89 325i 3rd gear tranny problem....

160k is nothing. Have you been changing fluid regularly? The manual for the 3-series says to change every 30,000 miles. How long has the current fluid been in there?

If it's been a while, I would consider just changing the transmission and differential fluid first off and see if you can free the thing up before it completely seizes and tears up.

Yes, you could get a junkyard transmission, and I would not hesitate to get a junkyard one since these things last damn near forever unless they are abused.

--scott

synchronizer sleeve is worn out - needs R/R!!

When purchasing a used car I always perform a wet/dry compression test before the purchase - this will determine if there is any internal issues that might not be observed otherwise!!

ok, so is this a part i can buy and have put in for less than, say, $600 by an auto mechanic or should i just get a whole used tranny and have that put in, and how much would a mechanic usually charge for a tranny swap? thanks for the help!

Well, from MY perspective, I would think that if you are having premature transmission failure, it's probably a sign that the vehicle was not taken care of properly by the previous owners. And that therefore you can expect to find other exciting surprises in the future.

For the most part, swapping out the transmission with a junkyard one will cost less than swapping it out a rebuilt. Going in and fixing the synchronizers is silly, because it will cost about as much as a good rebuilt anyway.

--scott

So exactly how would a dry and wet compression test have shown the original poster that he had excessive bearing clearance relating to 3rd gear and it's associated syncro rings and sleeves?

I don't get it. The complaint isn't excessive oil consumption or spark plug fouling, in fact it sounds like the original poster is happy with the way his BMW runs.