I was able to pull off my whole shifter?

[deca]

I was driving my car today and noticed that the shift feel felt off.. I went to investigate and when I was pulling off my shift knob I was able to pull the metal shifter off to? Does anyone know why this happened? I wasn’t even pulling particularly hard. Attached are some pictures, because I don’t know the technical term for what I pulled off and don’t want to confuse anyone:

https://imgur.com/gallery/y86Jerz

[Sonny]

I was able to pull off my whole shifter?

Rethread with loctite? But if this was me I would disable the car and yank out the transmission for some new parts and your definitely going to need a solid set of shifter bushings.

Put the boot back on to, it’s there to keep dirt from the shifting mechanism.

Maybe that’s the cause of failure?

[deca]

Rethread with loctite? But if this was me I would disable the car and yank out the transmission for some new parts and your definitely going to need a solid set of shifter bushings.

Put the boot back on to, it’s there to keep dirt from the shifting mechanism.

Maybe that’s the cause of failure?

The boot went straight on after taking the picture. Was planning on putting a Z3 shifter in the car regardless haha, guess this gives me a reason. Thanks for the help!!

[E30SPDFRK]

The boot went straight on after taking the picture. Was planning on putting a Z3 shifter in the car regardless haha, guess this gives me a reason. Thanks for the help!!

Read Sonny's user title before listening to him.



It looks like you have the early style shifter plate made of steel. If that is true, you can't use a Z3 lever without converting to the later style aluminum shifter.

The factory levers are isolated with rubber between the 2 metal halves, the rubber is vulcanized to the 2 parts and should never come apart. Your lever has broken. You can try to re-glue it together with epoxy or similar, but the correct fix is to replace it.

[LJ851]

You have a early style shift lever that is not vulcanized together but is able to be disassembled and reassembled. The assembly is held together with a wire snap ring at the bottom.

I have used multiple late model shifters in early sheetmetal carriers without a problem.

[deca]

Read Sonny's user title before listening to him.



It looks like you have the early style shifter plate made of steel. If that is true, you can't use a Z3 lever without converting to the later style aluminum shifter.

The factory levers are isolated with rubber between the 2 metal halves, the rubber is vulcanized to the 2 parts and should never come apart. Your lever has broken. You can try to re-glue it together with epoxy or similar, but the correct fix is to replace it.

Just noticed that aha.. so the correct fix would be to replace the lever? Or the shifter as a whole?

[glnr13]

It looks like you have the early style shifter plate made of steel. If that is true, you can't use a Z3 lever without converting to the later style aluminum shifter.

I'm confused by this. I have an early shift plate with a z3 lever intake in my car, on it's second iteration. initially I had just the lever installed with the shifter plate and now with the same lever I've modified my shifter plate and switched to a dssr. In both cases the z3 lever fit fine however user has to snip a collar to get it to go over the lever ball joint

[glnr13]

Rethread with loctite? But if this was me I would disable the car and yank out the transmission for some new parts and your definitely going to need a solid set of shifter bushings.

Put the boot back on to, it’s there to keep dirt from the shifting mechanism.

Maybe that’s the cause of failure?

I can tell by your answer that you've never done an E30 shifter disassemble. Your intention is good, you want to help, but your misinformation destroys the integrity of your intention.

[Sonny]

I can tell by your answer that you've never done an E30 shifter disassemble. Your intention is good, you want to help, but your misinformation destroys the integrity of your intention.

I’m sorry , but just trying to help since everyone helped me

[E30SPDFRK]

You have a early style shift lever that is not vulcanized together but is able to be disassembled and reassembled. The assembly is held together with a wire snap ring at the bottom.

I have used multiple late model shifters in early sheetmetal carriers without a problem.

I'm confused by this. I have an early shift plate with a z3 lever intake in my car, on it's second iteration. initially I had just the lever installed with the shifter plate and now with the same lever I've modified my shifter plate and switched to a dssr. In both cases the z3 lever fit fine however user has to snip a collar to get it to go over the lever ball joint

Did I just become Sonny myself? I remember trying to fit a late model shift lever into my early carrier and the pivot balls were different sizes? It was a few years ago, maybe I'm remembering wrong.

[glnr13]

Did I just become Sonny myself? I remember trying to fit a late model shift lever into my early carrier and the pivot balls were different sizes? It was a few years ago, maybe I'm remembering wrong.

You might be remembering that you can't get the collar and spring thing on without cutting it?