I have a 1991 740 turbo with 195,000 miles on the clock. In the last few months it has developed two problems with the transmission. The first is that the clutch pedal will drop to the floor. All I need to do is pump it once or twice and it comes right back up. The second is during hard acceleration in first and second gear. The rear end develops a stutter, as though all of the power from the engine is not getting to the rear wheels. The engine revs smoothly up to redline and there seems to be no slippage in the clutch, it very easily will spin the tires. I recently had the fluid in the differential changed, and was told that I did have a leak at the pinion gasket, but my mechanic did not have the tools to change the seal. Is my rear end going as well as my clutch?

Is the stutter like a bad vibration? When i say bad, i mean, really bad? It could be universals, centre bearing (and carrier), etc, etc, get the drive line checked properly before you pull the clutch

I'd try bleeding the slave cylinder first to see if some air bubbles got into it. It takes the fluid from the side of the master cylinder resivoir, so if it was ever low, air could have easily gotten into the line.

Can't really help you on the stutter. I'd suspect the clutch if it's still original (like mine's still is, at 177k). You'll prolly have to crawl underneath to see if something doesn't look right.

-- Kane

> I have a 1991 740 turbo with 195,000 miles on the clock. In the last

> few months it has developed two problems with the transmission. The

> first is that the clutch pedal will drop to the floor. All I need to

> do is pump it once or twice and it comes right back up. The second is

> during hard acceleration in first and second gear. The rear end

> develops a stutter, as though all of the power from the engine is not

> getting to the rear wheels. The engine revs smoothly up to redline

> and there seems to be no slippage in the clutch, it very easily will

> spin the tires. I recently had the fluid in the differential changed,

> and was told that I did have a leak at the pinion gasket, but my

> mechanic did not have the tools to change the seal. Is my rear end

> going as well as my clutch?

Clutch: it's a hydraulic operated clutch, so I'ld suspect one of the cylinders to be leaking. I don't know if an overhaul kit is available, otherwise you'll have to replace the cylinder (master or slave).

Stutter: could be a bad rear end, I had one of those go in a 145. Could of course still be the clutch anyway. Take the car to an experienced mechanic to have him/her determine if it's the rear end; it's very hard to tell from 7000 miles away.

Bram