e34 525iT manual swap issues

[tak7]

Hi all,
I'm having a mechanic friend convert my 92 525iT to a 5 speed using a mix of parts, e34 manual driveshaft, e36 zf320, s3.23, etc. It's put back together but the shifter itself is too far forward and is contacting the transmission tunnel (r,1,3). The shifter linkage I got was for an e36 so I got a new shifter arm but it's the exact same. Has anyone run into this problem?
Sorry, no pics currently as I'm not near the car.
Any insight or thoughts would be appreciated.
Cheers

[FireFight]

sounds like you might have the linkage for a getrag and trying to put in on a zf, they are different lengths.

[FireFight]

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/showparts?id=CB33-USA-04-1992-E36-BMW-325i&diagId=25_0577

number 1 in this is e36 only, that is most-likely your problem, e34 is longer

when i did my 5 speed in my touring i used e34 only parts and had 0 issue with any fitment

[tak7]

Thanks FireFight
I bought a new shifter arm, #1, and it is the same. Could it be the selector rod?
They appear to be different lengths e36 vs e34.

[AndrewBird]

That's what he is saying. You need this number one:

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/showparts?id=HD53-USA-06-1992-E34-BMW-525i&diagId=25_0025

What part number did you order?

[tak7]

Thanks AndrewBird,
I bought 25111221676 (late e34 m50 manual) and it's the same.
So I'm curious about the selector rod now? #9 in the e36 diagram and #11 in the e34?

[FireFight]

yeah they would need to be the correct one for the year of the trans and the correct body of car
like if you have a early model ZF in what ever year e34 you need to get the shifter parts off a 91-92 525i with a 5 speed.
if you run a late getrag in any year e34 it needs to be shift parts from a 93-95 e34 525i.

to take out any weird issues i would lose all e36 shifting parts besides the shifter its self.

if you have a zf320 then thats what came in non vanos cars, so you would need an early shift arm and selector rod. a late e34 if for getrags 250

[FireFight]

you need
25111221664
and
25111221950
for the shifter.
hopefully you got the correct clutch kit as well, because they are different, in-fact almost all components are different, i have a lift of all the parts i bought when i did my swap with numbers ill post it

[FireFight]

here is list of thing i used for the 5 speed swap. note that i work at a parts store so alot of these prices may seem cheap

the shifter hard parts came with my trans

[tak7]

Thanks again FireFight.
My car is a '92 525iT. I think the trans is from a '96 e36.
I bought a swap kit almost complete, short of the shift linkage and transmission, I did have to replace the transmission cross member and mounts because they were the wrong ones.
The car is back together and moving under its own power, but the up gears have to be held to stop from popping and won't fully engage because of the trans tunnel. I believe the clutch to be correct.
Do the part numbers you gave me still make sense?

[Habla]

Firefight, did you notice that the z3 1.9 lever lands slightly forward in the hole? I just put mine in my wagon and neutral is off center.

[FireFight]

Thanks again FireFight.
My car is a '92 525iT. I think the trans is from a '96 e36.
I bought a swap kit almost complete, short of the shift linkage and transmission, I did have to replace the transmission cross member and mounts because they were the wrong ones.
The car is back together and moving under its own power, but the up gears have to be held to stop from popping and won't fully engage because of the trans tunnel. I believe the clutch to be correct.
Do the part numbers you gave me still make sense?

well if its moving under it own power i would assume the clutch should be fine as long as the pedal doesnt let out i a weird spot


if you do infact have a ZF320, then you need to run all early car stuff, late e36s had getrags(except m3 and curtin 328i) and they are know to blow up(i have replaced two in the past few years on different peoples cars) a common swap for e36 guys to to put a zf310(91-92) in a later car(93-99) and run the early shifter parts because its a stronger trans.
a zf320 and zf310 are the same pretty much so you need to pretend you got this trans from a 1992 e34 525i and buy the correct shift parts and this will fix your problem, anything you got for a 93-95 525i will be the incorrect length

[FireFight]

Firefight, did you notice that the z3 1.9 lever lands slightly forward in the hole? I just put mine in my wagon and neutral is off center.

it sounds like you have it in backwards, they are slightly bent and that bend needs to go towards the rear of the car.

[Habla]

Nope, its in the right way. Yanked it out of the e30 and dropped it in. It shifts fine, just not perfect aesthetically. It's also a bit low...might change it out for something taller.

Clutch pedal is much lighter than the e30 too, but the wagon has a new clutch, cylinders, etc...apples and oranges I bet.

[FireFight]

Clutch pedal is much lighter than the e30 too, but the wagon has a new clutch, cylinders, etc...apples and oranges I bet.

e34s have a big spring to assist with clutch feel, e30s don't.
It takes a bit of practice when i go from my touring to my e30 just because the amount of force it takes to engage the pedal on the e30 compared to the e34.
you can remove this spring and the pedal should feel about the same