Flywheel (faceplate) — removal and installation (BMW 3 Series E46)

Note: To install the flywheel (faceplate) in place, you will need new bolts and thread locking compound.

Removal

1. Remove the transmission as described in chapter 7D (manual transmission) or in chapter 7B (automatic transmission).

2. On models with a manual transmission, remove the clutch assembly from the flywheel (see chapter 6).

3. To unscrew the flywheel (faceplate) mounting bolts, the crankshaft must be locked from turning. To do this, you can screw on a toothed device with a bolt, hooking it onto the flywheel toothed ring. The bolt can be screwed into one of the transmission-to-engine mounting holes (Fig. 15.3).



4. Gradually loosen and unscrew the flywheel (faceplate) mounting bolts. Note: the flywheel (faceplate) is mounted on a pin. Remove the flywheel (faceplate) from the shaft.

Warning! The flywheel/faceplate is heavy. Don't drop it on your foot.

5. Remove the spacer between the transmission and the engine (if there is one).

Installation

6. Install a spacer between the engine and transmission (if it was there before the dismantling) onto the engine pins (Fig. 15.6).



7. Place the flywheel (faceplate) on the crankshaft tail so that the shaft pin fits into the flywheel hole. On a thickened flywheel, the position of the hole for the pin is marked with one or two notches (Fig. 15.7).





8. On a 6-cylinder engine, inspect the threads of the new flywheel mounting bolts (faceplate). If the bolt threads are not coated with a compound to prevent unscrewing, coat them with this compound yourself, then screw in the bolts (Fig. 15.8). On a 4-cylinder engine, the bolts do not need to be coated with this compound.



9. Tighten the bolts gradually in a diagonal sequence to the specified torque. Hold the crankshaft from turning by turning over the device used to loosen the bolts.

10. Install the clutch assembly onto the flywheel (see chapter 6).

11. Install the transmission onto the engine as shown in chapter 7A (manual transmission) or in chapter 7B (automatic transmission).