Withdrawal
Raise the car.
Remove the front and rear mufflers. Remove heat shield (see section «Removal and installation of system of release of the fulfilled gases»).
If available, rib to unscrew it from the bottom.
On vehicles equipped with catalytic converters: Unscrew the connector post. Remove the catalytic converter heat shield.
Using tool BMW 261040, loosen the threaded ring a few turns. If this tool is not available, loosen the threaded ring with a pipe wrench.
On vehicles with automatic transmission: support the gearbox with a jack. Unscrew the box hanger.
Unbolt driveshaft from gearbox.
Vehicles with vibration damper (325i): Remove the vibration damper from the gearbox. Rotate the vibration damper by 60°and attach it to the rubber sleeve. The vibration damper is removed together with the cardan shaft.
Remove the driveshaft from the rear axle reduction gear. In doing so, block the shaft with a pry bar.
Remove the middle support.
Swing the cardan shaft downwards and pull it out of the dowel pin in the gearbox. If necessary, push the shaft completely into the movable joint.
Attention: Do not lay the propeller shaft on the connecting wire with the fuel tank.
Installation
In the presence of vibrations and noises, the cardan shaft must be balanced in the workshop. In addition, you can check the angle of inflection of the cardan shaft.
Attention: The cardan shaft is balanced as a set and can only be replaced as an assembly. Replace worn cardan shafts.
Before installing, check the centering disk of the cardan shaft, if necessary, lubricate the disk with Molykore Longtherm 2.
Together with an assistant, push the propeller shaft into the centering pin of the gearbox.
Screw on the center support with a tightening torque of 22 Nm. In this case, shift the middle support with an interference fit E = 2-4 mm in the direction of travel.
Screw driveshaft to rear axle reduction gear. If possible, only the nuts or only the bolts on the flange side should be turned to avoid overtightening of the cardan shaft. Install new self-locking nuts with a tightening torque of 70 Nm.
On vehicles with vibration damper: Insert vibration damper by 60°.
Screw propshaft to gearbox with new self-locking nuts to 70 Nm. If possible, only the nuts or only the bolts on the flange side should be turned to avoid overtightening of the cardan shaft. Block the cardan shaft from turning with a pry bar.
On vehicles with automatic transmission: screw on the gearbox suspension.
Tighten threaded ring (arrow) moment 16-24 nm. If there is no special tool, tighten with a pipe wrench.
On vehicles with a catalytic converter: The catalytic converter heat shield is screwed on. Screw on lambda probe connector bracket.
If available, screw the rib to the bottom.
Install heat shield and exhaust system.
Lower the car.