Throw-out Bearing Failure

[Threeshifter]

The throw-out bearing is failing on the 85 535i. I can feel it in the clutch pedal as a grinding and grumbling of bearing rollers/balls rolling over rough/dirty surfaces. This also seems to have increased the stiffness in the clutch pedal.

Question:
How much can I put off the repair of the throw-out bearing? I am guessing that if I wait too long I may shear off the pressure plate tangs and have to buy an M5 clutch.

Any idea on the fair shop price for this repair? Time is tight this week.



[Edit by Threeshifter on [TIME]1121822692[/TIME]]

[steve 87 535is]

Mine has been bad for a few months. I felt the grinding a couple of times also. Now it will occassionally (almost always) squeal upon startup and leaving it in nuetral. If I press in the clutch it stops until next cold startup.

You can never tell how long it will hold. Just try to do it ASAP. I don't know what happens to the inside of the bellhouse if the plate "explodes" but I'm sure it will be more costly than just a clutch job. Plus it's probably wearing the shaft for the bearing.

Don't know how much for the labor.

[dworthy]

Hummm....

You could still drive the car for a couple more days without doing too much damage, but it would be best to park her.

I would go with about 6 hours for replacement I would guess around 500 bucks plus parts, BTW you should replace the whole clutch, not just the Throw-out bearing.

If you are starting to get a "sticking" situation, you may have to replace the input shaft guide + seal as well, so add about another 30 minutes on to the work.

[m535is]

I wouldn't drive it too much because you can actually damage the input shaft housing cover. I would also suggest replacing the output shaft seal, input shaft cover seal, and selector rod input seal. The reason is, it is much easier to do when the tranny is out of the car and these parts go bad very quickly, from my experience.

Hope this helps,

[John535isMaine/Mass]

I'm pretty sure a bad TO bearing is what made me have to do my clutch twice... and replace the hydraulics twice, after it made the slave overextend. I'd recommend getting it done ASAP.

John

[C.R. Krieger]

The throughout bearing is failing on the 85 535i.

For starters, (and before Shawn D. gets to you), it's a throwout bearing; maybe more properly a 'clutch release bearing'.

Question:
How much can I put off the repair of the throughout bearing? I am guessing that if I wait too long I may shear off the pressure plate tangs and have to buy an M5 clutch.

Depends on how good you are at driving without the clutch. If you've got a good feel for going up and down through the gearbox while matching revs, you can drive it indefinitely without using the clutch except to start in first and reverse. When mine was on its way out, I took the opportunity to get better at my rev matching techniques and I got pretty damn good at it. For some odd reason, my biggest problem was getting into fifth. :@

Any idea on the fair shop price for this repair? Time is tight this week.

Well, it takes 4-5 hours and, if you're also installing a new clutch, it'll be a pretty big hit for parts, at least for a 3.5.

[Threeshifter]

For starters, (and before Shawn D. gets to you), it's a throwout bearing; maybe more properly a 'clutch release bearing'.

That is funny.
I new it would be a matter of time. I figured more people would recognize throwout bearing than release bearing, but I was just plain dumb with ugh. Blind faith in spell-check.

[RetiredDoc]

If you wil do a search on "throw out bearing" you will find the answer.

Not even the internet will respond to improper spelling.

[Vincenzo533i louisville]

here is where I found the best deal for a cluch kit when i replaced mine. http://www.bavauto.com/ the kit for your 85 535i will caust 324.95 but the kit comes with everything you need to do the job. it comes with...an alinment tool, clutch disc, pressure plate, throw-out bearing, rear engine seal, pilot bearing,all transmission seals, exhaust gaskets, and a pivot pin. All our clutch components are manufactured by Sachs, thats the kit i got. it was perfect. everything I needed and its a very nice cluch i have to say. it only took me about 5 hours to do the job. its really easy.

[bmws forever]

I'm glad someone mentioned bav auto for the clutch kit. Make no mistake, its not a COMPLETE kit. Missing are flywheel bolts, pressure plate bolts, guibo nuts, and rear u-joint nuts. That's if everything is in good shape. You MAY also need the guibo, the to release lever, and shift console parts, like bushings, and that large foam pad. The new foam pad obviates the need for that silly inner shift rubber boot, BTW.
On the topic of letting the noise go for awhile. I ran just a couple of days with TO bearing noise. Both actuator tabs on the bearing broke off in the bellhousing, one of which slammed into the flywheel sensor,scarring it. My bearing was original, as was the clutch disc, etc at 330k miles. The bearing had NO sign of grease, balls in the bellhousing also upon initial inspection.
Wait a minute! 5 hours?? For me, 15 if you do all three of the transmission seals, and clean up stuff as you put in back together.


[Edit by bmws forever on [TIME]1121894876[/TIME]]

[Threeshifter]

I noticed signs of the release bearing failure Friday and by Tuesday it was squealing and Wed it was really squealing and starting to hang up the clutch. I pulled the trans today and No, I did not get it back together in 5 hours. With a little practice, if I were to not do seals and cleaning maybe I could to it in 5 hours