shift lever and e36 question

[NC325iC]

alright so my dad just got a 99m3 convertible
and i was getting tired of the notchiness of my z4 3.0 shifter
so i decided to trade with him

my first question is which way does the bend go, forward or backward (ie. holding the top of the lever vertically should the bottom part be toward the front or the back)

the second question is strictly an e36 question, i know not many people here have e36s but yall are smart guys and i figured id ask anyway. ok so in my dads m3 , and my uncles 99 m3 coupe, the shift lever is in neutral below 5th gear instead of sitting between 3 and 4 as usual, can anyone think of why?

i just replaced the tranny mounts and that wasnt it, could it be motor mounts?

[PeaveyBassist]

Lever bend - I THINK forward... but I could be wrong. Try it both ways and see which way the shifter is positioned in console and youll figure it out.

Shifter in neutral below 5th - Thats an internal problem with the transmission as far as I know. We had that happen on an e46 at work. Transmission was only a year or 2 old.

Will

[NC325iC]

lol i did try both of them and i cant decide which one is right, currently the knob is right up next to me when im in the driver seat

internal problem, that blows are you serious?

[PeaveyBassist]

Pretty sure yea. Dealership told the e46 guy that he needed a trans. Its not that big of a deal though. Only a small annoyance.

Will

[NC325iC]

yeah it pisses me off

[HST]

the second question is strictly an e36 question, i know not many people here have e36s but yall are smart guys and i figured id ask anyway. ok so in my dads m3 , and my uncles 99 m3 coupe, the shift lever is in neutral below 5th gear instead of sitting between 3 and 4 as usual, can anyone think of why?
i just replaced the tranny mounts and that wasnt it, could it be motor mounts?

Maybe the shifter bushings are really bad. Or bent selector rod?

[NC325iC]

negative on the bent selector, also it comes and goes