From digest.v7.n890 Wed Jan 7 00:00:58 1998
From: "Brett Anderson" <bretta_at_BestWeb.net>
Date: Tue, 6 Jan 1998 22:12:50 -0500
Subject: Re: I failed BA

>
> From: Warren McBride <wmcbride_at_fix.net>
> Date: Mon, 05 Jan 1998 19:48:34 -0800
> Subject: I failed
>
> After waiting almost two weeks and getting only two private e-mails
> concerning my cross brace, I attempted to install it myself. (OBTW
thanks

> Dean and Steve for your responses).
>
> I Cannot make the nutserts work. After barely opening up the holes so
that

> I could pound the nutserts into the holes, I then tried to torque them
> down. Problem is, they wont stay put, they just turn with the bolt.
There

> is no way to get any tool inside the crossmember to hold them until they
> start to swell and hold themselves in place.
> I was able to get the "rivet" nut out after seeing that I was going
> nowhere. So now I sit with a brand new cross brace and I have no idea
how

> I am going to get this thing put on. And since I bored out the holes, I
> have probably scr***d up any chance of getting ANY nutsert to work in
there
> now.

The deal is that , whom ever sells you people these things, are either too stupid or too smart to tell you what you need for the installation. Nutserts, by their very nature, require a tool for installation. And even then , they are no good for high torque situations.

>
> My local BMW "master mechanic" HAH!!!!!! was no any help at all. First
> tried to tell me that there was no cross brace on e-36's, then after I
> showed him one on the lot, he says, well those braces weren't designed to
> fit on the sedan.

Your mechanic is not entirely stupid, the E36 convertibles have the cross brace for structural stability, seeing as they are missing a roof. The E36 sedan only had a single spar brace, and this was moved further back in the body under a service campaign as it was found to be detrimental in an accident. The addition of the cross brace , while marginally stiffening the body, certainly not so much as for a normal driver to notice, is destroying the integrity of the forward crumple zones. In the event of a head on accident, the engine will not be able to drop through the bottom of the engine bay, and may end up tickling your knees.

>
> Warren McBride
> 96 328I Black/Black
> "I still love this car!"
>

Brett Anderson

BMW and ASE Master Technician

http://www.bestweb.net/~bretta/