Picking up the baton: ‘94 E36 M3

[KwS 2429]

Wow, I didnt even know there was an issue with the subframe when I had it! Glad its being fixed properly, thats pretty ugly.

[Secniv 182]

On 10/23/2019 at 5:48 PM, M3AN said:

Yep, use E30 ball joints, they're the same and were a separate part number on the E30, not available separately for the E36.

Edit: and M3 stamp on the front subframe means yes, it's an original M3 part.

 

Couldn’t find the part number on realoem did track these numbers down

Outer W01331627524LEM bmw 31 12 1 126 253

Inner W01331626314LEM bmw 31 12 1 126 254

is this what you used? Did you get them overseas or local?

[M3AN 4016]

See here: http://e36diy.com/e36-m3-replacement-front-control-arm-ball-joint/

And click through to the Amazon links and read some of the comments.

More technical info here: http://www.m3forum.net/m3forum/showthread.php?t=591216

But essentially, yes, they're the part numbers. Always confirm independently (see those threads/comments) before buying. ?

Edit: in that DIY link he used a 12 ton press... some have had to use a 20 ton press.

Edited October 27, 2019 by M3AN

[Secniv 182]

Had the subframe repaired and reinforcement plates welded in.

Need to give it a good clean, prep and paint.

Ball joints eventually pressed out.. thankfully I have a 20t press. While they felt ok I’m sure after 200km+ they need replacing. Will source HD all steel ball joints.. from other forums lemforder seem to be the brand of choice.. any other thoughts?

[M3AN 4016]

Lemforder or Melie HD are fine, I'd use the former if they were available.

That subframe looks mint, a job well done.

 

[Secniv 182]

Some progress while I’m waiting on parts 

Bit of cleaning and painting

 

Used “Rust Kill” paint which was recommended and goes straight on after wire brushing and degreasing. Like the gloss, looks like powder coat.

Got the sump off and removed the oil pump. Certainly dark n dank in the bottom of the pan.

Plan is to replace big end rod bearings with ACL bearings & APR bolts.

A suggestion is to put a dual pick-up pump in or alternatively  I could put in a bimmerworld or similar baffle but the sump already is baffled (of sorts).

Definitely will replace oil pump nut and tack on. Will also check lower chain tensioner and replace as per sweetm3/ tip.
Anything else while I’m here?

 

[Secniv 182]

So I took the sump and oil pump into Speedfactor (Tauranga) big ups to Evan & Bradley for there input. Have decided to get the oil pump strengthened with hardened shaft, sprocket and bolt (rather than the small nut holding it on).

We took a look at adding the baffle kit but with the S50B30 it appears to be baffled already out of the factory? Even the flaps to control surge during long\hard cornering are there. Given I will not be racing the car (and could add an extra 1/2L of oil if I do take it to the track) it seems an over kill to add the aftermarket baffle kit.. yes.. no? 

  

We did find a small crack which I am having welded.

Received big end rod bearings and bolts. A bit nervous about putting these in but I guess if I follow the instructions and use a good torque wrench I should be ok.. right ?. According to Pelican https://www.pelicanparts.com/BMW/techarticles/101-Projects-24-Rod-Bearings/101-Projects-24-Rod-Bearings.htm this should be straightforward.  It does mention to measure the journals or should I plastigauge even if the old bearings don't look spun or too worn? I'm 99% sure engine hasn't been out and crank ground. I will be putting the ACL race bearings standard size which run greater clearance +.001 out of the box anyway..

[KwS 2429]

Knowing what I know about the previous history i'd also say 99% sure it's never been rebuilt. I would still plastigauge it just to be sure. Cheap insurance, rather than having to do it again later.

[Secniv 182]

So cleaned and welded sump and rebuilt oil pump are back

Pump has a nice big bolt on the end of the replacement hardened shaft holding the new sprocket. The inside of the pump was in good condition although the mechanic found a couple of pieces of what appeared to be from the chain tensioner in the oil pickup! 

Next step is to remove the oil deflector and start on the rod bolts. 

While I procrastinate about that job I tidied up the valve covers..

Not perfect but looks way better for now.

Also thinking about tidying up the brake callipers and paint them high heat blue maybe even put some Motorsport stickers on underneath the clear coat. Anyone done this and what kind of result did you get?

 

[M3AN 4016]

There's not a lot of room for decals on these calipers but have a look at @Jacko's recent thread for info on doing brakes well.

I got my calipers powder-coated black after weighing up other colours and stickers.

Edited November 24, 2019 by M3AN

[Secniv 182]

On 11/24/2019 at 11:38 AM, M3AN said:

There's not a lot of room for decals on these calipers but have a look at @Jacko's recent thread for info on doing brakes well.

I got my calipers power coated black after weighing up other colours and stickers.

Thanks for the leads Dave I will research both options.

Edited December 7, 2019 by Secniv

[Secniv 182]

Replaced big end rod bearings 

There was a little wear on the bottom shell but being the downstroke and 200ks to be expected. No groves or marks on them or the crank journals phew.

Installed the upgraded oil pump having lock-tight the bolt, torqued and wired it on! 

Pretty sure it’s not falling off.

Then buttoned it up with a new gasket and some high-temp gasket maker where the repair to the sump was done.

Next step is to press the new ball joints and bushes to the control arms, mount these to subframe and reinstall..

[Secniv 182]

Received my Lemforder ball joints and found some Pre-Xmas time to do some work and thanks to a mate Brendon and his work’s 30t press, pressed in ball joints and connected ca’s to subframe. Looks better than new with the reinforcements.

Pressed the old ca bushes out of the lollipops and new ones in and was going to press on the Lollipops onto the control arm but other blog/forum suggest use of soapy water and to set the car back on its suspension within 30 minutes for the bush to set in place

https://understeer.com/lcab.shtml

or the use of a kerosene based lubricant that dries out in 30 minutes 
https://www.pelicanparts.com/BMW/techarticles/JF-Tech/E36_Control_Arm_Replacement.htm

I guess I can put the suspension back in and do bushes last before putting back on the ground.

Some guidance would be helpful as well as some ideas for a ‘local’ diy tool to do the job.

 

 

 

 

Edited December 29, 2019 by Secniv
Surplus photos

[KwS 2429]

On my previous E36 i was able to push the lollipops on by hand under the car, so didnt need to "press" them on. That was using urethane bushes though, not sure if its different for OEM ones.

[Gaz 1062]

You can fit the bush whenever. Once the control is in that's when you have 30mins as the lube goes onto the control arm to slide it into the bush

https://www.newtis.info/tisv2/a/en/e36-328i-tou/repair-manuals/31-front-axle-front-suspension/31-12-wishbones-struts-including-rubber-mounts/AZJ3gOl

Edited December 31, 2019 by Gaz
Grammar

[Secniv 182]

Started the long weekend early. 
Getting refurb’d struts and control arms back in was a challenge and required dropping the subframe some then using jack to compress springs and shocks.

Getting steering rack back on steering shaft took a bit of trial and error. In the end holding the steering knuckle in place with a long screwdriver and using a rubber mallet to knock rack’s splined shaft worked.

Installed new discs and pads. Was planning to paint callipers but can’t wait to have a drive again so will leave it for when I reupholster seats & cards.

Made up a bush pressing tool and used kerosene to lubricate bush and arm.

Passenger side was easier as the exhaust gets a bit in the way on the drivers side but was pretty straightforward and easier than expected.

Back on all fours

Before starting I disconnected ignition leads and removed plugs. Turned over 3x10secs and each time oil light went out as oil pressure built. Should have removed fuel pump relay so it didn’t flood.

Reinstalled plugs/coils and it started.first pop so took for quick easy run around the block. Ran out of time so plan is to take it for a long easy drive maintaining revs between 2000 & 4000rpm to run the bearings in.

Looking forward to just driving it for a while ?.

 

 

[Secniv 182]

Conveniently I had to visit a few sites around the Mighty Waikato approx 250ks of driving and best of all most of it was on secondary roads the highlight being Highway 22 from Onewhero coming out at Ngaruawahia. If you ever get the chance this is an entertaining drive although watch the odd off-camber corner and broken seal.

I kept it between 2000 and 4000 rpm and it ran sweetly with no strange or ominous noises which I was keenly listening for (although air con progressively stopped cooling and hopefully just needs a recharge).

The progressive H&R Springs with the Bilstein and Yoko Advance Neova set up was really controlled yet compliant and handled anything I (mid corner corrections ?) or the road through at it (although I wasn’t pushing too hard to be fair). Compared to the E30 with a ‘similar’ suspension setup the M3 with its torquey engine is a confident and refined drive whereas the E30 is a go kart that needs more revs and attention to keep it in the zone (imho).

Before heading out I did get a wheel alignment. A guy at Top Town here did it who is into his E36’s so we had good chat after. The readings showed up some interesting numbers particularly camber up front and, camber and toe in the rear.

 

Checking some of the other forums

https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?995556-The-Definitive-Alignment-Guide-for-your-E36-M3

for a fast street setup I should have

Front
Camber: -2.0 to 2.5 deg (per side)
Toe: 0.10 total toe (or 0.10 to 0.20 deg total toe in for mostly highway driving)

Rear
Camber: -1.5 to -2 deg (per side)
Toe: 0.20 total toe in (IIRC this is 1/8" total toe in)I should have 

So up front I’m way off. I didn’t take a before photo of the strut mount position and maybe I should have them set inboard rather than set back?

 

With the rear obviously the left rear camber is not too far out and he had set it to max camber. Will new rear control arms sort this out? Obviously right toe is way too much and left needs a tweak. Any thoughts/ideas?

[bradgalbraith 218]

Got some Powerflex rear camber arms for sale if you're interested- hardly used.

[M3AN 4016]

Aftermarket camber arms require a cert... as silly as that is.

Rear toe should be sorted by shifting the rear arm at the RTAB pocket, did they do that? Rear camber is adjusted via an eccentric bolt but both these and the arms themselves wear and become terribly imprecise over time.

There should be a L/R label and an arrow on the front top mounts that tells you how they should be oriented. You can swap them side-to-side for an additional ~1.5* camber (-ve).

The picture of your alignment sheet is too small for my poor eyes to read.

[Secniv 182]

14 minutes ago, M3AN said:

Aftermarket camber arms require a cert... as silly as that is.

Rear toe should be sorted by shifting the rear arm at the RTAB pocket, did they do that? Rear camber is adjusted via an eccentric bolt but both these and the arms themselves wear and become terribly imprecise over time.

There should be a L/R label and an arrow on the front top mounts that tells you how they should be oriented. You can swap them side-to-side for an additional ~1.5* camber (-ve).

The picture of your alignment sheet is too small for my poor eyes to read.

Thanks Dave always a fountain of knowledge ?.

I know what you mean I use reading glasses these days or zoom lol  increased to original 2mb hopefully this helps.

Ill check front strut mounts re orientation.

Thought that might be the case re aftermkt arms. Tech said he had maxed out camber. I’ll take a look maybe bushes are worn. Would worn rtabs effect camber or toe?

[M3AN 4016]

Worn suspension bushes, regardless of which ones, can affect all measurements, it really depends on how they're deflecting. Having said that, worn RTAB's shouldn't affect a static measurement, rear toe is set with three pretty significant bolts.

Most of that alignment looks fine for a not-brand-new car... you can't really adjust front camber or caster using OEM hardware (without swapping top mounts L/R)... caster and toe are fine on your 'after' print and the camber difference is only ~0.5* out and probably explained by worn(ish) top mounts. Nothing to worry about. Rear camber is fine really, that's an imperceptible difference (ignore the green/red, it's the delta L/R that you need to consider) but I'm surprised they couldn't get that toe closer, that's quite a long way out. Have a quick look at the bolts on the front of the left hand rear control arm (the 3 surrounding the RTAB pocket) to see if they've been recently released and tightened (i.e. years of crud or clean surfaces from a spanner). If they've not been loosened then the job hasn't been done properly... they've basically added 5mm of toe to one side and 0.2mm to the other... the 0.2mm could be explained by the consequences of changing the camber (although that's not conclusive). The 5mm on the other side indicates they've certainly adjusted that one... would be odd to do one side and forget the other.

Edited February 4, 2020 by M3AN

[Secniv 182]

A big test for the M3 weekend before last when I dropped my son off at Uni in Wellington. What a bonus that the rear seats drop down and if you remove the rear squab, the floor is flat and easily fitted all his gear in. Despite being the land of the long roadwork we were down in 6.5 hours in including stops for petrol (even treated it to $2.19 for 98 in Upper Atiamuri) and coffee. Car ran perfectly despite me being over sensitive to any knock or squeak ?.

Coming back I left early Monday morning and to make the drive interesting went to visit family in the Hawke's Bay via the Rimutaka Hill. I couldn't get over how smooth the seal was and how glorious it was holding 3 gear up through the corners with the window down. Little did I know the best was yet to come turning right after Masterton and taking the back way on Rte 52.

This is an entertaining stretch of road with little traffic. It does get a little hairy from Weber to Porangahou where the road has collapsed and the seal is broken for about 20ks. 'Followed' a new Hyundai Sportage through here which did remarkably well for a small SUV although with it's long travel suspension coped better with the broken road. 

Got back to Hamilton on the Tuesday with an extra 1500ks on the dial and the car ran faultlessly... phew.

As a reward, plus I have been meaning to do it for a while, I replaced the rear quarter window lower seals this past weekend. They were cracked and brittle with numerous coats of polish discolouring them.

  

Using plastic trim levers to get the old seals off (they use adhesive strips to glue them down) was a case of sliding the lever along underneath the seal lifting as you go. Using the flat tip of the level to scrape and some turps on a rag helped to clean off the old adhesive left behind together with the build up dirt and grim over the years. This is key to ensuring the new seal seats well and stays for in place another 25+ years.

[Secniv 182]

E36’s been running well and then strangely just died! Thankfully it was in my garage at the time!!

Checked fuses first and #18 (15amp) had blown.. nice easy fix right.. put replacement in turned key to start and pop fuse went again. So at least narrowed down to fuel system. Tried a new fuel pump regulator as the existing looked original and a bit fried but still wouldn’t start.

So I moved to the pump. Using a 12v battery to try and run pump directly but nothing.. dead.

So with lockdown looming and needing a cool shopping trolley on the phone to Supercheap trade and the pump (fuel filter still in-transit) arrived Tuesday.

Went with the Fuelmiser (a bit more expensive) as it supposedly has the OE VDO pump although without taking apart I couldn’t check.

Anyway fired straight up ?.

Will be checking my list of done and todo to keep me occupied when I’m not doing boring house r&m.

[Secniv 182]

I like lists. I particularly like making progress and ticking things off the list.

Its gratifying to review the E36M3’s things to do list and seeing the progress I’ve made over the past 12 months.

Suspension & Brakes

• Replace rear shocks with with Bilstein B6’s (matching Bilstein B6 struts front) ✅
• H&R springs all round✅
• Front subframe repair & reinforcement ✅
• Replace control arm ball joints ✅
• Replace control arm bushes ✅
• Replace brake rotors and pads ✅
• Replace front sway bar bushes & links ✅
• Replace rear trailing arm bushes & links
• Clean & paint brake callipers & add MSport logo (in hand)
• Install rear sway bar links
• Purchase & install rtab limiters

Engine & Drivetrain

• Check & replace spark plugs ✅
• Upgrade oil pump & reinstall ✅
• Replace big end rod bearings ✅
• Repaint valve cover and replace gasket ✅
• Service oil/fluids: engine oil & filter ✅gearbox, lsd diff
• Replace fuel regulator ✅, fuel pump ✅
• Run diagnostics: check cold engine sluggishness ✅
• Repair/replace faulty oxygen sensor cylinder 1-3
• Tidy & detail engine bay
• Diagnose & repair engine rattle around 2k
• Check & replace gearbox mounts
• Check clutch incl. slaves 
• Replace exhaust back box

Exterior

• Mount front lip ✅
• Replace tyres with Yokohama AD08Rs ✅
• Source 2nd hand front bumper support brackets, highbeam covers ✅
• Replace quarter light lower seals L&R ✅
• Replace aftermkt cracked left front fog light with OE (match right)✅
• Replace rear MSport boot badge ✅
• Cut & polish boot lid
• Remove dents driver side roof, drivers side rear fender
• Cut & polish detail
• Replace exterior trim pieces
• Replace rear lights with clears (match fronts)?
• Replace front bonnet BMW badge

Interior

• Install fire extinguisher (boot) ✅
• Repair LH door card ✅
• Replace steering wheel with 3 spoke ✅ fix catching plastic pin ✅
• Install replacement glovebox ✅
• Source & install footwell speaker covers ✅
• Repair/Replace headlight switch ✅
• E36 floor mats ✅
• Replace boot gas struts ✅, replace stoppers
• Paint replacement door cards, re-trim and install
• Re-trim front seat inserts
• Re-glue rear cards
• Clean interior including deep clean carpet

I have materials/resources to carryout some of the to do’s during lockdown but getting replacement parts eg. oxy sensor is problematic.

Edited March 28, 2020 by Secniv
Grammatical error

[mzhu031 38]

interesting, when I first had this car it was down for 3 months trying to get a fuel send issue sorted, apparently the relay was the problem at the time....