Quote:
Originally Posted by bmwpowere36m3
While I personally swapped in a 4-spd manual into my 300CD, I have to say MB has some of the worst "shift mechanisms." Rubbery feel and incredibly long throw... however I'll still take it over an automatic transmission for the time being.
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I've heard some complaints about the W123 manual-shifter.
Certainly the 5-speed shifter in my Euro TD was stiff and unpleasent until I lubed the lever pivot, And the shifter in my 4-speed 240D was similarly stiff, as well as quite sloppy until I lubed it and replaced the rod-end bushings, which greatly tightened-up the throws.
The best manual-shifters I've enjoyed were the floorshift 4-speeds in my '61 Hillman Super-Minx, and my '67 Sunbeam Alpine.
While not that good, the W123 shifters are much better than some other manuals I've experienced, like for exampe, almost any late '60s -'70s American column-shift - a diabolical device, obviously designed to force car-buyers into automatics, and some early FWD floorshifts like those on early '70s Audis, or almost any Renault floorshift up into the '80s. Actually the columnshift on the Ponton 180, that I learned to shift on, was far more tight and precise, than the floorshift of any Renault that I can recall.
Happy Motoring, Mark