time. Pulled in, opened the hood to help things cool down and noticed some coolant sprayed across the valve cover and on the pass. side shock tower. My expansion tank bleed screw was pretty old, so I put out a call on the PA system to see if someone had a spare and my buddy Marc did. We put that on and bled the system again. Got a lot of air out - even after I had bled it earlier in the week. Odd.
Went back out for my first timed TT session, only 15 minutes long this time. Again, the car ran great and temp stayed right around the 190 mark. Pulled in to the paddock and got out while I let it idle (circulating the coolant helps cool things quicker, says other track friends). I'm chatting with a friend next to the car and I start hearing this BEEPBEEP BEEPBEEP BEEPBEEP. Oh **** that's my water temp gauge alarm. I poke my head inside the cabin and it's reading 235*. I cut the car off and we looked at things some more while it cooled. Coolant had again sprayed all over half of the engine bay. The expansion tank cap has a vent in it, to let coolant spray out if the tank overflows, and it appears the head gasket has failed in a fashion to allow coolant into a cylinder (it's smoking out the exhaust BAD at idle) and exhaust gases are forcing air back into the system and letting it overflow in the tank.
![[Image: eGCQ9wQ.jpg]](http://i.imgur.com/eGCQ9wQ.jpg)
So, the car was parked for the rest of the weekend. One of my NASA-official-friends was kind enough to let me take his Spec E46 out on Sunday for about 45 minutes of hot laps, which was a blast. His car is only half-built so far, so it's on stock 180k-mile shocks and the OEM-spec open diff. Very fun already though. Hopefully he'll let me take it back out once it's completed!
![[Image: MIp0k8F.jpg]](http://i.imgur.com/MIp0k8F.jpg)
Ordered the new head gasket and head bolts this morning, and the M3 comes apart tomorrow night. Gotta have it fixed for Summit Point on April 17-18.
Was really great having some MM students out this weekend, too! Big thanks to Zach, Paul and James for coming out and helping with grid, as well as Sean from the aluMMni front. Cande & co really appreciated the help, especially given our experimental grid location and processes (which will not be happening for Nationals now, it was a clusterfuck). Everyone got some rides, and Zach's friend Kate was kind enough to let me use her Accord as a pace car once I blew mine up. In theory, it'll do 85 up the climbing esses with your foot in the carpet.
![[Image: mygfeEh.jpg]](http://i.imgur.com/mygfeEh.jpg)
Had some fun at the tavern on Saturday night, I believe this toast was "to milkshakes!"
![[Image: 4mIoftd.jpg]](http://i.imgur.com/4mIoftd.jpg)
Regardless of the crappy aspects of the weekend, I definitely still managed to have a really good time overall. VIR is one of my favorite places to be, and the NASA family is a large reason why I say that. Everyone was willing to help everyone and ensure we could at least try to get back out on track, which is huge.
Onward and upward!
Re: Das Pace: My '97 M3/4/5 - SlimKlim - 03-23-2015
When I got that text message i was staring at this.
http://i.imgur.com/3ibWDKi.jpg
I'm not sure I've ever felt so sympathetic in my life.
Re: Das Pace: My '97 M3/4/5 - ScottyB - 03-24-2015
ah man bummer! whats up with these BMW's trying to steal subaru's party piece? is this an age thing or just from abuse/coolant bleed methods?
bet that denali never felt nicer on the way home.
Re: Das Pace: My '97 M3/4/5 - Jake - 03-24-2015
ScottyB Wrote:ah man bummer! whats up with these BMW's trying to steal subaru's party piece? is this an age thing or just from abuse/coolant bleed methods?
bet that denali never felt nicer on the way home.
I dunno, maybe mine heard me talk with Justin about his Forester and got jealous? :dunno:
I'm guessing a combination of age and abuse. The car does have what, 3k track miles on it by now, and who knows how the previous owners treated it - particularly the college kid who had it for five years prior to my ownership. I think I recall it randomly puffing some white smoke at the last few events, just here and there. So, it might have been on its way out and I finally managed to kill it?
The water pump, radiator and thermostat are all roughly six months old. I never let it overheat per the stock temp gauge when I noticed the WP leaking - that said, the stock gauge is heavily damped, so it could have gone a bit warm and I didn't know it, way back. I think the gauge is damped to 220* or something. My aftermarket gauge was reading 235-240 and that matched the "3/4 mark" on the stock gauge when I cut the car off.
The past year-and-change of the car's life have seen some highway miles and then a lot of "nothing -- 7k rpm for 15 to 25 minutes -- nothing" driving. So, I think it's ultimately just time. :evileye:
Re: Das Pace: My '97 M3/4/5 - D_Eclipse9916 - 03-24-2015
ScottyB Wrote:ah man bummer! whats up with these BMW's trying to steal subaru's party piece? is this an age thing or just from abuse/coolant bleed methods?
bet that denali never felt nicer on the way home.
The 330i has 140k miles and mine is a previously owned race car that was raced the past 4 years. It was time.
Joey's is ~200k miles
Jake's is tracked, has lots of miles, and iindicated by the blown shock towers and lots of rust/bad maintenance on the car, wasn't really babied by the previous owners.
Doesn't seem so bad to me :dunno:
Re: Das Pace: My '97 M3/4/5 - SlimKlim - 03-24-2015
And for what it's worth, when my HG went somewhere between 180-185k, it was explicitly an owner-to-vehicle abuse situation. Neighbor had come over to talk shop while I was bleeding the cooling system, I was talking to him and not paying attention and I let it warm up with a big air bubble at the back of the head. It started to leak immediately after that.
I should probably brush up on my coolant bleeding skills before I put this back together and fuck it up again...
Re: Das Pace: My '97 M3/4/5 - Beej - 03-24-2015
Well y'all got me crossing my fingers over here (and probably ordering an entirely new cooling system).
So...bummed for y'all, and good luck! May all your motors look as clean as the top of Joey's short block.
Re: Das Pace: My '97 M3/4/5 - Jake - 03-24-2015
Beej Wrote:May all your motors look as clean as the top of Joey's short block.
![[Image: TIFHP.gif]](http://i.imgur.com/TIFHP.gif)
I'm cleaning the surface where the block meets the head, none of this "cleaned piston tops" nonsense. Ain't nobody got time for that. :wink:
Re: Das Pace: My '97 M3/4/5 - SlimKlim - 03-24-2015
Don't hate me cuz I'm beautiful.
But nah the pistons really didn't take all that much time on top of the block surface. I was there, I had the tools. :dunno:
(I do think I missed a little speck on #3 or 4 though, gotta make sure I pick it off before the head goes back on 8) :bootyshake: )