# Finally fixed vibrating UUC TMEs



## Raffi (May 18, 2002)

The vibrating TMEs had been driving me nuts ever since they were installed at CEC when I got my ACS SSK installed. I decided to take matters into my own hands this morning.

Put the car up on Rhino Ramps up front, then jacked up the rear of the car with my new aluminum racing jack from Harbor Freight Tools (thanks again HACK for picking it up while I was at Sears Point :thumbup: ).

I then put the rear of the car on jackstands, and used my Craftsman 2 1/4 ton jack (along with a piece of 2x4) to support the tranny.

I unbolted the cross brace, took apart the TME, then remounted the TMEs on the cross brace. I then bolted the cross-brace to the chassis to 15 lbs-ft, per the Bentley manual. Evrything was tight, so I lowered the tranny onto the brace, and voila!

I thiink the vibrations were caused by two things: the tranny was not properly supported in previous installs, and the bolts holding the cross-brace to the chassis were tightened over spec.

Result: I now finally like the TMEs, though there is still a very small increase in vibration felt inside the cabin, probably a 10% increase, which I can definitely live with.


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## Mr Paddle.Shift (Dec 19, 2001)

Great job! Doesn't it feel great to remedy those small irritations?


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## SergioK (Aug 14, 2002)

Sweet!

So I guess the TME's are doing their job without the annoying sided effect! 

Glad you got positive results from these. I was leaning against these but I think you may have changed my position on them.

I think I'm also gonna go with the PSS9 kit too! 

I gotta take care of these overtorqued brake bleeder valves first though.


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## Raffi (May 18, 2002)

VinceTopasBlau3 said:


> *Great job! Doesn't it feel great to remedy those small irritations?  *


Yup, very fulfilling.


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## Raffi (May 18, 2002)

sergiok said:


> *Sweet!
> 
> So I guess the TME's are doing their job without the annoying sided effect!
> 
> ...


Copycat... :tsk:  :tsk:


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## SergioK (Aug 14, 2002)

Raffi said:


> *Copycat... :tsk:  :tsk:  *


Haha... ya well we were running neck-n-neck on allot of stuff, including our tracking days. I need to do some catch-up now! :thumbup:


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## The HACK (Dec 19, 2001)

I emailed this thread to Rob L. and he's happy that your FINALLY happy Raffi.  :angel:


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## Raffi (May 18, 2002)

The HACK said:


> *I emailed this thread to Rob L. and he's happy that your FINALLY happy Raffi.  :angel: *


Thanks, I knew there was a way to get it to work properly.


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## wildpanda86 (Feb 18, 2003)

Funny... I was just about to post on this board for the same reason.

I just got the UUC tranny mounts intalled today. The first thing i noticed with the car was the increased engine noise and vibration... it was kinda a cool cause it sounded like the car had exhaust. I figured that it was normal because the mounts where stiffer. And i was OK with it because the shifts where soo much more precise & faster... esp with the UUC SSK that i had installed earlier this month.

But hmm... maybe i will take it back to the shop and have them redo it. But before i do this... how much more noise & vibration should i expect in the cabin. Right now the vibration is not irritating, but is noticeable... there is slight vibration in the steering wheel... very very slight & an increase in engine sound (which isnt really a bad thing cause the engine sounds soo good).


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## Raffi (May 18, 2002)

Well, the other festers who have the UUC TMEs said they did not notice ANY additional noise and vibration. I would say I have about a 10% increase in noise and vibration, but that's just a guesstimate, since I drove the car for while when the TMEs were not properly installed.

To be safe, I would take the car back to the shop that installed the TMEs and have them take them apart and reinstall them, making sure to jack the tranny before loosening the TMEs and then tightening the bolts to exact specs.


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## wildpanda86 (Feb 18, 2003)

From what i remember... They did mount the TME to the crossbrace before lowering the tranny. But i dont think we torqued it... well they have a lift & it will only take 10 minutes so i guess i will get it redone.

thanks


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## Raffi (May 18, 2002)

No prob dude. Make sure they secure the jack under the tranny before loosening anything, and then lower the tranny jack after everything has been bolted and torqued to spec.


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## rwg (May 10, 2002)

I haven't installed mine yet, but - conventional wisdom has it that the new compound for the mounts (meaning the red colored mounts as opposed to the black colored mounts) is somewhat stiffer than the black compound was and transmits more vibration into the cabin. I don't remember off the top of my head why they changed the compound.


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## wildpanda86 (Feb 18, 2003)

I went back to my buddies shop today. We looked at the tool that he used... it was torqued to 20 pounds. I dont think that 5 pounds will really make that much of a difference. :dunno:

We decided that we will check it after an week... maybe the new bushings will soften a little after some use.

As far as cabin noise and vibration goes... it is really not that bad... not annoying at all... if anything the engine sounds meaner but is not really much louder... it is at low speeds in parking lots that i feel the slight vibrations... but then i have nothing else to compare it to really.

But this is really very little to compromise... because now the shifts happen soo much faster and the shifter is much less notchier... prolly less notchy than stock now... but maybe it is because my UUC SSK is broken in now


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## Raffi (May 18, 2002)

wildpanda86 said:


> *I went back to my buddies shop today. We looked at the tool that he used... it was torqued to 20 pounds. I dont think that 5 pounds will really make that much of a difference. :dunno:
> 
> We decided that we will check it after an week... maybe the new bushings will soften a little after some use.
> 
> ...


Just show up at one of the SoCal tech sessions and we can take a look at it to make sure it is fine.


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## wildpanda86 (Feb 18, 2003)

OK so i guess the tolerances in BMW is way small!!! From most people's opinions... most of everyone said that accidently torquing the tranny brace to 20 pounds would not make any difference and that i should just get used to the noise and vibration.

But we readjusted it at the shop anyway... literally took 3 min... even my buddy doing it kept telling me that there will be no difference. 

Well they where all wrong... redoing the brace at 15pounds made a BIG difference. Now the noise and vibration is virtually gone.

You where right Raffi... thanks 

Now i can fully enjoy my SSK. It takes less effort than stock to shift, clicks into each gear, very short, and it is sooo precise


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## Raffi (May 18, 2002)

wildpanda86 said:


> *
> 
> You where right Raffi... thanks
> 
> *


Welcome, and enjoy!


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## GSR13 (Apr 30, 2002)

Just to clarify with you guys have installed the TME's and fixed the vibration.

Should the Mounts be Torqued to the Cross Brace, and if so, at what setting?

The next step is torquing the Cross Brace to the car at 15 ft. lbs.

Then, I assume you bolt the transmission to the Mounts as the last step. Does it matter how tight these are?

I got mine installed and it was easy enough, but I cannot get the vibration out.

Thanks in advance.


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## [email protected] (Mar 15, 2003)

We have isolated one more cause of the vibration just recently.

We already know about these:

1) too much torque on mounting nuts.

2) pre-loaded bushings from shifted transmission (loosen, drive, tighten).

What we recently found was this third cause:

The tranny brace does not have mounting holes, it has slots. If the brace itself is pushed too far forward or too far backward, this puts another pre-load on the bushings. The cure is easy: try to re-mount the brace in the exact same position as it was originally (loosen the top nuts of the bushings first as their position might be different). 

What may also affect things is the position of the bushing when mounted to the transmission. Ideally, the bushing bolt should be in the middle of the slot on the transmission mounting ear, same as the original bushings were.

Hope this helps!

- Rob Levinson
UUC Motorwerks


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## GSR13 (Apr 30, 2002)

Hey Rob, thanks for the post.

I took the car over to my wife's Grandpa's, as he has an Oil Change pit. It works perfect for this as I can go under the car without having to use a jack or jackstands.

So, I loosened the top nuts on the Bushings and then loosened the CrossBrace, which is slotted by the way.

Then, I started the car and let it idle for a second and shut it off, hoping it would let the tranny settle.

Went back under the car and Torqued the CrossBrace to the car at 15 Pounds, then tightened the top nuts for the Bushing.

This seems to have removed most of the vibration, but it is still there, around 1500 RPM's.

I still have two questions:

1. How tight should the top and bottom nuts be on the Bushings?

2. Should the Transmission actually be lifted up on the jack, or simply kept from dropping down?

Thanks guys!


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## [email protected] (Mar 15, 2003)

GSR13 said:


> *I still have two questions:
> 1. How tight should the top and bottom nuts be on the Bushings?
> 2. Should the Transmission actually be lifted up on the jack, or simply kept from dropping down?*


1. All the nuts should be tightened to 16ft-lbs.

2. When installing the TME setup, you must support the transmission with a jack. No reason to lift it, you just need to support it because it will droop down without support and is not so easy to lift back up by hand.

- Rob


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## GSR13 (Apr 30, 2002)

[email protected] said:


> *1. All the nuts should be tightened to 16ft-lbs.
> 
> - Rob *


How do you tighten the nuts on top of the bushings to an exact setting? My torque wrench is way to big to get in there.

Also, Rob, I am going to have to give you a call tomorrow. Is there anyway at all I could buy just one Red Bushing? When we were installing them the first night my torque wrench did not click and apparently we over-torqued one of the bushings. When I was removing the nut, one of the threads was really stripped out. We had to stack washers on there in order to tighten it down. It is functional and nothing is wrong, it just drives me nuts knowing it is like this and I would like to replace it.

If not, I will just have to order a new set of Bushings.

Thanks again for the help Rob!


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## GSR13 (Apr 30, 2002)

First, let me say, that Rob with UUC is such a great guy. I called him on Monday 19May2003 and explained that I had stripped out one of my Bushings. For some reason, my Torque Wrench just did not 'click' and we really over-torqued it. I asked Rob if he would sell me just one bushing and he agreed, but after after I explained what happened, he replaced it for free. That really says a lot to me and I sincerely appreciate it.

The Bushing came in today and I really wanted to fix the vibration and replace the stripped bushing. So, I pulled the car over the pit and supported the tranny. Took everything loose and retorqued the bushings. I still had problems with one bushing and my torque wrench, it simply would not click. It worked fine on all the other nuts, so I have no idea what the problem is. I finally tightened it firmly and left it alone.

I put the Cross-Brace back on and snugged it up, then released the tranny and tightened the nut on top of the bushing. Again, I just went firm. Finally, I torqued the Cross-Brace and cleaned up.

FINALLY, the car is almost vibration free. There is a very, very slight vibration but nothing like before. I imagine it would be perfect if I could get everything torqued properly, but I have a feeling my Torque Wrench has some issues.

Anyway, glad that I got this resolved and the TME's are a nice, yet subtle change. At high RPM's the shifts are definately smoother and more precise.

Thanks again Rob, if you read this. I appreciate the replacement part and the time you spent talking with me. Looking forward to my Sways!


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## in_d_haus (Jan 2, 2002)

I was over at Jawknees home last Friday and he mentioned he had this same peoblem..I'll send him this link...great Job RAFFI!

I must have got damn lucky because mine went in without a hitch (or a noise)


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## Raffi (May 18, 2002)

in_d_haus said:


> *I was over at Jawknees home last Friday and he mentioned he had this same peoblem..I'll send him this link...great Job RAFFI!
> 
> I must have got damn lucky because mine went in without a hitch (or a noise) *


Welcome! Somebody had to go through this crap for everyone else's benefit, I guess!


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## GimpyMcFarlan (Aug 13, 2002)

*Recommendation?*

Guys who have the TME mod, 
OK, I've read through the UUC web pages... Which TME do you recommend? Do you agree with UUC in that the red bushings should only be used on track / auto-x cars? Also, the "Installation Instructions" page seems worthless. Is there a DIY document out there anywhere?

To be honest, I have never auto-x'ed and do not plan to since it is a brand new leased vehicle. I know... :tsk: However I do take spirited drives in the hills / countryside frequently so performance & feel are important to me.


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## GSR13 (Apr 30, 2002)

I have never used the Black Bushings from UUC, but I believe what they have to say. I imagine they are not quite as firm and the install would not have to be as precise to avoid vibration.

Given the fact that the red one's should not vibrate to begin with, it really should not matter which set you get.

Also, if you are concerned with AutoX'ing because the car is leased, then I would probably not spend the time or money putting in the TME's. Though in my opinion, I would have no problem AutoX'ing a leased car.


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## Raffi (May 18, 2002)

*Re: Recommendation?*



GimpyMcFarlan said:


> *Guys who have the TME mod,
> OK, I've read through the UUC web pages... Which TME do you recommend? Do you agree with UUC in that the red bushings should only be used on track / auto-x cars? Also, the "Installation Instructions" page seems worthless. Is there a DIY document out there anywhere?
> *


IMHO, if you're upgrading, you might as well get the red bushings and reduce tranny movement as much as possible. The added vibration, if any, should only be about 10% if you install properly. Most people do not report any added vibration at all.

The TMEs will come with very straightforward install instructions, BTW.


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