Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Trannsmission Rebuild: Part III - Installation

I got a big box from Metric Mechanic with the transmssion enclosed last week, delievered conveniently to my door, and while I was out of town over the weekend Patrick at Midnight Motorsport worked hard to do the installation. After a brief fear regarding the choice we faced of different throw-out bearings (see previous post) we chatted about the issue and decided that the current BMW-recommened version HAD to work. Blind faith, I suppose.

After we removed my original Getrag 232, we had put a donor tranny in the car so I could still run it. It was a direct plug and play. The unit came from a '74 2002 but its exact provenance was unknown. The gears shifted smoothly but the transmission whined like a banshee at high speeds.


Of course, I shouldn't complain too much. My own 232 was suffering from terminal Synchro Syndrome, meaning that every time I changed gears I had to match the RPMs perfectly. Not a great way to have to drive such a fine old car, listening to crunches that sounded like the roll of sea rocks under a stormy shorebreak.

Anyhow, while I flew south for some warm weather and to see college friends, Patrick got to work. Just looking at Metric Mechanic's meticulous refurbishing of my old Getrag must have been a hoot for him all weekend long; I envy often envy his profession.







I have to admit, my car didn't look entirely bad with no tranny attached. I had heard when I bought her that she's been stored for 25 years unused. Maybe this factoid was true and maybe not, but I'm not complaiing.


And so the unit eventually  made it to the underside of the car.


All is now right with the world. My only worry is that I have a sudden compulsion to disobey every posted speed limit I see on the roads.



Monday, September 29, 2014

Transmission Rebuild Part II: A Study in NK Throw-Out Bearings

While re-installing my original tranny after its rebuild, we decided to swap the throw-out bearing. To our surprise, the correct bearing (according to REALOEM) is quite a bit different than the original one that dates from 1967, and in fact somewhat less tall.  It works fine as it seemed self-asjust in relation to the slave cylinder when the tranny was put back in the car.  Here is a pic of the three bearings - my original one on the left, the new one in the center that I am now using, and the later '02 style bearing at the right, which is used in the Series II NKs, I believe.

Fascinating how things change, for reasons that are probably now lost to history.

Thursday, September 4, 2014

The Transmission Rebuild: Part I

I thought about this project for a long time before finally taking the plunge.  My original transmission was in excellent shape, all in all, but because it's an early Getrag 232 with Porsche syncors, age and use had slowly but surely devoured said synchros. While they hadn't gotten any worse during the years I have owed the car, inevitably they were a real downer and prevented me or any other driver from fully appreciating the M10 motor.

So I sent the transmission off the Jim Rowe and the crew at Metric Mechanic for a rebuild. Their work didn't come cheap, but then you get what you pay for in cars as well as in life.

Yestersday the unit arrived back at my house courtesy of UPS.  I opened the box and discovered a work of art that belongs, surely, in the Seattle Art Museum as a stand-alone object to venerate with reverence.


 The transmission looks too pretty to unwrap.

When I sent the gearbox I included the selector rod, because the holes in the fork were worn and I wondered if Metric Mechanic could do anything about this issue, which caused play in the shifter.  They refreshed the rod and now I can't wait to get it back in the car and see how she shifts.


 I really had no idea when I shipped the selector rod that they would be able to perform such delicate surgery.

Now I have only to wait until the proper time for reinstalling the transmission.