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And with everything installed and buttoned back up, it’s time to check our new shifter’s distance between throws. Again, very scientific measurements taking place here.
The resulting shifter throw distance from first to second gear changed from about 4.75 inches with the stock shifter assembly to an impressively short 3.25 inches. That’s a significant difference, and it very likely saves measurable time over a given number of laps on a race track, but the shifter swap is about much more than just lap times. The Octane SSK gives this little BMW the shifter feel it really should’ve had from the factory, with no drawbacks.
As mentioned, it was obvious that the engine mounts were in need of replacement based on the movement exhibited in the drivetrain, and anyone familiar with BMWs of this generation knows how easily a missed shift can happen. Once you zing the motor past redline, it becomes pretty much a giant doorstop. I don’t need any help keeping doors open, so a set of BimmerWorld Performance/Track Engine Mounts was installed along with the shifter.These BW mounts are similar to Group N BMW engine mounts, but considerably less expensive. They significantly reduce engine movement because of their solid design, but they’re still rubber. Because of the solid construction, there is a bit of an increase in NVH, so those who are sensitive to such things may want to just go with factory M3 mounts on their street cars. The added insurance against movement for those who go on track is worth the very slight sacrifice, though.
Removing the old mounts isn’t tough if you have the proper extensions for your ratchet, and the holes in the front control arms save a lot of time and effort.
Once unbolted, you do need to lift the engine up every so slightly in order to remove the old engine mounts. It quickly became evident just how compressed one of our factory mounts was, however, as one side of the engine required considerably more lift than the other.
