[Bosozoku]

I decided to try and add a small bit of extra heft to my M Performance shift knob, and came up with a quick and dirty hack that helped.
It's really cheap, too.

The main goal was to give the lever enough weight so the shift action felt better when shifting out of gear - not necessarily into gear.
The issue I had with the M Performance knob is that the lever pops out of gear into neutral position just a little too abruptly, making
it feel underweight. I wanted the centering spring torque to act against a slightly heavier mass. The obvious fix is to swap knobs,
but I really like the shape and hand-feel of the M Performance knob.

And I didn't want to add more than roughly 8 oz (200g) to the lever. See reply by supersam - https://f87.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1597726

So I found some cheap parts that add roughly 8 oz. to the lever's weight. This isn't as good as actually installing an 8 oz. shift knob though.
The weight I added is below the knob, closer to the pivot point, so it adds less rotational inertia than adding the same mass at the knob.
But it's the easiest solution I could think of while still keeping the M Performance knob.

The diameter of the shaft is just about 1-1/8", so I got clamps with an inside diameter of 1-1/4", and used friction tape as a makeshift "gasket"
between shaft and clamps. Friction tape is only slightly tacky, so I could easily unwrap and it and leave no trace in case I didn't like the result.

Parts and tools

- 3M TemFlex 1755 Cotton Friction Tape https://www.amazon.com/3M-57173-S-10...dp/B00PGLRN4O/

- Climax Metal 2C-125 Steel Two-Piece Clamping Collar, black oxide, 1-1/4" bore size (x2) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001VY05AO/

- 1/4" Allen key (Just used one of the dozens that I have accumulated over the years.)

Installation steps

First, gently push in the driver-side edge of the shift boot frame to free the tiny claws holding it in, then lift slightly.
Do one side at a time, working clockwise, until it's unclipped all around the edges. (pic #2)

Lift the boot straight up so it's inside out. The stiffness of the Alcantara will hold it up and out of the way. (pic #3)

Wrap about 18 inches of the tape around the top of the lever shaft. Doesn't have to be too tightly wrapped. (pic #4)

Attach the clamps around the tape and tighten until the tape compresses and you can't easily twist the clamps around the shaft.
Space the clamps a few millimeters apart to ensure that they can't rattle against each other. (pic #5)

Push the shift boot back into place and carefully clip the frame straight down into the console. (pic #6)

Done!

You'll notice that the shift boot is thicker because of the clamps. And maybe if you don't like the extra width at the top of the shaft, you
could position things lower on the shaft. This might reduce the perceived heft somewhat, because the centering spring torque
will be acting on a center of mass that's closer to the pivot point.

There are probably many better, thinner, solutions (like wrapping the shaft with lead sheet under a hose clamp), but this accomplishes my goal -
a slower snap-to-center-detent between gears. I'll drive around for a few weeks with this setup and see how I like it. If I change anything,
I'll update this post.

Have fun and be safe!

Update 1: I'll probably need to either remove the top clamp or move both clamps down. Sometimes shifting into reverse will pull the
shift boot forward and yank the back edge out of the console. I seem to be gripping the Alcantara against the top clamp because of
the extra force needed, and that takes up all the slack. Will update after I try the fix and drive around for a while.

Update 2: I moved the top clamp below the lower clamp, because that shift boot issue was just too annoying. The thing looks almost
stock now (see last photo), and the issue is gone. There's still enough inertia to slow down the movement caused by the centering springs,
which is why I did this in the first place. I like it this way so I'll be keeping it the way it is.

[Daytona_550]

Cool little hack!

[CoffeeLife]

looks good and a clever solution but are you now over the recommended weight limit per Sams post?

From the linked post, the knobs total weight should be no more than 8oz for the lubricant.

It seems like your setup is knob + additional 8oz? Maybe remove one of the two weights?

[Bosozoku]

Originally Posted by Daytona_550

Cool little hack!

Thanks!

[Bosozoku]

Originally Posted by CoffeeLife

looks good and a clever solution but are you now over the recommended weight limit per Sams post?

From the linked post, the knobs total weight should be no more than 8oz for the lubricant.

It seems like your setup is knob + additional 8oz? Maybe remove one of the two weights?

Good point. I might remove the top clamp. They're a little over 4 oz. each, so I added just about 9 oz. to the lever.

So far, I haven't been bothered by the extra width created by the clamps. But I think there might be a little added friction
when engaging a gear, especially 1st and 2nd. I'll drive around for a few more weeks with the setup as shown, and see if
there are any other issues.

[M Fifty]

Originally Posted by CoffeeLife

looks good and a clever solution but are you now over the recommended weight limit per Sams post?

From the linked post, the knobs total weight should be no more than 8oz for the lubricant.

It seems like your setup is knob + additional 8oz? Maybe remove one of the two weights?

The stock knob - according to RealOEM - weighs 231 grams (~8.15 Ounces).

For comparison, the illuminated M Performance knob is listed at 297 grams (~10.5 Ounces), while the dry carbon and alcantara M Performance knob from the F22 is listed at 205 grams (~7.25 Ounces).

So, another good reason to buy the F22 M Performance knob...

[Bosozoku]

Originally Posted by M Fifty

The stock knob - according to RealOEM - weighs 231 grams (~8.15 Ounces).

For comparison, the illuminated M Performance knob is listed at 297 grams (~10.5 Ounces), while the dry carbon and alcantara M Performance knob from the F22 is listed at 205 grams (~7.25 Ounces).

So, another good reason to buy the F22 M Performance knob...

Another good point. I'm afraid I might need to undo the whole thing. See updates to my original post. :-(

[F87source]

Great idea! I would love to do this too, but it makes the boot look a bit weird.

[Bosozoku]

Originally Posted by F87source

Great idea! I would love to do this too, but it makes the boot look a bit weird.

Sure does. And because the boot is bunched up right under the knob, you'll grab it against the clamp when you shift into reverse.
And that yanks out the boot at the rear. (See my update.)

[F87source]

Originally Posted by Bosozoku

Sure does. And because the boot is bunched up right under the knob, you'll grab it against the clamp when you shift into reverse.
And that yanks out the boot at the rear. (See my update.)

Thanks for your update!