Re: 535is Clutch - (stiff)

["Shawn Anderson" <Endevor@xxxxxxxxx>]

>This morning I went to check out a 535is which I am considering buying.  I
>had never driven an e28 series car and I was somewhat taken back by how
>stiff the clutch was.  The guy said that this is how it is supposed to be.
>I've driven many cars before and I've yet to experience a clutch as stiff
as
>this outside of large military off-road vehicles.  Is the clutch in the
>535is supposed to be stiff in general?  Could anyone give me some info on
>this subject?  How about longevity of the clutch, and what are the signs
>that it is about to go?

I have 160,000 miles on my clutch and it is still in good condition.  As for
the stiffness, some is normal.  It's no Honda.  However, if the "over
center" spring is broken, it can cause the clutch to be extremely stiff.
This is a spring that attaches to the clutch pedal and helps you push in the
clutch.  Mine broke once and made driving the car very unpleasant.  This is
no small spring.  It looks like a valve spring from a Chevy big block.

Shawn Anderson
1990 535

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