Shifter bushings
The shifter was feeling a bit sloppy so wanted to refresh it a bit and restore it to being a nice and tight action. Have driven a few short shifters but I prefer the stock smooth action. The short shifters can be a bit hard to select from 3rd->2nd gear which can be a bit tricky when heel and toeing. The stock shifter is really good but over time can be a bit sloppy due to the plastic components. Luckily the stuff is relatively cheap and makes a huge difference in the enjoyment of the car.
From the rebuild kits ive seen they supply some pins and carrier bushings. I ended up buying the UUC delrin shifter carrier bushings (with new pins) and a new ball socket.
Fitted some UUC delrin shifter bushings. These are not listed as compatible for 135i but it does fit. The part number the UUC bushing replaces is the same on a whole bunch of cars including the 135i, but the GS6 53BZ transmission requires 2x bushings.
http://store.uucmotorwerks.com/delri...--oval-p9.aspx
Also bought the shifter ball socket.
This is a big job:
V brace
Undertrays
midsection of the exhaust
exhaust heatshield,
transmission mount brace
proshaft and centre bearing
Takes a couple hours to dimantle on jackstands but isn't too difficult.
The delrin bushings supports the shifter carrier, they dont actually affect the shifting that much if you look at the design of the shifter asembly. I found it made the most difference when shifting quickly into the gates, or using more force on the gear lever, resulting in a more positive feeling. Quite subtle.
The ball socket made the most difference and cost almost nothing. The shifter feels much more solid and feels more direct when pivoting, even when gently using the gearknob.
Unfortunately the side to side slop was not cured. There was still a fair amount of side to side movement. This is due to the teflon bushing at the bottom of the gear lever being worn out. This bushing is not sold as a replacement part so you need a new gear lever. This sucks as it is a hard part to get and I did not have one on hand to swap one in when I had the car apart.
**EDIT ** Turns out this was incorrect, even brand new shift levers will have play, the CClips are designed to take up any slop in the shift lever joints. **
I found that none of the other parts really had play in them. A lot of the parts in the rebuild kits get replaced that don't really wear out (like replacing a metal rod that rubs against a plastic bushing).
I tried to press out the plastic bushing with the intention of machining a brass bushing but would not be able to do it without destroying the plastic bushing. With no backup it seemed to risky, so I opted to reassemble the car and ordered a new gear lever from schmiedmann.
The delrin bushings were a subtle upgrade so I am not sure if its worth taking the whole car apart just for them unless you have time and skill to DIY it. Definitely something that should be replaced during a clutch job as all that stuff is going to be removed anyway