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Oil Cooler Mod (330Ci)

Keeping the oil cool (total cost £425, including gauges)

 

This mod will work for all M52, M54 and M56 engines. Roadsports races last 45 minutes but the club enduro races are 2 hours. Others report that at close to 45 minutes the without an oil cooler the temperature gets uncomfortingly high. This presents a serious problem as the oil temperatures will steadily rise further and could exceed the design perimeters of the oil, typically 160 degrees. It can be compensated somewhat by using a heavier oil 10w60 instead of 5w40. The heavier oil helps maintain the oil pressure, and therefore protection, as the oil heats and thins. Continue reading “Oil Cooler Mod (330Ci)”

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e46 Differential Cooling Mod

Running a higher diff ratio puts more pressure on the final drive. Longer race durations simply multiply that even further! Standard drive ratio for the 330Ci manual is 2.93, and we’ll be running a 3.73 after the rebuild (April 2021). This all means that the input shaft is spinning faster for the same forward speed. There are more crown teeth engaging, therefore more contact, more friction, and more heat generated. We do this to improve acceleration at the expense of outright top speed. Continue reading “e46 Differential Cooling Mod”

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The Unicorn! Diff crown spacer.

 

In my ‘Final Drives Matter‘ discussion I investigated the massive difference that a higher final drive ratio would make to the acceleration at the expense of Vmax (down to 140mph!). In that I concluded that the original diff (an Automatic Torque Bias one) would have to be replaced and at almost £1000 with an almost identical one but with a different offset to cater for the different sized crown wheel. It just wasn’t financially viable. Disappointing as it was, I’d enjoy the benefits of the existing diff albeit with a slower accelerating car.

Enter the Unicorn. A crown wheel offset spacer and extended bolts to mate the existing lower ratio diff to a higher ratio final drive. Continue reading “The Unicorn! Diff crown spacer.”

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Wilvern Floor

When you remove the carpet in an e46 you save around 20Kg. However there’s a little dip just short of the accelerator pedal. I’m assuming that it’s designed that way to add add extra cushioning at the heel contact point there. However with the carpet removed the contact point on the pedal now is lower down, the heel is lower than the pivot point, and your foot slides on the pedal when it’s depressed. This all feels slightly weird. Continue reading “Wilvern Floor”

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Fire Extinguishers

Again I’ve come up against a wall with my plumbed-in fire extinguisher system!! It’s an RRS Ecofire 4.25 litre system with only 4 nozzles (2 cockpit, 2 engine). Installed in 2015 it was never serviced every two years as recommended. It has missed 2 services so would not be generally considered suitable for servicing. A service would have cost £110. Continue reading “Fire Extinguishers”

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DIY Brake Cooling KIT

Heat buildup causes all sorts of issues in a race car. For the brakes it increases the wear of rotors and pads. It also causes brake fade which is a reduction in braking coefficient all as a result of overheating. So far all the brake cooling kits I’ve seen seem a little expensive running to a few hundred dollars. Especially those manufactured in the USA from the likes of AAF, Turner Motorsport & Hard Motorsport never mind the shipping and import costs.

Continue reading “DIY Brake Cooling KIT”