Short Shift Kit & Clutch Delay Valve fix
 

Picked up the sig. vehicle today at UUC. The new EVO-3 SSK installed, and the clutch delay valve deleted and replaced with UUC's replacement. Initial impressions are very positive. The CDV delete makes a huge difference, and I'm very pleased with the shifter engagement using the SSK. I'll report in more detail next week after I've driven it a bit. BTW - they bill six hours to do the install, so if you have access to a lift or are able to spend the time on a creeper and have the experience/skills to do the install yourself, it will save you significant coin. I understand Greg in Switzerland has been shipped his kit and hopefully will be able to fill in the installation details.

More to follow next week.

After driving a couple hundred miles, urban and country, I am very much impressed with both the CDV delete [eliminating the annoying hesitation, particularly when starting in first] and the UUC SSK. This is my fourth stick shift bimmer [E28, E36, E39? [1998 528i], now E53]; the E53 was the worst [though nothing mechanically 'wrong' with the OEM shifter], and the SSK makes it easily the best shifting bimmer I've driven. It even compares favorably to the six speed in a 2005 SLK 350 benz roadster sold last year, which was easily my favorite stick. Short, concise shifts, no confusion on the gates. Combined with the CDV delete, this makes for a marvelous shifting manual transmission. This is a fairly expensive upgrade [book/billed 6+ hours], unless you do the work yourself. Look for Greg's post on the install process when he does his.

Looking forward to Greg's install thread, if this is a DIY install from under the vehicle I might definitely think of investing in the SSK, if only from a standpoint to make my E53 that much more rare than most, did you also replace any other bushings during your install Riggo, to give a factory fresh feel?

I agree on CDV delete, should have been done from the factory. My E53 has had it for years, I never drove with the CDV, but I can imagine it would be terrible!

Waaaaay back in the day (2000) when I bought my 2000 540i6 from a far away land, I asked a friend to pick it up. He did, then drove it directly to a board member (from a different board) to remove the CDV. 14 years and I have never driven the car with a CDV. :rofl:

Edit:

Goodness. That was 14 years ago. Yowza. :yikes:

Wow- 6 hrs labor? I thought it would be intensive but not that much so.. I think being able to do it by oneself will be the factor for most people considering it. With the already steep price of the albeit well-built SSK, and then 500+ in labor... Just isn't feasible for me to replace a properly functioning, but pedestrian shifter with this one. I'd love to see some pics of it installed though- curious how much the overall height was reduced. +1 on the CDV- night and day difference. Enjoy!

Awesome! Excited for more. Please sling some pics up for us!

I understand you can adjust the height, but mine is at stock. Pix of the installed shifter don't capture the value of the SSK. That said, since removing the wood-wrapped shifter knob loosened its plastic connection to the shaft, I sprung for the pricey leather wrapped aluminum [heavy!] shift ball, too. Call me a spendthrift. I'll post a picture with the comparison to the original shifter & knob. I expect the labor charge(s) are from the BMW 'book', not reality, but thats the economics of the car repair biz - and the reason I try and do this stuff myself when possible. From the Pelican Parts E36 instructions [the best I've seen] and those on UUC, I think this is doable from rhino ramps, etc., without a lift, by a shade-tree mechanic, but lets' see what Greg in Switzerland has to say.

Here is my original, OEM shifter knob; the UUC SSK shifter with fancy machined aluminum, leather-wrapped shift knob to follow as soon as I remember how to downsize a .pdf or .jpeg ......

Looking forward to seeing what knob you used!

Here it is with fancy knob. It has the six-speed shift pattern engraved in the aluminum. Sorry for specks of dirt/dust/grime around the parking brake ....