Shifter Sloppiness???

[grlaneriejr]

Hey guys, question for you. I have a 85 318i and the shifter is really sloppy. When in reverse, it seems like I can move it to the 5th gear position. I don't want a really short shifter, but would like to know what parts I need to buy to fix this. Does anyone know of a shifter that's maybe an inch shorter than stock? Part #'s from the dealer?

Thanx

[Jand3rson]

A short shift kit essentially IS a shorter shift lever. Give a call or email to http://www.bmaautoparts.com

They have a short shift kit for about $60 that utilizes the lever from a Z3 1.9, and once installed, it's a beautiful thing. The best part is that it's an OE BMW setup, so it works very well. Don't worry, it doesn't turn your shift lever into a rally-style one, it just shortens it up and makes it tighter. If you really want to go tighter, ask Jordan about replacing the large shift linkage bushing with a bolt.

[grlaneriejr]

But does this eliminate the side to side play in the shifter assy? That's what I am trying to fix.

[aaron_silva]

UUC makes a bushing that fixes the side to side motion for I think $25. You could go with that or do something custom like Jordan did.

[JeffBij]

Sloppiness in the shifter is usually due to the rubber bushings on the aluminum shifter carrier being worn out. I would replace them with a set of delrin bushings. Some recommend hard rubber or urethane, but the delrin holds up better in the long run. (You can get them from Bimmerworld.com for $25, they are well worth it.)

If you decide to go with a short shifter, go with the UUC model. It is argueably the best out there for the E30. You can get it for around $250 with the delrin bushing and sealed cartridge bearing. With that setup, shifting is nice and tight and, I think, nice and confortable.

Jeff B.
Roanoke, VA
'89 325i 4 door track car (SpecE30 prepared)
'00 328Ci daily driver

[Sean]

Isn't the slopiness due to the shift linkage? I'm thinkin of having that rebuilt, then putting in a Z3 or Z4 shift lever. I'm not sure if I could have them replace bearings and stuff with better things.

Mine's really sloppy though. A shorter shifter would just hide it - it would still be sloppy, wouldn't it?

[JeffBij]

The bushings are one part of the linkage. The linkage in an E30 moves around, i.e. feels sloppy side to side and front to back, when the bushings on the carrier and the big nylon cup gets worn out. A short shifter won't hide the sloppy movement.

Part of going with a short shift kit is the replacement of these bushings. The also typically use better and tighter tolerance componets than stock. Don't just change out the lever, however, without changing the bushings, etc. It won't fix the problem, and it is a very common problem with the E30 shifting system. When I bought mine E30, the shifting was so bad, the car was difficult and dangerous to drive. I put the UUC shift kit in and haven't regretted it.

Go to www.uucmotorwerks.com. They have a good writeup on the shifter parts and maintenance issues.

Jeff B.
Roanoke, VA
'89 325i 4 door track car (SpecE30 prepared)
'00 328Ci daily driver

[Sean]

Oh, so I could possibly fix the linkage myself, without having to drop teh drivetrain? Or, would I need to drop the drivetrain?

Thanks for the reply!

[Jand3rson]

If you want to do any kind of major work on the linkage, you are going to have to drop the tranny.

if you want to eliminate the slop, do what Jordan did, and replace that front rubber bushing with brass one and a bolt. Ask him how he did it, I'm sure he'll tell you.

[Jordan]

You guys are forgetting something key here.

He has a 85 318i

He doesnt have the aluminum carrier.

[Jand3rson]

Oh yeeeaaahhh..... :oops:

[Sean]

How pricey is it to have a mechanic rebuild the linkage?

If it costs that much, I may try doing something else. But, we'll see.

Thanks.

[Jordan]

If i were to do the work, I figure I would bill 4-5 hours plus parts.

most shops are $65/hr +

figure... $50-80 for parts to FULLY rebuild and replace worn parts.

[Bill 84 318i]

Yeah, pretty much ignore everything but what Jordan said in this thread. Although you can probably replace all the bushings for cheaper labor than that - you don't have to pull the driveshaft or anything if you have patience.




There's a couple shots of your linkage. There are two bushings that attach to the front of the shift console to the back of the transmission and one that mounts the back of the shift console to the body of the car. You'll also want to make sure your spacer rings are nice and tight (the yellow things in the pictures).

All my stuff is brandy new (and I have a Z3 shift lever), but I still have about an side-to-side motion that annoys the hell out of me. I can't tell where it's coming from, but I'll figure out a way around it next time I'm under there.

[franz]

I put in UUC and delrin carrier, etc, without dropping anything. It's a pain but it can be done, took me about an hour. My muffler isn't in the way, I think on 325 it should be moved, not sure. UUC doesn't include a lot of stuff you need to refresh the bushings. The BMA kit for $60 ($56?) includes about everything you would need though, including a new shifter. The delrin carrier bushing if one has an aluminum arm is recommended. Not as critical is the rear suspension bushing for that arm, but you do have to drop the driveshaft for that, wait until clutch, guibo, ujoint or center bearing time. It's about $5.