clutch

[Nick M3]

Originally Posted by clyde

In neutral, the stick's natural position now seems to be more under 5th gear instead of center like it used to be? If you push it in the direction of 5th/R, it won't come back towards center at all until you move it back yourself?

Is this the infamous busted detent spring thing? I think I remember that some got transmisisons replaced under CPO warranties (JST? TD?) because, while it's a $5 part, it requires near total disassembly of the transmission to get to it.

Probably doesn't have anything to do with the clutch replacement other than you being more sensitive to everything related to the clutch/transmission due to the replacement.

The transmission in Zach's car was actually replaced by BMW for that WAYYYYY back when. In retrospect, replacing the decent springs on a ZF should probably be part of any clutch job.

Edit: The repair requires the transmission to be removed from the car, but requires little disassembly beyond that. You need a circlip tool, a small flathead screwdriver (as a chisel), pliers, and ideally a few drifts that BMW sells (I used sockets as it wasn't convenient to wait for the drifts).

[zach]

Originally Posted by clyde

In neutral, the stick's natural position now seems to be more under 5th gear instead of center like it used to be? If you push it in the direction of 5th/R, it won't come back towards center at all until you move it back yourself?

Is this the infamous busted detent spring thing? I think I remember that some got transmisisons replaced under CPO warranties (JST? TD?) because, while it's a $5 part, it requires near total disassembly of the transmission to get to it.

Probably doesn't have anything to do with the clutch replacement other than you being more sensitive to everything related to the clutch/transmission due to the replacement.

On the drive home from the shop, the stick stayed over near 5th and R. If I pulled it back to the center, it popped back to the right. It used to do something similar before, but I could pull it back to the middle and it would stay. I'll give it some time to see if it's actually worse or was just being weird that day. The transmission in this car was replaced in 2003, but it certainly seems like it has the bad spring.

[JST]

Originally Posted by clyde

In neutral, the stick's natural position now seems to be more under 5th gear instead of center like it used to be? If you push it in the direction of 5th/R, it won't come back towards center at all until you move it back yourself?

Is this the infamous busted detent spring thing? I think I remember that some got transmisisons replaced under CPO warranties (JST? TD?) because, while it's a $5 part, it requires near total disassembly of the transmission to get to it.

Probably doesn't have anything to do with the clutch replacement other than you being more sensitive to everything related to the clutch/transmission due to the replacement.

My car started doing it but I traded it before it got really bad (i.e., it would only do it on cold days). That was back in the day before people on teh interwebz had a solid understanding of what the repair involved. Nick's explanation above is much less frightening than we thought at the time.

[zach]

Originally Posted by Nick M3

The transmission in Zach's car was actually replaced by BMW for that WAYYYYY back when. In retrospect, replacing the decent springs on a ZF should probably be part of any clutch job.

Edit: The repair requires the transmission to be removed from the car, but requires little disassembly beyond that. You need a circlip tool, a small flathead screwdriver (as a chisel), pliers, and ideally a few drifts that BMW sells (I used sockets as it wasn't convenient to wait for the drifts).

Yeah, I'm a bit annoyed they didn't proactively fix the spring. That said, this transmission shouldn't have the issue (this is actually the third transmission that's been in the car - first one replaced for spring, 2nd one replaced for some defect that made it very difficult to shift).

[clyde]

Originally Posted by Nick M3

The transmission in Zach's car was actually replaced by BMW for that WAYYYYY back when. In retrospect, replacing the decent springs on a ZF should probably be part of any clutch job.

Edit: The repair requires the transmission to be removed from the car, but requires little disassembly beyond that. You need a circlip tool, a small flathead screwdriver (as a chisel), pliers, and ideally a few drifts that BMW sells (I used sockets as it wasn't convenient to wait for the drifts).

I only remember what I was told/heard at the time. And probably only half of it.

[zach]

Originally Posted by JST

My car started doing it but I traded it before it got really bad (i.e., it would only do it on cold days). That was back in the day before people on teh interwebz had a solid understanding of what the repair involved. Nick's explanation above is much less frightening than we thought at the time.

What I heard back in the day was that BMW didn't trust their techs to do it right or to not screw up something else while they were in there. Cheaper to just replace the transmission under warranty.

[Nick M3]

Originally Posted by JST

My car started doing it but I traded it before it got really bad (i.e., it would only do it on cold days). That was back in the day before people on teh interwebz had a solid understanding of what the repair involved. Nick's explanation above is much less frightening than we thought at the time.

At the time, everyone thought that it was something internal. As it turns out, they weren't completely stupid when they designed it.

[clyde]

Originally Posted by Nick M3

At the time, everyone thought that it was something internal. As it turns out, they weren't completely stupid when they designed it.

So, you're saying I wasn't only misinformed, but misinformed with wrong information. Or something. Just feels like I'm wrong in more than one place, but I can't be sure.

Head colds you didn't realize you had until 5 minutes ago are fun, right? I shoudl go home.

[zach]

Update: the 5th gear detent thing seems to have pretty much gone back to normal. On cold days, it still sticks but I can deal with it. I'm not loving the feel of the new clutch at all. I guess I got used to the heavy feel of the old one. Maybe I'll get used to this.

In true e36 M3 fashion, I now have some sort of shimmy in the steering. It's always something. Good thing the car is still so wonderful to drive.

[Theo]

Originally Posted by zach

Update: the 5th gear detent thing seems to have pretty much gone back to normal. On cold days, it still sticks but I can deal with it. I'm not loving the feel of the new clutch at all. I guess I got used to the heavy feel of the old one. Maybe I'll get used to this.

In true e36 M3 fashion, I now have some sort of shimmy in the steering. It's always something. Good thing the car is still so wonderful to drive.

I still wish I had mine sometimes then I remember how much money I sank into that thing including a whole new top. Still it is a super fun car to drive and proves you dont need an ass load of power to be that way.