If you get hold of a BMW V8 manual gearbox then you'll also want the E34 V8 manual flywheel and clutch. Finding a complete manual 530/540i to take the engine & box from would be ideal.
I decided to use the Ford V6/Cosworth pattern 240mm clutch because i didn't have a manual BMW flywheel or clutch to begin with, so i chose a clutch pattern that was universally available and had upgraded parts available. Also it fits with spline pattern on the Ford gearbox i used.
This is the BMW V8 manual clutch:
At first i'd used a standard Ford V6 clutch with the 530i engine but it needed changing for something with a lot more friction for the 740i engine. This is the uprated Cosworth 4x4 cover and paddle clutch i'm currently using, which was advertised as being good for 350lb/ft torque:
The paddle plate i'm using doesn't have a sprung centre, and i'd read that these will judder a lot for everyday driving. The only time i've noticed the judder is when you have to feather the clutch a lot, like pulling out of a tight parking space on a steep hill or creeping in slow traffic up a steep hill. Apart from these particular situations it drives like a normal clutch.
A new 32x15x9 ball-bearing was fitted in the back of the crank to take the Ford input shaft. The hole in the crank is far too big for the Ford input shaft so it needs this bearing to stop the end of the input shaft floating around.
