clutch whining - to replace or not to replace
 

on my 96-318ti, with clutch disengaged there is a whining along with a strong in-out vibration at the clutch pedal; engaged, all is normal. There has not been any clutch slippage. Mileage is about 175k and I believe it is original clutch.

is it best just to replace the whole clutch?
is there an ability to grease the bearing? without tearing it all apart.

Clutch Whining
 

It does sound like it may be a throwout bearing, and it is not possible to lube a throwout bearing. 175k is not bad service for a clutch. If you are going to the work to drop the tranny, I would definitely replace the clutch, pressure plate, pilot, and throwout while I was in there, even if it still has some life in it.

I don't know anything of 318s, but on some cars, it is a real good idea to replace the rear main seal beneath the flywheel when you do the clutch.

The other thing to research ( I don't know the answer) is whether your 318 might have a dual mass flywheel. If it does, and the flywheel is failing, the clutch job can get pricey. I am told that one symptom of a failing dual mass flywheel is a chattering sound as the engine spins down after you turn off the key.

thanks again for the pointers. I haven't had the chatter down on shut off, though the "feeling" of engaging the clutch pedal seems like side heavy causing a wobbling feel like mass has shifted

Clutch
 

I looked at the parts list, and you do have a dual mass flywheel. That runs $600 on line, so let's hope you don't need it.

I have had a 'rumble' feel through my clutch pedal since I bought my second e36 several years ago. I put a new clutch in it right after I bought it. The rumble did not change. I have put another 50k miles on the car, and it is still the same. My BMW specialist mechanic cannot tell me what might be causing it.

If you pull the tranny put in a new clutch. You might leave the flywheel but 175k is a lot of miles.