How to heat up a plastic rod to bed it?

[A930Rocket]

I bought a 2003 M3 with the SMG transmission. While the paddle shifters are nice, I find that when making certain turns, I can’t shift with the paddles, due to the steering wheel having rotated so much.

Because of that, I want to be able to shift with the shift lever at certain times. With my race seat so far back and I’m strapped in with a harness, I can’t quite reach the shifter.

So, I bought a taller shift knob, but I want to angle the shift lever back some. It would need to be bent between the rubber boot and the thin round stop(?). What is the best way to heat it up without damaging the integrity of it?

Edit: i’ve done something similar with metal shelf levers, by heating them up, bending and welding an extension on them.

Here’s the shift lever mechanism.

[908/930]

Any idea what material it is made from? I am surprised the shift rod is not metal. If plastic it is possibly glass loaded nylon, if so nylon melts at a fairly high temp approx 500f for 6-6, so somewhere near that it should be bendable, if it is glass loaded that could change things, are you able to remove? Is it possible to just mount the assembly farther back?

If you could find a thin enough band heater you could just heat up that section.

If it is epoxy carbon you are not bending it.

[herr_oberst]

Heat gun?

[Esel Mann]

Based upon what the op describes, and lacking dimensional info of what it currently does and what the op needs it to do, would bending it be enough? Strapped in a seat, one loses both vertical and horizontal. That is bending would provide additional horizontal gain but increase vertical reach ( hence op's mention of extension with metal shifters).

[island911]

Pretty much what 908/930 said... You need to know what category plastic first - thermoplastic or thermoset.

If it is a thermoplastic (possible) understand that plastics are very slow to move heat, and the heat deflection temps are all over the map. - You need to know what plastic it is. And even then, I doubt it will act as you expect.

[fintstone]

Why not just use one of the longer aftermarket levers? Price?

[A930Rocket]

Originally Posted by 908/930

Any idea what material it is made from? I am surprised the shift rod is not metal. If plastic it is possibly glass loaded nylon, if so nylon melts at a fairly high temp approx 500f for 6-6, so somewhere near that it should be bendable, if it is glass loaded that could change things, are you able to remove? Is it possible to just mount the assembly farther back?

If you could find a thin enough band heater you could just heat up that section.

If it is epoxy carbon you are not bending it.

I don’t know what it’s made of and I’m not sure if I can figure it out. Is there a way to find out?

Originally Posted by fintstone

Why not just use one of the longer aftermarket levers? Price?

I’ve not seen a longer aftermarket shifter. Making it longer/taller doesn’t help, as I need it brought back, to reach it better.

[wilnj]

I would think you’d be better off fabbing up an offset shifter that brings the knob up and back to you. Cut the existing shifter and attach the extension with epoxy and a sleeve.

[LWJ]

^^^exactly my thoughts.

Epoxy saves the day!

[Joe Bob]

They had those in old VW buses....raises the knob and back towards the driver. If you're handy easy fabrication. Or hire a job shop to do the deed.

[Chocaholic]

I’d be apprehensive about the whole bending/bonding concept especially with plastic. Would hate for the shift knob/half shaft to come off in your hand at 8k rpm’s.

[masraum]

"How to heat up a plastic rod to bed it?"

Maybe start with a nice meal and some wine. You could also have a little Luther Vandross playing in the background....

Once you get it hot, what you do with it is up to you. We probably don't want to know.

[911 Rod]

Move the seat up.

[slow&rusty]

I need to get my eyes checked...
I read:
"How do you heat up your plastic rod in bed"

[masraum]

Originally Posted by slow&rusty

I need to get my eyes checked...
I read:
"How do you heat up your plastic rod in bed"

It's always best to have an assistant.

[HobieMarty]

Fire, match, bic lighter, dragon breath maybe?

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

[908/930]

The only way I know of to determine material is to do melt and burn tests, not easy. Possibly take a metal file to the top edge of the shift arm, nylon does not give a nice finish it sort of machines like rubber, plastic radiator tanks are usually nylon for comparison. I would just take it apart remove the arm and modify or remanufacture from there, it looks like the assembly is fairly cheap for a used one on line.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by 908/930

The only way I know of to determine material is to do melt and burn tests, not easy. Possibly take a metal file to the top edge of the shift arm, nylon does not give a nice finish it sort of machines like rubber, plastic radiator tanks are usually nylon for comparison. I would just take it apart remove the arm and modify or remanufacture from there, it looks like the assembly is fairly cheap for a used one on line.

Assuming it's not stamped somewhere saying "PET," etc... or with (unlikely) some sort of recycle stamp.

I'm sure that a fist sized blob of JB Weld would do the trick! (OK, it would, but who wants that)

[flipper35]

Local CNC or machine shop make a new arm for you?

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by island911

Pretty much what 908/930 said... You need to know what category plastic first - thermoplastic or thermoset.

If it is a thermoplastic (possible) understand that plastics are very slow to move heat, and the heat deflection temps are all over the map. - You need to know what plastic it is. And even then, I doubt it will act as you expect.

This ^^^^^. If it does happen to be glass reinforced, forget it.

I don't know anything about the M3 shifter but why 2 pieces? If this were my project I'd be looking at what I could do with the upper piece hoping that it will release from the bottom piece. And if I sat if that car for the first time ever, I would have a tendency to think that pushing down on the upper piece is the reverse lockout. I guess not though if you were planning to bend the lower part.

Anyway, see if it unscrews.