N55 Short Shifter's

[NORAGRETS]

Originally Posted by bNks334

I have UUC as well, how exactly did you eliminate the up/down play? c-clip?

I just bought the same exact c clip that they provide from a hardware store and installed it on top of the existing one. Cleaned it up perfectly. Installing ecs teflon shifter bushings next week as well

[bNks334]

Originally Posted by Twhill19

I just bought the same exact c clip that they provide from a hardware store and installed it on top of the existing one. Cleaned it up perfectly. Installing ecs teflon shifter bushings next week as well

still confused on what you mean by c-clip. Got a picture of anything to reference? The only thing I can think of is the clip that holds the pins in under the car... the circlips?

[NORAGRETS]

Originally Posted by bNks334

still confused on what you mean by c-clip. Got a picture of anything to reference? The only thing I can think of is the clip that holds the pins in under the car...

Holds the spring in the socket. Think it has another name but I forget. You need special pliers to install/remove...idk. I'll find a pic when I can

[tjswarbrick]

The black semi-circle clip in the front of the middle row here?

https://c1552172.ssl.cf0.rackcdn.com/676924_x800.jpg

[NORAGRETS]

Originally Posted by tjswarbrick

The black semi-circle clip in the front of the middle row here?

https://c1552172.ssl.cf0.rackcdn.com/676924_x800.jpg

Bingo

[bNks334]

Originally Posted by Twhill19

Bingo

Thanks, I'll look into doing that. do you by any chance remember what size it is?

Also, does your shifter twist counterclockwise? I find that my shifter can easily be twisted to the 9pm position instead of always being pointed at 12 dead ahead... way more annoying than up/down play.

[NORAGRETS]

Originally Posted by bNks334

Thanks, I'll look into doing that. do you by any chance remember what size it is?

Also, does your shifter twist counterclockwise? I find that my shifter can easily be twisted to the 9pm position instead of always being pointed at 12 dead ahead... way more annoying than up/down play.

When I had it installed first yes, it moved a lot.

Brought it to a indy technician who actually removed the "tamper" screw to tighten it up and reinstalled. I'm not sure what he did but it worked. Tamper screw was reinstalled but it sticks out 1/16 inch.

Not a problem tho.

Try to really crank the height adjustment nut on the bottom just above the bearing. That helped mine. It moves 2-3mm from time to time but I just correct it

[NORAGRETS]

Originally Posted by bNks334

Thanks, I'll look into doing that. do you by any chance remember what size it is?

Also, does your shifter twist counterclockwise? I find that my shifter can easily be twisted to the 9pm position instead of always being pointed at 12 dead ahead... way more annoying than up/down play.

Also idk what size sorry. I just removed it and brought it w me to the hardware store

[tjswarbrick]

Originally Posted by tjswarbrick

Gonna refer back to Post #53 when I install my short shift lever next week.
e90 parts sounds kinda ridiculous.
Went with the 25110434217 128i part.
Will try to get measurements before and after, and hoping it doesn't move positioning too far forward (e90) or off to the side (e60). I don't want to have to bend it - particularly once I get it installed.
Should go nicely with ZHP knob, CDV Delete, BMS clutch stop, 335is pedals and UCP - which I've been enjoying for over a year now.

Part discontinued and unavailable.
On to next attempt...
Really don't want to drop the cash on a UUC, Rogue or Dinan. But may.
How tough is it, really, to bend a 550i or e90 BMWP lever to site properly in the center of the gate?

I'd been looking at e60 550i lever [25117561678] trying to figure out how that's better. Glad I did a Google search!
550i SSK lever is recommended for all kinds of applications - notably E39 and E46.
P/N 25117546373.
On Clearance at FCP! I'll probably go that route.

[Dackelone]

Originally Posted by tjswarbrick

Part discontinued and unavailable.
On to next attempt...
Really don't want to drop the cash on a UUC, Rogue or Dinan. But may.
How tough is it, really, to bend a 550i or e90 BMWP lever to sit properly in the center of the gate?

I'd been looking at e60 550i lever [25117561678] trying to figure out how that's better. Glad I did a Google search!
550i SSK lever is recommended for all kinds of applications - notably E39 and E46.
P/N 25117546373.
Cheap and in stock at ECS so I'll probably go that route.

I have the e60 550i shifter lever in my e39 540i 6speed and I really like it! In fact I prefer it over my BMW Performance SSK in my 135i. The Perf SSK is no longer available thru BMW. But perhaps you can find one sitting on the shelf at a BMW dealer. You just have to ask nicely for a dealer to look up IF that part is at another local dealership.

If you decide on getting the e60 550i shifter... I don't think you will be disappointed. You will have to install it and see who the shift lever is aligned(direction it points to). My guess is you will have to bend it some to the left - in order for it to work.

Bending the lever is quite easy... you need a BIG vise... then put to long deep 1/2 or 3/8th sockets on one side of the lever... then place another deep socket where you want to BEND the lever. Then just start cranking down on the vise until you have the desired shape. You will have to try some experimentation.

You would bend the shift lever like this... but this is the linkage arm... DO NOT bend this lever!! But this will give you an idea on how to bend the lever little by little and test fit it in the car.

internet photo...




The 128i/328i Perf Short Shift lever is still available to order thru BMW. I am not sure how this lever will fit. My guess it would be a direct bolt on.

Both levers are cheap at $65 each. You will also need a new "socket" bearing, some high temp grease like MsO2(CV joint grease) and maybe a few extra c-clips and yellow washers. All in all under $80 for everything.

Dackel

[tjswarbrick]

Thanks Dackel!

At first all I saw was your picture and kinda freaked out "Wait, I've got to reshape the Linkage Arm!?!" Thanks so much for the clarification! That does help - had been wondering what the "big sockets" were for. Now I get it.

Your posts talking about the 550i part, and the ECS write-up, convinced me to go that way.
References to the 128i lever say it's for N54 only (don't ask me how that works - but it's only listed up to 2010) so I'm pretty sure for my N55 I'd need to tweak it, too. e60 lever running $20 less right now!

Saw the yellow washers with the e60 SSK part - wasn't sure if they would be necessary but thought, perhaps, that portion is thinner than my stock lever. So ordered a pair.
And the Bushing, of course! Also a pair of clips for when I lose one...
Have plenty of Redline Moly CV grease at home.

Hoping I can get a feel for difference in angle by comparing the two side-by-side and get it close before installing. But will see...

I'll try and take before/after measurements!
Also take some photos, but with PB's changes and me not being able to figure out Imgur, they'll probably be just for me.

[Dackelone]

Originally Posted by tjswarbrick

Thanks Dackel!

At first all I saw was your picture and kinda freaked out "Wait, I've got to reshape the Linkage Arm!?!" Thanks so much for the clarification! That does help - had been wondering what the "big sockets" were for. Now I get it.

Cool. That's why I posted that picture. I tried to find a picture on how people bent the shifter rod... but I guess no one has taken pictures while they bent their levers.

Hoping I can get a feel for difference in angle by comparing the two side-by-side and get it close before installing. But will see...

I'll try and take before/after measurements!
Also take some photos, but with PB's changes and me not being able to figure out Imgur, they'll probably be just for me.

You will see... when you install it the 1st/2nd gear slots will be way off to one side... probably up where 5th/6th gears are. Once the e60 shift lever is installed... you can then figure out how you will need to bend the lever.

Many moons ago I installed a Z3M shift lever in my e36 323i - I went thru this same "bend and test" thing back then.

What I like about the e60 550i shifter is that the throws are really tight... i'd say 5 or 10mm's shorter than with the BMW Performance Shifter. I will be very curious as to your opinion of the e60 shifter. Please take plenty of pics for all of us.

Dackel

[tjswarbrick]

I think I got Imgur working, so here goes.
In anticipation of my E60 550i SSK, I took measurements from stock on the N55.

I got 70.6mm 1st-to-2nd, and 78mm 3rd-to-4th, Center-to-Center at the base of the ZHP knob:





1st doesn't look perfectly centered in the photo - my helpers have gone to bed (first day of school tomorrow.) But I ran it 4 times for each gear combo, and it sure looked lined up to me.

[tjswarbrick]

Been sitting in a box for a couple weeks, but after all the trouble installing the axle-back exhaust I've been a little gun-shy getting started.


E60 5-series Short Shift Lever

Really want to try it out!
But driving 5 hours each way to look after my dad, taking care of the yard and stuff, and then this week my wife had ankle non-surgery so I'm kinda doing everything.
I could probably spare an hour, but I'm afraid it'll take 3 and something else will get overlooked. And I'll need to drive the dread Nissan for a couple days...

[tjswarbrick]

Installed the E60 SSK Lever tonight.
Followed the detailed e90post instructions. Went basically like that, but between the lower rubber boot thingie, the C-Clip (both Off and On,) and fishing the selector back through the lever bushing, I was in, under and around this thing for 3 hours. As I had feared.

There were also a 13mm hex bolt and some funny 10mm fender nuts securing the heat shield in the affected area. I possibly could have left them in place, but removal made bending the shield much easier and reduced my risk of damaging it. But it required 2 additional trips out from under the car...

I really need a helper when I do this sort of thing. Oh, and a lift!

In the end, the throw has been reduced from 70mm to 57mm (1st-2nd, bottom of shift knob) and it feels great.
Snick-snick. Short, slightly notchy, very positive.

Old lever was .874 wide at the bushing. New one is .878. old one didn't use yellow nylon washers. They were not on my N55 135 parts list, but were on the E60 list so I bought a couple.
Didn't use 'em.

HOWEVER...

The socket-bending trick didn't do anything. It only flexed the lever arm within the big cone-shaped part. Nothing moved. So my knuckes are mere mm from the console in R, 1st and 3rd. And 5th gives me lots of grief with the cupholder.
Fortunately I have long arms and drive close, so reach is no problem. But it's too far forward for comfort, so I'm gonna have to pull it out and try again (unless I can figure a way to bend it back ~ 1/2 inch without removing it - which would be IDEAL!)

AND

The new lever is so long that the stock 135i leather boot is too short. With it snapped down, I can't get into R, 1, or 5 at all - and 3rd tries to pull it up out of the snaps.

I'm not sure bending it back will completely alleviate that problem, so not quite sure what I'm gonna do. For the time being, the boot just isn't snapped down.

I also broke one of the mounting clips in the trim ring (and the forward ones have been busted for a while - probably from the stereo instal) so I'm on the hook to get a new one of those.

I wonder if a 550i shift boot would help me...

Pics forthcoming, but IMGUR is uploading REALLY slowly.
And I'm going to bed.

[tjswarbrick]

Pics are up:

Shift levers, side by side:
The really short, really crooked one is the stock unit.
Long, graceful one with huge distance between pivot ball and barrel bushing is E60 5'er SSK lever:



2nd gear, before, assembled:


2nd gear, before, disassembled:


2nd gear, after, disassembled:


2nd gear, after, re-assembled:


5th gear, as driven this AM:

[tjswarbrick]

Ordered a 1" longer shift boot from Redlinegoods.
Hopefully, once I figure out how to bend it back and left, that'll alleviate the leather binding issue.
For now, I've just pulled the stock boot down, exposing about 1.5" of shift lever. Ugly. Works.

[tjswarbrick]

Wanted to add:
When working on the shields and clip under the car, be sure to wear your eye protection!

I wear glasses, so always have some protection from straight-on debris. Except now that I've gotten older, I need to remove my glasses to read! Which means when working on fasteners up close, things are blurry with them on, and clear with 'em off.
There's lots of grime up in there that gets dislodged as you're moving around - especially around the driveshaft on that stupid clip. As you're directly underneath, looking up, you're an easy target. Took the glasses off to see for just a second - got tagged in the eye! Put 'em back on. When I was done, they were fairly covered in greasy little dust particles.

[Esteban]

Originally Posted by tjswarbrick

Wanted to add:
When working on the shields and clip under the car, be sure to wear your eye protection!

I wear glasses, so always have some protection from straight-on debris. Except now that I've gotten older, I need to remove my glasses to read! Which means when working on fasteners up close, things are blurry with them on, and clear with 'em off.
There's lots of grime up in there that gets dislodged as you're moving around - especially around the driveshaft on that stupid clip. As you're directly underneath, looking up, you're an easy target. Took the glasses off to see for just a second - got tagged in the eye! Put 'em back on. When I was done, they were fairly covered in greasy little dust particles.

Time for bifocals?

[tjswarbrick]

Originally Posted by Esteban

Time for bifocals?

Probably.
But I don't need reading glasses, and am only 47.

Gonna milk the no glasses experience as long as I can.
Just need to keep Rx and straight safety goggles handy when shooting or working on the car.
Luckily I don't usually do much close work out in the yard. Good excuse to leave the weeding for my ladies!

[Esteban]

Originally Posted by tjswarbrick

Probably.
But I don't need reading glasses, and am only 47.

Gonna milk the no glasses experience as long as I can.
Just need to keep Rx and straight safety goggles handy when shooting or working on the car.
Luckily I don't usually do much close work out in the yard. Good excuse to leave the weeding for my ladies!

Think I got bifocals when I was younger than that. For the same reason too, couldn't read with my glasses on and it becomes a pita to take them off to read. Not always convenient to do so.

[tjswarbrick]

Originally Posted by Esteban

Think I got bifocals when I was younger than that. For the same reason too, couldn't read with my glasses on and it becomes a pita to take them off to read. Not always convenient to do so.

Okay. Cool.
But do you know anybody who wants to help disassemble a 1-series shifter and bend the lever into place???