New guy

[LateFan]

Wholesale Import Parts
Remanfactured and balanced early E30 $393

https://www.wholesaleimportparts.com...shaft_1986.php

[LateFan]

Driveshaft Specialist of TX seems like a possibility. They suggested a new DS for $545 - "a small series Ford Ranger type with replaceable u-joints and a center section that bolts together," but I'd like to keep it all original. It lasted 160,000 miles the first time.


EDIT - Driveline Service of Portland offers a remanufactured unit for $485 plus $100 core deposit and UPS Ground included.

[jeffnhiscars]

Dorman makes NEW drive shafts, but they are for 325i.

https://www.dormanproducts.com/p-83266-936-370.aspx?year=1991&make=BMW&model=325i&parttype=Drive%2520Shaft&origin=YMM

Autozone sells them for $522. It's possible to check them in person, I guess.

Being "100% new" it's hard to imagine it's anywhere near the quality of an OE reman from a specialty shop for the same money. I mean...autozone 🙄

[Vincenze]

Dorman makes NEW drive shafts, but they are for 325i.

https://www.dormanproducts.com/p-83266-936-370.aspx?year=1991&make=BMW&model=325i&parttype=Drive%2520Shaft&origin=YMM

Autozone sells them for $522. It's possible to check them in person, I guess.

[LateFan]

Bimmerworld:

https://www.bimmerworld.com/Driveline-Shifter/Driveshafts-Accessories/Remanufactured-Driveshaft-E30-325e-up-to-5-86-manual.html

[LateFan]

Albie has me reading up on driveshafts:

https://www.rtsauto.com/e30-bmw-and-mercedes-driveshaft-and-u-joint-rebuild-non-serviceable-u-joints/

Anyone heard of Driveshaft Specialist of TX?
http://driveshaftspecialist.com/Impo...gIVLh6tBh2ekQz 7EAAYASAAEgIX3_D_BwE

[LateFan]

I started working on the crank position sensors, which were stuck in the bores because the plastic started to melt. Slow and careful, tap away with a punch, a big punch, and a tiny screwdriver, trying not to gall the aluminum. Then I used a fine rat-tail file and just pushed once against the black plastic bumps. I believe there's a small ledge inside the bore, where the upper plastic part of the sensor bottoms. I'm trying to get that bit of plastic out of there without ruining the step. Tiny taps.

Is there an o-ring in the bore on the CPS? Interesting that it mostly made it.

[LateFan]

Well, that rubber go was not going to come off, with sprays, with wire wheels....it's just gum. So...bust out the smoke wrench!




After some wire wheeling....

[LateFan]

I see. We have some industrial driveline shops here, likely for trucking, but I could run it by one of those guys and see what they say.


EDIT - Sent a submittal to Driveline Services - thanks.

[jeffnhiscars]

While it's possible to find a shop that can and will change the u joints AND balance it as a unit, most people seem to get a replacement rebuild. Go to place to check would be driveline services in Portland, OR. I believe you just return your old shaft in their box and bobs your uncle.

[Albie325]

A guy on myE28 forum said he used an aluminum angle and an E36 trans mount....

Clever, looks like that should work pretty well! I wish I had measured mine, if I hadn't found one I was just going to make one out of some metal bar stock. Shouldn't be very difficult at all if you end up having to fab one up, and not like it's supporting very much anyway

[LateFan]

A guy on myE28 forum said he used an aluminum angle and an E36 trans mount.....

[LateFan]

Oh, and we recently had three days of monsoon rain day and night, and the passenger front and rear carpets are soaked. Checked the sunroof drains, they run fine out the rockers. There are only the two front ones I hope - not two more at the rear? No wet door panels or surfaces up high, just the floor carpet. Door seals look good. The elephant trunk drain hose from the cowling was old and clogged, took that off. I don't know if maybe it backed up enough from the cowling vents that it overflowed into the heater box and down the firewall...? Need to pull the drivers wiper and that cowl vent to look inside, and maybe the heater closing panel in the engine compartment.

[LateFan]

Helpful information! I was just about to ask about the staked u-joints. I see them listed on FCP, so they exist. But if a shop won't put them in, then what. I think our rear one has a slight catch in it. I was about to mark the front and rear halves before we take anything apart. Need the CSB and carrier, giubo, bolts, front shaft bushing.

I see your nicely painted "bow" bracket hanging off the plate! They are not out there so far. I found one in a shifter assembly and the seller won't separate it. If I had one I could measure carefully, I bet a fab shop could bend or weld up a thick steel plate with the holes and stud. It's not carrying much weight, it just braces the shift linkage assembly.

[Albie325]

Regarding the harmonic balancer remnants, mine was in similar shape, and I tried getting it off but couldn't. I didn't really want to hammer out the studs. I installed a UUC DSSR as well as the Z3 short shifter, and just reinstalled the flange with the balancer bracket still attached after re-sealing the output shaft. I've had no issues with the shifter hitting whats left of the harmonic balancer. Since the big rubber donut aspect of the balancer isn't there, there's not much to really get caught on:





The remants of the balancer are light enough (essentially just the steel mount plate at this point) that is doesn't have any effect on driveline vibration either that I've noticed. If I were you I'd leave it alone honestly.


Also, from my reading the driveshaft U-joints on the E30 are not serviceable the way they are on other cars. Rather than being bolted into place with a nut, they're staked in at the factory, and from what others have said most driveline shops won't touch them.

The driveshaft is also pre-balanced and there should be two white dots, one on each half of the driveshaft, that you need to align when you put the driveshaft back together:



Hope that helps