21 51 500 Removing And Installing Or Replacing Clutch Release Bearing/Lever

Fig 1: Identifying Release Bearing And Sliding Surface

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Detach release bearing (1).

Installation: 

Clean all sliding surfaces on clutch release bearing, check for damage and replace if necessary.

Do not  grease clutch release bearing.

Sliding surfaces (2) of clutch release bearing must rest on sliding surfaces (3) of release lever.

Apply a thin coating of grease to sliding surfaces (2) of release bearing.

New clutch release bearing:

Clutch release bearing with moving thrust plate (1).

Swivel motion of thrust plate (1) possible.

Fig 2: Moving Thrust Plate

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Previous clutch release bearing:

Clutch release bearing with rigidly positioned thrust plate (1).

Swivel motion of thrust plate (1) not possible.

Fig 3: Identifying Thrust Plate

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Withdraw release lever (4) from spring wire clip (5) and remove.

Installation: 

Clean release lever.

Fig 4: Identifying Release Lever From Spring Wire Clip

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Apply a thin coating of grease to release lever at sliding surfaces (1 and 2) only.

Fig 5: Identifying Sliding Surfaces

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Installation: 

Check spring wire clip (5) and ball pin (6) for damage and replace if necessary.

Apply a thin coating of grease to ball pin (6).

Fig 6: Identifying Spring Wire Clip And Ball Pin

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Note on installation: (except for E60/E61/E63/E64/M5 and M6) 

Do not  grease guide sleeve.

If guide sleeve is greased, the release lever can stick on the guide sleeve.

Clean guide sleeve (7).

Fig 7: Identifying Guide Sleeve

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