Megan vs. Mirage Power short shifter

[NHerron]

I have read through all the short shifter threads but have barely seen a mention of the Mirage Power shift shifter.

I know Megan is good but what about Mirage? As far as I can tell, they are the only two left making the SS's for our 2G's. Megan is around $70 and Mirage is around $45. It sucks though, they both do not match the factory threads so I'll have to do some rethreading

So if you have experience with the Mirage SS, please voice your opinion.

Here are the links. Funny how each brand is color coded huh? B&M was blue, Megan is purple and Mirage is red.

Megan

Mirage Power

 

[rcarbajal4]

https://secure.buschurracing.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=23_55_159&products_id=176

Buschur still carries them.

 

[NHerron]

That's a lot different looking than the B&Ms I've seen, I've always been told that design is not good. B&M is great and all but I don't think anyone will catch me paying $185 for a shifter

 

[H4G64T]

Buschur does not still carry them, they have been discontinued for years.

As far as the two you have listed, they are exactly the same kits, from the exact same factory. I don't know how people forgot that Megan is an eBay company.

 

[NHerron]

This is the first time I have heard of eBay making anything. Or do you mean Megan only exists on eBay? EBay is a very good place for small businesses to start, but last I knew eBay is not a brand whatsoever.

 

[brian9397gsx]

I personally have never used a knock off shifter in my old 97 i had a b and m i liked it alot. I had a friend who used a knock off in his civic after a week it started grinding 2nd then it broke in half and left him stuck in 2nd.

So hopefully the knock offs for dsms are better.

 

[NHerron]

Excuse my ignorance but how does a shifter wear out a synchro?

 

[PieEyedPiper]

Buschur does not still carry them, they have been discontinued for years.

As far as the two you have listed, they are exactly the same kits, from the exact same factory. I don't know how people forgot that Megan is an eBay company.

This is the first time I have heard of eBay making anything. Or do you mean Megan only exists on eBay? eBay is a very good place for small businesses to start, but last I knew eBay is not a brand whatsoever.

Clever, but unfortunately that's an old argument that no one here brought up. Megan is a crap company that built itself on eBay. Split hairs all you like - Megan is still cheap stuff, it's just the most expensive cheap stuff because they survived the "eBay cold war".

Anyways, I have one. They're all the same - janky. Fitment is not perfect, but some are better than others (luck of the draw). I had to take a hack saw to the "purple" part, take off 1mm of material, and then I had to jam a penny underneath where the purple part sits to keep the whole assembly from rocking when bolted up - hard to visualize, surely, but the point is I've had to become very creative to get this thing to work reliably.
Speaking of reliability, it's never come apart while driving (because you'd have to be damaged goods to just not notice that your shifter has an extra 1" of play before taking off) but the center pivot has come "undone" several times and is in the midst of doing so now. I've got about a month before it works itself completely loose. I'd say I go in and snug everything up once a year - but not too snug! Since the unit is a copy the parts don't actually work as intended. If you sinche down the pivot you will have pretty much siezed the lever.

Thinking about it even more, I'd have just simply not wasted my time with it if I were any smart. The shifter doesn't even lower the shifting position, just the throw.

I wish I'd spent the last 7 years or so with a slightly trimmed stock shifter... hmm, I guess there's nothing stopping me from doing that. Thanks for the great idea!

 

[Dsmkauai]

I had the mirage power shifter sold it and I have a b&m both look exactly the same side by side, and are perfectly fine to use. But I didnt like either so I'm just using a slightly hacked down stock shifter and it's perfect never have shifting problems.

 

[brian9397gsx]

It was bent wrong is my guess or just him using it bent it more and more till it snapped off.

 

[NHerron]

Clever, but unfortunately that's an old argument that no one here brought up. Megan is a crap company that built itself on eBay. Split hairs all you like - Megan is still cheap stuff, it's just the most expensive cheap stuff because they survived the "eBay cold war".

Well it isn't uncommon for people to think eBay is a brand especially ones that don't use the internet. Sure Megan started on eBay but I would never affiliate it with eBay (IE Megan products are commonly found on eBay but not limited to eBay)

Can you imagine referring to a nowaday big company as the swap meet brand from which they started from? Companies have to start somewhere!


Anyway, back on topic. Can anyone confirm the Megan shifter is or isn't the same thread pitch/diamter as stock? I don't think it is from reading, but I received an Email from a Megan source and a phone call saying that it is the same as stock.

I know the MiragePower one isn't, they told me that already

 

[ZenkaiRacerDsM]

I have a Megan and it is not the same thread pitch. It also has all of the same fitment problems that PieEyedPiper mentioned.

I used to have to tighten it down all the time as well. Until I doubled up the nuts on the pivot and tightened them into each other. I also had to do the penny trick as well, but gave up on that and just let it have some slack since the penny would always eventually fall out.

As for Megan being an "Ebay company" people aren't bashing these companies for being on Ebay. They're bashing them because of what they carry. Pretty much all of the no name Ebay companies that sling parts, deal solely in china made knock off's. Which is what these shifters are.

 

[PieEyedPiper]

I have a Megan and it is not the same thread pitch. It also has all of the same fitment problems that PieEyedPiper mentioned.

I used to have to tighten it down all the time as well. Until I doubled up the nuts on the pivot and tightened them into each other. I also had to do the penny trick as well, but gave up on that and just let it have some slack since the penny would always eventually fall out.

You know, I cannot fathom how that same penny has been in there for like 7 years.

 

[turtlebain]

I wish I'd spent the last 7 years or so with a slightly trimmed stock shifter... hmm, I guess there's nothing stopping me from doing that. Thanks for the great idea!

I was thinking the same, If there is a way to fit a couple ball bearings on each side of the front to back axis of rotation, it would be 10x better than the sleeve bearings that come standard & always get squashed / torn. Heck, if a freelancer would spot weld bearings into the frame, and cut an inch and a half off the shaft, I's buy it, and I am willing to bet others would too, there seems to be no good solution out there for shifters.

You say the Megan is a copy, but where is the original? B&M and Fidanza look like knock offs of one another, but I have yet to see anything Megan is copying. I haven't tested the Megan personally, but you say it's made like crap, and wears like crap ..well.. it probably is.

So that brings me back to the original thought, that is a modified OEM would be the way to go. Personally, I'd like it a little lower, and still want the M10 threading. Id like it to click into gears easily. I have skateboard bearings, which should help some.

 

[ZenkaiRacerDsM]

I just installed a real deal B&M a little while ago. I shot some video on the differences of the megan vs. the real deal. I don't know what to use to edit it though. Never posted a video online.

Anyways the B&M feels amazing compared to the knock-off. It's everything I've ever wanted in a dsm shifter besides shifter stops.

 

[turtlebain]

You should post that video

 

[ZenkaiRacerDsM]

I've been trying to edit it. I think I'll just throw it on youtube.

 

[NHerron]

Put it one youtube and drop the link here.

Funny you say BM feels better than the Megan, I've read the opposite from other threads.

I just got the Mirage-Power one installed a few weeks ago and it's great. Same threading and knob height and very little modification done to make it pretty close to failproof. Now I just need to get a new bushing for the stock pivot ball.

I'll hopefully be making that tech article soon on the SS while using the Mirage. Already have the pictures, I just need to do the writing

 

[ZenkaiRacerDsM]

Here's the vid. As of right now its still processing.

DSM B&M Shifter Vs. Knock off - YouTube

 

[turtlebain]

OK, so the main difference is the piece that bumps the rotation point up a bit. It seems to be more flush giving you less play front to back. And different material (Probably was not an issue to begin with) and the threading.

That seems like it could easily be welded / fixed. How much did you spend on the B&M if you don't mind?

 

[ZenkaiRacerDsM]

80 bucks.

 

[NHerron]

Someone might pay $80 for a good brand, I might. But anymore than that is just a waste IMO, it's not much work to make the 'knock offs' fit right. And the nut coming loose? Holdup. For the typical person that knows nothing of cars and is writing a review for a Walmart brand DIY coatrack, they can point out insignificant things like that. But this is a forum where we modify cars. And were putting in a SS, not a windshield wiper. Use locktite, a nylon locknut, stake the threads, whatever. And if you know why it comes loose, fix the root problem.

Mine wasn't loose, it was too tight, I had to grind off a bit of metal actually (the stock metal). I ground off just enough so I had to tap the pivot collar onto the shaft (blue/red/purple thing). So there's absolutely no play besides the factory bushings linking the cable and pivot ball together. My only complaint is they sent me a crapload of hardware I hadn't an idea what to do with . I basically just used what I though was good for the task and threw everything else in the 'nothing significant pile'.

$44 well spent.

 

[Roberti 2G]

I have a Megan install was fine no hackin at all. Stock shift knob threaded right on too. Had it for 5 months now and no problems.

 

[NHerron]

Any play on that purple piece or was it perfect fit?

 

[Roberti 2G]

Pretty sure it fit almost perfect. After reading everyones posts im goin to give it a once over tmmr. It still feels the same a s it did when I first installed. I also did Energy Suspension base bushings and soild cable bushing and it feels night and day over stock.