Alpina Z4 Gearbox and Diff oil

[SkiNNeR]

Can anyone tell me which Oils i need to use for the gearbox and Diff and qhat quantity? Im going to change the Oil filter and fuel filter also, is there any recommendations for these? I hear the Cam belt is actually a chain so it won't need replaced. I want to do a service on my Alpina 3.4 S lux

Any information would be great!!

Thanks

 

[GuidoK]

I don't think your roadster s has a clutch type lsd, so you can use 75w90 (or 80w90) gearoil for your diff.
For the gearbox oil your gearbox should have a sticker on it which should say BMW MTF-LT-# (where # is a number between 1 and 4). (I'm guessing mtf-lt-2)
That is the oil spec for your gearbox.

If you can't read the numbers, you can also see it by the color of the sticker: yellow=mtf-lt1 (nowadays mostly obsolete and can always be replaced by mtf-lt2), green=mtf-lt2, blue=mtf-lt3

In theory both the diff oil and the manual transmission oil are lifetime oils but changing them doesn't hurt.
For changing the diff oil you'll probably need an oil pump with flexible hose (or a flexible hose on the squirt bottle) as the room around the fill plug is tight.
you'll need a 14mm allen key for the diff plug.
Torque specs for the fill/drain plugs can be found in TIS

 

[stupot67]

Hi,

Can recommend Royal purple synchromax for the gear box (Noticebly less baulky when cold) - Others say Redline D4 or D6 ATF works well, BMW sell MTL but only in 5L (£100 aprox).

As for the diff, if it's not an LSD type Castrol Syntrax Longlife 75W-90 (Formerly SAF-XO 75w-90) is recomended, can't help you if it is an LSD I'm affraid.

Stu.

 

[SkiNNeR]

thanks m8 that helps! I will go check to see whats written on the gearbox, as long as it can be viewed from above the engine bay On my way down to eurocar parts to grab a couple of filters. I think they are just the same as the 3.0i it looks like. should this stamp on the gearbox also tell me the quantity to use?

 

[SkiNNeR]

woops just realised there was another post. Yea im not sure if its an LSD or not, i will wait and double check that before getting the diff oil.

 

[markeg]

Check the post here - look for Ade's post at the bottom of the page

 

[GuidoK]

Others say Redline D4 or D6 ATF works well,

Never use atf in a manual unless it's factory recommended (which it isn't in this case). With different type of oils you risk damage on the gearbox (damage to oil seals etc)
Lot's of oil suppliers sell 1L bottles in mtf-lt-1/2/3 spec
ATF is a type of oil which can cope with clutches and the contamination they give (as found in automatics, but not in mauals), but is generally less effective in lubricating gears.

can't help you if it is an LSD I'm affraid.

A clutch type lsd uses 75w140 oil (as it gets hot).
Torsen/quaife/ATB style lsd's use regular (75w90) gear oil

 

[stupot67]

Hi,

1.5 litres in the box and 1 litre in the diff, you won't get the right oils in ecp (Opie oils for Redline and Castrol) and google for Royal purple.

Bye the way you have to get underneath to see the labels.

Stu.

 

[SkiNNeR]

crap! ok I will change my engine oil first on my m8s ramp. Then I can check underneath whilst draining thanks for all your advice, will let you know how i get on! cheers

 

[stupot67]

Hi,

"Never use atf in a manual unless it's factory recommended (which it isn't in this case). With different type of oils you risk damage on the gearbox (damage to oil seals etc)
Lot's of oil suppliers sell 1L bottles in mtf-lt-1/2/3 spec
ATF is a type of oil which can cope with clutches and the contamination they give (as found in automatics, but not in mauals), but is generally less effective in lubricating gears."

In general I would agree, but if you do a search mtf-lt-1/2/3 spec lubricants, it will come up with ATF's. Over on bimmerforum and Zpost there's a a lot of info comparing shear stability, viscosity, lubricity and additives and the ATF's would appear to better the BM spec - That said I still went for an MTL.

Stu.

 

[PerryGunn]

crap! ok I will change my engine oil first on my m8s ramp. Then I can check underneath whilst draining thanks for all your advice, will let you know how i get on! cheers

As Mark said above, Ade's done all the research and this is one of his areas of expertise

I spent a bit of time sorting oil so I can do mine sometime over the next month or-so with #168 approaching 52k and so at that time when a fluid change is a good idea. Following a good few chats with those helpful chaps at OPIE oils, I was led to purchase the following:-

RED LINE Synthetic Gear Oil 75W-90 GL5 ('top quality Ester-based from a company with very close working links with BMW in the US')

Fuchs TITAN SINTOFLUID SAE 75W-80 synthetic manual transmission fluid ('the most popular oil we have for the ZF manual gearboxes')

Always happy to have educated advice on products such as these Cool Total cost for the fluids was £53, delivered.

 

[SkiNNeR]

Thanks for all your advice, I have taken too long to change the diff oil. there was chunks of metal that came out the diff looks like i need a rear diff replacement, BMW alpina Roadster. i called bmw synt nottingham and ive been told its a 3,23 ratio diff, they said its the same as the SMG diff or something, and quoted £1700 lol, Don't have that kind of dosh to splash out on a diff

 

[PerryGunn]

Thanks for all your advice, I have taken too long to change the diff oil. there was chunks of metal that came out the diff looks like i need a rear diff replacement, BMW alpina Roadster. i called bmw synt nottingham and ive been told its a 3,23 ratio diff, they said its the same as the SMG diff or something, and quoted £1700 lol, Don't have that kind of dosh to splash out on a diff

Talk to Birds, you should be able to get a Quaife LSD fitted for £1275 (not sure if that's including or excluding VAT)

 

[GuidoK]

Thanks for all your advice, I have taken too long to change the diff oil. there was chunks of metal that came out the diff

That cannot be the result of waiting too long for a diff oil change, so something else is the culprit.
So maybe it's wise to first investigate on exactly what's going on, before you destroy another diff (i'm sure a good garage will tell the same)

 

[SkiNNeR]

Well when i got the car, the rear wheel on 1 side wasn't matching rolling radius, i have no idea how long the car had been driven with that wheel. I changed immediately, but i did fear the diff might have been wound up, only had the car on the road a week with the new wheel and it drove ok. then it started whining so i changed the oil in the diff and thats when i discovered bits of metal coming out of it. There was a leak on the side that the smaller wheel was on so Its definitely damaged the diff.. there isn't much else that can go wrong surely? if the teeth in the diff are chewed up its a goner and just needs replaced

 

[GuidoK]

Oh man, that is some way to treat an alpina.....

You need to get a completely new diff (incl casing etc), as the ring and pinion gear must have suffered some damage (and the bearings too).

You may get a used z4 diff on ebay or so


btw, the z4 3.0i smg uses a 3.07 diff, just as the 3.0i manual does. A 3.23 diff comes from a 2.5i z4 (both manual and smg). So I don't know what alpina chose.

If you get a higher gearing than you have now, you get a slightly better acceleration, but higher gas mileage and your speedo may have to be recalibrated (and vice versa)

 

[2alpsade]

Well when i got the car, the rear wheel on 1 side wasn't matching rolling radius, i have no idea how long the car had been driven with that wheel. I changed immediately, but i did fear the diff might have been wound up,

Bugger! Which utter tool put the wrong rolling radius on one side and left it that way? Do I take it the car was missing one original wheel?
Never heard of a Roadseter S diff getting shredded. Bad news :x How many miles on the car?

As Perry suggested, if you end-up looking at paying serious money for a new diff, talk to Birds and get the Quaife fitted.