Project E36 M3: Part 6 – Short Shifter and Engine Mounts
After reading the glowing magazine reviews for two and half years in the mid-90s, I finally test drove my first BMW E36 M3 back in 1997. That drive was all I could think about until July of 1999 when I finally gave in and bought my first M3. I was coming from a 1994 DC4 Acura Integra LS, so everything about the E36 M3 was incredible to me… Except the shifter. The first thing I remember from that very first test drive was the feeling of churning butter just to shift gears. The overall feel was acceptable, but the length of the throws was ridiculous compared to the notchy goodness of the Acura, so that was the first thing I changed on my original ’99 M3, and it’s the first thing I’ve changed on each E36 I’ve owned since then.
The shifting feel on this Project E36 M3 was off more than previous cars, and finding gears often took more time and effort than it should, so I knew the bushings on the transmission brace were shot, and I just happened to have a set of my old BimmerWorld transmission mounts that I was able to clean up the feel with in a hurry.
My old BimmerWorld trans mounts were in great shape, and they took away most of the vagueness while I waited for my new Rogue Engineering Octane Short Shifter to show up, but it was obvious there was a bit more in need of attention to get all the feel back, so a set of BimmerWorld Performance/Track Engine Mounts were on the way, too.The very first short shifter kit (SSK) that I had on my first M3 didn’t last very long. The quality just wasn’t there, so for my next kit on that car I ponied up for the Octane SSK from Rogue Engineering. That one went through multiple track seasons and carried over to my race build with no issues, so that’s the route I’ve taken with each BMW I’ve had since then.
The Rogue Engineering Octane SSK looks simple enough when you read the parts list, but the level of engineering and their attention to detail is obvious when you actually see the parts in person. A new shifter cup, retaining clips, and the infamous “bitch” clip are all included, so you don’t have to worry about being too cautious with removal of your old shifter. 
The shifter carrier is a thing of beauty, built from CNC-machined billet aluminum that carries over the factory selector rod geometry. The shifter rod upper section adds a small amount of weight to the top of the lever, and combined with the added weight of the Weighted Selector Rod (WSR), the shifter feel and precision is very much improved. The custom neoprene rubber insert minimizes NVH (noise, vibration, harshness), and the integrated pivot ball is made of a thermoplastic material called Ertalyte TX, and it has built-in lubricity plus the ability to dampen vibration even further—the quality feels BMW stock, only with much better shifting action. 
