What am I doing with this csb again?

[cornell]

Forgive me for being a novice. I have an '86 325es. I've been experiencing a vibration at about 15mph or so. The problem was diagnosed as the csb. I have an '87's driveshaft. The current driveshaft seems to be in good shape excpet the csb. My idea is to replace the csb on the current driveshaft with the one from the '87(they look exactly the same). I've got the driveshaft out and both into 2 pieces. I don't see how to get the csb(the csb is the part that spins right?:() off of the shaft. Any help?

This is the new one I want to remove:

[permit]

Remove that dust cap, then you need a press to remove the CSB.

[cornell]

sorry, the dustcap? and I bet I don't have a press, how much is that going to run me?

[permit]

That thing on the right side of the CSB, it slides off with some force.

Most any auto shop should have a press that they'll let you use, or they'll do it for you.

[cornell]

it looked like it slid, guess I didn't pull hard enough, thanks for the help

[EtaSport]

You also need to remove the snap ring that retains the csb. You might not want to use that bushing again. For all the trouble you will go to to get your driveshaft off you should just get a new one and know that it will work. They are around 30 bucks. Also go to a shop to have them put it on. I put mine on myself and tapped the bearing instead of the race and screwed it up. So it didnt work.

[Brew]

Hope you marked the splines, or else you'll have a much worse vibration than you did before.

[Jand3rson]

You don't need a shop or a press to remove the old CSB, you can just smack it off with a hammer and an old flathead screwdriver. Just make sure you make even strikes around it as you're doing it, so it comes off evenly. Same for putting the new one on, just get a short length of metal pipe, the same diameter as the bearing of the CSB. You just want it just large enough to fit over the splined section of the shaft, and then hammer the new bearing onto the shaft. Be sure only to drive on the inner race, so as not to damage the new bearing, otherwise you'll crush the housing of the bearing. If you don't think you can do it, then by all means, take it to a shop. However, any european shop is going to charge at least $70 per hour, and a driveshaft is about a 3 hour job quote.

[kowalski]

you can put a washer over the bearing so you don't screw it up, and then use the pipe. thats what i did.

[Jand3rson]

you can put a washer over the bearing so you don't screw it up, and then use the pipe. thats what i did.

Good call. Just need a big enough one.

[cornell]

hmmm, well I don't feel too confident in whacking the csb off. But I don't need a shop to do the whole job, just the csb. I did mark the splines. If a new csb is only $30 maybe I should just grab a new one, have a shop put it on for me? The csb is really easy for a shop to do? like $20? again, thanks for the help

[redcarbon]

the csb is pretty cheap, call up BMWparts.com and they'll hook you up with the right part.

I got the csb taken off and the new one pressed on by a shop for $35. It's the simplest procedure ever. Just don't forget to include the dust seals when you put it back together.

is cornell referencing the university? go big red!

[cornell]

cornell is my last name, though someone way back in my family started the school.

I was also wondering: I think I've damaged my rear differential driving around with this vibration(it's leaking some), is there anything I should look at while I've got the driveshaft out?

[cornell]

just called about a new csb, it's not available in town. I could order it, but I'm a bit impatient and it seems like this one off the '87 works fine. Is there anything I can check. I don't really want to do this job twice.

[Old'n'Slow]

just called about a new csb, it's not available in town. I could order it, but I'm a bit impatient and it seems like this one off the '87 works fine. Is there anything I can check. I don't really want to do this job twice.

The REAL problem here, given the age of the car, is probably the u-joints. Do they move smoothly or do they feel stiff and notchy? As they age and wear, they stiffen. This stiffness causes a vibration which ruins the CSB. You assume the CSB is bad, replace it, put it all back together only to find you still have a vibration. It's worse now too, because that nice, new CSB is transmitting it to the tunnel right under your seat. But the vibration will soon shake the new CSB to pieces(literally) and you're back to where you started. If the U-joints are bad, the only remedy is a new, or rebuilt driveshaft. I got mine from Portland Driveline and it has servicable u-joints. The stock ones didn't.

Check the U-joints first. And please tell us you marked the two halves before you pulled them apart! If not, I'd take the whole driveshaft to someone who can reassemble it and rebalance it, that is, if the u-joints aren't shot. These things are balanced as a unit, and they will shake the crap outa everything if not kept that way.`