Oh boy, sorry its been a while since Ive updated. Finally started getting some things in order and some solid contributions to the thread.
My SR20vet engine is in at last. With it, the getrag 420g is mated up to it and sitting nicely in the trans tunnel. I purchased a chassis mount shifter from Coolerworx, which aesthetically is a beautiful piece and has good feedback from the BMW community. Very happy with the quality, and it sits nicely in the s13 center console trim. It also incorporates a reverse lockout and a centering spring which helps a TON if you, like me, opt to use an M3 SMG gearbox. These operate as a regular manual gearbox, however the bellhousing doesnt have the detents and centering springs in it that help you find gears and neutral like on a regular manual box. From the install and first few shifts, I dont think ill need to change the bellhousing and I am happy with how the shifter makes up for these features on its own.
I went with the CAE adjustable dual shear selector rod like I planned on doing from the outset. It is very expensive for what it is, and I wasnt as happy with the quality as I was hoping. The shifter end wouldnt fit over the receiver on the shifter, the clearance was too tight. I had to shave down the inside of the rod until it would slip on, which wasnt a pleasant experience working with already thin aluminum. The clearance for the pin that holds the rod onto the shifter was also too small. The pin would only fit using excessive force. I suspect the powder coating was too thick and not accounted for. Easy enough to sand the hole and that solved it. Ultimately, with these pieces its better to have a tight fit than a loose fit and have unnecessary slop in the shifting assembly, so its not the end of the world.
Now for some real progress! Mounting the shifter was really easy. I flattened the top of the OE shifter hole and welded a plate onto the top of the trans tunnel to cover it and start from scratch.
It was simple enough to measure where to drill the mounting holes, and I used a 2inch holesaw to make the hole for the shifter. The shifter is made to be mounted either forwards or backwards, and I initally wanted to mount it with the centering spring side forward and the shifter itself closer to me, but had a massive lapse and ended up drilling the shifter hole the complete opposite way I intended. Not a big deal, the shifter should still be within reach but I may end up redoing it if it ends up being too far away.
I wish I could post a video here, because the shifts are ridiculously tight. Like C's short throw cut in half. Its ridiculous. Feels great, direct, and confidence inspiring. It honestly doesnt feel like you move the shifter much at all. Coupled with an incredibly satisfying and mechanical 'clunk' every time you engage a gear, Im in love.
Finally, I also have my driveshaft and my drivetrain in place. The driveshaft came from Shaftmasters, and the turnaround time was only 3 days or so. I had it within a week of ordering, very happy with that. The specs are 3inch aluminum, 50 inches long with an integrated slip yoke. Total weight came in at a touch over 9lbs. Featherweight. I had to purchase an adapter for the BMW output flange, which is a weird 3 bolt flange. This one from Autosports engineering did the trick. Good quality, lightweight, simple piece that came with all hardware and everything.
So now comes the fun part of making the transmission mount. The mounts on the gearbox, like I said before, line up nicely with the OEM mounting points on the chassis, so construction will be relatively easy. That being said, it looks like I do need to work on the angles a bit. Although, I am a lot closer than I thought I would be, and a lot closer than King was from what he mentioned above, lol.
Looks like I need to raise the transmission .4 degrees or more to get closer to that 1 degree or less of total difference. King or ralliart, please let me know if im doing this correctly or made a mistake anywhere. From what I can tell, Im very close but need to do a little work to get within that 1 degree. As the transmission sits, it is very close to the roof of the tunnel, but only at one point where there is an oem support on the chassis that hangs lower than the rest of the sheet metal.
Those 'prongs' on the top of the transmission are no longer needed with a chassis mount shifter. They can be shaved or removed and I should have all the clearance I need, as that is the problem area. Either I do that, or I can machine down my gktech solid motor mounts and drop the engine a touch lower to achieve the same effect. Ill decide what to do this week and begin making the trans mount on thursday hopefully.
Overall, Im happy everything has been relatively simple and straightforward. Ive gone the expensive route at every turn, but everything that Ive done can be done MUCH cheaper. Driveshaft wise, shifter wise, adapter kit wise, etc. etc. Lots of money to be saved compared to my exact setup, but Im just happy to finally have a drivetrain in my car after 2 years.