Has anyone done a short shifter for the LS Manual?

Dead tread revival!

I figured I'd add what I've stumbled across in this thread.

I think the shifters for the e39 5 series will work in our cars.

Check out the pictures for ebay shifters.

http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_trkpar...&_sticky=1&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_sop=15&_sc=1

Also check out this install:

http://www.bmwtips.com/tipsntricks/tips_pages/uuc_short_shifter_install.htm

The LS shifter assemble looks very similar to the BMW assembly. I was going to try this myself but I figured I'd share what I've found with my fellow 5 Speed LS owners.

P.S. I've found out that the getrag 221 is rebuildable and the parts are available, but they are very expensive.
http://realoem.com/bmw/partgrp.do?model=DM53&mospid=47585&hg=23&fg=15
 
Yeah !! this kind of threads wont just die dude !!
So, as far as the shifter, it looks pretty much the same..
As to the rebuild parts, wont be a better option to have custom made internals? that way we can play with ratios and probably make it able to resist some turbo power off the line.
Also, have you heard anything on the Getrag226 ?? Ive read they are pretty similar.. but with an extra gear :rolleyes:
 
LS6_5SPD said:
As to the rebuild parts, wont be a better option to have custom made internals? that way we can play with ratios and probably make it able to resist some turbo power off the line.
Also, have you heard anything on the Getrag226 ?? Ive read they are pretty similar.. but with an extra gear :rolleyes:
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You can always custom build parts but at that rate you might as well have the custom bellhousing made to adapt some other transmission like the t6060 or t56 or something for $2k then you'll have a good aftermarket. But then you'd probably need a shortened drive shaft, custom trans mount, and custom shifter linkage.

The only was I could see a 226 bolting up is IF, and that's a big IF, the bellhousing portion of the 221 and 226 are interchangeable. IF, and only if they were, you'd still need a shortened drive shaft, custom trans mount and custom shifter linkage.

The thing with the 221 is that I haven't found anyone that is actually breaking it from too much power. I'm still searching the bmw forums but so far nothing bad other then defects, pretty much synchros going out. It could also be from bad shifting or lack of maintenance. We lincoln guys seem to have problems with leaky rear main seals but I'm probably going to be ordering some BMW parts and see if I can fix it.

Anyway, I was kind of hoping craigh could chime in and take with that he thinks being as he has an LS shifter just sitting there that he might be able to compare or something.
 
So our transmissions doesnt have a computer that works with the engine's ecu as auto LSs? Meaning we can adapt any manual tranny that we want?

Whos Craigh ?? go knock his door or something dude !:p
 
craigh said:
I have been thinking about this for a while and I searched the forums, no one had found a solution or at least they did not post it..
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LS6_5SPD said:
So our transmissions doesnt have a computer that works with the engine's ecu as auto LSs? Meaning we can adapt any manual tranny that we want?

Whos Craigh ?? go knock his door or something dude !:p
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For the first question, correct.. The real ordeal is finding a bellhousing that will bolt up..

Craigh is the OP..
 
Hmm, that is so tempting lol !! It'll be just a matter of build a bellhousing adapter, a drive shaft and accommodate the shifter??
 
How much are we talking about there? I know people building race cars that I bet would design a perfect adapter for the job! do u think its really necessary to cast one?
 
Maybe not necessary.. An adapter will work but that's just one more part that can get tweeked or whatnot..

For a cast, you would have to have it CAD drawn, a mold made, then impregnate it with aluminum.. Cost- I would have to say in the 1k range..
 
You will need to be able to adapt a clutch friction disk, or make a new input shaft and maybe a different flywheel if the input shaft doesn't work with the current flywheel. You forgot the transmission mount having to be made too. You're pretty much going to have to have everything changed to accommodate a different transmission. Your best bet is to get a bad 221 transmission and a bad 226 transmission(bad for $$ reasons) and tear them apart and see if they will mate up. My guess is that you would have to use more 226 parts then 221. Probably just reusing the housing portion of the 221. If you look at the two transmission side by side they look very similar. The noticeable differences are 1. the belhousing, 2. the center section, 3. the trans mount.

Check out the pictures in this thread.

http://www.m5board.com/vbulletin/sa...nny-w-clutch-guibo-etc-550-needs-rebuild.html

It looks like if you took the center section out the two outer halves would mate up. Just saying, maybe the 221 and 226 are related.
 
Just a thought, but the new mustang uses a duratec engine. If you're really interested in a swap you might look into the MT82. However, it is all one piece so an adapter would probably be necessary.
 
daves2000ls said:
Just a thought, but the new mustang uses a duratec engine. If you're really interested in a swap you might look into the MT82. However, it is all one piece so an adapter would probably be necessary.
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The 221 and its bell housing are also all one piece. The bell housing is actually the front cover of the transmission, its only means of internal access. I have a 221 that i swapped out due to unstoppable leaking back in december. So I would expect that the front end of the transmission, the bell housing, would also contain all of the internal shaft bearing mounts, and if the two transmissions had a different number of shafts or any change in placement, the 221 bell housing/front access cover would be different.
 
Its not easy nor cheap but hey, at least we r not condemned to the stock tranny as V8 folks are. We can say, its doable.
 
daves2000ls said:
Just a thought, but the new mustang uses a duratec engine. If you're really interested in a swap you might look into the MT82. However, it is all one piece so an adapter would probably be necessary.
Click to expand...

The cyclone duratec engine has a different belhousing bolt pattern, I already looked into it. I would like that transmission thought, only one overdrive gear would be perfect.
 
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