Transmission bracket

[rrrs]

Was bleeding my clutch slave yesterday in unsuccessful attempt to restore acceptable clutch height (at the moment clutch engages just couple of cm from the floor making shifting pretty hard); will try adjusting eccentric bolt next....
When under the car I discovered something that made me really worried; my transmission bracket is broken off; see the photo.
I can see that broken section is totally misaligned with the rest; meaning it had to move or bend...
I can see some light marks on floor-pan as something slid in that area, but really not clear what could make it bend that much?!
I am sure this was like that when i bought the car few months back, just never noticed it.
Any suggestion on how to fix this; really have no idea how to straighten the floor pan and make that mounting rail align back.
I checked on the inside and could not notice any significant bump in floor pan around paddle area which is exactly on top of this.

As well, if someone has of this bracket extra to sell, please let me know.

Thanks, Robert

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[bpoliakoff]

Looks like you will have to get above where it is bent up and put a block of wood on the floor board and pound it down. It doesn't appear to be bent that bad so you shouldn't have to beat on it that hard or much. Or if you know someone with a large slide hammer you can probably pull it down with that . Either find someone parting a car for a bracket or a new one is about $40 at the dealer
Someone must have bottomed out the car and just drove the trans up to break the mount like that

[brickwhite]

What transmission is it? 260 or 265?

-260 23711128517 https://www.ecstuning.com/b-genuine-bmw ... 711128517/
$226 wow

-265 23711175731 https://www.ecstuning.com/b-genuine-bmw ... 711175731/
$186

Both cross members are getting pricey these days from the dealer.

[rrrs]

It is 265; will try to post in "parts wanted" and also look around e-bay.
Anyway, will first need to try and "bang-back" the floor pan; it is unfortunately pretty much exactly under the gas paddle, so might need to disassemble some stuff on the interior.

[bpoliakoff]

Something not right right here. I just looked at realoem again. Put in an 85 car and chose that as a midyear on the E28 chassis cars. It shows a trans cross member for $40 Part 23711175732. I am pretty sure I know how to use realoem. Maybe realoem has mistakenly used BMW's parts info??? So I think a question here is , and I couldn't tell, is whether or not that bracket is a stamped or alloy bracket?

This is very weird I just went back into realoem and double checked it and input this part number and it now shows up to an 84 car. I then tried to plug in an 86 car and it wont show a part so then as far as realoem goes, the question now becomes will the 84 bracket interchange??

[rrrs]

It is defenitely the second one, 265 23711175731 part that ison my car; aluminum cast with one bolt.
Is this same bracket found on some other models (maybe 5 series)?
Should make itsier to find used than if it is only E24 specific.

[hornhospital]

Why not fix the bracket you have? Any competent weldor with a TIG machine could stitch that back together.

[Brucey]

FWIW I don't think the floor of the car is badly bent, mainly it is the 'rail' that the gearbox mounts onto that appears to be deformed. I'd suggest driving something rectangular along the slot lengthwise (there is an opening at one end). You might well find that some hammering is needed from inside the car; IIRC the bracket is made from thicker steel than the car floorpan is, so guess which is going to bend first.

The gearbox crossmember is easy to replace; you might find a used bracket. Repair is also possible of course.

cheers

[bpoliakoff]

FWIW I don't think the floor of the car is badly bent, mainly it is the 'rail' that the gearbox mounts onto that appears to be deformed. I'd suggest driving something rectangular along the slot lengthwise (there is an opening at one end). You might well find that some hammering is needed from inside the car; IIRC the bracket is made from thicker steel than the car floorpan is, so guess which is going to bend first.The gearbox crossmember is easy to replace; you might find a used bracket. Repair is also possible of course.cheers

It looks to me that Brucey is of the same opinionI have and that the bracket is a steel stamping.And If I am understanding him correctly, than this is the bracket that is cheap at the dealer or as Ken, Horn hospital, said, get it welded.

[Brucey]

actually I'm pretty sure that particular crossmember is cast aluminium. It ought to be weldable though.

cheers

[bpoliakoff]

actually I'm pretty sure that particular crossmember is cast aluminium. It ought to be weldable though.cheers

Agree But will take a very competent welder at that point and might as well start looking for a used one unless a good welding shop is accessible

[rrrs]

Thanks for the suggestions, I will first try finding a used replacement (seems this bracket was used on all cars with M30/G265 combination).
If not, will try welding; there is a good aluminum welder I know in the area.
It is definitely cast aluminum, not steel.

Now, I was going to try and bang the floor/rail back in place last weekend, but run in unexpected problem that i could not find the good way how to fold the carpet away in order to reach the floor where I could put a piece of wood and bang it down.
Looked to me that short of dismounting center console and/or taking off door seal trim, driver seat and maybe some more there is no way to ch under the molded carpet...
Would there be an easier way to reach in there, and, if not, would it make sense to make a simple construction to actually "press" the floor back in place?
Do no see that banging trough the carpet will work; there is just too much insulation that will absorb all the force.
I was thinking of placing a strong piece of wood below the car supported at front jacking point and then place the second piece through the driver door, tying the two into "scissor" configuration so I could then use the car jack on the outside of the car to press the floor down.....not sure though if I will be able to get enough force here.
Was also looking at how I could "grab" the rail from below and pull or bang it in place but am afraid that using the slot might just locally distort the rail instead of pulling it all in place.
There is about 1/2 inch misalignment (photo might not show this perfectly) plus there is an angle miss-match as if the rail is "rolled" to the side.

[Brucey]

in many parts of the footwell there is about 1" of foam beneath the carpet. This means that you need to remove the carpet to get at the inside of the floor.

Yes you need to dismantle the centre console and/or remove the front seat(s) to access the right part of the floor.

cheers

[rrrs]

OK, so will go ahead and remove the carpet; is there maybe somewhere some good step-by-step instruction posted that could save me time when doing this next weekend; it is my first E24 (actually first BMW), so not yet familiar how the interior comes apart the right way.

After another check it really seems the area is bent quite badly; see photo showing misalignment looking from the side.
Really hard to understand what could cause deformation like this as this area is already quite high off the ground; it is actually higher than transmission and there are lower things in front which would get damaged before floor-pan could get hit in here!?

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[bpoliakoff]

Other way if you have some spare change is go to a collision shop with a frame machine and they will pull it and get everything dead square. Odds are they will be able to attach to the area with one of their jigs from the underside and pull it to where it should be and line it up with lasers

[rrrs]

OK, so I found instructions and replaced the whole center console, radio, etc. to find out that carpet is not split trough the middle in the front, so, seems also the blower assembly will have to come out.
Also, not really sure how to take out throttle pedal that is poking trough the carpet....
Could someone please help with advice of things that I REALLY NEED to take apart in order to remove (or at least curl-up) the carpet and insulation in order to come to the floor pan and be able to bang it back in place.
Seems I already took good portion of interior apart...just want to make sure I do not take apart more than is really necessary.

[bpoliakoff]

Throttle pedal slips under a "bracket that sticks up through the carpet from the floor board. It simply pulls out towards the rear of the car. The top of the pedal slips over the accelerator arm. It's a no brainer. If the console covers the carpet, slit it no one will see it. I have an early car so I am not sure how the later cars go together. Mine is covered and I had my carpet made in 2 pieces for ease of installation and fit and it is totally covered by the console.