There is GRM-improv style.....and then there is THIS

So I take apart the e30's shifter console and sheet metal shift bracket to refresh some parts, only to find THIS: the two front mount brackets. See how many problems you can see with this pic

I wondered why the shifter was so extremely sloppier than anything I've ever felt in my life.

Now here is what the mount brackets are SUPPOSED to look like

Keep in mind, whoever last worked on this part of the car (I think to do the rear transmission seal) also managed to leave two of the driveshaft bolts loose (cross-threaded the nuts), so I had wicked vibrations at any speed over 30mph driving the car home.

To boot, one of the threaded holes into the transmission casing was stripped/cross-threaded as well, so to re-install everything I had to drill it out and heli-coil it. That was alot of fun in a tight spot.....

But it's all freshened up now with all new bushings, mounts, grommets, o-rings, etc and ready for the Z3 shifter now.

and in case anyone cares about the rest of my e30 rallycross build and has somehow not seen the constantly-bumped thread yet, here's a link:

http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/grm/mein-e30-mein-sammlungkreuz-baugewinde-my-318i-rallycross-build-thread/40440/page1/

Yikes, I've never seen 'just enough skill to be dangerous' demonstrated so convincingly.

Yup. You win. That's a good one. Fortunately for me, I guess... I don't have those parts.

Still amazes me how that shifter set-up looks almost nothing like the one on my car...

irish44j wrote:

It's... the... I... did he...

Based on my used-car experience, I see nothing wrong with that picture. That isn't how everything you take off you car is supposed to look?

ghettotastic!

Is that actually welded or is it JB Weld?

Now that is even better than lamp zip cord in MG taillight hanesses. I worked for a forklift shop way long ago, one day the service manager brought me a Prestolite rotor that was on a lift in the shop. The brass blade had broken off, someone had wrapped some stranded wire around the rotor and taped it in place. Our delivery driver had fired it right up and driven it onto the truck, then drove it into the shop. Man, I wish I had a picture of it.

I'm intimately familiar with that setup right now...since I'm redoing the clutch in my 325e and rebuilding the shifter while I'm at it.

That welded lugnut contraption was...creative.

Just a heads up, your left shifter mount looks like it got tweaked out of shape while tightening the bolt...might want to straighten that up (make it horizontal). Not that it's a huge deal, though.

In my transmission reinstallation I'm at the "two-hour-starter-bolt-fiasco" portion of the job. Yeehaw!

Clem

I'm impressed

ClemSparks wrote: I'm intimately familiar with that setup right now...since I'm redoing the clutch in my 325e and rebuilding the shifter while I'm at it. That welded lugnut contraption was...creative. Just a heads up, your left shifter mount looks like it got tweaked out of shape while tightening the bolt...might want to straighten that up (make it horizontal). Not that it's a huge deal, though. In my transmission reinstallation I'm at the "two-hour-starter-bolt-fiasco" portion of the job. Yeehaw! Clem

Yeah, I noticed that too, but it's because the sheet metal bracket is actually bent, so the mount is actually sitting flush to the metal. I'll probably pull it back off and straigten it - didn't notice it at the time until I looked at the picture. Or I might not....it doesn't seem to interfere with anything and the shift bracket sits level, so might just leave it :)

ReverendDexter wrote: Is that actually welded or is it JB Weld?

it's welded. Seems like alot of trouble rather than just ordering a $4 part!

irish44j wrote: Yeah, I noticed that too, but it's because the sheet metal bracket is actually bent, so the mount is actually sitting flush to the metal. I'll probably pull it back off and straigten it - didn't notice it at the time until I looked at the picture. Or I might not....it doesn't seem to interfere with anything and the shift bracket sits level, so might just leave it :)

I read you loud and clear. I was only worried about the longevity of the rubber in the mount. Sounds like you're on top of it already.

I just found your build thread, thanks to this thread...and have your parts inventory thread open in another tab, ready to read. Lovin' it. It's insprirational. I let my E30 project stall for a year...but I'm back on that horse.

Of course...I don't know what I'll do with mine when I get it going. Just drive it, I suppose ;). Probably nothing as fun as rallycross.

Clem

irish44j wrote:

ReverendDexter wrote: Is that actually welded or is it JB Weld?

it's welded. Seems like alot of trouble rather than just ordering a $4 part!

Ah...but the welder was in the room and the $4 part was across the country ;).

Not to mention that $4 counts against the budget. Think! People!

^that's a bitchin' avatar!

Would you have found the "makeshift" part if the other had not broken?

egnorant wrote: Would you have found the "makeshift" part if the other had not broken?

I didn't know the other one was broken. Everything in that area was coated in about 2" of grime and grease. The car went into gear fine, just with tons of shifter play that would be typical for a 188k mile car. I figured it was just worn bushings, not one broken mount and one ghetto-fabulous mount that gave the whole shifter assembly a ton of play....

In fact, I spotted the ghetto-mount before I even noticed the other side was broken.

also from the wear (and bends) on the bolts above, you can see how much movement was taking place inside the ghetto threaded "bushing" lol....

I would have found out about it when that bolt finally broke and the whole shifter assembly fell onto the driveshaft......

irish44j wrote: So I take apart the e30's shifter console and sheet metal shift bracket to refresh some parts, only to find THIS: the two front mount brackets. See how many problems you can see with this pic I wondered why the shifter was so extremely sloppier than anything I've ever felt in my life. Now here is what the mount brackets are SUPPOSED to look like

Damn, what a mess. I never realized that someone could overtorque bits like that without air tools.

what makes you think anything was overtorqued?

The bolts are stripped because they are about 5mm narrower than the holes they were going through, so were just banging around metal to metal for who knows how long....

irish44j wrote: what makes you think anything was overtorqued? The bolts are stripped because they are about 5mm narrower than the holes they were going through, so were just banging around metal to metal for who knows how long....

Oh, I think I see it now. The shiny one are the real mounts, the ones you removed are from Ghetto Industries, Inc.? People do some strange things to cars..

friedgreencorrado wrote:

irish44j wrote: what makes you think anything was overtorqued? The bolts are stripped because they are about 5mm narrower than the holes they were going through, so were just banging around metal to metal for who knows how long....

Oh, I think I see it now. The shiny one are the real mounts, the ones you removed are from Ghetto Industries, Inc.? People do some strange things to cars..

yeah, the shiny ones are brand new. You can see the ghetto one on the bottom left, and the one on the bottom right is an OEM one (like the shiny ones) that gave up the ghost!