Rogue Engineering's OCTANE Short Shift Kits are our favorite performance shift kits here at Chicane Motorsport. The level of attention and engineering in every aspect creates the ultimate shifter for your BMW. Instead of designing a shifter to fit a number of applications, RE engineers shift kits specifically for your application for a no compromise fit and feel. RE Shifters decrease throw by 30-50% based on applications. Kits come with all necessary hardware for a complete installation.

Detailed description of the OCTANE shifter kit components:

SHORT SHIFTER LEVER

The RE OCTANE features a CNC-machined 303 stainless steel upper section. This adds 100g more to the top of the shifter lever (compared to aluminum), helping to improve shifter feel. This small increase in mass above is compliments the incorporated WSR (not all models). The outside profile has been designed to precisely to allow use of the factory shift knob. This means that the use of the factory illuminated shift knob is possible. The shifter also incorporates a POWERBAND feature. The incorporation of the POWERBAND to the OCTANE shifter lever means that no matter how hard you twist or pull the shifter lever in the vehicle, the bond will never separate. The 6061-T6 aluminum ring and the stainless steel hardware positively secures the upper lever and lower shaft in perfect alignment at all times. Implementing the POWERBAND in no way inhibits the vibration absorbing characteristics engineered into the OCTANE shifter lever. By using a custom-extruded neoprene rubber insert, the OCTANE shifter is able to both minimize the NVH (Noise, Vibration and Harshness) more than any other shifter on the market. By being able to design specific characteristics into the insert, we are able to minimize unwanted shifter free play while minimizing excessive harshness. Without sufficient material to address NVH issues in the driveline, you wind up with a shifter that vibrates and buzzes.

The lower portion of the OCTANE short shifter is made from CNC'd 303 stainless steel. This material was selected because of its superior corrosion resistance and strength. Although it no difference in manufacturing costs to machine an integrated pivot ball, we decided against this as you will shortly discover why. The thermoplastic material used to make the shifter's pivot ball in the OCTANE short shifter maintains the vibration-dampening qualities and built-in lubricity of the stock shifter’s thermoplastic pivot, but adds superior resistance to heat and wear. Unlike rigid metal balls or bushings, Ertalyte TX is proving to be the best material for the application. With a coefficient of friction that is 421% better than a stainless steel pivot ball, it combines all the benefits of smooth movement with durability beyond all other thermoplastics. Even with all of the fantastic properties of Ertalyte TX, we have designed the lower pivot point to be replaceable, should it ever need to be replaced in the future for any reason.

WEIGHTED SELECTOR ROD (WSR)

The smooth action that sets the OCTANE short shift kit apart from the others comes from our unique Weighted Selector Rod. With the introduction of the RE Weighted Selector Rod, you can enjoy the benefits of a short shifter while improving shifter smoothness and virtually eliminating the gearbox "notchiness" and gear whine that is associated with some manufacturers’ kits. When a short shift kit is installed, the throw reduction is directly proportional to an increase in shift effort. In simple terms, if a short shift kit reduces throws by 30%, then the effort required to shift into gear increases by the same amount (30%). While some people find this increase acceptable, others do not like the increased gearbox notchiness that is associated with the increased effort. The latter group describes the increased notchiness as a decrease in gearbox smoothness, and a departure from the feeling of refinement that led them to choose BMW in the first place. The Rogue Engineering WSR replaces the factory selector rod with a higher quality, CNC'd 303 stainless version that has significantly greater mass.

FULL CNC'd SHIFTER SUPPORT CARRIER AND CNC'd SHIFTER BALL HEIGHTENER

In certain applications, RE has completely redesigned the shifter support assembly from CNC'd billet aluminum for heavy-duty use and to retain the factory shifter geometry for smooth shifts. Also, most other RE kits include a shift lever ball heightener made of CNC'd billet alloy. Both components are engineered to reproduce the proper selector rod geometry for smoother shifts, less load on the linkage, and more drive shaft clearance making it unnecessary to bend the selector rod for proper clearance.

*For E36 M3s produced up to 9/94, replacing the selector rod gear joint with updated BMW # 25 11 1 222 688 is required

The data sheet below indicates what components come with your particular model, and the provided picture gives a ordered index of the actual part.

**E36 M3 Euro 6-Speed has a cast alloy carrier that has been modified to fit the European transmission.

*Kit comes with ball knuckle for cast alloy support rod. Confirm before ordering.