Problem! Loud rattle from underneath car at idle...now an oil leak too!

Your oil leak looked exactly like mine except mine did not hit the disk. I don't know why but I had that drone before I did the job the second time and didn't even bother to look at the actual clutch when I was in there, that was really stupid. I hope the drone is something else but I have a bad feeling it's about the FW bolts. I just may have to have the third one done by a shop because it's getting really cold and because it's straining my wife too much.

Crap...its snowing here. Nothing like a snowy clutch job with frozen hands. Should I stick my tongue on my transmission to see if it sticks???

Update. Crossing my fingers that my pelican parts and UUC order will be here by Fri...then I can finish my car (hopefully) on Saturday. I think both shipped out on Tues so it is possible.

Originally Posted by bigjae1976

Crap...its snowing here. Nothing like a snowy clutch job with frozen hands. Should I stick my tongue on my transmission to see if it sticks???

Update. Crossing my fingers that my pelican parts and UUC order will be here by Fri...then I can finish my car (hopefully) on Saturday. I think both shipped out on Tues so it is possible.

Wearing those disposable vinyl gloves plus 8 layers of shirts definitely helps when you're under the car for hours and it's snowing outside - the key is having some of the inner shirts tucked into your pants to create a heat seal. ftw.

Originally Posted by McSpeed

Wearing those disposable vinyl gloves plus 8 layers of shirts definitely helps when you're under the car for hours and it's snowing outside - the key is having some of the inner shirts tucked into your pants to create a heat seal. ftw.

I've got some high speed army gortex I can wear.

Automotive work outside in the winter FTL! I miss my nice, warm garage at home

Originally Posted by bigjae1976

It is a worthwhile upgrade.

Sound good to me, I will upgrade when my stock clutch goes out.

I am also guessig the ATI damper will help with the chatter and vibrations at idle.

WTF! I checked my clutch disc and it doesn't have the plate with the springs on it. I hope I got the right one from UUC...otherwise my car will be down for another week.

Originally Posted by bigjae1976

WTF! I checked my clutch disc and it doesn't have the plate with the springs on it. I hope I got the right one from UUC...otherwise my car will be down for another week.

So you had a solid clutch disc and a solid flywheel?
Sprung hub is what you want with that flywheel I think

It should be a sprung hub with a solid flywheel.

Originally Posted by McSpeed

So you had a solid clutch disc and a solid flywheel?
Sprung hub is what you want with that flywheel I think

Originally Posted by phamine

It should be a sprung hub with a solid flywheel.

I had the UUC lightweight flywheel with the sprung hub. Apparently, I got the clutch disc that usually comes with the clutch kit for the OEM flywheel.

I called Rob at UUC, he said the disc will work. The engagement will be more on/off. I'll see how I like it. At this point, I just want to get my car running.

Everything is here...god willing, my car should be on the road by Sat evening!

Originally Posted by bigjae1976

Everything is here...god willing, my car should be on the road by Sat evening!

Same here

I'm gonna be rich. So what the he11 does that have to do with this thread you ask? I've developed a new fitness program called transumba. It is a new thing where you remove and install your tranny over and over until your can't hold your arms over your head. Can you say cash cow?

What a day! Total fail at getting my car running. Basically spent 8 hours to end up right where I started. So I get the flywheel on and I'm bolting up the pressure plate. Well, that shifter trick didn't work...wasted my time removing and reinstalling the shifter. Let me tell you...a SSK install is x1000 times easier with the transmission out! So I used some random alignment tool with some electric tape...it seemed to work.

So I'm torquing the pressure plate bolts down and I f'ing snapped one. Of course, I forgot to order new/extra bolts. F' it...I'll be OK with 5 loctited and torqued bolts. I just need to get the damned car on the boat back to the US. So what did I learn? 47ft/lb is NOT the correct spec for pressure plate bolts.

I'm on a 4 post lift with 2 jack arm trays. So I use the front one to tilt the engine back. The buttons are covered in hazy plastic so its hard to see which button is which (there are 8). I hit the wrong button and lifted the car on the engine fan.. Luckily, it still looks good to go, just some cracked plastic on the top. Hopefully that is all and the fan itself is good. At least I don't have to remove the tranny to replace the fan

I grease the shaft spline and now a couple of guys are helping me get the tranny in. So it goes on...bolting it up. I'm on schedule at this point. There are 2 REALLY PIA bolts. The one next to the headers is a total pain to get started. Then the starter! I think I've invented some new english words...not sure if they are dictionary appropriate but they are all synonyms for F*CK! I used a smaller bolt to line up one hole which made a huge difference.

Sweet! Tranny is on! Almost there...maybe 1.5 more hours? So I get the tranny mounts on which were much harder to put on than take off. Oh yea, let me install the slave cylinder. So I insert it into the hole (that's what she said) and WTF? No resistance! F*@K F*@K F*@K F*@K F*@K F*@K F*@K!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I pulled the tranny off in about 20 minutes and guess what? I installed that stupid $1 clip wrong, it wasn't clipped onto the plastic pin. At this point, I might as well fix the broken pressure plate bolt. Off comes the pressure plate and flywheel. Back to square one.

I called it quits. I'll drill out the broken bolt from the flywheel this week. Hopefully I can find some bolts somewhere this week. Otherwise, I'm down until after xmas waiting for my order from Pelican to arrive.

worst DIY day ever. Once I got home, I reflected on today...and just laughed.

Question. If I can install the tranny, does that mean my clutch disc is correctly lined up? I think yes.

If yes, I will just use the randon alignment tool + electric tape again.

If not, I'll have to order the lisle tool from Amazon.

Oh yea, a good thing about today is I finally figured out how a clutch really works! So the pressure plate holds the clutch disk against the flywheel. You depress the pedal, it extends the slave cylinder arm which pushes the throwout bearing against the pressure plate fingers. The fingers no longer press the clutch disc tightly against the flywheel, thus, disengaging the tranny from the engine.

So most of the clutch wear comes when you have the clutch disengaged?

I did the same thing with the clip.

If you didn't take off your pressure plate; tranny will line up.

I took off my pressure plate and flywheel.

Originally Posted by bigjae1976

I took off my pressure plate and flywheel.

Need to realign.

I know I need to insert the alignment tool and then tighten the pressure plate bolts. Once the pressure plate bolts are properly torqued, I remove the clutch tool.

I was wondering if I need to worry about the clutch disc alignment if I successfully seat the tranny against the engine. Or if I seat the tranny against the engine, I'm good to go.

Is it a setting or do I need to align the clutch disc to aid reinstalling the transmission?

Bummer about the hold up man!

Originally Posted by bigjae1976

So most of the clutch wear comes when you have the clutch disengaged?

I think wear happens mostly in the feathering engagement and disengagement.

Originally Posted by bigjae1976

I was wondering if I need to worry about the clutch disc alignment if I successfully seat the tranny against the engine. Or if I seat the tranny against the engine, I'm good to go.

Yeah if it lines up you're good. I bet some people just eyeball it. It's just that if you get it wrong it's a pain to unbolt, realign and rebolt.

The pressure plate bolts are M8x16. What is the thread pitch? 1.25 or 1.5?

I see some pretty nifty ARP pressure plate bolts...are they worth it? I'm looking at part # 108-2201. At least the head is an external hex so there should be less worry about rounding out the fastener.

Originally Posted by McSpeed

Bummer about the hold up man!

Yeah, sh@t happens!

Originally Posted by McSpeed

I think wear happens mostly in the feathering engagement and disengagement.

Thanks, that would explain why I smoked my clutch a couple of times on this steep hill here.

Originally Posted by McSpeed

Yeah if it lines up you're good. I bet some people just eyeball it. It's just that if you get it wrong it's a pain to unbolt, realign and rebolt.

Again, thanks!

OK, I've found some comparable bolts...hoping I will be up and running this evening or tomorrow morning. It is about to get much colder (sub zero wind chills) so I would love to get this done soon. I was pretty cold after a day messing around in 30 degree weather and no wind.

For future reference...here is some good info from Mike Miller (Roundel and Bimmer tech Q&A) that I have yet to see covered in any DIYs here. I might even post my own DIY. Complete with the what not to do's.

Q: I have a 2004 330Ci and I am in the process of replacing my clutch. I think I've read in the past that the input shaft splines on the transmission should be lubricated. What kind of lube should I use?

A: The products recommended by BMW haven't been available in years, especially in small quantities. I have determined that you can use any moly-based high-pressure wheel bearing grease. I've even used high temperature anti-seize compound with fine results.

However, if you want to check a BMW motorcycle dealership you may find a lubricant called GL-261 in a small tube under part number 83 23 9 416 138. That's really nice stuff, specifically designed for splines.
Also lubricate the tips of the clutch pressure plate fingers, the clutch disc spring on the release bearing side, the clutch release fork pivot and spring, the flange the release bearing rides on and the release fork where it contacts the release bearing.