B&M and clone short shifter 2nd gen eBay Megan [Merged 3-7]

[carwizard1]

anyone got a pic? how low does the b&m sit compared to stock?

 

[ProjectTalon130]

its the same hight, don't get it confused with cut shifters, cut shifters reduces length but not throw...a true short throw like the B & M stays the same height but the gears are closer together when shifting..hence the 35 and 50 % change in throw between gears....unlike a cut shifter which is still the same distance, your hand just sits lower.

 

[CanadianTSi]

Just as a note, to anyone who doesn't have the shifter bushings, Get them. Best 20 bucks I ever spent on my car period.

Remember how your shifter felt right after you put in your B&M, it's that feeling all over again

 

[SBstar]

wheres a good place to find shifter bushings I never had a problem with mine but if you're all saying they're that good sign me up

 

[AdoreGSX]

is there a shortshifter that shortens the throw AND the height? I'm tired of the donkeydong shifter making it hard to change radio stations when in 1st, 3rd, and 5th...

 

[Well Traveled]

Seems like all the short shifters just shorten the throw. A kid in my welding class cut his shifter and welded it back together minus maybe 2 inches. It worked really well in his cavalier, but my welding was only so-so, so I didn't do it to mine. One thing with the b&m, I drove my friends gst with his at 50% reduction, and at first it is hard to tell what gear you are in. I thought I was in neutral and I was in 4th! But once ya get used to it, you can shift fast!

 

[ProjectTalon130]

wheres a good place to find shifter bushings I never had a problem with mine but if you're all saying they're that good sign me up

I got most if not all of mine from DSMParts.com but many other places i'm sure have them.

 

[redhot2G]

So you guys think that $50 ebay shifter is about equal to the B&M? I wanna get one for my gf for xmas and if I get the cheap ebay shifter I can buy her tons of other stuff. I really want to get the B&M cuz I don't wanna screw up her car, but it sounds like the clone is just as good. Whatcha think?

 

[AdoreGSX]

just remember, you get what you pay for...there are a few exceptions but its very unlikely. Would you rather get the one off of ebay and constantly sweat it, or feel relieved knowing there is a quality short shifter in your bi***'s whip?

edit: I would like to hear an update sometime as to how your shifters are holding up...

 

[sjwelna]

Yes it is totally worth it. Yes it is expensive. I picked mine up for 156 shipped off of ebay. Get the underhood shifter bushings and the shifter plate bushings as well, they help a lot. Oh, and btw, put that thing at 50%, i did and never looked back from the start. You buy a short throw shifter to reduce the throw, why only use it to part of it's potential?

-Steve

 

[2GeNTSi]

just remember, you get what you pay for...there are a few exceptions but its very unlikely. Would you rather get the one off of ebay and constantly sweat it, or feel relieved knowing there is a quality short shifter in your bi***'s whip?

edit: I would like to hear an update sometime as to how your shifters are holding up...

I have no real problems with it, the e-clip sucked installing it but if you get the B+M it uses the same e-clip so there won't be any difference there. And as far as the extra effort going into shifting gears, I read up on dsmreviews.com of the real B+M SS and everyone said that they had to give more effort into shifting it. You get used to it in a couple of days, I don't even notice it anymore.

 

[AdoreGSX]

I have no real problems with it, the e-clip sucked installing it but if you get the B+M it uses the same e-clip so there won't be any difference there. And as far as the extra effort going into shifting gears, I read up on dsmreviews.com of the real B+M SS and everyone said that they had to give more effort into shifting it. You get used to it in a couple of days, I don't even notice it anymore.

I think this will be my next mod, I would just feel better having a b&m...ive always been the one to pay the extra bucks just to be safe...heard too many horror stories from ebay shifters

 

[RamenPride]

wheres a good place to find shifter bushings I never had a problem with mine but if you're all saying they're that good sign me up

I got my B&M shifter for $150 shipped. I used washers on the shifter plate and used some bearings I got out of some old inline skates I had sitting around on the ends of the shifter cables. Cost was $0 for those and they both have been working fine.

 

[Tomeek]

I got my B&M shifter for $150 shipped. I used washers on the shifter plate and used some bearings I got out of some old inline skates I had sitting around on the ends of the shifter cables. Cost was $0 for those and they both have been working fine.

same here... actually even with the washers shifting is much stiffer

 

[Defiant]

I'd go with the eBay B&M ripoff if I'd not already gone with the B&M. Seems to be exactly the same.

 

[2GeNTSi]

I think this will be my next mod, I would just feel better having a b&m...ive always been the one to pay the extra bucks just to be safe...heard too many horror stories from ebay shifters

These ones aren't the same ones you've heard stories about...usually they are refering to the obx ones or any of the ones that look like this:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=7936372065&category=33736

But if you want to spend 3x the price for what I think and many other people think is the same product, then it's your choice.

$50 shipped>$150+ without shipping

 

[Eclipsionz23]

dont forget the cool sticker that came with it guys!!!!

 

[truECLIPSE]

ack... where can I order one????

 

[polarmoment]

i just got mine today as well, and i can echo everything the others have said. the ebay cheapy is a solid piece, with a roller bearing in the pivot part. the only difference i can see is that your stock shift knob (or aftermarket that fits your stock shifter) will not work. that's probably how they differed the design enough to avoid lawsuits. you'd have to be a gorilla to break this thing off...

 

[Defiant]

You're in luck, someone is finally doing knock-offs. About $40 on eBay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=7937834356&category=33736

DO NOT get an OBX or Pace Setter shifter.

 

[Onnipotente]

Agreed, did the tranny link bushings and shift plate bushings...all at once...defitely helps, the old ones were like jello.

how hard or how long did it take to change the bushings while you were installing the short shifter?

 

[99gst_racer]

It only took me another 5 min. to do the bushings w/ the shifter....

 

[FenixTX717]

What are good shifter bushings? I want inexspensive but really good shifter bushings...does n e one know where I can get them?

 

[99gst_racer]

What are good shifter bushings? I want inexspensive but really good shifter bushings...does n e one know where I can get them?

http://www.dsmtuners.com/classifieds/showproduct.php?product=11250&sort=1&cat=7&page=1
OR go to www.machv.com and get the original Symborski Kit.

 

[suicidal2af]

its the same hight, don't get it confused with cut shifters, cut shifters reduces length but not throw...a true short throw like the B & M stays the same height but the gears are closer together when shifting..hence the 35 and 50 % change in throw between gears....unlike a cut shifter which is still the same distance, your hand just sits lower.

A cut shifter WILL reduce throw, that's not really arguable. Try this. Take a blank cd and some measuring tape. Measure the distance in, say, a 45 degree arc on the outer edge of the disc. Now try measuring the distance at half of the cd's radius...it's going to be less travel. The tradeoff that you get with a cut shifter is that you get a shorter throw at the expense of leverage, which could potentially be counterintuitive. You can also get the same effect by gripping your stock shifter at the base. You'll definitely see a much shorter throw, but the shift probably won't be as fast as gripping it at the top.

I'm not arguing that a short shifter offers no advantages, I'm just clearing up the misconception that a cut shifter doesn't shorten throw.