Re: Guibo replacement: DIY or not?

[Norman Boehl <nboehl@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

bolhuijo@domain.elided wrote:

>  While spending quality time underneath the car today, I saw some
> pretty nice looking cracks in the guibo.  Will I regret trying to
> replace it myself?  I only have jackstands - no lift.
> Thanks!
>

John,

I just completed this operation (plus center bearing replacement and
shifter linkage rebuild) on my 85 325e.

Yes, it can be a DIY job, but I'd be prepared for the vehicle to be up
on ramps/stands for a few days.  I'd suggest you use drive-up ramps on the
front, and jack stands on the back in order to get the bottom of the car up
about 14-18 inches.  Depending on the car, I suppose, more or less the
following requires removal:  complete exhaust system (all the way up to (but
excluding) the exhaust manifold), heat shield, and drive shaft.

When removing the drive shaft from the tranny output flange, I found it to
be of great help to slightly lower the rear of the transmission about 1-2 inches
by supporting the tranny with a floor/bottle jack.  This places the output shaft
more "in-line" with the drive shaft, thus providing ease in removal/installation.

Overall, my job went fairly smoothly with no significant problems (only those
you typically encounter when doing a job for the first time) (thus the tip for
the tranny lowering).  You'll definitely want to replace all removed self-locking
nuts.  Check the center bearing while you're at it, as well as the tranny output
shaft seal.  If you need to replace the output shaft seal, you'll need a 30mm
deep wall socket (see Steve D at the Ultimate Garage).  Check your Bentley
manual for full descriptions of the work.

Email me if you have more specific questions.
Norm


>
> --
>   John Bolhuis    | These are no ordinary monkeys --
>  bolhuijo         | these are mean, spiteful, butt-biting
>   @domain.elided   | monkeys with an obvious mission: conquest.
>                                         -tabloid.net

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