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S52 ZF swap- which gearshift assembly?

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    S52 ZF swap- which gearshift assembly?

    There's not a ton of action on the forums these days, but I figured I'd pose the question anyway. 1990 325i coupe, S52 engine swap with M3 ZF trans.

    I've been searching this on and off for a while, and hoping I can get some definitive answers here. My goal is to have OEM+ setup with a little less play, smooth shifts, stockish shifter height/look, and the shifter centered. These seems nearly impossible to attain, in a way that is guaranteed to meet all criteria. The options I've looked into so far are:
    • 1998 M3/328i assembly with e30 carrier- shifter sits to the right
    • 1990 full stock setup- sits... too far forward? I forget, but as I understand it not 100% correct
    • Garagistic solid chassis mounted shifter- appears to be VERY notchy in stock length
    Has anyone been able to attain a stock oriented setup that keeps the shifter centered? What combination of shift lever, shift arm, carrier, selector rod, and rod joint can meet all these criteria?
    ​​​​
    2003 Z4 3.0 6-speed- Silver, 19's, daily driver
    1990 Silver 325i- Lowered on H&R OE Sports, e90 drop hats, KYB shocks, color matched rocker panels, 16" Emortal RS wheels on 205/50/16 tires... Currently getting a full refresh including an S52 swap!
    1997 Black Ford Probe GT- Stripped to 2220lbs, MS3X, Forged motor in midst of assembly... Dyno results and 1/4 mile times pending

    #2
    All shifter stuff from e36 328/M3 except the rubber mount in the chassis (obviously e36 one doesn't fit) and it's perfectly centered.

    Comment


      #3
      From what I have gathered - talking to folks who have done the swap and reading others posts - using all the E36 M3/328 parts can work but sometimes it ends up off-center. It probably boils down to the specifics of the engine/trans mounts and how carefully it was assembled.

      I was planning on using a shortened (length) E46 325i shift carrier with E36 M3/328i selector rod/joint and either the matching shift lever or a Z3 1.9 shift lever with my M52/ZF320 combo on AKG engine/Rouge trans mounts. This decision was based on the experience of someone else who used the same combo of parts and had a perfectly centered shift lever.

      Keep us posted on the results.

      Comment


        #4
        Originally posted by pazi88 View Post
        All shifter stuff from e36 328/M3 except the rubber mount in the chassis (obviously e36 one doesn't fit) and it's perfectly centered.
        I always hear mixed results on this. I'd say about 90% of experiences I've seen end up with the shifter sitting off to the right, and 10% saying it sits perfectly centered. Perhaps it's related to whether or not they've done the detent kit on the zf trans? If that's the case, then I'll definitely go this route, as the detent kit is my next step before the swap.

        Originally posted by mjweimer View Post
        From what I have gathered - talking to folks who have done the swap and reading others posts - using all the E36 M3/328 parts can work but sometimes it ends up off-center. It probably boils down to the specifics of the engine/trans mounts and how carefully it was assembled.

        I was planning on using a shortened (length) E46 325i shift carrier with E36 M3/328i selector rod/joint and either the matching shift lever or a Z3 1.9 shift lever with my M52/ZF320 combo on AKG engine/Rouge trans mounts. This decision was based on the experience of someone else who used the same combo of parts and had a perfectly centered shift lever.

        Keep us posted on the results.
        I've read this as well, but this setup is getting into cutting, welding, etc. of the shifter arm. I think if I were to head in the fabrication route I'd just use the stock e30 setup and save myself some $$.

        2003 Z4 3.0 6-speed- Silver, 19's, daily driver
        1990 Silver 325i- Lowered on H&R OE Sports, e90 drop hats, KYB shocks, color matched rocker panels, 16" Emortal RS wheels on 205/50/16 tires... Currently getting a full refresh including an S52 swap!
        1997 Black Ford Probe GT- Stripped to 2220lbs, MS3X, Forged motor in midst of assembly... Dyno results and 1/4 mile times pending

        Comment


          #5
          Originally posted by dadsbmw View Post

          I've read this as well, but this setup is getting into cutting, welding, etc. of the shifter arm. I think if I were to head in the fabrication route I'd just use the stock e30 setup and save myself some $$.
          I can't argue with your logic, I'm doing it with my list of parts mostly to see if it works. Thankfully I have friends who can help with the aluminum welding so the risk is only in the cost of the carrier piece. I will be interested in hearing what works for you.


          Comment


            #6
            As mentioned above, the shift carrier sits slightly to the right in my ZF swapped car. When I first did my swap I thought I installed something wrong, but I checked my friend's car that also has a ZF and it looked identical.

            In both of our cases we are using the following parts:

            e36 328/M3 shift carrier
            e36 m3 selector rod joint 25117580281
            e60 545i shift lever 25117546373
            e30 rear carrier mount (I used the Garagistic Delrin bushing replacement in mine since the rubber had deteriorated)
            AKG DSSR for e36 328/m3

            The DSSR made a noticeable difference in tightening up the shift linkage along with detent service for the ZF.

            For reference I daily an m20 g260 car with a z3 shifter, and honestly I can't say I notice much difference in shifter position between stock and the ZF swap car. The ZF shifts a lot smoother though than the g260.

            Another option for keeping the OE shift feel but ensuring everything stays centered is to chop up an early model sheet metal shift console and mount it directly to the top of the trans tunnel, eliminating the shift carrier entirely.

            Comment


              #7
              I had the e30 one cut and lengthened... Best of both worlds. I believe I used the e36 selector rod.



              Comment


                #8
                Originally posted by dadsbmw View Post

                I always hear mixed results on this. I'd say about 90% of experiences I've seen end up with the shifter sitting off to the right, and 10% saying it sits perfectly centered. Perhaps it's related to whether or not they've done the detent kit on the zf trans? If that's the case, then I'll definitely go this route, as the detent kit is my next step before the swap.
                Detent service has nothing to do with it, the E36 ZF shift carrier is offset at the back, and the E30 uses centered shift carriers, so the carrier sits toward the passenger side of the car:



                I modified the rear carrier bushing bracket to account for this, but I don't really like that as a solution. If you aren't using solid front and rear carrier bushings, you can probably make it fit without modifying it.
                Originally posted by priapism
                My girl don't know shit, but she bakes a mean cupcake.
                Originally posted by shameson
                Usually it's best not to know how much money you have into your e30

                Comment


                  #9
                  Great input. It sounds like modifying the shift arm may be the only way to keep a stockish shifter (in terms of feel and height).
                  2003 Z4 3.0 6-speed- Silver, 19's, daily driver
                  1990 Silver 325i- Lowered on H&R OE Sports, e90 drop hats, KYB shocks, color matched rocker panels, 16" Emortal RS wheels on 205/50/16 tires... Currently getting a full refresh including an S52 swap!
                  1997 Black Ford Probe GT- Stripped to 2220lbs, MS3X, Forged motor in midst of assembly... Dyno results and 1/4 mile times pending

                  Comment

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