Gear Stick wobble- Cheap Fix

[StreetMofo]

My E30 had the common Gear stick wobble,
Was originally going to replace the whole linkage system/all the bushings, But was finding it hard to get hold of everything in the UK!

So thought I'll try my luck with an £19.99 short shifter off EBay, which had a nylon Bushing.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/261800441320? ... EBIDX%3AIT

The hole for the pin in the nylon bush was to small, so Drilled it out to 10mm, which made the pin a snug fit!

Works great, really responsive and direct, very minimal play

[/url]

[bmw9818]

all the bits should be readily available t any dealer, try cotswold on here

[Brianmoooore]

It's not the bush in the gear lever that's usually responsible for the majority of most gear linkage free play. The bush in the joint on the gearbox selector shaft is generally the main culprit.

[Cypriotgeeza]

It's not the bush in the gear lever that's usually responsible for the majority of most gear linkage free play. The bush in the joint on the gearbox selector shaft is generally the main culprit.

^^ This ^^

[GuyM]

mine has lots of wobble too

which numbers are the bushes/parts that i should be replacing from this diagram?
...and which is the bush on the gearbox selector shaft Brian.

mine is a 318is - are the bushes interchangeable or are they model specific?

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/showpar ... Id=25_0026

[Brianmoooore]

#14 is the part that wears the most, and is common to all models.
#11 can have some wear as well, and may have to be changed anyway if #14 is a later, wider version. #11 is model specific, but same for all 4 pots.

[steve_k]

#14 is the part that wears the most, and is common to all models.
#11 can have some wear as well, and may have to be changed anyway if #14 is a later, wider version. #11 is model specific, but same for all 4 pots.

i replaced both of thos when i fitted my B&M short shifter but replaced #14 with a e36 part as it was easier to get hold of (dealer had it on the shelf there & then).

[Brianmoooore]

i replaced both of thos when i fitted my B&M short shifter but replaced #14 with a e36 part as it was easier to get hold of (dealer had it on the shelf there & then).

#14 is an E36 part. It's also an E12, E21, E23, E24, E28, E30, E31, E32, E34, 2.5CS and 2500 part. A replacement ordered for any of these will be the same part, and as I said, may be different from the original, and need a matching #11.

[steve_k]

i replaced both of thos when i fitted my B&M short shifter but replaced #14 with a e36 part as it was easier to get hold of (dealer had it on the shelf there & then).

#14 is an E36 part. It's also an E12, E21, E23, E24, E28, E30, E31, E32, E34, 2.5CS and 2500 part. A replacement ordered for any of these will be the same part, and as I said, may be different from the original, and need a matching #11.

at the time (nearly 10yr's ago) i didn't know that till i checked the part # a while ago.

[GuyM]

Thanks Brian,
Do parts 2 and 7 wear as well?
And what about the nylon bush at the base of the shifter.....would that be a separate part or would I need a whole replacement shifter ( trying to do all the parts to the job at once!)

[Brianmoooore]

#2 goes soft if it gets contaminated with oil. Never had any trouble with #7, although all the parts wear to a degree, but you have to stop somewhere.
Bush comes with the gear lever, but again, doesn't seem to be a major contributor to slop.
You get a new one with a Z3 1.9 gear lever, of course.

[GuyM]

Should their be a rubber bush on the back end of the shifting arm?
I just have this knackered old bit of rubber?






Secondly I can see how to replace the selector rod but how do I get to part 14
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/showpar ... Id=25_0026

I can't see any easy access to get to it.....is there a Wki "how to" anywhere.
It looks like it's held in with a pin and circlip etc

[Brianmoooore]

Bush comes with part #4.
Slide #19 out of the way, and #18 pushes out.

[capri_rob]

Good luck. This is a pig of a job especially if you dont have access to a ramp and are on your back with the car on axle stands and 30 years worth of crap dropping into your eyes

[GuyM]

........and are on your back with the car on axle stands and 30 years worth of crap dropping into your eyes

Yep, that'll be me next weekend......not looking forward to it.

Access is tight and view is zero......really don't know how I'm going to get part 14 out. Brian makes it sound so simple......!

[Brianmoooore]

It's the pin that holds the fixed rod above 14 that's difficult - commonly known as the "bitch clip", but even that's not too bad when you work out how it works.
When you have #14 off, replace the little oil seal behind it, since it's a VERY common source of an oil leak. Get the old one out if you can, but there's more than enough room for two.

[GuyM]

Well, I removed the old linkage part.....ordered part 11 from bmw according to this

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/showpar ... Id=25_0026

And this turned up.....
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e9/po ... 56i53.jpeg

.....much longer than my orginal (on the right) never going to fit,

My car runs a M52b28 with (I think) a 318is gearbox.....
I saw this id number on my g/box.....can anyone tell me the part number I need to order?
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e9/po ... 3gapn.jpeg

[GuyM]

Is it an m20 gearbox. If so the shorter rod from a 325 would prob fit

So is this the g/box number to tell which box it is or is it stamped elsewhere?

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e9...s0o93gapn.jpeg