Gearbox shift pins

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lightning
Joined: Tue 27 Nov, 2007 08:15
Posts: 818

  Z3 roadster 3.0i
Location: Stockport

Gearbox shift pins

Post by lightning »

My 3.0 Z3 is having a new clutch fitted on Thursday. I was wondering, is it worth asking them to replace the shift pins while they are at it?
The car has done 56,000 miles.
4wheels
Joined: Sat 24 Sep, 2016 19:42
Posts: 83

  Z3 roadster 3.0i

Re: Gearbox shift pins

Post by 4wheels »

Wow that's not far for a clutch
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pingu
Joined: Fri 30 Apr, 2004 16:01
Posts: 3412

  M roadster S50

Re: Gearbox shift pins

Post by pingu »

Does the lever return to 3/4 from R, 1/2 and 5.

If so, the shift pins are OK and should be left alone.

If not, it will be cheaper to do it when the box is out than to have it done as a specific job.
Pingu
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lightning
Joined: Tue 27 Nov, 2007 08:15
Posts: 818

  Z3 roadster 3.0i
Location: Stockport

Re: Gearbox shift pins

Post by lightning »

Thanks for the reply, yes it does.

So one job l don't need to do.
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lightning
Joined: Tue 27 Nov, 2007 08:15
Posts: 818

  Z3 roadster 3.0i
Location: Stockport

Re: Gearbox shift pins

Post by lightning »

4wheels wrote:Wow that's not far for a clutch
The clutch was not worn out, but had drag. When they took out the old clutch it turned out to be 50-60% worn. I am not entirely sure of the reason for the clutch drag, but it's fine with the new clutch fitted.
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pingu
Joined: Fri 30 Apr, 2004 16:01
Posts: 3412

  M roadster S50

Re: Gearbox shift pins

Post by pingu »

Once you have excluded everything outside the gearbox, the best solution is to do what you did.

Change everything inside.

If you are DIYing and can afford the time and space to have the gearbox off the car for a prolonged period (and possibly many times), you can do some investigation and save some pennies, but if you are paying garage fees - change the lot. It will be cheaper in the long run.
Pingu
mrscalex
Joined: Fri 13 Mar, 2015 09:14
Posts: 910

  Z3 roadster 1.9

Re: Gearbox shift pins

Post by mrscalex »

pingu wrote:Does the lever return to 3/4 from R, 1/2 and 5.

If so, the shift pins are OK and should be left alone.

If not, it will be cheaper to do it when the box is out than to have it done as a specific job.
Can you clarify that test? Engine off. Put it in Reverse, flick it out and it should come to rest in positions 3/4. Same with 5 and it comes to rest in positions 1/2?

Sorry, might be being a prat here.
ImageImage
2001 Z3 2.2 Topaz Blue (Trudy) - Keeper rebuilt from a write-off
2002 Z3 2.2 Titan Silver (Cookies) - Keeper rebuilt having been bought with a seized engine
2002 Z3 3.0 Sapphire Black (Peanut) - Keeper awaiting rebuilding having been bought as an abandoned project
Plus Willy, Kodak & Maycee - All 2.2 Sport projects. Yes, 6 is a lot of Z3s :)
Always happy to try and help with spares :)
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BladeRunner919
Joined: Fri 17 Feb, 2012 20:18
Posts: 2225

  Z3 roadster 1.9

Re: Gearbox shift pins

Post by BladeRunner919 »

mrscalex wrote:
pingu wrote:Does the lever return to 3/4 from R, 1/2 and 5.

If so, the shift pins are OK and should be left alone.

If not, it will be cheaper to do it when the box is out than to have it done as a specific job.
Can you clarify that test? Engine off. Put it in Reverse, flick it out and it should come to rest in positions 3/4. Same with 5 and it comes to rest in positions 1/2?

Sorry, might be being a prat here.
It's not really a test, it's just whether the gear stick returns to the centre (between 3&4) when in neutral. It's the normal behaviour of any manual gearbox.
mrscalex
Joined: Fri 13 Mar, 2015 09:14
Posts: 910

  Z3 roadster 1.9

Re: Gearbox shift pins

Post by mrscalex »

BladeRunner919 wrote:
mrscalex wrote:
pingu wrote:Does the lever return to 3/4 from R, 1/2 and 5.

If so, the shift pins are OK and should be left alone.

If not, it will be cheaper to do it when the box is out than to have it done as a specific job.
Can you clarify that test? Engine off. Put it in Reverse, flick it out and it should come to rest in positions 3/4. Same with 5 and it comes to rest in positions 1/2?

Sorry, might be being a prat here.
It's not really a test, it's just whether the gear stick returns to the centre (between 3&4) when in neutral. It's the normal behaviour of any manual gearbox.
But is it a valid way to check if the shift pins need replacing? If so it sounds like a good test to me if it saves pulling the gearbox out to check :)
ImageImage
2001 Z3 2.2 Topaz Blue (Trudy) - Keeper rebuilt from a write-off
2002 Z3 2.2 Titan Silver (Cookies) - Keeper rebuilt having been bought with a seized engine
2002 Z3 3.0 Sapphire Black (Peanut) - Keeper awaiting rebuilding having been bought as an abandoned project
Plus Willy, Kodak & Maycee - All 2.2 Sport projects. Yes, 6 is a lot of Z3s :)
Always happy to try and help with spares :)
User avatar
BladeRunner919
Joined: Fri 17 Feb, 2012 20:18
Posts: 2225

  Z3 roadster 1.9

Re: Gearbox shift pins

Post by BladeRunner919 »

The point I was trying to make is that if the gearbox is behaving normally, the shift pins are ok. You'd notice if they needed doing, rather than needing to perform a specific test.
mrscalex
Joined: Fri 13 Mar, 2015 09:14
Posts: 910

  Z3 roadster 1.9

Re: Gearbox shift pins

Post by mrscalex »

Okay, got you. Mine knocks a little on every change. But I suspect that's the diff mount or possibly the giubo.
ImageImage
2001 Z3 2.2 Topaz Blue (Trudy) - Keeper rebuilt from a write-off
2002 Z3 2.2 Titan Silver (Cookies) - Keeper rebuilt having been bought with a seized engine
2002 Z3 3.0 Sapphire Black (Peanut) - Keeper awaiting rebuilding having been bought as an abandoned project
Plus Willy, Kodak & Maycee - All 2.2 Sport projects. Yes, 6 is a lot of Z3s :)
Always happy to try and help with spares :)
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pingu
Joined: Fri 30 Apr, 2004 16:01
Posts: 3412

  M roadster S50

Re: Gearbox shift pins

Post by pingu »

mrscalex wrote:
pingu wrote:Does the lever return to 3/4 from R, 1/2 and 5.

If so, the shift pins are OK and should be left alone.

If not, it will be cheaper to do it when the box is out than to have it done as a specific job.
Can you clarify that test? Engine off. Put it in Reverse, flick it out and it should come to rest in positions 3/4. Same with 5 and it comes to rest in positions 1/2?

Sorry, might be being a prat here.
Yes. That is the "test".

If you can live with the fault - great. Because the solution is costs around £100 if you DIY and around £300 for a garage to cure (£500 if they change the clutch as well - which I would recommend unless it's brand new).
Pingu
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pingu
Joined: Fri 30 Apr, 2004 16:01
Posts: 3412

  M roadster S50

Re: Gearbox shift pins

Post by pingu »

mrscalex wrote:Okay, got you. Mine knocks a little on every change. But I suspect that's the diff mount or possibly the giubo.
That sounds like a mounting (engine, gearbox or diff) or the giubo, or loose propshaft nuts (very unlikely unless they have been touched since new).
Pingu
mrscalex
Joined: Fri 13 Mar, 2015 09:14
Posts: 910

  Z3 roadster 1.9

Re: Gearbox shift pins

Post by mrscalex »

pingu wrote:
mrscalex wrote:Okay, got you. Mine knocks a little on every change. But I suspect that's the diff mount or possibly the giubo.
That sounds like a mounting (engine, gearbox or diff) or the giubo, or loose propshaft nuts (very unlikely unless they have been touched since new).
I shall have a crawl underneath and take a look.
ImageImage
2001 Z3 2.2 Topaz Blue (Trudy) - Keeper rebuilt from a write-off
2002 Z3 2.2 Titan Silver (Cookies) - Keeper rebuilt having been bought with a seized engine
2002 Z3 3.0 Sapphire Black (Peanut) - Keeper awaiting rebuilding having been bought as an abandoned project
Plus Willy, Kodak & Maycee - All 2.2 Sport projects. Yes, 6 is a lot of Z3s :)
Always happy to try and help with spares :)
Flight
Joined: Mon 16 Sep, 2013 20:43
Posts: 97

  blank

Re: Gearbox shift pins

Post by Flight »

I changed my shift pins two years ago at 30000 miles. To cure a very notchy gear change. The result was an extremely smooth change, well worth the £48.00 I paid for the new and modified pins and bushes. With the gearbox already out it is not much of a job, but a set of bush insertion drifts are required these are easily manufactured if you have access to a lathe. If not you can borrow mine. I have a post somewhere on this forum covering this job.
Blue skies
Flight
Bobafixit
Joined: Mon 28 Sep, 2015 20:00
Posts: 17

  Z3 roadster 3.0i

Re: Gearbox shift pins

Post by Bobafixit »

I did my shift pins, springs and bushes last year while I had my gearbox was out. I didn't have a set of the drifts, So I used deep sockets to gently tap in the bushes. Worked fine.
My gear change is now 95 % better than before.
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