E36 cheap track day toy
Discussion
So another Christmas came and went. Not many presents for the BMW this year. But I do have a few plans and have just bought a few parts.
In the meantime I bought the E65 730d as a daily car and have been working quite a bit on that, new thread here.
This meant the long suffering Ibiza got sold. I wasn’t going to sell the new radio with it. So hand me down or not, the 3 series got an upgrade.
I know it’s not exactly a track based mod. But I have been using a 20 quid radio in it for nearly 10 years. Nav is also very helpful if driving to the Ring or Spa.
So it is still a track weapon. But even driving to Donington or Oulton can be a pain in the ass. With the exhaust tips and radio, it is less of a horrific experience.
In the meantime I bought the E65 730d as a daily car and have been working quite a bit on that, new thread here.
This meant the long suffering Ibiza got sold. I wasn’t going to sell the new radio with it. So hand me down or not, the 3 series got an upgrade.
I know it’s not exactly a track based mod. But I have been using a 20 quid radio in it for nearly 10 years. Nav is also very helpful if driving to the Ring or Spa.
So it is still a track weapon. But even driving to Donington or Oulton can be a pain in the ass. With the exhaust tips and radio, it is less of a horrific experience.
Finally an update where I have done some real work to the car.
Last year the car got somewhat forgotten about as I was very involved with the boxster race car.
I am pleased to say, this year we are racing again. In fact with a larger calendar at more varied tracks. But this time I don’t want to let the BMW sit on the side lines.
Also with the baby on the way, I realise once here, I will never have any time for any of my hobbies ever again. So I want to get everything that needs doing sorted. So the car is completely usable if the opportunity arises.
As I think I had mentioned before, I can hear a rear bearing on its way out. There is no play in either side, but it’s definitely not right.
I had also noticed a slight leak of CV grease in and around the O/S/R hub.
Also the abs buzzes as you come to a stop, which feels like the N/S/R reluctor ring.
These together seemed like a good reason to strip the rear end and do some upgrades.
Some of you will also remember I have had some E46 328 rear callipers lying around for years.
I have had these since I did the front E46 330 brakes. After lots of research, I opted for the 328 brakes on the rear as the hub fittings are all the same as the E36 318is which means I don’t have to mess around with the handbrake.
I haven’t fitted them before as there was plenty of meat left on the old rear discs.
The bottom of the wear markers is starting to show through now though. So if I’m stripping the rear hubs for bearings, I might as well do the brake upgrade.
So as I have done three times before for this car, I sand blasted, painted and rebuilt some callipers.
Little did I know what a Saturday of pain and grief I was about to start on.
Last year the car got somewhat forgotten about as I was very involved with the boxster race car.
I am pleased to say, this year we are racing again. In fact with a larger calendar at more varied tracks. But this time I don’t want to let the BMW sit on the side lines.
Also with the baby on the way, I realise once here, I will never have any time for any of my hobbies ever again. So I want to get everything that needs doing sorted. So the car is completely usable if the opportunity arises.
As I think I had mentioned before, I can hear a rear bearing on its way out. There is no play in either side, but it’s definitely not right.
I had also noticed a slight leak of CV grease in and around the O/S/R hub.
Also the abs buzzes as you come to a stop, which feels like the N/S/R reluctor ring.
These together seemed like a good reason to strip the rear end and do some upgrades.
Some of you will also remember I have had some E46 328 rear callipers lying around for years.
I have had these since I did the front E46 330 brakes. After lots of research, I opted for the 328 brakes on the rear as the hub fittings are all the same as the E36 318is which means I don’t have to mess around with the handbrake.
I haven’t fitted them before as there was plenty of meat left on the old rear discs.
The bottom of the wear markers is starting to show through now though. So if I’m stripping the rear hubs for bearings, I might as well do the brake upgrade.
So as I have done three times before for this car, I sand blasted, painted and rebuilt some callipers.
Little did I know what a Saturday of pain and grief I was about to start on.
Friday night and I think. I’ll get the car in strip the drive shafts out of it. Strip them ready for the new boots and give them a coat of paint before bed.
First one off after two hours of fitting with seized exhaust clamps and hub nuts.
I checked the reluctor ring I bought and they were too big! It’s going to be one of those weekends.
First one off after two hours of fitting with seized exhaust clamps and hub nuts.
I checked the reluctor ring I bought and they were too big! It’s going to be one of those weekends.
Drive shaft looks alright, bit tatty but basically sound. That is untill you start to peal the CV boots back. Extremely crumbly shall we say.
Which is not helpful as the outer joint is not removable. A few lumps of rusty metal in there will do it no good at all. I decided they would have to be very well cleaned before any painting.
After a bit of head scratching and wandering around the workshop I came up with this. Old bottle with the top cut off, nicely tapers into the joint. Keeping it all clean while I set to the outside with a wire wheel.
By the time I had this one in paint I had to go home. Annoyingly only one drive shaft off the car.
Next morning I arrived bright and early. Got on with rebuilding the painted shaft.
Small tip here. Everywhere I looked they only offer the outer CV boot for sale. They are however exactly the same and I bought four.
All packed with new grease and new boots that will hopefully last a few more years.
As I hadn’t got the other side painted, or the right size reluctor ring I decided just to concentrate on getting the O/S finished then see what the time was.
I was going to do the bearing in situ, but on the day I couldn’t find the puller. So off came the whole arm.
This I would luv to say took minutes, but the hand brake mechanism didn’t want to come apart and the cable did not want to come out of the hub.
In the end I cut it so not to waste the whole day.
The only saving grace being that on the bench I can then do the bearing in the press, making light work of it.
The bearings having been popped in the fridge when I got to work this morning and the hub sat on the hot plate for a while made reassembly a doddle too.
After a good clean around the hub the bearing slid in easily. I would have liked to sand blast the whole arm and replace all the bushes, but funds and time aren’t allowing that at the moment.
Once the bearing was home, I remembered to install the new stone guards before the hub.
Brake discs are something I have been thinking a lot about recently. The whole point in the new rear discs is to cool better as they are vented.
Mtec do a good selection of drilled, grooved or both discs. Which caught my eye, but when I looked into it further a lot of track cars that tried them said they warped or cracked.
I suspect this is due to the discs not being all that thick, so with groves or a line of holes you are creating weaker areas on the disc surface.
We run drilled discs on the cars at work right up to the GT3. We don’t often suffer with warping but our discs are very thick. Even then, we don’t drill the GT3 RS discs, we use C hook.
So I will pinch the idea. I’m going to stick with Mtec and try a set of rear C hook 328 discs. Then if they warp or crack I won’t use them again.
Quite smart I thought. Then I went to put the new calliper on. It didn’t fit. When you are attempting a modification like this, based on loads of forum reading and web searches, then it goes wrong. Your mind literally crumbles. It starts racing trying to work out where you have gone wrong.
I retreated to my computer searching again the different variants of E36 and E46 brakes. Yes the discs fitted, yes the hubs matched up and the handbrake will work. (Eventually when I replace the cable).
Yes the callipers fit on the hubs. But the discs don’t fit under the calliper. I measured the discs, they were what I thought 294mm. A nice increase on the 318s 272mm, but nothing silly and more importantly 19mm thick and vented, instead of 10mm solid. In fact the callipers use the same pad, so the breaking contact area will be the same, but the bigger disc will allow for more heat radiation.
I have had these callipers for years now, I couldn’t check the original listing but I think I know what’s happened. I bought them from a chap who told me they were 328, but I suspect he actually got them from a 323 coupe which run 276mm discs.
All may not be lost though. It should mean the actual calliper is still good, I just need the bigger carriers.
By this point the day was coming to a close. I put the old discs back on and refitted the drive shaft. At least that was a success in the midst of all these failures.
Not much to show for a whole day and an evenings work. One wheel bearing and two CV boots.
Which is not helpful as the outer joint is not removable. A few lumps of rusty metal in there will do it no good at all. I decided they would have to be very well cleaned before any painting.
After a bit of head scratching and wandering around the workshop I came up with this. Old bottle with the top cut off, nicely tapers into the joint. Keeping it all clean while I set to the outside with a wire wheel.
By the time I had this one in paint I had to go home. Annoyingly only one drive shaft off the car.
Next morning I arrived bright and early. Got on with rebuilding the painted shaft.
Small tip here. Everywhere I looked they only offer the outer CV boot for sale. They are however exactly the same and I bought four.
All packed with new grease and new boots that will hopefully last a few more years.
As I hadn’t got the other side painted, or the right size reluctor ring I decided just to concentrate on getting the O/S finished then see what the time was.
I was going to do the bearing in situ, but on the day I couldn’t find the puller. So off came the whole arm.
This I would luv to say took minutes, but the hand brake mechanism didn’t want to come apart and the cable did not want to come out of the hub.
In the end I cut it so not to waste the whole day.
The only saving grace being that on the bench I can then do the bearing in the press, making light work of it.
The bearings having been popped in the fridge when I got to work this morning and the hub sat on the hot plate for a while made reassembly a doddle too.
After a good clean around the hub the bearing slid in easily. I would have liked to sand blast the whole arm and replace all the bushes, but funds and time aren’t allowing that at the moment.
Once the bearing was home, I remembered to install the new stone guards before the hub.
Brake discs are something I have been thinking a lot about recently. The whole point in the new rear discs is to cool better as they are vented.
Mtec do a good selection of drilled, grooved or both discs. Which caught my eye, but when I looked into it further a lot of track cars that tried them said they warped or cracked.
I suspect this is due to the discs not being all that thick, so with groves or a line of holes you are creating weaker areas on the disc surface.
We run drilled discs on the cars at work right up to the GT3. We don’t often suffer with warping but our discs are very thick. Even then, we don’t drill the GT3 RS discs, we use C hook.
So I will pinch the idea. I’m going to stick with Mtec and try a set of rear C hook 328 discs. Then if they warp or crack I won’t use them again.
Quite smart I thought. Then I went to put the new calliper on. It didn’t fit. When you are attempting a modification like this, based on loads of forum reading and web searches, then it goes wrong. Your mind literally crumbles. It starts racing trying to work out where you have gone wrong.
I retreated to my computer searching again the different variants of E36 and E46 brakes. Yes the discs fitted, yes the hubs matched up and the handbrake will work. (Eventually when I replace the cable).
Yes the callipers fit on the hubs. But the discs don’t fit under the calliper. I measured the discs, they were what I thought 294mm. A nice increase on the 318s 272mm, but nothing silly and more importantly 19mm thick and vented, instead of 10mm solid. In fact the callipers use the same pad, so the breaking contact area will be the same, but the bigger disc will allow for more heat radiation.
I have had these callipers for years now, I couldn’t check the original listing but I think I know what’s happened. I bought them from a chap who told me they were 328, but I suspect he actually got them from a 323 coupe which run 276mm discs.
All may not be lost though. It should mean the actual calliper is still good, I just need the bigger carriers.
By this point the day was coming to a close. I put the old discs back on and refitted the drive shaft. At least that was a success in the midst of all these failures.
Not much to show for a whole day and an evenings work. One wheel bearing and two CV boots.
Hamster69 said:
Which is not helpful as the outer joint is not removable.
Are you sure?I took my drive shafts off my previous car & replaced all boots as you have & am sure it was the outers I took off to enable them to fit, if so there is a circlip tucked away in there but it is not the usual sprung in type, it actually needs circlip pliers to get it out.
I could be remembering it wrong though.
Well I couldn’t see any way of the outer coming off. The inner was obvious and used circlip pliers for that.
Sitting here reading about callipers again. Stuff not adding up. OEM online is saying 323 and 328 E46 run the same callipers. Although others say they are different. I can’t find any callipers or carriers, I’m 100% will fit. It’s annoying.
Sitting here reading about callipers again. Stuff not adding up. OEM online is saying 323 and 328 E46 run the same callipers. Although others say they are different. I can’t find any callipers or carriers, I’m 100% will fit. It’s annoying.
Light at the end of the tunnel.
After several days of trying to find some E46 328 callipers or just carriers I was having no success. A bit more research showed that the E46 325 had the same callipers and carriers, while the 323 had the same callipers although smaller carriers, which is what I think I already have.
So I widend my search to 325.
Found a pair of rears.
Very tatty, but I only need the carriers and due to the condition they were cheap.
The first arrived today and looks like it will be a good fit.
After several days of trying to find some E46 328 callipers or just carriers I was having no success. A bit more research showed that the E46 325 had the same callipers and carriers, while the 323 had the same callipers although smaller carriers, which is what I think I already have.
So I widend my search to 325.
Found a pair of rears.
Very tatty, but I only need the carriers and due to the condition they were cheap.
The first arrived today and looks like it will be a good fit.
Another Saturday another wheel bearing. Things went a bit smoother today.
I won’t bore you with the in depth photos. It was basically the same as last week.
I didn’t take the drive shaft out on this side. The CV boots aren’t leaking so I will leave them for another day.
More importantly this week, one of my 325 callipers has turned up. I took the opportunity to make sure the carriers fitted.
One day the other calliper will turn up then I can get the brakes finished.
In the meantime I fitted the new handbrake cables and put the mechanism back together. Good job that the new cables didn’t fit in two different ways. I really needed to spend my afternoon modifying them. It’s not like I have a race car to prep in the next four weeks.
Never mind, on and working in the end.
One last little thing for today. For quite a while I have been looking for a new rear skirt. I’m not particularly worried about the looks of the car as you know. But as I cut a big chunk out of it back when I had a twin pipe exhaust, it has looked a bit silly ever since I went back to one exit.
It was very cheap and I know looks a bit naf. Anyway we are nearly there. Possible change of a track day in the next couple of weeks. Possible chance of having a magazine article on the old girl soon too.
I won’t bore you with the in depth photos. It was basically the same as last week.
I didn’t take the drive shaft out on this side. The CV boots aren’t leaking so I will leave them for another day.
More importantly this week, one of my 325 callipers has turned up. I took the opportunity to make sure the carriers fitted.
One day the other calliper will turn up then I can get the brakes finished.
In the meantime I fitted the new handbrake cables and put the mechanism back together. Good job that the new cables didn’t fit in two different ways. I really needed to spend my afternoon modifying them. It’s not like I have a race car to prep in the next four weeks.
Never mind, on and working in the end.
One last little thing for today. For quite a while I have been looking for a new rear skirt. I’m not particularly worried about the looks of the car as you know. But as I cut a big chunk out of it back when I had a twin pipe exhaust, it has looked a bit silly ever since I went back to one exit.
It was very cheap and I know looks a bit naf. Anyway we are nearly there. Possible change of a track day in the next couple of weeks. Possible chance of having a magazine article on the old girl soon too.
Now having bought five second had callipers. I finally have a matching pair of carriers to fit 294mm rear discs.
What a palaver, but to be fair on the sellers I can see why people would think most E46 over 2litres and not M3 or 330 would have the same rear discs.
But it is annoying when you say to them, these are definitely off a 328 or a 325 aren’t they. They say yes, so you buy them. Only to find they are from a 323 and they just don’t fit.
Anyway I got them in paint Saturday morning, so hopefully Monday night fitted and bled. Tuesday night Geo after having all the rear end apart. Wednesday night packing, ready for Snetterton on Thursday.
Snetterton hold a bit of a special place for me with this car. It was where she had her first proper track day (not including the Nurburgring because that way a track adventure/holiday really), certainly her first British soil track day.
It was the second last track she went to as a 1.9 and will be the second track she goes to as a 3.0.
What a palaver, but to be fair on the sellers I can see why people would think most E46 over 2litres and not M3 or 330 would have the same rear discs.
But it is annoying when you say to them, these are definitely off a 328 or a 325 aren’t they. They say yes, so you buy them. Only to find they are from a 323 and they just don’t fit.
Anyway I got them in paint Saturday morning, so hopefully Monday night fitted and bled. Tuesday night Geo after having all the rear end apart. Wednesday night packing, ready for Snetterton on Thursday.
Snetterton hold a bit of a special place for me with this car. It was where she had her first proper track day (not including the Nurburgring because that way a track adventure/holiday really), certainly her first British soil track day.
It was the second last track she went to as a 1.9 and will be the second track she goes to as a 3.0.
A good day on Thursday. Again we were lucky with the weather.
No clutch problems now and the grip is still good.
Unfortunately we still suffered with a missfire. It only happens when the car is really hot.
After a few laps hammering round we would have to put as the miss started. It was tracked down to cylinder 2 again.
I hoped we had solved this with the higher heat rated plugs.
I am looking at the coils I think. The miss goes away after just a couple of minutes sitting. So I can’t see it being mechanical.
I may have to think about more cooling too. It can only help.
The dash display always stays in the middle of the gauge. But my block temp sensor is showing in harsh track situations that the temp is up to about 110. A little high I think.
The thing is it always seems to be cylinder 2. I have moved the coils around. The plugs around and the injectors. If you push it hard it starts to go in cylinder 3 as well.
I suspect 1 stays a bit cooler as it’s right behind the water pump.
Anyway I have invested in some benchmark coils.
I suspect 1 stays a bit cooler as it’s right behind the water pump.
Anyway I have invested in some benchmark coils.
I had thought about it. I did suspect the lifters Thursday morning. I did strip them and clean them out when I built the engine.
It seems to go away so quickly though when the engine is stopped I’m sure it must be more electrical than mechanical.
It seems to go away so quickly though when the engine is stopped I’m sure it must be more electrical than mechanical.
Edited by Hamster69 on Saturday 16th February 19:58
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