Transmission catastrophe!?

[cookbw]

After cleaning up my fuel system and installing a new MSD fuel pump I was out for a joyride. It was great...the idle was silky smooth, she started first crank and all was right in the world. I parked at the top of the Berkeley hills and looked down at the Bay Area feeling like a champ.

When I got back in and put her in reverse I noticed that I had to push the shifter pretty hard against the console to get into reverse...almost like the position for reverse had moved a little further to the left. So off I go and as I'm cruising along in third I heard a clicking sound (not destructive or hard like grinding) that died away after a few seconds. Then, when I went to shift up, it was clear something was really wrong. The shifter was just floppy and I could not change gears. It felt like the shifter just came unlinked from the gearbox. I was able to get her home in third. It felt normal in third and wasn't noisy. I'm going to take a look tomorrow but I would really appreciate some tips on what to look for.

FYI...the gearbox is getrag 265 5-spd. A little whiny but overall a pretty good feeling tranny. Interestingly 4th gear is not whiny at all.

 

[x_atlas0]

The shift linkage is a pretty straight-forward device. I'd start by making sure the connection points (where the trans meets the arm and the arm meets the lever) are in good order. The arm is held in place by a pair of circlips, so it is possible they came off and the arm came out of the bushing.

Note that it is a pretty tight fit with the exhaust and driveshaft in place, so some good lights and skinny arms work great.

 

[jranmann]

I'd start by making sure the connection points (where the trans meets the arm and the arm meets the lever) are in good order. The arm is held in place by a pair of circlips, so it is possible they came off and the arm came out of the bushing.

My first thought precisely...and shift bushing condition as if contaminated they disintegrate quicky.

Good luck!

Ran

 

[Jellobmw]

Happened to me last year. I have a shift linkage support bracket that was custom assembled when I converted my slush box to a 5 spd OD.

On mine, the old aluminum angle bracket that attaches to the linkage bracket by a rubber mount had snapped in half. The shifter bracket lost support, and was wicked sloppy.

I fabbed a new one from steel, and all good.

 

[jmackro]

I agree with the above posts. While we can't diagnose exactly what broke or came loose, the point is that your problem is most likely external to the transmission, and as such, easy to fix (compared with a problem inside the box). When mine displayed similar symptoms, the solution was as simple as tightening the bolts that attach the shift linkage.

 

[M5dCS]

trans whine

These Getrag transmissions we use(either OD or Close Ratio) have an Achilles heel, this is the countershaft bearings, they are really a little small for this trans and horsepower, and when they get some mileage on them they start to make a little noise. Really nothing to worry about unless it gets pretty loud or crunchy. The reason 4th gear is quiet is because power is going straight through the mainshaft instead of being routed through the countershaft. Anyway, I don't think your gearbox is bad, just the shift linkage. Good luck, you've gotten good advice from everyone here. Regards, Leroy

 

[cookbw]

Dr. Jerry Riggins

Fortunately the problem was just as you guys suspected (and I hoped) - external to the tranny.

Here are a couple pics showing the trouble. Not sure if I'm using the right lingo, but basically the rod that connects from the ball (at bottom of shifter) to the tranny is just dangling next to the drive shaft.

Next pic is the hole where the end of that rod is supposed to be inserted. It's not clear to me what was ever keeping that in the hole.

I think I can get it back in the hole, but I don't know how the heck I can secure it in there. If the little finger at the end of the rod is long enough, maybe I can drill a tiny hole in the finger and stick an R-clip.

 

[cookbw]

These Getrag transmissions we use(either OD or Close Ratio) have an Achilles heel, this is the countershaft bearings, they are really a little small for this trans and horsepower, and when they get some mileage on them they start to make a little noise. Really nothing to worry about unless it gets pretty loud or crunchy. The reason 4th gear is quiet is because power is going straight through the mainshaft instead of being routed through the countershaft. Anyway, I don't think your gearbox is bad, just the shift linkage. Good luck, you've gotten good advice from everyone here. Regards, Leroy

Thanks for the input Leroy. Good to know why 4th is so quiet and that a little whine is not a big concern.

My manual shows a 'heat shield' - I assume to block exhaust heat from getting in to the cabin by the shifter hole. It also shows a 'foam sound absorber' that's supposed to keep things quieter. Neither is present on my car. Just curious if folks out there actually have these parts in place.

On my car I can see the the ground and drive shaft if I unzip the leather around my gear shifter.

 

[x_atlas0]

There is supposed to be a groove cut in the rod (on the circumference) that allows a circlip to hold it in place. Honestly, since you have to fix it now, replacing the shifter bushings will hugely improve the shifter feel. The bushings are cylindrical sleeves that the rod ends fit into. They wear down over time, causing tons of shifter slop, or as in your case, complete shifter failure.

Alternatively, you could upgrade the shifter to a double shear shifter rod, or DSSR from UUC. As the name suggests, rather than the rod poking through the shifter on one side, it attaches on both sides. It can help reduce the lateral play often found in BMW shifters.

 

[cookbw]

The DSSR looks like an easy replacement as long as I can find the right length. You think this can be done without removing the exhaust and disconnecting the guibo to drop the driveshaft? I tried to start loosening the nuts on the guibo but couldn't make them budge - wd40 might help.

 

[BarryG]

Shanon .. will have the right number for the DSSR..he'll chim in.

 

[x_atlas0]

Or Rob of UUC would gladly be able to tell you. He worked with me quite a bit when I was putting my kit in. Great customer service over there.

 

[cookbw]

Great I'll definitely try them. It looks like a better linkage system than stock and very doable without removing guibo.

I got the old link rod out and it looks like whoever installed just shortened another link rod they had lying around by cutting/rewelding.

Here's a closeup of the damaged end.

Once I re-inserted the good side of the link rod into the cylinder on the tranny, I noticed that the rod didn't go all the way through. Here's a pic I had to take just to see what was going on myself because I couldn't get my head up there with driveshaft and exhaust in the way. Sometimes camera phones are handy:mrgreen::

The cylinder on the tranny side is about 30mm long, while the cylinder on the shifter side is only 20mm long and the link rod fit the 20mm cylinder perfectly. Looking at the damage on the link rod, it seems like it had been working itself out of the cylinder for a long time. Hopefully it didn't destroy the bearings on its way out, because they don't look easy to replace. Here's a closeup of the cylinder bearing on the tranny after removing rod.

 

[Arde]

The foam piece is also important to keep fumes out of the cabin I think. I put a fresh one when the 5-speed conversion was done. You can see it as the yellow rectangle in the conversion kit picture:
http://home.earthlink.net/~b_jamin/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/kit.jpg

I did have fume problems before that. They gave me massive headaches and are probably the reason my spleen is extra bitter. Only picking on Randy-man provides relief and solace since then...

 

[steve in reno]

My cs does not have the heat shield either.
Not sure if the foam part is available, but I doubt it. However it can be made easily and cheaply.
Purchase a very small piece of heavy density foam, cut hole and mount before mounting shift lever. Push down through hole in tunnel so it sits on top of trans.
I helps to keep heat/smell and noise from coming into the cabin.
steve

 

[bmw2002]

Some pics

Good evening,
I don't know if it is any help to see what it probably originally looked like (if it isn't please do say and I will stop offering these kinds of photographs). I can offer some pics from one of my gearboxes.
I am assuming from your pics it was almost the same setup originally.
The gearbox in question is the right one on the middle row of the following picture:

You can see in the same picture another type of linkage connection on the bottom row.

Next pic shows the connection to the gearbox.

The connecting rod itself with the washer and the circlip:

The circlip, different views:

Best regards,
Tom from Belgium

 

[cookbw]

Thanks for the pics Tom.

I noticed the linkage cylinder on my gearbox has a hole 30mm long...too long for the finger at the end of stock connecting rod which is only 20mm long. My getrag 265 is from a mid-late 80's 5-series (rather than early 80's E12) and I'm wondering if that's why the pieces don't match up right. And perhaps why the connecting rod fell out in the first place! I may need to have something custom fabricated here...or maybe it's time to replace the shift selector, connector rod and all with newer parts having 30mm connectors.

 

[bmw2002]

Evening again,
These pictures are from a '78 "CSL Luigi" 4sp track gearbox (1st= 2.7).
Width = 20 mm. But the linkage depends on what kind of a "cap" (or whatever one should call it technically correct) you put on the end of the gearshift axle coming out of your box.

I think it is indeed wise to replace everything with a new setup. Linkages have a tendency to break someday. I can still remember the day I stranded with a 1967 1600-2 in the middle of the alps with a broken clutch linkage... on a sunday !

Have fun...
Tom