Manual Gear stick shift ball in socket problem

2004 X3 has 184K miles. I noticed today that my gear shift was no longer transitioning smoothly from 1 to 2 or from 3 to 4. It was "popping" out and I had to push it back in.
Further investigation showed that the ball at the base of the stick shift was no longer being held in place. I have no idea how to replace it since access from the bottom of the car is not possible without dropping the transmission.
See attached pics.

Any suggestions?

Originally Posted by dj_2latino

2004 X3 has 184K miles. I noticed today that my gear shift was no longer transitioning smoothly from 1 to 2 or from 3 to 4. It was "popping" out and I had to push it back in.
Further investigation showed that the ball at the base of the stick shift was no longer being held in place. I have no idea how to replace it since access from the bottom of the car is not possible without dropping the transmission.
See attached pics.

Any suggestions?

BAVAUTO has a video on installing a short shifter.

Google: Installing A Short Shift Kit On A BMW

Tried to post the youtube video but it won't show for some reason.

Just from what I see from these instructions - a big job unfortunately