Question about E36 manual shift lever moving forward/rearward when braking

[e36rwatson]

Hi everyone,

I have a 1994 E36 318i convertible "project car" with 100k miles on it that I've had for a little over a year. I purchased it with a clutch plate that had blown apart to the point it would not move the car regardless of the gear it was in. I replaced the flywheel (with a single mass flywheel), clutch plate, etc. and got the car back on the road. I've driven the car for over a year and for the most part it seems pretty solid. I don't hear any clunking over bumps or when stopping. I have recently started working on my suspension trying to resolve the problem where the car follows ruts in the road or other uneven road surfaces. A few weeks ago I replaced the front control arms and control arm bushings. I had noticed previously that at least one of the ball joint boots was split (actually found two after removing them) along with control arm bushings that didn't look too great. I was hoping that the control arms and bushings would help with the drivability. I haven't had it aligned yet. I want to get a new set of tires first. I am hoping that the alignment and tires will help as well. But it still follows the uneven road surface and ruts.

Sorry for the long background story but now to the actual question. I have noticed that when braking normally, the shift lever moves forward and backward a bit. Not a great amount but you can see it moving. I'm trying to figure out why. I'm guessing it could be a motor mount or transmission mount problem. I haven't checked to see if the shift lever moves while accelerating now that I am thinking about it but I don't hear or feel anything clunking during braking or acceleration. With the two piece driveline and the differential being isolated for the most part from the rear suspension, what could cause this? I am also wondering if I have rear suspension issues that might also be related to the drivability problem I have. Or is it normal to see some movement of the shift lever?

Any ideas or suggestions on either the moving shift lever or drivability issues would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you...

[bluptgm3]

Alignment is going to be key to drive ability issue, however with the age you describe most likely you have Rear Trailing Arm Bushing issues.
Does the car want to move to the left (or right) when accelerating modestly hard in first and second gear? Then steer back when you abruptly lift off the throttle? If so, you have torn RTABs.


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[guymandude]

I would certainly replace both rear trailing arm bushings. All 4 of the e36's I have owned needed them. I would also do the front control arm bushings as they are almost certainly dry rotted and need replacing.

The shifter moving definitely sounds like motor mounts. Definitely not as easy to change as the suspension bushings.

[jclausen]

since the shifter does not go directly in to the transmission there is a support arm that holds it and that rod has rubber bushings along with shift knuckle and foam insert. Make sure that stuff is not worn out. When it is worn the shifter moves around a lot and say when shifting into reverse the shifter can hit the side of the console.

[hotdish]

The shifter moving definitely sounds like motor mounts. Definitely not as easy to change as the suspension bushings.

Motor mounts and/or transmission mounts. If have or know someone with an engine hoist, motor mounts are somewhat easy. These should probably be done asap because they can cause the mechanical fan to hit the radiator if they get bad enough.

[e36rwatson]

Thanks for the suggestions. I will have to pay more attention to the car moving left or right while accelerating. I haven't really noticed it as much accelerating as when I hit an uneven road surface. But I'll take it for a test drive and see if it does and then update my post. I will also see if the shift lever moves while accelerating. The alignment is planned once I think I have the suspension parts that I need replaced and a set of new tires. My tires (225/50ZR16) are showing their age and from a few posts I've read, suggested tires with less width for 318i cars. Not sure if that is also a contributing factor. I'll start working on the replacement of the Rear Trailing Arm Bushings too.

I will also take another look at the shift linkage. I didn't see any issues when I replaced the clutch but it's worth another inspection. I will also take a closer look at the mounts as well. I will pop the hood and place a load on the engine in 1st and reverse to see if I can see any movement at all.

I have already replaced the front control arms and bushings.

[Team Neverlift]

Motor mounts are fairly easy with a jack and a friend. I did them by myself in <30mins, only issue was getting one of the sides high enough to put in the new mount. I readjusted the jack to favor lifting that side higher. Use a 2x4 to distribute the load on the oil pan, as the jack point. Simple as that. Trans mounts are super easy, just don't over torque them.

[hotdish]

Motor mounts are fairly easy with a jack and a friend. I did them by myself in <30mins, only issue was getting one of the sides high enough to put in the new mount.

It's way easier if you leave a nut partially threaded on the other mount while you do the other side. That worked on my e21, but I didn't know if the e36 has enough room to do that.