E36 328i Touring. When it breaks, upgrade it...

[sc4589]

martin mrt said:

Love it, it looks great on the BBS'

Only thing that ruins it for me is the silly foglight tint

Thanks- the BBS look shocking dirty and brilliant freshly cleaned. Annoying! Want them refurbed soon. The foglights I do like unfortunately plus when I use them they're much easier on the eye for other drivers if the conditions are poor.

vsonix said:

Nice, M50 manifold's my next project too! Funny, most people say they don't really notice the loss of low-down grunt all that much - do you think it might have something to do with the other issues you had? Apparently the BBTB helps offset the torque loss a bit although from what I've read the gain appears to be fairly negligible so I dunno if I'm going to bother considering the cost to gain ratio. You going for a remap as well?

I've not noticed that much of a problem since I've got it all back together and cleaned out the engine a bit. The coolant issue caused the worst running- mpg was shocking, I saw 18mpg on one trip. Expensive knock. I'm tempted by a remap BUT I've been offered an Alpina 2.8 lump with 240bhp or so, fully fitted, for £600 plus my engine. As a remap will cost £250 at least, and the Alpina one is already remapped, it's theoretically £350 for the Alpina engine. Tempting!! If I chicken out, then yes, I'll get it mapped. The up-top performance is simply breathtaking.

Chunkychucky said:

Nice one OP. Another fan of E36s here (tourings esp), I can see why you want to swap the engine, box and fit an LSD etc, i've often fancied doing exactly the same given how cheap the cars are atm. Nice mods so far, I think the Sport alloys will looks alot better when refurbed

Cheers! I'm very proud of her currently. Running well, looking OK. yeah I agree with you! Black is so teenage.

vsonix said:

One thing I've noticed is for some reason my shifts are never as 'perfect' as they were with my 318ti on the 328i, wondering if it's got something to do with flywheel weight or something. Engine always seems to carry too much momentum while the clutch is depressed, if you see what I mean? It's not an issue as such, though, more of a difference in feel.

Yes, I get it exactly. Do you find that it feels like the clutch is slipping sometimes? Apparently the M20 flywheel is the best cure for it- the dual mass is freakin' awful. For me it affects me most on fast gearchanges, but I've been told the car had a new clutch at around 145k and it doesn't slip under load (i.e. 20mph in 5th up a hill).

[Sf_Manta]

sc4589 said:

vsonix said:

One thing I've noticed is for some reason my shifts are never as 'perfect' as they were with my 318ti on the 328i, wondering if it's got something to do with flywheel weight or something. Engine always seems to carry too much momentum while the clutch is depressed, if you see what I mean? It's not an issue as such, though, more of a difference in feel.

Yes, I get it exactly. Do you find that it feels like the clutch is slipping sometimes? Apparently the M20 flywheel is the best cure for it- the dual mass is freakin' awful. For me it affects me most on fast gearchanges, but I've been told the car had a new clutch at around 145k and it doesn't slip under load (i.e. 20mph in 5th up a hill).

With that conversion, you do need to machine the back off the M20 flywheel to give clearence to the casting webs on the back of the M50/M52 blocks. The upshot of this, gives you a 6kg flywheel which wakes the M50 series engine up a bit

[sc4589]

Sf_Manta said:

sc4589 said:

vsonix said:

One thing I've noticed is for some reason my shifts are never as 'perfect' as they were with my 318ti on the 328i, wondering if it's got something to do with flywheel weight or something. Engine always seems to carry too much momentum while the clutch is depressed, if you see what I mean? It's not an issue as such, though, more of a difference in feel.

Yes, I get it exactly. Do you find that it feels like the clutch is slipping sometimes? Apparently the M20 flywheel is the best cure for it- the dual mass is freakin' awful. For me it affects me most on fast gearchanges, but I've been told the car had a new clutch at around 145k and it doesn't slip under load (i.e. 20mph in 5th up a hill).

With that conversion, you do need to machine the back off the M20 flywheel to give clearence to the casting webs on the back of the M50/M52 blocks. The upshot of this, gives you a 6kg flywheel which wakes the M50 series engine up a bit

Lovely. Thank you. if I get the balls (and the funds) to drop that Alpina lump in, I'm hoping it'll be a moot point.

[r4_rick]

Great thread love to see bm's modded like this one

[Funk]

You s. The list of things I want to do to mine gets ever-longer.

I've been offered an M3 front bumper in Stahlblau but not sure it's where I want to spend money at the moment. I still need to sort my coolant float sensor and when I do that I may as well change the water pump for a metal-impellered one.

And I still have rubbing issues with my new rears.

[sc4589]

Rick- cheers!

Funk- what size are your rears? M3 bumper is done a lot but I like it. Alternatives include Alpina lip on standard bumper?

[Funk]

The rears are 245/40/17. The same size came off - no rubbing issues previously...

Don't get me wrong, I love the look of the M3 bumper too but I'm stretched for cash at the moment. In addition to the bits I need to do listed above, what's the benefit of the manifold change? Sounds like it was a lot of work... Does the CDV mod make that much difference? Can't say I've been unhappy with the clutch on mine but then thinking about it, I don't really spank it that much in daily driving.

Have you opened the valve in the exhaust yet?

[sc4589]

That means your offset is slightly too aggressive- I run that size in the 32s. Which alloys are they?

The M50 is worth the hassle, if you're nearby I will help you gladly. It really opens up the top end, sounds brutal and gives great gains. About 210bhp unmapped, 230bhp mapped. Now I know what I'm doing I'm a lot happier with the whole thing.

The CDV is well worth it, no more slurred gearchanges. Only 40 quid too. I've got my valve somewhere, I'll post a photo when I dig it out the toolbox.

Intake is definitely a must if you do M50- sounds like a junior M-car. Howly, hollow, aggressive.

[Funk]

They're the M-Contours from the M3.

Some pics here: http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

We're only about an hour apart - I'm in Worthing... How much for an M50 manifold?

Dammit, this isn't what I should be spending money on!

[sc4589]

Funk said:

They're the M-Contours from the M3.

Some pics here: http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

We're only about an hour apart - I'm in Worthing... How much for an M50 manifold?

Dammit, this isn't what I should be spending money on!

I love those wheels! If the offset is below 30 they will rub like a bh- only fix is arch rolling.

You're not far away at all. They generally run around the £80-£110 mark, depending where you buy. If you can get one and some pipey bits andand drag your 'vert here, it can be done in around 4-5 hours. I can give you a full list of what you need, and have some leftovers from mine too!

Oh, and I've not done the exhaust mod. Has a knack of making economy even more ruinous! The M50 surprisingly makes the car more efficient- I saw nearly 36mpg with a vac leak on a 40 mile trip.

If you're in the area I'll gladly let you take it out for a spin if you want to 'try before you buy'.

[Funk]

sc4589 said:

I love those wheels! If the offset is below 30 they will rub like a bh- only fix is arch rolling.

You're not far away at all. They generally run around the £80-£110 mark, depending where you buy. If you can get one and some pipey bits andand drag your 'vert here, it can be done in around 4-5 hours. I can give you a full list of what you need, and have some leftovers from mine too!

Oh, and I've not done the exhaust mod. Has a knack of making economy even more ruinous! The M50 surprisingly makes the car more efficient- I saw nearly 36mpg with a vac leak on a 40 mile trip.

If you're in the area I'll gladly let you take it out for a spin if you want to 'try before you buy'.

Thanks, the wheels have grown on me somewhat. Apparently the offset is 41mm and they're 7.5 front, 8.5 rear.

I'll keep my eyes open for a manifold, perhaps something will pop up. As far as I was aware the exhaust mod simply makes the exhaust gas path slightly shorter; can't see why it should have an impact on the mpg?

Appreciate the offer of help as well - I'm not the most mechanically-able of folk. IT's more my thing!

[VinceFox]

Bookmarked, like this.

[sc4589]

Funk said:

Thanks, the wheels have grown on me somewhat. Apparently the offset is 41mm and they're 7.5 front, 8.5 rear.

I'll keep my eyes open for a manifold, perhaps something will pop up. As far as I was aware the exhaust mod simply makes the exhaust gas path slightly shorter; can't see why it should have an impact on the mpg?

Appreciate the offer of help as well - I'm not the most mechanically-able of folk. IT's more my thing!

They definitely shouldn't be rubbing then- how badly do they rub? If you can make it down you can try my 32s on the back and vice versa. We've got similar weights over the back, be interesting to see what happens.

eBay always has loads of the buggers, few on PH classifieds too. Sod paying extra for the TB and fuel rail- unnecessary. All you need is the manifold, an extra throttle gasket, a bit of 22mm pipe, some connectors, couple of bits of metal and a lot of tea/coffee!

No worries- we're all friends here. I'm not a genius but I know how many bolts I'm meant to put back!

[sc4589]

VinceFox said:

Bookmarked, like this.

Cheers.

She's now had a deposit laid down for a remap- I really can't afford the Alpina engine at the moment, and I think it's nicer to have built my little project up- as opposed to just whacking an engine in there and being done.

Just waiting for my 'new' old struts to turn up so I can strip off the old springs and shocks, recondition the struts, fit some lowering springs (anyone got some lying around for a 6-cyl E36?) and some tasty shocks- thinking Bilstein B4s.

Ultimately I want the front end dropped by around 40-50mm, but I also wish to retain a degree of comfort.

[getawayturtle]

Remap!! Good man, looking forward to reading how it transforms the beast.

[EJH]

Bookmarked.

I am very fond of my E36 Evo Saloon...but part of me still misses the E36 328i that it replaced. Such sweet cars which are looking really, really cheap at the moment.

To my mind, E36s are a nice blend of new enough to be useable and old enough to be interesting.

Re: tyres going to canvas, the first pair I had on the M3 lasted 2,500 miles. I have *no* idea how...

[sc4589]

Little niggles fixed over the last few weeks! Mostly interior based.

- full set of BMW floormats, found them at the scrappy complete with fixings
- working ashtray (my old one wouldn't stay shut)
- finally relit the headlight switch bulb (I had no idea it even illuminated!)
- moved the iPod connection from the storage cubby near the gearshift to the glovebox (ow)
- installed an original E36 analogue clock where the storage cubby lived
- put the missing passenger footwell downlight in
- put smoked amber indicators on the front



Much tidier down below now- no messy iPod cable hanging out, nice old-skool clock. Looks lovely. Need a couple of new bulbs for the OBC though. Irritating! I had to cut the storage cubby and the row of switches/cigarette lighter area apart- but the storage cubby was slightly bigger than the clock unit. Luckily I checked before I started cutting willy-nilly, so managed to get the size just right. The storage cubby actually provides the structural support for the whole bloody thing, so I bound the clock up with tonnes of leccy tape and rammed it in- job done. I honestly wonder how my cars stay in one piece sometimes.



Finally- all bulbs working and accounted for!



OEM BMW mats all round- all black, all fixings accounted for. Laaaaaavvvvly. These really lift the interior so much- the Tesco's standard one-size-fits-all mats I had before were green, stty and generally didn't look right.



A sight most E36 owners never see- a working headlight switch light. For those who are quoted £8 (!!!!!!!) for the bulb assembly from BMW, fear not... the holder and the bulb separate, and the bulb that goes in is a 286- like a mini 501. I bought mine from Halfords in a rush, but I'm sure eBay would have them for pennies. Just unscrew the headlight switch on the underside of the dash, yank it out, disconnect the rotary switch, pry out the bulbholder and replace the bulb. Be VERY careful if you try to remove the foglight switch- I tried a few at the scrappy and they just disintegrated in my hands!

The mats, fixings, ashtray, headlight switch (bought a spare unit), clock, passenger footwell downlight, glovebox light and some trim for the boot cost a princely £22... and the effect on the interior is worth that and more. Looks much classier and tidier.

[sc4589]

Some serious work's been put in recently...

Ever since I bought the car, I've always felt that the gearchange has left a lot to be desired. Never seemed to enjoy engaging, and it used to slur fast gearchanges horrendously. A CDV delete didn't fully fix this either... and the other week, when I put my foot down in 5th, it all became clear as to why... the revs skyrocketed, the speed did not.

Ah.

This was a crucial moment. A clutch is no small operation- it can be expensive. A decision was made. Keep the car, fix for cheap, run until dead... fix the car with serious parts and make it faster... or scrap her?



This is a standard E36 328i dual mass flywheel & clutch setup. It reduces unwanted transmission vibrations, allows softer gearchanges without so much effort and generally makes the car a smoother, more refined place to be.

Yawn.

It also doesn't help that the dual mass flywheel weighs 21kg by itself. This seemed like a lot, and rather unnecessary.



I wonder what this is..?



Looks like a corresponding number that it matches up to.



Certainly not a dual mass clutch setup...



Machined goodness. The retrofit solid flywheel Valeo kit comes in at 12kg, so a pretty good saving on the standard crap. However, this one is lightened to a slightly more elfin 7.2kg... and is nicely balanced with the corresponding pressure plate too. Lovely.



Seal of approval from Kittychops.

So, there we go. Dual mass ripped out, solid flywheel fitted. Impressions are as such:

- gearchanges are more positive and more of a challenge to get 'smooth', but that's part of the fun. The fact my gear linkage was rebuilt during this operation helps a lot.
- engine feels like it's fuelled by Coke now- has a lot more get up and go.
- acceleration is harder, not by a huge amount but noticeable. Especially up the top end and initial takeup.
- clutch feel is WAY better- I can actually feel what's going on, but it's also easier to stall.
- no real noticeable increase in transmission noise or vibrations, from what I can tell.

I'm happy. The kit didn't cost too much (less than half the purchase price of the car), and a very friendly mech sorted it out for a very good price. Definitely worth it.

Next up for power: viscous fan removal and my (already booked) remap.
Next up for handling and stopping: struts have touched down, time to strip them down, recondition them, add new springs & shocks, put some 300mm E46 grooved discs on and enjoy.
Next up for looks: this...





No idea what it is but it looks good. Nice and OEM, more aggressive than standard and not an M3 bumper.

Oh, and a couple more interior & night-time shots... back on the Style 32s soon!









Bon appetit!

[Sf_Manta]

Looks awesome, always liked E36 Tourings since my friend had one which i did some work on and got a chance a drive.

A note though, reading through you mentioned about having excessive rear tyre wear, it's worth checking the rear trailing arm bushes. These have a habbit of collapsing and you can't really tell if they're gone or not with the car on it's wheels.

On the upside, they're not hard to replace, there's guides on how to mark up and then lower the arm enough to remove the bush. I'd recommend going with Powerflex bushes since these are hard wearing but don't give an increase in road noise, as well as being easy to fit on a drive.

A few pics of what we found when we did my friend's touring.

[vsonix]

I'm glad to see you also have your cat employed to check for defects!