I need to find a short throw shifter for a 2004 MCS. So far the only one I can find is the Cravenspeed adjustable SSK. I'm really just wanting a "cheap" ssk. I don't really need it to be adjustable. I just want the least throw, and a very low height. i would love the $35 B&M but that's only for the 02-03.

Anyway anyone's input is appreciated.

 

Please see Helix Short Shift kit, works great!!!

http://www.helix13.com/mini/products/suspension-chasis

 

do you have to leave the gearbox cover off for that one?

 

Yep you have to leave the dust cover off or modfy it, which I never got around too. Been running it for over 3 years though with zero problems. There is hundreds of Minis motoring around with them and I haven't heard of anyone having any problems. It's a good piece for a good price.

PS: Even without the cover it's not left wide open to the elements as there is a heat shield there too.

 

Mine is an 04 but has the early shifter in it. Check your build date. If its 9-03 or before you can use the early shifters.

 

Yeah Professor is right. If you can remove the shifter boot, there is a color difference of the plastic housing inside. What the color change was exactly escapes me at the moment though.

There is a thread and photos on this here someplace. Previous years may have been white plastic and I think the later versions were darker plastic. If I can find a link I will post it for you.

 

Yeap, I can attest to running without the gearbox cover so far with no problems . (knock on wood) My friend is a product designer at B&M so he got me an early prototype for the 05-06 models and it's been working fine ever since.

 

yeah, i have the black housing for the 04+ models. i already checked, if it was the earlier i would have gotten an Alta on clearance.

Does your friend have any extras?? i can't find a B&M under 130 and the sites that they are on aren't... trustworthy.

The reason I didn't buy this in the first place was the fact that it doesn't shorten the shifter, i kinda wanted it to be lower, and i don't know about sawing mine...

 

Well, I'm not sure if the B&M is the right one for you because it doesn't sit lower?

 

What?! The B&M lowers it very very much. The Helix does not because it just extends the bottom of the shifter under the pivot and keeps stock height.

 

If cheaper is the way you want to go, get that hack saw out. Get a set screw type **** or grap a die set and contact Summit racing for a in expensive ****. If you don't like it there are many, many stock shifters out there to get you back to stock.

 

Folks, lowering the shifter **** position is not conducive to good driving technique. Look at just about any race series that still use traditional shifters, and you'll see that engineers go to great lengths to keep the shifter as close to the steering wheel as possible. We deliberately designed a shifter that does not move the **** away from the wheel.

 

Thanks, i noticed that in the car that made me want a SSK... the Shelby gt500 mustang... as much as i dislike mustangs, that thing is effortless to shift. I know the mini will NEVER "click" one inch to get to the next gear, but i hope a ssk will make a big difference. Thanks, i think im going to buy the helix today.

Thanks everyone for chiming in.

 

If your wanting to stay cheap just go with the Helix SS. Plus it's easier to install.

 

So if I want to keep the dust cover for an 04/04 build MCS what is the best and cheapest option?

 

trim the existing one to fit.

Im still waiting on my SSK to arrive (took a couple days to process or something and presidents day and a sunday... just bad timing i guess) but it should be here tomorrow night (fedex seems to arrive spot on at 8:40 to my house...) so friday i'll be installing it and will let you know how hard the modification is to the cover.

 

So which ssk did you go with?

 

The helix

 

You do realize that this is in no way going to turn your cable operated gearbox into a GT500 one right?

And I would never run w/o the cover in my area.....way to much dust and dirt.

 

We have run these shifters without the dust cover since 2003, without contamination of the lithium grease on the shifter bearing. The bottom line is that, although we recommend annual lubrication of the bearing, there is an indefinite service life to the part.

 

of course, but thats the car that made me like it. Its just sexy how it clicks into gears.... mmmm

 

This ssk will not transform the gearbox into something else. The feel is going to be the same, just a shorter throw.

As to the service life, I won't argue the claim, but I know that there is no way I would run my car w/o the cover in place. We have way too much dirt and cinder to contend with, especially during the winter.

 

ok i finally got it installed. first off, wow...getting the shifter ball joint off was so infuriating that i nearly gave up but i finally got it off. after everything was put back together, my only though is "meh."

When i got in the car to make sure i could get into all the gears i honestly didnt feel a difference in throw, but i still put everything back together with hope that it would feel different when i drove. Thankfully it did, not that there is a literal difference in throw with it on and off, but when i drove with it, it felt... better? maybe i was paying more attention to the road, because every time i shifted i felt it.

In regards to modifying the dust cover... F-that... just getting it off i cracked it. now that i have seen it off and looked at it, if you wanted to get it to work, you would have to make the "walls" about 2 inches longer. and then im sure that would interfere with the heat shield.

 

Man that sucks that the dust cover couldn't be modified easily. I may try and go with a kit that will allow me to keep the dust cover. Anyone know of which kit will allow me to do this?

 

i think you can with the craven at a certain setting. The alta has three settings and one of them lets you keep it on, but they discontinued them. what year is your mini?