Remember this one? Finally a solution.

[Ross]

http://www.bimmernut.com/forum/showt...=stiff+shifter

UPDATE and refresher; The fore/aft movement of the gear lever was very, very stiff. I may have expressed in the old thread that all movement was stiff but this was wrong, just fore and aft. So, time to press old Hans back into winter service so I decided to actually go underneath and get this done rather than struggle as I did last year. It required a lot of effort to move the lever.
The problem was at the rear bushing for the linkage rod, the one directly beneath the lever. The steel link had rusted and expanded within the bushing making it incredibly tight. As the assembly only moves a few degrees it would not "work" it's way free. I needed a pickle fork to seperate them.

#11 here at the bushing on #6
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts...25&hg=25&fg=05
Cleaning the rod end with abrasive cloth, lubricating and replacing the clip and plastic washers destroyed on removal was all that was needed to restore smooth operation. Grease intended for caliper slides worked well for the bushings and the plastic cup the shifter lever rides in.

Now to replace the guibo, broken exhaust stud and hangers...sigh.