Clutch problem?

[Active16Bits]

Hey guys, here's the problem I'm having:

From a stop with the engine running it takes a lot of effort to go into first and reverse. Engine off, it shifts perfectly. When it's on jack stands, with engine on, clutch pedal is being pressed and shifting into any gear the wheels would turn. Making me think that the clutch isn't releasing. Can't smell a burning or slipping clutch. It's been like this for almost a year now. (that's when I did a auto to manual swap)

Replaced all clutch hoses, master, slave cylinder throw out bearing and clutch fork. Gravity bled, manually bled and pressure bled. Just measured the slave cylinder travel as per Bentley and min spec is 20mm, it's at 24mm. I measured the pedal to firewall distance as per Bentley as well and was within spec. Release bearing and clutch fork is on correctly. Didn't see any damage to clutch disc or pressure plate when installed.

Where do I go from here?

I'm at my wits end and about to buy a new clutch kit, what exact part numbers would I need for my trans 260.0.1346.90? I have a single mass flywheel. Would this one work?

http://www.autohausaz.com/search/pro...3@Clutch%20Kit

[jlevie]

It does sound like the clutch isn't fully releasing and with the new parts and checking slave travel it doesn't sound like a hydraulics problem. The cited kit looks like a Sachs clutch and should be fine. The flywheel might need to be surfaced and you should replace the idle bearing in the crankshaft.

[straight6pwr]

can you confirm you assembled everything right, not just 'i remember doing it right'? clutch disc not backwards, throwout bearing on the right side of the lever, lever spring intact, etc? did you take any pictures as you went?

something is rotten in denmark, and you should pull the trans regardless of whether something is wrong with the clutch or not.

[TobyB]

...yeah, I was wondering, sure you didn't get an eta 5- speed? Those need a longer
throwout bearing to compensate for the dual mass flywheel....

t

[Active16Bits]

can you confirm you assembled everything right, not just 'i remember doing it right'? clutch disc not backwards, throwout bearing on the right side of the lever, lever spring intact, etc? did you take any pictures as you went?

something is rotten in denmark, and you should pull the trans regardless of whether something is wrong with the clutch or not.

You're right. I'm going to try and pull the trans this Monday and have a look see. Can the clutch disc be put on backwards? Spring is still intact, I'm convinced the TB is on right because I'm not hearing any strange noises.

...yeah, I was wondering, sure you didn't get an eta 5- speed? Those need a longer
throwout bearing to compensate for the dual mass flywheel....

t

That was the first thing I thought of. I pulled it from a plastic bumper 2.5 e30 with an aluminum shifter and no holes in the bellhousing for flywheel sensors. I provided the part number for the trans on my first post. So I'm pretty sure it's not an eta trans.


If I do end up needing a pressure plate (or clutch kit) how do you guys feel about the cheap $128 rockauto ones?

[Active16Bits]

And just went though all my pictures and this is the only one I took while doing the swap.

[straight6pwr]

...yeah, I was wondering, sure you didn't get an eta 5- speed? Those need a longer
throwout bearing to compensate for the dual mass flywheel....

t

i like this path of thinking, too. your throwout bearing may just be barely reaching the pressure plate at all.

[Active16Bits]

I just looked up the part number. It's not an eta trans.

[jlevie]

At this point I'm inclined to suspect the clutch & pressure plate. And yes you can install the clutch disk backwards. I would only use an OEM (Sachs) or better clutch as they are sure to work properly.

[TobyB]

Ok, I retract my eta suggestion- BUT:

when I did the engine swap for my car in 2012 (9-90 donor into 2-87 eta chassis)
the pressure plate that showed up when I ordered a Sachs clutch from Autohaus for a 9-90 i car
was wrong- it matched the dual- mass eta parts I'd taken out, NOT the single mass
i/is parts. I ordered the only other plate available from Autohaus for an M20 E30, and it was
correct for the single mass. I figured they'd gotten the numbers swapped somehow,
but I never went back to figure out how or where or even who.

I'd forgotten this- there was a lotta shit coming down the pipe that year...

I wonder if maybe you have the wrong parts- the two are different heights.
And I don't remember exactly, but I THINK the single mass is a deeper pressure plate...
I dunno if the wrong pressure plate would even fit, but it's worth a bit of digging.

hth,

t

or, crap, on further thought, it could just be a binding pilot bearing, y'know?

[straight6pwr]

pilot bearing will have nothing to do with the clutch engaging or disengaging.

if you meant binding throw-out bearing, he would most likely feel that as it would cause a jerky or super stiff clutch pedal as you press it, and is not likely to occur since he used new parts.

[TobyB]

If the pilot bearing is binding, then the trans will shift as if the clutch is not disengaging,

as the pilot will continue to transmit power from the engine to the transmission
even though the clutch IS disengaging.

t

[Active16Bits]

I thought the pilot bearing just holds the front end of the input shaft? That was replaced with a new one when I did the swap. If it was binding wouldn't it slow down or stop the input shaft? Causing different symptoms?

I really appreciate all your guy's inputs. I wish I had time to pull the trans and take a look at everything but work has been killer all summer and now I have to pull the tank out of my other car.

[TobyB]

It does- but it supports it inside the crank. So when it fails, it can give symptoms of a dragging clutch, because it tends to spin the input shaft of the trans at crank speed.

I really doubt it's your problem, though- I really meant it more as a 'like you, I'm starting to wonder what the hell is really going on here' sort of thing....

t

[Active16Bits]

Wow it's been a long time. I've been driving this thing daily, dealing with it. Got rid of the short shifter and put the stock one in with all new bushings. It doesn't pop out of first with as much force but still pops out and I have to give it a second shift into first, just feels weird.

Just bought a used trans from a local BMW shop. Just put in all new seals. I'm going to try putting it in Monday. I'll post my results, because I hate threads with no real ending.