Should I try an E36 project? Clutch going.

#1

If the rear end of #6 seems to function,that would include the E-brake somponents not coming apart inside of the rear rotors, I’ll be looking for another project. I think that the clutch on the E36 is going. Should I DIY?

#2

Sure. Can’t be any more difficult than the E30. I look forward to Ranger’s E36 Clutch Install #6 thread in the future.

#3

Dammit Scott…race cars do not have emergency brakes. Chuck

#4

What do y’all think, should I ditch the E-brakes? Dropping a little unsprung weight is never bad, and it would make the rear hubs simpler. Simple is good.

The E-brakes have been handy, but boy it sure wouldn’t take much to pop those little spring loaded pins out of the backing plates. The design just seems, I dunno,…fragile. I’m kinda inclined to pull them out so I don’t have to worry that they’re going to hold together. I

#5

Having had my parking brake working until my epic rear brake failure a couple weekends ago and not having it working now, there is no way I would remove it. I have read multiple articles where it was ditched in an effort to improve weight and then the owners found a need or wished they had it back. Just not having to turn the car off every time I move it and need to get out is reason enough for me. The ground isn’t always flat. This is most commonly when loading and unloading the car from the trailer.

#6

QFT, my car doesn’t have parking brakes and i wish to FSM that it did. loading on /off the trailer sucks. sitting on grid on a non-level surface sucks. warming up the motor while strapping in sucks. rolling the car in/out of the garage sucks.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i28UEoLXVFQ

#7

That’s a good point about idling the car. Being unable to idle the car w/o a wheel chock would be a pita.

#8

Then there is the case where the parking brake becomes the action of last resort if you loose all brakes. While they won’t stop the car nearly as well, they will take off speed. That could make the difference between hitting the wall and just going off track.

#9

In 25 years of racing I have never had, thought about, or needed and e-brake!

Pulled that b… out my car and never looked back!

If you have two feet then you can warm up your car on any grid or paddock known to man…

C’mon now

#10

Race cars don’t have e-brakes. I don’t find it hard to load my trailer without and have never wished I had an e-brake. The lack of e-brake is not an issue idling on grid at RA, Mid-O, Putnam, CMP, or any other track I can think of. They do add sprung weight so remove them. I’m just sayin’…

#11

Old racers say remove, youngsters say keep. Consider this…going in to 10a at road Atlanta your brake pedal goes to the floor…do you really think you are going to yank up the emergency brake???

Its extra weight/complexity/failure point, etc. Proceed at your own risk. CB

#12

Last summer I experienced a sudden brake line failure going into 10a and the pedal did in fact go to the floor. I didn’t have an e-brake to fuss with, but my hands were very busy steering in an attempt to scrub speed before going off. It worked and the only damage to the car was the brake line. IMHO, there will be too much going on to use the e-brake a brake failure situation…

I’m 34 and say remove!

#13

Whether you could, or would is an open question, but if you’ve removed the parking brake you’ve removed that option.

#14

[quote=“cwbaader” post=56207]Old racers say remove, youngsters say keep. Consider this…going in to 10a at road Atlanta your brake pedal goes to the floor…do you really think you are going to yank up the emergency brake???

Its extra weight/complexity/failure point, etc. Proceed at your own risk. CB[/quote]I agree with Chuck. :blink: :slight_smile:

#15

Clutch failed at work yesterday. Pedal goes to the floor with no resistance. Brought the trailer to work and just pushed the E36 on to it.

#16

Sounds like a slave cylinder problem, not clutch. CB

#17

I’ve not dealt with a failing/failed slave before. I don’t see any leaking brake fluid. Does the absence of leakage kill the slave cyl theory or is there a way that it could still be the slave? It sure would be nice if that was the problem.

I’m going to try like heck to get the E36 up on jackstands in my driveway and pull off the slave tonight. It should be easy enough to test if it works. After my struggles bleeding the E30’s slave cyl last month I bought a little fixture that holds the slave’s piston in.

#18

I agree this sounds like a failure in the clutch hydraulics. Check for leaks at the slave and lines and replace parts as indicated. If there are no leaks at the slave or lines, replace the master cylinder.

When one (master or slave) fails I replace both on the theory that the other is of the same age and will soon fail.

#19

Had that same symptom on a Honda and a Mazda and it was the salve cylinder both times. Both cars were pushing 150,000 when they had the issue.

Hope its that easy for you.

#20

I’ve not dealt with a failing/failed slave before. I don’t see any leaking brake fluid. Does the absence of leakage kill the slave cyl theory or is there a way that it could still be the slave? It sure would be nice if that was the problem.

I’m going to try like heck to get the E36 up on jackstands in my driveway and pull off the slave tonight. It should be easy enough to test if it works. After my struggles bleeding the E30’s slave cyl last month I bought a little fixture that holds the slave’s piston in.[/quote]
The slave could be leaking into the bell housing. Dismount it, clamp the piston and pump the pedal. Then check to see if the slave leaked.