I have done it, and it was a PITA. The spacer IS needed between the flywheel & crankshaft end. Otherwise, the flywheel will be contacting the upper oil pan. When you swapped the starter pinion gears did you have JUST the gear portion, or the whole gear/shaft/planetary gear assembly? If you JUSt had the gear and cut the retaining ring holding it on the shaft you must replace it or the gear will shoot out too far & likely damage itself & the flywheel.
You did get the M20 single-mass FW, right?
The ring that holds the starter gear in and pushes it out (engages it) is called the bendix, correct? I think we changed it and the starter gear over, and that was it. I think that's all that the article stated to swap over to the M42 starter from the M20.
It sounds like the gear and the flywheel teeth are making contact but not lining up correctly.
I did get an M20 flywheel, however, I wonder if there is a difference in the model years. When I re-read the write up, it does state an '88 to '91 flywheel and pinion gear.
Does anyone know if the flywheel is different on early model M20's vs. later model ones? This could be the problem if the # of teeth are different or something. The gear could be from an early model M20 and the flywheel from a later model or something. If that's the case, that might explain why they aren't lining up.
I DO have the correct spacer on the front of the flywheel and it does not make contact with the oil pan.
In retrospect, we should have checked the gear with the flywheel and made sure they aligned perfectly before installation, but hindsight it always 20/20, isn't it?
This all basically means my car won't be ready for me to drive it at Barber next weekend, which really makes me pissed! :mad: Fortunately my cousin, who just got a '99 M3, still has his old '94 318ti.
So, I am going to borrow it... thus will have an M42 car to drive.
