Shift Lever Install
The stock shift lever in a BMW is not very "sporty" feeling. The shift throw is pretty smooth, but the length between gears is quite long. This has inspired almost every BMW related tuner to release a short shift kit (SSK) of some kind ranging in price from $200 to almost $1000!!! All of them tout some feature that makes them better than OEM and other aftermarket levers, but the fact remains that the most important part of a SSK is to reduce shift throw length. With that in mind, wouldn't you rather pay $75 or less for a SSK? I know I would, but there's always going to be the folks that feel that they need to spend hundreds on a SSK, those folks can stop reading now.

BMW used different levers in different 3-series models for various reason such as the different tranmissions. The trick is knowing what lever to swap in to your car to reduce the shift throw. For an E30 or E36 318, 323 or 325 you can use a Z3 1.9L lever to get a 29% reduction in shift throw or you can use a 328/M3 lever to get a 33% reduction. There are about a million used 328/M3 levers out there because so many 328/M3 owners have upgraded. BMW no longer sells new M3/328 levers so if you want one you've got to buy it used, expect to pay ~$25. A new Z3 1.9L is ~$75 at the dealer. Some 318's have a damnpening ring attached to the driveshaft that may contact the selector rod when you install a different shift lever. If so you'll need to bend the selector rod slightly to clear it. No biggie, it's easy to do.

For a 328 or a M3, a stock M-Roadster lever will give you a 35% reduction in shift throw and will run you ~$75 at the dealer. The only issue is that the M-Roadster lever does not have the same "bend" to it that the other levers do. If you don't bend the lever then the knob position will be a little farther foward and to the right of normal. Some folks don't care and just leave it that way, but I'll show you how to bend it.

If you have a 328 or M3, you will need to bend your shift lever. If you have a '96+ 318 you may need to bend your selector rod (you must check for clearance to be sure). To bend a selector rod use a desk vice and three sockets as shown in the picture below, tighten the vice until the rod is bent enough. To bend a shift lever whip up a "tool" as shown in the picture below, clamp the "tool" in to a desk vice, slip the 24" long tube over the top of the lever and pull until the lever is bent the way you want it. You can customize it any way you want, but matching your stock lever is a good reference point.

Instead of driving all over town trying to find all the parts you need for this mod and to eliminate having to bend your own lever, you can now order a budget SSK on-line at shop.understeer.com!

You will need the following parts/tools for an '87-'95 318 or 325:
- Floor Jack
- Ramps/jackstands
- Mechanix Gloves
- Two medium sized flat blade screwdrivers
- Grease
- Used M3/328 lever (31% shorter) or a Z3 lever #25 11 1 434 148 (29% shorter)

You will need the following parts/tools for a '96+ 318:
- Floor Jack
- Ramps/jackstands
- Mechanix Gloves
- Two medium sized flat blade screwdrivers
- Grease
- Used M3/328 lever (31% shorter) or a Z3 lever #25 11 1 434 148 (29% shorter)
- Desk vice
- Three large sockets

You will need the following parts/tools for a 328 or E36 M3:
- Floor Jack
- Ramps/jackstands
- Mechanix Gloves
- Two medium sized flat blade screwdrivers
- Grease
- M-Roadster Lever #25 11 2 228 384 (35% shorter)
- Desk vice
- 6" legth of square metal pipe with ~1 1/4" inside diameter
- 24" length of round pipe with ~1 1/8" inside diameter

The following parts are optional if you'd like to replace worn parts:
- 25 11 1 220 600 - Shift Lever Bearing
- 25 11 1 220 439 (x4) - Spacer Ring
- 25 11 1 220 379 (x2) - Circlip
- 25 11 1 220 198 (x1) - Gear Selector Rod Joint (before 9/94)
- 25 11 1 222 649 (x1) - Gear Selector Rod Joint (after 9/94)

Jack up the front of your car and support it with ramps and/or jackstands. Refer to the "how to jack up your car" article if you're not sure how to do so. If you want to live, do not work under your car without using ramps and/or jackstands!

Yank the shift knob straight up to remove. Don't pull or pry, just yank once... very hard. It should pop right off, but make sure you don't hit yourself in the face. Don't laugh because folks have blackened eyes and bloodied noses pulling off their shift knobs. Never mind, go ahead and laugh at them, I did!

Once that dangerous knob is out of the way, snap off the shift boot, remove the foam insulation block and pull off the rubber boot. Now it's time to crawl under the car. While wearing your Mechanix gloves to pad your finger tips, reach up above the driveshaft, feel around for the ends of the selector rod, then push, pull and twist the circlips off of both ends. They aren't fun since there is very little room to get your hands in there. The pictures below were taken with the catalytic converter and driveshaft removed, it will NOT be as easy to reach the linkage on your car. The rear circlip has a tendancy to pop off and fall on top of the heat shield behind it, if (when!) it does, loosen the 10mm bolts attatching the heat shield, pull it down a little and then shake it to knock the circlip out. When you get the circlips off feel around right behind them and retrieve the yellow nylon washers. Then remove the selector rod. Make sure the yellow nylon washers on the selector rod side came off with the rod, if not feel around to see if they are stuck to the the lever or the selector pivot.

Get out from under the car and grab those screwdrivers. Get in the car and flop the shift lever over so it's out of the way. Stick the tips of them in to opposite sides of the white nylon pivot cup that hold the lever in place. Cross the blades of the screwdrivers so you can leverage them off one another. Rotate the cup ~90deg clockwise to release the tabs. Pull the lever straight up to remove it.

Pop the nylon cup off of the old lever, smear some grease on the inside surfaces of the cup and pop it on to your new lever. Snap the new lever in by pushing straight down making sure the tabs on the cup hook in to the slots on the carrier. Make sure that the bend in the lever is angling the top of the lever to the left and back towards the driver seat.

Make sure the yellow nylon washers are in place on the ends of the selector rod with the non-rounded side facing towards where the lever and selector pivot will be. Smear a little grease on the ends of the selector rod. Get back under the car and reinstall the selector rod. Have a friend check that the bend is facing towards the driver seat and then shift through the gears slowly while you watch to make sure that the selector rod doesn't hit any thing. If it does, mark the rod where it's hitting and bend the rod at that mark. Once You're sure everything is okay slip on the other yellow washers with the flat side facing towards the lever and selector pivot. Now the "fun" part. Push, pull and twist the circlips back in to place on the ends of the selector rod. Some will go on easily while others are a bit more stubborn.

Get back in the car and grab the rubber boot, look for an arrow on the base of the boot, it should face toward the front of the car, push the boot back in to place. Reinstall the foam insulation, the shift boot and the knob.

Lower your car back down off the ramps/jackstands

Remove Knob	Remove Boot	Everything Removed
Shift Linkage (driveshaft removed)	Circlip Removed	Removing Nylon Washer
Removing Selector Rod	Removing Lever	Removing Lever
Removing Nylon cup	Nylon Cup Lubed	Lever Installed
Installing Selector Rod	Circlip Installed	Reinstalling Knob
Lever Bending "Tool"	Bend Selector Rod	MZ3 vs 328/M3 vs 318/323/325