E39 S5D 200G/S5D 250 G gearbox — BMW
E39 S5D 200G/S5D 250 G gearbox on BMW: 53 steps. What to remove, in what order, and what to check after.
Taking out the S5D 200G or S5D 250G five-speed manual gearbox on the BMW 5 Series E39 (520i, 523i, 525i, 530i) is a from-below job with the car on a lift. The lower engine covers come off, the propeller shaft is unbolted at the gearbox and the middle support, lowered and removed, then the clutch slave cylinder is unbolted and hung up with its hydraulic lines still attached. The engine is supported on a wooden block before the cross member is removed, the gear-shift linkage is released at its securing clip and selector rod, and finally the bell-housing bolts come out. The two things that decide it are not opening the hydraulic system and not tearing the propeller shaft rubber boot.
🧭 Before you start
Remove the lower engine covers, unbolt the propeller shaft from the gearbox and its middle support, lower it and lift it out. Unbolt the slave cylinder without disconnecting the lines, support the engine on a wooden block and remove the cross member. Release the gear-shift securing clip and selector rod, remove the gearbox bolts and lower the gearbox. Refit in reverse and refill the gearbox with oil.
Fits: platform codes 520I, |, 523I, 525I, 530I
- Opens: gearbox oil
Don't miss
- Leave the slave cylinder hydraulic lines connected; hang the cylinder aside instead.
- Protect the propeller shaft rubber boot when lowering the shaft.
- Put a wooden block between jack and engine sump before the cross member comes off.
- Refill the gearbox after refitting; never assume the fill survived the removal.
- Keep Torx and hex bolts sorted by location, as general practice, since lengths differ.
Written for this job from the workshop steps below · TorqFix editorial.
📋 Procedure
- Installation is in the reverse order of removal
- Refill the gearbox
- Remove the lower engine covers (if fitted)
- Drive shaft
- Propeller shaft to gearbox:
- M12:
- Lower the propeller shaft
- Do not damage the rubber boot
- Remove the propeller shaft
- Remove the clutch slave cylinder
- Note: Do not disconnect the hydraulic lines
- Remove the cross member
- Support the engine
- Note: Use a wooden block to support the engine
- Propeller shaft middle support
- Disconnect the gear-shift control
- Loosen the securing clip
- Loosen the selector rod
- Remove the gearbox bolts
- Remove the gearbox
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Who makes these pages, and how
TorqFix was built by a mechanic — after a 2,700 km drive with five roadside repairs that no diagnostic tool could explain.
The figures on this page come from manufacturer workshop documentation and are shown as they are. The page is assembled automatically from that data — it is not written by an AI. The AI works in the chat, where it answers for your specific car. It writes nothing here.
Variants of the same model differ. Cross-check torque against the factory manual for your engine before final tightening.
Seen a figure that does not match your manual? Write to us — we correct it and note when. support@torqfix.com
The story behind TorqFix →Workshop data on this page last updated 20 Sep 2026.