Shifter: Higher up for easy access or Lower for....??

[FredK]

Great! Thanks for all of the info and the pictures! The length of the shifter below the pivot ball made me kind of balk at getting a Z3M shifter, so I got a Z3 2.8 shifter. I guess I'll stay with what I have for the moment, but that X5 shifter sure looks intriguing!

[Hallen]

Yeah, but doesn't the longer lever have the effect of both reducing the effort, but also magnify any "slop" in the linkage? Maybe that is what you are feeling? Just a thought.

Having the shifter both closer to the wheel (higher than normal) and also with short, precises throws, would be a nice advantage.

[nando]

a delrin carrier bushing and something like the uuc dssr will eliminate 99% of the slop.

[DoriftuEvo]

The length of the shifter shouldn't have anything to do with magnitude of slop. Slop in any direction can be thought of as throw in a sense. Anytime throw is reduced, movement due to slop at the driver's point of interaction, will be reduced. If the shifter were simply made longer without reducing throw, the slop would be magnified, but only because the throw is essentially increased at the point of the shift knob. Magnification of slop is directly related to throw, not shifter length.

If a lever has anything to do with slop, it's due to poor fit at some point of connection with the rest of the linkage.

[Hallen]

The length of the shifter shouldn't have anything to do with magnitude of slop. Slop in any direction can be thought of as throw in a sense. Anytime throw is reduced, movement due to slop at the driver's point of interaction, will be reduced. If the shifter were simply made longer without reducing throw, the slop would be magnified, but only because the throw is essentially increased at the point of the shift knob. Magnification of slop is directly related to throw, not shifter length.

If a lever has anything to do with slop, it's due to poor fit at some point of connection with the rest of the linkage.

Exactly. Well said.

I was working on my shifter over the last few days. I realized that what you say above was the answer to my question.

I have ordered a M Z3 Roadster shifter for my car. I almost went with the E53 shifter. I can always change it later on if I want to.

The shifter in my car was an eBay special that had so much slop in it (without accounting for old bushings in the carrier and rod) that is was unusable. You can see the story here www.griplimit.net. I still haven't gotten the bitchclip out though :(

[houstonh]

Hallen... our projects and the level of filth and the garage time is so similiar to what I am going through right now... if we ever meet we should share a beer as I totally feel your pain(s). My brake calipers are next! I just ordered new rear brake shoes for the ebrake as mine disentegrated as I pull the rear rotor off.

I have never had issues with bitchclips, but I always pull the guibo and the remove the tranny mounts to lean the motor back.

I put in all the same parts that Dorifito put in, but I also did a new #13.. which was more of a pain than it was worth. I also stuffed extra yellow shims in anywhere I could.. this ultimately is what left me with a tight shifter.

Now I need one of those medium long delrin race knobs.. anyone got a site where I can order one?

[Hallen]

Hallen... our projects and the level of filth and the garage time is so similiar to what I am going through right now... if we ever meet we should share a beer as I totally feel your pain(s). My brake calipers are next! I just ordered new rear brake shoes for the ebrake as mine disentegrated as I pull the rear rotor off.

Cool. I'll buy. One of the reasons I write the blog is to vent some of the frustration. It is helpful to know that others go through the same issues and that I am not necessarily the most incompetent mechanic ever.:D

The calipers are easy (if threads haven't been painted in). For the fronts, hook the new boot over the piston before you install it. Slide the boot back, and fit the boot lip into the housing. Then install the piston into the housing. Don't push it all the way in yet. Take the boot and fit the outer end into the slot on the piston. Then seat the piston the rest of the way in. It makes it easy to get the boot on properly this way with no messing around. The rears are easier to get the boot on.

Sorry for the thread hijack.

I don't know where to find those delrin shift knobs. I know that AKG has at least one, but I don't know if that is what you are looking for.

[surebimmer]

I just got a nice 5 inch shift knob from the racers market.net and I love it.

[kowalski]

The length of the shifter shouldn't have anything to do with magnitude of slop. Slop in any direction can be thought of as throw in a sense. Anytime throw is reduced, movement due to slop at the driver's point of interaction, will be reduced. If the shifter were simply made longer without reducing throw, the slop would be magnified, but only because the throw is essentially increased at the point of the shift knob. Magnification of slop is directly related to throw, not shifter length.

If a lever has anything to do with slop, it's due to poor fit at some point of connection with the rest of the linkage.

not exactly true... yes your reducing throw, but if you have the same throw on the bottom of the lever, the longer the top the more the throw will be amplified. as length is increased from the pivot point, the amount of travel at the top of whatever is moving increases as the shaft gets longer. if you've ever been on a sailboat tall ship you know what i'm talking about. if my explanation doesn't make sense, and i'm not too lazy, in the morning i'll draw a diagram.

[DoriftuEvo]

not exactly true... yes your reducing throw, but if you have the same throw on the bottom of the lever, the longer the top the more the throw will be amplified. as length is increased from the pivot point, the amount of travel at the top of whatever is moving increases as the shaft gets longer. if you've ever been on a sailboat tall ship you know what i'm talking about. if my explanation doesn't make sense, and i'm not too lazy, in the morning i'll draw a diagram.

I think we're on the same plane of thought here. Maybe I wasn't clear. An increase in the length of the lower lever arm results in reduced throw. An increase in the length of the upper lever arm results in increased throw (at the shift knob). Since each can be changed independently, a longer upper lever arm does not necessarily constitute increased throw and slop feeling, because that increase in throw can be negated by lengthening the lower lever arm.