 With the tranny out, it's...  With the tranny out, it's a good time to install the UUC Motorwerk's Evo3 short shifter and the company's Double Sheer Selector Rod for crispier shifts. Far right is the stock selector rod |
 Our factory starter was giving...  Our factory starter was giving us problems, so we ordered this Bosch unit from Bavarian Autosport |
 Tools needed: From GearWrench...  Tools needed: From GearWrench we ordered metric sockets (you'll need 8-18mm), E10 and E14 Torx sockets and a 6mm allen socket. GearWrench's metric 8-22mm gear-wrench set saved a lot of time. If you don't have an air gun, a 22mm wrench will be needed on the crank nut to keep the engine from turning when removing the flywheel |
With the new parts in the trunk, we trekked back to Modified by KC, our installers and dyno testers throughout the series. Before starting, we baselined the car again on its Dynojet 424x dynamometer. After all, if a 15 lb reduction in rotational mass from the BW/JBR flywheel supposedly accelerates the engine faster, maybe we'd see a difference on the dyno...
MKC's Ryan Charlton, who owns a E36 M3 turbo himself, was put in charge of the testing and problem-free installation. The hardest part was removing the transmission, particularly the top starter bolt. While removing the intake manifold isn't absolutely necessary to reach the starter, we did it for photography reasons.
When the install was finished, the engine fired without hesitation thanks to our new starter. Expecting to hear at least some clutch chatter, we were pleasantly surprised with a quiet drivetrain.
At first I was hesitant to put it into gear because the first-half of the pedal travel was so light. I thought something was wrong with the slave cylinder. Expecting to hear a gear grind, I gritted my teeth in anticipation, and put it in reverse anyway. It went in smoothly, and as I lifted the clutch pedal, the car started to roll. It turns out, the BW/CM pressure plate releases within a couple of inches from the pedal floor, and with a little more pedal effort. The first-half of pedal travel, however, is much lighter than stock.
With a kevlar clutch disc, the instructions explicitly say to break-in the clutch with 500 miles of easy driving. Since it's too difficult for me to do that, I lent the car to my wife. Stay tuned as we test the results next time, as well as take a stab at more cheap horsepower.
| MANUFACTURER | PART | PRICE |
| BimmerWorld | Clutch package | $1299 |
| BimmerWorld | Starter motor | $150 (plus $54 core charge) |
| UUC Motorwerks | Short shifter w/DSSR | $484 |