reverse hitting console after new bushings

[DJB]

Is the shifter firm when in gear, or still sloppy?

Did you replace the joint? That's typically the source of side-to-side play.

[Freshjive]

I had this problem as well. I changed ALL bushings(pelican parts rebuild kit) and installed a 1.9 shorter shifter
I finally got pissed and bent the selector rod in a torsional rotation. It fixed the problem.
I can get pics of your not sure what I mean.
It didn't require any tools either. I just gripped the rod in a vise and using a large pipe on the shifter side of the selector rod I rotated in a clockwise manner.

[tjmonsen5]

I have to disagree with you on that one, you must have done something wrong there. If you replace the spring / metal cup with two plastic cups after sanding one down a bit, the metal console has LESS shifter play than the aluminum one. The metal console has 3 points of attachment vs. the 2 of the aluminum one.

Sure it has more attachment points. But those points are MUCH less rigid than the aluminum style. You can wiggle the sheet metal console around even with new bushings.

The Delrin bushings on the aluminum arm allow for virtually no wiggle room. This might not be true with an OEM bushing.

Either way, I prefer the aluminum style much more.

[Jean]

Sure it has more attachment points. But those points are MUCH less rigid than the aluminum style. You can wiggle the sheet metal console around even with new bushings.

The Delrin bushings on the aluminum arm allow for virtually no wiggle room. This might not be true with an OEM bushing.

Either way, I prefer the aluminum style much more.

What I did is replaced the rear mount with the solid mount/bolt and it was VERY SOLID. The rear mount on the aluminum style has a LOT of play.

[lennon]

OP if your car is the old style "sheet metal" shift carrier, check to be sure its tightly secured to the trans and its rear mount point. ive had e30s where the front allen bolts came loose and/or the rear mount point/bushing was totally destroyed. that will cause the exact problems you describe with the shifter moving so much and hitting the console.

either of the shift setups (early or late) when properly installed with good condition OEM parts, will not have that kind of play. i dont know why people consider the early style inferior. the only reason i would choose the late style if presented with both options, is because its the same style as the newer bmws, so swapping in different shifters is a bit simpler.

edit- also for what its worth, ive put plenty of different shifters in different e30s any never had and real problems with them being centered. i have a z4 3.0 shift lever in a sheet metal console car right now and it is perfectly centered. also +1 on what jean said if hes talking about what i think he is. try to put something (maybe another ball cup) under the ball cup to shim the shift lever fulcrum upward. this counteracts the problem you get with the selector rod not sitting horizontal anymore, because of the bottom half of the lever being longer than stock. shifting suffers when the selector rod isnt on a level plane from the tranny to the lever.

[tjmonsen5]

Is there an alternative to the rear mount of the sheet metal console? My rebuilt kit from pelican came with a stupid rubber bushing, it just kinda slides into place. Its very wobbly, i dont think that it does anything at all. Is this the same kind everyone else has? Or is there an aftermarket upgrade?

[Raxe]

Mine doesn't even come close to the center console in reverse. 1.9L Z3 shifter with rebuilt bushings.

[lennon]

that is what i am using with my shifter. very hard shifts all the time, etc, etc. it should have little grooves for it to kind of pop into the shift carrier and pop into its little mount point. its metal inside and they do eventually(200k miles maybe? maybe never) wear out and possibly bend/break. you could easily make/rig up a solid mount for back there but i see no need. that piece is fine for its purpose. it doesnt get much abuse.

[e34john]

Will those aftermarket stiffer bushings make the shifter vibrate more? Don't care if it is a little buzzy while shifting but I don't want the whole thing shaking.

[lennon]

my shifter is vibrating all of the time with OEM parts. id imagine stiff bushings all over would add to that. which bushings are you referring to replacing with stiffer?

[iwantspeed]

hymm
I have the late model aluminum shift console
z3 1.9 lever
new motor mounts
new trans mounts
i also replaced all bushings with new ones except the rear most.
hits the center console in reverse

I did replace the joint up front.
everything was replaced except the rear joint like I mentioned earlier.

[iwantspeed]

I'm buying akg delrin bushings for the shift carrier arm

taking out the fuel tubing that went inside the front joint and add the oem
yellow circular bushing

replace the original rear console bushing

hopefully with all of that it wont rub ever again

[E30Nova]

In my 84 325e, the shifter doesn't just hit the center console in reverse. It MOVES the console. Granted, my shifter is ridiculously loose (been a while since I've driven it, but somewhere around 1.5" side to side play in gear), but still, it's annoying to move the entire center console when I want to back up. :(

Matt

[Holland]

I have a sheet metal with a Z3m, It doesn't hit the console. It isn't bent and actually it sits forward because I had to raise the rear of the console to prevent it from rubbing on the driveshaft. It's ghetto but I don't have welding skills to raise it the right way. I need to bend the shifter to sit center, it's a bit off. It never hits though and has been working fine.

[e34john]

In my 84 325e, the shifter doesn't just hit the center console in reverse. It MOVES the console. Granted, my shifter is ridiculously loose (been a while since I've driven it, but somewhere around 1.5" side to side play in gear), but still, it's annoying to move the entire center console when I want to back up. :(

Matt

THats what happens in my car, I can't get it into reverse unless I actually push it far enough into the console, my shift boot is ruined because of it.