Race prep questions

[Groffunitracing]

Yes I read the FAQ's..

I recently got a higher mileage 2011 e92 m3 138k and I'm just gonna track it. IM not familiar with the s65 since I've only had e36's, and 46's so what do I need to do to keep this old girl happy on the track.
What issues need to be addressed? the rod bearings have never been replaced and the throttle actuators.

upgrade the radiator or fans?
larger or large oil cooler?

besides the brakes and fluids

thanks guys really appreciate the guidance

[okusa]

Really depends on how hard you'll be pushing it. At that mileage I'd for sure do the RBs. Beyond that, start simple with brake lines, SRF, pads and decent tires.

[SYT_Shadow]

Originally Posted by okusa

Really depends on how hard you'll be pushing it. At that mileage I'd for sure do the RBs. Beyond that, start simple with brake lines, SRF, pads and decent tires.

this

I'd leave the TA's alone until they start giving errors.

The cooling system is fine. You probably want to do a coolant flush

[ec_E92]

Compared to the chassis issues of the '36 and '46, the E9x chassis hasn't shown any major weak points, save for differential bolts snapping. Since you're tracking and NVH is not of a concern, look into doing solid rear subframe mounts and upgraded (poly) diff mounts. That should help shore up the rear end and limit the flex on the diff bolts that can fail in shear.

Stock brakes are fairly competent with just upgrading lines, pads, fluid for HPDE. During longer use you might start to see fade and need additional cooling and possibly bigger brakes.

Goodluck and enjoy that soundtrack, at full song the S65 is glorious

[Groffunitracing]

wow awesome guys really appreciate the help and time.. thanks again.

do you feel i should do the rod bearings anyways or leave them alone if they haven't failed yet.. I push the car pretty hard and it lives mid to top of rpm.

[Estoril Blue]

Originally Posted by Groffunitracing

wow awesome guys really appreciate the help and time.. thanks again.

do you feel i should do the rod bearings anyways or leave them alone if they haven't failed yet.. I push the car pretty hard and it lives mid to top of rpm.

What do your oil tests indicate?

[okusa]

Originally Posted by Groffunitracing

do you feel i should do the rod bearings anyways or leave them alone if they haven't failed yet.. I push the car pretty hard and it lives mid to top of rpm.

Really depends on your risk tolerance. Would you rather spend $3k now to avoid a certain $15k future expense? To me it's a no brainer at that mileage with planned heavy track use.

The issue is not whether the RBs will fail, but rather when they will fail.

[ec_E92]

Do the rod bearings. You have no prior data/knowledge about how the car was driven or cared for and it's going to see proper abuse. When they go... so does your engine.

Shop cost is $2500-3000, DIY for $500-1000.

[bigjae1976]

I would replace the radiator and oil cooler. If you're keeping the AC, blow out the condenser really, really well. If it's a DCT, consider replacing the cooler for that or at least blowing it out.

Before you get aftermarket stuff, I haven't seen a huge difference as posted here. I think it's mostly because the coolers are thicker. So you're cooling with warmer air at the back of the radiator. I had a Zionsville in my E46 and it maintained the same peak temps, get a little more run time before you overload the system but it does cool quicker during the cool down. Kind of useless IMO unless you need to cool the car down quickly.

Then replace the drive belt. A broken belt on track will be disastrous.

[SYT_Shadow]

Originally Posted by Groffunitracing

wow awesome guys really appreciate the help and time.. thanks again.

do you feel i should do the rod bearings anyways or leave them alone if they haven't failed yet.. I push the car pretty hard and it lives mid to top of rpm.

The thing is when they fail they'll take your engine out. They won't warn you, it's catastrophic failure

[chamba002]

Originally Posted by SYT_Shadow

The thing is when they fail they'll take your engine out. They won't warn you, it's catastrophic failure

Yep, I replaced my bearings as preventive maintenance. I've been attending track events once a month for 2 years, and have gotten healthy oil reports. I change my oil every 3 events. Never had to worry about my engine blowing. Paid 3k for parts and install, but its good insurance verses paying for a engine and labor.

[SYT_Shadow]

Originally Posted by chamba002

Yep, I replaced my bearings as preventive maintenance. I've been attending track events once a month for 2 years, and have gotten healthy oil reports. I change my oil every 3 events. Never had to worry about my engine blowing. Paid 3k for parts and install, but its good insurance verses paying for a engine and labor.

Yup, and your engine mounts were probably toast!

Did rod bearings this weekend to a 60k M3 and the mounts were split apart in several parts.

The mounts in my 30k E92 and 36k E90 were already starting to crack

[chamba002]

Originally Posted by SYT_Shadow

Yup, and your engine mounts were probably toast!

Did rod bearings this weekend to a 60k M3 and the mounts were split apart in several parts.

The mounts in my 30k E92 and 36k E90 were already starting to crack

LOL yep, did Bimmerworld polyurethane engine mounts. The engine vibration wasn't even noticeable.