engine and drivetrain Transmission Problems

[lobf]

Okay, let me preface this by saying I'm 21, this is my first car, and I'm learning as I go.

So my tranny crapped out on me the other day. My mechanic told me that the countershaft bearing is completely ruined, and he may or may not be able to do anything with what's left of the transmission.

Has this happened to any of you before? What are my options? I don't know that much about these issues. Can I buy another one? Should it be super expensive to rebuild? Also, does anyone have a diagram of the original 4 speed tranny?

Thanks for your helps, folks.

P.S. It's a '76

[stone02]

don't waste your time on a rebuild

look in the parts section for a used

trans. $100 is a good price for a known

trans.replace the clutch, pilot bearing,

throw out bearing and crankshaft rear seal.

you'll be back on the road soon.

[milfweed]

If you decide to look toward a 5-speed swap I have a solid 2-pc that may be available in Seattle [sale pending]. It's not preferred but with the 240 Getrag-- the price is right.

cheers

[lobf]

don't waste your time on a rebuild

look in the parts section for a used

trans. $100 is a good price for a known

trans.replace the clutch, pilot bearing,

throw out bearing and crankshaft rear seal.

you'll be back on the road soon.

Thanks, I appreciate the tip. Would a used tranny come with these? Again, I know nothing about this. $100 seems awfully cheap.

Thanks!

[BMWonly]

The $100 is just for the used transmission. If you get a new clutch kit, it will be another $300 or so. If you get everything from a parts car, you might be able to reuse clutch components, if not too worn.

[JohnC]

The $100 is just for the used transmission. If you get a new clutch kit, it will be another $300 or so. If you get everything from a parts car, you might be able to reuse clutch components, if not too worn.

Post up in the "Parts Wanted" forum, I'm sure someone has got a known-good 4spd around.

I agree, you can probably re-use clutch components, but for a really satisfactory experience, buy new, and resurface your flywheel while you're at it. There's nothing like a perfect, factory-smooth clutch!

It's a royal PITA to assemble everything then find that it's chattering and you've got to pull it all out again.

The other option is to do the 5-spd upgrade. The tranny will cost signficantly more, and you have to shorten your driveshaft and a few other mods. There's plenty of posts on the topic, do a search. But if you're planning on keeping the car for a long time, consider this option.

[thehackmechanic]

It's all a tradeoff of time and cost. If you're short on scratch and if the clutch was working well before the trani horked itself, you can probably get away with replacing only the trani and not touching any other component. I pulled the engine out of my 911 to squelch some oil leaks, and resisted the temptation to freshen up the clutch while I was in there. That was four years ago and the clutch is still fine. Right choice.

Used 2002 four-speeds used to be plentiful, but finding one without bearing noise and without a lunched second gear synchro for $100 would be a real score. If you've done a bunch of tranis, you can get them in and out quickly enough that trying more than one isn't a big deal.

If you decide to walk up the "while I'm in there" ladder, you'd do, in this order, IMHO:

--pilot bearing (in the center of the flywheel)

--guibo (the rubber flex disk between the trani and the driveshaft)

--clutch disk

--throwout bearing

--clutch plate

--driveshaft center support bearing

--resurface flywheel

5-speed conversions are great and make sense if you do a lot of highway driving and if the car is deserving of it. But it's a fair amount of expense.

[jr02518]

Rob,

Does the "editor" get that the '02 is the "gate way" car to BMW life style.

I would hope so.

David Barrish

[thehackmechanic]

Don't be too hard on Satch. BMW CCA is a big group with diverse interests. I can't blame him for not having Roundel be a BMW 2002 magazine. He has Mike Self and his 2002-specific column, and my column frequently has 02-related content. There are the E30 M3 enthusiasts, the E36 M3 enthusiasts, the M5 guys, even the E3 (Bavaria) group can come down on him hard if they feel he hasn't adequately covered some event. Plus, in this day and age, there are so many web-based sources for basic repair info (including this site).

[jr02518]

Rob,

This year at the SCCA Solo II national's BMW's competed and won in FSP, BSP, and SM. The cars included cover the range of '02 to E36, driven by men and the ladies.

No, not everyone is into the details of all aspects of our obsession, but the ladies that are now national champions might open a new chapter of participation in "driving" at events like these.

I know some of the people involved and would be happy to make the introductions.

David Barrish