Re: <e30> looking for more power!

[Luis Marques <marques@xxxxxx>]

Jake Abramson <BMW@domain.elided> wrote:
>
> I have an '84 318i auto w/ 168,000 miles.  Even though the car is 15
> years old, i know it had to have more power than this.  I haven't
> timed the acceleration, but 0-60 has to be in the 10-12 second range,
> if not more. Are there any adjustments i can make to get a bit more
> power out of it?  My A/C is shot, and looking like 700-1000 to convert
> to new standards, so i was thinking of just pulling the whole thing
> for weight, which should help considerably.  Any other suggestions
> would be great.

I used to have an '85 318i.  It's wasn't a rocket off the line, but once
it was at speed, it could move quite decently for a 100 hp car.  Other
than a failed head gasket at around 140k mi, the engine was bulletproof
with regular high-speed drives.  I put in 325 front vented brakes to
help with slowing down from 110-120 mph ;)  Yes, removing the A/C will
improve the power-to-weight ratio marginally and remove some weight off
the front.  Besides dropping in a small six, there just aren't many cost
effective alternatives.

These are the practical things you can do to it: 1) make sure its in
tune.  Check the ignition wires, distributor cap, plugs, oxygen sensor,
mixture, etc. and make sure they're all OK.  2) Advance the ignition
timing.  I can't remember how much advance I was running - depended on
fuel, type of driving, etc. Just make sure it's not pinging.  This alone
can give you 10% more power!  And it's free.  3) bypass the solenoid
that controls the vacuum advance in the distributor.  4) remove the
damper in the fuel rail.  It's only there to reduce fuel injection
noises and could hurt performance. I was eliminated in the '85 model
year.  5) reroute the charcoal canister to vent into the airbox and not
the manifold.

That's about it for easy mods.  Then there are headers, exhausts,
high-power ignitions, lower-geared differentials, but the price,
quality, and maintenance can vary greatly.  It all depends on what type
of driving you do.

BTW, if you redo the suspension, you will be able to keep up with much
higher hp cars in the twisties, or even pass them ;)  A short shift kit
will make it even more enjoyable to drive.  but before you begin to
modify it a whole lot, ask yourself if it is worth it, or if selling it
and getting a 325 is a better alternative with the larger engine and
rear disc brakes and all.  HTH

Luis Marques
'97 328i

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