I live in NC and need to find someone that is reasonably pricing in rebuilding a Getrag 280/5 for the '88 M6. Thank you

I live in NC and need to find someone that is reasonably pricing in rebuilding a Getrag 280/5 for the '88 M6. Thank you

Wow, another CS owner. That makes you possibly the third or fourth one on the entire board.

Reasonably priced is a relative term. There is a Getrag rebuilder near Athens, I can get you the number a bit later, but I doubt you'll be able to find one that will do the job for less than 2k. Metric Mechanic usually gets good reviews. It would probably be far cheaper to pick up a Getrag 265 for a few bucks and use that till it croaks. You might have to get your driveshaft cut, though.

My understanding is that the 265 is also more than just shortening the shaft. The gearing ratio is also off. Thanks

p.s.

2 years in the bodyshop on the cs and it will undergo engine surgery this winter/spring for a 3.5 heart upgrade as well as 5 spd to complete the transformation.

dwa1971

My understanding is that the 265 is also more than just shortening the shaft. The gearing ratio is also off. Thanks

p.s.

2 years in the bodyshop on the cs and it will undergo engine surgery this winter/spring for a 3.5 heart upgrade as well as 5 spd to complete the transformation.

dwa1971

As you can see here (265):
http://www.metricmechanic.com/pg53.htm
and here (280):
http://www.metricmechanic.com/pg56.htm
the gear ratios are virtually identical. 1st and 2nd are a bit shorter but 3rd, 4th, and 5th are almost exactly the same. Since Getrag rebuilding is a dying art, any rebuild shops are going to charge around 2-5k to rebuild the trans, based on my searching.

Ah, another coupe goes under the knife. I did the M30B35 swap/Motronic 1.3/ Getrag 265 swap with mine last summer. Now it is in the body shop till December. (hopefully)

I did find someone in CT that can rebuild for $2100 which is certainly better than the $3400 MM wants. I have talked with a few other people as well as well as MM about the setup and I know there are plenty out there that have done the 265 but until I have exhausted all to find a used 280 or rebuilt one then the 265 will be last.

On the CS, the engine is fine but tired and rather than rebuild I decided to go that route but I plan to stay on the carb side with triples as I am old school and feel more comfortable with my skills on that than I do on the FI side. Maximillian & La Holla helped me with a lot of parts as well as NOS items on ebay. I even went as far as getting the original decals but kept the paint original and brought her down to the metal and removed all rust with new metal, new rubber seals (if you haven't purchased new door rubbers and engine bay be prepared for some higher than expected costs and go with original ones rather than home made as they look a lot better). I am running BBS RS rims that I refinished and look great. A lot of work but worth it in the end. I expect the engine job to be a hell of a lot easier. Cheers and good luck

I did find someone in CT that can rebuild for $2100 which is certainly better than the $3400 MM wants. I have talked with a few other people as well as well as MM about the setup and I know there are plenty out there that have done the 265 but until I have exhausted all to find a used 280 or rebuilt one then the 265 will be last.

On the CS, the engine is fine but tired and rather than rebuild I decided to go that route but I plan to stay on the carb side with triples as I am old school and feel more comfortable with my skills on that than I do on the FI side. Maximillian & La Holla helped me with a lot of parts as well as NOS items on ebay. I even went as far as getting the original decals but kept the paint original and brought her down to the metal and removed all rust with new metal, new rubber seals (if you haven't purchased new door rubbers and engine bay be prepared for some higher than expected costs and go with original ones rather than home made as they look a lot better). I am running BBS RS rims that I refinished and look great. A lot of work but worth it in the end. I expect the engine job to be a hell of a lot easier. Cheers and good luck

On the East coast, the other major name is Korman, but they are even worse than Dinan, in terms of price.

Ah, the triple 40's, eh? I was considering it, until I read about carb synching. I'll let Motronic sort it all out. As for the rubber, oh, I know. I spent a good 1200$ for a complete set of outer seals. I actually have a spare driver's side door seal, if you know someone who would be interested in one for less than dealer/normal parts guys prices.

Have you checked out the e9coupe.com board yet? Great bunch of guys, and they tend to know the people who actually fix components, rather than just replace them. You could ask over there, too.

I checked w/Korman as well and they are around $2900. I also found another place in CT from a guy on Roadfly and he wants $2100 so getting better. Just a matter of shipping costs.

In terms of the boards, I have been on Roadfly & the E9 Coupe board for some time and everyone has been very helpful and I have even gotten some parts from some people. Good idea though about asking someone over there. Most of the guys on the E9 Coupe board are in CA though but I will check.

Cheers

dwa1971

Well, if you are spending as much as it's going to take to rebuild an M6 tranny you may as well get the best and get something that'll out-shift anything else.

Blanton transmissions are the best around and are used by many racers because they shift faster and have the gears reground to have beveled edges for easier meshing.

If you can't afford a rebuild right now install a used transmission and save up for the Jim Blanton rebuild, you'll be glad you did. A friend had his done by Blanton and he swore by it....and he tracked his car often. Others that drove the car were amazed by the ease of shifting and the speed in which gears can be changed.

My advice is DON'T SKIMP, when it come to your engine, diff or tranny, pay for the best and lose the rest! :rocketwho

Blanton Transmissions
1427 West 9th Street
Kansas City, MO 64101
816-221-8584

jblanton@sky.net

Man, how could I forget this thread:
http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=367840&highlight=getrag+rebuild

It has several people who bring in euro getrag 280/6-es, so they usually have some 280/5's around.

Email sent, I can get it done for you. Price is fair and work is great
Steve

I did find someone in CT that can rebuild for $2100 which is certainly better than the $3400 MM wants. I have talked with a few other people as well as well as MM about the setup and I know there are plenty out there that have done the 265 but until I have exhausted all to find a used 280 or rebuilt one then the 265 will be last.

On the CS, the engine is fine but tired and rather than rebuild I decided to go that route but I plan to stay on the carb side with triples as I am old school and feel more comfortable with my skills on that than I do on the FI side. Maximillian & La Holla helped me with a lot of parts as well as NOS items on ebay. I even went as far as getting the original decals but kept the paint original and brought her down to the metal and removed all rust with new metal, new rubber seals (if you haven't purchased new door rubbers and engine bay be prepared for some higher than expected costs and go with original ones rather than home made as they look a lot better). I am running BBS RS rims that I refinished and look great. A lot of work but worth it in the end. I expect the engine job to be a hell of a lot easier. Cheers and good luck

The nice thing about the MM tranny is that he's modified it so you don't have to swap your driveshaft (I'd thought the requirement was to lengthen it, not shorten it). Blanton and Rowe (MM) are pretty much considered equivalent, but I contacted Blanton a while back and he said he wasn't doing those rebuilds any more - focusing on newer stuff.

All things considered, I'm taking mine to Steve's guy in GA for a full rebuild.

Does Steve's guy in GA modify the synchro's and bearings like the MM (or Blanton)?

Does Steve's guy in GA modify the synchro's and bearings like the MM (or Blanton)?

No. Unfortunately for everyone, Steve's guy didn't work out well. Took so long that I eventually punted and bought a factory-new tranny (actually two, but that is another story).

I found a guy up North who was in the $2K range (plus or minus $200 depending on what they had to do...), so if I was looking, I'd go in that direction.

What have you got going?

EDIT: To answer the question - "No" he uses standard parts.

As you can see here (265):
http://www.metricmechanic.com/pg53.htm
and here (280):
http://www.metricmechanic.com/pg56.htm
the gear ratios are virtually identical. 1st and 2nd are a bit shorter but 3rd, 4th, and 5th are almost exactly the same. Since Getrag rebuilding is a dying art, any rebuild shops are going to charge around 2-5k to rebuild the trans, based on my searching.

Ah, another coupe goes under the knife. I did the M30B35 swap/Motronic 1.3/ Getrag 265 swap with mine last summer. Now it is in the body shop till December. (hopefully)
Jim Blanton charges $3500 to do his rebuild. BTW he does not agree with Metric Mechanic about using the 265 in an M6. Here is a quote from him. "Your transmission is the rarest of the manuals not only because of the M5/M6 production numbers but more importantly because the gear ratios
are the closest of any ( even the 265 close ratio). For instance, compared to the 265 overdrive you mentioned the ratios are: 265 - 3.82, 2.20, 1.40, 1.00, 0.81 280 - 3.51, 2.08, 1.35, 1.00, 0.81 Having a 9% taller 1st gear, 6% taller 2nd, 4% taller 3rd, doesn't sound significant but that translates into hundreds of rpm when shifting from gear to gear, so that the engine stays in its narrow powerband where all the power is. The 265 is the easiest to convert to in the E24, and although each has its own shortcomings they are comparable in strength/dependability. However, to me, the better gearing puts the 280 in a class by itself. "
He also mentions that substituting a 265 takes away from the value of the M6 or M635.

I have the Blanton in mine and like it very much, I'd call to see if he's willing to rebuild one for you.
Dan

If it was going in my M5, I would actually prefer standard parts, then if it ever had to be rebuilt again, any good rebuilder can do it and not have to have access to some part that no one knows where to get

How about Korman in Greenville, NC? They will rebuild for about $3,000. This was the quote as of last month. Unfortunately as the dollar depreciates, this price will climb even higher.

Sorry, Greensboro, NC.

I think Steve H. is right about the 280 rebuild using special design bearings. If that 280 needs another rebuild you in the future you will probably need those special bearings again and hope that the rebuilder or bearings are still available. But e24Mpower's 280 tranny replacement experience kind of scares me a little.

How about Korman in Greenville, NC? They will rebuild for about $3,000. This was the quote as of last month. Unfortunately as the dollar depreciates, this price will climb even higher.

Personally, I wouldn't use Korman for the 280 rebuild. This isn't a statement on them, just that they aren't a tranny rebuild shop.

I think Steve H. is right about the 280 rebuild using special design bearings. If that 280 needs another rebuild you in the future you will probably need those special bearings again and hope that the rebuilder or bearings are still available. But e24Mpower's 280 tranny replacement experience kind of scares me a little.

I wouldn't let my experience sway you in any particular direction - mainly I just had the perfect storm going.