Das Race: My '97 M3/4/5 - Printable Version

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Das Race: My '97 M3/4/5 - Printable Version

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Re: Das Pace: My '97 M3/4/5 - Jake - 07-20-2015

VIR "Unkefer Dash" - July 2015

This was not the hottest VIR weekend I've experienced, as nobody's shoes melted, but it was damn close. Ambient temps were in the mid to high 90s, and I think we peaked yesterday at 103* or something. Absolutely brutal. Still had a ton of fun in between chugging water bottles and wiping my brow every 30 seconds.

I hadn't really run R-compound tires before... I had thrown a set on my Miata a while back but never focused on improving my driving beyond "ooh more grip!" so the weekend was full of new things for me. Front brakes were also better (now I'm on PFC .08's all around, was on .06's up front before).

My biggest takeaway from the new tires (I'm running a set of Toyo RR's - 235/40/17) was that if they start to slide a bit, the best idea is to just stay on the throttle and trust that there's a bit more grip. That lesson, plus some instruction from a few friends over the weekend, got me down to a 2:21 which is a new personal best. I know there is a lot of time left in the car and in myself - I think with a few more sessions I could have eked out a sub-2:20. Probably a 2:18 or something.

I was able to really add some speed at T3 - though there is more to be gained there - and through the Uphill Esses. My friend Chris rode with me and goes "okay, throw it in 5th at the bridge and pin the throttle, just steer all the way up and jump the fuck out of those curbs" and it worked. I'm still over-slowing for South Bend. I think I can carry another 5-10 mph there with no issues but I'm still on my "street tire" mindset there. Next time.

The car got hot enough on Sunday that things got wonky with electronics. I blew the fuse for the brake lights, which somehow resulted in my fuel and coolant gauges failing, as well as the brake lights themselves. A new fuse fixed the gauges, but my brake lights are still out. The OBC is telling me "Brake Light Circuit" which typically indicates the brake switch under the pedal is bad. It's been throwing that error off and on for a while and I think I have another switch. If not, they're cheap and sort of easy to install.

Next up is Chump Car in a '96 328i in August, and then NASA "Don't Call Them Nationals" East Coast Championships at VIR over Labor Day weekend. Pretty pumped.

Everyone and everything needed some cooling off:

[Image: mShMj4D.jpg]

Re: Das Pace: My '97 M3/4/5 - Kaan - 07-20-2015

:thumbsup:

Re: Das Pace: My '97 M3/4/5 - Jake - 08-17-2015

Got my brake lights working!

Replaced the brake light switch and still had the issue of immediately blowing the #46 fuse (brake lights, fuel and coolant gauges) when I hit the pedal. I tore off the trunk wiring insulation and inspected those wires for fraying... nothing. I removed the taillight assemblies and cleaned all of the connections for the bulbs... nothing.

Then I'm poking around the trunk and notice the wires hanging down for the third brake light. I've often left it installed, where it promptly falls out of the mount and swings wildly around the trunk while on track. I guess that finally did the wiring in. It was shorting out against the metal parcel shelf.

[Image: NYL9v47.jpg]

So, I removed the light, taped up the wires, and will not be reinstalling the light Tongue

To-do's before Championships... oil change and maybe a slave cylinder. The clutch engages right off the floorboard and I think the slave is not holding enough pressure. Hmm.

Re: Das Pace: My '97 M3/4/5 - Jake - 09-01-2015

Pre-Championships Prep

So as of last night, I've owned this M3 for two years. Seriously can't believe it's been that long. Both I and the car have come a long way. We're off to VIR on Thursday for the Eastern States Championships (after countless corrections from Felton, I think I finally have the event name straight). Got some work done over the weekend and last night so the ol' girl would be ready to run.

Oil & filter change
Replaced slave cylinder
Bimmerworld stainless clutch line
Bled brakes & clutch with Motul RBF600
Replaced clutch pedal with new OEM part

All of the clutch hydraulics were in an attempt to bring the clutch engagement point from "the top of the carpet fibers" to somewhere near where BMW intended it. It engaged and disengaged fully but I suspected something was up as it shouldn't be that low.

The old slave and line were not leaking fluid at all but they were my first line of defense. At least now I know I have new parts that, in theory, should take longer to fail.

So, went to the BMW dealer (because #LastMinute) yesterday and picked up a new clutch pedal. They are made of plastic and the theory is that the top-most hole that the pedal "rod" slides through will oval out and thus, it won't sit straight. If it's not sitting straight, it can't push the master cylinder "pin" far enough down and your engagement point changes as a result.

Replacement is a crappy job the first time you do it but takes ~10 minutes the second time. Removing the knee "crash pad" under the steering wheel helps significantly with access, and it's 3 quick 10mm bolts to pull it.

I haven't actually driven the car since the job, because the 'vert was in the way and I was getting hangry. But, sitting in the garage reveals that all of the obvious slop I had before has been eliminated. Gonna do a few laps of the 'hood tonight if I have time.

Re: Das Pace: My '97 M3/4/5 - Kaan - 09-01-2015

Jake Wrote:Pre-Championships Prep

So as of last night, I've owned this M3 for two years. Seriously can't believe it's been that long.

is your revolving garage door broken?

Re: Das Pace: My '97 M3/4/5 - Jake - 09-01-2015

Kaan Wrote:
Jake Wrote:Pre-Championships Prep

So as of last night, I've owned this M3 for two years. Seriously can't believe it's been that long.

is your revolving garage door broken?

We'll see what happens with Convertiblau.

Re: Das Pace: My '97 M3/4/5 - Senor_Taylor - 09-01-2015

In my mind, you've always owned it, since the first time I met you, you had it.

Re: Das Pace: My '97 M3/4/5 - Jake - 09-01-2015

Senor_Taylor Wrote:In my mind, you've always owned it, since the first time I met you, you had it.

You never knew me with a Miata then. Weird.

I sold the Miata about two weeks before buying the M3. And that's the car I've owned the longest (6ish years, I think?)

Re: Das Pace: My '97 M3/4/5 - ScottyB - 09-01-2015

Jake Wrote:Replacement is a crappy job the first time you do it

my second most hated interior job aside from headliner replacement is anything in the pedal box. unless you're double jointed. hope the new pedal kills that slop, i know that would annoy me to no end.

Re: Das Pace: My '97 M3/4/5 - *insertusernamehere* - 09-01-2015

Jake Wrote:Pre-Championships Prep

So as of last night, I've owned this M3 for two years. Seriously can't believe it's been that long. Both I and the car have come a long way. We're off to VIR on Thursday for the Eastern States Championships (after countless corrections from Felton, I think I finally have the event name straight). Got some work done over the weekend and last night so the ol' girl would be ready to run.

Oil & filter change

Replaced slave cylinder

Bimmerworld stainless clutch line

Bled brakes & clutch with Motul RBF600

Replaced clutch pedal with new OEM part

All of the clutch hydraulics were in an attempt to bring the clutch engagement point from "the top of the carpet fibers" to somewhere near where BMW intended it. It engaged and disengaged fully but I suspected something was up as it shouldn't be that low.
.

Your pedal felt fine the one time I drove it. Engagement point didn't seem odd at all.

Re: Das Pace: My '97 M3/4/5 - *insertusernamehere* - 09-01-2015

Jake Wrote:
Senor_Taylor Wrote:In my mind, you've always owned it, since the first time I met you, you had it.

You never knew me with a Miata then. Weird.

I sold the Miata about two weeks before buying the M3. And that's the car I've owned the longest (6ish years, I think?)

Negative(?). You didn't have the miata when I met you either. You had the ST.

Re: Das Pace: My '97 M3/4/5 - Jake - 09-01-2015

*insertusernamehere* Wrote:Negative(?). You didn't have the miata when I met you either. You had the ST.

I had the ST + Miata combo for a little while, but the Miata didn't run much/at all. It was down for nearly a year when the first motor popped.

As far as the clutch engagement, it may have become worse lately, I dunno.

Re: Das Pace: My '97 M3/4/5 - D_Eclipse9916 - 09-01-2015

Jake Wrote:
*insertusernamehere* Wrote:Negative(?). You didn't have the miata when I met you either. You had the ST.

I had the ST + Miata combo for a little while, but the Miata didn't run much/at all. It was down for nearly a year when the first motor popped.

As far as the clutch engagement, it may have become worse lately, I dunno.

The clutch pedal was farked, as well as engagement the one time I pulled it out of the garage to get my ladder :lol: . You will need a new clutch soon. Sorry bud :|

Re: Das Pace: My '97 M3/4/5 - Jake - 09-01-2015

D_Eclipse9916 Wrote:The clutch pedal was farked, as well as engagement the one time I pulled it out of the garage to get my ladder :lol: . You will need a new clutch soon. Sorry bud :|

I'm not so sure how soon it'll need doing. I looked at everything before I pulled the pedal apart last night, and I think I had reassembled it partially wrong, which led to extra side-to-side slop and the engagement point being all FUBAR.

It engages fully and doesn't slip at high RPM so until it does... :dunno:

No clue if it has been replaced once before or not. The car has ~153k on the odometer. Past owner bought it at 106k and no mention of clutch work in the records so maybe it's original.

Re: Das Pace: My '97 M3/4/5 - SlimKlim - 09-01-2015

Great, I reassembled my pedal box relying almost completely on your instructions. :p

Re: Das Pace: My '97 M3/4/5 - Jake - 09-09-2015

NASA Eastern States Championships at VIR

Don't call it "Nationals" bro. :lol: So, this was my first championship event and I eventually had a blast after a few hiccups.

Start off with getting new tires on the Denali. Shop puts them on over the weekend prior, great. I specifically asked them to re-seal the one inner barrel and check the others for corrosion, because chrome wheels like to corrode and leak air. They said they did that, and really, they didn't re-seal the one. So, I get in to pick up my trailer (after driving Convertiblau to work for three days) and one tire is down by almost 10 psi. Fack. I figured it was the same slow leak I experienced when I first bought the truck, so I filled it up and watched the in-dash TPMS like a hawk. It was fine, just had to air back up to drive home.

Got to VIR on Thursday around 4:30 - easy drive, no traffic. I thought my clutch master cylinder (or clutch itself) was failing and was kind of bumming as a result. My parents were coming down on Saturday morning and offered to stop and pick up parts if I needed them. I eventually decided to just run the damn thing and see how long it held out.

Thursday night was kicked off by an all-staff meeting and then an all-hands meeting, the latter of which went on just short of forever.

[Image: 11942291_10204744087833056_3542564417801588944_o.jpg]

[Image: 11942291_10204744087833056_3542564417801588944_o.jpg]

Friday came around and I was only going to be driving pace car. We (very last minute) were provided with some Mazdas, thanks to Mazda USA who is a NASA sponsor. So, my friend Chris and I paced in a 2016 Mazda6 and Mazda3. Yay.

[Image: uIVU6uD.jpg]

The day was pretty uneventful and wrapped up around 5:30-6. I drove the M3 around the paddock a bit and while the clutch engagement "feel" still sucked, it bit hard and drove fine so #fuckit I'm driving it as hard as I want.

Wake up Saturday, get down to my paddock space early and start prepping the car. GoPro installed, transponder mounted, windows cleaned off, fueled up, tire pressures set, let's do this. Go out for my first TT session, which is "warm-up/practice" and thus not officially timed. We all come in and the whole TT group gets sent to the scales.

[Image: z0pqY74.jpg]

I knew I needed a spare wheel/tire in the trunk to make weight, but what I forgot was that I had removed most of the sound system when I got the convertible, to transfer it over. So I roll across the scales (having only burned ~3-4 gallons of gas) and I'm already 5 lbs under weight. DQ'd for first session and need to add weight if I want anything to count. Fuck. What now?

My parents are there at this point and (this is where they earn best-parents-ever award) start helping me ask around for ballast bricks, dumbbell weights, whatever we could strap into the car to add another 20 lbs or so and offset the fuel consumption. Mom goes into the TMI Racing store and the guys in there had no idea what "ballast" was, great. Eventually, after swinging by the Spec3 paddock, we settle on throwing a second wheel/tire in the trunk and ratchet-strapping it down. Not the "ideal" solution but it worked and everything stayed secure all weekend.

Oh, immediately after this scales stuff, I had to go pace a Spec Miata qualifying race. It started raining HARD on the front half of the track. I'm sitting in the pace car and hear Turn 1 call in to control. "Control this is Turn 1, I've got a Miata off in the gras... wait, 2, no, 3, no, 4 5, 6, 7..." He lost count at 12. When he got to "3" I slapped the Mazda into Drive and knew "Roll Pace" was coming... I stood on the gas as soon as I heard the "R" sound come out of the radio. Blast out of the pits as fast as a 185 hp, 3,600 lb car can do it and suddenly two Miatas appear on my left! They had spun off before the braking zone and managed to get back on the asphalt right as I left pit road. A bit hairy but they fell in line behind me and we were okay. Only 2 of the Miatas that went off ended up with bad damage to where they had to be towed in.

[Image: zU4o7b2.jpg]

Not taken during the Great Monsoon Race of 2015

The rest of Saturday went on with no huge hiccups. Car ran fine, I was running all over due to working and driving, and the best lap I laid down was like a 2:20. Better than my 2:21 in the Chump Car, better than my 2:23 in the M3 last time I was at VIR, but still not where I wanted to be (high teens). Went out in a rain session on Saturday evening and it was way too wet to even have fun. And I had cracked a brake rotor - this is why you bring multiple spares. The day ended and after changing the rotor, I wandered over to the Spec3 paddock for dinner and some slightly boozy discussion of braking zones with Jim and Simon.

[Image: VVvncWr.jpg]

Got some great tips from the both of them (including Simon half-slurring "lookman just brake after the 1 everywhere and if you don't make it, justdrivethefuckoff it's fiiiiiine" Tongue

) and applied them Sunday morning.

Sunday came around and our first session was early - 8:55 or so. I got gridded behind a CR-X and a Mini Cooper. Promptly passed the Mini on our first green lap, but every time I tried to get by the Honda, he shut me out. This went on for two laps and at multiple turns where I already had my car most of the way past him - he just turned in. Finally, he shuts me out at Oak Tree, I'm frustrated, and punch the horn button in the steering wheel... which is still connected. He realizes what he's been doing, falls back and lets me get a run... FINALLY.

Now I'm driving in slight anger, trying to remember what I was told the night before, and turning what seem to be some resonably fast laps. I come in and check the race monitor... 2:18.04!! I was ecstatic. Still not "competitive" to run with the front-runners of TTD (they're running 2:11/2:12's) but it's about 4 seconds a lap faster than what I've run in the M3 before, and I felt pretty comfortable driving that fast, which means I should be able to keep chunking time off in future weekends.

The rest of Sunday didn't go any better but I was pleased with the time I got. Ended up 4th in class for the weekend!

Still need to figure out this clutch nonsense. Never had an issue other than "it feels weird" so I'm going to poke around a bit more. Might end up doing a clutch this winter just as a matter of course, dunno yet.

[Image: nayBDnb.jpg]

Oh yeah, you guys like videos, right?

[youtube]fJwrgY033cs[/youtube]

Re: Das Pace: My '97 M3/4/5 - Jeff - 09-09-2015

Sounds like a blast!!

Re: Das Pace: My '97 M3/4/5 - ScottyB - 09-09-2015

love it dude!

Re: Das Pace: My '97 M3/4/5 - Senor_Taylor - 09-10-2015

I can't believe that many otters went off all of once. I saw pictures of the rain but I had no clue it was that bad. Good writeup!

Sent from my SM-G900R4 using Tapatalk

Re: Das Pace: My '97 M3/4/5 - Jake - 09-30-2015

153,000 miles (I think?) -- Fun with Oil Pans

My garage looks like an M3 threw up in it, mostly because it did.

[Image: JbhshQn.jpg]

I finally decided to tackle the oil pan job. It had been leaking since I bought the car two years ago, and I had been ignoring it and letting it stain the garage floor everywhere I lived. Sorry to my multiple landlords about that.

The motivation behind this was also that the M50-based motors are notorious for having the oil pump nut back off, allowing the sprocket that drives the pump to fall off its shaft and then boom no oil pressure and hope you're ready to buy a new motor. It is reverse threaded, so the real threat comes from spinning the car and not getting the clutch pushed in (i.e. high-ish RPM with the motor turning the wrong way). I've had a few spins on track and, you know, the car is old. Time to do it.

Everyone I talked to said the "DIY" procedure is far easier than the official BMW procedure. Basically, after disconnecting the steering column from the rack, and unbolting the power steering pump and reservoir from the block, the entire subframe can be unbolted and allowed to "hang" by the control arms and tie rods.

This is how that looks - I had unbolted the wrong steering bolt here so the column was still attached, hence the gangsta-lean:

[Image: KlNXbM8.jpg]

After undoing 20ish 10mm bolts all around the oil pan, including two that are up inside the bellhousing of the transmission (and losing a 10mm socket in the bellhousing, having a heart attack, and then finding it later), and 3x Torx bolts for the transmission, the pan just drops down. I had to use my foot to hold it up near the nose of the car while I un-did the final few bolts toward the rear. Yoga is hard.

[Image: 3fI58RE.jpg]

No wonder it was leaking, all of the rubber on the old gasket had turned entirely to plastic and came off in brittle chunks. It was tough using a (dull) razor blade, laying on my back, chipping at this stuff and making sure it didn't get into the internals at all. Great success.

I checked the oil pump nut and thankfully, it was tight. I did remove it and install Bimmerworld's pump nut which comes drilled for safety wire. With the fine motor skills of an angry gorilla, I safety-wired the nut to the oil pump sprocket so I shouldn't have future concerns of the nut coming off.

Also took this opportunity to further render myself broke and bought a baffled oil pan from RRT. They just buy the VAC baffle and weld it in, but I haz no welding skills or equipment and was happy to pay them the $100 premium to buy a pan pre-baffled. Should be good future insurance for the motor.

[Image: zAgY1uW.jpg]

I didn't do rod bearings because I'm a terrible, no-good human being. Also, doing those costs another $150-200 that I really can't spend right now, and would take more time that I also don't have before VIR. Yes, I was 80% of the way there, but when we stripped down DJ's 165k S52 and did his, they were all in good shape, and his motor had more overall miles and track miles than mine does.

I still need to reinstall the subframe, but the hard part is done.