Is this normal? (UPDATE)

[fenderman]

I know it seems like every other day I'm posting another question, but there are certain things I see that just don't click with my general knowledge of cars.

Ok, so I partially dismantled the center console to get to some loose change I had dropped. Found about 1.00 worth in change in small coins and a 10 dollar bill left by the previous owner. Well, most of the change had fallen under the carpet and down to the bottom of the floorpan. I really wanted to get the console all the way off, so I went to undo the shift knob on my M5. Not being sure how it came off, I tried pulling it up a bit. The shift knob and lever came up and off and hung loose under the rubber boot (not the leather trim boot but the rubber boot covering the actual mechanism). Is it supposed to do this? I repositioned the lever and was able to push it back down onto whatever it came off of because I am able to shift gears still, but nobody has mentioned this as a method to removing the shift lever assembly. Also, the knob and lever assembly turn freely when it is all together. After discovering that the knob simply unscrews, I tried to break that glue bond but it was tough to hold the lever with the channel locks and try to unscrew the knob without gripping it with pliers and possibly damaging it. Oh well... I did get my mission accomplished... just wanted to make sure that this is normal and what exactly the lever slid off of. Thanks guys!

[ September 12, 2003: Message edited by: fenderman ]</p>

[malice10985]

I can push/ pull on my shifter lever and it is secured in very well. Yours might be messed up.

Pull off the center console and the lower rubber shift boot and see if it is bolted to the transmission case correctly.

[fenderman]

Well, I took the entire console out today (what a PITA to get past the emergency brake... glad it's over with) and everything looks fine. It turns out upon the removal of the rubber insulator that the upper part of the shift lever comes with it, leaving a short stub on a plate with 4 mounting bolts mounted to the transmission. I took pictures while I was in there, and will have them posted up here later when I get time. But yes, the upper part of the lever is in essence a sleeve that fits over the lower part connected to the transmission. If you were to pull up on the shift knob, the upper part would disengage but be held from coming all the way out by the rubber insulator that bolts to the floorpan. Only problem with this is when the lever comes up, you cannot shift the transmission without sliding the lever back over onto the lower part. Yes, I did inspect the parts and nothing is broken or disconnected. Both pieces are smooth without any signs of locking mechanisms to hold them together. Point in case... don't pull up too hard on the lever! [img]smile.gif[/img]

[malice10985]

Your shifter sounds pretty broke to me.

I installed a B&M ripper. It rocks.

If you want to replace your stock shifter with a stock shifter, I have my stock shifter sitting in the garage. I will sell it to you SUPER cheap, since it takes up space.

Lemme know.

[Dominic]

I have a stock shifter, brand new, from my 02 as well, if you need one.

[fenderman]

I have yet to prove that it is broken. I know I posted originally asking about it, but because of malice10985's post I disassembled it to take a look for myself. If it did indeed break, it is certainly a weird break indeed. The inside would have had to have broken out of the center of the upper lever, and polished itself off smooth. I have pictures here:

http://www.geocities.com/fenderman49/pics/bottom.jpg

http://www.geocities.com/fenderman49/pics/bottom.jpg

Basically what I wanted to know is if the lever was two pieces or one piece. I now know that the lever is indeed two piece until such time as someone can show me how they are "stuck" together otherwise.

EDIT: Thank you both for the offers, though.

[ September 14, 2003: Message edited by: fenderman ]</p>