Are any of the circled parts needed to fix a sloppy shifter?

bmw_jeff · June 12, 2009

I have the rest of the parts from the shifter itself, and the plate mounts. Wondering if I also should replace these circled parts from the selector rod, or do they go into the tranny? A couple of the little bushings are really expensive ($50 and $15), so I only want to get them if they are really necessary. BTW my shifter is just a little sloppy, not totally shot. My old 70 was like a spoon in a soup bowl, this one is not far gone like that but not precise either. Thanks for any advice!

Mike87 · June 12, 2009

If the source of the sloppiness is in those parts (i.e. they are worn) then yes you need them to fix the problem. But other things could be wrong with your shifter causing the problem. The best bet is to get under there and check out what is really loose then go buy the parts you need to make it tight again. It will take more time, but in the long run you will have saved money and time.

Check the link for a rebuild on the later style shifter.

http://www.bmw2002faq.com/content/view/24/32/

jerry · June 12, 2009

no.11 is critical as is no.19

both suffer from the rubber inserts turning to mush. i've stuffed hard rubber into the bushing of no.19 to avoid the cost of buying a new one. considering it's essentially trapped by the bracket it hasn't let me down yet. the dowell pin at the aft end of the shifter rod will wear as well. replace if you can see an appreciable wear step.

a rebuilt shifter is a joy to behold.

tjones02 · June 13, 2009

#'s 6,7,8,9, are not to be messed with unless you are opening up the transmission for a rebuild. They are internal shift detent parts inside the transmission. Those hardly ever wear out and are unlikely to be a part of your sloppy shifter.

On that page I would venture in ordering #19, as the rubber bushing at the bottom can definitely cause sloppy shifting. The two #11's can also be causes of sloppy shifting. Those #11's and #19 locate the shift assembly and getting that tight is the first step in rebuilding the linkage. #12 the foam seal between the shift tower and the body is a very good thing to replace while you're in there.

On the next parts page.... 23/16 are the bulk of the wearable shift linkage parts...

#2 can have loose holes for the pins and should be checked for wear when apart. The two pins part number 23 41 1 466 134 are not listed when looking up your car but are listed in the later style linkage like for a '75.... can also be worn enough to be sloppy in the #2... 23 41 1 466 130 coupler.

Unless the pin retaining spring #4 is bent or otherwise beat up I see no reason in replacing it. And unless the shift seal #1 is leaking there is no reason to change it now.

I have never seen the #9 plastic washer used and instead recommend part #23 41 1 466 118 a foam plug to be used inside the coupler as a anti rattle piece.

On that same page #s 19 and 20 are most important to restoring a sloppy shifter... 20 is the large pin at the bottom of the shifter, and can be very worn from slopping around with no #19 bushings to keep it from banging metal... #21 can have worn eyelets as well.

The shifter itself has a couple of bushings inside and, well, I kinda think replacing them is pretty darned hard... I would be inclined to leave those up to someone with experience in doing them... They are #s 11 and 14. A sign of these being bad is the shifter visibly rocking back and forth from it's lower half with the boot off, and spinning around too. The retaining spring #16 can be or become bent in the process.... so a good '02 shop will have a spare one on hand. I like to use soapy water or window cleaner to slide the shifter back together with the new bushings in place. Also I clean all the mold release wax off the new bushings so the shifter doesn't spin.... the knob really is not supposed to spin in your hand as you shift... Sometimes I assemble the bushings with 3M black weatherstrip adhesive to keep a pesky shifter from spinning.

The shifter ball cups can be worn and when doing a total shifter rebuild should be replaced. They are #17, but the upper one can only be done by taking the shifter apart like I mentioned in the bushing replacement above... Now the tricky part of these ball cups comes in figuring out what parts are needed to shim up the ball... I have used many different combinations of #s 6, 8 and 9 to get the desired effect.

Now there is a possibility that the hole for the pin in the shift shaft that comes out of the transmission is worn to the point of sloppiness. That would have to be repaired or replaced by a transmission builder. The respective "pin" hole in the shift arm can be replaced with #21.

HTH in rebuilding early shift linkage...

jgerock · June 13, 2009

Lots of good information here. Before you just replace the worn parts, I suggest you think about upgrading the entire shifter assembly with a kit from Rob at 2002 Haus. His kit includes all the necessary parts to completely replace the original "pin-type" pre-74 shifter with a 74 and up unit. The shifter base and selector rod includes delrin type bushings instead of sloppy rubber ones. You must re-use your old chrome shifter upper "cover" which fits over the new shifter lever and the shift tower that mounts to the transmission.

The best thing about the kit is you are now prepped for a 5-speed conversion! That was a wonderful surprise when I called Rob to discuss a future 5-speed upgrade.

Here are a few pictures (I'm working on a FAQ article).

Before