Alcran

Fair play. Thanks for clearing that up, I must gave gotten confused with a new ecu and tune on a turbo, i thought the gains that had were pretty crazy All the best Alc

Thats the whole reason im asking, I was trying to find out if it was worth it, I've seen so much rubbish online saying new ecu can provide you with extra hp at low costs etc, other people saying its rubbish, I thought i would post in here and get my answers, might as well ask the nicest people on the internetz 0.o So just get the uprev and go with that? thanks guys

Afternoon gents & ladies. I have a question, regarding ECU/upgrade. Slightly confused, I was wondering what the benefits would be to have an upgraded ECU, I assume this would be best done at the same time as uprev with the new ECU installed at the same time. My current understanding that a decent ECU (hardware) alone can cost in the region of £600 to £1200 and with tuning which could be around £1800 ish in total. Would that be about right or am i off by miles? Also, what types of Ecu's are out there? Has anyone had installed a new ECU and what types and what have you found the results to be like. I.e better mpg better response. more umph etc also what was involved? And was it worth the money? thanks for reading All the best Alc

Hello peeps, Been looking into a new pulley system, so i took to reading all sorts, and i came across this, I would like your views. This has been copied from a page and pasted. No doubt most of you guys know about this, but just in case not everyone knows i thought it would be a interesting read I have been threatening for a long time to write a series of technical articles to educate consumers and to dispel misconceptions that exist about automotive after-market technology. Motivated by problems with customer's cars resulting from the installation of power pulleys, I wish to explain the potential dangers of these products and address the damage they cause to engines. The theory behind the power pulley is that a reduction in the speed of the accessory drive will minimize the parasitic losses that rob power from the engine. Parasitic power losses are a result of the energy that the engine uses to turn accessory components such as the alternator and water pump, instead of producing power for acceleration. In an attempt to minimize this energy loss, many companies claim to produce additional power by removing the harmonic damper and replacing it with a lightweight assembly. While a small power gain can be realized, there are a significant number of potential problems associated with this modification, some that are small and one which is particularly large and damaging! The popular method for making power pulleys on E36 engines is by removing the harmonic damper and replacing it with a lightweight alloy assembly. This is a very dangerous product because this damper is essential to the longevity of an engine. The substitution of this part often results in severe engine damage. It is also important to understand that while the engine in a BMW is designed by a team of qualified engineers, these power pulleys are created and installed by people who do not understand some very important principles of physics. I would first like to give a brief explanation of these principles which are critical to the proper operation of an engine. 1) Elastic Deformation Though it is common belief that large steel parts such as crankshafts are rigid and inflexible, this is not true. When a force acts on a crank it bends, flexes and twists just as a rubber band would. While this movement is often very small, it can have a significant impact on how an engine functions. 2) Natural Frequency All objects have a natural frequency that they resonate (vibrate) at when struck with a hammer. An everyday example of this is a tuning fork. The sound that a particular fork makes is directly related to the frequency that it is vibrating at. This is its "natural frequency," that is dictated by the size, shape and material of the instrument. Just like a tuning fork, a crankshaft has a natural frequency that it vibrates at when struck. An important aspect of this principle is that when an object is exposed to a heavily amplified order of its own natural frequency, it will begin to resonate with increasing vigor until it vibrates itself to pieces (fatigue failure). 3) Fatigue Failure Fatigue failure is when a material, metal in this case, breaks from repeated twisting or bending. A paper clip makes a great example. Take a paper clip and flex it back and forth 90° or so. After about 10 oscillations the paper clip will break of fatigue failure. The explanation of the destructive nature of power pulleys begins with the two basic balance and vibration modes in an internal combustion engine. It is of great importance that these modes are understood as being separate and distinct. 1) The vibration of the engine and its rigid components caused by the imbalance of the rotating and reciprocating parts. This is why we have counterweights on the crankshaft to offset the mass of the piston and rod as well as the reason for balancing the components in the engine. 2) The vibration of the engine components due to their individual elastic deformations. These deformations are a result of the periodic combustion impulses that create torsional forces on the crankshaft and camshaft. These torques excite the shafts into sequential orders of vibration, and lateral oscillation. Engine vibration of this sort is counteracted by the harmonic damper and is the primary subject of this paper. Torsional Vibration (Natural Frequency) Every time a cylinder fires, the force twists the crankshaft. When the cylinder stops firing the force ceases to act and the crankshaft starts to return to the untwisted position. However, the crankshaft will overshoot and begin to twist in the opposite direction, and then back again. Though this back-and-forth twisting motion decays over a number of repetitions due to internal friction, the frequency of vibration remains unique to the particular crankshaft. This motion is complicated in the case of a crankshaft because the amplitude of the vibration varies along the shaft. The crankshaft will experience torsional vibrations of the greatest amplitude at the point furthest from the flywheel or load. The Danger of Power Pulleys & Understanding the Harmonic Damper BY STEVE DINAN OF DINAN BMW I have been threatening for a long time to write a series of technical articles to educate consumers and to dispel misconceptions that exist about automotive after-market technology. Motivated by problems with customer's cars resulting from the installation of power pulleys, I wish to explain the potential dangers of these products and address the damage they cause to engines. The theory behind the power pulley is that a reduction in the speed of the accessory drive will minimize the parasitic losses that rob power from the engine. Parasitic power losses are a result of the energy that the engine uses to turn accessory components such as the alternator and water pump, instead of producing power for acceleration. In an attempt to minimize this energy loss, many companies claim to produce additional power by removing the harmonic damper and replacing it with a lightweight assembly. While a small power gain can be realized, there are a significant number of potential problems associated with this modification, some that are small and one which is particularly large and damaging! The popular method for making power pulleys on E36 engines is by removing the harmonic damper and replacing it with a lightweight alloy assembly. This is a very dangerous product because this damper is essential to the longevity of an engine. The substitution of this part often results in severe engine damage. It is also important to understand that while the engine in a BMW is designed by a team of qualified engineers, these power pulleys are created and installed by people who do not understand some very important principles of physics. I would first like to give a brief explanation of these principles which are critical to the proper operation of an engine. 1) Elastic Deformation Though it is common belief that large steel parts such as crankshafts are rigid and inflexible, this is not true. When a force acts on a crank it bends, flexes and twists just as a rubber band would. While this movement is often very small, it can have a significant impact on how an engine functions. 2) Natural Frequency All objects have a natural frequency that they resonate (vibrate) at when struck with a hammer. An everyday example of this is a tuning fork. The sound that a particular fork makes is directly related to the frequency that it is vibrating at. This is its "natural frequency," that is dictated by the size, shape and material of the instrument. Just like a tuning fork, a crankshaft has a natural frequency that it vibrates at when struck. An important aspect of this principle is that when an object is exposed to a heavily amplified order of its own natural frequency, it will begin to resonate with increasing vigor until it vibrates itself to pieces (fatigue failure). 3) Fatigue Failure Fatigue failure is when a material, metal in this case, breaks from repeated twisting or bending. A paper clip makes a great example. Take a paper clip and flex it back and forth 90° or so. After about 10 oscillations the paper clip will break of fatigue failure. The explanation of the destructive nature of power pulleys begins with the two basic balance and vibration modes in an internal combustion engine. It is of great importance that these modes are understood as being separate and distinct. 1) The vibration of the engine and its rigid components caused by the imbalance of the rotating and reciprocating parts. This is why we have counterweights on the crankshaft to offset the mass of the piston and rod as well as the reason for balancing the components in the engine. 2) The vibration of the engine components due to their individual elastic deformations. These deformations are a result of the periodic combustion impulses that create torsional forces on the crankshaft and camshaft. These torques excite the shafts into sequential orders of vibration, and lateral oscillation. Engine vibration of this sort is counteracted by the harmonic damper and is the primary subject of this paper. Torsional Vibration (Natural Frequency) Every time a cylinder fires, the force twists the crankshaft. When the cylinder stops firing the force ceases to act and the crankshaft starts to return to the untwisted position. However, the crankshaft will overshoot and begin to twist in the opposite direction, and then back again. Though this back-and-forth twisting motion decays over a number of repetitions due to internal friction, the frequency of vibration remains unique to the particular crankshaft. This motion is complicated in the case of a crankshaft because the amplitude of the vibration varies along the shaft. The crankshaft will experience torsional vibrations of the greatest amplitude at the point furthest from the flywheel or load. Harmonic (sine wave) Torque Curves Each time a cylinder fires, force is translated through the piston and the connecting rod to the crankshaft pin. This force is then applied tangentially to, and causes the rotation of the crankshaft. The sequence of forces that the crankshaft is subjected to is commonly organized into variable tangential torque curves that in turn can be resolved into either a constant mean torque curve or an infinite number of sine wave torque curves. These curves, known as harmonics, follow orders that depend on the number of complete vibrations (cylinder pulses) per revolution. Accordingly, the tangential crankshaft torque is comprised of many harmonics of varying amplitudes and frequencies. This is where the name "harmonic damper" originates. Critical RPM's When the crankshaft is revolving at an RPM such that the torque frequency, or one of the harmonic sine wave frequencies coincides with the natural frequency of the shaft, resonance occurs. Thus, the crankshaft RPM at which this resonance occurs is known a critical speed. A modern automobile engine will commonly pass through multiple critical speeds over the range of its possible RPM's. These speeds are categorized into either major or minor critical RPM's. Major and Minor Critical RPM’s Major and minor critical RPM's are different due to the fact that some harmonics assist one another in producing large vibrations, whereas other harmonics cancel each other out. Hence, the important critical RPM’s have harmonics that build on one another to amplify the torsional motion of the crankshaft. These critical RPM’s are know as the "major criticals". Conversely, the "minor criticals" exist at RPM's that tend to cancel and damp the oscillations of the crankshaft. If the RPM remains at or near one of the major criticals for any length of time, fatigue failure of the crankshaft is probable. Major critical RPM’s are dangerous, and either must be avoided or properly damped. Additionally, smaller but still serious problems can result from an undamped crankshaft. The oscillation of the crankshaft at a major critical speed will commonly sheer the front crank pulley and the flywheel from the crankshaft. I have witnessed front pulley hub keys being sheered, flywheels coming loose, and clutch covers coming apart. These failures have often required crankshaft and/or gearbox replacement. Harmonic Dampers Crankshaft failure can be prevented by mounting some form of vibration damper at the front end of the crankshaft that is capable of absorbing and dissipating the majority of the vibratory energy. Once absorbed by the damper the energy is released in the form of heat, making adequate cooling a necessity. This heat dissipation was visibly essential in Tom Milner's PTG racing M3 which channeled air from the brake ducts to the harmonic damper, in order to keep the damper at optimal operating temperatures. While there are various types of torsional vibration dampers, BMW engines are primarily designed with "tuned rubber" dampers. It is also important to note that while the large springs of a dual mass flywheel absorb some of the torsional impulses conveyed to the crankshaft, they are not harmonic dampers, and are only responsible for a small reduction in vibration. In addition to the crankshaft issue, other problems can result from slowing down the accessories below their designed speeds, particularly at idle. Slowing the alternator down can result in reduced charging of the battery, dimming of the lights, and computer malfunctions. Slowing of the water pump and fan can result in warm running, while slowing of the power steering can cause stiff steering at idle and groaning noises. It is possible to implement design corrections and avoid these scenarios, but this would require additional components and/or software. Our motto at Dinan is "Performance without sacrifice" We feel our customers expect ultra high performance along with the legendary comfort and reliability of a standard BMW. While it is common that a Dinan BMW is the fastest BMW you can buy, performance is not our only goal. Dinan isn't just trying to make the fastest car. Instead a host of considerations go into the development of our products. Dinan puts much more effort into these other areas than does our competition. These considerations are Performance, Reliability (Warranty), Driveability, Emissions, Value, Fit and Finish. We feel that the power pulley is a bad way to get extra power from and engine and the potential for serious engine damage is too great. This is a simplified explanation meant to be comprehensible by those who are not automotive engineers. In trying to simplify an extremely complex topic some precision was sacrificed although we believe this explanation to be as accurate as possible. We encourage our customers to educate themselves and understand the automotive after-market because we believe that our products are the best researched, engineered, and fabricated products available. For those interested in a more in depth and technical explanation of this topic, the reference book is Advanced Engine Technology, written by Heinz Heisler MSc,BSc,FIMI,MIRTE,MCIT. Heinz Heisler is the Head of Transportation Studies at The College of North West London. His book is distributed in this country by the SAE Although its for a zimmer i can imagine its the same for all engines Regards A

Nope that came through as gobblely gook 0.o

Hello peeps. I'm looking to get a some new belts and lightweight pully set. Does anyone have a particular brand they use or have used and found them to be better than others? All the best Alcran

Just want to say had my Y pipe, center and back box installed over the weekend and it sounds phat. Must have made at least 5 children cry on the way home.

Cars still in, had a slight issue, before i had the car it had been living next to the seaside. the bottom of the car looked terrible. So i had the guys strip the entire underbody of rust and reseal it all. which is almost done So I (fingers crossed) should have it tomorrow, However i will have to get the upreve next month now as i had to use a large portion of my budget on the cleanup Alc

You remember the original Robocop, when that guy goes into the toxic waste then Murphy slams him over the car - well that's what the brace looks like

Hello everyone. My car is currently in the shop. Im currently having the under neath of the car cleaned of rust and then resealed. However some of the sub sections are in poor state. Does anyone know where i can get some aftermarket under braces to replace the fubard oem ones Im currently waiting for pics i'll add when they arrive all the best Alc

Ive been looking in ebay, and i never saw that, guess i'll have to change my search wording, cheers azure

Hello peeps, I Need one of these OEM (03 fairlady) (new) if possible. if not OEM something to replace it but not too pricey If anyone can point me in the right direction that would be fab Cheers Alc

Right time to update I have ordered and awaiting delivery 1,Plenum spacer (From the lovely wasso )Cheers for that mate 2. Y pipe Cobra from CS, thanks guys, who we're also really nice to speak with 3,HKS panel filter 4, High flow Cats 5. remap all booked in for the 16th may Alc

Welcome Bramers also from Hampshire here Basingstoke

Thanks for that AD, yea its a killer

Question from the blonde one here. High flow cats, and sports cats are two different cats? Or are they the same thing ( i assume they are different) just want to make sure. What would the price be on a single High flow cat or is it possible to get a discount in buying two? cheers Alc

oh i see VQ35DE, gotcha

If you dont ask you dont get. So whats the difference between the Y pipes for imports and standard, noticed you've added DE Alc

How do i get on this band wagon? Looking for a Y pipe for a Fairlady and a hot blonde if any are on offer

I thought it was nice with the head cam, provides a different experience,

Hello, I saw this last night on youTube, If you've not seen it before you should enjoy it Alcran,

Hello to Pagey & Corbsy And A9 yes i believe i would remember your motor

Helllo, I've seen a few zeds in and around Basingstoke over the past few weeks are you on here? Also had a silver roadster on my six in basingview

I must have missed you two by minutes, I went that way after seeing my old man in Bracknell.

Thanks guys, and Mike, My thoughts also. My current exhaust sounds really nice, has a great mid tone rumble to it, and if its possible to get the work done with my current setup up, i'll do it, if its not, i'll get whats been suggested in here. Thanks all