5 speed shift linkage bushing replacement

[Bejoe16]

Does anyone have a set of these bushings before I order more than I need?

 

[Bejoe16]

B

 

[Dan Wood]

You can buy 2 from McMaster Carr. The shipping will cost more than the 2 parts.

 

[Barry.b]

In preparation for my Getrag 5 speed install I have been preparing the short throw shift linkage and was not satisfied with the crappy plastic bushings that came in the new rod joint or the used 320i lever. BMW does not sell replacements for these. So I measured the size of the bores and it is 10mm ID x 13mm OD x 20mm long. A quick search yielded a most excellent company that sells the exact fit bronze bushing.

The plastic one was removed from the shift lever, there are grooves in there but the bush is tight so no adhesive needed. I Dremel'd the inside with a wire brush to clean and smooth it out:

Then I tapped it into the lever, it overhangs about a mm on each side (where the original flange would be) and is not quite as tight in the 144mm dog bone DSSC linkage piece as I want (nor was the plastic one) so I am fitting two 10mm x 16mm x .25mm shim washers to make it nice and snug. Then I torched the plastic bush out of the new rod joint, there are large grooves inside it so I put some JB Weld in and tapped another bushing into that, it is very snug and won't need washers between it and the dogbone:

That's the old plastic lever bearing in the above pic. Now I have tight, smooth bronze bushings that won't distort over time like plastic or have as much play.

Here is the bearing source:

https://www.ametric.com/p-40373-10-13x20.aspx

Hi
I am just about ready to get my 265 all sorted for my car
You mentioned a shift lever from a 320i.
What model 3 series is that from and does it give you a shorter shift distance between gears ?

 

[Stevehose]

Hi
I am just about ready to get my 265 all sorted for my car
You mentioned a shift lever from a 320i.
What model 3 series is that from and does it give you a shorter shift distance between gears ?

Lower half of an early e21 I believe, and yes it gives a slightly shorter throw.

 

[dj_efk]

Hey @rsporsche Do you still have any of the bronze bushings left? I'm sourcing parts to install a Getrag 265/6…so I think I need a couple of these? If you do have some would you consider sending to the UK?

Thanks, Michael.

Michael I’m sorry to use your thread as an advert - however for anyone in the U.K., I have a set of the bushes needed for this conversion - I had to buy too many as a minimum order. I also have some new tower mounts which you’d want to replace also.

See ad here: LINK

 

[dj_efk]

Lower half of an early e21 I believe, and yes it gives a slightly shorter throw.

You’d want to double check part numbers in RealOEM but from memory, I believe the same part is fitted to any 6 cylinder engined E21, I don’t think it needs to be from a specific period in the production run. But again, please confirm this as it’s just my memory, which is often unreliable.