[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.