bmwe21.net forums

Hi
I need a new gearbox.

i have a 316 auto with power steering

i might be selling the car this yr but i want to sort the gearbox problem before i sell..

do you think i would get more money for my car as an automatic or as a manual??

does anyone have an automatic gearbox for sale?

is it possible to fit an e30 automatic box?

if you guys say the manual will fetch more money, then i'll convert to manual.

thanks

Depends what's wrong with the existing auto. It'll be a 3HP22, and not much goes wrong with them. Converting to manual is fairly involved. You'll need a suitable gearbox (and 5 speed E21 boxes are rare and ££££), gearlinkage, flywheel and clutch, spigot bearing, propshaft, pedal box, clutch master and slave cylinders, the steel clutch pipe and a flexy pipe, brackets for the clutch pipe and the rear of the gearlinkage. Unless you can do it yourself, you're into £400 labour and the parts. A four speed box is worthless so with one of those, parts shouldn't be much more than £200.


An early E30 316 or 318i autobox will fit but a later 4HP22 will require a modified propshaft and mods to the crossmember.
Is it worth much more as a manual? Not really. If it's a nice tidy example, it'll find a buyer.

Lordhavemercy! wrote:Depends what's wrong with the existing auto. It'll be a 3HP22, and not much goes wrong with them. Converting to manual is fairly involved. You'll need a suitable gearbox (and 5 speed E21 boxes are rare and ££££), gearlinkage, flywheel and clutch, spigot bearing, propshaft, pedal box, clutch master and slave cylinders, the steel clutch pipe and a flexy pipe, brackets for the clutch pipe and the rear of the gearlinkage. Unless you can do it yourself, you're into £400 labour and the parts. A four speed box is worthless so with one of those, parts shouldn't be much more than £200.


An early E30 316 or 318i autobox will fit but a later 4HP22 will require a modified propshaft and mods to the crossmember.
Is it worth much more as a manual? Not really. If it's a nice tidy example, it'll find a buyer.

Thanks for the reply.
It's interesting you say not much goes wrong with the e21 auto box. I have a terrible whining sound which kicks in and out as you accelerate ; i thought this was the diff. I had my mechanic open the diff and he is adamant its not the diff but the gearbox. we drained the oil and put in some thick lucas stuff which has reduced the noise abit but still there.
i got a second opinion from another mechanic awhile back and he said it's the diff. i dont know much about these things so i'm confused now. i think i'll have to bite the bullet and go to my local auto box specialist...problem is i know he's really expensive.

my mechanic could do the e30 conversion, but i need to be sure the box is the problem first.