CDV removal & oil change

GCB: stacks of people have been doing this for years, not just on Z4s but pretty much any 21st century BMW with a manual gearbox. There's no reason removing it could possibly cause a problem and indeed with the CDV installed it actually causes very slightly more wear on the clutch!

As you know, the CDV adds some protection to the drivetrain from the shock of somebody dumping the clutch. I'm sure somebody analysed the number of warranty issues they were getting due to such causes and decided that this would be an economical solution. And it doesn't particularly effect driveability that much.

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Well Hotride sent me his old CDV and this morning I'm going to set about trying to modify it. Problem is I'll have to go for a drive before I can put it on the car - I just remembered that I don't have a jack! Last time I used it (doing an oil change) it died and I had to borrow one. Might have to borrow again, but I do want to buy a nice new quality low profile one ;)
 
mangozac - i seen new low profile trolley jacks on sale at supercheap auto for like $20+. They had ramps for $60 too, which im half tempted to buy.

You cant drive the z4 onto ramps as they are too steep for the front of the car, but you can jack them on and its much easier to put some ramps under the wheels then find a spot for the jack and the jack stand on the z4!

As for modifying the cdv i would try the old one first if i was you, then try the new one if your feeling strong. and make sure you check out this link, if you haven't already! http://www.z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=1227
 
I really don't like the idea of lifting my $40k sports car using a $20 jack :o :P

It might mean that I'm spending more than I have to but I'd rather spend $100-$200 on something decent. For what it's worth mucking around with the ramps I'd rather just jack using the rear side points (which lift the entire side of the car) and then place the stands (which I already have) under the front jack points.

Anyway I got sidetracked with more pressing matters (grocery shopping for my grandmother) and didn't get time to do the swap today. Tomorrow! I did however do the conversion to the CDV from your car, which took literally 5 seconds. The new one on the other hard has got me beat. I tried using punches at an angle and all sorts of things but it just won't budge. I gave up on it and instead cleaned up the modified one in some turpentine in preparation for fitment (yes all of the turps will be gone by the time I fit).

<conspiracy>BMW are on to us and now making the CDVs unmodifiable</conspiracy> ;)
 
lol I currently only have jack stands also. I used the rear points last weekend, got 1 side up no worrys, then i did the other side and lifted all four wheels off the ground :o so i figured if i buy the ramps i will avoid that issue again.

plus for some reason i feel safer getting under the car when its on ramps (im sure its just in my head tho). btw i said jacks from $20+ they went up well over $100. im really liking the look of this repco jack atm http://catalogues.repco.com.au/portal/offerdetails/2000kg_garage_jack/13015333863408?gotopage=1&CatalogueID=13008527684142&CatalogueID=&source=catalogueoffer&jump=&pageview=two

I think your onto something with the CDV, thats why I originally thought about sending you my old CDV, my brother is a carpenter and I was using his tools but didnt come close to modding it lol. Glad to hear you did one of them tho :thumbsup:

im sure the CDV you modded will look more natural under there then the "un-moddable" one anyways!
 
Funny you mention that jack - I was looking at it in the catalogue just yesterday! You would expect it to be decent since it's 40% off at $110, but I just don't like the look of how light the frame is. 140mm minimum height is a bit crap though - it'll probably fit under the Zed, but I'd like to be able to use it on other cars too (my brother drives a WRX that he has dumped to a stupidly low height). A bit of discussion here and everyone seems happy.

I laid under my last car while it was sitting on my stands for several days doing repairs after I crashed it so I feel safe enough with them ;)

I will have another go at the new CDV one day - just because I'm stubborn and won't let it beat me!
 
Well it's done! The replacement has to have been one of the simplest procedures I've done working on a car! No hydraulic fluid came out at all and I didn't have any assistants handy so I just dropped her back onto the ground without doing a bleed. The clutch feels fine and the reservoir levels haven't changed so I don't think it's really necessary. Maybe I'll do it another day...

The difference with the modified CDV is subtle and if you didn't know what had changed it would be hard to tell exactly. But it does indeed feel much better!

We've had some fantastic weather here for a change so it was great to take my love interest out for a topless drive (the car, not the girl!) to breakfast this morning ;)
 
glad to see you did it :thumbsup: I didn't think my clutch needed bleeding either, but I did just in case (it takes longer then removing the CDV lol).

I'm still loving the feeling without the CDV, gear changes are smoother and sharper, and the clutch doesn't slip, no kangaroo action if i do a lazy change, feel more inspired to take it for drives 8)
 
Yeah thanks again for supplying the CDV!

The mod really came into play on my drive home this evening - sport mode and DTC on. Waaaaay smoother when doing fast gear changes. And when you make a mess of the change you're not punished with whiplash ;)
 
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