The 2014 Alpina D3 Touring with *almost* moon mileage

[Waitey]

WELCOME TO MY f**king WORLD

Old diff



New diff



But now I’ve calmed down, I’ve found the latest diff is going for £800 on eBay, I paid less than that for it. On eBay it goes.

[Waitey]

So:

Alpina set up

Gearbox flange = 110mm bolt centres with 37 spline 30mm fitting
Front Giubo = 110mm bolt centres for both sides
Front drive shaft flange = 110mm bolt centres
Drive shaft length 1472mm
Rear drive shaft flange = 110mm bolt centres
Rear Giubo = 110mm bolt centres for both sides
Diff Flange = 110mm bolt centres with 34 spline 27.6mm fitting

F3X 330d set up

Gearbox flange = 105mm bolt centres with 34 spline 26.7mm fitting
Front Giubo = 105mm bolt centres for both sides
Front drive shaft flange = 105mm bolt centres
Drive shaft length 1490mm
Rear drive shaft flange = 105mm bolt centres
Rear Giubo = 105mm bolt centres for both sides
Diff Flange = 105mm bolt centres with 34 spline 27.6mm fitting

5 series set up (Alpina)

Gearbox flange = 110mm bolt centres with 37 spline 30mm fitting
Front Giubo = 110mm bolt centres for both sides
Front drive shaft flange = 110mm bolt centres
Drive shaft length 1601mm
Rear drive shaft flange = 110mm bolt centres
Rear Giubo = 110mm bolt centres for both sides
Diff Flange = 110mm bolt centres with 37 spline 30mm fitting

7 series set up (740 upwards)

Gearbox flange = 110mm bolt centres with 37 spline 30mm fitting
Front Giubo = 110mm bolt centres for both sides
Front drive shaft flange = 110mm bolt centres
Drive shaft length 1703mm
Rear drive shaft flange = 110mm bolt centres
Rear Giubo = 110mm bolt centres for both sides
Diff Flange = 110mm bolt centres with 37 spline 30mm fitting


5 and 7 series Diff's won't fit the subframe.

So the key is the bold part, I just have no idea what BMW that was actually fitted to other than the F3X Alpina.

Also it looks like I have the ZHP8 Gearbox with a large output shaft. Which would have been used in a 7 series normally.

Alpina really went to town with these changes!

[Waitey]

Alpina can get me a new one, but it comes with a new drive shaft. Which will be £££££ and a 12 week wait.

[Waitey]

ATM said:

Oh no

So is that just general wear and tear or has something caused this?

300k of wear and tear.

[Waitey]

Mocked this up in cad.

Would work for changing my 110pcd vibration mount down to 105pcd for my diff flange. It needs to be 8mm thick though and I'm not sure I have that much slack in the prop.

Edited by Waitey on Thursday 4th July 15:22

[Waitey]

Slippydiff said:

Looks like SGF are THE manufacturer for the OE BMW parts :

https://www.sgf.com/en/flexible-discs/

Worthwhile seeing if they have a UK agent/distributor ?

Edit, you’re trying to source the flange, NOT the guibo ?

Edited by Slippydiff on Thursday 4th July 15:46

Yus I need the flange.

110mm M12 bolt centres with a female 27.6mm 34 spline.

[Waitey]

ATM]I'm beyond my skill level or knowledge boundaries here but thought I'd chip in. You can get props customised. So could you get the diff or rear part of the new diff prop [from the same donor car said:

joined to your car's front part.

A chop and re weld is an option too.

[Waitey]

Falcuono said:

Is this something?

Sadly that’s just a 335i differential.

The Alpina one would have the front flange I need in it. From looking at the flex that is a 105mm centre one.

Thanks for looking though.

[Waitey]

Watchthis said:

I'd be tempted to chuck the old parts back together with a healthy dose of loctite or chemical metal on the splines and get it through it's 300k barrier. Not really

I was also tempted, till I saw the lack of splines on the input shaft of the diff!!

[Waitey]

Looks like I better get it fixed asap.

Good morning,

Congratulations, you've been accepted into our Readers' Cars display at our Annual Service at Bicester Heritage on Saturday 10th August!

[Waitey]

Took the flange to show a machine shop today.

They said they'd fill the holes with weld and redrill at 110 centres.

Seemed a simple solution.

[Waitey]

I've caved.

Some chinese fella is making me a new one. Lets hope my CAD measurement drawings and his English are good enough to get this done!

$15

I can't lie, he seems legit



He's promised some photo's once he's finished it.

[Waitey]

No f**king way. Had a Chinese update.

“Just finished machine back engage spline, send out tomorrow”



They deffo make the blanks for the EU haha, crafty little Chinese man.

I salute you.

[Waitey]

So



There’s stuff in it.





I can even see metal



Looks right in the kitchen.









Does it fit on the vibration mount.




YES IT DOES!


Does it fit on (one of the many) diff’s with the right size input shaft…….













So happy. 4 day turn around from CAD to part from China.

[Waitey]

bolidemichael said:

Jesus, four days, impressive.

As someone alluded to earlier and that has occurred to a luddite like me, how can you be certain of the tensile strength of this component and that it meets the specifications of Alpina/Rolls Royce?

I can't but since its clearly machined from the same blanks ZF use (which would be presumably made in China, since that's where 60% of the worlds steel is made), I think it'll be fine.

The said it was made from tool steel and it has the appearance and hardness of tool steel.

[Waitey]

MrC986 said:

Waitey's latest mission just sadly proves what most don't know.. ..we don't make much in the UK these days How it can be cheaper to have something shipped from so far away for such a relatively small price is boggling. We're so reliant on the likes of on-line retailers that as soon as you start looking at slightly more niche stuff we're in the mire. It does give us petrolheads some hope but you need perseverance unless you want to be bent over by the main dealers for convenience.

As someone who now has all the cars on the drive again with 100k+ miles this gives me quiet hope Thanks for posting Waitey of your ongoing desire to pile the miles on the Alpina

Tbh the raw material is made in China. Their willingness to work and help though is outstanding.

I contacted 5 UK machining companies. 3 didn’t want to do a single item. One wanted £2100 plus vat for a “custom part” and one wanted £700 plus vat, and me to send the original part and new diff at my cost to them.

Whereas a random Chinese person I found on a South African heavy equipment forum. Found a blank, welded and machined a spline onto it and used my CAD to set the hole centre and design. He did that in 2 days and it arrived with me from china 3 days later.

All for £148 including delivery and import tax.

[Waitey]

It’s moved under its own power. Now the boring job of putting everything back together!



It’s even getting new fixings.

[Waitey]

So it works, and I don’t have a knock anymore.

It does though have a vibration on really hard acceleration and when doing 90 degree turns.

So the OG eBay diff could be a duff, but I have another of those.

Or the centre bearing in the shaft is a bit sad.

[Waitey]

Fixed it!

Some dhead had put the centre bearing carrier in upside down.

2 hours 38 mins for a full strip down and build back up. I’m knackered.

Trip out to Tesco for some celebration beers.

[Waitey]

Forgot to mention.

Mileage is now.

299813.