clutch whining - to replace or not to replace

[trilate]

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.

[Manolito]

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.

[trilate]

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

[Manolito]

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.

[Jeron]

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