Gearstick removal from doner

[272berry]

Struggling a bit with stripping e46 doner Haynes says there is a special tool or use 2 screwdrivers to twist plastic bearing a quarter turn that captures the ball on the shift lever ——easier said than done!,Was going to pull engine and gearbox out in one go but this may not be possible if I can’t remove the gearstick If all else fails will have to separate gearbox from the engine . Any tips on splitting the stick shift from its mounting
would be much appreciated

[Patrick]

Re: Gearstick removal from doner

It is indeed a bit of a pain, but yeah two screw drivers and turn the plastic part around the stick the tried and tested method. I've used just one screw driver in the past. Squirt of lube might help break it loose. You could probably use some pliers or vice grips to get more leverage on the screwdriver.

The alternative is to unhook the part that holds the stick - part 3 in this diagram, push up to release and pull out from the side plus the linkage in the bottom of the shifter, part 11 then pull part 9 out. That should let you drop the gearbox without taking the plasic bit out. Not sure how easy it is to get to with the gearbox in the car though.

https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/showparts?id=BN12-EUR-07-2002-E46-BMW-320Ci&diagId=25_0375

[272berry]

Re: Gearstick removal from doner

Cheers Patrick this is a big help ------with all the accumulated muck it was difficult for me to see how the fixing at part 3 works but the diagram made it easy With the prop shaft off and part 9 disconnected I was able to pull part 1 together with lever still attached. It was a lot easier getting the bearing out on the workbench

Thanks again