When doing a clutch job on an E46 M3, or almost any car for that matter, there are a few parts you’ll want to replace while you’re in there. For this job, we replaced the following:
Clutch pilot bearing – BMW 11211720310
clutch fork pivot pin – BMW 21511223328
clutch release bearing – BMW 21511223582
clutch release arm spring – BMW 21517570284
flywheel bolt (x8) – BMW 11222243051
rear main/crankshaft seal – BMW 11142249533
The install itself was straightforward and not much different than any other clutch swap. Howard started by dropping the exhaust and driveshaft.
Next, the shifter and clutch slave cylinder are disconnected. At this point, the crossmember and trans can be loosened and dropped. Probably a good time for some engine degreaser.
With both clutches disasembled, it was time to throw them on the scales. It’s easy to get excited about going to a lighter flywheel, but the mass of the rest of the clutch assembly is just as important! With double the HP/TQ holding capacity of the factory unit, how much weight can we expect to save?
3 comments
Funny you prefer a higher clutch engagement point. I hated how high I had to bend my knees to shift.
I swapped my non-M clutch pedal for a Mason Engineering one with a much lower engagement point.
Maybe it’s a long leg vs short leg thing?
What did you run for fluid in the trans?
I’m swapping to a single mass flywheel in my E60 and am going to run this
http://uucmotorwerks.com/html_techtip/techtips/tranny_rattle.htm
GL
I stuck with OEM Pentosin. I tried another brand of fluid that met specifications for the trans but had really rough cold shifts which got only marginally better when it warmed up. I was actually worried the trans was going out until I gave the Pentosin stuff a try. Might be something specific with the 420G, though..