Boosted Falcon

Hey guys, the BMW needs some attention to it's 5 speed auto, and I need to take it somewhere to have it looked at. I'm reluctant to take it anywhere I don't know, but I have no choice as I need my car very soon. Thought someone out there might know a good joint that won't rip me off on the basis that it's a BMW but still does good work.

Thanks,
Jared.

my mechanic runs a repair shop in narre warren, he may know something he used to work full time at Doncaster BMW as a mechanic, pm me if u want his number.

Hey thanks for that Kyle, but I managed to find a place that my boss recommended locally. They said it's either
A) solved by a simple flush, around $150 at most (unlikely, but possible)
or
B) a $7500 problem, that affects most of these 5-series with the ZF box... which can be done cheaper using a gearbox that hasn't imploded yet and has a little life left for around $3000.

**** FUCKETY **** ****, for $7500 I could do a LS1 conversion

and people wonder why we drive eseries.

i love $100 autos

oneredED wrote:Hey thanks for that Kyle, but I managed to find a place that my boss recommended locally. They said it's either
A) solved by a simple flush, around $150 at most (unlikely, but possible)
or
B) a $7500 problem, that affects most of these 5-series with the ZF box... which can be done cheaper using a gearbox that hasn't imploded yet and has a little life left for around $3000.

**** FUCKETY **** ****, for $7500 I could do a LS1 conversion

Ouch as much as i love bemers seaing those costs put me of one for a long time....

I've been looking at E34 5 Series and E32 7 Series lately and the prices are mighty tempting but I read shit like this and it frightens me. 7ers have more problems apparently.

Fingers crossed option A works out for ya Jared.

Put in a 6 speed auto from an F6

What year is the car? If you can get a later model engine/box from an XR6T/F6, throw that shit in, and watch the stability control crumble and die

Or you could give MV automatics a call, I think they are in melbourne? They do good things with BTRs, maybe they can help...08 8370 0430

MV Automatics are in Blackwood SA.

I often think about buying a European car, especially a BMW, Mercedes or VW, this thread has reminded me why I own Falcons.

Would a manual conversion be cheaper?

[edit] What does the box do that's bad? And what breaks in them all the time? Have you looked on BMW Forums to see if there is a cheaper solution?

oneredED wrote:**** FUCKETY **** ****, for $7500 I could do a LS1 conversion

So where's the problem again?

Aaron_EF8 wrote:MV Automatics are in Blackwood SA.

I often think about buying a European car, especially a BMW, Mercedes or VW, this thread has reminded me why I own Falcons.

Would a manual conversion be cheaper?

[edit] What does the box do that's bad? And what breaks in them all the time? Have you looked on BMW Forums to see if there is a cheaper solution?

Ok, not knowing exactly how an auto works, I've been told it is most likely a part related to the all aluminium pump that these boxes have, and heat frying them ($1000 second hand for this pump alone). Apparently the whole box is aluminium, or far more so than the average box and because of that they're extremely susceptible to heat problems. That, and it also means they're more expensive to rebuild. They also have issues with some O-rings somewhere, whereby if the gearbox is properly flushed and they are shot, the box will destroy itself very quickly or something to that effect

The gearbox kicks back to neutral when I hit the kickdown button, and then clunks into gear about 2 seconds later with about 6500rpm on board. The first time it happened I had the stereo blaring so I couldn't hear the motor and it was raining. Needless to say it skated a bit at quite a pretty high speed unintentionally. There's also a vibration in 1st under load, which feels like VT commodore traction control going stop-go-stop-go-stop-go-stop-go. I've looked on the BMW forums, but since most people are loaded on there so it's pretty much a case of "take it to BMW, they'll fix everything they're so wonderful BLAH BLAH BLAH by the way what's a manual conversion?" The cases I have seen in the US, range from US$3-6k, depending on who rebuilt it and what parts were used.

A manual conversion would certainly have be cheaper than the stupid prices I've been quoted so far. Hell, I can get a 213kw 4.4L BMW quad cam V8, 6 speed getrag + bellhousing, pedal box with master cyl, crossmember, computer and loom all from an E39 540i, delivered to AUS from a US wrecker for a bit less than I've been quoted to rebuild this box... THAT is just fucking DUMB.

Thanks for the help guys

Rollin wrote:Put in a 6 speed auto from an F6

What year is the car? If you can get a later model engine/box from an XR6T/F6, throw that shit in, and watch the stability control crumble and die

Or you could give MV automatics a call, I think they are in melbourne? They do good things with BTRs, maybe they can help...08 8370 0430

I've already looked into it, I think an LS1 would be the better option (just for the sound haha). There's already a few been done, one with twin turbo's I might add. See below.

It sounds like you just answered your own question.

oh fvck yeah! That engine bay looks mint! All it needs is some kind of BMW cover plate & it'd look factory

Love the little intercoolers too

Where the hell are the plug leads on that LS1???

Looks the goods though - arguably a better sleeper than a turbo E-series...

How's that 4.4L V8 conversion coming along?

Rollin wrote:Where the hell are the plug leads on that LS1???

Looks the goods though - arguably a better sleeper than a turbo E-series...

How's that 4.4L V8 conversion coming along?

Scraping together some cashola . My boss is taking it to get the fault codes read from the OBD-II system sometime this week while I'm away, and I'll (hopefully) know some more from that.

I'm gonna go out in the shed and pull the covers off the ED tomorrow, it needs a full exhaust and a set of rear tires and a few other small things, so I'll throw the 3" on and try to find some stockies... I'm pissed off too, because the turbo motor sitting in the bosses garage won't be going in for a long time now which is fairly fuckin' gay (cant afford the remaining bits; ecu + injectors). Oh well, it'll be fun being able to pull doughnuts, clutch dumps and the like again anyways, it should get me by for a month or so while I save up some more $$$ and work out WTF I'm doing with the blue bus.

I'll feel a bit iffy about driving it around N/A with the cooler (still on the car) since it's so slow. Slow and copbait are never a good combination haha

definetly go the LS1 with a T56 behind it

How often does the beemer do wierd shit? Just sell it and tell potential buyers that it's due for a transmission oil flush

Rollin wrote:How often does the beemer do wierd shit? Just sell it and tell potential buyers that it's due for a transmission oil flush

Any time it tries to kick down a gear, which is often in a torqueless 2.8L 5-speed, or on hill starts it chucks a fit... I would have tried to flog it off, but I don't have it in me to knowingly rip someone off, I just can't

I don't blame you, I couldn't do it either (which is still why I have that busted up EB that I got RAPED when I purchased, and haven't onsold because it is a disgrace to it's e-series bretheren )