Do-It-Yourself information for the modifications I've completed
Do-It-Yourself information for essential wear and tear items
Articles covering all the ways to maintain your car
All about the BMW 330ci
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UUC Transmission Mount Install
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Why upgrade your transmission mounts.
The OEM transmission mounts have a significant ammount of movement in them. This means that when you are shifting under load, shifting isn't very precise. Stiffer mounts allow for better precise shifting, which for any enthusiast is a good thing to have.
Difficulty
This is not really a difficult job and merely involves loosening and tightening a few bolts. It is a little bit harder than changing your oil.
Parts Needed
UUC Black Transmission Mounts w/ Transmission Mount Enforcers $70 (This will come with everything you need in order to complete the installation)
Tools Needed
Floor Jack (For supporting the transmission)
Jack Stands (If you are not using a lift)
Micro Torque Wrench (It needs to be able to do 15 ft-lbs accuratley)
13mm sockets and wrenches
Instructions
Safely lift the car
1. Using a lift or a floor jack with jackstands lift the car. Instructions for jacking up your car can be found here. This can be a very dangerous step, so make sure that the car is properly secured before ever getting under it. Never get under a car that is just supported by a jack!
Support the transmission
Cross brace removed
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Support the transmission and remove the cross brace
2 . Place a floor jack or equivalent underneath the transmission. I'd suggest right before the fill plug.
3. Loosen the two 13mm nuts on top of the transmission mounts with a wrench and remove the bolts
4. Slightly lift the transmission with the floor jack and ensure that it is properly supported.
5. Remove the four bolts on the transmission cross brace and drop it down. You don't need to remove anything to remove the bolts, the heat sheild will bend out of the way. |
Reinstall transmission cross brace
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Reinstall the transmission cross brace
6. Put the cross brace back and ensure that it is pushed as far towards the front of the car as it will go.
7. Reattach the four 13mm bolts to the frame to secure the cross brace. Tighten the bolts to 16 ft-lbs. DO NOT OVERTIGHTEN or you will get excess vibration in the cabin and noise.
8. Start the nuts on the top of the transmission mounts down, but do not tighten them yet.
9. Lower the floor jack to let the cross brace support the weight of the transmission.
10. Lower your car and take it for a trip around the block. This will allow the transmission to settle properly on the mounts, and will not introduce any pre-load on the bushings (which makes for more cabin noise).
11. Lift the car back up and tighten the nuts on the top of the transmission until they are a little past hand tight. |
Review and Conclusions
After completing the install I can definitly say that this definitly helps how the car shifts. It is much more crisp and gives you more confidence when shifting under load. For the cheap expense, I highly reccomend this modification, and I actually think it should be considered a wear and tear item to replace. Trust me and do this simple and easy modification.
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