I have an L category entries M issued 05sep2008 enter before 05sep2009 Is this expired?

Yes, it is expired.
The application process won’t be shorter just because you once had a Chinese visa.
Usually, the application takes 4 working days. If you want to get it in a short time, you can choose the express or rush service. Express service take 2 or 3 working days; and the rush service takes one working day.