Pump In or Out for SMG Motor Replacement?

[Stepstools]

My new SMG motor arrives on Tuesday and I was curious which procedure for replacement is easier. I've seen that it can either be done with the pump totally removed or through the front left wheel well with the pump still in place. From what I've seen it looks much easier to actually replace the motor with the pump out, but that comes at the cost of having to actually get down to the pump, remove the pump, and bleed the system once it's all back together. I was planning on going through the wheel well, but I pulled my airbox off today for another job and now I'm thinking about just leaving it off until I have a chance to remove the pump. Anybody have thoughts or opinions on the pros and cons of each method?

[oceansize]

I would try and replace without removing the pump as that way you won't have to open the hydraulic system up. As you noted if you take the pump out you will need to do the actuator and clutch slave bleed routines with either INPA or the Schwaben/Foxwell tool. Plus by disconnecting the pump you will lose some fluid meaning you will need some extra on-hand.

Edit: Quick side question:

What symptoms lead you to thinking it is the motor? Have you pulled codes?

[Stepstools]

I would try and replace without removing the pump as that way you won't have to open the hydraulic system up. As you noted if you take the pump out you will need to do the actuator and clutch slave bleed routines with either INPA or the Schwaben/Foxwell tool. Plus by disconnecting the pump you will lose some fluid meaning you will need some extra on-hand.

Edit: Quick side question:

What symptoms lead you to thinking it is the motor? Have you pulled codes?

Thanks for the tips. The typical code when my SMG decides not to shift and the cog light comes on is 56 (0x38): "Switching-on time of hydraulic unit." This makes me think that my motor has become weak from wear and tear and the applied voltage can no longer produce enough force to prime the accumulator in the specified time limit. I've tested my accumulator and found a preload pressure of 32 bar.

Side Note to a Side Answer: I was just looking at the Burkhart SMG wiki and it looks like they've redesigned the site recently: https://burkhart-engineering.com/en/smg-wiki/

[Stepstools]

Update: Wow, the under the car method for replacing the motor is incredibly frustrating. I finally gave up after spending 2 hours trying to remove the electrical connector bracket bolts. I'm changing my plan to just removing the entire hydraulic assembly. On the bright side I'll be able to clean the unit up a bit and install a new temperature sensor. Is this the right temperature sensor for the SMG pump?

However, I will add that this method would definitely be the way to go if you already had the subframe and oil pan dropped. Would be a piece of cake without the oil pan in the way.

[Steve]

I did the under car video on YouTube. If doing it again I would take the airbox off and go from the top.

[Stepstools]

I did the under car video on YouTube. If doing it again I would take the airbox off and go from the top.

Definitely agreed. How did you end up removing the bracket bolts (the ones that are impossible to see)? I just couldn't make the geometry work on one of them.

Anyone have the hydraulic unit temp sensor part number? Of course burkhart isn't going to list it because they want you to buy theirs. I'm hoping to find one stocked in the US. There's very little information out there about the part. My best guess is 13621709967.

[oceansize]

Don't have part number as I bought mine from smg society.

[Steve]

Definitely agreed. How did you end up removing the bracket bolts (the ones that are impossible to see)? I just couldn't make the geometry work on one of them.

Anyone have the hydraulic unit temp sensor part number? Of course burkhart isn't going to list it because they want you to buy theirs. I'm hoping to find one stocked in the US. There's very little information out there about the part. My best guess is 13621709967.

Just by feel.

I have a spare smg temp sensor that I didn’t use with my kit.

[Stepstools]

Update 2: Finally got the motor swapped out using the under car method. This method takes a very long time and is frustrating to say the least. What helped for me was unplugging the PCV drain hose from the oil pan. This added some much needed clearance, but I had to be very careful not to drop a tiny bolt down the pan. Borrowing a friend's torx set with slightly different geometry helped out too. I would honestly only recommend going this route it if your oil pan is already dropped or you don't have access to INPA or other diagnostic software to bleed the system. I would estimate that the top down method probably takes the same amount of time, but seems like it would be far less frustrating (although removing and installing the airbox is a bit of a pain too). It also has the advantage of letting you swap out the temperature sensor or relocating to the drug bin at the same time. The top down method would definitely be the way to go if your airbox was already off for another job.

Also, Steve was kind enough to send me the part number off of his leftover temperature sensor from the Burkhart kit. It's Bosch P/N 0280130026: https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw...sor-0280130026.

[Arith2]

After removing and reinstalling my intake, I can say it's not that bad. It may take some time but it's not a very difficult job. The only tough part is reconnecting the oil drain. I can't imagine how you even accomplished this with removing it.

[Ob917]

I had no problem swapping mine with the unit still in the car. Small 1/4 ratchet makes it easy. Either way it’s not the funnest job. I’ve also pulled the pump from the top.