[RICHI587]

Need some opinions
I have a 07 E90 6mt it has 58k miles on it and no bmw warranty. I have had the car for about a year but have only put about 1200 miles on it and 300 was when i picked it up. A week ago i intalled procede and thought i felt a low rpm kind of lunge. I posted on here and people suggested procede was installed wrong. Redid it exactly by the book.
So last night i took off from a stop sign at about 2k rpm and got on the gas pretty hard. Next stop sign i did the same. At that point the car felt like tires were spinning and then rpms shot up to 6k and car didnt move. Had a burning clutch smell. This morning went to pull out of the driveway and as i took off the car lunged forward until clutch was fully depressed. Happened on the 2 other occasions i had to stop on the way back to my driveway. Anybody tell me what exactly is wrong. I have driven a manual for the last 10 years and hardly ever drive this car as i have been deployed for the last 8 months. Obviously clutch is bad. But anything else. Also, anyone in sacramento area that has a recommendation where they can get it changed at a reasoneable price. I am capable of doing it myself, i am an aircraft mechanic by trade and rebuilding a 69 camaro, also have 71 E9. But those are all older mechanical technology lol. Is the clutch change a hard job? Sorry for the long post. And thanks in advance.

[3-Serious]

Sounds like it could be the clutch, as horrible as it sounds put the car in 4th gear at like 2-3k and floor it see if the rpms start to fly up faster then you move. Also have you loged the car while this happens?

[cstavaru]

Do you mean the car now slowly moves when it is in neutral, unless you press the clutch ? In this case it's more than the clutch.

It's probably the clutch but you must also change the release bearing and possibly the flywheel (or at least resurface it - but it's not easy to find a shop to resurface dual-mass flywheels.

It's not a very hard job but you must drop the transmission and it's heavy. You need a car lift and a transmission jack, but some managed to do it on jack stands. There are some transmission bolts that are hard to access, you need a long wrench extension. You need 3 sets of bolts: the transmission bolts, the clutch cover bolts and the flywheel bolts, they are not reusable.

[Bakeme521]

No offense to you OP, but that sounds like driver error. If you really want to know if its the clutch, get on and open stretch of road and put it in 4th or 5th and floor it. If the RPMs shoot up and you don't accelerate, then the clutch is slipping and its toast.

As for doing it yourself, I did it myself and it sucked. If you do not have access to a lift, do not even attempt. Getting the transmission out is not an easy task. There are 2 bolts on top of the transmission that are nearly impossible to get to, but if you have the available tools HPF has a good install video that I followed and I did it in a day.

[malter2.0]

clutch DIY is serious business. even for a seasoned DIY person

[RICHI587]

Alright thanks for the input.
I will try the 4th clutch slip. I know it did it in 3rd when it first happened. And no not while its in neutral. When i am in first gear and going to take off as soon as i depress the clutch even a half an inch the car lunges until i build up a little speed then goes away. I have only drove it maybe a block after initial problem.
I have access to a lift and a tranny jack. Also have every tool needed. And unfortunately military engineers dont think of maintenance when they build aircraft. The majority of work i do without being able to see the actual bolt etc when i am removing and installing. Not saying there is any comparison. But hope for the best. Thanks again.

[RICHI587]

Oh and any recommendation on a decently price clutch and from where? And what is your take on lightened flywheel? Worth the money?

[Bakeme521]

Originally Posted by RICHI587

Oh and any recommendation on a decently price clutch and from where? And what is your take on lightened flywheel? Worth the money?

My clutch and flywheel was pricey and since its a billet lightweight flywheel it chatters a bit. I have a Clutchmasters fx100 clutch and their billet flywheel. Most people go with the ACT clutches, but either way you need to either resurface the oem flywheel or get a new one.

[bigdnno98]

Having just put in a spec stage 3+ with light weight flywheel ill tell you if you want your car to keep sounding like a BMW do not buy a lightweight flywheel. Stick to the oem dual mass flywheel. The chatter is louder than I thought it would be and I don't like it. The clutch itself is breaking in nicely though and I'm starting to like it.

[bigdnno98]

If you're not looking for huge power is say stick with oem clutch too. I was very pleased with how long my stock clutch held up too pretty serious tq numbers.

[MikeB@fftec]

Keep in mind a couple of things if you do decide to change the clutch yourself.

-Find a machine shop that can resurface your OEM flywheel if you decide to re-use it.
-There are aluminum bolts on the transmission that will need to be replaced.

[RICHI587]

Sorry for the long response. So i took the procede off and went on the road and had it in 4th, 5th gear and held it to the floor on each. The clutch didn't slip at least didn't seem like it. Car accelerated fine. There is now a lot of chatter when i try and take off and the car still lunges. Could this be caused by the little aftermarket clutch stop i bought? But in first gear its really loud especially when i pulled up my short inclined driveway on the way into the garage. And i was thinking light weight flywheel but i believe i may just resurface it if its reusable. Also i was planning on going with the act clutch. Seems like positive reviews. Does the aftermarket lightened flywheel make that much of a difference? Again sorry for the long post and thank you in advance

[Jeff@TopGearSolutions]

I don't recommend clutch stops as sometimes you may not be disengaging the clutch enough. I would remove it for further diagnosing.

By no accident, removing a tune would cause the clutch not to slip as you just took out a large amount of mid-range torque.

Many times the clutch won't slip with stock power, but will with tuned power. The best test is 4th gear, Wide open throttle at 3000 RPM, the rev's will rise quicker then normal. If this happens get out of the throttle as slipping the clutch on purpose will cause exponential wear and problems at fast rate.

With your mileage, I'm not surprised if you have clutch slip but that all depends on your driving habits and conditions.

ACT Clutches
Spec Clutches and clutch masters are some of the more popular options.

Let me know if you need any help choosing a clutch.

Aftermarket lightened flywheels tend to produce more chatter and make drivability a little more difficult. I dont recommend them unless you know the characteristics they change in the vehicles drivability.

[BADS335]

How can you determine if you are spinning the tires or slipping the clutch? In 4th gear at 3k my rpms rise quicker than I accelerate, however, I do not feel a loss in power, it pulls hard then soon after the rise occurs it goes back to 1:1 rpm to vehicle speed again. I logged it and the vehicle speed did not rise with RPM 1:1, but I do not know how speed is measured on these. Is it measured at the output shaft of the trans, rear wheels or front wheels?
Thanks

[Bakeme521]

Originally Posted by BADS335

How can you determine if you are spinning the tires or slipping the clutch? In 4th gear at 3k my rpms rise quicker than I accelerate, however, I do not feel a loss in power, it pulls hard then soon after the rise occurs it goes back to 1:1 rpm to vehicle speed again. I logged it and the vehicle speed did not rise with RPM 1:1, but I do not know how speed is measured on these. Is it measured at the output shaft of the trans, rear wheels or front wheels?
Thanks

If it is dry and you roll into it in 4th and it does that, it is not spinning the tires it's slipping the clutch.

[BADS335]

Originally Posted by Bakeme521

If it is dry and you roll into it in 4th and it does that, it is not spinning the tires it's slipping the clutch.

Scheisse!...Thanks. Guess its clutch time. Funny how I have enough power mid range to slip the clutch but then get serious KR above 5k and lose all that power where it counts on the track. Frustrating. Can't swing a clutch AND an FMIC right now though. Or the E85 conversion...decisions, decisions...

[Bakeme521]

Originally Posted by BADS335

Scheisse!...Thanks. Guess its clutch time. Funny how I have enough power mid range to slip the clutch but then get serious KR above 5k and lose all that power where it counts on the track. Frustrating. Can't swing a clutch AND an FMIC right now though. Or the E85 conversion...decisions, decisions...

Well you don't NEED a FMIC or e85, the car functions just fine without them. What you do need is a clutch, b/c a car will not function without that. I would replace it, or refrain from slipping it. If the clutch explodes, then you have to pay to tow the car as well.

[RICHI587]

nice thread jack lol....
So i have had the car just sitting in my garage as i have other vehicles.
I dont understand i guess. My clutch isnt slipping at the 4th gear wide open. Its only on take off and when stopped it makes a loud chatter. Is there anything else it could be?

[RICHI587]

Also where can i purchase all the bolts needed to reinstall?