jom

Some like hitting the limiter on a regular basis, some never have, some never will.

With an auto I don't get a choice with the rev limiter. It changes gear when the electronics tell it to.

And - the reason I stick with an auto (and a 328 for that matter) is the 1 hour crawl into Wellington. Otherwise it would be an M3. Different strokes....

Needs a benchmark graph before mods. Otherwise it's pretty meaningless.

keep up andy. one of the 7 pages mentions he has the us cams.

I really enjoy m50 manifold discussions on this forum

+1, cool story, bro...

+1. I got charged NZD48 on a USD229 puchase. If the money went to NZ customs I'd be happier. Would like to know where it ends up.

Ron, I think I've explained several time why the auto is different. You obviously only read what you want to read. The proof is in the lap time - you can't have read that either. And I didn't sidestep, I just gave up. I have better things to do, like polishing wheelnuts.

Jo, No I my maths doesn't end at the flywheel.

If you look a bit further back you will see commentary on the effect of the auto box and the changing of diff ratios

As you are not changing either the diff or the gearbox then these are Constants, then as in any maths you can effectively take them out of the equation and focus on the variables.

The Auto gear box doesn't create po hot air ballons. when you have driven and tuned an auto I'll listen. Until then, I'll keep taking the pills and back away from the wall and wer , it just transfers it, albeit less efficiently than a manual ,

if your gearbox possesses magical powers that defy physics and maths perhaps you would like to share ?? but given it's a JATCO this would seem unlikely?

I will say this only once:

You are comparing apples with hovercraft. When you have concise data on a 328 with an auto box I'll listen. Until then, I will back away from the wall and stop nodding my head. Enough entertainment everybody, nothing to see here, move along now.

Your maths and physics stops at the flywheel, you need to consider the whole package. I drive a car, not an engine

Ron, you are only comparing engine and exhaust differences. It's matching that to the drivetrain that makes the difference in the auto. You have to consider the entire package.

Joe, faulty logic/ maths and Physics:

yes the auto changes at 6200RPM but that makes no difference to how much torque/ power is available at the flywheel at a given engine speed.

Not only that but when I am driving is sports mode I change at 6200 -6,400 RPM because this drops me right on the power curve in the next , and, Finally:

The manual loses only 20% through the transmission whereas an auto will lose 25% for a very good one or 30% for an average one and you will loose more under hard acceleration due to torque converter slip.

That means the manual gets at worst 6% more to the wheels and potentially more than 14% more assuming the same engine power - add the M50 manifold and rob yourself of another 10% of your torque/ power and you really do have a slug at all points except the redline - and who drives there??

So:

M52 set-up makes more torque, Manual loses less power in transmission and you can select / optimise you shift point

MoJoejoe, also faulty logic the M3 headers can only work with what you have - if you have tossed 10% away you are starting from a lower point. The only rush you will get in the mountains is the fuel needle heading for empty as you rev the crap out of your car to make even reasonable power - just do the maths 10% more power IS 10% more power

The whole point of my swap was faster lap times with an auto. Comparing an auto to a manual is a red herring. Driving at peak revs (on a track) in sports mode, the power stops increasing at about 5,700 and drops off fairly rapidly. I have to sit and wait for the gearbox to decide to change at 6200. Having the power up to those revs - and smooth power delivery through the gearchange - make it go quicker - by 1sec a lap. It's acceptable on the road too when overtaking, for the same reason. Otherwise I don't use max revs.

The Jatco box does have it's own issues, like changing up early under high g loadings, but that is another story.

Jo

I really didn't want to do this, but...

Ron knows everything about manuals. But not necessarily nasty Japanese autos....

If you look at a standard 328 power curve it dies at 5500rpm. The Jatco box in sport mode changes at 6200rpm. That's where you get the extra power with the M50 - at the top end. I agree it's probably not what you want in a manual, but with the auto it does make a positive difference. Your choice, less torque, more power up to gear change point.

Jo (Flat earth, and Eric the Red farming in Greenland Society)

On a slightly different topic.....

Ron, do you have before and after dyno curves for the M3 header on an M52?

I think I still have the bit of foam with two holes in it that replaced the flashlight if it wasn't specced...

Try Leyland 70's colours. "Blaze" and "Dirty Blaze" ? Really!

I believe that the supermarket has a lube that meets those requirements ;-)

And the lemon scented one makes the car smell nice.....

For assembling o rings where absolutely no contamination was allowed - water is the only way. it works pretty well if you can't find a non-destructive lubricant.

Have you tried the dealers? I got one about 5 years ago ex stock...

I wasn't aware there were available factory. I have spoken to TeamMcMillian and they ended up ordering the actual replacement piece rather than a reinforcement.

They are standard on the Z3

From memory, the OEM ones are about $150, which is a lot for a bit of stamped out steel plate.

Fuchs Titan 6000 works in mine.

Try Le Mans Auto Fabrics, 8 Martin Square Wellington 04 384 8616, email Kosta@lemans.co.nz

You can turn off ASC - a button in front of the gearlever.

The fuel gauge in the red one will probably be the drivers side sensor (there are two) which also has the fuel pump included. Costs about $250 new.

Most 96 cars have the door trim insert foam rotted by now (causes the sagging). Material is $50 for the inserts but it's a lot of work to rub down the old glue... and find a trimmer who can stretch the new material enough.

Headlinings likewise will go soon, again it's getting rid of the old glue that's the headache.

Otherwise drive them and see if you like them....

Steering wheel has been swapped, check it hasn't been crashed.

That's the US large airbag wheel that was fitted to Japan spec cars - mine has one too.

Looks OK to me - I'd prefer half leather seats though. Door cards go at this age. Retrimming is cheaper if you sand off all the old glue from the inserts yourself.

The coolant level sensors can last anything from 6 months to 6 years, and are not expensive.

Drive it, check the rest of the electronics, check oil consumption (should be zero for those Kms)

It's a manual. What's not to like?

I heard that the E36 body jig was out by 6mm, which drops the RHS. This is certainly borne out by the 3 or 4 I've measured. The floorpans are the same between E36 and E46 so this error could have carried through to the new jig. All irrelevant though, yours drops the other side....

The spring platform rubbers are available in different thicknesses - up to about 10mm difference - but this still doesnt account for the height variation.

Have you tried measuring vertically from the sill to the top of the wheelarch, to check if the body is the same both sides?

The battery change would wait a while... I was told that if you leave the car for a week or so, it can be slow to crank. Of course, this could just point to a 'leak' somewhere, but I suspect that a BMW-badged battery may be an old one.

I was wondering if someone may have simply taken the number from the odometer and used that when paying RUC. Naughty, if so, but among the paperwork are several RUC sheets. I'll check them; the car really does appear to have a few thousand kms to go before it needs doing again.

Transmission fluid and filter are things I'll also look at changing ASAP. There's no mention of it ever having been done, and the seller tells me a garage effectively dissuaded him from having it changed, citing "sealed for life" and "it's your risk", or similar. Sounds like a job they didn't want to do.

Yes, standard story for gearboxes and diffs is "sealed for life". The life is just shortened by not changing the oil. Case in point - the E36 Auto Japan import has a Jatco box. It's sealed for life if it's in a BMW, it's not if the same box is in a Nissan.