Getrag 280 is extremely strong..... (archive)

That's not exactly true, Neil. From discussions with Jim Blanton and Metric Mechanic (no longer affiliated), the Getrag 280 is a seriously strong transmission. The problem comes from the use of aluminum shift forks and poorly designed synchros. Jim Blanton is the authority on Getrags. He replaces the synchros and forks with Silicon Bronze units, which are much more wear resistant. Once rebuilt, he recommends Red Line MTL or MT-90 tranny oil.

The 260/5 was the weak link in the US 533i. BMW used the Getrag 265/6 in the 1985 535i (with an extra 35lb-ft over the 84 533i) until Getrag redesigned the 260/5 to the 260/6. The only transmissions that will handle the torque of the M5 are the 265, 280, and the ZF 6-speed from the 3.8L Euro E34 M5. The 265 can't handle much more than a modified E28 M5 engine, though. Your best bet is to go with the 280 or ZF 6-speed ($$$).

JamesM

Floyd:

The simple and unfortunate fact is that trannies on this car are marginal and already overloaded. Even with the bulkhead in the center the tranny is simply not strong enough.

I baby the II shift 100% EACH time to avoid the rebuild.

Neil Deshpande
http://www.neilwerke.com

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http://www.metricmechanic.com/pg56.htm

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Re: Getrag 280 is extremely strong..... Neil Deshpande 00:20 12/24/2001 (0)

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