Worst part improvisation....ever.

[irish44j]

Since the previous owner of my e30 was nice enough to leave me a box of parts that included full refresh of the shifter linkage, decided to tackle that tonight, since I know the wife is getting me a Z3 shifter for Christmas, so might as well do it all at once. Yay for free/new parts.



So I take apart the shifter console and sheet metal shift bracket, only to find THIS: the two front mount brackets. See how many problems you can see with this pic



I wondered why the shifter was so extremely sloppier than anything I've ever felt in my life.

Now here is what the mount brackets are SUPPOSED to look like



Keep in mind, whoever last worked on this part of the car (I think to do the rear transmission seal) also managed to leave two of the driveshaft bolts loose (cross-threaded the nuts), so I had wicked vibrations at any speed over 30mph driving the car home.

To boot, one of the threaded holes into the transmission casing was stripped/cross-threaded as well, so to re-install everything I had to drill it out and heli-coil it. That was alot of fun in a tight spot.....

But it's all freshened up now with all new bushings, mounts, grommets, o-rings, etc and ready for the Z3 shifter now.

[irish44j]

btw, if anyone cares here's a link to my build thread. This isn't the first stupid fix or lack of maintenance I've found on this car, unsurprisingly...

http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=224191

[Dave McLaren]

Looks like the guy used to fix taxi cabs in Havana.

[CHIF8008]

that is scary haha

[TimKninja]

lugnuts wat.

Even after I rebuilt the sheet metal shifter it was sloppy as fuck.

Fuck that stupid thing, get an aluminum one.

[Exodus_2pt0]

That is awesome...

It does raise on question though.

How bad must that linkage have been for someone to do, well, that.

[KenC]

lugnuts wat.

Even after I rebuilt the sheet metal shifter it was sloppy as fuck.

Fuck that stupid thing, get an aluminum one.

The sheet metal one is stronger.

[TurboJake]

Not ever. I once watched a guy improv piston rings out of a soup can....

To this day I don't understand how that engine actually ran after that.

[Hick]

Nice, but you may want to fix your job.. the bracket/bushing on the left should be horizontal

[irish44j]

Nice, but you may want to fix your job.. the bracket/bushing on the left should be horizontal

Yeah, I know lol..... The sheetmetal bracket itself was actually bent from the previous ghetto setup not being the same size (and moving around), and didn't notice it until I bolted it all back together until I looked at the photo. That's why the bushing is sitting crooked. I'll fix it when I get under there to put some other stuff back together!

[A Sucked Orange]

Not ever. I once watched a guy improv piston rings out of a soup can....

To this day I don't understand how that engine actually ran after that.

LOL Tell me more.

[devon.818]

meh it happens

i use zip ties when lazy. sometimes i dont feel like putting hard to reach scews back in to non essential parts of the car. if im replacing it and it wont come out right, i just break it.
stripped bolt? angle grinder :).

[Holland]

lugnuts wat.

Even after I rebuilt the sheet metal shifter it was sloppy as fuck.

Fuck that stupid thing, get an aluminum one.

I have a fully refreshed sheet metal console on a bent z3m shifter, absolutely zero play. Still do have vibrations from the rubber components, but all play is gone.

[irish44j]

I have a fully refreshed sheet metal console on a bent z3m shifter, absolutely zero play. Still do have vibrations from the rubber components, but all play is gone.

Even with my stock shifter on, there is very little play now with all the new parts on. It actually feels kind of notchy and "not broken in" right now. And I'm putting the Z3 shifter on after Christmas (which is why I did this refresh now).

My DD is a WRX with urethane shifter bushings and an STi short-shifter, which is pretty tight. So I really, really notice sloppy shifters.

[Sailor37]

Looks like the guy used to fix taxi cabs in Havana.

i was thinking that car was imported from cuba!