$260 Shift Linkage? Advice Please

[talltorontoguy]

Sorry, previous post title badly formatted.

Hi guys,

My 92 E34 has an extremely sloppy shifter. My mechanic is suggesting that I replace the entire assembly... lower shift rod, lever, knuckle, ball cup. $260 (CDN) plus install. Is this normal to replace all of this? He's saying that while doing clutch (see below) has to disconnect it all anyway and the exhaust so would be cheaper labour to do now.

The car is real hard to get into 1st and reverse, occassionally pops out... he says this is clutch. Clutch doesn't slip though? Not near top of pedal, and when I push it while driving to test adhesion, it grabs back right away with no slippage. I do get some "catching" when clutch is fully depressed, where the car actually jerks lightly ahead sometimes; other times a little chattering.

What do you guys think, particularly about the shifter linkage? Do I really need all those parts?

Rod

[Dave M]

you can perform the task yourself with relatively simple tools. If your clutch needs replacement, which it sounds like it,

1) you can remove it yourself as you'll be a good chunk of the way there once exhaust/driveshaft and shift linkage is out of the way and possibly have someone do the clutch job, or,
2) I believe Ed (search for posts by Bimmernut Ed) posted a clutch job DIY a while back. You could attempt the whole job, what fun.

The link below is to my DIY post for the linkage play remedy. The parts are not cheap, but much cheaper than what your mech has proposed. For that price (assuming US $ an labour not involved) you could also get an M car or Z shifter and shorten the throw and replace flex disk etc. (still have cash left over).

Oops, I see you're in toronto, my birthplace and home of the pigeons. I,m now out west and did this job with the majority of parts from the dealer and a few from BMA. Everything cost @$250, but I got the e36M3 shift lever and flex disk and some exhaust hanger stuff out of it.
Disregard my cost estimate in the DIY as its only for linkage parts.

http://www.bimmer.info/forum/showthread.php?t=1169

Anyhow, good luck with it,

Dave M