DIY: resetting Self Adjusting Clutch Pressure Plate

Stumbled on this on bf.c, thought it would be helpful for people over here

Originally Posted by grtwhtshrk528i

I bought a sachs (by LUK) oem clutch kit for my 99 528 and there was no disc centering tool in the box so I thought I had to take the star-shaped spring lock off of the pressure plate to be able to center the disc... but that broke the self-adjusting mechanism. I was told by everyone that I'd just turned my pressure plate into a boat anchor. I spoke to a TECH guy at LUK's manufacturing center here in the states and he knew what I was talking about... said it could be reset you'd just have to monkey with it. So I did... and it worked. Here is how I did it:

Instructions to reset a self-adjusting pressure plate, if you removed the star lock before bolting the plate to the flywheel.

Start from "broken" state - took lock off without having bolted the pressure plate on, the springs popped out, and the adjuster is loose.

Bolt on "broken" pressure plate *with disc* to make spring fingers compress, re-insert star-lock over fingers, unbolt pressure plate. the adjuster ring will still be loose and the star spring-lock is on.

Use a screwdriver to carefully "compress" the adjuster ring (rotate the ring counter-clockwise as far as it will go) and use another little screwdriver (small enough to wedge into a hole or a crack) to hold it in place.

So now the spring-lock is on, and the adjuster is being held in the "compressed" position with a little screwdriver.

Put the disc in the flywheel and use something (I used three greasy/used qtips) at the three "vent" spots on the flywheel to center and hold the disc in place. (didn't have centering arbor in my kit so I had to find a way to center the disc from the outside instead of the center). Bolt on the pressure plate. It bolts all the way down and the spring lock remains tight on the fingers and the adjuster ring remains held in place by the little screwdriver.

Remove the star spring-lock and the spring fingers will pop out and the pressure plate disc will get tight on the adjuster so you can pull out the little screwdriver and it will stay "compressed."

That's it.

With the disc in, the pressure plate should be completely bolted on and the spring fingers should be uncompressed (sticking out) and the adjuster ring should be in the full counter-clockwise position.

reading the instruction are like *german letters to me haha or im just spoiled with all the DIY vidoes and pics from this site...

This is really helpful and really might come handy in the future if ever you wanna do your tranny seal etc and you still have a new clutch and wanna reuse your pressure plate... BMW has a special tool but pretty sure average joe an afford it..

Hopefully someone can make a step by step with visuals