Clutch is ridiculously stiff

[1990m3]

shouldn't be the m5 pressure plate. i bought it as part of an e36 m3 clutch kit, then sold the clutch disc.

I'll pull the trans off next week and check out the PP. Gotta prep the m3 for road america first :)

Jason - you going to autobahn on the 18th?

[mentaleeill]

the hose isnt kinked anywhere is it? theres a hard line that comes from the clutch master down the firewall and goes to a rubber line that then goes to a shorter hard line at the slave on the tranny. check them over good just in case, before you get involved in dropping the trans.

[Rev Engineer]

I need to revive this thread. Can anyone confirm that we can use the e34 m5 clutch disc with an e36 m3 PP? And, not have an overly stiff pedal? To address the pressure plate strap breakage issue, I'm getting a hold of a modified e36 PP with added straps. I'd like to combine this with an e34 m5 clutch.

[matt]

I need to revive this thread. Can anyone confirm that we can use the e34 m5 clutch disc with an e36 m3 PP? And, not have an overly stiff pedal? To address the pressure plate strap breakage issue, I'm getting a hold of a modified e36 PP with added straps. I'd like to combine this with an e34 m5 clutch.

Clutch pedal feel has more to do with the hydraulics than anything else. Bigger slave cylinder = softer pedal.

[dude8383]

Would bleeding it help at all?

[Rev Engineer]

1990m3 pm'ed me and mentioned that the clutch feel got better when he replaced the s50 pp with a s52 version. So, I am now fairly confident that the e34 m5 clutch works just fine with the e36 PP. I got confused since UUC and others seem to kit together the e34 m5 clutch with a e34 m5 pp. Does anyone know the difference between e34 and e36 pressure plates?

[1990m3]

I have the e34 m5 clutch disc and e36 (96-99) m3 pressure plate. Use the e36 t/o bearing it's the same part number for the s50 and s52 version cars.

Haven't had an issue since i swapped out pressure plates, many thousands of miles ago...

[dude8383]

Bringing this back up from the dead because I don't want to start a new thread.

So if one was to just keep the stock clutch master cylinder, do you think there would be increased wear as a result?

I'm not bothered by the stiff pedal, in fact I kind of prefer it but I'm just curious if something could go wrong as a result...

[SamE30e]

I have a M20 pressure plate and it's still stiff as hell. Unless they sent me the wrong pressure plate, which I think they did.

[BimmerTim]

All E36s and all E30s have 3/4" Master cylinders and 13/16" Slave cylinders. Swapping them will get you nowhere.

It is either a pinched/kinked line, or something within your physical clutch.