sawzall my transmission

[slo97m3]

I've been posting about my clutch that I installed backwards, and my current situation is somewhat bleak. I had my car towed to the dealer, who says that they will have to cut off the transmission (I don't doubt this, it was really stuck) and install a new one. Now I know some of you have had this problem and got the transmission off with a prybar, but that doesn't seem to do it in my case. Apparently the input shaft is quite bent and somehow jammed in the flywheel. Probably from my attempts at prying off the transmission. Anyway, the dealer wants 4500 for parts and labor.
So I'm planning to do it myself with a used transmission and lightweight flywheel for about 1200. Do you guys have any thoughts or suggestions about this? I plan to drill a hole in the housing, and then use my reciprocating saw to cut enough of the housing off to unbolt the pressure plate and flywheel. Thanks in advance for your input.

[tEckniks]

man that really sucks, good luck with everything

have you gone to a independant bmw shop instead of the stealership? i was suggest going their first

[Serious]

why not just take the back of the tranny off? since you cant cut it off at the bell housing i dont see what cutting the middle of the tranny will do different from just taking it apart.

[slo97m3]

yeah, i could unbolt the back half, but the trans. input shaft is stuck to the flywheel, and its also attached to the back half of the trans. So if I unbolt it it will still be stuck, right?

[Serious]

and you cant depress the clutch and then crowbar the tranny off?

[slo97m3]

Tried that too. Got the tranny off just far enough that the piston came out of the slave cylinder and brake fluid went everywhere. It was fun.

[ADVANT123]

Did you try using a winch attached to like a 4x4 and trying that to pull it off? Since the transmission is garbage anyway, should at least give it a shot..

[fgraziano]

not to be a dikk but are you sure you want to do the re-install yourself? I second the notion of pursuing an independent shop first, if you can out the door for under 2000 i'd say let them do it. You can even supply them with the parts and they'll just charge you labor. That way you can have peace of mind that it'll get done. Then again if you're a stubborn SOB like me, I would never be able to sleep knowing that i had failed at a mod and I'd do just the same as you.

[funkmasta]

Why dont you go to a transmission specialty shop? Im sure they see this all the time...

[97Calypso328I]

I second put a chain on the bell housing and rip it out with a 4x4

[BMuu]

I second put a chain on the bell housing and rip it out with a 4x4

personally I think this would damage something other than just the tranny.. but if you do decide to do it could you make a vid :)

[funkmasta]

Your transmission does not need to be cut off. period.
that is absurd.

[r6jon]

Your transmission does not need to be cut off. period.
that is absurd.

I would agree with this statement.

*BUT* if you no longer have any patience and wish to just get it off, you may want to try to simply cut the imput shaft off of the tranny. I don't know how far you can get it away from the pressure plate, but if you can get a nice long sawzall blade in there and cut the imput shaft - you would save the core of your tranny.

Cutting into the bell housing would make it a junker. A trans shop can give you a "core" credit or maybe even replace the input shaft for you!

I really feel for you bro, and I hope you get everything sorted out.

[Luftwaffe1O1]

That sucks man, but dont go back to the $tealership, nothing good can come of it. Like others have said, and like I tried to tell Dan before my reception cut out, find a good local shop, check the regional forums for that, that specializes in European cars/trannies etc. Dealerships will charge you for all sorts of BS, and labor is about $100 per hour, so don't want to take that route, might be a lot more reasonable to just do it there.

[332 RustBucket]

I second put a chain on the bell housing and rip it out with a 4x4


And PLEASE video tape it so that we can have a BMW video like the Saturn that was stuck in the snow :D :lol

[Luftwaffe1O1]

And PLEASE video tape it so that we can have a BMW video like the Saturn that was stuck in the snow :D :lol

Heh look on the bright side though :D might as well just get a Euro engine and tranny while hes at it.

[332 RustBucket]

I love how HE installed the clutch backwards and created this mess and is now actually continplating doing this work himself!!!!!!!!!!!


COME ON MAN!! PAY SOMEONE!!!

[slo97m3]

The picture is backwards in the chilton's guide. But hey, I appreciate the sympathy man. Good thing you're not a jerk.

[LagunaSecaBlue]

The picture is backwards in the chilton's guide. But hey, I appreciate the sympathy man. Good thing you're not a jerk.


haha, i like the sarcasm, it made me laugh :)


i hope you get it worked out... i know i've tried diy's before and ended up screwing things up worse; it does feel a lot better when you fix the problem yourself, though.

[2XM3]

Is not the imput shaft hardened? if so you will have to use a cut off wheel.
I really like the 4x4 method, leave plenty of slack it the chain when you let her rip!!! (please video this)
Seriously, I would call a independant shop or try a porta-power and carefully put some serious force on that baby,you might get lucky.

[332 RustBucket]

The picture is backwards in the chilton's guide. But hey, I appreciate the sympathy man. Good thing you're not a jerk.


No problem, glad I could help!!! :buttrock

[funkmasta]

Tow it to a transmission shop, they will have it off in 15 minutes.
Do NOT try to rip it off, there are a lot of other things you can hurt.

Sucks about the Chiltons manual, I used a Haynes manual in my early days. I used it to help guide me through an auto to manual swap. Bad news. I was instructed to remove the intake manifold, which I did. (because I didnt know any better at the time) :mad:

[bmattick]

I've been posting about my clutch that I installed backwards, and my current situation is somewhat bleak.

If you did this then I would suggest that you never work on your own cars again.

[dak656]

I think you people need to NOT BE SUCH ASSHOLES to this poor dude. He screwed up, he has balls and he admitted it. Cut him some slack, I'm sure everyone on here has done something equally stupid in their time working on cars.

I agree with Joe, take it to a gearbox shop and have them pull it off.

[Eric Giles]

If you did this then I would suggest that you never work on your own cars again.

Yeah, that is a bit harsh. He made a mistake, but then again he mentioned that the manual he was using has it backwards in the picture. It's not just individuals that make this mistake-if you look back at my post on his previous thread, a tech at the BMW dealership put mine in backwards! He had been there for years, does superb work, and had replaced the clutch on my '90 325is a year or so earlier with no problems. Fact of the matter is, we are all human and we WILL make mistakes. As long as we learn from then, then that is fine.

Slo97m3, once again I feel bad for you on what has happened. But I would take the advice of others and have the car towed to an independent or a transmission shop that might have the special tools required to remove the tranny.

[funkmasta]

See, all the guys with E30 M3's are the nice guys... ;)

[trthrrt489]

The picture is backwards in the chilton's guide. But hey, I appreciate the sympathy man. Good thing you're not a jerk.


I respect that you have the courage to try something of this magnitude on your own.

While you might have lost this battle, do you feel that you could do it right if you did it again? Thats what's important!

As life goes on, and cars come and go, you'll be the one saving thousands on clutch jobs.

[trthrrt489]

See, all the guys with E30 M3's are the nice guys... ;)

Joe, when are you comming back to Chi-town? I miss you baby!

[Geno325is]

Joe, when are you comming back to Chi-town? I miss you baby!

Dave is a friend stealer

[trthrrt489]

Dave is a friend stealer


Geno, we all have to get together. WTF, either come over and help when I'm running IC pipe, or we'll get together when Brieee and the Funkmasta come back to town.

[techno550]

On the trans, you don't have to sawzall it off. find someone with a plasma cutter (or someone with a dremel and way too much free time) and just cut yourself an access panel in the bell housing. you can get to the bolts on the back of the clutch that way. Unbolt the pressure plate and it'll all come apart.

[///Mink]

If you did this then I would suggest that you never work on your own cars again.


Lamest....reply...ever! Seriously. :rolleyes

[Luftwaffe1O1]

Lamest....reply...ever! Seriously. :rolleyes

seriously, I guess not everyone is gifted with knowing everything there is about car maintenance from birth. You can screw up certain things, it will be an expensive lesson, but a lesson nontheless.

[beatniks325]

Lamest....reply...ever! Seriously. :rolleyes

I third the notion.

good luck getting the tranny out.

[slo97m3]

Thanks for the input and support guys. I'll let you know how it turns out.

[CarbonBlkE36]

thats too funny, if u didn't know how to install the clutch shoulda had a professional do it, u must make it a habit to pay attention to how things come off

[Balthazarr]

Next time, take some pics of assembly before dismantling.
I'm reluctant to do this myself bc my hand always get filthy, (forget to put on mech's gloves) hate soiling cam so no pics.
Saves a lot of guessing and relying on false or unnecessary convoluted info in manuals and there is plenty.

[///Mink]

thats too funny, if u didn't know how to install the clutch shoulda had a professional do it, u must make it a habit to pay attention to how things come off

Wow, tell the rest of us what it's like to be perfect.

Damn, the poor guy gets in a jam by following a manual that has a backwards photo, comes here looking for some help and all he gets is grief from a bunch of f_cking holier-than-thou know-it-alls, who have apparently never made a mistake while working on their cars.

Personally, I applaud him for taking on a big task that a lot of people would have a shop do so that they wouldn't have to dirty their hands.

[CarbonBlkE36]

Wow, tell the rest of us what it's like to be perfect.

Damn, the poor guy gets in a jam by following a manual that has a backwards photo, comes here looking for some help and all he gets is grief from a bunch of f_cking holier-than-thou know-it-alls, who have apparently never made a mistake while working on their cars.

Personally, I applaud him for taking on a big task that a lot of people would have a shop do so that they wouldn't have to dirty their hands.


i like to do all my own work BTW, you shouldn't need a manual take it apart and put it back together. not that hard

[CarbonBlkE36]

its funny, i was just telling my friend about this scenario and i told him the user name, and he says, his m3 is even slower now

[///Mink]

its funny, i was just telling my friend about this scenario and i told him the user name, and he says, his m3 is even slower now

Did you or your friend even notice the double meaning of his user name?

[Serious]

its funny, i was just telling my friend about this scenario and i told him the user name, and he says, his m3 is even slower now

how many e36 clutch jobs have u done genius?

[slo97m3]

its funny, i was just telling my friend about this scenario and i told him the user name, and he says, his m3 is even slower now

Actually, it's stuck in Fresno...

[funkmasta]

i like to do all my own work BTW, you shouldn't need a manual take it apart and put it back together. not that hard

False. The first time you do any major task, I believe it is ESSENTIAL that you follow a manual. You would be a fool not to.
I mean, how would you feel if you did a head gasket replacement but got the cams 180 out and bent half your valves... then some veteran tells you that you shouldnt have even needed a manual, calls you an idiot, and recommends that you never work on your own car again...

I give Slo97M3 an A+ for effort.
And how much smarter is he now about how his car works? He will be able to make better diagnostics, and if he takes his car to a shop, he will know what is BS and what is not.
I have saved my mom AT LEAST $2000 because she has me talk to the mechanics that work on her car and they walk me through the bill step by step.

[///Mink]

I did have another thought. I'm not sure how much room you have, but do you think you could squeeze a couple of low-profile scissor jacks between the bellhousing and the engine (one on each side)? Then crank them up side-to-side evenly? It might be enough to force them apart. Just a thought.

[funkmasta]

He probably has about 1/2" to an inch of clearance (having been in a similar situation)

[slo97m3]

yup, i only had about a half inch of clearance. I got it off though. I cut a square out of the side of the bell, and then unbolted the pressure plate. Transmission came right off after that. Of course there is a hole in the side... but I got a good deal on a remanufactured one. Now I have an extra tranny w\ a hole in the side though. I could probably weld it back together, but then I'm sure nobody would want it. Maybe I'll keep it for parts. Thanks again for the input guys.

[///MacDaddy]

Good deal, glad you got it off. Was the input shaft bent?

[///Mink]

yup, i only had about a half inch of clearance. I got it off though. I cut a square out of the side of the bell, and then unbolted the pressure plate. Transmission came right off after that. Of course there is a hole in the side... but I got a good deal on a remanufactured one. Now I have an extra tranny w\ a hole in the side though. I could probably weld it back together, but then I'm sure nobody would want it. Maybe I'll keep it for parts. Thanks again for the input guys.

:clap :clap Nice work. As long as the input shaft isn't bent, you should be able to sell it to someone on a budget. Welding up the hole in the side would probably help, though as long as you know someone who can weld aluminum.

[slo97m3]

I can weld aluminum (Cal Poly is sweet) so I'll probably do that. I can't tell if the input shaft is bent because the clutch disc is still stuck on there and preventing it from moving. (at least I hope thats why it wont move) It looks alright though from what I can see. I think I'll have to get the disc off and get it spinning to know for sure though. My new trans. and flywheel both didn't get here... despite paying extra for the guarentee that they would. Guess I'll be waiting one more week for my car.

[POPS M3]

I'd try removing the pressure plate ( PP) bolts. This will free up the disc so it and the PP can be moved back along with the trans. Then only the pilot bearing is restraining it. Of course you'll have to do some trans cutting to access the PP bolts. But it is junk anyway.

Or get an independent shop to do it.


Ken

[M3Jokster]

slo97M3...

don't saw off your tranny.....by next week, I will know if i'll be doing a 6-speed euro conversion on my car. I have a 3.2L ZF 5 speed tranny with about 20k miles...no problems what so ever ...I'm also located in s. Cal....I'll keep u posted..