1985 318i E30 shifter question

[mru77]

Hello everyone:
I'm a proud owner of a 1985 318i, 4 door bought a week ago. (M10 engine, I think 245 Getrag)
110K a shop bought from the first owner of the car. Garage kept, no dash cracks. Car had been re sprayed at one point. runs and drive very good.
I'm doing some maintenance. Shifter is very sloppy, I guess bushings need to be replaced (understandably). I took everything apart. I was thinking to put in a short shifter. However, this 318i has a shift tower/plate thing instead of a aluminum shift arm. My basic measurement (35mm dia. hole) says shift arm hole in this "tower" is smaller than in the aluminum arm you see in majority of E30's. Can anybody recommend a short kit that fit in this model?
I've seen Z3 shift fits and e36 M3 shifter fits, but I think it for the Aluminum arm type shifters? or they fit this "tower" type shift too?



Appreciate your input.

[MauiM3Mania]

Moved to the model specific sub-forum.

[superj]

you might have to just go to the junkyard and pull one from an e36 or e46 and test fit it

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did you find the bushing things for the shift plate to take care of the slop? they are like 5 bucks from the dealership. check realoem.com and using your vin, you can get the part number

[mru77]

you might have to just go to the junkyard and pull one from an e36 or e46 and test fit it

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did you find the bushing things for the shift plate to take care of the slop? they are like 5 bucks from the dealership. check realoem.com and using your vin, you can get the part number

Definitely something I consider doing (going to junk yard, BTW Car-part.com list most of the junk yard inventory ). I did buy all the repair parts for the existing setup. there are two shifter bushings (top of the "ball" and bottom, there is spring with a metal cup to keep the spring in place. Couple of other bushings at the gearbox end too. I searched all p/n's from Real OEM. Thank you for your replay, and help.

[richardodn]

Another big source of shifter slop on cars with the stamped steel shift arm are its mounts.

https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/sho...diagId=25_0093

The screws up front can come loose and fall out. The bracket itself (#1) has rubber bits that decay. I recommend replacing all the parts #1-4 and using blue loctite to keep them in place. Also replace #7.

[mru77]

Another big source of shifter slop on cars with the stamped steel shift arm are its mounts.

https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/sho...diagId=25_0093

The screws up front can come loose and fall out. The bracket itself (#1) has rubber bits that decay. I recommend replacing all the parts #1-4 and using blue loctite to keep them in place. Also replace #7.

Thank you for your recommendations/help. Bought all the parts 1-4,9. 8 ,7, 10 thru 15 (in addition to shifter bushing and shifter spring, that keep the top bushing pressed in). I found that #2 (two screws) are already loose. Def putting 242 Loctite.
Thank you again guys.
Done:
Went to Guten Parts in Maplewood ,NJ. Levent is an awsome guy
-Replaced my passenger side mirror
-Replaced rain gutter clips
-Replaced rear trunk trim
-New tool kit
-Some trim clips behind head light and air intake
Not only he changed them for free (free labor) he gave me awesome priced too

Currently doing:
Replacing (burnt dash lights), oil change, brake fluid flush, diff and transmission oil change, new tires (old tires have flat spots)
Plugs, wires, Rotor and Cap
New air filter
Replacing one low beams
Need to clay and polish

Next Steps:
Driver seat (not sports seats )have a broken springs and, I think a weld is broken at a corner, it is twisted toward passenger side. When you sit you are slightly turned towards passenger. Planing to buy two seats and swap the covers)
Future plans:
Tuck in the dive board bumpers
Install a Mtech front valence
Maybe in distant future, Euro Bumpers..
Better headlights
Basket Weave 15"
I'll upload some pics as soon as the snow melts

[superj]

it probably is broken welds for the seat frame. that's common.

I would not tuck the diving boards though. I have before and thought it was cool but I recently got hit in my 86 325e that I had chosen to not tuck the bumpers on and it saved my car's butt (literally). the other car was destroyed and all I had was a broken marker light lens. the new plastic cars don't handle metal bumpers well.

and the front valance might sit funny with the tuck, also. the mtech valance sticks out a bit so if you tuck the bumper, it might not be out far enough to mount the mtech properly. I will have to look because my son's 86 has an mtech valance on it and he is not tucked.

the 15s, for sure. they look way better.


I kind of wish one of the etas we have was a 318 instead. I really like the m10. I had it in an e21 and an e30 and enjoyed both versions

[mru77]

I thought I would update the progress. I did a lot of work to the car. swap the seat covers to a used good front seat. Replaced Tie rods (inner outer), fuel filter.
Replaced all bushings on the tower shifter, including a shifter from a E46 AWD (it is the same shifter used in Z3 1.9..who knew?). The best modification is the 'T' joint used at the selector shaft coming out of transmission. There is "pillow" bushing I changed. I replaced the plastic bushing of the 'T' (#16 in real OEM) joint with a "brass" bushing. (a friend at a machine shop pressed one in for me). It is the best improvement. I still think shifter tower plate rear bushing (bell shaped rubber bushing) is sloppy (although it is a new OEM one). right now I'm chasing a "click, click noise coming when steering is turned back and forth. Looks like my steering rack is the problem. When I touch the steering shaft connecting to rack, it sound like coming from there.