[celsdogg]

Originally Posted by vrooooom

So which process of bleeding did you do? How long did the whole thing take?

i actually did it during a brake fluid flush and pad change so I bled it in conjunction with that work so it probably wouldn't apply to most who do this mod.

Changing the part was quick especially since the fluid line is only held in by a clip. I spilled probably 4 drops of brake fluid. getting the nuts off wasn't bad either, but i've had to fight with starter bolts and clutch disc changes in the past that put up a way bigger fight.

of note, the nuts that hold on the clutch slave to the transmission are lock nuts, the bmw kind where they are more ovular than circular. I used a small amount of medium threadlocker that can be broken easily with hand tools. I also put a dab of grease on the tip.

i bled via pressure bleeder and wife. since i was doing both systems it took longer and I also did a DSC bleed for good measure (just because of the brake work). It was bled after bolting it back to the transmission so my wife could safely press the clutch pedal during the bleed.


Comparison of old vs new. Both are FTE, the old of course being BMW branded by FTE.


This is all that was spilled. I didn't clamp the line. Instead, i just covered the line with my finger between switching the slave cylinders. Total time the line didn't have a slave cylinder on it was less than 10 seconds.


This is a screenshot of a video I took looking inside the transmission bell housing if anyone was curious. I just like to inspect stuff. The clutch fork looked a little dry, so. . .


I put a dab of grease on the tip. my grease is the same brown color, haha.


Unrelated, I also put on a E46 M3 front subframe jack point. Makes it much easier to get a jack in the right spot.

[vrooooom]

Is it as simple as pulling that u-clip out to disconnect the line from the slave cylinder? Covering it with your thumb and shoving it on the new one? Maybe if I pre-fill the slave with fresh fluid it'll have less air in the system to get rid of.

Is this on an M2, which means you removed the stiffer plate for this? Just found out about the one-time-use bolts. Myb I'll change them once I'm all done w/ my upgrades.

I'm feeling lazy, so I'm thinking of bringing it to a shop to do. But in the back of my head I want to do it. My powerbleeder is not yet here though so I'm thinking reverse bleed if that's easier. I also have the vacuum type (connect to compressor to create suction) which I don't hear a lot here using.

BTW, thanks for posting photos. It's an effort to be working and still take the time to shoot, or ask someone to shoot. Especially dealing w/ greasy hands and your phone.

[celsdogg]

yeah man, i take pics of everything, helps me remember things, lol.

of all the things needed for this change, swapping the slave cylinders on the fluid line was the easiest. i used a pick to pull the clip (you can see it pulled up on the new slave cylinder in the first picture) on both, pulled off the old one, thumbed it, then pushed the line on the new slave cylinder. bleeding it is more of a chore than the actual swap.

It was on a M235i, not sure what you mean with "stiffer plate".

i drove the car for a few hours yesterday. I can't get out with words how much better it is now. I am kinda mad I've been driving it all these years without this mod.

[vrooooom]

Ok I’m ordering the parts tomorrow.

For the M2 we have this thick aluminum plate at the bottom—Stiffener plate. It’s directly under the engine. So messing around with the charge pipe, downpipe, intercooler require removal of it.

[celsdogg]

ah, i see.

The M235i has a cardboard stiffening plate. . .haha.

[vrooooom]

Ha3. That’s stiff.

Picked up the replacement CDV just today. It’s bigger than I imagined. Now to install.

[celsdogg]

good luck man. let us know how it goes.

[xxfinity]

Hi everyone!

I just did this MOD as well, on my 2014 F32 435xi and HOLY SH@T. The clutch feels SOOOOOO MUCH BETTER. This has been something that has always annoyed me about my F32.

For context, I also have a E92 335xi, Subaru Legacy GT and Subaru Impreza STi. All in manual. And my F32 had THE WORST clutch feel out of all of them. It always felt like there some a bit of delay and I could never tell exactly when and where the clutch will start to bit. Always had jerky starts and and shifts every so often cause I couldn't figure out where the clutch bite point was. My Subarus are also modified with lightweight flywheel wheels and upgrade clutches and I'm able to drive them more smoothly than my F32.

I also have a habit of double clutching, so it made the problem twice as bad. Since I was using the clutch pedal 1 extra time per shift haha.

This MOD made the clutch pedal feel SO MUCH more responsive.

Just a few things to note for people doing this MOD on the x-drive version of a F30/32 car. The front drive shaft is also in that same side of the transmission, so there is almost ZERO room to work.

To work around it, I highly recommend that you take the bottom bolt off first, then pinch the hydraulic line and remove the connection from the slave cylinder. THEN get at the top bolt of the slave cylinder. It will save A LOT of headache. I only did this when I was reassembling it. So don't repeat my mistake

I also did the traditional 2 person bleed method. Worked good. I kept my reservoir pretty much filled to the brim (like 5mm down from the top of the cap) the whole time and didn't have any issues with air getting into the clutch lines.

[xxfinity]

Can also confirm that the part number 21526785964 works for the F32!

[Jkea24]

Found that this mod was essential, and well paired with an aftermarket clutch pedal stop.

The only downside I noticed is that I get an almost springy feeling from the clutch pedal now that seems to be more prevalent at higher speeds but is non-existent in very low rpm shifts. Doesn't seem to make a difference how far I put the clutch pedal down. Is this normal for a stock clutch pedal? No issues with clutch engagement. I've been driving MT for fifteen years but for some reason I find myself clenching my jaw at this off feeling

[kern417]

Originally Posted by Jkea24

Found that this mod was essential, and well paired with an aftermarket clutch pedal stop.

The only downside I noticed is that I get an almost springy feeling from the clutch pedal now that seems to be more prevalent at higher speeds but is non-existent in very low rpm shifts. Doesn't seem to make a difference how far I put the clutch pedal down. Is this normal for a stock clutch pedal? No issues with clutch engagement. I've been driving MT for fifteen years but for some reason I find myself clenching my jaw at this off feeling

Maybe try bleeding again after you've put some miles on it

[vrooooom]

Mine, after bleeding, the following day it had a lot of dead play. I pumped it up a few times and it’s good. The next day, it’s much better.

[Rick4345]

Well crap.

I'm sitting at my dealership and they're saying it can't be done because the o ring is too small and letting fluid leak out. The tech that works on my car is very good at what he does. He's the only one that works on my car. I think he was just as frustrated because he couldn't figure it out.

At 139 dollars an hour, I'd really like to go back in there and have some viable solutions.

Anyone have an idea of why?!

We talked about it and thought a different hardline would make the difference.

If anyone has any words of wisdom I can pass on to my technician it would be greatly appreciated

It's a 17 M2 if that helps anything.

Thanks!!

[kern417]

Originally Posted by Rick4345

Well crap.

I'm sitting at my dealership and they're saying it can't be done because the o ring is too small and letting fluid leak out. The tech that works on my car is very good at what he does. He's the only one that works on my car. I think he was just as frustrated because he couldn't figure it out.

At 139 dollars an hour, I'd really like to go back in there and have some viable solutions.

Anyone have an idea of why?!

We talked about it and thought a different hardline would make the difference.

If anyone has any words of wisdom I can pass on to my technician it would be greatly appreciated

It's a 17 M2 if that helps anything.

Thanks!!

Clearly multiple people on here have done it on F3X and F8x so not sure what to tell you.

[AndrewC1989]

Originally Posted by Rick4345

Well crap.

I'm sitting at my dealership and they're saying it can't be done because the o ring is too small and letting fluid leak out. The tech that works on my car is very good at what he does. He's the only one that works on my car. I think he was just as frustrated because he couldn't figure it out.

At 139 dollars an hour, I'd really like to go back in there and have some viable solutions.

Anyone have an idea of why?!

We talked about it and thought a different hardline would make the difference.

If anyone has any words of wisdom I can pass on to my technician it would be greatly appreciated

It's a 17 M2 if that helps anything.

Thanks!!

I did this on my '17 M2 without any issues. You either have the wrong part, have a defective part, or have a mechanic who doesn't know what they're doing.

[Rick4345]

Originally Posted by AndrewC1989

I did this on my '17 M2 without any issues. You either have the wrong part, have a defective part, or have a mechanic who doesn't know what they're doing.

Yeah, something is wrong in the process.

I'm going to contact getbmwparts.com and see if I can return the part.

My mechanic has worked on all my cars and I trust him. It doesn't look that difficult. But then again, not everyone knows everything. Even if some think they do.

I would even be willing to take a road trip and pay someone who has successfully done this.

Kind of frustrating when you see all the success and seem to be the only failure.

[AndrewC1989]

Originally Posted by Rick4345

Yeah, something is wrong in the process.

I'm going to contact getbmwparts.com and see if I can return the part.

My mechanic has worked on all my cars and I trust him. It doesn't look that difficult. But then again, not everyone knows everything. Even if some think they do.

I would even be willing to take a road trip and pay someone who has successfully done this.

Kind of frustrating when you see all the success and seem to be the only failure.

Yeah, see if you can return and get a new one. I ordered mine here:

https://www.ecstuning.com/b-genuine-...r/21526785964/

The free shipping makes the total cost about the same as getbmwparts

[Rick4345]

Originally Posted by kern417

Clearly multiple people on here have done it on F3X and F8x so not sure what to tell you.

Thanks. I'm at a loss for words myself.

And that is a rare occurrence!!

[oranga]

I had a leak when I installed the new cylinder as well. What worked for me was fishing out the black plastic spacer from my old cylinder and installing it in the new one.

[Rick4345]

I think I have an idea of what freaked out my technician.

Apparently, at least with the connection there is just a tiny bit of movement. I think he was afraid it would not seal because of that.

If I've been reading right, this isn't uncommon.

I'm going to return this cylinder and buy another one and a new connector hose.

I'll get this figured out. I think it's the German in me that contributes to my stubbornness.

[celsdogg]

changed my oil yesterday. just to give us all a little assurance, I checked my slave cylinder and it's completely dry. I have more than 5k miles on it at this point.

[Rick4345]

Right now my lovely M2 is sitting in the garage and I am waiting on a tow truck.

Why you ask? Well, I went out to take my car into town and the clutch pedal was all the way to the floor. Needless to say my dealership and I are having a little conversation. I'm trying to keep my temper about it all. Something tells me in my totally inexperienced mind that something wasn't done right when they put the original cylinder back in.

I'm really losing faith in my dealership. They used to be know as one of the best around. Now, even I'm not so sure.

Just adds to more good news. I received an email this morning from Evan Winstead at www.getbmwparts.com telling me they won't accept the E90 cylinder. When I received it in the package the piston rod was compressed and fit in the box. Now it won't because the piston expanded and won't recompress again to ship it. So, if you know anyone who wants a E90 Clutch Slave Cylinder, I may have one for sale.