BMW 540i (E39) Clutch Replacement
How to replace your 540/6's clutch with basic tools (and a few "special" ones)
At around 60k miles my clutch started behaving poorly, and by 65k miles it was clearly time for a new one. Call me a freak, but I enjoy doing this work myself. It gives me an opportunity to inspect the driveline very closely, and I'm pretty confident that I take more care than a BMW tech would (no offense, but the motivation for me is the enjoyment derived from working on cars as a hobby - the tech's motivation is to get the car in and out as rapidly as possible, and to move on to the next job).
Symptoms:
- non-linear clutch engagement starting at the last 1" of pedal travel
- poor engagement from dead stop - very difficult to drive smoothly
- clutch slippage when moving to WOT under reasonable load
I originally set aside two days for this job, but as it turned out I only needed around eight hours, including taking pics and notes for this writeup. I've got many years experience as a shadetree mechanic, so it's difficult to say with certainty the skill level required to complete this job. However, there are no particulalry significant skills required to complete this job. Look thru the information provided here and determine if your own experience level is appropriate for the task. I followed the BMW TIS procedures verbatim, and the job went very smoothly with only minor surprises.
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The information provided here is supplemental and is not intended to be used as a sole guide when performing the tasks described. By providing this information I accept no responsibility whatsoever for your safety or the success of your work. You are responsible for ensuring your safety and the proper use of all tools, jacks, supports, etc., and for the proper installation and assembly of components. Failure to do so can result in damage to your vehicle and/or serious injury or worse to your person. If your skillset is along the lines of those enjoyed by, for example, pkrause, I strongly urge you to skip this entire writeup and head over to your favorite dealer with checkbook in hand. |
Enough bullshit - let's get to the meat and taters.....
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NAVIGATION - click on the links below to see each section of the writeup Work Flow, BMW TIS Procedures and Torque Specifications Detailed Disassembly Procedure Detailed (sort of) Assembly Procedure
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I can be reached at rsmillar1ATcox.net