is my mechanic a chump?

[rookie_98]

so i took my zf tranny to my mechanic and he said there was no way it would fit. so i'm thinking of doing it myself since so many ppl have told me it would work. the only thing is that i haven't found someone with an m44, zf tranny that have made it work without using the m3 or 328 driveshaft. how hard would it be of a job, i know i need some special tools like the torx wrenches or whatever they are called and a really long extension. anyone opinions?

[Bluebimma]

Contact jeffrie on bf.c,

[rookie_98]

now i gotta register at bf

[cooljess76]

The difference is that the ZF tranny is about an inch longer and the bolt pattern on the output flange is a bit larger than the Getrags. Not sure if you can swap the output flange off of your old getrag, but it would be much easier to just use the front section of a 328 or M3 drive shaft and flex disc since it's about an inch shorter. The bolt pattern on the bellhousing is the same.

[M332TI]

Originally Posted by cooljess76

it would be much easier to just use the front section of a 328 or M3 drive shaft and flex disc since it's about an inch shorter. The bolt pattern on the bellhousing is the same.

quite true.

[rookie_98]

driving to the junkyard shortly... success in about a week? ohh and guys what should i buy to complete the tranny swap. tools wise...

[cooljess76]

try to find the longest 3/8" drive extension that you could possibly find. 18-22" would be perfect, or you could take a couple 12" extensions and double them up. An inverse torx set(inverse meaning that they are female torx sockets), a 3/8 drive swivel/universal would help significantly, 18 and 19mm wrenches and the rest needed is just your basic tools. Are you replacing the clutch now too? You should. If your car is a '98, it should have a threaded starter which makes life much easier. The older models have starters that require a bolt and nut to mount onto the transmission. Newer ones have threaded holes, so there's no nut on the other side of the starter to fuss with. Also, don't worry about the tranny falling on you. It only weighs about 50lbs and it has to slide back about an inch and a half before it drops. Just make sure that you remove the two bolts holding the slave cylinder onto the tranny. Pull it out and tuck it up and out of the way. Disconnect the electrical connector on the top of the tranny and slide the wire out from under the clip so it doesn't get ripped out. On the lower passenger side of the transmission bellhousing, there's a 10mm bolt threaded towards the rear of the vehicle. This bolt holds the steel gasket in place. It threads in through the front of the tranny, be sure to remove it. The b***h clip is kind of a PITA. Check this thread out:
http://www.318ti.org/forum/showthread.php?t=24145

I posted some nice photos that should help. Make sure you disconnect the shifter linkage. If you remove the 4 bolts that connect the aluminum transmission crossmember to the chassis while supporting the transmission with a floorjack and a block of wood, You could slowly lower the back of the transmission which will tilt the motor back and also give you a couple extra inches to work on the shifter linkage. Once the shifter linkage is diconnected, raise the tranny back up and thread a couple of the crossmember bolts back in finger tight, then start removing the bellhousing bolts, once those are out and everything else is disconnected including the driveshaft, lay directly under the tranny, remove the crossmember bolts, pace both of your knees around the tranny to support it and wrestle it side to side while pulling back. Once it's loose, slowly let it rest on your hips and roll out from underneath it. It really helps if you could get all four corners about 18-20" off the ground. Use jackstands and MAKE SURE THE CAR IS STABLE BEFORE GETTING UNDER IT!

[spidertri]

I've read that it is easy to get the oil pan off when the trans is off (someone please confirm or correct this) so if your pan gasket is leaking it would be a good time to change that.

[1996 328ti]

Originally Posted by spidertri

I've read that it is easy to get the oil pan off when the trans is off (someone please confirm or correct this) so if your pan gasket is leaking it would be a good time to change that.

Probably should start a new thread.

[spidertri]

I am not asking how to do this just merely suggesting to the OP that it is something he could do while the transmission is off the car. I know that my oil pan gasket leaks and if I was taking off the trans I would definitely replace that at the same time.

Sorry for the off topic post rookie.

[rookie_98]

i do the same thing sometime on other ppls threads. then if i need too much info i just start another thread. as far as putting in the new zf, i went to the yards and the guy wanted 125 for the whole driveshaft, saying that they don't sell the front piece by itself. should i look at bf to see if i can find the parts.

hey jess this is what i am looking for right? and does it matter if its an auto or manual?

[Mallard]

there is a difference in the Guibo sizeand the shafts are different lengths

i did a part search for a 318 m42

Manual part number 26 11 1 227 937 and the length is 1544mm

Auto part number 26 11 1 277 939 and the length is 1306 mm

its quite a bit shorther

[cooljess76]

Okay, i just did a part# cross-reference on realoem.com. Apparently there's two types of drive shafts. One is a swivel type, the other is a constant velocity(fixed type). If I'm not mistaken, our Ti's(being newer models) use the constant velocity type. The 328 uses a swivel type, so try to source one from a newer model M3. The overall length is supposed to be 1492mm according to realoem. I also checked and autos and manuals use the same part#. Look on bf.c classifieds for people parting out M3's. Try to get the flex disc(guibo) if it's in good shape, otherwise order a new one. Here's a couple pics of the Ti's drive shaft compared to the M3's. Notice the Ti has studs mounted on the flange while the M3 has holes for bolts. The Ti's shaft is actually longer since the getrag tranny is shorter. The M3 shaft is shorter because the ZF tranny is longer than the getrag. It also has a larger bolt pattern on the flange requiring a larger flex disc since the ZF tranny has a larger output flange. Pics:

[cooljess76]

Originally Posted by Mallard

there is a difference in the Guibo sizeand the shafts are different lengths

i did a part search for a 318 m42

Manual part number 26 11 1 227 937 and the length is 1544mm

Auto part number 26 11 1 277 939 and the length is 1306 mm

its quite a bit shorther

hmm, that's weird??? Here's what I found:
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/partxref....ur=&series=E36

and here's 1 last pic (it only lets me attach 5 attachments per post)

[cooljess76]

Sorry for the triple post, but FWIW, I'm just going by the two setups since I have both of them in my garage sitting next to eachother. I measured the two trannys and the ZF was about an inch and a half longer than the Getrag. Then I measured the drive shafts(front sections) and found that the M3's was about an inch and a half shorter than the Ti's. The splines mesh together perfectly between the two. I also measured the bolt patterns on the flanges and the M3's was significantly larger. Therefore I think it's safe to assume that a ZF tranny mated with an M3 drive shaft front section and flex disc paired with the Ti's rear section, should be equal or pretty close to the stock Ti specs roughly.

Your other option would be to take your Ti shaft to a machine shop and have them shorten and re-balance it. They'll cut it to your desired length and re-weld it back together. It shouldn't be that expensive (I'd guess less than 100 bucks) but your measurements need to be accurate.