'85 318i Project...Help

[Matty]

I am currently in the middle of replacing many of the seals and gaskets on my 1985 318i, but I have hit a couple of bumps. I am replacing my water pump and cannot figure out how to remove the fan and clutch assembly from the pulley that is covering the water pump. Do I need a special tool to stabilize it or can a jimmy rig something? I am also trying to take the oil pan off, upper and lower seals are shot; I have removed all the obvious nuts and bolts but the upper part will not come off. Do I need to remove the plate that covers the front part of the trannie? It appears to have special bolt heads. The book I am using claims to plainly tell me how to do all of this, but none of us can figure it out. Please help me if you can. Thanks.

[JoeMadoo]

If its anything like the m20, its kind of a pain... but I rigged it . I got about a 2 foot pipe, and wedged it inbetween on the the little pully bolts, and either the frame on the drivers side, of the abs box, anything thats sturdy. I then got a big ass wrench and twisted toward the drivers side (its lefthand threaded). Although a bmw tool will make it easier im sure, i was cheap, and still am, so i did it my way.

Again im not a pro with the m10, but on the m20 you do need to remove the tranny plate that covers the back of the oil pan. You probably have torx bolts there, you can get a little set at autozone for pretty cheap.

[Matty]

thanks, i was able to take a thin bar of sheet metal and notch two holes in it and tighten two of the pulley bolts underneath it. It serves the same purpose as the fancy bmw tool but didn't cost anything! (i had the metal laying around). And i found the proper tool for the tranny bolts. Thanks alot!