Sloppy Shifter Pivot Fixed

[montmil]

On 04.06.08, I posted the following question/concern regarding the well worn, pressed in, bronze bushing that had my shift lever wobbling. Lots of good thoughts on the subject. http://suraklyn.com/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1207526821

Began checking BMW parts fiche pages and found what was to be a possible cure on the A&S site. http://www.ascycles.com  Part # 23 41 2 302 382, noted as a "bushing", was included with an order to Re-Psycle.  http://re-psycle.com/

Well, it wasn't exactly right but with a little machining, it was made to work nicely. BTW, the worn out OE bushing reminded me of a split roll pin as it was not a full bushing but rather had a cut along its length. Probably an aid for ease of original manufacture installation.

The bronze bushing had the correct i.d. for the footpeg shifter pivot bolt. One up. [smiley=thumbup.gif]
The bushing's o.d. was too large in diameter. One down. [smiley=thumbdown.gif]
The bushing was also about 0.0625 short in overall length. Too close to call.

With plenty of meat around the shifter's pivot point, I was confident the shifter would retain adequate strength after I bored and reamed the hole for a press fit of the new bushing.

The large shifter pivot bolt secures both ends of the shift arm where it attaches to the right footpeg. I may ultimately add a thin shim washer but as installed right now, with a dab of grease in the bushing, it's solid. And for $5.50 total cost... Such a deal.

Still cleaning the nasty thing and, yes, I have Justin's shift link although I did replace the chrome-ish nyloks with AN cad plated to match the rod end bearings.

[Justin B.]

All of the hardware (except the joint) used in the linkage is stainless steel - NO CHROME!!!!  Unfortunately, I don't think folks would have ever bought any if I had used stainless steel ends with PTFE bearing liners as one joint costs more than I sell the whole linkage for (not really, but would have wound up costing more than a stocker)!  The rod-ends I use sometimes have a definate golden cad tint and the next batch I order might be a silverish hue, and sometimes they are a mix!  It's quite frustrating...

Now that we have jumped into the bill of materials would you have paid $12 more for a selector rod that was 100% stainless steel?  If people want that I will definitely look into it.   Not trying to pick a fight but really interested in people's opinions and wants.

The bushing you used appears to be made out of brass, what would you think of oil impregnated bronze stuff?  One could also use an internally grooved bronze bushing, drill a hole, and toss in a zerk.  I know I've seen stockers with a zerk...

[montmil]

Perhaps Aircraft Spruce, if that's your rod end supplier, has adopted the Forrest Gump selection process. I like cad plated AN hardware. I have so much of the stuff squirreled away in my shop, I use it on my $20 Sears lawnmower.

I doubt if SS steel would be a more attractive choice for me, unless I had decided to build an over-the-top resto bike. The subdued cad finish has a rather elegant, understated look. A little less sparkle is ok.

BTW, when I secured the bushing, I also ordered what was listed as "shims". Turned out to be two rubber o-rings. I checked them against the new bush and shift pivot bolt. They fit right in the recess. Now I'm wondering if I ought to press the bush equidistant into the shift arm and fit the o-rings. Seems a harsh environment for little rubber bits. What are those engineers thinking?