Correction: remove exhaust from the header back- (archive)

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First, make sure the car is high enough in the air to remove the trans from under the car, a lift is ideal, but not always available. Follow proper jacking and stabilizing procedures. Disconnect your battery! Remove the gear shift knob and shift boot (while you are clean), remove the exhaust system from the cat back, remove the drive shaft, and drop the sway bar down by removing mounts (you can leave the links attached). Remove the mount that holds the gear shift mechanism to the chassis (a single 13mm nut). Now you can get to work! Bust out your Snap-On E-10 & E-12 SWIVEL Torx sockets. Although spendy, these sockets save your life! And, you'll have them forever. You'll also need about 2+ feet of extension. And, don't just piece together a bunch of extensions, they will just bend all over and get sloppy. Get a couple of long 3/8" or 1/2" extensions (a 16" and A 12"). Get a good drop light if you don't have one. OK, you�re ready. Remove the flywheel speed sensors, drop the rear tranny mount, start removing trans engine mounting bolts, but leave two in, preferably on the sides, until you get the top bolt out, top bolt is an E-12 (top bolt is hard to see, but it�s there @ 12 O�clock). When it comes time to get at that top bolt, jack the front of the engine up slightly, being careful not to crush anything (also, put a piece of wood between the jack and oil pan when you jack), and shine your light up there. You�ll see it if you look really hard. So, once all the trans to engine bolt are out, simply pull straight back, BUT be aware, this tranny ain�t light! EXTACT! Remove pressure plate and flywheel.

Replace rear engine main seal, trans rear seal & trans shift select rod seal with Viton seals. Viton are the best seals you can get, I got mine from Metric Mechanic.

Replace pilot bearing. Rent a puller if you don�t have one, this is tricky without the proper tool.

Replace (with new) your flywheel bolts and clutch pressure plate bolts! The flywheel bolts are stretch bolts and only good for one stretch. Pressure plate bolts are grade 8.8, factory suggests you should replace with grade 10.

When reinstalling your flywheel, be sure to follow the Bentley bolt tightening procedure. And, use your torque wrench!

When reinstalling the pressure plate, be sure to only tighten the bolts down a half turn at a time and in the same sequence suggested for the flywheel (tightening opposites). This will avoid moving the clutch disk around (out of alignment) and a jerky new clutch.

I also put a new E36 M3 shift lever in (a short shifter for our cars). Feels good, $48. but, you�ll have to bend it slightly to match your stock lever (This is so neutral is in the same place as it�s always been).

-Lightened flywheel
-Lightened clutch disk
-Lightened pressure plate
-Flywheel bolts
-Pressure plate bolts
-Clutch release fork
-Pivot pin
-Throw out bearing
-Pilot bearing
-Rear engine main seal
-Front trans seal, but I probably won't replace due to the fact that Jim says it's probably fine. He also says that the journal where the seal sits is self-draining (back into the tranny). Also, he says this seal is shimmed in under pressure.
-Rear trans seal
-Shift selector rod seal (on trans)
-Exhaust flange gaskets
-Transmission mounts

-Clutch master
-Clutch slave
-Clutch soft line
-Guibo
-Center bearing
-Rebuilt drive shaft w/ replaceable U-joints
-Short shift kit
-Exhaust hangers (doughnuts)

Any suggestions hints do or don't do this on changing a tranny and clutch? I've read the manual a few times and hope to change it this weekend.

Also I will be changing from a 280 to a rebuilt 265.. any hints that are particular to this?

Do I need to have Torx Sockets to take the tranny out? If so where can I purchase those?

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