Cockroach Individual M3 6/28/2026 x5 or m3? PWR 55mm Rad

[samthejam]

Is that Peter's old box?

And I also found a calibrated hunter alignment machine to be slightly off compared to a string alignment. I've rolled my car off one alignment rack right onto another and the readings were slightly different. Not so much that anyone would notice but still kind of disappointing.

Yes fresh from your place lol, installed it last night. It was potentially gonna go on the E30 M3 but yea things transpired.

Yeah moving on alignments probably won't be using a machine too much

[bigjae46]

Is that Peter's old box?

And I also found a calibrated hunter alignment machine to be slightly off compared to a string alignment. I've rolled my car off one alignment rack right onto another and the readings were slightly different. Not so much that anyone would notice but still kind of disappointing.

[samthejam]

So i installed the AFE intake setup, I was very happy with my adapter. However the filter on the AFE is pretty small, and I just didn't really believe looking at it was that much better than a stock intake.

Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr

Long story short ended up with a very well seasoned carbon airbox #009 for the serial number so it's old. Prior to this was on an endurance car until it literally fell apart. It has now since been repaired.

I was able to make the stock M3 suction jet hose work and used an e28 heater core hose for the crankbase breather. Slammed into the car to make the dyno day

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Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr


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Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr
Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr




Did a string alignment to see that Hunter Machine was off on the LR. Why car was feeling a bit weird. Strings ftw. Finally doing toe out.

4mm total front toe out
2mm toe in for the rear
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[samthejam]

I have been working on more S54 stuff. This car needed some wiring changes done.

Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr
Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr

Also was a traveling mechanic for this guy to fix his EML codes. Ended up being he incorrectly rewired replacement plug for TPS sensor. But also installed genuine pedal and all genuine TPS.

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I saw an old AFE Intake sitting there and asked about and he gave it to me. So been finding the missing bits and getting that ready to go in the car. One of things I wanted to do was since going Alpha N was make an adapter to put the IAT in the spot where the MAF is. Just so it was fully reversible and I like that it's measuring temp where BMW intended it too. Right now it's shoved into the airbox to keep car mobile. Using the AFE intake as an excuse to get off my ass and design that. I finally found a use for the cheap Amazon MAFs! Cut it up and used that to get the dimensions, everything was offset and at weird radiuses. Right now it is printed with PETG but will reprint with ASA when that comes in. I could get it made with Send Cut Send or something, but I think plastic should be fine.

Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr
Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr
Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr
Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr
Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr
Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr
Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr

Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr

A lot of work to install an intake that who knows if it's better than stock. But this is the most I've felt like I've used my engineering degree since I graduated lol. Really weirdly dimensioned part so that was fun to get pretty close. Still need to 3D print or cobble together some heatshield that is missing, waiting on edge protector and a brand new AFE filter. So I can have two to rotate through.



Also weighed the car. that's with close to a full tank.
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Went with CSL alignment settings for Toe this go around, max toe in allowed for rear on them
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Going to string align it tonight and verify what that is in real world mm for toe settings so I can diy that later on.

[samthejam]

Gonna take a DME with your other tune and compare?

I had a dyno with the HTE OTS Tune, so I can compare to that 'ish. Different dyno and weather so sort've Apple and Oranges but good enough for me.

It's Alpha-N so with him mandatory to strap it on a dyno and make sure everything is happy, that's the main reason I am going.

[George Hill]

Also on Epic DME software now... I have a dyno day scheduled soon, so going to get that soon.

Gonna take a DME with your other tune and compare?

[samthejam]

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41k miles of love and 75W-140.

[samthejam]

Diff pinion shaft seal reached critical mass
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Only real pictures I got of it were the marks I did for the pinion nut.
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Pressed in another diff bushing
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A random pic of reassembly
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Oh I also installed some used takeoff Bimmerworld Race Camber Arms, my originals definitely were tired and deflecting

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Had to weld up the Bimmerworld exhaust some more
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Also on Epic DME software now! MAF is no more, per his recc I went that route. Super happy with drivability and idle. I was worried about that, I have a dyno day scheduled soon, so going to get that soon.

Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr

Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr

[samthejam]

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Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr
Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr
Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr
Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr

Painted the bumper came out good, very happy with it. Probably won't even end up doing a cut and polish on it.

I think I will have to redo the hood at some point. It is like hazing? idk what it is but in most cases it doesn't really show up. Here I was able to catch it in the camera well. Now that the wax is off you can tell in direct lighting. I will probably just wax it often Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr

But for a daily/track beater thing. It's more than good enough for me. Just want to finish up fixing some fitment issues on right side and call it a day.

Redoing hood will be much later down the line. It's been great to learn how to do all this and not have to take it a shop.

[samthejam]

bigjae46


That rotor went on for years after lol
Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr
Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr

Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr
Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr
Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr

[bigjae46]

Turn 6, I have that picture somewhere. He is completely out of it now, he is building a datsun roadster and a E12 rehab. He is into just doing projects in his shop mainly. I have been woring on getting him to come out in that. I doubt he will take his E92 M3, or his E28. Just my dumbass carrying the torch.

I remember that because I had the same wheels on my car that day. I was quite worried...but I drove anyway lol

[samthejam]

Is your dad going to ever be back on track? Wasn't he the victim of a D-Force wheel failing on the front straight at TWS.

Turn 6, I have that picture somewhere. He is completely out of it now, he is building a datsun roadster and a E12 rehab. He is into just doing projects in his shop mainly. I have been woring on getting him to come out in that. I doubt he will take his E92 M3, or his E28. Just my dumbass carrying the torch.

[bigjae46]

Is your dad going to ever be back on track? Wasn't he the victim of a D-Force wheel failing on the front straight at TWS.

[samthejam]

So there have been two thing growing fairly annoying somewhat exponentially. I have been using this to focus on my E28 (https://forums.mye28.com/viewtopic.p...6811&start=300) so I can kind've more slowly approach the M3.

I just got it patched up in a more enjoyable state to daily drive but it still needs more times and money to be cherry. Anyways, the two big annoying items is the diff clunk. I'm glad it isn't the rear floor. I refreshed all of that, so I am surprised it is that front bushing but that is okay. I can replace it and will reseal the front of the diff at the same time. Not sure if I will do OE cover at that time.

Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr
Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr



The other thing is I can tell the front FCABs are getting tired with clunks, lack of front end precision and some tire wear. It had some used AKG ones, I put in to make an event and forgot they were in there. They did what poly does on rotating parts, fail.
I was going to do Ground Control FCABs bought them used and pressed them into housings. I much preferred the GC design on paper, however they were a pain in the ass due to how tight their tolerances are on everything. Not sure if it was my drivers side control arm or what but it did not want to go together. I gave up and went back to the Bimmerworld TrackCABs which I also don't really like but they are very easily serviced and rebuild is cheap with overnight always available.

Now when I got the car and did the rod bearings, I was delighted to find two crossthreaded FCAB bolts. I was able to tap both and get some threads to hold torque. This is the side that had the control arm fail with the 50lb 20 inch wheels so it has had a lot of trauma. One of those FCAB bolts would require a retap any time it was disturbed. This side is so questionable, I'll stage the torque. Start at 10 and work up the 44 ft lbs. Threads came right out on the one I usually have to retap. Simply just no more material.

Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr
Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr
Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr


As you can imagine, I begun to panic. I called my dad as I remembered on his he had the same issue. He still had a fixture to drill it straight and all the tools to helicoil as well as the helicoils from when he did it 11 years ago. Sometimes you have to ask for help, so I did and he saved my fucking ass. I also saw someone selling TrackCABs new in box, so picked those up locally. I plan to modify my other set to better retain the bushing as that is my main gripe with them, I like how easily serviceable and cheap to rebuild but its stupid that bushing isn't retained. As you can see I have hoseclamp to help retain this. I have seen this around the paddock on other cars.

Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr
Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr
Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr
Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr
Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr

[samthejam]

Random Side Quest,

I believe long term is to just buy a tune from Epic be locked out, because having knobs to play with will make me go insane. I also want to do time trial this or next year moreso next year.

But anyways, if I will be locked out it will be on separate DME not my only one. The engine I bought came with it, so it has been test mule for learning some more, I refuse to buy the ECUworkz tool.

Don't have a pic of the final harness tidied up, but validating I did it correctly. Was very straight forward.

Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr
Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr

Fun little side quest, was to make a bench harness, flash euro firmware on it and do all the deletes. So I did a full program flash and did all the specific changes like GPS stuff for my car and all the other mods with headers. EWS Delete etc. Also to validate everything I need for no CEL on my car as well. So went to the yard bought connectors from a non-m and pinned in the canbus, soldered it up and got a power supply off Amazon.

The Euro software definitely isn't as strong but you can tell it's much better calibrated for idle and all that. Which of course makes sense. I have an HTE flash, on my other DME. I have a few experiments I want to give a gander, but can't find a tool I found on wayback from m3forum where someone made a tool to better visualize cam timing changes. But I want to verify some injection timing changes with some vanos changes see if there is a correlation with how they are messed with together.
But anyways yea random side quest to make sure the DME works. I want to see if I can give it ago applying the performance changes to the euro firmware, also need to research playing with the axis values or just interpolate it with python or excel in some way.