BMW Clutch Slave
Cylinder Replacement
Wayne R. Dempsey

Difficulty Level: 3
Difficulty scale: Adding air to your tires is level one
Rebuilding a BMW Motor is level ten

[click to enlarge]


Figure 1


Figure 2


Figure 3


Figure 4

     The BMW 3-Series cars have a hydraulic clutch engagement system - there are no cables involved with the actuation of the clutch.  Although this actually creates a more reliable clutch system over time, there can be a failure or break-down of the system if the slave or master cylinder get old and begin to leak or fail.  A spongy feel to the clutch pedal, grinding of gears when shifting, long pedal travel, and hydraulic leaks under the car are all signs that one or more components of the system have failed.  The first place I like to start is the clutch slave cylinder, as it is easy and inexpensive to replace.

     Replacement of the slave cylinder is a snap.  Its location is easy to get to from underneath the car.  The slave cylinder is located on the left side of the transmission (Figure 1).  Two nuts fasten it to the transmission.  First, disconnect the hydraulic line from the cylinder.  Make sure you use a flare-nut wrench to remove the hose.  These hydraulic fittings have a tendency to strip if you don't use the proper tool.  Also, inspect the clutch slave line - you might want to replace it if it's bulging, or shows signs of cracking in the rubber.  Before you disconnect the line, make sure that you have a drip pan to catch the fluid that will leak out.

     Now, remove the two nuts that hold the cylinder to the transmission.  The slave cylinder should remove easily.  Install the new one and reattach the clutch fluid line.

     The system now needs to be bled.  I like to use the Motive Products Power Bleeder for this task (Figure 2).  For more information on using the Power Bleeder, see the Pelican Technical Article on Bleeding BMW Brakes.  Attach the power bleeder to the top of the master cylinder reservoir (Figure 3) and pump up the pressure in the bleeder.  Move to underneath the car and attach your bleeder hose to the bleed nipple on the slave cylinder (Figure 4).  Let the system bleed out until no more bubbles appear.

     When finished, remove the bleeder system, lower the car, and try the clutch again.  The pedal should have a good feel to it, and the clutch should engage normally.  If you are still having problems, you should try replacing your clutch master cylinder next (tech article coming soon).

     Well, there you have it - it's really not too difficult at all.  If you would like to see more technical articles like this one, please continue to support Pelican Parts with all your parts needs.  If you like what you see here, then please visit our online BMW catalog and help support the collection and creating of new and informative technical articles like this one.  Your continued support directly affects the expansion and existence of this site and technical articles like this one.  As always, if you have any questions or comments about this helpful article, please drop us a line.