Strength of E30 gearboxes

[Drew325is]

Hi all. A poster on another forum has said that E30 gearboxes, the 260 Getrag in particular, are really weak and fail easily. This is the first time in numerous years of E30 ownership and keeping up to date via forums that I have heard someone say this. What are the experiences of people here?

I'm mostly concerned because I was planning on using the standard box from my '88 325is for my M52 conversion.

Cheers!

[nando]

I've never heard this either.. think about how many E30s with getrag 260s have over 200,000 miles on them.

[Axxe]

My getrag 260 has 410,000 kms on it in the original car, and now another 15,000 in my car. That's 425,000 kms on it an it's shifting smooth and I don't have a single problem with it, except for the whine that plagues every M20 powered car I test drove.

[808BMW]

I thought our Getrag 260 is stronger and better than newer e36 gearboxes?

Sounds like you got a dose of bad info from that guy, everything I've seen points out our gearboxes as a strong point... You'll break other parts numerous times before your tranny goes out.

[Jordan]

I thought our Getrag 260 is stronger and better than newer e36 gearboxes?

It is.

The 260 is a very stout little box of gears. I don't know of too many people that have managed to break them. I broke mine on the second day driving my e30 because I shift too damn fast. Sheered off 2 hardended steel shifter forks inside the tranny. He he he.

In all seriousness though, plenty of people run a 260 mated to 450+ turbo'ed hp with no apparent issues.

[BahnE30]

tough as nails getrag 260's are.

[Jand3rson]

tough as nails getrag 260's are.

Yoda has spoken. The Jedi indeed ARE all knowing.

I agree, Getrag 260's are the shit. I don't shift hard at all, most of the time very smoothly and easily. But when I'm out to have a little fun, and I'm slamming the gears hard, I get no back-talk from the tranny.

[hamann318is]

The 240 isn't that bad either. I've shifted all kinds of ways and nothing has really bothered the transmission.

[BahnE30]

they like it rough, they also like they're redline MTL best stuff invented by man in a long time

[kowalski]

i agree those things are bullet proff, my friends matting one to a V8 due to space constrants in the custom car hes building it was the smallest one he could find that could handle the power.

[Drew325is]

Well, I feel better!

[Stu]

The 240 isn't that bad either. I've shifted all kinds of ways and nothing has really bothered the transmission.

That's invalid because of the minimal torque load going through that tranny. I think anyone would have a tough time thrashing that 'box with a stock motor. ;)

Hartge and other companies put the Getrag 260 behind built 3.5L M30's in 3300 pound E28's. :idea:

[fabianyee]

Would it be possible to swap the 260 into the 318is wihout changing the prop shaft?

[Stu]

Would it be possible to swap the 260 into the 318is wihout changing the prop shaft?

Fab, I am assuming you refer to what we call the drive-shaft. No, the 318 driveshaft is much longer, since the smaller trans is shorter.

[fabianyee]

Would it be possible to swap the 260 into the 318is wihout changing the prop shaft?

Fab, I am assuming you refer to what we call the drive-shaft. No, the 318 driveshaft is much longer, since the smaller trans is shorter.

ok.. but we use the term propeller shaft to distiguish it from the 2 driveshafts... anyway, is the lenght of the casing the same for both Getrag 240 and getrag 260????