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ZF320 removal - pilot bearing seized to input shaft

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    ZF320 removal - pilot bearing seized to input shaft

    Done dozens on dozens of clutch jobs in my life and this one has me stumped...

    '00 M coupe with goofy aftermarket flywheel and clutch setup, ZF320 5-speed. Customer brought the car in because it started making a horrible squealing noise when the clutch pedal is depressed. My guess is likely a trashed throw out bearing. Opted to install all stock parts (clutch/flywheel, etc), which sounded great with me.

    Blew it all apart real quick and went to slip the trans off. Got it off the dowels probably 1/2-3/4" and it just stopped. Absolutely refuses to come off. Even with the help of a couple 3' long pry bars and a couple people helping wiggle from side to side, it is totally jammed. I can spin the transmission almost 90 degrees clockwise/counter clockwise.

    From what I can tell, since it will slide back on the dowels, the pilot bearing is seized to the input shaft. I do not believe the clutch disc is seized to the input shaft.

    There is not enough room to access the heads of the pressure plate bolts.

    I guess my question is: what is my best course of action here? This is a nice working transmission with only 88k miles and is original to the car, so I would prefer not to hack the bell housing up to get the parts off, but if that's what it takes, I am prepared to do that...

    I feel like a noob asking this, but I've spent countless hours wiggling and prying to no avail.

    AB
    '72 2002 pickup | '88 M5 | '89 330is | '89 M3 | '01 Z3M | '11 328xi-t


    #2
    I had an issue with a cheap clutch fork, would not allow the TOB to engage correctly. Terrible whine when at idle, and when the clutch would be pressed, it would require a hard pull of the shifter but the noise would not go away. I was thankful that it wasn't much worst.
    @IRON-E30 aka Edwin:D

    Comment


      #3
      Pull the starter to see if you can look into the bellhousing?

      Throw out bearing jammed in clutch fingers?

      I guess you don't want to pull the whole engine.

      Tried driving a pair of wedges on opposite sides of the bellhousing?

      Something is obviously munged up, and you're going to wreck parts getting it off. The only question are "which parts?" and "what's your time worth?".

      Comment


        #4
        Originally posted by The Dark Side of Will View Post
        Pull the starter to see if you can look into the bellhousing?

        Throw out bearing jammed in clutch fingers?

        I guess you don't want to pull the whole engine.

        Tried driving a pair of wedges on opposite sides of the bellhousing?

        Something is obviously munged up, and you're going to wreck parts getting it off. The only question are "which parts?" and "what's your time worth?".
        Removed the starter but don't see anything obvious - don't see much in general going on.

        Engine removal is 100% out of the question.

        Tried a couple long pry bars, as well as a ratcheting "come-along" - still no avail. Also tried a couple long M12 bolts with some nuts behind them, in an attempt to push the trans off. Nothing.

        I guess my only option is to hack up the bell housing and take the pressure plate bolts off, one at a time.

        Very frustrating.
        '72 2002 pickup | '88 M5 | '89 330is | '89 M3 | '01 Z3M | '11 328xi-t

        Comment


          #5
          Originally posted by e30austin View Post
          Removed the starter but don't see anything obvious - don't see much in general going on.



          Engine removal is 100% out of the question.



          Tried a couple long pry bars, as well as a ratcheting "come-along" - still no avail. Also tried a couple long M12 bolts with some nuts behind them, in an attempt to push the trans off. Nothing.



          I guess my only option is to hack up the bell housing and take the pressure plate bolts off, one at a time.



          Very frustrating.


          Drilling an access hole in the bellhousing might help get to those bolts and won’t render it unusable.
          OBD1 M54/M52TU swap as a M50b25

          Z4 non powered steering rack fits e30



          Euro e46 2005/6 320d 6mt gearbox into E30 with M20 hardy and beck 1985 327s engine

          Comment


            #6
            Did just that. Cut a 2" hole with a hole saw, unbolted the pressure plate, slipped it all off.

            Customer opted to buy a new-to-him transmission. Don't blame him at all. Input shaft bearing had some excessive play and the pilot shaft wasn't in great shape after all that.
            '72 2002 pickup | '88 M5 | '89 330is | '89 M3 | '01 Z3M | '11 328xi-t

            Comment


              #7
              I had this very thing happen to me a few years ago. I had the engine/trans pulled as a unit and it was stuck like chuck! Even had the entire assembly hanging off the cherry picker by the trans output shaft, three pry bars and 3-4 guys helping. It finally came loose, but your in for a treat if it's in the car still (or maybe a benefit?).

              Not sure if I can give any advice since we were hanging the assembly - pilot easily held up the complete 24v engine. :(

              I have a pic of it somewhere.
              john@m20guru.com
              Links:
              Transaction feedback: Here, here and here. Thanks :D

              Comment


                #8
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                john@m20guru.com
                Links:
                Transaction feedback: Here, here and here. Thanks :D

                Comment


                  #9
                  Originally posted by e30austin View Post
                  Did just that. Cut a 2" hole with a hole saw, unbolted the pressure plate, slipped it all off.

                  Customer opted to buy a new-to-him transmission. Don't blame him at all. Input shaft bearing had some excessive play and the pilot shaft wasn't in great shape after all that.

                  What was seized in what, then?

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Originally posted by e30austin View Post
                    Did just that. Cut a 2" hole with a hole saw, unbolted the pressure plate, slipped it all off. Customer opted to buy a new-to-him transmission. Don't blame him at all. Input shaft bearing had some excessive play and the pilot shaft wasn't in great shape after all that.
                    Sounds like a transmission I tore down for a local shop a few weeks ago, the friction disc was aftermarket and splines were wonky and it was stuck to the input shaft post friction disc explosion. Input shaft splines were trashed because of this fantastic aftermarket part...... Somehow this individual thought it was a good idea to drive the car clutch less around the Bay Area for 3 weeks and then gamble on a mystery transmission from eBay post. Millennial geniuses make great decisions on purchasing random used wear components
                    OBD1 M54/M52TU swap as a M50b25

                    Z4 non powered steering rack fits e30



                    Euro e46 2005/6 320d 6mt gearbox into E30 with M20 hardy and beck 1985 327s engine

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Originally posted by Wanganstyle View Post
                      Sounds like a transmission I tore down for a local shop a few weeks ago, the friction disc was aftermarket and splines were wonky and it was stuck to the input shaft post friction disc explosion. Input shaft splines were trashed because of this fantastic aftermarket part...... Somehow this individual thought it was a good idea to drive the car clutch less around the Bay Area for 3 weeks and then gamble on a mystery transmission from eBay post. Millennial geniuses make great decisions on purchasing random used wear components
                      Lololol...some people just don't get it.
                      '72 2002 pickup | '88 M5 | '89 330is | '89 M3 | '01 Z3M | '11 328xi-t

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Originally posted by e30austin View Post
                        Lololol...some people just don't get it.
                        Every single engager spline tooth was FUBAR and EVEN THE REVERSE. (Straight cut in this particular unit) How do you destroy reverse???? Horrid wasteful damage of a input shaft from garbage quality clutch selection Unrelated but amusing; In the zf5 speed world another local found out the hard way that launch control and first gear are not friends.
                        Last edited by Wanganstyle; 08-22-2019, 08:17 PM.
                        OBD1 M54/M52TU swap as a M50b25

                        Z4 non powered steering rack fits e30



                        Euro e46 2005/6 320d 6mt gearbox into E30 with M20 hardy and beck 1985 327s engine

                        Comment

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