[tjswarbrick]

Originally Posted by swanny71

Thread revival alert but wanted to contribute.

Quick post to say thanks to all who have contributed to this thread, particularly Dack

The relatively long throw on the 1M shifter has bugged me a little from day one, particularly since my 130i daily driver has the BMW short shift lever fitted and has (had) a much nicer feel to it.

Anyway after reading just about everything ever written about 1M/N54/N55 short shift kits I thought I'd give the 130i/330i short shift lever (part# 25110434219) a go since the 135i short shift lever (part# 25110434217) is no longer available.

Worked out well and very pleased with the results. The throw is much reduced, feels a little notchy but in a lovely direct 'mechanical' way. No problems with any weird off-set of the gear knob etc.
The knob is about the same height as before unfortunately. I'd have liked it to drop the same 10-15mm as in the 130i but the shifting arm sits taller in the 1M.

For future reference here's a pic of the three levers I had available during the swap.

Also measured throws on both cars using same method as Dackelone

1M with 25110434219 lever: 3rd - 4th = 41mm
130i with 25110434219 lever: 3rd - 4th = 50mm

Really provocative that, with the same lever, throws are ~ 3/8" shorter in the M vs the 130.
Didn't notice before, but I see a bunch of people who have used the "328i SSK" lever on their N55's. One reference to a 40mm-ish throw. For $60, why didn't I get this instead of the E60 550i lever I had to buy a press to bend?
I don't really want to go tearing into the guts again, but for only $60 and an afternoon of my time it could be a worthwhile further upgrade. Definitely sits lower than the one I used!