E30 Clutch Master Cylinder Removal and Installation DIY

CLUTCH MASTER CYLINDER: amzn.to/2J4aRZP
SLAVE CYLINDER: amzn.to/247Dclo
BRAKE HOSE: amzn.to/1VEebcR
PLASTIC FITTING: amzn.to/1VEebJO
ATE DOT 4: amzn.to/1NYr09Y
THROTTLE CABLE DIY VIDEO: • E30 Throttle Bowden Ca...
How to remove and install a clutch master cylinder in your E30. This is BMW part number 21521156000.
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Disclaimer:
Due to factors beyond the control of BIMMERZEIT, we cannot guarantee against improper use or unauthorized modifications of this information. BIMMERZEIT assumes no liability for property damage or injury incurred as a result of any of the information contained in this video. Use this information at your own risk. BIMMERZEIT recommends safe practices when working on vehicles and or with tools seen or implied in this video. Due to factors beyond the control of BIMMERZEIT no information contained in this video shall create any expressed or implied warranty or guarantee of any particular result. Any injury, damage, or loss that may result from improper use of these tools, equipment, or from the information contained in this video is the sole responsibility of the user and not BIMMERZEIT. Video and Content is owned by BIMMERZEIT © 2016

[@BIMMERZEITT]

CLUTCH MASTER CYLINDER: amzn.to/247D856 SLAVE CYLINDER: amzn.to/247Dclo BRAKE HOSE: amzn.to/1VEebcR PLASTIC FITTING: amzn.to/1VEebJO ATE DOT 4: amzn.to/1NYr09Y

[@67bmw1600]

Great video! Just finished replacing mine on my '91! For those about to attempt this, getting those 2 10mm bolts back on to hold the master cylinder in place is the worst part of the job. I can't stress that enough. Requires a LOT of patience, especially if you have big fingers! Took me well over an hour. Actually removed my seat and laid down on my back. Also, I reccomend attaching those 2 bolts before attaching the MC to the clutch pedal! Thanks for a great video!!

[@lowerbuncombecoachworks3384]

Yes those are a total pita. I've done this job several times and I've found that this is MUCH easier with a swivel socket. Not only with the E30 but also with many BMW, having a 10, 11 and 13mm swivel 1/4 drive will save a LOT of headache.

[@lowerbuncombecoachworks3384]

Man, I have to say, I have done this job several times and if it's been a while, I watch some videos just to refresh myself on shortcuts and processes beyond the FSM to make it easier. The absolute worst part of this is always getting the hard line on the forward side of the clutch master. I have spent SO much time doing this, several times before. I have found the "easiest" way was to start the line before the cylinder was secured, but, removing the master WITH the hard line is a MAJOR game change for me. Thanks for posting this! Side note: as with many tight/awkward access on many BMW, I have found that securing the master inside the cabin is a LOT easier with a swivel socket on a short extension.

[@frankgrassi5364]

Great video, well done. You helped build my confidence. I’m gearing up to do this job on my 87’ 325e. In a dark, cold garage with no electricity. Should be fun. Smash on!

[@canaansonnenschein8865]

Thank you for providing the wealth of videos you produce, you are an excellent teacher and guide! This video was exceptional and helped me to complete the replacement of my master cylinder, slave cylinder, accelerator cable, throttle spring and the associated bushings. I am so thankful for your efforts, it really helped me gain the confidence and to follow the steps and plans to be successful! You are a true Baller! Many thanks Man!

[@venerated]

Thank you 🙏🏻 couldn’t figure out where that blue hose went and now I can replace it with confidence!!

[@cedrusking6662]

Thank you! Very helpful. I get stuck on little things a lot and your videos are very detailed and help me get through it!

[@BIMMERZEITT]

thanks Cedrus!

[@red318i]

Good video, got the cylinder changed so much quicker after watching this, thanks.

[@toddsmith8608]

Very well done video, helped me do mine today. Hardly any room down there to do the job, let alone film it all. Very impressive and helpful!

[@BIMMERZEITT]

Thanks Todd! I recall this was one of the more difficult videos I’ve made. Happy to help. Happy holidays!

[@peterlazarus6112]

Very well filmed and super clear. Excellent work. Thank you

[@BIMMERZEITT]

Peter Lazarus thanks Peter glad to have helped 👍🏻

[@toddvucsko4200]

Thanks. Very informative, I’m watching one last time b4 I start on my 86 325es.

[@khazamcgann9280]

hey great stuff would you be able to do a video on replacing the E30 clutch that is next to non existing. thanks in advance.

[@umerlinbrah10]

Thank you so much for this video, my clutch master just went, so I am performing this work atm. Subscribed!

[@BIMMERZEITT]

You're very welcome. I would highly recommend replacing the slave cylinder and line at the same time. It's common for the slave to fail shortly after a new clutch master is installed. I think it's because of the new pressure it puts on the seals.

[@rodrigoandrescepedaperez7877]

Thank you very much friend for your video. Today I did the job in my BMW316. The only thing that happened to me and does not appear in your video, is that you have to fill the hose before connecting it to the brake fluid reservoir and then pump and flow in a better way. I still have to do more tests, but I hope that with this change, I have solved the problem I have when I put the first gear, which sometimes jumps with a noise in the gearbox

[@nicholaswong312]

Great video; thank you! If you drain the clutch and brake reservoir, you don't have to deal with much fluid dripping/spilling.

[@ladonnahutchins7975]

Best video on KZbin for BMW's. Hell, I even liked the music interlude.

[@BIMMERZEITT]

thank you so much!

[@nikkoehli4293]

very clear and concise filming thanks

[@patpan007]

Excellent video, good quality images and explanations. Thank you!

[@marcobuccelli9523]

Great video. everything's very well explained ! I have a question: I need to replace the clutch pedal spring on mine because it broke. Any tip for that? Thank you!

[@XW0RKS]

very good video. very informative. Today I found out that my clutch is f**ked up. I assumed it's one of the cylinders. This video helped me a lot to understand how stuff goes around in there. So this days hopefully I'll fix it, tho it's E34 and not E30, but they are probably at least 90% similar.

[@autoguide5714]

Great.. this will help me to do this job in coming week.

[@maxu8309]

"And over torque these out of spite" 🤣 Fantastic video! Definitely going to help me change my master this weekend

[@youtubetest386]

Thankyou for the very informative video, helped me change my clutch master cylinder!

[@BIMMERZEITT]

Thanks Evan!!

[@MarioMerenda99]

This video worked perfect for my '86 E28. Thank you so much. YOu made it much less of a headache. :)

[@BIMMERZEITT]

Joe, so glad to hear that! Congrats on getting the job done on your E28 :-)

[@excelzimba]

Thanks for the video, great as usual. This will help me, I'm doing a transmission swap in mine.

[@BIMMERZEITT]

+excelzimba thanks man. Good luck with the swap!

[@drlovedrake]

Thanks so much for this video. Super clear and easy to follow!

[@BIMMERZEITT]

Thanks Ryan!

[@santosreyna1523]

Great help I finally got my 1985 535i going 👍

[@adabashidesign6151]

super helpful. great video!

[@bmw-e30]

Excellent video demonstration. On mine which is right hand drive, the clutch reservoir and brake reservoir are separate. One of these jobs where flexibility is tested.

[@BIMMERZEITT]

Thanks! Yeah it definitely requires some flexibility.

[@frankmayell2367]

excellent video, very thorough

[@romaniac87]

Great video! Thank you so much 🙏

[@Akourmadas]

Great video!

[@manstersr]

Also, if you have shop air and an air blow gun it's best to blow all the accumulated crap from around the end of the master where the line is attached before cracking it open. Brake fluid can be washed off with water (it will desolve in water) if it drips all over the engine compartment paint just rinse it to be sure it isn't eating the paint off. The stuff works better than any paint stripper for removing paint. It's best to change the throttle cable bushing too while in there as the tend to crumble and fall apart leaving you with no throttle control. The feeder tube to the master was dry on this car but like he said, usually the line will be full and come spilling out. One way to empty it is to open the bleeder on the slave cyl. after sucking the fluid out of the reservoir to get it lower that the hose to the clutch master then pump the clutch pedal until most of the fluid is out of it. I would put a plug in the end of the feeder line before feeding it through the firewall to keep dirt from getting into it. My pedal/master mounting bracket was cracked and allowing the master to push off to one side making the pedal effort insane. I had to remove it and weld it up. Works great now.

[@akosimoknoy1213]

Awesome tutorial. Very informative and very clear.

[@BIMMERZEITT]

thanks Eduardo!

[@Little6]

Well made DIY video. Thank you very much.

[@BIMMERZEITT]

+Eric Liu Thanks Eric!

[@mixlimantz]

Thank you for your video! Any link to buy the bushings?

[@idroid2542]

Huge, huge help cheers mate

[@sosyalant]

What a tutorial. You are amazingg buddy

[@markomursecpremzl2720]

Very good video wich show how to replace all bad parts in your bimmer 👍

[@gerryreggea]

As usual great DIY's...I hope the same steps are same as on my E34. Thanks

[@BIMMERZEITT]

Thanks Gerry! Good luck with the job.

[@gravity718]

You are the Man brother, thanks

[@polloloci21]

This is awesome. Thanks man

[@nathancaudle4908]

Thanks for the vid man!! great stuff, keep it up.

[@BIMMERZEITT]

thanks Nathan!

[@jethzeeltorres9727]

I enjoyed watching this great video.

[@BIMMERZEITT]

Jethzeel, thank you!

[@usace69]

Thank you for this helpful video

[@BIMMERZEITT]

Thanks bud!

[@matz0rz4o8]

Very professional

[@BaikalTii]

LOL "over torque these out of spite" I feel that, too. leaving the hard line attached was the best hack, I think. Good Job

[@omaraki01]

so the line from the clutch cylinder is that considered the clutch line?

[@revmatchtv]

Dude this is an excellent video! Great work. 🙏🏻

[@uvasam13]

youre the man

[@taylorswope244]

Does anyone have the part # for the hardline to the master cylinder? I can't find it on realOEM.

[@sydeshowjoe1583]

If you feel vibration in the clutch pedal when depressing, is that a sign the clutch master or slave cylinder is going bad?

[@MarioMerenda99]

SO I finally had the time to go in there and just as your video showed. The bushing on the throttle linkage was gone. I looked on Bavarian autosport but couldn't find the bushing. Any leads on where to acquire?

[@danagboi]

A bit late for a reply to this question but for anyone else wanting to know where to get vintage BMW parts I would suggest Pelican Parts and Blunttech.

[@gerryreggea]

hi thanks for your DIY, seen this video a long time ago though I have seen why you are changing the master cylinder,,question though can the slave cylinder prevent gears from engaging like shifting normal to gears and it becomes hard? Just a question before I rule out the clutch thanks.

[@BIMMERZEITT]

Gerry Reggea yeah the slave cylinder is an important component as well. The slave rod pushes into the trans housing into the pressure plate relieving clamping force from the clutch so you can change gears. The slave cyl and master cyl both must be operating together and both fail commonly, especially so on old cars with ancient hydraulic fluid that breaks down their seals. Try the $30 slave cylinder before considering the clutch job. Bleeding the system is very difficult so might let a garage handle it.

[@gerryreggea]

thanks so much for your response, I will consider the slave cylinder first as I just wanted to rule out the usual suspects first. Unfortunately I do all the work on my rides,I really appreciate. cheers.

[@luisalfredoramirez3471]

@@gerryreggea was the issue fixed? Cause I've recently been having the same issue while shifting gears

[@illude4069]

Thank you finally a video that helped haha

[@BIMMERZEITT]

You're welcome! I couldn't find any help anywhere either, so I decided to make this video!

[@bmw-e30]

Does the master cylinder screw into the hard line? I can see there is a lock nut involved also.

[@BIMMERZEITT]

Yes but if you watch the video I leave it connected until it is out of the car

[@Jonny-dy5jg]

How do you take off the throttle cable, or how do you get to the bolts without taking the linkage off

[@BIMMERZEITT]

hey Jonny, here's the e30 bowden cable/ throttle cable DIY I made: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aJS6kJh4faitiac

[@mro9466]

finally ... 2:12 ... tried to do the opposite on a 525i E34 ... broke the high pressure line

[@darthmal]

After removing all the brake fluid, don't u have to bleed all the brakes too?

[@lazarvuksanovic5080]

On this model of a car, he didn't remove all of brake fluid from the reservoir, since the clutch feed line is in middle of Min/Max range of the reservoir, Either way, if he removed all the brake fluid from the reservoir he doesn't need to bleed unless he stepped on the brake pedal and sucked all the air in.

[@manstersr]

As long as you don't open a bleeder on one of the brake calipers it shouln't let any fluid out and then let air in. I wouldn't press the brake pedal until refilling the reservoir either. Also, if you have shop air and an air blow gun it's best to blow all the accumulated crap from around the end of the master where the line is attached before cracking it open. Brake fluid can be washed off with water (it will desolve in water) if it drips all over the engine compartment paint just rinse it to be sure it isn't eating the paint off. The stuff works better than any paint stripper for removing paint. It's best to change the throttle cable bushing too while in there as the tend to crumble and fall apart leaving you with no throttle control.

[@nomeaning8718]

Do you know if there's a website for a performance throttle body for the m20b25? If so please reply with one, thank you in advance!

[@BIMMERZEITT]

Hey Michael, thanks for the question. I can't think of any that come to mind, but I would suggest checking out something like a chip and camshaft upgrade for the same money. It takes quite some power to reach the limits of the stock throttle body.

[@nomeaning8718]

+BIMMER ZEIT Thanks bro

[@aniluzun2321]

Does it have any effect on braking? Everything is new but my brake pedal is soft. There does not appear to be any leaks or problems.

[@E30John]

I don’t think so, only if there isn’t enough brake fluid, or if air is in your system. Try bleeding your brakes of Air.

[@aniluzun2321]

@@E30John i made everything i guess i need biggest one and need good rear options

[@RobotsandPots]

I tried to separate the flex line from the hard line like you did at 3:26, but I think I stripped the hard line nut. It's pretty stubborn, even with a few sprays of PB. Does that mean I'll need a completely new hard line?

[@BIMMERZEITT]

RobotsandPots it may be a good idea to replace it, to make things easier- this is a difficult job!

[@RobotsandPots]

BIMMER ZEIT I got a brand new hard line, bent it to match the old one, and now my car's back on the road. Thanks for this video!

[@SuperToasterCat]

RobotsandPots I'm in the same situation you're in, what did you use to bend the hard line?

[@guyfawkes8767]

SuperToasterCat your hands.. Its soft.. If you need to do a tight radius bend use a socket so the hardline doesnt pinch it self...

[@HUNGRYKID420]

Where did you find the hardline???

[@hongyuanzhou2032]

Nice job, so it is a 2-3 hours job?

[@BIMMERZEITT]

Hongyuan, I would estimate it could be done in an hour. Maybe two hours if you take your time and have a coffee break in between :-)

[@carsmatccarot56]

You are good a spray painting

[@BIMMERZEITT]

thanks Henry! Anyone can get good results from spray paint, it just takes one thing and only one thing: patience

[@MrHavingfun68]

Year? Not sure why people make videos without this crucial information.

[@BIMMERZEITT]

The E30 clutch master cylinder BMW part 21521156000 is the same on all E30's 1984-1990 so it doesn't really matter

[@MarioMerenda99]

ONe more thing. DO you have a slave cylinder video?

[@BIMMERZEITT]

Hey Joe, I do not unfortunately. Hopefully I can do one soon!

[@coopersilberling6883]

Is the slave cylinder easy to replace? Seems like it’s right there on the trans just plug and play?

[@BIMMERZEITT]

it’s easy to swap out. you’ll need a second person to help you bleed the air out when the new one is in. that can be tricky.

[@coopersilberling6883]

@@BIMMERZEITT same process and difficulty as bleeding brakes with 2 people?

[@BIMMERZEITT]

@@coopersilberling6883 similar, yes

[@coopersilberling6883]

@@BIMMERZEITT do you have any idea how I’d be able to tell what manual transmission I have on my 86 325es? I’m seeing what kind of fluid it takes but not sure if I have the MT-90 or something else

[@coopersilberling6883]

@@BIMMERZEITT my hardline to soft line for the master cylinder is stripped, any suggestions? I figured I could try to disconnect the 11 directly from master clutch cylinder but there’s not enough room or access, I’m kinda stumped

[@HUNGRYKID420]

Where do you buy hardline???????

[@Looter-McGavin]

Any parts store carry’s it; they just have it behind the counter. Make sure you know what style of flares your make and model requires. There are bubble flares, double bubble flares, amongst others.

[@mrwarmonga]

hi do you have a part number for the hard line

[@hassanalrubaye2878]

I need that as well, mine broke when I was removing it

[@mrwarmonga]

@@hassanalrubaye2878 I got one. I had to bend it to work but it work well. I bought it at auto zone . Check back with me in a couple days, I got the part number somewhere

[@alex_rodriguez777]

How did the car feel after this job?

[@BIMMERZEITT]

Alex Rodriguez well the clutch worked again, the part had failed

[@vedadrokkor]

I did everything but I guess I can't get the air out of the system even after pumping the clutch and letting the air out through the screw on slave cylinder for 15min!!! Still no clutch resistance. :(

[@BIMMERZEITT]

Vedad, you may need to use a vac (either pump or with compressed air) to bleed the system. Some of these are extremely frustrating and difficult to bleed manually.

[@vedadrokkor]

Thanks i will try that next.

[@MarioMerenda99]

HI there. Will this technique work for E28?

[@BIMMERZEITT]

Hi Joe, thanks for watching. I haven't replaced one on an E28, but this trick may work for you if your car has a hard line coming out with little room to work.

[@MarioMerenda99]

Awesome. My clutch pedal did the same thing. Went to the flloor and never came back up. Also, can you bleed this without having to bleed brakes? And should I do Slave Cylinder while I'm in there?

[@BIMMERZEITT]

Yes I would definitely do the slave cylinder and line while you're at it. It will be the next to go.

[@MarioMerenda99]

DO you have a part # for that elbow joint?

[@BIMMERZEITT]

Yes check the link in the description for the plastic fitting

[@gdrskater]

How long did it take you?

[@BIMMERZEITT]

It took way longer than it should have since I was recording this video too. I would guess at least two hours. Maybe longer if you’re painting things.

[@gdrskater]

@@BIMMERZEITT sheesh!

[@chinchy111]

I always thought the blue hose was some hack job someone did on my car i was surprised its oem. Looks out of place

[@BIMMERZEITT]

haha I know what you mean. Well, the early models from 1984-1987 in particular have some quirks that you don't see in later cars.

[@edsongasca6746]

If my back plate is moving is that an issue ????

[@BIMMERZEITT]

Edson Gasca back plate?

[@edsongasca6746]

BIMMER ZEIT the two bolts that hold the master cylinder in place , that plate

[@BIMMERZEITT]

@@edsongasca6746 there should be nuts or bolts that secure that down, check if they're loose or missing or removed accidentally

[@edsongasca6746]

BIMMER ZEIT just removed the pedal box it snapped ))): gonna go get it welded lol thanks !

[@bigdrefromthebay6475]

Is this the reason my clutch sticks to the floor ?

[@BIMMERZEITT]

could be. it's either this or the slave cylinder, there are 2 parts to the system

[@bigdrefromthebay6475]

@@BIMMERZEITT thank you for the info and fast reply!!

[@markomursecpremzl2720]

I replace cylinder without removing gas pedal mechamizem.

[@joemerenda3389]

Everything went as planned until the end. Clutch pedal still goes to the floor even after gravity bleed

[@BIMMERZEITT]

I had trouble bleeding air out as well. I now recommend some kind of vacuum pump style bleeder.

[@daveperryLXXVII]

love my e30's but this system sucks. no adjustments.

[@BIMMERZEITT]

what would you replace it with? Wilwood setup?

[@michaelpatrickmoore8900]

Why was I under the impression that was the "Brake" slave cylinder??