Blown drive shaft...

[jwinlaporte]

Originally Posted by 2ndBimmer

Mine was $700 for a replacement.

I'm looking around and I'm seeing 350-550 on prices for reman driveshafts.
My driveshaft is currently on the garage floor. What to do, what to do...

[spidertri]

Question, did you drop the exhaust midpipe to get the driveshaft out? If so, were your midpipe studs welded or pressed in and did you break any of them?

If I was buying a new driveshaft I'd go for the one from Beyer Motor Works, you have to have a shop or store order it though. They are user rebuildable.
http://beyermotorworks.com/new/page,art,id,201.html

[jwinlaporte]

Yes, I did remove the "mid-pipe" (cat conv) to gain access to center bearing bolts. If you unscrew a few other retaining nuts, there's plenty of slack in the O2 sensor wires to put cat pipe on floor and slide out of way.

I broke cat studs the last time I removed the rear section of the exhaust...drove it to town that day to have a shop torch out the studs and bolt muffler back up with plain nuts and bolts. Planning on replacing rear section of pipe with resonator soon, so I'll get proper spring-loaded bolts back in there then.

ORDERED drive shaft from:
Driveshaft Specialists of Texas. 358 + 60 core.
Still need to buy guibo (flex disc), vibration damper, and new nuts and bolts to attach new one when it gets here.
Question:
I know Pelican Parts has driveline bolts, but they're $4 each. Sheesh.
anybody know who can beat Pelican for bolts and flex disc?

AND
One more question:

What servicing can I do to the rear end of the transmission before putting new driveshaft back on? How do I remove the output flange and refresh that rear bearing and seal on the trans? Not much of a procedure in the Haynes Manual for this...

[spidertri]

Yeah I my cat to catback spring bolts are fine it is the header to cat studs that are going to break. Cirrus posted about his being welded on, mine are definitely pressed in. So I can either attempt to drill them with some kind of super bit or take it to a shop and have them get them out.

Typically, getbmwparts.com is cheaper than pelican on things that are only available as Genuine BMW parts.

Not sure about the output flange, but if your is a manual now is a great time to refresh those shifter bushings and shift selector seal.

[jwinlaporte]

Bummer on the bad bolts. Don't remember if I put new ones on when I did the cylinder head or not, but pretty sure they were never studs or pressed on my head pipe.

Yep, preparing list for shift linkage, shift seal on trans is leaking, and rest of stuff for driveshaft, nuts, bolts, and vib. damp., flex disc. Think that's everything. Texas driveshaft is 358 + core.

[familytruckster]

Originally Posted by spidertri

Yeah I my cat to catback spring bolts are fine it is the header to cat studs that are going to break. Cirrus posted about his being welded on, mine are definitely pressed in. So I can either attempt to drill them with some kind of super bit or take it to a shop and have them get them out.

Typically, getbmwparts.com is cheaper than pelican on things that are only available as Genuine BMW parts.

Not sure about the output flange, but if your is a manual now is a great time to refresh those shifter bushings and shift selector seal.

Drill em. Or see if you can hammer them out. Pulling the header is a royal PITA. Mine already had bolts. Also think the other manifold I have they are welded in, not pressed. Actually...IF they are welded, it's just on the heads, if you took a die grinder and cut the heads flush with the flange they should be easy to hammer out the remaining piece. I'll snap a pic of the removed header tommorow if I remember.

[spidertri]

Definitely not going to pull the header. Mine are pressed in, no doubt. My plan is to heat the bolt/flange until it glows and then hit them with a sledge. This is supposed to be the "way to do it" according to many bimmerforums posts.