DSMDane's DINAN e39 540i M-Sport

[Jdesign]

Looks like a killer find! Congrats.

[patsbimmer1]

Nice find!

[Rekpoint]

straight6pwr said:

sweet car! welcome.

more reliable in that 1) it breaks less or more reliable in 2) overall maintenance cost? a BMW 5 series is #1.  a replacement 6 speed is about $1000 for the 540

I figured id update this thread because @DSMDane Doesn't know how to keep ontop of things. 

Last week Thursday we picked up a replacement transmission for 600ish dollars with 80k on it. I think we are going to swap it over the winter.

Any E39 guys have a suggestion on what type of fluid we should put in it? Alot of these 420gs have a sticker that says ATF only. But the one we bought says MTF.

Ive heard alot of people with the 420g use Royal Purple Syncromax and swear by it.

Anybody care to weigh in? 

[Jdesign]

Factory fill requires MTF-LT1/2.

The internets suggest:

Royal Purple Synchromax  or BMW MTF-1

Red Line Synthetic MT90 is a mystery,  It seems like some guys are hesitant others suggest it. There were some supra guys were running this in R154's and V161's and discovered that it was causing an internal component to swell and fail. I would personally run RP.

[straight6pwr]

great deal on that trans!

[wasnt m3]

Snap and I have both had bad experiences with previous owners using royal purple. Redline solved problems for both of us.

[Jdesign]

wasnt m3 said:

Snap and I have both had bad experiences with previous owners using royal purple. Redline solved problems for both of us.

Well suck me sideways lol

[straight6pwr]

wasnt m3 said:

Snap and I have both had bad experiences with previous owners using royal purple. Redline solved problems for both of us.

+1. royal purple and my zf310 did not match well. it felt like shifting through peanut butter - particularly worse in cold weather.

[GunMetalGrey]

I used RP in my ZF320 and it was scary how smooth it was. 

I'm stoked to see a nice looking 540 on here! Congrats on the purchase!

[Jdesign]

straight6pwr said:

+1. royal purple and my zf310 did not match well. it felt like shifting through peanut butter - particularly worse in cold weather. 

what weight?

[straight6pwr]

Jdesign said:

what weight?

Synchromax MTF

here i am quoting myself on the issues it caused:

straight6pwr said:

 the symptoms i'm having that i think are from the RP: 1) sometimes randomly after stopping at light, its hard to get it back into first  2)the syncros (i think) make noise all the time, it sounds like a mini forumla 1 car inside in there, even though the syncros work fine.  3) when its cold, its like shifting in molasses.  4)i can't shift fast. if i throw it from 1st to 2nd as fast as i can, it crunches a little. not like gear grinding, i can just feel it in my hand. 

I switched to Redline D4 ATF and all the issues went away.

[YoungCR]

straight6pwr said:

Synchromax MTF

here i am quoting myself on the issues it caused:

I switched to Redline D4 ATF and all the issues went away.

I'm having the same issues in the 540i now, 1-2 is a crunch and trouble getting into 1st. No idea what fluid is in there now or how old so it's time to change.

[Rekpoint]

YoungCR said:

I'm having the same issues in the 540i now, 1-2 is a crunch and trouble getting into 1st. No idea what fluid is in there now or how old so it's time to change.

1 and R is a clunk for @DSMDane For 1st and R he has to hold the lever in and release the clutch slowly. Its weird.

[YoungCR]

Rekpoint said:

1 and R is a clunk for @DSMDane For 1st and R he has to hold the lever in and release the clutch slowly. Its weird. 

Hows the shifter play? Its probably due for a rebuild as well. The E60 545i shifter is a OEM short shift upgrade, my brother's E34 has that along with delrin bushings.

[Rekpoint]

YoungCR said:

Hows the shifter play? Its probably due for a rebuild as well. The E60 545i shifter is a OEM short shift upgrade, my brother's E34 has that along with delrin bushings. 

Shifter bushings have been replaced and it had a dinan short throw. So it's good. Definitely the trans dyncros