5HP18 (A5S310Z) strip down

[whiskychaser]

I've just moved house. Still dont have a garage but I've got a shed! I've kept my old tranny because I wanted to take it apart and find out what failed. I dont have the valve body manual but you can drop that without taking the tranny out anyway. I do have the workshop manual from ZF but it doesnt cover the VB. This may not be of interest to guys in the US as I think this tranny was only fitted to the 530 and M3. I dont want to bore everybody with another auto tranny thread but if anybody is interested I will make notes and take pics

[Ross]

I'm always interested in a post mortem diagnosis. Haven't broken anything for a while myself. (knocks on head)

[whiskychaser]

BMW forgot to tell me they were closed for stock-taking today so I couldnt get the microfilter. Finished dismantling the tranny instead. Hadnt found anything wrong so far and the 3 machine screws that hold in the D/G clutches were proving akward. Once out all was clear - the spring ring in the D/G had disintegrated and 'shaved' the castellations off the top of the F clutch. Chunks were also embedded in between the clutch plates. Plates in the F clutch seemed a bit loose apart from that the tranny is fine....

[e34.535i.sport]

Wow that looks scary! Was it still working when you took it out, or totally daffied?

[whiskychaser]

Wow that looks scary! Was it still working when you took it out, or totally daffied?

Car would move but thats about it. All the clutch packs fit in a line like a tube of rolos. You just take the valve body off from underneath (only the screws with the larger head or it falls into bits). Then undo the bolts inside the bell housing and they all pull out. The back end just bolts on.
I'd say it would be an easy job to refurb with the big BUT that you have to get the clearances bang on for each clutch pack or I think you may end up with a picture like mine

[632 Regal]

if I was younger and saw that example I would say neutral slam... yuk what a mess.

[genphreak]

Nice... real interested in this. Are you going to rebuld her? A kit is not very much, but (I hear) the procedure is well documented in the manual. Have you read Bill Rs famous dissection of the 4HP22EH?

This is of interest to anyone outside the US as the GM trannies were not used in euro cars so much. 5HP18s are very common in the euro 525, 530 and 540s in Europe, Japan and Australia.

I've never even seen a GM tranny here in Oz.

and I wish I could find one, I have a filter kit for one I need to offload...

What we really need is a decent how-to to go with the ZF manual, so people would be encouraged to rebuild these trannys instead of scrapping the car... the trannys mst be a decent project for any shade-tree mechanic that with med-good ability. (which is why I haven't done one yet )

[whiskychaser]

Nice... real interested in this. Are you going to rebuld her? A kit is not very much, but (I hear) the procedure is well documented in the manual. Have you read Bill Rs famous dissection of the 4HP22EH?

This is of interest to anyone outside the US as the GM trannies were not used in euro cars so much. 5HP18s are very common in the euro 525, 530 and 540s in Europe, Japan and Australia.

I've never even seen a GM tranny here in Oz.

and I wish I could find one, I have a filter kit for one I need to offload...

What we really need is a decent how-to to go with the ZF manual, so people would be encouraged to rebuild these trannys instead of scrapping the car... the trannys mst be a decent project for any shade-tree mechanic that with med-good ability. (which is why I haven't done one yet )

I dont plan to rebuild it - I just wanted to find out what happened to it. That may change if the one thats in now (my second change!) gives up on me. The ZF manual is good but there is a seperate one for all the 5HP valve bodies and thats serious money. Tool wise you could probably get away with some sort of press and a dial gauge for the clutch packs though the manual lists a lot more. Will post some more pics and a fuller description of the disassembly if anyone is interested

[genphreak]

I dont plan to rebuild it - I just wanted to find out what happened to it. That may change if the one thats in now (my second change!) gives up on me. The ZF manual is good but there is a seperate one for all the 5HP valve bodies and thats serious money. Tool wise you could probably get away with some sort of press and a dial gauge for the clutch packs though the manual lists a lot more. Will post some more pics and a fuller description of the disassembly if anyone is interested

<subscribed>

I udnerstand that the main problem on high mileage/old ZFs is that the valve body gets fouled, making it feel really sloppy.

Once removed, compressed air through some parts of the valve body can blow out deposits and allow the box to change like new- going from a slushbox in slothmode to 'sweet'n'smooth' powerhouse again.

Would be good if someone with a rebuild manual could post it somewhere so we can all have a read. I've got a 4HP22EH to do soon, would like to know what to do with it valve bodywise at least. I know the A-clutches and shaft bushes will need to be replaced, but have no idea what to do witht the valve body.

[whiskychaser]

You can get hold of a valve body kit like this for the 5HP18:
http://www.tsgparts.net/index.php?p=...d=94&parent=39
So I imagine you can get one for the 4HP22 too.
The 5HP18 manual is on cd but I wouldnt have an idea where/how to post it