ZF trans issues- 1st and Reverse

[BADCLOWN]

here is the scenario:

culprit: ZF 5spd trans w/ 323 euro TOB, brand new clutch kit



issues: 1st and reverse gears cannot be selected. when sitting at a stop light the only way to get the car going is starting in 2nd gear. you can select 1st or reverse gears if the car is shut off and only when its shut off, otherwise extremely difficult. the person working on my swap car has stated in his dealings with the transmission (pulled it several times to diagnose prior issues i posted about here regarding the TOB and slave cyl) he has examined the shift fork several times and didnt see any damage or anything out of the ordinary. but, his only two conclusions are that there is still an issue with the clutch setup or that something is indeed wrong with the shifter fork.


i told him after getting the above information from him that i would regurgitate it on here and pick some knowledgeable brains on here for any possible answers/solutions.



what do you guys think? this is that last major mechanical hurdle that they seem to be running into



edit: i guess i should have popped this in the drivetrain/transmission section, apologies!

[greyis89]

Sometimes at a stop mine has trouble going just into first only sometimes. I'd try to go second to first and it would stick. Found out after a while if I let the car roll foreward or back just a bit it would go right in like it's suppose to. Sorry this probably doesn't help much, just my expirence.

[Mr.SWISS]

My ZF feels perfect. What is your shifter setup? What carrier did you use and shift rod and lever?

[E30Strube]

It could be the carrier or it could be the detents in the transmission. Search "zf detents" and you will find lots of info. The bushings that allow you to select reverse and 5th are the typical ones to go bad, but 1st can also be affected. I had the same problem with my ZF tranny. Once I changed the bushings and springs, the problem went away.

[Ryann]

Sounds to me like your pilot bearing is binding and grabbing the transmission input shaft. Did you have a tough time mating the engine/trans?

[Gooch]

http://webspace.ringling.edu/~dplassma/bmw_diy/shift_pins/shift_pins.html

[328ijunkie]

here is the scenario:

culprit: ZF 5spd trans w/ 323 euro TOB, brand new clutch kit



issues: 1st and reverse gears cannot be selected. when sitting at a stop light the only way to get the car going is starting in 2nd gear. you can select 1st or reverse gears if the car is shut off and only when its shut off, otherwise extremely difficult. the person working on my swap car has stated in his dealings with the transmission (pulled it several times to diagnose prior issues i posted about here regarding the TOB and slave cyl) he has examined the shift fork several times and didnt see any damage or anything out of the ordinary. but, his only two conclusions are that there is still an issue with the clutch setup or that something is indeed wrong with the shifter fork.


i told him after getting the above information from him that i would regurgitate it on here and pick some knowledgeable brains on here for any possible answers/solutions.



what do you guys think? this is that last major mechanical hurdle that they seem to be running into



edit: i guess i should have popped this in the drivetrain/transmission section, apologies!

Still unsure as to what was up with all your issues but every car ive ever done running a ZF i use 100% stock parts in there (clutch/fw/pp/tob/fork/slave/etc) and have never ever had any issues outside of the 5th gear detent spring which i always fix before the trans goes in.
Your symptoms indicate that your clutch isnt disengaging basically.

Sometimes at a stop mine has trouble going just into first only sometimes. I'd try to go second to first and it would stick. Found out after a while if I let the car roll foreward or back just a bit it would go right in like it's suppose to. Sorry this probably doesn't help much, just my expirence.

Your clutch isnt disengaging all the way.

[Wanganstyle]

here is the scenario:
culprit: ZF 5spd trans w/ 323 euro TOB, brand new clutch kit

you listed a culprit above. 323 euro TOB does not belong in the ZF SG310 or ZF SG320 5 speed transmissions. You need a e36M TOB for the ZF 5 speed transmission.

any complete M20, M30, M50 clutch set (flywheel+clutch set) will work in the ZF 5 speed. Attached to any engine. (m20, m50/s52, s54)
ZF 5 speed must keep its fork and throw out bearing and slave cylinder.

[BADCLOWN]

i was told the 323 TOB was needed when running a singlemass flywheel. they had an e36 TOB in the transmission before and it wasnt driveable. they popped in the 323 euro TOB and it increased the gear selection/driveability and cut down on the grinding noises they were hearing (my previously posted topic i mentioned before)


all the linkage is the ZF transmission stuff and they said isnt the issue.

and they didnt have an issue mating the engine/trans up.


hes going to try adjusting the nut on the backside of the clutch pedal to see if that changes anything up.


any other suggestions?

[328ijunkie]

^in a g240.... Not a ZF.

[BADCLOWN]

http://webspace.ringling.edu/~dplass...hift_pins.html

where is the best place to purchase these pending this does end up being the issue?

[BADCLOWN]

so are these guys wrong here?


the shop said that installing the 323 euro TOB helped a ton and now 1st and reverse are the only gears they cant get it in when the car is running.

http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=229842&page=2

[E30Strube]

You can buy the replacement springs and bushings at the dealer. I have the tools and could rent them to you for $20 for a week or two.

[BADCLOWN]

You can buy the replacement springs and bushings at the dealer. I have the tools and could rent them to you for $20 for a week or two.

how much does all that stuff run roughly parts wise?

[Dominic49]

^in a g240.... Not a ZF.

g240 and zf have the sameish stack height clutches.

besides if you used a 323i and it still did not disengage going to a shorter bearing would do the opposite of helping