Trans input shaft bearing
Posted by John Yust
Hey John, I can't see pulling the transmission without dropping the exhaust but I'm sure that will become obvious. I seem to remember something about the spline shaft bearing needing to be sweated out of the case with heat. You might want to check on that before you head in. I have a great transmission shop a few towns over when I get in over my head  Do you have someone to turn to if the going gets tough? I've done a few transmissions too, all manuals but never the getrag.
Cheers, Rick |
|
So far nobody has said anything that completely freaks me out. I was planning to remove the exhaust, I have many feet of extensions on hand, and I'm on friendly terms with the shop in my neighborhood where they work on lots of BMWs. The one thing that worries me is getting the transmission back in. I'll be working in a gravel driveway with a piece of plywood to roll the jack on. I'll put the front tires up on ramps and the back on jack stands, or maybe I'll jack the back up and put a second set of ramps under those wheels, whatever looks safest. In any case, I won't have a whole lot of room, and I don't really have any help around here. My wife just isn't into working on cars.
 I might try renting a transmission jack, but if I can't get one that's better than the last one I tried to use it won't be much help.
The Bentley mentions heating the housing and bearing for installation. That shouldn't be a problem. The main thing is to make sure everything is ready and not stop halfway. I ordered the bearing today and found a good local source for the clutch kit. I still have to order my seals and exhaust gaskets. I can't back out now. The bearing is on the way. 
John |
Okay, I JUST did this. Well everything but the bearing. I'll expand on that later, and have a few tips that arent in the Bentley. Perhaps others have mentioned them already, I dunno. I honestly didn't make it past the first sentence. But I slept an hour last night because my e30 decided to lose fluid the night before my first HPDE. Now I'm home and exhasted (but still not rid of the adrinalin). But I saw the title and wanted to raise my hand as someone with info to share. If I don't reply in the next 24 it's because I fell asleep and forgot about this post. Msg me if so ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1989 - E30 - M20 - Manual. Approximately 270,000 miles 2000 - E46 - M52TUB28 - Manual. Approximately 110,000 miles 
|
|
It sounds serious or expensive or a pain in the back
|
High Performance Driving Event (a.k.a. "track day") You're right about the "expensive" part, at least once the addiction has taken hold, but mostly they're just lots of fun, and when done correctly, should not involve any pain anywhere. __________ Dave '91 325iX |
Hmmm... I went karting with a couple of colleagues last Friday, I think every muscle in my back hurts. A couple in my arms as well, but that's partly from working in the garden on Saturday. |
Tips and tricks: 1. I had two 12", two 6", a 3" and an elbow. At one point or another I was using all but one of those pieces. 2. The top two nuts can be reached without an elbow if you jack the front of the engine up, thus lowering the transmission. If you have a partner, have them watch the intake manifold and firewall for pinching while doing this. 3. You WILL have a partner. I could have gotten almost all the bolts off myself, even with the extensions. But the elbow was near impossible to keep steady. I probably could have dropped and raised the transmission without out human help, but a floor jack was required. I had both, and the extra set of eyes and hand to balance it was very assuring. It's not so heavy you can't balance it yourself, but heavy enough that if you lose balance you'll have a helluva time regaining it. That said, I'd say it was lighter than my LSD diff. 4. If you don't own a small pipe that will fit over a small breaker bar, get one. At least if you are working on jack stands. My 3 foot breaker was too large, and my 1 foot was too small. My 1 foot and a 2 foot pipe was just right
5. Did I mention you'll need help? Hope that you have a threaded starter. If you don't, you'll have to put a wrench on both sides. And by "Wrench", I mean that we used a 6" extension on the engine side, and two 12" on the back. I did not find this to be one of those tasks that was painful but educational. It would take me about as much time and swearing if I had to do it a second time. In fact the previous guy must have gotten to the block side bolt and said "fukit", because my starter did not even have it. It was being held by one bolt 
6. I'm not sure if the Bentley says to, but the Pelican parts article does: Don't reuse the Clutch plate allan bolts. Pelican said they stripped a few removing them. I was able to get all mine removed without the vice grips, but they were kinda marred. 7. You very well might need the proper bearing puller if you don't have it. I didn't realize I'd need it until I had everything apart and was on a schedule. Pelican said theirs slid out, but they also sell the tool for like $50. Mine did not slide out, and I tried a number of hooks to pull it out. Gave up and went around to the local (and admittedly small) autoparts stores. None of them had something that would work. So I left my bearing in there, and now have a replacement in my "Will install someday" box of E30 parts. My goal was the clutch though, and my bearing felt fine. 8. I can't see doing this without getting the exhaust out of the way. It may depend on how rusty your system is, but 8 bolts and two hangers later, the giant piece of obnoxious metal is out of your way. Some bailing wire (or house electrical wire if you're cool) will make reinstallation a one man job. There, did that make the job more scary?
I must say though, that this is one of the few jobs I've done where I didn't have an "ohshit!" moment. I didn't have to take it all back apart, and I never felt like if I wasn't careful I was going to break something. Quite unlike engine work, where everything is precise, fragile, and involves containing explosions. This is all just giant pieces of metal with giant bolts. Good luck
If anyone needs any tips on subframe bushings, I have those under my belt now too ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1989 - E30 - M20 - Manual. Approximately 270,000 miles 2000 - E46 - M52TUB28 - Manual. Approximately 110,000 miles
|
I don't recall writing that... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1989 - E30 - M20 - Manual. Approximately 270,000 miles 2000 - E46 - M52TUB28 - Manual. Approximately 110,000 miles
|
Bold, italic, underline, larger font. I had sports seats and your standard 3 point
But what hurt more was not really sleeping the night before. But it all went quite well! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1989 - E30 - M20 - Manual. Approximately 270,000 miles 2000 - E46 - M52TUB28 - Manual. Approximately 110,000 miles
|
|
One thing Tyler left out, is when you're going back in with the tranny you don't want to move the box around too much before it hits the pilot bearing; you'll bend the disc and have a chattering clutch. Especially in reverse!
There is one trick to getting the pilot bearing out of the back of the crankshaft; melt a candle in it. Don't ask me how it works but it does, oh, and you'll want a puller to help get it started but a lot of the time it will basically pull right out with a hook of some sort. John, I don't remember the mileage on your car but you might consider syncros and a few other things once you're inside. Does the car give you any signs of transmission issues, other than the spline bearing noise? One of my Etas had a loose sounding main shaft bearing noise and it lasted forever... just sayin 
Rick |
I might be able to buy a partner for about $80 from Harbor Freight. They have a transmission jack that looks like it might not be too crappy for that price. A floor jack just doesn't provide the stability you need to keep a transmission lined up during installation.
I'm a shadetree mechanic from way back. I have a pipe for my breaker bars, but that's not something we're supposed to talk about openly. You know, proper use of tools and all that. The first rule of pipe handle club is never mention pipe handles.
Yeah, those starter bolts are tough. I did them when I first got the car 6 1/2 years ago. I think I have a way to handle that. I got in there from the engine side with an offset box end for the nut and a socket on the bolt. I do remember that it took me forever to figure that out.
I didn't see that. I'll have to evaluate when I get the old ones out. I've always reused clutch bolts. They're usually pretty high grade bolts and they aren't put under all that much stress. If mine look bad I'll get some replacements.
I passed on the puller. A guy at work who has a 2002 told me all the 2002 owners pack grease behind the bearing and then drive a dowel through the center of the bearing. The dowel acts like a plunger and the grease pushes the bearing out. It also sends grease flying everywhere, but you're supposed to be ready for that.
No.
Thanks. I think this will go OK, but I have to admit that the idea of crawling around under the car in the gravel doesn't have the same appeal it did a couple of decades ago. I really need a shop, with a lift. Guess I better buy a house so I can build one.
|
I think a cheap Trans jack will solve the alignment problem. I hope. This car has approximately 250,000 miles on it. Of course the odometer was dead when I got it, so that's just a guess. The transmission is one of the best shifting transmissions I've ever had the pleasure of owning. Until just a few weeks ago it was one of the quietest too. I sometimes wonder if the engine and transmission got replaced at some time in this car's past. Everything is in better shape than you would expect for a car with that many miles. Or maybe BMW just made a really great car, who knows. I just feel lucky to have one. John |
I know how you feel John, my last 325 had around thee same mileage and it still ran perfect and quiet (except for the slightly audible main shaft bearing), I kept the car cause I could bear to part with it! Anyway, the eta still pulls factory compression and runs way better than its miles show; strong as the dickens... I have a pair of 1986 325es cars and one day I'm switching back to the mellow beast 
|
|
What? Are these good cars? 
alan |
Probably not, but I like em 
|
The trans input shaft bearings only last about 250,00 miles. All the parts are here. I haven't bought the cheap trans jack. I think I'll just give it a try with the floor jack. My daughter and her boyfriend only live 1/2 mile away. He's had his feet under my dinner table (and his hands in my beer fridge - please no comments about where else those hands have been  ) often enough that I think I can call on him to help me muscle the trans back in if I need help. If only he had some mechanical skill. 
John |
Hahahahahha.........Thats funny right there  ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- E30'S AREN'T BUILT, THEY'RE CAUGHT IN THE WILD!!! 
When in doubt, use full throttle, it may not improve the situation, but it will end the suspence. |
|
The deed is done. I started Friday and finished today (Monday). It was a big job, and the description of what you have to do to replace the bearing in the Bentley is really just an outline. I was lucky to have one essential tool or I would still have a pile of parts in the driveway. That tool is a small bearing separator. Like this: [www.mcmaster.com]
You have to tighten the separator into the snap ring groove with a spacer behind it to wedge the bearing back into the transmission. It's a slow process. This is where the Bentley says to have the bearing hot so it will fit on the shaft, but there's so much to do there's no way to get it all done before the bearing cools off. I had heated my bearing up in the oven but it was cool by the time I go that far. If I ever do this again I might install the bearing after I get the transmission case back together. I think I could get it done while it was still hot that way. Getting the case back together was real fun. The Bentley says to reach in the oil fill hole with a screw driver to move the lay shaft around to get the bearing on it to go into its race. What they don't mention is that you also have to do this to the three shift rods and the reverse shaft too. They also neglect to mention that none of these shafts has much of a chamfer on the end, so you pretty much have to get them lined up perfectly or they won't go in their holes. It can be done, but you will be busy poking at everything you can see with your screwdriver hoping you can find the one that's keeping things from going together. I does eventually happen, but not before you have those doubts about the wisdom of the whole idea. As far as the transmission in/out, except for the fact that the last person to work on this car completely screwed up the top bolt, it was pretty easy. I found that a wobble extension was the best way to get a socket on that bolt. The wobble gave me the ability of put some force on the extension that a swivel wouldn't allow. Of course, I was using my longest extensions to get at all of the bolts. I also noticed that the engine tipped down in the front after the transmission was out and it rocked around on its mounts pretty easy. That meant for installing the transmission it would be aimed the wrong way and it would move around. I put a small jack and some wood blocks under the front of the engine to tip the back end down and hold it steady. That made the installation of the transmission a lot easier. In fact it went in about as easy as an engine into a VW. I was surprised. I was expecting it to be a lot harder than that. I had to pack grease behind the pilot bearing and drive a dowel into it to push the bearing out. It worked, but it was slow. Next time I'll buy the puller for $50. I put glue (3M Super Weatherstrip Adhesive) on my starter bolts before I pushed them into the bellhousing and let them set up while I did other things. They had set up nicely by the time I put the starter in, so I only had to work from one side on those. They unbolted nicely from one side too. I got the whole job done without having to call for any help, which is just how I like it. I really prefer to do this kind of thing alone. When people are around I get distracted and screw things up, and I end up talking instead of working and the job takes longer. I'm tired and sore, but I have a nice quiet transmission, new seals in the engine and transmission, and a new clutch. The car drives great. Time for a beer - or a few. 
John |
|
I'll join ya John
Job well done and thanks for the extra input that the Bentley seems to have skipped over. I'll be you feel really good about your E30 now 
|
|
Yes, I like that car even better now than I did before. The new clutch makes a huge difference in how it drives and it seems to shift better too, even though I didn't do anything that should have had any effect on that.
I have 80 miles on the new parts now and everything's fine. I think I'll celebrate again. I hope you'll join me again, Peter, and everybody else too. Let's get a beer, or whatever you like.
John |
Sorry, only registered users may post in this forum.