Bang Bang... Is it dead? Guibo bolt missing.

[e34.535i.sport]

Hey guys, travelling to pick up some new rear shocks a week or so a go and on the motorway getting up to speed in third gear and it starts grinding aq little so I put it in fourth and continued... Then there were too bangs - and it felt like something hit the underneath of the car. Oh no.

Had a quick look and couldn't see anything wrong so continued home... Since the bangs I noticed the gear knob had a fair bit of vibration so assumed I had blown the two rear ruber mounts on the gearbox. Done a search on here and that seemed to confirm.

I jacked it up today only to find one bolt out of the guibo is missing and another one can be moved back and forward about 1". Rubber gearbox mounts are fine. I couldn't get the best view but I think that is the extent of the damage and the car drives fine until motorway speeds when it begins to vibrate more. The guibo looked in perfect condition...

SO... I suppose my question is really - What to do now? Can I simply make sure that all of the other bolts are tight and replace the two suspect ones and torque them up? Do I have to do anything special here? (Preloading etc?) :(

The annoying thing is I had the guibo and bolts along with the gearbox mounts replaced when i had the clutch done at a BMW specialist a while back.

[gale]

My wife's e36 tossed one of the quibo bolts and did the same thing. I put a new bolt in and torqued them all and after a few days of driving it smoothed out again. The quibo bolts are somewhat difficult to tighten. I think the torque spec is 95 ft-lbs (verify that). Inspect the quibo periodically to make sure it hasn't failed (cracks, frayed fabric reinforcement, loose sleeves).

[whiskychaser]

Bit weird a bolt coming undone - they should be lock nuts. I re-used mine but did put locktite on the threads. If there is no damage to the guibo I'd just stick another bolt in. Make sure you hold the bolt head while you torque the nut-torque the bolt head and you will stuff the guibo. Its bound to be different on yours, but on mine you cant get a socket on the nut as the gearbox flange is in the way. Thats where big boots come in ;)

[M20Turbo]

My wife's e36 tossed one of the quibo bolts and did the same thing. I put a new bolt in and torqued them all and after a few days of driving it smoothed out again. The quibo bolts are somewhat difficult to tighten. I think the torque spec is 95 ft-lbs (verify that). Inspect the quibo periodically to make sure it hasn't failed (cracks, frayed fabric reinforcement, loose sleeves).

HEY DON..... How is turbo doing?

[e34.535i.sport]

Hey thanks - that's reassuring. I was worried about other complications but all looked normal underneathe so I've ordered a few new bolts and nuts for tomorrow. I'll check the Bentley and get them in when I can. Avoiding driving it in the mean time incase I stuff the guibo... :)

[e34.535i.sport]

Bit weird a bolt coming undone - they should be lock nuts. I re-used mine but did put locktite on the threads. If there is no damage to the guibo I'd just stick another bolt in. Make sure you hold the bolt head while you torque the nut-torque the bolt head and you will stuff the guibo. Its bound to be different on yours, but on mine you cant get a socket on the nut as the gearbox flange is in the way. Thats where big boots come in ;)

Locktite will be added to the list I think... What colour would you say is best in this case? (I don't know much at all a bout locktite but I know there are variations?!) :D

[Tiger]

Blue is enough.. and can be used for alot of other stuff... Red is stronger one but cannot be used for alot of things.

[whiskychaser]

If you are using new bolts and self locking nuts you shouldnt really need any. But if you are, I'd go for red. Its a lot stronger than blue which is only semi-permanent. I translate that as ok for little screws and bolts you dont mind losing;)

[Ferret]

Guibo bolts are a pain in the arse on these cars.

For a start, you have to get the car high enough to get a fookin massive breaker bar in under the trans tunnel... and then you have to devise a clever method of locking the back bolt on the guibo.

When I did it for the clutch change, we used a breaker bar, impact socket and appropriately sized spanner. Fit the spanner over the back bolt, and brace it against the body work (With rag wedged between please! Dont want to chip paint off) so it cant go anywhere. Get the breaker bar on, and if the space is limited you may need two people to get the breaker bar to move properly :) I fortunately had help when doing this. With me on my back, and a friend ragging on the breaker bar from the side they came undone quite easily - I could imagine a lot of skinned knuckles and swearing if you try this on your own.

If I were you, I'd back them all out and inspect, if two have gone you may find the others are on the way! If they're 'new' bolts with the guibo, I'd be highly suspicious of their steel quality - it could be a bad batch and a matter of time till you get caught out again! If you're sure they were new, I'd get a complete new set from a bmw dealer, thats the only way you're going to tell they're to spec...

Cheers,
Andy

[Dave M]

I know Gale provided his best guess, but here are the torque values from Bentley for extra points :D

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/dave_macisaac/NewPicture.jpg

Good luck with it,

Dave

[e34.535i.sport]

Cheers fella's... The interesting thing is that I bought the nuts/bolts brand new from the stealer so I would expect them to be spot on. :( I've got some more ordered (coming in today) from the dealer so see how they go.

When I'm feeling a bit better I'm going to have a look at the second suspicious bolt (the first one is gone!). The second iffy one is loose rather than lost so need to see why this is... perhaps they weren't torqued correctly? It was a BMW specialist who I took it to but I don't know if you'll remember the worrying moment I had when I found one of their sockets with a couple of extensions on it still in my engine bay a day or two after?

While I'm here I should ask - If I get it on ramps (they give a lot of room underneath) how can I get the shaft to turn to get to all the bolts? Can I turn it by hand? Also, are all the bolts in front facing or are they three facing front, three facing rear?

[e34.535i.sport]

EEEEEEeeeeee what's happened to my signature pic?!

[whiskychaser]

The second iffy one is loose rather than lost so need to see why this is... perhaps they weren't torqued correctly?
While I'm here I should ask - If I get it on ramps (they give a lot of room underneath) how can I get the shaft to turn to get to all the bolts? Can I turn it by hand? Also, are all the bolts in front facing or are they three facing front, three facing rear?
I dont see how they could undo if they were torqued properly. They are lock nuts so shouldnt come undone so I reckon your missing one sheared. I hate to point out the obvious, but I think you may have been one bolt away from a pole vault on your 6 hour run to Swindon and back :( You need to have a back wheel off the ground so you can turn it and move the prop. Pop it in high gear to stop it turning. Have an 'assistant' press the foot brake to make double sure you dont wind it off the ramps or stands with your socket and bar;)

[e34.535i.sport]

I dont see how they could undo if they were torqued properly. They are lock nuts so shouldnt come undone so I reckon your missing one sheared. I hate to point out the obvious, but I think you may have been one bolt away from a pole vault on your 6 hour run to Swindon and back :( You need to have a back wheel off the ground so you can turn it and move the prop. Pop it in high gear to stop it turning. Have an 'assistant' press the foot brake to make double sure you dont wind it off the ramps or stands with your socket and bar;)

I thought as much... Sounds like a tricky business! Suppose that's all the fun ay :D.

Don't worry "Grampa Whisky" - Daryl drove me down for the wheels in the e36 as I was feeling like crap anyway! ;) I've avoided driving it at all since investigating the problem, but really wanting to sort it now... As you know, I don't do waiting. :(

[whiskychaser]

I thought as much... Sounds like a tricky business! Suppose that's all the fun ay :D.

Don't worry "Grampa Whisky" - Daryl drove me down for the wheels in the e36 as I was feeling like crap anyway! ;) I've avoided driving it at all since investigating the problem, but really wanting to sort it now... As you know, I don't do waiting. :(

Its only tricky if you are an impatient, cheeky, young whippersnapper:D

[e34.535i.sport]

Its only tricky if you are an impatient, cheeky, young whippersnapper:D

Hmmmm, I can see trouble ahead then...

[whiskychaser]

Hmmmm, I can see trouble ahead then...
Nah. Instructions follow:

[Dave M]

Also, are all the bolts in front facing or are they three facing front, three facing rear?

The bolts oppose each other. Bolts for the driveshaft to guibo 'point' toward the front of the car. Bolts for the tranny output flange to guibo 'point' toward the rear of the car.

However, mine were all alligned the same way when I bought the car and it ran tickidy boo.

Dave

[e34.535i.sport]

nah. Instructions Follow:

Lol!!!!!

[e34.535i.sport]

The bolts oppose each other. Bolts for the driveshaft to guibo 'point' toward the front of the car. Bolts for the tranny output flange to guibo 'point' toward the rear of the car.

However, mine were all alligned the same way when I bought the car and it ran tickidy boo.

Dave

Thanks Dave, Exactly what I needed! I think the monkey's have put all mine in the same way too... Grrrr.

[whiskychaser]

Thanks Dave, Exactly what I needed! I think the monkey's have put all mine in the same way too... Grrrr.
The pics in Bentleys appear to show all 6 bolts inserted from the back. I know mine are installed 3 in each direction. So you hold the bolt heads and tighten the nuts against the flanges - not against the guibo itself. That makes more sense to me as you dont risk any turning action on the guibo which may damage it.

[e34.535i.sport]

The pics in Bentleys appear to show all 6 bolts inserted from the back. I know mine are installed 3 in each direction. So you hold the bolt heads and tighten the nuts against the flanges - not against the guibo itself. That makes more sense to me as you dont risk any turning action on the guibo which may damage it.

That's what I was hoping to do, hopefully they haven't tightened any against the guibo first time around...

[whiskychaser]

That's what I was hoping to do, hopefully they haven't tightened any against the guibo first time around...
Yep. There are of course washers but with the amount of torque I put on I'd prefer that went againt steel rather than rubber. You also need to 'tension' the prop by pulling it about 1/4 inch forward on the bearing mounts. Maybe the installers didnt do that and it caused the bolt(s) to fail? Either way the design is crap as you cant get a socket on where you need it to torque properly. I can break bolts with a ring spanner so you need to get well before you try to fix it :D And I'm only 'grampa':D

[e34.535i.sport]

Well it's fixed and feels SO much better already!!! You wouldn't believe how bad the car felt with just one bolt missing.... Thanks for the advice guys - Will keep u informed if anything changes!