Spec 97-03 BMW 540 E39 4.4L Stage 2+ (Unsprung Disc) Clutch Kit
The SPEC SB133H is a Stage 2+ clutch kit for the 1997-2003 BMW 540i (E39) with the 4.4-liter V8 and the six-speed manual. It is the kit for a 540i owner whose clutch now flares in third and fourth when the V8 pulls hard, whose engagement point has climbed to the top of the pedal, or who has added a supercharger, headers or a tune and needs more holding power without turning a quiet sport sedan into a race car. SPEC rates the SB133H at 545 ft-lb and builds it to work with the factory dual-mass flywheel.
BMW paired the 540i's M62 V8 with the Getrag 420G six-speed, the same gearbox family used in the E39 M5. Stock, the M62B44 makes about 310 lb-ft (420 Nm) at 3,900 rpm, and the factory single-disc clutch is sized for that with little margin left once the car is modified or the disc is half worn. A big, torquey V8 is also hard on a clutch in normal driving: heavy sedan, tall gearing and lots of low-rpm load all add heat.
SPEC's Stage 2+ disc uses a multi-friction lining that SPEC says holds 15 to 20 percent more torque than its Stage 2 Kevlar disc while keeping the smooth, progressive engagement a street car needs. The pressure plate is uprated to clamp harder. The disc in this kit is unsprung: on the 540i the dual-mass flywheel already does the job of soaking up drivetrain shock and V8 firing pulses, which is why SPEC builds the SB133H to bolt to the OE dual-mass flywheel instead of a lightweight single-mass unit. SPEC lists it as a non-ratcheting (non-self-adjusting) design and puts the kit's weight at 15 lb.
Start with the hydraulics. A leaking slave cylinder or air in the line can keep the clutch partly released, and that looks just like slip. Then do a load test: fourth gear at roughly 2,500 rpm, full throttle, and watch whether the tach climbs faster than the speedometer. Our transmission slipping diagnosis guide walks through that test, and flare vs. slip explains how to tell a true slipping clutch from a brief flare between gears. If you are weighing a clutch job against other drivetrain repairs, our manual vs. automatic repair cost guide has realistic labor numbers.
This listing fits the 1997-2003 BMW 540i E39 sedan with the 4.4-liter V8 and six-speed manual transmission. It does not fit 540i cars with the automatic, the six-cylinder 525i, 528i or 530i, which used five-speed gearboxes and different clutches, or the E39 M5. SPEC's chart describes it as the non-ratcheting kit for use with the OE dual-mass flywheel, so plan on reusing a healthy factory flywheel or replacing it with a new OE-type dual-mass unit. If you are not sure what your car has, send us the year and VIN before ordering.
| Brand | SPEC |
| Part number | SB133H |
| Fits | Spec 97-03 BMW 540 E39 4.4L Stage 2+ (Unsprung Disc) Clutch Kit |
| Vehicle fitment | BMW 540 E39 (1997-2003) |
| Type | Clutch Kits - Single |
| Condition | New |
| Ships | Same business day (in stock), from the USA |
| Warranty | 1-year |
No. SPEC lists the SB133H as the kit for use with the original dual-mass flywheel on the 540i. Reuse a healthy factory flywheel or install a new OE-type dual-mass unit.
On the E39 540i the dual-mass flywheel handles drivetrain damping, so a spring center in the disc is not needed. Pairing this disc with a solid single-mass flywheel would remove that damping and is not how SPEC lists it.
SPEC rates the SB133H at 545 ft-lb. A stock M62 V8 makes about 310 lb-ft, so the kit has plenty of margin for bolt-ons, a tune or a mild supercharger.
No. The six-cylinder E39 models used five-speed gearboxes with different clutches, and the M5 has its own S62 clutch. This kit is for the 1997-2003 540i six-speed only.
No. SPEC describes it as a non-ratcheting kit, so it does not use a self-adjusting pressure plate and installs with a standard alignment tool.
