Crankshaft position sensor broke!!! - BMW Forum

drews1987m20 · 09-21-2009, 01:53 PM

Hi all. I am new to this forum and I am hoping that you all can help me.
I have a 1987 325e m20 and I was trying to remove the crankshaft position sensor from the bell housing but, I snapped it!! There is a left over piece inside that I don't know how to get out. Has anyone experienced this before and is there a way to get it out?

Your feedback will be greatly appreciated..
Thanks in advance..

witeshark · 09-21-2009, 03:25 PM

I don't know off hand, but there is an IRC E30 chat Monday nights (stuck thread in this forum) where I will try to get an answer.

drews1987m20 · 09-21-2009, 04:29 PM

Thanks whiteshark.. I really don't know what to do.. The other metal half is stuck in there and it won't budge. I have a little bit of plastic in there from the bottom piece of the sensor that is attached to the metal part that I can barely hold on to with a needle nose pliars. So, I either push it in the bellhousing and don't know what to do at that point, or somehow pull it out, or maybe drill a hole in it and somehow pull it out...

UGH the new piece comes in tomorrow and I can't put it on until that darn piece comes out

witeshark · 09-21-2009, 10:10 PM

The suggestions from the IRC chat:
to drill it,
yeah dont score the bore
yeah start out with a small bit and get it centered
then go up in sizes
hell half way if you have an easy out you could try that too
otherwise your gonna have to hammer on the back side and the only way to do that is pulling the tranny out of the car

drews1987m20 · 09-21-2009, 10:18 PM

Thanks for the info Whiteshark. That is what I thought. I will buy a bit tomorrow and start working on it. I definitely don't want to pull the tranny!!! No clearance because no lifts, just jacks and I don't want to risk my life trying to take off the tranny with Jacks.

I appreciate your help very much. I will let you know what happens..
Thanks again

witeshark · 09-21-2009, 10:47 PM

Sure, best of luck with it!

drews1987m20 · 09-21-2009, 10:54 PM

I hope it works. If I drill a hole through the sensor cylinder, is there something out there that I can slide in the hole and clamp on the other side so I can try to yank it out?

Thanks in advance..

drews1987m20 · 09-25-2009, 09:33 AM

Well,, I drilled a hole but still no go... It is still stuck in there. I guess I have no choice but to remove the bell housing. Did BMW think of a shortcut incase things liek this happen? Is there another way to get into the bellhousing without having to discoonect the entire thing?

Thaqnks in advance

witeshark · 09-25-2009, 09:43 AM

There's none that I have heard of...

drews1987m20 · 09-25-2009, 09:45 AM

UGH.... I can't see spending the money to tow it to a shop and have them take apart the transmission just for a stupid broken sensor!!!

I just might part it.. I am just ready to give up..

marti5 · 09-25-2009, 10:00 AM

Hammer it straight through in to the bell housing, at the bottom of the bell housing you will see a rubber grommet....remove and try and fish it out with a piece of wire etc, if you are unable to get it out once you put your new one in and start her up the old bit will be no match for the torque converter or flywheel...it will just get smashed to small pieces..make sure you clean the hole with wet & dry paper and apply a small amount of oil, the new one should just slide in easy and not be forced, so keep cleaning until it does...

drews1987m20 · 09-25-2009, 10:09 AM

I didn't know there was a rubber grommet. I will check for the grommet and I will bang it in the bellhousing. I would really liek to get the car started and not part it but if you think the torque conv. and flywheel will smash it up and not do any internal damage then that is what I will do. Should i heat up the hole with my mapp gas burner first? It looks after 22 years the sensor bonded with the whole wall so I am thinking I should heat it up real good then hammer that suckewr in the bell housing.

marti5, do you really think that piece of sensor won't cause any internal damage?

drews1987m20 · 09-25-2009, 10:41 AM

There's nothing at the bottom of the bellhoudsing except the mounting screws to the front of the bell housing and the gasket in between. This is the manual transmission I have.
RealOEM.com * Diagram Selection

You can see where the two sensors reside on the bellhousing. But if you look toward the bottom of the bellhousing there is nothing there that I can take off to be able to fish the sensor out...

marti5 · 09-25-2009, 10:46 AM

I had the same problem,but managed to fish mine out, I would say it will not do any internal damage, its 98% plastic with a very fine copper wired coil through the middle, that against a T/C and flywheel, its like a 40 ton truck wheel running over a walnut.....

As for heating up, I wouldnt, due to risk of fire....but thats up to you, I used various sizes of of screw drivers to get mine out or rather in, but do take it easy, you may find it disintegrates as you go in which case you will be able to pull back most of the bits with long nose pliers, the middle bit went through quite easy, the outer sleeve part took a bit more time to remove, if you havent got a rubber grommet in the bottom of the bellhousing I wouldnt worry about the bits they will just lay in the bottom for years to come.

marti5 · 09-25-2009, 10:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drews1987m20

There's nothing at the bottom of the bellhoudsing except the mounting screws to the front of the bell housing and the gasket in between. This is the manual transmission I have.
RealOEM.com * Diagram Selection

You can see where the two sensors reside on the bellhousing. But if you look toward the bottom of the bellhousing there is nothing there that I can take off to be able to fish the sensor out...

Dont worry, the bits you dont get out with the long nosed pliers as it start to fall apart will just sit in the bottom with the dust from the clutch plate.