irratic clunking noise in 5spd tranny on my 325i

[nickelndime]

i have an 89 325i it was an automatic car originally.it now has an 86 325es tranny and rear.i got the car after the swap had been done by previous owner.it drives and shifts fine but on idle there is a strange irratic clunk noise that comes and goes and it will disappear when i push the clutch in.does anyone know if it is the throwout bearing?its not effecting drivability but when it comes time to replace the clutch i would like to take care of that problem.

[JMPAuto]

I have the same problem with mine. If its the thow out bearing, the sound should disappear or change with a slight pedal pressure. On mine, the sound only dissappear when I fully disengage the clutch meaning pedal to the floor. I'm not sure yet if its because of the use clutch kit I used or tranny itself.

[Dirty E thirty]

same here get the same noise but i changed my clutch and throw out bearing and its still there , time for some new trans guys!

[llll1l1ll]

This happened to me. It sounded like someone threw some marbles into the bell housing.

Check the fluid in the transmission. If it's low, add some fluid!

Okay, so, you say the fluid is good, eh? Well, here's the bad news: your input shaft is likely worn out.

The noise you hear is the play in the shaft as it spins with the engine. When you hit the clutch pedal, the noise goes away because the input shaft stopped spinning.

Your car is still driveable. Just don't do any clutch dumps.


For the record, a throw-out bearing makes a much more disturbing noise when it goes bad. You will also feel it in the pedal.

[nickelndime]

clunking sound from tranny

could it be that I needed a input shaft from an I car tranny for it to fit right?

[CorvallisBMW]

It could also be a bad pilot bearing.