Worn out clutch?

phiba · 09-10-2007, 03:31 PM

Our 91 318is has 98K miles on it. It has never had the clutch replaced. In the last few thousand miles, the clutch gets grabby after when using it a lot, but it doesn't slip. It has been getting worse recently. I just had the propeller shaft u-joints and bearings rebuilt, but this didn't help. Does this sound like a worn-out clutch? I'm kicking myself now since this could have been done along with the work on the propeller shaft.

jwfuller · 09-12-2007, 04:22 AM

Props on the Range rover. I'm a disco driver, LOVE IT.

I just changed the clutch on my bmw 318i with 210,000 miles. Original clutch. That clutch should last you until 175,000 miles. This is just my estimate from all of the posts I've been reading. When you say "grabby", how do you mean? Are you getting some vibration? Is the vibration while clutch is in, during transition, or at take-off?

phiba · 09-12-2007, 09:53 AM

Thanks for your reply. Wow, 175K miles, I had no idea. The car kind of judders during take-off in 1st gear, but only while the clutch is still slipping. As soon as the clutch is fully engaged and the car is under way, it is smooth, no vibration. There is no problem shifting 1-2, 2-1, or going into 1st gear at standstill. It seems worse when you slip the clutch more, so I try to engage it as early as possible under minimum power to get rolling. But this gets hard to do starting on hills. And it gets worse when using the clutch alot in stop-and-go or city traffic.

I love my RR too, had it for 15 years. It has been an excellent car, absolutely reliable (except for the little things like seat adj switches), and a blast to drive, especially off-road. I've installed red polyurethane bushings and heavy duty Bilsteins, otherwise everything is stock. Parts are readily available, and it seems made to be worked on, with plenty of room. Unlike the BMW.

jwfuller · 09-12-2007, 12:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by phiba

Thanks for your reply. Wow, 175K miles, I had no idea. The car kind of judders during take-off in 1st gear, but only while the clutch is still slipping. As soon as the clutch is fully engaged and the car is under way, it is smooth, no vibration. There is no problem shifting 1-2, 2-1, or going into 1st gear at standstill. It seems worse when you slip the clutch more, so I try to engage it as early as possible under minimum power to get rolling. But this gets hard to do starting on hills. And it gets worse when using the clutch alot in stop-and-go or city traffic.

I love my RR too, had it for 15 years. It has been an excellent car, absolutely reliable (except for the little things like seat adj switches), and a blast to drive, especially off-road. I've installed red polyurethane bushings and heavy duty Bilsteins, otherwise everything is stock. Parts are readily available, and it seems made to be worked on, with plenty of room. Unlike the BMW.

Ok, yeah that is usually your Guibo, or otherwise known as the flex disc. It is a rubber disc right behind the tranny; between the tranny and drive shaft. However, you had your bearings and bushings changed, surely the mechanic would have pointed this out or noticed your guibo was chewed up (if it is indeed chewed)....

Howevah, it could be your tranny mounts, or your engine mounts. If you have the assets, I would get under there (safely) and look at all of your rubberware under the chassis (flex disc, transmission mounts, engine mounts). Make sure the tranny support bar (that the tranny mounts are attached to) is not wobbly. Who conducted your driveshaft work? Was it a shaft (heh) specialist?

Yeah brotha, that BMW is a bear to work in! That clutch job on my 318i '93 was probably the worst thing I've had to deal with in my life, lol. It was interesting until hours 48-72, and then I was just getting p - offed. On the other hand, I do enjoy working on the rover

It is very responsive to all of the love put in to it. It seems to crave it!

Don't stress too much, it's probably not your clutch. My car was vibrating on start-up, and it was prolly my flex disc, it was chewed up, but I pulled my slave cylinder and I could tell the clutch set was hosed. I pulled it, and the disc was disintegrated. It was metal disc on metal disc (flywheel)! The clutch on that car is a piece of work.

jwfuller · 09-12-2007, 12:31 PM

Ok, yeah that is usually your Guibo, or otherwise known as the flex disc. It is a rubber disc right behind the tranny; between the tranny and drive shaft. However, you had your bearings and bushings changed, surely the mechanic would have pointed this out or noticed your guibo was chewed up (if it is indeed chewed)....

Howevah, it could be your tranny mounts, or your engine mounts. If you have the assets, I would get under there (safely) and look at all of your rubberware under the chassis (flex disc, transmission mounts, engine mounts). Make sure the tranny support bar (that the tranny mounts are attached to) is not wobbly. Who conducted your driveshaft work? Was it a shaft (heh) specialist?

Yeah brotha, that BMW is a bear to work in! That clutch job on my 318i '93 was probably the worst thing I've had to deal with in my life, lol. It was interesting until hours 48-72, and then I was just getting p - offed. On the other hand, I do enjoy working on the rover

It is very responsive to all of the love put in to it. It seems to crave it!

Don't stress too much, it's probably not your clutch. My car was vibrating on start-up, and it was prolly my flex disc, it was chewed up, but I pulled my slave cylinder and I could tell the clutch set was hosed. I pulled it, and the disc was disintegrated. It was metal disc on metal disc (flywheel)! The clutch on that car is a piece of work.

phiba · 09-12-2007, 05:20 PM

Thanks for the suggestions. I've spent enough time under the car to know I don't like to be under there. That was when I changed out all the bushings on the gearshift linkage. Getting that retaining clip off the transmission case and then back on again had me scaring the neighbors with my language, and all my muscles were sore for several days after.

I like the mechanic - he is 2nd generation in his family to work on German cars, and likes the older BMWs. He called my 318is "one of the last of the good ones". On the propeller shaft, rather than replacing it with a new one, he knew a place that rebuilds them using oversized U-joints. I'll have him check the rubber bits first before going into the clutch. He quoted $1100 for the clutch job (with parts), which seems like a deal based on what I've read in the 101 Projects book. We've had the car since new and only have 98K miles on it after 17 years, so putting a bit of money into it now isn't too offensive. The only other major work was replacing a blown head gasket, about $3K.

Did you have to turn the flywheel when you replaced the clutch?

jwfuller · 09-13-2007, 10:20 AM

Yeah, I can't believe how fantastic this car is to drive. I don't know what newer ones are like, but I don't see a point in upgrading or paying for it when I can pay about 6000 for an e36.

Sounds like your mechanic is a square job, it is good to have someone to trust, and that's a very good price for that job. Typical quote runs about 1400 dollars.

They say that you don't turn an E36 flywheel. I good machine shop can turn it anyway, just get the real spec on those things. I believe the general school of thought is measure the tolerance, and if it isn't scored up too bad you use some fine grain sandpaper and water and smooth out the surface, and then go with it. A search on any BMW board will get you alot of results

Good luck!