flywheel rattle.. bad bearing.. eh?

[mcbonio]

Ok so finally getting round to sort this gearbox/flywheel/bearing issue I have. At idle you can hear a very slight random knocking from the gearbox area, when you shut the car off it gives off a rattle as the engine comes to a stop.

It still does it when you shut the engine off with the clutch pressed in which makes me think its not the gearbox and more the flywheel/bearing. The gearbox works perfectly, no issues at all. It doesn't affect the cars performance at all.

[youtube][/youtube]

Anyone heard this before?

[leeparkes]

Your right that doesnt sound like a gearbox type rattle.
Imo the gearbox has to come off and see whats what as flywheel bolts have been know to come loose.

[mcbonio]

My thoughts too Lee, flywheel bolt has worked its way loose or flywheel is cracked around the bolt holes allowing movement when coming to a stop but ok when it's loaded up.

Sound plausible?

[leeparkes]

It could be any one of those but either way the gearbox has to come off there is an inspection hole you could look through but i doubt you would see much.

Is it a single mass fly?

[mcbonio]

I think its single mass yeah. I've had a look through the inspection hole but can't see anything.

I'll take to my local gearbox specialist on weds morning, he said he'll have a listen for me. I really don't have the time or tools to drop the gearbox.

[leeparkes]

Dont do it on your drive ffs, i made that mistake.
Sound like the rattle is in the bellhousing more than the gearbox itself.

Im putting money on a pressure plate bolt come loose and dancing round inside.

[mcbonio]

Yeah theres a gremlin in there somewhere,

Perhaps this gearbox specialist guy my mine has one of those endoscopic cameras he can poke though the inspection hole and have a nosey.

Just hope there isn't any trouble getting the box off with it being a conversion and all...

What happened in your drive man?

[leeparkes]

Most of it on page 15 going onto 16

http://www.e30zone.net/modules.php?name ... &start=350

[mcbonio]

heh hows your hand?

[leeparkes]

I had a big black lump on it for about a month.

[mcbonio]

Ouch, wasn't your right hand was it? LOL

[leeparkes]

Its ok im ambidextrous.

[mcbonio]

I've just noticed the drivers side engine mount is on top of a stack of thin washers.... probably to get the engine at the right height.

Could this be the source of all the internal vibration in the car, especially underfoot on the drivers side, and the source of the rattle when I turn it off?

I'll post a picture.

[mcbonio]

See how the drivers side is perched on a stack of thin washers, surely the can't absorb vibration properly, the bit fat engine bush isn't sitting on the mount and it looks mis shapen. What you all think?

[leeparkes]

Them mounts look a bit err... floppy.
If its catching anywhere it will be the sump touching the steering rack.
What are those metal mounts? look like a home brew affair.

[mcbonio]

ah now you mention the steering rack, the sump is literally touching it.... Could this be the source of the rattle/knock?

Whats the clearance between your sump and rack Lee?

[Speedtouch]

Yes, sounds like it could be.

I had my brother's E34 535iSE up to an indicated 147 units of speed once, and shortly afterwards discovered that the passenger side engine mount rubber had become completely detatched from the base!

[mcbonio]

Oh dear sounds like your brothers engine tried to liberate itself...

Ok so I'll get some mounts tomorrow from my local motorfactor and install them over the weekend.

I might drop the rack enough to clear the sump and test that, see if helps. Will the rack lower a tad without unbuttoning the tie rod ends?

[Rav335uk]

See how the drivers side is perched on a stack of thin washers, surely the can't absorb vibration properly, the bit fat engine bush isn't sitting on the mount and it looks mis shapen. What you all think?

They look fooked!

Also, if and when you change them, get the Metal cups the mounts sit into, I have them on my cab, and the mounts don't flex as much in those.
As for the spacing over the rack to sump, should be atleast 5mm onwards.

[mcbonio]

Cheers Rav,

What are these metal cups you speak of?

[Rav335uk]

No 12 in the link below

http://bmwfans.info/parts/catalog/E30/2 ... on_damper/

[mcbonio]

"Stopper" what an imaginative name.!

[Rav335uk]

"Stopper" what an imaginative name.!

Yea, stops you fookin up your mounts!

[mcbonio]

Why do you suppose they've wedged some spacers on the drivers side?

[Bristol_Jer]

I'd guess that the mount arms aren't quite the right size and so needed the mounts packing up to clear the sump and the rack

[mcbonio]

Or he's used old bushes that were squashed and a bit thinner than usual.. I guess I'll find out when I take it all apart and replace them.!

Can the rack be mounted slightly lower with spacers at all?

[Bristol_Jer]

The standard rack fits in tight, I would have thought it would be a right pain to lower it, and then you get geometry issues too when you start messing about with the height of the rack. If new bushes don't sort the engine height, I'd get some of Lee's (Parkes) engine mount arms and fit those

[mcbonio]

I'll see how the new bushes work, theres options. Lees mounts or some fat 70x5mm steel washers.

I'll let you know how it goes.! Another job on this friggin turd.. yay not.

[mcbonio]

Just out of sheer curiosity I had to go in the garage and have a look. The sump is actually touching the steering rack on both ends.! lol

I think the engine mounts have collapsed to point where they now touch the rack.

[Rav335uk]

Oh yes, defo mount fooked there

[mcbonio]

Cheers Rav, I just hope this cures the mad knocking and vibrations I have.!

Am I ok jacking under the sump with a wide block of wood?

[Rav335uk]

Erm...............


















































NO!

[mcbonio]

Where can I jack the engine up then?

[Rav335uk]

Don't you have access to a hoist?

[mcbonio]

Nope.! These guys reckon its ok, if you use a bit of wood to distribute the weight when jacking.

http://www.pelicanparts.com/bmw/techart ... cement.htm