Off Topic: BMW 2002

[AlexO]

I just bought a race prepped '70 2002 yesterday. We towed it w/ a dolly under the front wheels. Well, it was good for a while, till the rear tires locked and skidded across the parking lot (luckily I was off the highway).

My question to you guys.... With the gearbox in neutral, I let the clutch out and there is a horrible grinding noise. Any ideas what I may have toasted? Thanks for any help.
--Alex

[John Rogers]

Try pushing the car in neutral, any noises it is probably the rear end? Try pushing it in gear (4th) and listen for noises, could be the tranny, clutch. Try turning the engine w/o starting and listen for noises, that would tell you if the starter or engine has a problem. Was the car still in neutral when it decided to start to act weird? It could have gone into gear and turned the engine while towing, sure hope not. When the engine is started with clutch in and you let it out it makes the noise, if you start it with clutch out in neutral does it make noise then, if so I'd bet the clutch.

[This message has been edited by john rogers (edited 05-17-2000).]

[AlexO]

Pushing the car in neutral makes a clunking in the rear end, almost sounds like a CV shaft loose, but they're not.
I pulled the car forward in 2nd, and there were no major noises, but it didn't roll freely. Rear brakes maybe?
There are no unusual noises when cranking, and the engine runs smoothly. The shift lever was in neutral when the rears locked (1st the right, then the left soon after, I think its a posi rear) so I'm assuming the gearbox was in neutral. I was thinking the same thing, that it may have popped in gear. Would that have done engine damage, or could it affect the gearbox also?
I tried to start it in neutral with the clutch out and it bucked like it was in gear. I bet thats not a good sign.
So it seems the engine survived. I'll probably check out the rear brakes, make sure they're not siezed.
--Alex

[John Rogers]

Sounds like the shift linkage is loose since it feels like neutral but really isn't? I've had the linkage on my 914 do the same thing, it would feel like it was in gear but wasn't although neutral was always there. Good luck.

[AlexO]

Seems like a safe bet, I'll check it out next time I go see the car. Thanks for the help.

[JP Noonan]

Try the Rennelist, I think theyhave a 2002 forum. Might have better luck with them.


If the car moved in 2nd and the engine starts with the clutch in, I would WAG it is something on the first gear shaft. Either a slider came off, the gear came off, the shaft bent or it's bearings seized.

Other bad things when towing a car: the rear brakes are sometimes left on and the rotors seize to the pads. C-V joints balls desinagrate on the inside, see if the boot is rotating around the shaft, it shouldn't.

There is an interesting picture on someone's website of a bus engine that grenaded while being towed. The owner left the bus in first gear, and towing the bus at 75mph which equals 14,000 RPM motor speed. The rods where completely gone, as was most of the block.

[JP Noonan]

here it is

http://www.rennlist.org/scripts/lyris.pl?enter=2002

[bd1308]

can you post that? it wont let me in...i'm not regestered.

[rich]

Doesn't sound like the tranny. Sounds like the diff. Maybe the pinnion. Kinda strange... The diff's are very bullet proof. Although if the diff was welded for racing it could have broke while you were towing it around corners. Common failure in the tranny is the lay shaft bearings. I replace them with tapered roller bearings instead of the ball type bearings. But these usually only fail under load.

[rich]

here's our latest

[rich]

here's our latest

[david c.]

Neato. I used to have a hotrod '76 2002. I love those cars. Tons of fun to drive.

[sleepdoc]

The 2002 has a rubber universal donut in the drive shaft.

I bet it sheared. Not to big of deal to fix about 60 bucks for the part. I had this failure in my 2002 while driving down the street.

best Mark

[david c.]

Ahhh. The guibo!

[DaveE]

My '76 with backdated bumpers to save a few pounds......

[toyvo75]

If the driveshaft was connected when the car was towed is sounds as if you have toasted the bearings in the transmission. Some transmissions cant be towed in neutral because the out put shaft is spinning when the wheels turn and if the output shaft is not riding in oil it wont get lubricated ! Some transmissions have pumps for oiling, most of them (the pumps)are run on the mainshaft or the input shaft so if towed in neutral those shafts dont turn and the transmission gets no lubrication.
If this is what happened to you ill bet you will remove the drive shaft next time you tow for more than a mile or so. Sorry! But I could be wrong, the diff. could have been out of oil and seized.

[Jake Seidel]

I hate Guibos . My 67 1600 has a 2002 moter with dual webbers and other stuff toasts them