5HP18 valve body removal

[whiskychaser]

Hi. At last getting round to changing the speed sensors in my '92 525i. So I have the sump off the old box for reference when I get called in to dinner. Get up next morning and somebody stole the box from my yard!! So I know there are only 3 or four bolts hold the body in - but which ones? There are loads of them! Also I'm pretty sure there is a lever goes in the side of the body which I need to disconnect before dropping the body itself. Am I right? I'd rather have answers before I start as I dont really care for warm oil dripping on my head. Anyone help?

[632 Regal]

so the only thing that they stole was the sump pan? thats spooky the way I read it (they took the pan and all the bolts and valve body).

then again am I reading they stole the whole freaking old transmission?!?

I havent done a bimmer trans but on US transmissions the main bolts are usually a lot longer and have a bigger size bolt head...there were exceptions though. You dont want to pause between replacement steps as you may forget something important. There is the slide lever that helps index the shafts travel for each gear. Dive in and dont be afraid of the big gray mystery box.

[George M]

Hi. At last getting round to changing the speed sensors in my '92 525i. So I have the sump off the old box for reference when I get called in to dinner. Get up next morning and somebody stole the box from my yard!! So I know there are only 3 or four bolts hold the body in - but which ones? There are loads of them! Also I'm pretty sure there is a lever goes in the side of the body which I need to disconnect before dropping the body itself. Am I right? I'd rather have answers before I start as I dont really care for warm oil dripping on my head. Anyone help?
What I would do is simply take a picture of the valve body and label each of the bolts. As Jeff suggested, the VB is held in with longer torx screws. E-mail this labeled picture off to Kirt Koeller and ask him to identify which bolts remove just the VB. Also ask him for any gotchas in removing/replacement.
He knows more about these transmissions then anybody.
HTH,
George

[ryan roopnarine]

huh????
5hp18? is your car really a 92 525i or is it some MY 530i/540i? the v8 powered ones were pretty much the only ones with issues directly related to the valve body. you might not be able to get a straight answer until you clear this up for us. how many sumps does your transmission have?

[whiskychaser]

Thanks for your answers :-) They took the WHOLE box. I'm just glad it was the old one and not one I was about to put in! Will just have to take a couple of bolts out at a time and compare them as suggested. Its definitely a ZF 5HP18 (A5S310Z). I dont think Bentleys or even ZF US list mine as being fitted to the 525i but it was in Europe. I dont know Kirt Koeller but he sounds like a handy guy to know. How do you get in touch with him? Any other advice appreciated too. :-)

[632 Regal]

Kurt Kohller
(800)624-3876 ext 5735
or direct at (616)748-5735

[whiskychaser]

Update: New sensors in plus oil and filter. Goes great! For anyone interested there are 20 torx bolts of different lengths and thickness holding it in. Pushed them thru a piece of cardboard to keep them in order-like you used to do with push-rods? Or maybe you dont remember :)