[rjm98119]

So, this is sort of a cross-post, because I basically cribbed from this helpful person in the F80 forum:
http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1211871

I think there's not much difference, but I had a couple of additions and clarifications which may be specific to our cars, but also may just be due to different options installed.

Overall, I would just caution this: Space is tight, and you must contort your body to get in there. It's all so tight, and so fiddly, it took me several hours, a lot of it with my feet sticking up over the back seat. At the end of that day, I had bruises, scrapes, and carpet burns on parts of my body I would not have thought possible. If you have very little patience, (I am borderline), take a deep breath and know, going in, this will not be quick or fun .

(I tell my impressions below... spoiler: I'm pretty happy with it).

Overall, the UCP instructions aren't bad, but they don't cover newer cars.

Here are my additions. I got no extra pictures because either the post above covered it or it was in a blind spot I could neither see nor get my phone into.

1. What he says in the F80 post about connecting the over-center spring first is spot-on. You almost certainly will not be able to do it in the order the UCP instructions call out, because you have to compress the spring quite a bit, and if you don't connect it first, you're going to need 3 hands (and one of those hands must be unusually strong).
   
2. If you have a backup/reversing camera, the camera module and its braket are in the way of the master-cylinder pin unless you have a special angled tool to push it out. You'll have to remove both the module and the bracket, which is not "hard", but it's tight and it is, in fact, one of the reasons I had to remove the airbag (noted below). Once you pry out the module itself, there's a screw (in a difficult spot) holding the bracket. Unscrew it, and then slide the bracket towards the firewall to remove.
   
3. I had to remove the knee airbag to get leverage/space, which requires disconnecting the battery and waiting for a while to release charge. I just could not get the angle I needed for several operations while it was in place. Very easy to remove, just plan ahead because you have to disconnect the battery and let it sit for a while.
   
4. There is an air duct you have to kind of shove around. It is not attached with mechanical fasteners to anything (except for a clip in one place) and is sort of slip-jointed into other ducts. You're going to need time to sit and "study" how it's connected so you don't break it. At some point along the main trunk it routes down and slips into another duct which goes under the console. You can't really see it. Feel it with your fingers before you start messing with it, because if it comes loose, you'll have to get it back in, and its difficult to do blindly if you have no idea how it went in there in the first place (and the only way to see it is to remove the whole center console panel... And TIWS manual is utterly useless here). I got lucky but almost screwed it up. YMMV.
   
5. Put the rubber pedal pad onto the pedal before installing. Sounds silly, but I actually found it a little tricky (after being tired and annoyed) to actually get the pedal pad onto the new pedal because I couldn't get the right leverage.

I think that's it. Overall, I'm pretty happy with it. I tried with the following spring combinations:
1. "Factory" position, both springs
2. "Factory" position, inner removed
3. Middle position, inner removed
4. Middle, both springs

It was tought call between 3 and 4 for me, I ultimately left it with #4. Might try #3 again.

The position of the pedal is subtle, but it makes a very noticeable difference. I like to sit closer to the wheel, and I can get a much better position. Also, with the slightly higher tension I feel more connected. It's not just the tension, though... there's something different about the linearity of the travel which is nicer. And, it's not just my imagination... I can say this because I had to relearn the clutch engagement and stalled a couple of times .

Overall, worth it for the money, IMHO.

[Trappedinbelgium]

Have not seen any updates...still happy with the ultimate clutch after a few months of use?

[leecarrera]

I just finished the installation in my M2 but it was more difficult than I expected and probably more than it needed to be. Some additional installation instructions could have gone a long way to making it easier. So here is what I found.
Once the lower panel was removed and the wiring disconnected it became obvious that the airbag really impeded seeing the upper portion of the clutch pedal. Two ways to handle this. The battery could be disconnected and the airbag could be completely removed or keep it tethered by the wire and move it around. I now wish I would have just removed it. It was a pain but I kept it tethered. Next I removed the clipped end of the foot well air duct and pulled it out of the connection behind the console but did not remove it completely. Again I was continually moving it around to get access while replacing the pedal but I did not want to crack or break any parts in trying to completely remove it. Now with visibility improved I could start removing the old pedal assembly. In trying to remove the pin in the clutch master cylinder access was severely limited by the location of the camera electronic module and plastic bracket. This is held in with a #25 Torx and after removal of this screw the plastic bracket was still attached by a top connection that I was never able to see or remove and again not wanting to break anything I decided to leave it in place. It would be a great help to know how to remove the whole bracket but instead I removed the module from the bracket and then because of the flexibility of the plastic I could deform it enough to get all the attachments off the original pedal and remove it. Of course when I tried to fit the new assembly with the bronze bushing which was one piece replacing the pedal on the shaft was much more difficult but not impossible (since the original had the teflon bushes that were two parts I could get more angulation on the original pedal assembly with the outer bush removed to get it out-no such luck going back in with the UCP). I reconnected the over center spring before reattaching the master cylinder (much easier than the reverse order) replaced the clutch stop and put everything back together.
In my mind the one piece of information on the R&R for the pedal assembly that would be the most help for the M2 (or other 2 series cars) would be to find out how to remove completely that plastic bracket for the camera module. With that gone a much bigger space to the left of the clutch pedal would make the whole process much easier. I’m anxious to try out the pedal tomorrow and already can see a great reduction in pedal height off the floor.

[XutvJet]

leecarrera,

Did you disconnect the camera module or did you just let it hang out of way? I'm considering the UCP and I noted that the module was going to pose an install issue. Everything else seems relatively easy as I have a ton of tools and am use to working in very tight, laughably confining areas.