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SteveM

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I'm looking to replace the 4-speed in my 73 CS with a 265 Getrag and I've sourced one in Texas from an 85 535i.

Firstly is a 265 from that year a bolt-on to the 73 existing bellhousing.
Secondly, I woke up at 4am this morning realising that my car is a Euro model and the speedo in kilometres per hour. Is a US sourced Getrag gearbox speedo drive calibrated for MPH and not KPH - or does the conversion happen in the speedo itself. If it's in the gearbox I'll have either the fastest coupe in Australia - or the slowest.


If the box is in good condition (over 200,000 miles), is the $300 US dollars asking price reasonable by your local standards.

Any tips on what to look for?

Thanks - and man I love this forum
SteveM
 
If you are keeping the car on carbs, then the bellhousing will work fine.

I would be more worried about the 265 you sourced having a speedo drive at all, as some of the later ones have a cover plate instead of the mechanical drive. So, you may have some work there. If they sent you a pic of the unit in question, that can be answered quickly. The actual conversion of the mechanical "signal" to a speed occurs in the speedo only, as far as I am aware. If you are that concerned with it, I think you can take the speedo drive gear from the exisiting 4 speed and install it in the 265, but I am pretty unsure about that.

300$ is a very good price, but even as strong as the 265 is, 200k miles is a very long time for synchs to take a beating, if you catch my drift. I'd statr saving for a rebuild, so when it goes, you won't be caught unawares.
 
I believe that the bell housing also has to come from your donor. Fork and t/o are also different
Almost every question you would think to ask is in the tech info.
4Sp speedo drive gear will work in the 265, but cable will need to be replaced with auto or 5 sp cable, due to length change.
I just completed this upgrade.
steve
 
I believe that the bell housing also has to come from your donor. Fork and t/o are also different
Almost every question you would think to ask is in the tech info.
4Sp speedo drive gear will work in the 265, but cable will need to be replaced with auto or 5 sp cable, due to length change.
I just completed this upgrade.
steve
Click to expand...

I looked at my 4 speed bellhousing a bit when I was doing the swap. The clutch slave, TO arm, and TO bearing are indeed different, but it also looked like the old one would work, as long as it was either all old or all new. (meaning all from the 4 speed or all from the 265)

Everbody does say the speedo cable isn't long enough, but I was able to use my original 4 speed cable without issue. Getting the transmission crossmember to fit right took a bit of work, though.

Don't forget the driveshaft work.
 
car-part.com

This site lists all the parts on wrecking yards databases across the U.S. There are quite a few 5spd transmissions out there...

Dan
 
I just got a 265 (1980 528i, miles unknown) from a local yard in California for exactly $300. Shipping would have been pricey I would think.

I used the website that Dang recommended above to find it.

My mechanic used the bell housing from the 528i to attach it to my '74CS (US model). Didn't do the work myself, so can't give you more info, sorry.
 
I'm looking to replace the 4-speed in my 73 CS with a 265 Getrag and I've sourced one in Texas from an 85 535i.
Click to expand...
1985 Getrag 265s have the provisions for speedometer drive to be installed, but don't come with it. You have to remove a spacer on the output shaft and install the drive gear, then remove a cover from the hole in the rear case and install the cable drive part. The drive gear and cable drive part from any older Getrag that came with those parts will work, even 4 speeds.

1985 was the only year of the E28 535s that used the 265 - all the others used the 260, which has no provision for speedometer drive. Since your are buying this sight unseen, it might be a good idea to have the seller give you a picture so you can verify it has the 3-piece case (separate bellhousing).

I woke up at 4am this morning realising that my car is a Euro model and the speedo in kilometres per hour. Is a US sourced Getrag gearbox speedo drive calibrated for MPH and not KPH - or does the conversion happen in the speedo itself.
Click to expand...
The "conversion" is in the speedometer. The speedometers are tied to the differential ratio. If you don't change the differential, your speedometer will be ok. There is only one part for the cable drive part in the transmission (they are all the same).
 
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