E46 B3 Saloon 2002 Torque Converter and Steering Wheel Judder

[Charles]

The TC needs refurbishing and I would get the valve chest done at the same time.

As for the steering wheel rattle, check all the front suspension bushes, particularly the trailing arm bush which wears regularly. A neat upgrade would be fitting a Z4M RTA bush which sharpens up the steering but will require you to get the front alignment done afterwards as the bush geometry is offset compared to the standard E46 one.

Finally, you might consider replacing the intermediate bush in the steering column. If you do, then consider a solid one which sharpens up the response even more - but probably do this in two stages.

Happy to chat through all of these of it helps - PM me to arrange

[E46330]

The TC needs refurbishing and I would get the valve chest done at the same time.

As for the steering wheel rattle, check all the front suspension bushes, particularly the trailing arm bush which wears regularly. A neat upgrade would be fitting a Z4M RTA bush which sharpens up the steering but will require you to get the front alignment done afterwards as the bush geometry is offset compared to the standard E46 one.

Finally, you might consider replacing the intermediate bush in the steering column. If you do, then consider a solid one which sharpens up the response even more - but probably do this in two stages.

Happy to chat through all of these of it helps - PM me to arrange

Thank you for your time responding to my messages from earlier and apologies it has taken me a while to get back to you. Life has been a little busy.

I have made an appointment with Mackie Transmissions in Glasgow for 2 weeks from now and they are the “only ZF car parts service centre in Scotland” so I’m hoping I shall be in good hands as these cars run an altered ZF 5HP19 box if I’m not mistaken.

Regarding the rattle I’ll have a look under it after I get the box done as it was just off the rails to drive the last time I got in.

I would very much like to know the details of the two upgrades you mentioned to sharpen up the steering. I know my right drivers shock is weeping pretty badly now which I’m going to need to address. I’ve seen previous threads regarding shocks and I’m only willing to stick to OEM Alpina which I believe is your preference too. Would calling BMW or somewhere like FMW-tuning.de/en be a good choice too ?

Thanks again for your time and expertise.

Also another note to add , as I’ve been reading up some old posts about having the TC done , the exhaust needs to be taken off to get the gearbox out I believe is what I’m reading. If that’s the case I was wondering if you knew whether the studs on the exhaust manifold flange can be replaced as one of mine has snapped and when I got the pipe welded the other week the mechanic said it wasn’t causing any leaks. I believe they can be tapped out/unscrewed on a normal E46 and I pray this is not too different on the Alpina.

However , I imagine if the transmission garage are going to need to take it off , then when they put it back together it’s not going to create the same seal as there’s a stud without a nut on.
I’ve attached the old picture of the flange before it had a nice weld put all the way around the pipe on the bottom flange on the side of the broken stud. There was about 4-6mm of travel from the pipe causing the most hideous of noises , like a bag of spanner’s. I believe this was caused by going over a massive speed bump that scraped the centre pipe and caused a weld to go maybe ? I blame Scottish Cul-De-Sacs.

I have sent you a PM too but not sure if they’re coming through as it’s sitting in my Outbox.

Cheers a million

[DogWagen]

From my experience getting my B3s transmission (same as B3) sorted out:

TC slippage or failure to lock up will give codes: P0740, P0741, P2761. The only time I have had the car enter limp mode is with a selector switch failure which would reset by switch off/on.

High Hydraulic pressure sounds like either a solenoid or valve is sticking so as Charles indicates, getting the valve chest/assembly overhauled (or at least bench tested) would make sense. It may get resolved with a fluid and filter change but may not....

The Alpina 5HP19 differences are an upgraded TC and subtle changes to the valve chest and control unit. The TC is not available aftermarket so it's likely that you will need it reconditioned. The casing can warp when it is split and re-welded (which was the root cause of my issues) so I'd suggest that you insist on a new item (which is available via ZF/Sachs)

The exhaust has to be dropped to remove the gearbox and the studs can corrode and be a pig to remove - good news is that they can be replaced.

For suspension dampers/springs, I'd shop around - have a chat with Alloy Wheels Direct, Cotswold Hereford (Ed has sourced Alpina parts for me and offered what discount he can) or FMW

My B3s came from Bearsden, Glasgow and the downpipe had worn through in a couple of places due to traffic calming measures - easily welded though.

Hope that helps,

Mike

[Charles]

@E46330

I've got into the habit whenever my car is up on the ramp for an oil change to get my mechanic to quickly crack open and then retighten the flange bolts on the downpipes. This prevents them seizing up whilst not breaking the flange seal. A quick spray of penetrating fluid makes the job easy next time.

In your case, it would be time/money well spent getting the snapped bolt removed and new ones fitted - I wouldn't use this as an excuse to avoid dropping the exhaust to access the TC/gearbox. In fact, with the gearbox dropped out, one would have really good access to said broken stud!

Mike (Dogwagen) speaks a lot of sense and has very recent experience of this - unlike me who had it refurbished along with fixing a cracked drum in the box about 100k miles ago (5 years in my language!!!)

I have replied to your PM and suggested a phone call might be easier than forum messages - over to you

[Charles]

... so I'd suggest that you insist on a new item (which is available via ZF/Sachs)

Mike - I thought they were NLA from both Buchloe and ZF. Have you found a way around this?

[hashluck]

... so I'd suggest that you insist on a new item (which is available via ZF/Sachs)

Mike - I thought they were NLA from both Buchloe and ZF. Have you found a way around this?

Or did he mean the casing?

[Charles]

... so I'd suggest that you insist on a new item (which is available via ZF/Sachs)

Mike - I thought they were NLA from both Buchloe and ZF. Have you found a way around this?

Or did he mean the casing?

Perhaps? On tenterhooks waiting to hear back from Mike ...

[DogWagen]

... so I'd suggest that you insist on a new item (which is available via ZF/Sachs)

Mike - I thought they were NLA from both Buchloe and ZF. Have you found a way around this?

The TC as a complete unit is no longer available through ZF - I'm told but have not checked that it should be available via Buchloe (if so, it will be costly!!) but the outer casing is available as a spare part - the issue with my TC was that the original casing distorted when it was welded back together such that the friction plates were not meeting squarely, hence the lockup failure. Hope that clarifies...

[E46330]

High Hydraulic pressure sounds like either a solenoid or valve is sticking so as Charles indicates, getting the valve chest/assembly overhauled (or at least bench tested) would make sense. It may get resolved with a fluid and filter change but may not....

The Alpina 5HP19 differences are an upgraded TC and subtle changes to the valve chest and control unit. The TC is not available aftermarket so it's likely that you will need it reconditioned. The casing can warp when it is split and re-welded (which was the root cause of my issues) so I'd suggest that you insist on a new item (which is available via ZF/Sachs)

The exhaust has to be dropped to remove the gearbox and the studs can corrode and be a pig to remove - good news is that they can be replaced.


Mike

Thanks Mike ! You don’t understand how helpful and useful that information is , I have officially dropped the beast off to the transmission shop today and will likely hear back with an update by Friday as my appointment is for Thursday (took early cos’ of work)

I’ve mentioned to them about replacing the casing as you have stated instead of reconditioning. They said once it’s all apart they will let me know , they’re the only ZF A1 rated supplier of remanufactured parts in Europe so I’m hoping they’re stock is inclusive of this box.

I have also mentioned to them to get the old studs out by any means and just replace them whilst the exhaust is off. Those few words “good news they can be replaced” has afforded me so much peace of mind you’ll never understand. I was worried I’d need a new exhaust manifold and we don’t want to get into the prices of things like that ! Haha.

I would also like to thank Charles again and again for his constant breadth of knowledge and timely responses. I would be lost without the help of the guys on here. So thank you again. I have also sent you a message to your phone Charles regarding the RTA bushes needed for the Z4M suspension upgrade

[hap]

Looking. Fwd to update
Pls can u provide the full breakdown of cost and any part numbers for other b3,B3s owners. How long is the total job?
Can u ask if they have done any other alpina
If and when mines need doing it may need to be a long drive up stay over

[hap]

Ps Charles who did your gearbox previously pls
Ta

[E46330]

Ps Charles who did your gearbox previously pls
Ta

Don’t mean to intrude into Charles’ business but I’m certain he told me he had his gearbox done at Stephen’s Engineering in Ware and I believe someone else on the forum has also used them for their gearbox too. If it’s good enough for Charles it’s probably better than ZF themselves

[E46330]

Looking. Fwd to update
Pls can u provide the full breakdown of cost and any part numbers for other b3,B3s owners. How long is the total job?
Can u ask if they have done any other alpina
If and when mines need doing it may need to be a long drive up stay over

As soon as I have word I shall post an update with the cost of all parts and labour extensively as I can. I know this place is a gold mine of expertise

[Charles]

Ps Charles who did your gearbox previously pls
Ta

Don’t mean to intrude into Charles’ business but I’m certain he told me he had his gearbox done at Stephen’s Engineering in Ware and I believe someone else on the forum has also used them for their gearbox too. If it’s good enough for Charles it’s probably better than ZF themselves

That's the one

[hap]

Yeah that’s the one ta
Reason I was asking is Glasgow Is 250 miles and Stephens is 150 I’ve also found a place in belton, Doncaster which is 10 miles away !! Henderson transmissions don’t know anything about them though but decent google reviews
http://www.hendersontransmissions.co.uk/