Um, JST, this might be a problem...

[FC]

Originally Posted by equ

Very true. The e46 330i clutch REALLY needs a stop (I used rogue both times I had this car) while the e90 330i clutch doesn't.

I have a clutch stop on the ZHP and still feel that if I depress the clutch all the way to the stop, the shifts are still not smooth. I usually don't get to the clutch stop on regular driving. The switch to start the car is too far back to make the clutch stop work well for me.

[equ]

Originally Posted by FC

I have a clutch stop on the ZHP and still feel that if I depress the clutch all the way to the stop, the shifts are still not smooth. I usually don't get to the clutch stop on regular driving. The switch to start the car is too far back to make the clutch stop work well for me.

That sounds like your engagement is a bit high. The rogue stop has double plates so is height adjustable. If I put it at highest possible (to allow ignition), I found the travel too short.

You're either not adjusting the stop precisely OR
Your ignition cutoff is weirdly high OR
Your clutch engages too high even for a e46 (is wearing out ).

[SCA]

The various reports of problems with the N54 is what would put me off from purchasing the first model year of the 335.

[Rob]

There were a lot of people that had trouble with using clutch stops on the e46 b/c of the ignition switch. Someone designed an electrical work around iirc. I doubt it's Fernando's car or clutch.

I like the guy that complained about throttle lag. "do you think it's so great that it can't have anything wrong with it?"

[iateyourcheese]

Originally Posted by rwg

There were a lot of people that had trouble with using clutch stops on the e46 b/c of the ignition switch. Someone designed an electrical work around iirc. I doubt it's Fernando's car or clutch.

I like the guy that complained about throttle lag. "do you think it's so great that it can't have anything wrong with it?"

And this reply: http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...7&postcount=20

[TD]

Originally Posted by rwg

There were a lot of people that had trouble with using clutch stops on the e46 b/c of the ignition switch. Someone designed an electrical work around iirc. I doubt it's Fernando's car or clutch.

I like the guy that complained about throttle lag. "do you think it's so great that it can't have anything wrong with it?"

I circumvented the issue on my '01. It involved drilling a hole in the clutch arm and putting a bolt through that would depress the switch earleir than the arm itself would.

[FC]

Originally Posted by TD

I circumvented the issue on my '01. It involved drilling a hole in the clutch arm and putting a bolt through that would depress the switch earleir than the arm itself would.

Sometime thereafter cars no longer came with that pressure switch. There must still be a switch of course, but it is not easily accessible to fiddle with. The concensus as I remember it, was to install the clutch so that it would just barely allow the car to start and learn to live with whatever extra slop.

I would no tbe surprised AT ALL if the amount of travel required to activate the switch varies considerably from car to car since, from a design POV, given the long clutch pedal travel, allowing a sloppy margin could make assembly easier. After all, since they did not design for a cluch stop, the understanding is that the driver will simply push the clutch in all the way. In OEM form, that would work even if there were a varaince of over 1" in the travel required to activate the switch.

FWIW, it's not as if my clutch stop doesn't help. It does help tremendously. It's just not perfect. But I am still very glad I have it.

[ZBB]

You may remember that I used to have an '01 325Ci...

I never put a clutch stop in it -- even though the excessively long clutch throw and high engagement point was very annoying. I eventually got used to it, but still never liked it. Probably about 2% of 1st gear starts were very bumpy because the clutch feel was so bad.

I now have an '03 530i -- while it still has a relatively long clutch throw, the clutch engagement point is much closer to the floor and has a better feel to it. I very rarely have problems in this car.

[Rob]

Originally Posted by iateyourcheese

And this reply: http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...7&postcount=20

Fernando, I know for certain that the switch point varied dramatically from car to car. I was lucky and had a decent stop spot. Friends . . . were not so lucky.

Of course, on the M3, I had the clutch stop set so the slightest movement engaged the clutch. Now that was a set up. (Everyone, and I mean everyone with one exception, stalled the car the first time they drove it b/c the pressure point was so close, even when I warned them.) I wish I could do that in my current car, not that it's bad in stock form.

[ff]

Originally Posted by rwg

Of course, on the M3, I had the clutch stop set so the slightest movement engaged the clutch.

I had an 87 Integra a long time ago that was like that. Took a long time to get used to it, but once you did, it was great. That's how a clutch should be.