BMW E30 M3 - S85 DCT [RNGTOY]

[RumbleOfThunder]

Aha welcome back! Do you still have the M5 too?

[JPearson]

Found this again the othet day forgot how awesome the convertion was!

[s62]

Still have the M5, it´s my daily driver.
No major mods lately.

[s62]

Well, car had a minor cancer/rust removal operation that revealed some
issues:





























More and nastier rust than we expected, was exposed when all
kinds of older "fixes" were removed. Then the car is all breaking
apart/buckling at the front because of the track action.

So it looks like a bare shell restoration next winter, earlier than
I had planned. I guess I´ll be installing a full weld in cage with
strut extensions as well as seamwelding the whole shell and
reinforcing it.

Until then it´s going to be fixed temporarily & no heavy track
action.

Oh, and BTW, the engine is also shot, only one cylinder with
proper compression so it is getting rebuilt.

[CampDavid]

So you've actually used it so much on track that the thing is now entirely fked? Kudos.

Any plans for this next iteration? I shall look forward to reading up on this one while on a wet commute to London this winter

[s62]

Well it´s a combination of a few things:

- hard track work w/semislicks putting strain on the car

- the car had a leaking front windscreen when I got it so
the carpets were wet when it rained. Don´t know how long
it was like this before I fixed it in 2007 but probably
caused alot of the rust

- the car is simply getting old!!!

[CampDavid]

It's a shame that it's gone that way but at least you've caught it before it gets terminal.

While your at it, how about a colour change? I've always liked the idea of a brown M3

[JPearson]

CampDavid said:

It's a shame that it's gone that way but at least you've caught it before it gets terminal.

While your at it, how about a colour change? I've always liked the idea of a brown M3

That better be a joke!

[CampDavid]

JPearson said:

That better be a joke!

Nope. Personally think that marrakesh brown is one of BMWs best current shades.



Still prefer the older browns though

[s62]

It´s never going to be brown.

Brown looks well.... like st.

[CampDavid]

Nah, in the right shade it'd work. Be good if it was something other than white, there are too many white cars about at the moment

[e21Mark]

I must admit certain cars look very cool in brown.



I'm not sure an M3 is one of them though?

[s62]

Engine out today:



Engine coming apart soon.

[s62]

When I bought the engine+gearbox in 2007 I did not know
what clutch was in the package. It has worked well, never
felt it slipping.

Anyways, now that everything is apart, I can see what is
in there:


Flywheel, no markings, stock presumably?


On the clutch disk is this text: 20.1864 098103 BMW 21212226958.9

"11.01" is probably production date - November 2001?
Google says this is a stock disk from an E36 M3 or
E34 M5 3.8.

Here is the pressure plate:


Lots of markings:
- Sachs TYP MF 240
- Sachs Race Engineering
- 88 3082 999 722
- 06 2002

Presumably made in June 2002. If you google 88 3082 999 722
then you see that this is supposed to be good for 420-535Nm
depending on friction material. I probably have the 420Nm
version.

Now it´s just the question what I should do regarding clutch?

[e21Mark]

I'm building an ex TWR 335 that runs an m30 engine and uses the e34 M5 flywheel etc. A chap called Ian Elliott used the same set-up in his heavily modified touring and it destroyed the e36/M3 clutch in minutes. It seems they just can't cope with big torque. Anyway, we have opted for a 745 clutch and plate. The guy actually doing the work opted for the same clutch on an m30 running gas and had no issues with it at all. Stock 745 make nearly 380 N/m's torque and I imagine there's a good safety margin in what the clutch can actually cope with. Either way, if an M3 disc has been coping it'll be a breeze for the 745 item. Hope this is of some help?

Edited by e21Mark on Saturday 21st July 07:07

[s62]

All info appreciated!

[e21Mark]

This whole thread has been a big motivator by the way. Am currently building an early LHD e30 track car to replace my 325. I had to sell my genuine M3 so hopefully this will go a little way toward making up for it. I have all the M3 panels but sadly won't have an s14 under the bonnet. Possibly M88 or if not S50.

[s62]

Cool.

[s62]

Delivery this morning

[houlbt]

so far as I can tell none of your picture links work.