BMW M5 Forum and M6 Forums banner

Clutch replacement finished!

2K views 12 replies 6 participants last post by  emccallum 
#1 ·
It's been a long week and a half since I first picked up my '00 M5 with a slipping clutch and completely worn front differential bushing-but the job has finally been completed. The car has been on jack stands since I bought it and I had to wait a over week to finally get all of the replacement parts in-but tonight for the first time I finally got to feel some of the power of the M5. I am still breaking the clutch in and being very easy with it, but the part throttle acceleration is already impressive!

Sorry I don't have any pictures, but the only camera I have is a Canon Digital Rebel XT, and I really didn't feel like getting it greasy while I was working. Here is a quick rundown of what I had to replace:

Clutch
Flywheel
Release fork, pilot bearing, throwout bearing, etc.
Flex Disc with new locking nuts
Exhaust bolts and nuts
Rear main seal
All three differential bushings
Differential input seal
Oil change
Royal Purple Synchromax for the transmission
BMW/Castrol XJ gear oil for the differential

I purchased the clutch kit from Dial-A-Clutch, and the flywheel from BMA. Both are genuine Luk components. I was worried about the cheaper Luk clutch kits after reading of some other's experiences with them on this board, but I can say that the one I received works perfectly. The price was right at $256 shipped-so hopefully this will help others in the future when they are looking for an OEM clutch replacement.

Now it's time for a full detail! Thanks to this board and everyone on it for the advice and information I received-it is greatly appreciated. I have done clutch jobs on BMW's before, but it is always great to have some model specific information handy.
 
See less See more
#3 ·
Sounds good...now comes the "800-1000 gearchanges empirically derived break-in value" until the fun begins. Enjoy!

Chuck
 
#4 ·
Nice job!

Good idea to knock out the differential bushings and seals. In hindsight - as much as a PITA it is to drop the exhaust - I probably should have done the same while I was in there.

I thought about the rear main seal too - but mine was in decent condition. It has some seepage, but really no substantial leaks. Decided I didn't want to meddle with it.
 
#5 ·
It's been a long week and a half since I first picked up my '00 M5 with a slipping clutch and completely worn front differential bushing-but the job has finally been completed. The car has been on jack stands since I bought it and I had to wait a over week to finally get all of the replacement parts in-but tonight for the first time I finally got to feel some of the power of the M5. I am still breaking the clutch in and being very easy with it, but the part throttle acceleration is already impressive!
How difficult was it to do the work with the car on jack stands as opposed to a professional lift?
 
#7 · (Edited)
To put it bluntly, its a *****! :haha: Almost all of the work I have done of this manner has been using just jackstands, so I guess I have become used to it. It will slow down the job because it takes longer to crawl under and back out of the car when you need to get something, plus you sometimes have to find creative ways to perform tasks due to limited clearance over your head. But, it can most definitely be done.

Note that if you use jackstands to perform a clutch replacement, you want to get the car up in the air as high as possible because of the height of the bellhousing on the transmission. I had to slide my transmission all the way out the back of the car because there wasn't enough clearance to the sides, and it still BARELY scraped by under the differential.
 
  • Like
Reactions: topper
#6 ·
Two thumbs up for doing it on jackstands!! That is hard work. If you plan on doing more wrenching in the future, take the money you saved by going the OE route and put it towards a lift. I bought a used Rotary asymm two post lift and had it professionally installed for well under 3K....not including the extra concrete that was put down building the shop! I wouldnt trade it for anything...worth ten times what I paid.
 
#8 ·
Oh yes...I have been wanting a lift for a few years now, but unfortunately my garage doesn't have the height necessary for it. My brother owns a shop that has a two post lift that I can use at anytime if needed, but it is a 15 minute drive-so I have to make sure I have everthing I need before I get started.

But honestly, believe it or not sometimes a lift doesn't really offer me much of a benefit...I am 6'8" tall, and every lift I have been under is never able to get the vehicle high enough so that I can walk under it without bending down. Standing up and having to bend down slightly to work is a pain to me, so when using a lift I have to lower the car down so that I can sit on the floor or on a rolling chair to do the work.

It sucks being a tall person.
 
#13 ·
You may want to consider getting some metal rims, to put under the tires. This will free up space on the sides to get in and out. You can take a board and put on top of the rim to give more height...the wider the rim the better (I use to have some old corvette wheels. When you need to rotate the rear wheels to get the driveshaft bolts just jack up the rear. But, be sure to block the front wheels if they can roll! I like this method better than jack stands, as I feel it is safer. SAFETY FIRST! You are going to be tugging and twisting on that tranny getting it in/out, along with being tired and frustrated, so be careful.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top