No CDV...but still poor clutch takeup

[jes330]

hey all,

Some great advice got me looking for a Clutch Delay valve to solve my poor clutch problem's...very keen I jacked up the 330 and looked around for this little bugger..problem is i don't think I have one, i looked all along, even unscrewed the area it should have been but nothing....

Problem is though I have this spongy clutch take up when I try and 'launch the car'. Very un sporty and very very annoying. have any other 330ci owners experienced this and if som what on earth did you do to fix?




PLEEEse help..

J.

 

[Akakubi]

OK, there is another reason for the delay. BMW uses a dual-mass flywheel for smooth clutch engagements. That takes away from the aggresive shifting as well. Solution: sport flywheels. My clutch could be much better honestly, but I got used to it. I belive that if you want to make a good clutch on the Bimmer, the whole system needs to be upgraded: flywheel, clutch, pressure plate and throwout bearing. Something heavy-duty and adjustable will allow for more precise "tuning" to suit your needs. The downside is $$....

I would also caution against dumping the clutch in 1st gear. When you shift 1-2 gears you can often hear a clunk from the differential. The gears there have a bit of play (not a problem for the diff), but they do make sudden torque loads on the chassis. The diff is attached to the rear subframe which is a known weak spot on E36 and E46. From time to time the floorpan would crack right where the subframe connects to it (where the diff sits as well). $3000 bucks worth of fix.... And it's hard to get it covered under warranty, though it's a long-standing BMW fault.

Drive-by-wire is not really an issue, as it only affects the throttle. You'll notice the most annoying effect at the track/aggresive driving when heel-toeing. The RPM jumps are often not 100% linear, so it's harder to rev-match.

 

[jes330]

Thanks .....

Well thats pretty dis-heartning. Given the money for the car I am not about to rejig the entire clutch setup.

If I just get that little bit to exuberent at the lights I end up looking like a fool, as the opposition leaves me behind....

Such a beutiful car in so many ways, this I reckon really lets it down.

Thanks for your help Val. Really appreciated.

Ji m.

 

[Akakubi]

Thanks .....

Well thats pretty dis-heartning. Given the money for the car I am not about to rejig the entire clutch setup.

If I just get that little bit to exuberent at the lights I end up looking like a fool, as the opposition leaves me behind....

Such a beutiful car in so many ways, this I reckon really lets it down.

Thanks for your help Val. Really appreciated.

Ji m.

Sure.

E46 (non-M3) are not really suited for the stop-light racing. It's just everything is setup for medium to high speed cornering, with enough torque to power through the apexes. It's just much happier in those conditions.

Maybe this could help a bit. If I really have to launch, the best way I found out is with minimal wheel spin at around 2000-2300RPM, just enough to chirp. Much higher than that will light up the rubber and slow you down.

 

[jes330]

Update:

Car was at BMW dealership today getting checked, turns out the Clutch is stuffed!! Now at 30,000km's this is surprising, but I guess the previous owner might have been a clutch dragger....Dealership suggests that BMW clutches (especially off Hi Horsepower BM's) do not have a hi tolerence to being abused. Apparently a number of M5's have had similar problems and BMW are reluctent to fix under warrenty. Anyway, ill place a post asking about heavier duty clutch options, I'm not keen on replacing the std clutch to have the same problem happen....

 

[Akakubi]

Update:

Car was at BMW dealership today getting checked, turns out the Clutch is stuffed!! Now at 30,000km's this is surprising, but I guess the previous owner might have been a clutch dragger....Dealership suggests that BMW clutches (especially off Hi Horsepower BM's) do not have a hi tolerence to being abused. Apparently a number of M5's have had similar problems and BMW are reluctent to fix under warrenty. Anyway, ill place a post asking about heavier duty clutch options, I'm not keen on replacing the std clutch to have the same problem happen....

Good to know! Kepp us updated on how it turns out!