Excessive shifter play

[OldGray320i]

Had to do a trans swap (or should I say, paid to have it done), earlier sheet metal plate to aluminum plate required, and shifter seems to have excessive play, to the extent that for reverse the shift rod hits the console.

Car goes in to gear fine, drives fine, but shifter is really "loose".

Just a worn out gear box, or is there something the guys could have missed during the install?

Thanks.

[erik325i]

Did they use all new parts, or used pieces from a junkyard? If all the shifter bushing pieces are used, I'd replace them.

[Bimmerista]

Replace shifter bushings and seals. Looking at the picture below, you'll want to get a pair of #11, a pair of #14, & a #13. I would recommend going as far as replacing your #12 while you're in there.

[OldGray320i]

All the goods should be new, but I'll be sure to double check. There's no clinking or other noise, feels well "bushed", just that the action in gear in any given gate is wide/loose.

Thanks for the inputs.

[Jean]

Replace shifter bushings and seals. Looking at the picture below, you'll want to get a pair of #11, a pair of #14, & a #13. I would recommend going as far as replacing your #12 while you're in there.

And also 2, 6, 8.

[OldGray320i]

Short update - given that the guys replaced everything possible (if it's on that diagram above, it's new...), and tried multiple installation configurations to at least get it so that shift lever does not knock the console out of the way to get it in reverse, it appears that the play/location problem rests with the internals of the transmission.

Anybody else had that issue when replacing a trans?

When your car is in gear, how much play do you have side to side/fore and aft?

It drives great, just irritating to have so much slop in the "shifter" and from time to time try to start off from third gear...

Cheers.

[OldGray320i]

Update to this whole mess, many moons on....

So, it turns out that shifter bushings #11 in the diagram above were never replaced, and that would have done lot, but to cure the problem for more or less ever I went with the UUC DSSR.

That cleaned up all side to side play, but then my 1,3,5 shift positions hit the console. Turns out the aluminum shift arm/carrier between an "e" and an "i" are different. Once I intalled the 325i shift arm, my pattern was once again centered, and everything is as it should be.

So, if you do an early to late trans swap, and use a DSSR, you will need the 9/89 and up 325i shift arm and selector rod joint (shift arm p/n 25 11 1 221 201 - and - selector rod joint p/n 25 11 7 503 525). In fact, if you have an e model and you want to do the DSSR, you'll need those parts.

Cheers.

[Frog]

# 19 did the most for me. I would def replace that one.. It is a pita though.

[CosmosM3]

Buy the pelican parts shift bushings kit, comes with every part necessary to rebuild your shift assembly.

http://www.pelicanparts.com/bmw/catalog/shopcart/BE30/POR_BE30_Tshift_pg1.htm

[Andy348]

Touching the console going into reverse is a bad thing? I'm literally moving my console 1-2 inches in order to put it in!

Time to install my DSSR...