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Hi Guys,
I’m wondering if it’s possible to install the breather hose on the Transmission valve to catch any overflow whilst the transmission is still in the car? I know its a tight squeeze up there but is it really necessary to drop it to get access?
Mark
You should be able to install with the transmission still in the car. If you have a hard time reaching the vent, you could always lower the rear of the transmission to get better access. Start by loosening your motor mounts to allow the engine/trans assembly to pivot in the front, support your transmission with a jack, take loose the transmission mounts then lower with a jack. The driveshaft will likely limit how far the transmission will move, but pay attention to your shift linkage and make sure it is not supporting the weight of your trans. Super glue on a clean transmission vent and a hose clamp works well for a secure connection.
Yeah, even with the engine tilted, it still isn’t easy. I would suggest getting some hand tighten cheapo clamps from auto zone or similar, so you don’t need a drive to tighten the hose once you get it on there. Saved me from more frustration. Unless you have man beast arms you should be able to find a place to fit your arm up the side of the trans tunnel.
I would honestly suggest (I know weird) taping something to your arm (towel or what not) as I ended up rubbing my arm raw from reaching up there about 300 times.
Lift the engine up a couple inches, pull the motor mounts off, then drop the engine back down. Then undo the support bar that holds the tranny mounts. That should get you 3" of space to work with. http://www.harborfreight.com/1000-lb-capacity-engine-support-bar-96524.html
The problem with putting a vent hose on the tranny is not the limited space to work in, it’s the short length of the tube. If you don’t get the hose clamp perfectly placed, when the clamp is tightened down it moves up a mm or two then pops off. You have to hold the clamp down so it can’t rise up, then tighten it. BMW hose clamps work well because they’re thinner than autoparts store hose clamps.
I have only a 50% success ratio at what you’re trying to do. The 2nd time I tried, I failed. The clamp just would not stay on for money or love. If you hit this link and look towards the bottom of the page, you’ll see what eventually worked really well, but it might not be do-able with the tranny in place. http://spece30.com/forum/31-southeast/66461-engine-swap-lyawng-and-data-logger-hp?limit=10&start=10#66617
[quote=“Ranger” post=72176]Lift the engine up a couple inches, pull the motor mounts off, then drop the engine back down. Then undo the support bar that holds the tranny mounts. That should get you 3" of space to work with. http://www.harborfreight.com/1000-lb-capacity-engine-support-bar-96524.html
The problem with putting a vent hose on the tranny is not the limited space to work in, it’s the short length of the tube. If you don’t get the hose clamp perfectly placed, when the clamp is tightened down it moves up a mm or two then pops off. You have to hold the clamp down so it can’t rise up, then tighten it. BMW hose clamps work well because they’re thinner than autoparts store hose clamps.
I have only a 50% success ratio at what you’re trying to do. The 2nd time I tried, I failed. The clamp just would not stay on for money or love. If you hit this link and look towards the bottom of the page, you’ll see what eventually worked really well, but it might not be do-able with the tranny in place. http://spece30.com/forum/31-southeast/66461-engine-swap-lyawng-and-data-logger-hp?limit=10&start=10#66617[/quote]
Thanks alot for this info. Im soon to tackle this issue and hope to do it once, and once only!
Did you know what size the hose needs to be to slip onto the standard breather on the gearbox?
The length i will decide and i will fit the catch can within the engine bay
Maybe I just have “fat hands” but the Ranger dropping-the-engine-tranny didn’t work for me, when trying to attach the hose.
It was a little drastic, but I ended up cutting a U-shaped hole (about 5x5) in the tunnel above the gas pedal, temporarily folding the metal back, so I could get in and attach the hose, then bending the metal back in place and sealing with AC ducting tape (sticky, metal-backed tape. Stayed in place for 2+ years with no issues (both the hose and the tape)
I went over to Autozone and the local Ace hsrdware and bought a bunch of plastic PCV and vacuum fittings. Then tested and ground a few until I got one that would reliably fit and stay down inside the transmission breather tube. The slight crimp at the top of the tube (you have to remove the plastic cap) along with the barbs on the fittings makes for a relatively snug fit. I ended up with an elbow instead of one of the tees with a port blocked off. Took me a couple of hours to arrive at the right fitting size and a little bench grinding to actually get it to stuff into the breather tube. Then just clamp your vinyl tubing to the other end of the fitting and voila. Jacking the transmission back into place ( I agree with Ranger, remove the engine mounts and drop the motor for working space) further locks the fitting into place.
[quote=“ctbimmer” post=73295]Maybe I just have “fat hands” but the Ranger dropping-the-engine-tranny didn’t work for me, when trying to attach the hose.
It was a little drastic, but I ended up cutting a U-shaped hole (about 5x5) in the tunnel above the gas pedal, temporarily folding the metal back, so I could get in and attach the hose, then bending the metal back in place and sealing with AC ducting tape (sticky, metal-backed tape. Stayed in place for 2+ years with no issues (both the hose and the tape)[/quote]
I did this as well with not so elegant aesthetic results, but it worked great.
For those folks that did the trans tunnel surgery do you have any pics? Considering which way I want to go here with a hose install. No man beast arms but big hands making me wonder if the tranny drop will work for me. Thanks!
Sorry, no pix because that was on my dearly-departed 401 (gone to crusher while I build a replacement), but basically I used other reference marks like the rubber plugs (water drains?) atop the tunnel to get my coordinates inside the car to align with the location of the vent cap in the tunnel. Once I knew where the cap was, I used an air-powered cutoff wheel to make a 3-sides cut. Long side to the front (vertical) of the target area about 5-6" high maybe, then rearward from there top and bottom horizontal cuts maybe 4" wide. I basically centered the opening over the vent.
The metal is actually very malleable, and I was able to fold it back almost like opening a door, so that I could reach through and do the attachment.
When done, I bent the metal back into roughly the original place with bare hands, then used silver AC duct tape (strong and sticky) to seal up the entire area over the cuts. It works out that the “door” is just above my feet (but I have relatively small feet) so it never suffered any direct stress. I had it that way for about 2 years and never had a problem with the tape coming loose.
I like Chuck’s tran tunnel idea. Just remove as little material as you can so the strength of the trans tunnel is retained. Cutting a hole to get to the tranny fill plug is another good idea.
I also like the idea of using a plastic elbow in the vent vs. my tap and brass elbow. I bet that with a couple threaded plastic elbows of different size, you could find one that would screw right in. Once you found the right size, slather on some goobage (to improve the seal) and thread it in.
Ended up relying on a local independent BMW shop with a lift and the owner and another mechanic with small hands. Re-purposed part of an e46 soft blue fuel line for the breather hose with a little bit of grinding on the end inserted into the vent stack, a short piece of larger ID hose as a sleeve over the vent stack and the line, and the other locking end of the fuel line with a connector into a plastic catch bottle I had set up in the engine bay.
After watching the process, glad I decided to go this way rather than on my back under the jack stands. All sorts of admiration for those that have done it that way. Turns out my back also wasn’t up to hanging over the Nascar bars or contortions in the interior to get in position for cutting on the tranny tunnel. Did a few test leans/contortions and the body said nope.