Short Shifter Install and Rebuild Shift Carrier

[Swendog]

I realized I posted this to the DIY section...DUH...sorry.

Anyway, I am about to start work on installing my Z3 1.9 short shifter and rebuild my shift carrier using Garagistic's delrin bushings (doing the rear bushing too). I have read all of the threads and bought the HF "bitch clip tool". Also reviewed the instructions on Garagistic's website. I have my car jacked and muffler is removed (I just finished installing Billy Sports/HRs and am changing to Stromung exhaust).

I understand that I need to jack up the trans and remove the trans cross-brace. Can this job actually be done with the driveshaft and the exhaust (front part/Cat) in place? Is there anything else I need to remove. The PO did the center bearing not too long ago and everything is pretty tight.

Any additional words of wisdom?

Thanks. Swen.

[mitchlikesbikes]

i did mine with the driveshaft in place, totally regret it. i ended up having to pull the driveshaft afterward anyway to remove the big vibration dampener thing because it didn't clear my uuc selector rod.

if your exhaust is already off, just drop the driveshaft too. it's worth it. especially if you have big hands. my arms are super skinny and it still kicked my ass for several hours working around it. the driveshaft is nothing but a handful of 17mm bolts/nuts. you may want to remove your dampener too, they're basically worthless and don't clear the short shift levers very well at all.

btw its next to impossible to get to the rear bushing with the driveshaft in.

[Swendog]

Thanks man. In looking at it, I could not for the life of me, figure out how to get my hands around it (the driveshaft). I'm not looking at it now, but does the front part of the exhaust (including Cat) need to be removed too. If I'm dropping the front of the driveshaft, I may as well replace the guibo.

[mitchlikesbikes]

Thanks man. In looking at it, I could not for the life of me, figure out how to get my hands around it (the driveshaft). I'm not looking at it now, but does the front part of the exhaust (including Cat) need to be removed too. If I'm dropping the front of the driveshaft, I may as well replace the guibo.

yeah you have to pull the front exhaust section too. i just removed the six bolts holding the collectors to the manifolds and dropped the frontal section that way.

[Swendog]

Is there a trick to removing these six nuts without the use if a high lift? I've done all of the other work on my E30 so far. But I gave up on trying to get the exhaust manifolds off (gaskets were leaking). I finally brought it to a shop. I have reconditioned manifolds with new gaskets and hardware. This was done about 6 months ago. Access to these 6 nuts is crazy. Only thing I can think of is a 15 mm six-point socket with a wobble head and very long extension. Really tough laying on your back. As I see it, the whole front section is held on by the manifold bolts and the single nut on the bracket to the tranny.

[crappycoco]

You'll have to drop the exhaust and the fastest way would be to take the whole assembly off - since those bolts after the cat are a real pita to tighten from under a car.

After that you'll drop the driveshaft, that will give you access to the shifter.
Be careful with the retaining clip on the top of the transmission, it needs some force to take off and its part time job is breaking.

The while you're in there's are:

* Transmission mounts (new, OEM) $40
* Output shaft seal (23121205340, new, OEM) $10
* Selector rod seal (23 12 1 228 333, new, OEM) $6.5
* Flex disc (26111225624, new, OEM) ~ $150

And don't forget to change all the little plastic spacers and sponges in there (shifter), that's the best time to do that.

As for the mani bolts, you got it right, you'll need a wobble head, extension and a ratchet. No way around that.

[Swendog]

Thanks so much. I appreciate the input. I had the guibo kit and trans mounts in my "project list". I have the rest of the parts to rebuild the shifter/linkage. Went with a Z3 1.9 shifter and Garagistic delrin carrier bushings and rear bushing. The rear bushing housing is pretty rusty. But since I am going to burn out the old rubber bushing, I'll just clean it up and hit it with some Rustoleum. Good catch on the trans output seal and the selector rod seal. I have all the other part (washers, circlips, new bitch clip).