Driveshaft questions

[rockin1978TA]

Just a couple of questions on removing the driveshaft from my 89 535 this weekend.I'm replacing the center support bearing.

Do I need to remove the transmission support to get access to the 4 nuts that bolt the driveshaft to the transmission, then support it with a jack and piece of wood? It looks like you can't get a wrench in there without removing it.

Will the transmission leak out the back, once I remove the driveshaft.

[Ken35i]

Hey Rockin,

That's what I did. I couldn't access the nuts otherwise.

No, it won't leak.

[bimmerred535i]

Just a couple of questions on removing the driveshaft from my 89 535 this weekend.I'm replacing the center support bearing.

Do I need to remove the transmission support to get access to the 4 nuts that bolt the driveshaft to the transmission, then support it with a jack and piece of wood? It looks like you can't get a wrench in there without removing it.

Will the transmission leak out the back, once I remove the driveshaft.

First break loose your bolts that are holding your transmission to driveshaft apart. Then go in and do as you are saying and place a bottle jack (or any kind of jack + wood) and take the 4 transmission bolts from the support bracket loose so that you can lower the transmission about an inch at the output shaft end.

Then unbolt the center driveshaft bearing, and then the six bolts that bolt it to the rearend.

Once removing your drive shaft, put it in a vise (carefully). Take something and scribe a line near the middle of the driveshaft as its in two parts, so that you can match the two ends up on the same tooth later.

You will have to spray a penetrating oil (PB blaster) on the bolt that holds the driveshaft together. then ever so slightly with a lot of force the bolt will back its way out and split the driveshaft in two.

Replace the center bearing..

Put the two ends back together by matching up the scribed lines.

put the bolt back in


***Words of wisdom***

For $10 or less pelican parts sells the (6) rear bolts that go into the driveshaft bolting it to the rearend. Please replace these as I had to learn the hard way... About 5k miles after replacing the center bearing I heard this noise thinking it was that bearing and it turned out to be that one of those bolts snapped and you have to yank the driveshaft back out.


To remove one of those bolts on the back of the driveshaft, I wedged a piece of metal in between the flexible end unit and the driveshaft, this allowed me to strike the end of the bolt with a hammer. The bolts are held in by splines and will not spin..





Installation is reverse of removal

Hope this saves you some headaches

[philbyil]

I discovered many moons ago that using new hardware (nuts,bolts,washers etc) when working on suspension and other under car jobs, is relatively inexpensive and will/can save a lot of heartache and cussing

[rockin1978TA]

Thanks for all the info. This will help me a lot. I didn't purchase new bolts, but think I'll take your advice, and get some, so I don't have to do this twice.

[rockin1978TA]

Thanks for all the info, got it out this weekend. The bearing and rubber piece was ok, the metal housing had cracked. Got new washers and bolts from BMA, but couldn't get them out of the rear of the driveshaft. So I'lll cross my finger and hope she stays together. Check out the picture.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/17593285@N05/4086258057/

[Ken35i]

Mine cracked in the same place. I didn't see it straight away.

[rockin1978TA]

I'm 36, and told my son, maybe I'm getting to old to work underneath cars anymore..Man what a job, but it was worth it, spent $25 on the bearing, and $30 on new nuts and bolts, saved myself at least $500 from the independent! I spent more time messing with getting the exhaust back on than anything. I didn't unbolt the exhaust from the engine, but used a jack to lower it down enough to get the shaft out. One thing they engineered right, was using all 13mm nuts, except for the 17mm on the front of the drive shaft. This car is built like a tank!

[Ken35i]

They are well built and straight-forward to work on, I found. That's why I work on it myself.