Parts and Tools
Click here to return to the main page
On this page you'll find all the parts (with prices!) that I replaced during this job. Additionally, I've included lists of special BMW-supplied tools, and general tools I used. Be sure to read the section following these tables...
|
REQUIRED PARTS These parts should be good for all model year E39 540/6s starting with 6/96 build dates, but you should verify with your parts department when ordering. Prices current as of December 2003 |
|||
|
Description |
Part Number | Price (Cunningham) | Price (Pacific) |
|
Dual-mass Flywheel |
21-20-1-223-581 | $722.11 | $550.00 |
|
Clutch Set (includes clutch, pressure plate, and throwout bearing) |
21-21-7-515-145 | $368.24 | $264.60 |
|
Pilot ball bearing |
11-21-1-720-310 | $18.60 | $13.20 |
|
Guide Sleeve |
23-11-1-222-722 | $101.70 | $92.00 |
|
Fork Lever |
21-51-1-204-229 | $10.90 | $7.80 |
|
Ball Pin |
21-51-1-223-328 | $1.50 | $1.08 |
|
Bolt (pressure plate to flywheel) 6 ea. |
07-11-9-901-023 | $2.40 | $1.80 |
|
Total |
$1,225.45 | $930.48 | |
|
REQUIRED SPECIAL TOOLS Prices current as of December 2003 |
|||
| Description | Part Number | Price | Click for picture |
| Flywheel Lock Tool | 88-88-6-112-070 | $45.41 |
 |
| T-60 Torx Socket | 90-88-6-114-180 | $45.92 |
 |
| Clutch Alignment Tool | 90-88-6-212-140 | $56.17 |
 |
| Engine Block support (*) | RSM-001 | 24¢ |
 |
| Pilot bearing removal tool (*) | RSM-002 | 11¢ |
 |
|
Total |
$147.85 | ||
(*) Click on thumbnails for detailed description of these tools
|
GENERAL MECHANICS TOOLS |
|
|
Tool |
Use |
|
4-ton floorjack |
lift car, R&R exhaust, R&R transmission |
|
4 ea. 2-ton jackstands |
support car |
|
1/2", 3/8", and 1/4" drive ratchets |
general |
|
Various extensions for each size drive |
general |
|
1/2" and 3/8" drive swivel joints |
general |
|
1/2" drive "clicker" torque wrench |
re-assembly of critical components |
|
Metric sockets |
21mm, 14mm, 13mm, 12mm, 10mm, 8mm |
|
Hex bit socket |
6mm for pressure plate bolts |
|
Long flat-blade screwdriver |
release shiftrod retainer |
|
depth gauge, caliper, etc. |
resetting crankshaft position sensor |
|
female Torx sockets |
12mm, 10mm for bellhousing bolts |
|
1/2" drive breaker bar |
the driveshaft bolts are a bitch |
|
Rubber mallet |
helpful for cranky exhaust flanges |
|
Open/Box End wrenches |
21mm, 14mm - driveshaft and exhaust flanges |
|
Hi-quality lithium grease |
input shaft, throwout bearing surfaces, etc. |
|
Loc-Tite or equivalent (I always use the blue stuff) |
various bolts/nuts (see text) |
A word about the parts and tools
You should inspect several other assemblies while everything is apart, including
- both clutch cylinders
- transmission input shaft seal
- crankshaft lower main seal
- heater hoses attached to water manifold at back of block
As it turned out, all these parts were in excellent condition and showed zero sign of leakage on my car. Your mileage may vary.
The listed BMW-special tools, in my opinion, are required for this job. The prices are ridiculous, but then that's usually the case for low volume, dealer-supplied specialty pieces. You could probably come up with some clever substitutes, but I draw the line on my time's value when it comes to tinkering around carving up tools.
So, why did I buy the parts at Cunningham BMW rather than saving myself $300 at Pacific?
- Larry Hamel, the "back-counter parts man" (the guy who "sells" parts to the techs for in-house service) and an all-around Good Guy, went way out of his way to locate all the tools and get the correct part numbers for me. He also went to bat for me, trying to get my usual "good guy" discount. By the time I received the Cunningham quote and noticed they charged me list for all the parts (apparently management's position on this issue has changed dramatically), it was too close to the Christmas holidays to mail-order everything. Also, since I was going to be doing the work during the holidays, I didn't want to have to deal with a long-distance vendor should any parts problems arise (none did, thanks once again to Larry's efforts).
You should definitely obtain two or more quotes: as you can see the prices vary wildly. If you don't mind mail-order, then Pacific not only offers great pricing - their customer service is top notch as well.
A comment about the flywheel
I've never owned an automatic as my primary vehicle: on all my prior clutch jobs I've either resurfaced the flywheel or purchased a new one for maybe $100-200. The BMW flywheel is insanely complex, with a price tag to match - they sure are proud of this part!
I scoured all the BMW tech docs at my disposal and could find no specifications published for resurfacing the friction face (the only thing I did find was a max runout spec). I suspect it could probably be done by a competent machine shop - you'd have to take equal amounts off both the friction surface and the pressure plate mounting surface, but since my budget could tolerate the price and it was worth it for my peace of mind, I went ahead and replaced it. I'd be interested to hear from people who have resurfaced their flywheels, and the sorts of experiences they've had.
Regarding aftermarket lightweight flywheels: after a lot of research and soul searching, I decided to stick with the OE part. Why? I saw one too many horror stories about a/m parts not working correctly, and I didn't want driveability to suffer. Besides, if you're after a 12-second 1/4mile streetcar, it's sort of stupid to start out with a $60k two-ton luxury sedan, don't you think? I am sure there are lots of opinions out there on this subject: since this is my webpage I published mine.