Will update later, I mean not to toot my own horn but I'm not a skinny guy, I regularly lift heavy weights, so I don't think it has anything to do with strength.

will look into the rear bushing mount, good idea! I'll update again tonight, my new clip comes in tomorrow so I'd like to have this ready to go, and my wife needs her car on Friday so I need to drive the X by then, haha!

Should be able to loosen the bolts #8 on the mount #4 in the diagram in order to get some play there, I'll let you guys know later on.

http://realoem.com/bmw/diagrams/v/e/92.png

Welp, I loosened the front shift carrier bolts to give some play, didn't really do much.

Spoke to Rob, he said there should be no pre-load on the bushings, it must just be stuck. I pried some more at the pin per his recommendation, broke the rotating piece off the pin, which I knew was going to happen sooner or later.

So now back to my original plan to press out the pin from the other side with a C-clamp which I'll pick up tomorrow with my new clip from the dealer, wish me luck on that one, I'm gonna need it. Effing SSK install is driving me mad.


At least the AFE intake install went easy today...

Jay, sorry to hear about your troubles! I'm sure it'll be worth it in the end. Hang in there bud :thumbup:

Thanks Sam, no worries! I'm sure some brutal force and a C-clamp will press that pin loose, but I'm just documenting my endeavors here for someone who buys the SSK, it's almost more worth it to just try and get the height adapter on the shifter arm from the inside of the car if you have nimble hands. Had I known my shift arm pin would be stuck in there I would have not attempted to take it off. Now I'm definitely putting fresh stock bushings in that shift arm ($8) when I finally get it off!

Like I was telling my wife this morning, can I just proceed with the rest of the SSK install? Sure, but the fact that the pin is stuck in the top of the trans is bothering me, and it would bother me to just button up everything and leave as is.

Oh and by the way, to add insult to injury I cracked my shift boot plastic trim ring last night on removal, 10 year old plastic is very brittle! However, some Gorilla glue and after that dries, I will slab some JB weld over the crack, should be good as new. That combo has worked on reinforcing cracked plastic for me many times, highly recommended if you crack something. I can't wait to vaccuum under the shift boot lol!

Ok so I'm going to say this.

I highly recommend installing the SSK in the car. Even with a c clamp the pin on top of the trans will not slide out. If I want to get it out I believe I'd have to drop the trans, or at least the exhaust, drive shaft, transfer case etc.

So the shift carrier is staying in place on the car. When bolted down though there really isn't any play so Rob is right, no worries about worn bushings on it, I just thought it would be nice to do with the install.

I'll finish installing the SSK and report back driving impressions tomorrow, 2.5 hours trying to get this stupid friggin clip out this week killed me.

And to top it off, I cracked the shift boot trim getting it out of the car and broke 2 clips off, so here goes another 60 bucks at the dealer to order a new one, bc it's not worth my time to try and glue it all and would bother me to know its broken.

Geez, RB, your experience is making me happier and happier that I paid UUC Rob those Benjamins to do the install ....:) Hear anything from Gregory in Switzerland about his install?

I have Gregory's email, and I'll be interested to hear his thoughts since he has the same 5-speed linkage as me (and perhaps will run into the same issue with a seized retaining clip, and the need for the proper one as Rob includes the different clips for the 6-speed), he emailed me back yesterday and said his was only mailed earlier this week, strange, because I know he was one of the first ones (I thought) that paid for the shifter.

Either way he said hes about 2 weeks out for install.

I guess the benjamins you paid Rob was for him to drop driveshaft, trans, transfer case, exhaust etc and have a completely clear tunnel to do work in, which is obviously advantageous. If my tunnel was clear I'm sure a torch and/or other prying tools could take care of the seized clip. It's also nearly impossible to remove that rod joint blind with all the stuff in place, and I know he inspected yours on install as well which is why I'm sure the time paid was worth it.

Let's hope my small hands are worth it tonight to get the pivot height adapter on the shift carrier while still in the car lol!

It's in!
 

Happy to report the Evo3 is installed, and quite satisfied so far, although its MUCH different than stock. Very tight and smooth.

As I documented above, I was not able to undo the shift carrier from the car as the pin is seized on top of my trans, so I elected to use Mcurcio's method of unbolting the front carrier support (x2 13mm bolts) and removed it from the carrier temporarily.

Once that is out of the way the carrier can swing up and touch the bottom frame from inside the car, allowing you to put the height adapter piece and the 6 blue allen screws to secure it. Here are my tips from install if you elect to do this method of install for the SSK:


1) Put a dab of grease on your allen wrench when installing the tiny screws, it keeps them fixed on the wrench and lessens chance of dropping one. I actually dropped the last screw believe it or not, and by the grace of God and my magnetic pickup I found it. It did NOT drop on the ground as the driveshaft etc is below it.

2) Have a magnetic pickup handy, flexible and thin if possible. It helps to pick up the selector rod which dropped off the shift lever on disassembly, and if you drop the allen wrench, a screw etc.

3) WD-40 is a great lubricant at getting the rubber boot on the shift lever both off on disassembly and back on the new lever on reassembly.

4) Dont forget to vaccuum the inner workings under the shift boot (the foam piece and the area under the foam), and use some 303 Aerospace or similar rubber treatment on your rubber gaiter boot to keep it pliable and working for years to come

5) For 5-speed linkages, there are 2 yellow washers on the selector rod, one on each side. One will stay on the rod on removal of old shifter, keep it there. Then when reinstalling the selector rod to the shift lever, use the other yellow washer that came off with the circlip when you removed it, or put the washer Rob supplied with the kit on there, before putting on the clip. If you only have one washer on the selector rod the clip will be loose, you want it tight! 6-speed guys only have one washer on the selector rod before the clip.

6) Reinstalling the selector rod on the new lever is easiest done under the car, I would put some grease on the selector rod where it goes into the bearings on the bottom of the shift lever just as good practice (I always keep metal to metal connections greased up)


And there you have it. I would have loved to take some pics, but my hands were getting greased, dirty and cut up so I kept the iPhone on the shelf.

Will post up driving impressions after logging some miles, I ordered a ZHP shift knob yesterday so I'm excited to get that on there, the added weight of the knob should be even more satisfying.

And as far as any noises like mcurcio has, I have none, be sure the selector rod is on tight (make sure to use a washer before putting on clip) and be sure circlip is secure in groove on top of shift carrier, and rubber boot is secured properly is about all I can add for troubleshooting. The shifter certainly has that "click click" of a well lubricated PT1911 barrel, thats for sure!

Speaking of guns, I need to go clean my two beauties up now, so that's all for today kids!


PS: Ryan I got your measurements of the Evo3 shift lever, as best as I could. I'll PM you with them :thumbup::thumbup:

Here are a couple installed pics with stock shift knob, although I measured the evo3 lever and the stock shift lever, the Evo3 lever is about 1/2" shorter than stock, without the height adjustment touched (as high as it goes), although the pivot adapter brings the height back up slightly, it certainly "feels" shorter in height with the stock knob, and the position in neutral is shifted back towards the rear and drivers side slightly. See a slight difference here? Car is in neutral.

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/02/24/yvu3uru4.jpg

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/02/24/y6e9ymev.jpg

I ordered a ZHP knob on Friday but almost question if I should have, since it already feels lower than stock. Although I have short arms anyway it won't make much of a difference, my elbow never stays on the armrest while shifting.

Jay, very happy for you bud!

The pictures look good (you can definitely see a difference).

I think you made the right call on the ZHP knob. Definitely post pics once installed.

Thanks :thumbup: