Help help help, gearbox died! arhhh!

Post Fri Jun 24, 2005 5:01 pm

It has finnally happened my gear box has died, drove from b'ham to north wales with pretty much just 4th gear! fun in the mountains....

I'm at my parents, and have a spare gearbox phew!
Don't have my haynes or any other manual, anyone got a link to it online PLEASE>>>>>>!!!!!!
Are all the hex bolts either m8 or m10? nothing else?

Any hints tips?

Karan,Si316 anyone else whose mobile i have i may call you if i get stuck if this is ok.......CHEERS!!!!

ITs going to be a fun weeekend!

later

Post Fri Jun 24, 2005 5:26 pm

oops....... not too hard to do..... but may be slightly hard if ure doing it ureself...

heres a vague guide:

1. exhaust off and remove heatshield that runs down entire body to get access to prop
2. prop off at gbox end and diff end
3. u know that arm in which the gear laver balljoint sits.... well that is joined to the body at teh rear by a bracket with a bush in.... remove this bracket and gear lever will just drop down when u remove box-remember remove gaiter
4. loosen engine mounts to allow engine to tilt
5. remove gbox mounts and xmember and place jack under box
6 remove engine/box bolts-m20 and m42 i know have torx headed bolts...so u may needs these on ure m10 so buy a set
7. wiggle box backwards and off..... may be worth draining it to remove excess weight first... make sure u have the special large hex driver also for filling up ure new box
8. whack new box on bolt up to engine
9. then refit xmember, mounts, prop, heatshield and exhaust
10. and finally go for a drift to test it

gimme a bell any probs

ull be busy this weekend then

remmeber u need torx bolts possibly and the drain plug hex spanner/socket and new oil for the other box..... its forgetting these kinda things that always makes things take me ages

also its worth having long extensions to get to the engine/box bolts with a UJ on the end too..... easy peasy then!

HTH

Karan

Post Tue Jun 28, 2005 6:51 pm

Cheers Karan!

It was a days work in the end, sounds like m10 gearbox's are easeir to change than m20's

It being a tiny 4 pot meant that the top bolts on the gearbox car be easily accessed from under the bonnet, the engine obviously sits further foward.

Found the most difficult part was getting the new gearbox to sit straight on the engine. DOn't think i was trying hard enough though :lol:

Took me most of saturday to do in the end which wasn't bad really.

For some reason mine only had 4 torx bolts on the bottom, rest were conventional bolts.

In the end i didn't change the clutch or the flywheel (even though I have a lightened one ready to go in.....), as i was lacking a little time and didn't want to open another can of warms, though it looked pretty simple, once the gearbox is off. It will be easy to do next time, as i need to change the shifter and engine rear seal(which i didn't have with me!!)

I only used axle stand and i did it ALL on my own, just need a bit of strength :lol:

SO IT CAN BE DONE!

My car on the way back from wales to london was the quitest is ever been, feels far more responsive in 5th on the motorway, even when i had 4 passengers and a load of luggage!

Old gear box was completly mashed, Tried to drain the oil out of it, but it didn't have any! hmmm last 100miles or so with no oil was very noisy! The gearbox rear seal, was mash, and the cover had a bit missing at the back, i first thought it could have been a speed hump, but the damage was too high up, so it must have been a stone or something.

Oh well all good now!

Post Tue Jun 28, 2005 7:45 pm

nice one

Post Tue Jun 28, 2005 8:21 pm

Cheers! Its was a good sense of achievment!
Feel like i'm not getting to bad with the old mechanical things now!
Espcially after doing this and the IS suspension/brakes. Most of it all learn't from the Zone!

Post Tue Jun 28, 2005 8:23 pm

good stuff..

u were lucky cos the m10 is actually quite forward in the engine bay...
m42 is more rearwards...

good call not changing the clutch... did u inspect the thickness of the pressure plate? mine was like new when i did mine so didnt bother putting new clutch on...

well done once again

Karan

Post Tue Jun 28, 2005 8:30 pm

Clutch is the original 120 000 mile one, Its getting a little thin, but nothing too dramatic. Really want to put this lightened flywheel in that i have. Think its a good idea to leave it a little while, so that Sara (girlfriend who is learning) can finish the old one off, rather than destroying a new one!

Its nice to see the difference with just the gearbox though, then it will be another diffeerence with the fly!

Also worked out the my stater motor is on its way out as it sometimes it just spins, was told that its probably some missing teath on the flywheel, but they are all there.....what to garages know anyway!!!

Post Tue Jun 28, 2005 8:31 pm

u were lucky cos the m10 is actually quite forward in the engine bay...
m42 is more rearwards...

So is the prop shorter in an m42 or is it just the gearbox?

Post Tue Jun 28, 2005 8:32 pm

Gwynleym10 wrote:
u were lucky cos the m10 is actually quite forward in the engine bay...
m42 is more rearwards...
So is the prop shorter in an m42 or is it just the gearbox?

front section of prop is shorter and output shaft on gbox is longer

Post Tue Jun 28, 2005 9:15 pm

front section of prop is shorter

Hmm interesting, would make a very fine handling car!

Post Tue Jun 28, 2005 9:30 pm

Gwynleym10 wrote:
front section of prop is shorter
Hmm interesting, would make a very fine handling car!

iS has awesome med and high speed balance.. at low speeds the diffeence to 325i is not that evident..in terms of balance

Post Wed Jun 29, 2005 10:00 am

well done Gwynleym10!!!!

i'd have been bricking it

hopefully have the confidence if needed one day....