[Phil325i]

Thanks for the pics Jamie. The 'Lifetime Fill' diff lubricant was clearly doing it's job (not)!

[Casca]

This site is pretty useful. Was wondering if doing 3.64 vrs. 3.73 woulda been better, but it would seem there is more difference using 19" wheels compared to 18's. Not sure if all the gear points and redline are correct, but the 3.23 final drive with 19/265/30 wheels "given speed/rpm" matches up to my real world experience fairly well.

Looks like I shift from 1st to 2nd @:

16.5mph with 3.23
14.6mph with 3.64
14.3mph with 3.73



3000RPM in 6th:

84.1mph with 3.23
74.6mph with 3.64
72.8mph with 3.73

I'll be 3300rpm doing 80mph with my wheels and the 3.72 final drive vrs. 2900rpm with 3.23.

Not really that bad, but I usually like staying in 5th on the highway a lot of the times anyway and I don't really do that much highway driving. For long trips, I take my other car.


http://368s.com/tools/rpm

[Casca]

Was hoping this would fit, but it does not fit the small pumpkins. The "gasket" is for the small pumpkin, which is what I have. It's a differential cover for 545/645 and up. I am positive it fits the larger pumpkins for e9x's since there was a vendor selling them here as such. It cost me $106 +$11 shipping.

[Casca]

Just installed the autmatic's 3.73 final drive differential on my manual transmission car, along with some other stuff



Had problems pressing in the M3 bushings and I know they are not lined up correctly and not really sure it matters, but it is what it is.

I have a 325i and recently did the 3-stage intake with tune. I noticed some difference after the tune, the car does seem to pick up faster and I am not really pressing down on the gas pedal as much. Hopefully that is not just because of the throttle getting adjusted to do more with less input. Anyway, I noticed improvement on the car getting up to speed, but it wasn't really that big of a difference when you consider the cost to get the manifold, adjusters and tune.

After the diff swap, I have driven it maybe 1 mile and only up to third gear because the roads in the area is just too short to really get up to speed. Plus the rear-ends alignment is most diffinently way out of whack. It's a completely different car. The imrovement on acceleration was like a punch to the face....very noticeable off the bat. This is the differential gear ratio the car should have had from the factory. I don't think the gear ratio on the swap I just did is short at all. Shifting is great and first still feels fine and is very useful. I think the gear ratio I use to have was too tall.

Still need to do the whole front suspension before I get an alignment and can really drive the car again, but I am thinking doing this has given my car much better acceleration than the 3-stage intake/tune has and the diff swap was less than $350.

[Xpander]

Nice!

This swap is on my list of mods. I have a feeling it beats any tunes on our manual trannies.

But looking at the pic, it seems like a big job so I may just pay someone to do it.

[andrey_gta]

Originally Posted by Casca

Was hoping this would fit, but it does not fit the small pumpkins. The "gasket" is for the small pumpkin, which is what I have. It's a differential cover for 545/645 and up. I am positive it fits the larger pumpkins for e9x's since there was a vendor selling them here as such. It cost me $106 +$11 shipping.

Qualife has a diff cover for us. See birds uk BMW tuner webpage. Granted it's more than the 545i cover.

What 5 series generation is this? E60?

I wonder if the 545i in auto had a slimmer cover. The hunt begins

[andrey_gta]

Tht was easy
Went to the 135 diff topic saw their 645 link and noticed that diff type on real oem had K on the end vs L of 135i

The 128i has L too buy diff type is 188L. So 188K should be finned. And it is. But it's e46 and will need some retro fit for the left side

See thread http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=953051" rel="" target="_blank">http://<a href="http://forum.e46fana...p?t=953051</a>" rel="" target="_blank">http://<a href="http://<a href="http...953051</a></a>


Guess what else is 188 type cover

This e30 /z3m beauty, probably the easiest to modify for e9x e8x
http://www.turnermotorsport.com/p-10...30-m3-325.aspx" rel="" target="_blank">http://<a href="http://www.turnermot...3-325.aspx</a>

Edit
No need be custom, Quaife is here
http://www.schmiedmann.co.uk/en/prod...product=QUAFDC

[Casca]

Originally Posted by andrey_gta

Tht was easy
Edit
No need be custom, Quaife is here
http://www.schmiedmann.co.uk/en/prod...product=QUAFDC

Hmm, was going to say that looks exactly like the cover I have that doesn't fit the small pumpkin, but it's not. Looks like an OEM part though, not custom. Now to find the OEM part-number to buy it at a "stealership" where they didn't mark-up the price by 300+%.


edit: Found it! P/N=33117516280 e60 525i/530i 2002-2004 (and 01/2005). Checked 02/2005 and it went to a cover with no fins. I had checked the 530i's too when I initially looked for this cover, but I was looking at the newest iteration for each model.

Ordered it from BMWmercedasparts for $106

[Casca]

Originally Posted by Xpander

Nice!

This swap is on my list of mods. I have a feeling it beats any tunes on our manual trannies.

But looking at the pic, it seems like a big job so I may just pay someone to do it.

I did a whole lot more than change out the differential/pumpkin. That part is actually really easy. Just 4 bolts to disconnect the drive shaft, 12 bolts to dissconnect the half shafts, support the diff, remove 3 mounting bolts and it comes off.


Edit: to clarify, this was a direct fit. My original drive shaft and half shaft fit perfectly and the pumpkin mounted like normal tofhe subframe. No modifications needed. The differences between the pumpkins are internal.

[andrey_gta]

Originally Posted by Casca

Hmm, was going to say that looks exactly like the cover I have that doesn't fit the small pumpkin, but it's not. Looks like an OEM part though, not custom. Now to find the OEM part-number to buy it at a "stealership" where they didn't mark-up the price by 300+%.


edit: Found it! P/N=33117516280 e60 525i/530i 2002-2004 (and 01/2005). Checked 02/2005 and it went to a cover with no fins. I had checked the 530i's too when I initially looked for this cover, but I was looking at the newest iteration for each model.

Ordered it from BMWmercedasparts for $106

You beat me at my own game. Kudos

I guess the logic of the e46 188k style applies
Its odd that Quife & Birds claimed they developed that cover in my link. not cool

Question for you, since the finned comes on auto e60 3.46 diff - 33107516882
Can one swap internal parts to make their e9x e8x pumpkin the same ratio?

[Casca]

Originally Posted by andrey_gta

You beat me at my own game. Kudos

I guess the logic of the e46 188k style applies
Its odd that Quife & Birds claimed they developed that cover in my link. not cool

The larger one I already have, there was a company here selling that thing for $499 and acting like they were doing everyone a favour by knocking $100 off and dropping the price to $399. They sold a few. I got it for $106 from a dealership. Yeah, not cool at all.

I have the 188k one on order. No one has it in inventory in the US. Supposedly there is 5 in Germany. One of those is mine now and heading my way. On a boat probably because not expecting for 3 weeks. I'll update if it actually fits.

Quife & Birds picture of it shows a bolt and very thick washer(?). Maybe that is what they developed? Not sure what it's for, but will probably be obvious once I try to install.

Question for you, since the finned comes on auto e60 3.46 diff - 33107516882
Can one swap internal parts to make their e9x e8x pumpkin the same ratio?

I would assume you can, not really knowledgeable on that. But probably easier to just get the whole pumpkin and work on making the driveshaft fit it.

[Casca]

Got the new cover in. Holes line up perfectly with the gasket for the smaller e90 pumpkin on my car. And the subframe mount looks like it lines up perfectly too as far as I can tell.

[smellthebeans]

Did that finned cover mount up?

[PORTMOODY]

I have 323i and I have had a bearing type noise coming from the diff for almost a year. I can't tell if its always been the same or getting worse. I had a mechanic look at the diff oil and he didn't see any metal in it and said it was clean. Anyone else have issues with their diff and to the OP did you have a similar sound?