Should i Drive it or park it?

[Jehu]

I guess i sacrificed my Clutch to my stupidity tonight trying to race a Vette.It was a newer model and merging with a highway around a long hard curve i overtook him.The highway with which you merge is at an incline and as i went thru the gears flooring it it slipped bad in 5th and 6th and i bailed.As i continued to drive at normal speeds it slipped a few more times as i tried to gain speed a few other times and i finally took it easy.I read that archived thread about driving with a slipping clutch damaging the Flywheel and of course i'd like to avoid unneccesary expenditures but i really need to drive the car tomorrow and while i can take it easy its still a concern .I checked UUC's site and see no options at all for the e34 540/6 and while I'll call them tomorrow to see, are there any recommendations for the best Kit to get as replacement ?

[Blitzkrieg Bob]

Then a day or two of gentle driving (no Vette racing) won't make it any worse.

You need a home equity loan at the rate you're going with this car.

[Jehu]

It was a $60,000.00 car when new just 11 years ago,right? I've got about $12,000 into it so far including the original price so relative to the overall market I'm right about at the norm from what i can see,looking at the bright side of course.I did find out the two front wheels are NOT bent today.The front Tires are worn irregularly though..I didn't get any thing with the car at purchase which would lead me to conclude the Clutch had ever been replaced so i guess this is to be expected and again on the bright side i can look forward to even better performance when its done.

[Macv]

I'll trade you transmissions

[Rigmaster]

Sell it and get a Vette, it's obviously faster.

[632 Regal]

I raced a vette http://www.bimmer.info/forum/showthread.php?t=27585&highlight=vette

Sell it and get a Vette, it's obviously faster.

[Jehu]

Yea,i have to modify my opinion on them. This thing was hugging the road as it took the on ramp curve at 50 and i was wondering if i was gonna roll it.He did fly up behind me like it was nothing and that's when the clutch slipped.I signaled my lane change and bowed out but he didn't storm on by as i expected he just faded back into traffic and never actually passed me till i got off a few exits up..

I suppose i've been paying right about what i'd pay to lease a new BMW and let me say a coworker has a newer 3 series and let it suffice to say i'd take my old frumpy strumpet over a new BMW any day.

Now,is the Sachs kit the right way to go? I like the idea of the heavy duty proprietary stuff UUC offers but if the E39 equipment won't work with the E34 i guess i'm shut out.I'd spend more if i'd be able to drive it a little more carelessly,a little more agressively and still get decent life out of it.

[Paul in NZ]

the stock clutch in these cars does seem to suffer a short life compared with "lesser" e 34s.Is the 540 clutch the same as an M5? perhaps that may be an option.Whayever you do get it from BMA or similarr.Dont do any hard starts and it should last forever!

[Jehu]

the stock clutch in these cars does seem to suffer a short life compared with "lesser" e 34s.Is the 540 clutch the same as an M5? perhaps that may be an option.Whayever you do get it from BMA or similarr.Dont do any hard starts and it should last forever!

I just called the Independent BMW specialty shop who quoted me about $1,100.00 for the clutch job and said he orders the part from BMW,original factory. He has said he would install parts i supply and when i asked him if he uses a Sachs Kit he said ,no it'll be a factory part and said look at how many miles this one got,153,000.Now I suppose Sachs may actually make the "Factory BMW" clutch kit under the BMW brand but even so the complete Sachs Kit from Bavarian Auto is $689.95 so with his quote in mind and knowing they jack up their labor rate if i supply the parts I may be saving money this way and i have to think i probably won't own the car for another 150,000 miles but i have till next Thursday before he can do it anyway so I'll be weighing my options till then.

[spyrot1]

I just called the Independent BMW specialty shop who quoted me about $1,100.00 for the clutch job and said he orders the part from BMW,original factory. He has said he would install parts i supply and when i asked him if he uses a Sachs Kit he said ,no it'll be a factory part and said look at how many miles this one got,153,000.Now I suppose Sachs may actually make the "Factory BMW" clutch kit under the BMW brand but even so the complete Sachs Kit from Bavarian Auto is $689.95 so with his quote in mind and knowing they jack up their labor rate if i supply the parts I may be saving money this way and i have to think i probably won't own the car for another 150,000 miles but i have till next Thursday before he can do it anyway so I'll be weighing my options till then.

How do you know if your current clutch is the original one? your car may have gone through 10 clutches for all you know...

[Jehu]

I assume it based on the absence of documentation detailing any clutch work .There was some documentation though nothing about the Alusil block swap which i verified thru BMW USA. I did think the dealership had said something about a new clutch or for some time i had thought someone had said that it had a new clutch but i later concluded i had imagined that. Mainly it just seems that for the shape the car was in when i bought it there would have been a receipt for it.You have some reason to conclude the Factory BMW equipment is inferior to some other make?

I called Bimmerworld in VA and they said they'd get back to me with a quote for a custom built performance clutch and also suggested a lightweight flywheel could be cheaper than an OEM .I wonder how a lightened flywheel would feel on the V8...... have to leave more room between me and the car in front of me at Stop lights

[VentoGT]

Unlikely that an original clutch would last 155K miles. Not impossible, but improbable. Sachs clutches have been wonderful in my Porsches, so I assume that their BMW products are also excellent. I have a Sachs fan clutch in my M5 and I would never use any other one. The Behr that was on my car before and the one I subsequently bought failed immediately.

[Jehu]

I talked to Rob,i think, at Bimmerworld and they can build me a Kevlar Clutch for around $900.00.They said it would need a NEW Dual Mass Flywheel also up a round $700.00 but the kevlar clutch grabs better and has a much longer life than 'organic' surfaced ones.I like this idea, anyone ever hear of Kevlar in a Clutch?

[Alexlind123]

I raced a new black vette once, i lost :(

[Jehu]

Yah, the one that ate my Clutch was Black... wait till i get my Kevlar Clutch in, bwaahahahaa!

[Blitzkrieg Bob]

or bell housing or spit out the drive shaft.

[Jehu]

All to make room for the new Titanium/Iridium/Rhodium replacemnts...oh this is getting good.

[Rigmaster]

I'm serious dude, buy yourself a 'Vette- I'm sure there are lots of online forums for you to brag about your street racing and they might even be impressed.


:rolleyes:

[Jehu]

You know, even though you've been on my Ignore list for months , your posts still arrive in email from subscribed threads and unfortunately i read your ****.Keep it to yourself,Jackass.

[Rigmaster]

You know, even though you've been on my Ignore list for months , your posts still arrive in email from subscribed threads and unfortunately i read your ****.Keep it to yourself,Jackass.


Right back at ya.


No wait, I love you man.............. ;)

[E34 530]

So, you finally met a Vette owner who wasn't afraid to get on it. Guess you learned they aren't pieces of **** after all. ;)

[Jehu]

I've never seen the interior but if its typical American i can only partially take it back. I have a Pontiac god knows what for a few days while i wait for the clutch job and the interior is horrible. Just utterly fugly in every respect. I just hope for the sake of the people paying for those road hugging monsters they're sitting in commensurate luxury within.