Show all posts by user
QuoteBob P 325is 88
It is a bit of a misnomer to call the cooling stage an evaporator. Actually, the cooling effect at the so-called evaporator is through the rapid expansion of the liquid (refrigerant) through the expansion valve at the evaporator, which is really just a heat exchanger. Most of the refrigerant turns to a cold gas, (the gas cools due to the Joule-Thompson effect). Any liqui
by
John Yust
-
Technical Forum
QuoteBob P 325is 88
That's because the compressor did not kick in when the outside temperature was below about 4 C. How would you know since you are warming the air anyway? There is no need to have air conditioning in addition to heating to dehumidify the air to defrost or demist when the temperatures are below 0 C, since the outside air is already dry. There is a point (temperature) wh
by
John Yust
-
Technical Forum
QuoteEarendil
The Bentley describes too much play very poorly (i.e. without numerical values).
However after spending another hour getting my car off the ground, taking the heat shield off, and grabbing the rear wheels and twisting them, I think I found one of the sources of my clunking.
Read of the drive shaft, as it goes into the diff.
Front of drive shaft, before it goes into the tra
by
John Yust
-
Technical Forum
QuoteEarendil
I realized my question wasn't quite clear, unless maybe you read between the lines.
I'm going to replace the rear seal on the transmission. Does getting to this rear seal (wwhich presumably is sealing something) open up the transmission to losing oil?
Thanks
No. A few drops will probably leak out, but the oil level is below the seal.
With that said, it's a
by
John Yust
-
Technical Forum
QuoteEarendil
Outside of giving tips and advice along the way, what else might I replace while I have all of this apart. I'm thinking things similar to seals, bushings, other $5 parts that require $200 worth of labor to get to. I'll probably replace the drive shaft bearings (name?) while I'm under there as well. Anything else?
It's probably a good idea to replace the re
by
John Yust
-
Technical Forum
QuoteEarendil
Humm. I'm a computer science graduate, not an electrical engineer student. I'd love to graphically model and run calculations on this electrical magic using software, if you provide me with an electrical engineer
If you asked ME specifically about efficiencies, my apologies for missing that question.
Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to insult you like that. I though
by
John Yust
-
Technical Forum
Quotewodcutr
Here's a LINK. It is not the direct article of NASA, but it quotes from it so you should be able to get there from here!
I think if you make a claim that NASA said something you should prove it, not send me on a wild goose chase. I'm not trying to be obnoxious. I just don't think you've successfully made your case yet.
John
by
John Yust
-
Community Forum
QuoteEarendil
A trip over to wikipedia sites a source saying that car alternators have an efficiency between 50% and 62%.
So worst case an alternator will eat 3.2hp, plus other resistance associated with the pulley system.
What about the efficiency of an electric motor of the size required to run the fan? I looked up the v-belt efficiency and I asked you about the electric motor efficien
by
John Yust
-
Technical Forum
Quotewodcutr
Well now we have the official verdict on global warming. NASA has declared that the earth's warming is due to the sun and not caused by humans.
Got a link? I looked and I didn't see anything that. I'd like to see a link to the statement by NASA officially declaring that global warming is due to the sun and not humans. That should be easy to find, if it's real.
by
John Yust
-
Community Forum
Careful, Peter. I'm sure you remember, I got flamed for posting just such a comment on the old forum.
Tyler, I would take that bet. A properly adjusted V-belt can have an efficiency in the high 90's. How efficient is the electric motor you would use in that set-up? And you also have to account for the losses from converting the power from crank rotation to electric.
In either cas
by
John Yust
-
Technical Forum
Looking at the pictures Ferd posted, and considering the symptoms posted under the "swine flu" thread, makes me think the whole swine flu episode was due to the stuff that's in the muffler now working it's way down the pipe. It looks like it might be a good time to start shopping for a new exhaust system.
Give the catalytic converter a couple of smacks (when it's cool)
by
John Yust
-
Technical Forum
QuoteEarendil
Update: I'm still getting good gas millage, without cause. I don't know what was wrong, but for now, it's working great.
<snip>
For the record, On the long desert drive back home, I was averaging 23mpg at 70mph. Not bad for a 20 y.o. car if I do say so myself
That doesn't look all that good to me. I get 29 mpg at 70 to 80 mph. Of course, I have an eta,
by
John Yust
-
Technical Forum
Quotebushhog
Thanks for all the comments. I plan to get under the car tomorrow to check the trans. mounts. Can I tell anything about the shifter bushings, etc. by pushing, pulling, etc. from underneath?
With respect to the synchro -- I have always understood (though I have never rebuilt a trans.) that a synchro. generally served two gears (e.g., 1st and 3rd, 2nd and 4th). If so, wouldn
by
John Yust
-
Technical Forum
Quotealanrw
Well, I think that is my question, I found that the windshield doesn't go into the groove all at once. You can pretty much get it into the groove on the cowl side of the gasket and then you have to work around the pillars and roof side of the gasket (Unless you are an octopus and have a twin brother). So I guess what I am looking for is a tip?
alan
What I did was start at th
by
John Yust
-
Technical Forum
Quotealanrw
I removed the lockstrip, popped out the old windshied, soaped up the gasket, slid the new windshield in, got the gasket worked around when I was at the last 4 inches and the windshield cracked!! Oh well, it was only $30.
Any tips on replacing the windshield?
alan
Maybe the soap made it too slippery. That might have stressed the windshield to have some of it not in the gas
by
John Yust
-
Technical Forum
QuoteJohn Yust
I know I could improve my odds of winning by actually buying a ticket. I might try that too. I got laid-off on Feb.5, so I need to do something about improving the cash flow into my house. Maybe I should just take all the money I have and buy lottery tickets. That should pretty much guarantee that I win, right?
John
Remember this old thread? I thought I would dig it up so I c
by
John Yust
-
Community Forum
QuoteDave_G
That was exactly the thing that jumped out at me right away, too, when I first found the old BEN. When I got my first E30 I began looking around the Internet for a discussion forum because, well, that's just what you do these days. I was surprised to find at least seven or eight active forums, but some of them made me feel like adult wandering into a kids' schoolyard fight.
by
John Yust
-
Community Forum
QuoteEarendil
Parts that slowed us down:
1. The passenger side control arm bolt, the center one that goes up into the frame. The position of the engine mount and the exhaust pipe makes this think impossible to get to without special tools (or at least more special than we had).
~Tyler
I get at this one by removing the nut from the bottom of the motor mount on that side and jacking the e
by
John Yust
-
Technical Forum
QuoteJohn Yust
I use 89
John
D'oh! I mean 87. The cheap stuff. That's what I meant to type. No knocking at all, even under hard acceleration up hills. My car is an '87 325, which is an eta.
John
by
John Yust
-
Technical Forum
Quotenomis3613
Hi folks,
Stand back because I'm opening a can of worms here on a topic that many are more passionate about than religion!
What octane is best for a 1989 (motronic v1.3) 325i?
The choices here in Australia are 10% ethanol (no way!!!), standard 91, premium 95 and ultimate 98. I'm that there is perhaps an increase in mileage, power and general engine happiness in g
by
John Yust
-
Technical Forum
QuoteEarendil
As for whether I use the M3 bushings or not, that comes down entirely to tire ware I guess. I don't need a little extra snap in the steering wheel at the cost of tread, but there seems to be two opinions on that matter above, and they are in disagreement. I don't want to discourage anyone from giving an opinion that they aren't 100% sure about, otherwise we all woul
by
John Yust
-
Technical Forum
Here's my pipe clamp CA bushing press rig.
That's a socket for clearance over the end of the arm, pressing the bushing onto the arm. I needed three hands to get this all set up.
John
by
John Yust
-
Technical Forum
QuoteEarendil
John, you weren't so happy with the CA bushings off ebay, but the rest of the equipment was decent? If I end up getting the bushings+bracket elsewhere, what would you think?
Also, are the M3 solid bushings worth the extra $40? Or am I paying for the bragging rights of saying I have an M3 part on my car?
I would definitely recommend getting the bushing somewhere else.
by
John Yust
-
Technical Forum
QuoteEarendil
Bilsteins are on the list, but they are on the long-term-after-I-have-a-steady-income list ;-)
Better go ahead and get the Bilsteins now. The steady income thing is a lot like Santa and the Easter Bunny.
John
by
John Yust
-
Technical Forum
QuoteEarendil
QuoteJohn YustThose links are easy to replace. I'm not sure about how much trouble the rubber bushings are, but none of those parts should be causing your steering to have play. Those are all parts that add stiffness to the suspension. If the "tire dude" didn't show you loose tie rod ends or worn out ball joints on the control arms or worn out control arm bus
by
John Yust
-
Technical Forum
Keep it under 90 and you don't have a problem, right?
Those links are easy to replace. I'm not sure about how much trouble the rubber bushings are, but none of those parts should be causing your steering to have play. Those are all parts that add stiffness to the suspension. If the "tire dude" didn't show you loose tie rod ends or worn out ball joints on the control a
by
John Yust
-
Technical Forum
QuoteArcheo-peteriX
Maybe use it to run a wire mess display of the fuel mapping as it changes in real time...that would be cool
Wire mess? You mean like that mess under the dash that looks like spaghetti?
by
John Yust
-
Technical Forum
QuoteEarendil
<snip>
If I knew how to get input from the instrument cluster (or the ECU) into a computer port, I could write a program to track and graph all observable data over a period of time, and save said data.
<snip>
And then do what with this data?
by
John Yust
-
Technical Forum
QuoteEarendil
Exactly! Which is why when I graduate from Uni with a B.S. in CompSci here in a few months, I'm taking the next 40 damn years off.
That's the way it works, right?
No, but if your career goes like mine, you'll get plenty of time of that you didn't expect.
John
by
John Yust
-
Technical Forum
The numbers on the sidewall are maximums. BMW recommends 29 front and 32 rear in the book that came with my '87 325, so that's what I use. That seems to work OK for just normal around town driving, which is about all I do. It does look like the front tires wear a little faster at the outer edges, which indicates a little under-inflation, but it isn't bad.
John
by
John Yust
-
Technical Forum