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Andy · Enthusiast

Just a quick guff post really, with pictures for reference, perhaps useful to people in future.

In the 330d, I had a clunk from the drivetrain when changing gear from first to reverse and vice-versa, and when lifting the clutch changing gear, there was obvious play somewhere. I hoped it wasn't the gearbox.

A quick crawl underneath showed obvious wear to the prop donut. Can't blame it for failing, it's probably 144,523 miles old.

<Aside>

I originally bought the replacement part from Euro Car Parts. I have only ever been to ECP once before, for a thermostat for the M3. I got a taxi there, and they gave me the wrong part: "That's what it says on our system, mate". Great. I ended up putting the M3 back together with no stat until I could get one.

I thought I'd give them another chance. I ordered the donut - which is much cheaper than at BMW - and the same part as fitted to the 730d and went along to pick it up. It had BMW Genuine stamped on the plastic baggie and the right part number. All good.

This morning, when I actually came to take the old giubo off the car, the new part is completely different. About 3/4 the size with different bolt PCD and a different thickness. The part number on the bag is mysteriously correct for my car.
Serves me right for going to ECP. NEVER AGAIN.

Thankfully Murketts BMW in Huntingdon (irritatingly, this is walking distance from my office, but I'm not there on a Saturday) had one in stock, so 70 miles in Jen's car later, I had the new part, albeit £87 instead of £52.

</Aside>

Some photos here of how the parts involved look.

full turbo-back 330d exhaust system (lighter than I expected, but still heavy) and the huge heatshield:

Looking up the 330d's skirt:

The centre bearing, with no play even though the donut was shagged, and cush still complete too:

The offending donut:

Since I'm a bit of a geek, I thought the best way to demonstrate the play in the old giubo was with an animation, so here goes...

The fucked prop donut (which shouldn't move at all) - it's still bolted hard to the prop:

For the eagle eyed amongst you, there was no damping tape/butyl rubber fitted between the centre bearing and the transmission tunnel, as intended by BMW. Don't know why not, but it's got some now.

Pleasingly, the clunk has gone and the vibration at high speeds has gone with it. The immediacy of gearchanges has returned, and it's much nicer to waggle the gearstick as a result.

Incidentally, in case you don't know, if you want to check your donut, you'll need to have the back of the car jacked up (wheels free to turn) to see if there's play in the joint - otherwise it'll be under tension and will feel fine.

6Pot · Driver

Great stuff. I too have the slight clunk from 1st to reverse so I'll being investigate this. Is this 'donut' situated at the front or rear of the prop?

Andy · Enthusiast

Front. It's easy to check, you don't have to remove anything, but it's a relatively intensive job to change it.

Unless you're happy to spin your own spanners, might be better to get your favourite specialist/BMW to change it for you.

6Pot · Driver

Na I like this sort of stuff. I'm going to install the Z3M short shift and replace the bush on the gear shift anyway. So while I'm there........

EDIT: do I take it this is sandwhiched between the output shaft of the gearbox and the front of the prop?

Andy · Enthusiast

As per two separate PM queries, giubo/flex disk/donut are interchangeable terms for the bush pictured in my animation above, designed to connect the gearbox output flange to the flange on the front of the prop shaft. Although it's called a flex disk, it's pretty tough and you can't 'flex' it with your hands.

EDIT: Yes [ Very Happy

]

6pot: You might know this already, but if you're changing the shifter, it will be *much* easier if you've got the prop shaft off the car.

It's still possible, just a bit fiddly reaching above the prop to get to your shifter linkage.

Doc Matt · Established

Strange how it has come to that. Couldnt it be designed so that the threads are seated firmly in the donut? Kind of like tapered bolts into an alloy [:I]

Andy · Enthusiast

I suppose if they made it that way, it wouldn't flex enough.

It's not really a problem given the lifespan of 145k and 5 years!

OLD GREY STEVE · Fanatic

Andy, at a push I would guess that when I select reverse from park in my car that would be the thump that I get from the rear?

SB 330 D

Andy · Enthusiast

It could be, or there's a chance it could be the diff, diff mounting bushes, subframe bushes, possibly even strut top mounts.

Isn't your car still under warranty? No problem then! [ Very Happy

]

OLD GREY STEVE · Fanatic

quote:
Originally posted by Andy

It could be, or there's a chance it could be the diff, diff mounting bushes, subframe bushes, possibly even strut top mounts.

Isn't your car still under warranty? No problem then! []

Cheers Andy. Your right it is under warranty so there should be nothing to worry about. Its already booked in for its Inspection 2 mid March.

Re the thump from the rear it was something that I was going to ask them to look at when the cars in there being serviced but I will visit them before its due in to see if it can be looked at and the cause of the problem verified before its serviced so that the parts if required can be ordered in and time can be allocated for the job.

By the say nice write up and pictures re the problem. It'll get me into Specialsit Cars early next week[ Very Happy

].

SB 330 D

baz1985 · Fanatic

well in Andy. Tis all a little overwhelming for me[ Wink

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Roofer · Forum Moderator

remember the first time i fitted one to an m535.

whats this band, i thought, don't need that[:I]

4 hours later.......[ Very Happy

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top write up[ Smile

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VERN · Driver

Andy excellent info bud, nice pics too well done[ Smile

]

330d sport/satnav/t.v/xenons/black leather/heated seats/bluetooth/6 disc.
400+lbft/E-maps

Woody · Established

Perfect just what I needed.

Daft question due to the age of this thread but I don't suppose you have a picture of the full exhaust to include the connection to the front CAT do you?