2.8 gearbox woes....

[Tim Davis]

Its all been running so well and smoothly. But engaging gear from cold start has got harder and harder to the extent that I can only move having cold started with the clutch depressed. Once on the go and warm, it changes fine. My trusty spannerman has diagnosed bush and or bearing failure and a strip/rebuild. Price awaited and he will outsource it. Not welcome, but makes sense, even if it's only got a modest 96k under its wheels. So, dwellers of the Midlands and Shropshire who may have had the same issue - can you recommend any gearbox specialists? Thanks in advance. Tim

 

[Lee]

Hi Tim, very common issue with the ZF gearbox, most need a little double clutch to move when cold. The issue is worn indent pins, actually quite a simple job but the gearbox needs to be removed to do it.

 

[NZ00Z3]

I had a similar problem with the Getrag manual transmission in my 2.0L Mora Edition. Did a bit of divide and concur with the following test.

Cold engine. Start the car, depress the clutch and try to put it into 1st gear with the normal amount of force. Don't force it in. While holding the shifter with the normal force, turn the engine off.

• If the shifter falls easily into gear just as the engine stop turning, then its a clutch problem.
• If the shifter does not easily fall into gear as the engine stops, then its a transmission problem.

Mine was a clutch problem at 99,000 miles. Improved by:

• Replaced rubber clutch line to slave cylinder with stainless steel braided line. Old rubber line was ballooning under pressure and increasing its volume. This took away travel from the slave cylinder.
• Bleed the slave cylinder properly. This requires taking the slave cylinder off, pushing the push rod all the way in, turning the cylinder so the bleed valve is pointing down (seems backwards, but it is correct) and bleed the slave. Make sure the push rod it out enough to make contact/engage with the clutch fork on reassembly. Failure to do so will result in the slave internals ending up in the bell housing, lots of harsh words and magnetic fishing.

Problem was ultimately fixed with a full clutch replacement a few months later. I had a shudder/judder clutch as well.

 

[Tim Davis]

Thanks both. I had the clutch replaced about 1500 miles ago anyway. Will give the tests you suggest a try. I just have that sinking feeling of a big bill looming....but at least the sun is in danger of coming out so top down fun to compensate.

 

[Lee]

These are the shift pins.

The kit is around £50 from the dealer and it’s a half hour job. All that notchy feeling will go once these are done.

 

[Sajk]

What's involved in the job?

 

[Rudyrov]

I think I have heard the transmission has to come out for full access to all the pins.

 

[Davyhoogy]

I've needed to do this for years, gearbox out might be 1 job too big for me. Maybe next winter.

 

[Lee]

Yeah the gearbox needs to be removed.

When I first did the job I used this guide.

How-to: Service Your BMW Transmission Shift Pins. - Eat, Sleep, Tinker.

A complete guide on how-to service the BMW Transmission Shift Pins of the ZF S5D 320Z 5-speed manual transmission.

www.eatsleeptinker.com

I’ve done this to over 30 cars now so it’s burnt in.

 

[GZed]

Hi Tim. Welcome from a fellow Shropshire 2.8 owner. My gearbox had similar issues - cured by an oil change but replacing with automatic gearbox oil (ATF) as advised by others on here. Look up the thread “sticky gear change” in the knowledge base for all the details. Well with a try and might save you paying ££ to have the gearbox removed. It won’t make anything worse and a change of oil after high mileage is always a good thing.

 

[Tim Davis]

Hi Tim. Welcome from a fellow Shropshire 2.8 owner. My gearbox had similar issues - cured by an oil change but replacing with automatic gearbox oil (ATF) as advised by others on here. Look up the thread “sticky gear change” in the knowledge base for all the details. Well with a try and might save you paying ££ to have the gearbox removed. It won’t make anything worse and a change of oil after high mileage is always a good thing.

Hi Lee. Thanks for that but....I changed the oil last year. It's looking like a rebuild or exchange. Either way c£1500 all in. But first I need to read all the small print on the various warranties. Tim

 

[Nodzed]

Hi. If the box is quiet, no unusual grinds or whines then the problem as said will be the shift pins and the box won't need replacing, I suspect it would be unusual for the box to need bearing etc unless it had been seriously abused I haven't heard of this as a problem with the ZF boxes? Be careful with an un-refurbished exchange, you could just be getting another box that needs shift pins As for rebuild, again if the box is good other than the shifting then only the pins need doing. @Lee recently did mine with a clutch pack overhaul and it transformed the driving experience, drops into first (and all other gears) smoothly cold, engine running or not.. Just to add, there are a few on here that know a lot more about Z3s than most garages, including so called BMW specialist's.

 

[Tim Davis]

Hi. If the box is quiet, no unusual grinds or whines then the problem as said will be the shift pins and the box won't need replacing, I suspect it would be unusual for the box to need bearing etc unless it had been seriously abused I haven't heard of this as a problem with the ZF boxes? Be careful with an un-refurbished exchange, you could just be getting another box that needs shift pins As for rebuild, again if the box is good other than the shifting then only the pins need doing. @Lee recently did mine with a clutch pack overhaul and it transformed the driving experience, drops into first (and all other gears) smoothly cold, engine running or not.. Just to add, there are a few on here that know a lot more about Z3s than most garages, including so called BMW specialist's.

That's welcome and reassuring advice. The problem is inability to select anything from cold start and the baggy/vague selection. Otherwise it's quiet and with a new clutch, greased linkages and fresh-ish oil, plenty of bite to help the grunt along. So I'm going to take it to a builder rather than exchange shop and hear at first hand what they have to say and propose re: overhaul/pins. I'm wary of exchanges, too. This site has been a great source of help/advice/inspiration.

 

[Nodzed]

The problem is inability to select anything from cold start and the baggy/vague selection.

Exactly how mine was.....definitely pins Tim IMHO

 

[Tim Davis]

Finally, I have it sorted, but it involved a 150 mile round trip to the BMW specialists I used to use before moving north. A big shout out to DM Worx in Stoke Mandeville, Bucks who not only knew immediately what I was on about when I called, but had the box out, changed only the detent sleeves (£4.92 + VAT!) and changed the oil. The bill? Including replacing an exhaust bracket and VAT, a modest £286.74. Its still a little stiff from a cold start but is now as precise and slick as you would expect of a 100k box. So much for my two local so-called BMW specialists in the Telford area.....i'll be making that round trip back to DM every time from now on.

 

[Nodzed]

There you go, we said it was the pins.