5/16'' gap between flex joint and trans. output flange?

[ryan roopnarine]

the gap between the flex disc in my car (if it is bolted to one of the flanges) and the driveshaft is about 5/16 inch. is this normal. I've done the flex disc on this car before, but i don't remember if there was that much of a gap.

some background.

the car is a 7/91 525i with 4l30e gm transmission.
about 4 months ago i bought a used transmission for this car from vines automotive. i asked them twice if the item would fit an e34 (the used box is from an e36). they said yes, so long as you change the output flange (didn't tell me this until i went to pick it up). they also instructed me to change the output tailcone. i did such. both cone and flange on both transmissions measure to approximately the same length when swapped. the used transmission fits perfectly into the transmission mount holes. if the aforementioned gap is too big, what could have possibly happened? thanks.

[Bill R.]

Loosen the big nut at the slipjoint in the middle of the driveshaft by the center bearing and slide the driveshaft forward until the gap goes away, then tighten the big bushing/nut again.




the gap between the flex disc in my car (if it is bolted to one of the flanges) and the driveshaft is about 5/16 inch. is this normal. I've done the flex disc on this car before, but i don't remember if there was that much of a gap.

some background.

the car is a 7/91 525i with 4l30e gm transmission.
about 4 months ago i bought a used transmission for this car from vines automotive. i asked them twice if the item would fit an e34 (the used box is from an e36). they said yes, so long as you change the output flange (didn't tell me this until i went to pick it up). they also instructed me to change the output tailcone. i did such. both cone and flange on both transmissions measure to approximately the same length when swapped. the used transmission fits perfectly into the transmission mount holes. if the aforementioned gap is too big, what could have possibly happened? thanks.

[ryan roopnarine]

thanks for chiming in, bill, but my driveshaft is the one with the big bolt and u-joint assembly in the center, not the adjustable setup. thanks though. i'm just worried that i'm going to have to deal with vines again about this.

[ryan roopnarine]

i'm sorry, maybe i spoke too soon. do all of the shafts that attach with a guibo have provisions for length adjustment? i took off and replaced the center bearing, but i don't recall seeing the style that I associate with the big nut in the middle on my car

this one is mine
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=HD63&mospid=47404&btnr=26_0085&hg=26&fg=10
thanks.

[Bill R.]

I think you're right Ryan, in the case of yours, I seem to recall there is enough movement at the end where the cv joint is. If you loosen the center support bolts you should be able to slide the whole shaft forward



i'm sorry, maybe i spoke too soon. do all of the shafts that attach with a guibo have provisions for length adjustment? i took off and replaced the center bearing, but i don't recall seeing the style that I associate with the big nut in the middle on my car

this one is mine
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=HD63&mospid=47404&btnr=26_0085&hg=26&fg=10
thanks.

[ryan roopnarine]

i sat there and pulled the thing until the cows came home but it didn't seem to give any. i'm going to go back out in about a 1/2 hour and try it again. i would find it hard to believe that the cv would compress that much. thanks though.

[Bill R.]

If all else fails then you might take that big bolt out of the center of the driveshaft , mark the 2 halves with a marker, separate them and put a 5/16 spacer inside the end of the driveshaft socket then slide them back together and put the bolt back in, or a longer bolt if needed to compensate... I'm guessing that the centering bearing at the front of the driveshaft where it goes into the output from the trans isn't seating all the way either?



i sat there and pulled the thing until the cows came home but it didn't seem to give any. i'm going to go back out in about a 1/2 hour and try it again. i would find it hard to believe that the cv would compress that much. thanks though.

[ryan roopnarine]

If all else fails then you might take that big bolt out of the center of the driveshaft , mark the 2 halves with a marker, separate them and put a 5/16 spacer inside the end of the driveshaft socket then slide them back together and put the bolt back in, or a longer bolt if needed to compensate... I'm guessing that the centering bearing at the front of the driveshaft where it goes into the output from the trans isn't seating all the way either?


its seating enough at the centering bearing to maintain a straight driveshaft geometry even with the centering bearing hanging really loose. i'll take the shaft out of the car, take it home with me, and see if a friend and i and our kung fu grip can get it to stretch anymore. at this point i'm trying to build a case to complain to vines about it, and see if they maybe fess up about the cone making the assembly too short, but if i can get it to work without dropping a transmission a 3rd time, i'll take it. the pollen is so nasty here that i don't want to take the tailcone off for more than about 30 seconds or it'll get particulate inside the transmission. would a washer of suitable quality work as a spacer? thanks. i know i'm monopolizing your time with my questions.

[Bill R.]

A washer should work fine or a couple of them, the splines should be deep enough for there to be plenty of shaft engaging.... You also might want to loosen the trans mount and the motor mounts and see if you can move the assy back any more to shrink that gap.




its seating enough at the centering bearing to maintain a straight driveshaft geometry even with the centering bearing hanging really loose. i'll take the shaft out of the car, take it home with me, and see if a friend and i and our kung fu grip can get it to stretch anymore. at this point i'm trying to build a case to complain to vines about it, and see if they maybe fess up about the cone making the assembly too short, but if i can get it to work without dropping a transmission a 3rd time, i'll take it. the pollen is so nasty here that i don't want to take the tailcone off for more than about 30 seconds or it'll get particulate inside the transmission. would a washer of suitable quality work as a spacer? thanks. i know i'm monopolizing your time with my questions.

[ryan roopnarine]

bump for anyone with anything else to say. going to shoot an email at vines tomorrow after a practice lsat.

[ryan roopnarine]

they asked for my phone number yesterday, waiting on the call.
I'm not bumping this up b/c i'm that worried about getting this item to fit, but because they were less than stellar in communicating with me at the original sale.

[whiskychaser]

they asked for my phone number yesterday, waiting on the call.
I'm not bumping this up b/c i'm that worried about getting this item to fit, but because they were less than stellar in communicating with me at the original sale.
Bet you are going to be a bit miffed if they just say 'oh yeah, send it back. We will send you another when we get it'

[ryan roopnarine]

i have a feeling they may say something like that. i recall now that i never bothered to loosen the motor mounts, just the two sets of tranny mounts. if i do that to no avail, and i can't get a washer of acceptable quality, i might have a stroke at this point.

[whiskychaser]

i have a feeling they may say something like that. i recall now that i never bothered to loosen the motor mounts, just the two sets of tranny mounts. if i do that to no avail, and i can't get a washer of acceptable quality, i might have a stroke at this point.

I've put two different trannies in mine and never touched the engine mounts. TBH I've only ever seen engine mounts with up/down 'adjustment' slots. Lets hope you can take up the gap and have a big laugh at my expense

[ryan roopnarine]

so, david vines (or so i thought) calls me today. I awaken to the sound of the phone ringing, so i'm not 100% sure who it was. he says that there is a thicker guibo that might be applicable, but that he'll go check into it. I tell him that the guibo on there is a regular red/white box febi unit that i got after specifying a 1992 525i. anyone ever heard of such things? i know that there are bigger/smaller guibos, but i wouldn't think that there would be one with a different thickness that would fit on the same size flange. what say the learned bee emm trouble-u folks?

[Bill R.]

The m5, e36 m3,e46 m3 and the z3 m have a thicker guibo and the bolts have to be 4mm longer for them , from 56mm on most e34 to 60 mm on the m cars.


so, david vines (or so i thought) calls me today. I awaken to the sound of the phone ringing, so i'm not 100% sure who it was. he says that there is a thicker guibo that might be applicable, but that he'll go check into it. I tell him that the guibo on there is a regular red/white box febi unit that i got after specifying a 1992 525i. anyone ever heard of such things? i know that there are bigger/smaller guibos, but i wouldn't think that there would be one with a different thickness that would fit on the same size flange. what say the learned bee emm trouble-u folks?

[ryan roopnarine]

thanks bill, the follow up conversation should be rich. to go from (the e36 flange should fit) to putting a M guibo on my car is to cover a lot of ground. at this point, i think my best bet is to jack the front of the car into an extreme incline, loosen both the engine and tranny mounts, and hope the assembly slides backwards some.

[Bill R.]

Ryan if you look at the ekm they also list 2 different guibos for the 525, the bolt spacing and the diameter looks different on each though.






thanks bill, the follow up conversation should be rich. to go from (the e36 flange should fit) to putting a M guibo on my car is to cover a lot of ground. at this point, i think my best bet is to jack the front of the car into an extreme incline, loosen both the engine and tranny mounts, and hope the assembly slides backwards some.

[ryan roopnarine]

hmmmm, i checked it last night and i saw that the line below the listed one is blanked out, iirc? maybe realoem doesn't do exactly the same thing as the actual etk.

[Bill R.]

Sorry Ryan, my mistake, this cataract surgery's got my close vision screwed up... On the 91 m50 525 they only come up with the one guibo, but if i look at 93 i come up with the 2 different numbers for the m50 525



hmmmm, i checked it last night and i saw that the line below the listed one is blanked out, iirc? maybe realoem doesn't do exactly the same thing as the actual etk.