No, The Alta is just a shifter.. the B&M is more extensive.

 

I have cable linkage in my TSX and was able to firm up shifts a great deal by placing the stock rubber bushings for the shifter housing w/ solid metal ones. On that car however the housing bolts directly to the chasis. The result didn't affect how much slop was in the ****, but it made the end of every shift crisp and sharp since there was no flex in the housing itself. Every shift ends w/ a nice click sound now.

I'm looking for something similar for my MCS now, I haven't seen the shifter housing yet, but from threads it sounds like the housing bolts to a rubber or plastic piece between it and the chasis? How much does the B&M replacement bushings help w/ firming up the shift, some people say its night and day and others say its nothing.

 

well, does anyone have DIY shifter install done?

i'm waiting on the new 05 shifter from fidanza. it looks that it moves the shift box down about 1/4 inch.

is that what the 4 small spacers are? they look to fit between the box and the floor, so there would be a gap between the floor and box, so it loks like debris might get into the cabin. unless those 4 little things are for something besides moving the shifter down, like bushing replacements......

i havent dealt with a shifter like this before, so this is all new to me.....

i'll take pics of what fidanza gave me with the 02-03 kit (they are sending me a new 05 kit soon)

 

ijust got to thinking about it, why would you need to lower the shift box if its cable operated and all of the pivots are on the box you are lowering? it only seems that it would lower the shifter inside the car and do nothing for the throw of the shifter........ shouldnt all of the reduction be in the shaft and pivot points?

 

The shifter cables have to move a certain amount in order to move the levers that shift the gears the correct amount to actually shift the gears. That amount isn't going to change unless you change the length of the levers on the gearbox.

Short shifters for cable operated shifters shorten the shift throw at the **** by lengthening the arm between the arm pivot point and the cable attachment point. That makes the bottom of the shifter move farther for the same amount of travel in the top of the shifter. Capiche? Some of them further shorten the travel of the **** end of the shifter by actually shortening the distance between the top part of the shifter shaft and the pivot. That's the same as cutting off the top of the shifter and reattaching the ****.

If you lengthen the lower part of the shifter enough, you're eventually going to have interference between the end of the shaft where the cables attach and the dust cover box that covers the bottom of that end of the shift mechanism. B&M includes a deeper dust cover box to accommodate the increased length of the lower part of the shifter.

Some folks run without the dust cover box, presumably with the idea that the dust cover box is kind of redundant since the whole area is covered by the exhaust heat shields anyway.

'Zat help?

 

The ProMINI, when I bought mine, came with solid bushings. I drove with and without. I left the solids in. Sounds like you'd like them.
I haven't seen any sold stand alone though.

 

thanks for cleaing up the cable shift operation for me, it was exactly what i was thinking it was doing.

so, are these spacers ihave just the cheap way of geting out of making a new dust cover and just moving the box down so it clears the longer shaft?
it appears that the go between the floor and the top of the shift box wich would make the shifter deeper in the floor, but it wouldnt change anything besides making the shift box closer to the exhaust....i'm still confused about this.
the little spacers look like this:
_______
_l______l_
l ________l
l ________l

then i was given longer allen head screws with some lock washers.

so i assume they are for the space between the floor and the box.

any suggestions on why these are there?

 

have u gotten d fidanza s/s its an american made piece) just sounds exotic, i`ve been looking into it cuz heard that de difference in this shifter is that it carries a bearing at de pivot point? do u know anything about it?
does it also replace d bushings w/solid ones?
can u remove ****?

 

Yup.

 

the 04-05 shifter isnt out yet, i have the shifter from an 02-03. i'm picking up my 05 SS shifter when the prototypes are finished. thats one perk with living 5 min from Fidanza's HQ in Perry, Ohio.

unless the 05 kit wont come with spacers and such, all i have to go on is the 02-03 kit right now....

 

you have one of Fidanzas in your car?

what are the little blue aluminum spacers for?

 

I have the 02-03 shifter on me now.

there is no bearing at the pivot, but is is nicely polished and rolls nicely.

i'm still wating to hear wether or not the bushings are replaced with this one, i'm gonna contact them soon to set up a meeting with their R&D man to talk to him.

 

If you pop the ring around the shifter boot up and wiggle the stick left/right you will see a goodly amount of the slop is from the plastic mount itself bending (the part that serves as the bearing for the lever pivot). Any kits to replace this with a more substantial piece? Solid bushings will only reduce fore/aft slop.

 

are u using any of d s/s out there?

and what did u mean by : "will only reduce fore/aft slop"

 

I am and it reduces motion along both axes. The ole bang into reverse gets a bit easier as well.
He may have meant you will feel the most difference through fore/aft motion.
There is a slight increase in vibration felt through the **** but if you drive with your hand resting on the **** then you're driving wrong anyway. During momentary shift contact you really don't notice.

 

Hmm if you look at the plastic pivot "tower" you can watch it flex side-to side. It looks pretty robust fore and aft. New bushings would take care of the slop in the linkage, but they wouldn't solve the pivot flexing problem, which is why I was wondering if any kit replaces that.

 

any feed back yet on this subject/matter!?!?!?

 

I've had quite a few sloppy cable shifters, and on my other car (83 1.8t rabbit gti) i have this on it:


I have a friend that has a machine shop and he is going to make one for my mini. The cables are being replaced with a new set that are MUCH better, and will not flex. Pics to come soon!

 

that l00ks k00l,

if hes up to it? (ur homie) i'd be interested in gettin' one of these crafty bitz....+ :0)

 

I need some help real quick. Can somebody measure the length between these two points on a stock shifter.



I'm pretty sure then different from our cars and y rabbit.

 

....i jus had mine out a couple days ago....not much help here! :o(

sorry!!

(the SS i got for replacement of the B&M is different! the pivot ***** are larger in the later year cars)

 

yes, catually, i finally got around to installing the fidanza shifter, now that i have a car that accepts the early shift lever.

its FAR superior to the B&M i had in my cooper!!!

shifts are firmer and the throw is easier, yet, it feel the the throw is shorter!

 

Frome center to center (of the two *****) is about 8.5cm, or 4 5/16"
(just remembered what a piece of crap the stock shifter is ... )

 

Check your math, though.

I measured it at right around 3.300".

 

really!?!?

im not to thrilled w/the B&M bit so i got this AlTA on the way so will see...
i had asked u b4 about this Fidanza kit, i wuz going to invest in one of these but had not heard any feed back on it so...oh well

how heavy is the fidanza bit?
heavier than B&M?
any replacement bushing's w/it?