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They were completely removing the shift weight assembly and saying that they liked how it felt and shifted afterwards, but it's like a 50/50 thing because some people did not like the feel at all.
One guy modded the mod slightly by just punching out the weights themselves and running with just the bare bracket, supposedly the best of both worlds or so it was said.
In my opinion the counterweights are probably better left as is and in place, but it did pique my interest because I usually like raw unrefined feels LOL
Have not experimented with it, can we even do such a delete on our version of that gearbox?
Just curious if anyone here may have done this and if so could you please describe what you think about it, thanks.
One of the more interesting posts on the SVT thread is from turbodave who describes the function of the weight which was nice to read because I wasn't fully comprehending why it was necessary or why the manufacturer built it that way.
quote:
Only just noticed this thread as I'm a relative newbie...
I am however a transmission design engineer, and can hopefully add a little insight...
As some have figured out, this mass is called an inertia damper. It isn't to do with making shifts slower/quicker or anything like that; it's purely to increase shift comfort for the driver; specifically as the synchro momentarily comes 'off block' towards the end of the synchronising action, which (as stated by those who've experienced it) creates an unpleasant 'shift notch' - also known as shift nibble or shift Buzz.
It's an interesting phenomenon - and you can build two transmissions seemingly identically, with the same stackup and tolerances - and they can have different effects. In a full production run - you can experience vastly differing results - just like shown by the vary differing and random reports here. Clearly no-one would buy a car that buzzed your hand every time you shift, so a unit like this is added to damp the shift oscillations coming OUT of the transmission back up to the shifter...
It performs its task simply by being a mass that these high-frequency (but low magnitude) oscillations cannot accelerate, hence damping them out.
It does naturally make for a slightly more 'wooly' shift, but this is an acceptable trade-off from an OEM perspective.
As regards why the job wasn't done properly the first time - especially as many other OEM trans don't have them; well you don't design synchros to do this - and there are many factors that affect it - gear/shaft inertia, clutch friction disc inertia, speed, oil viscosity, stackup, engagement tooth angler / offset, etc... Basically - if shift nibble is realised through the prototype testing - then it's a damn site easier to stick a mass on the end of the shift arm than it is to re-design the synchros!!!
Finally - If you remove the mass, you certainly won't be doing any harm to the trans - even if it buzzes to the point that is uncomfy.
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Also,
design-wise, why the crappy plastic for the rectangle bushing? They all wear grooves into them eventually, or even just fall out LOL
like how that happened to JumpingJackFlash:
Could that bush be made of brass or something more stout than that crappy plastic?
And speaking of crappy plastic, I could have sworn that I saw someone making 3D printed bushing replacements for these, anybody know offhand and got a quick link to the seller?
Last edited by Oldboy Speedwell; Mar 29, 2022 at 09:09 AM.
I remember @Ryephile did this on his turbo build back in 2005 and he said he liked the feel. I was thinking about doing this to my weight when i replaced it on my GP. Ended up not doing it because I didnt want to buy another one haha.
I remember @Ryephile did this on his turbo build back in 2005 and he said he liked the feel. I was thinking about doing this to my weight when i replaced it on my GP. Ended up not doing it because I didnt want to buy another one haha.
Awesome info, thanks for the feedback.
Glad to hear that someone with an R53 actually did it and they liked how it felt afterwards.
Edges me closer to trying it out just to see if I may like it also, I have an old spare laying around so maybe I will!
And yeah man I hear you, that part is priced pretty damn high for what it is.
bumping this. My car started getting super notchy to the point some shifts are becoming difficult. Anyone know of bushing replacements? 142$ for this part seems ludicrous
There's a seller in Belarus that offers the bushings by themselves for a little under $40, there may be other sources but just came across this the other day and put it on my ebay watchlist because I've never seen them available separately before...
Coincidentally, I've been experiencing issues related to intermittent, difficulty shifting and came across this thread. My stick is just fine and has no slop.
The issue I have usually occurs after high rpms (5,8 - 6,200 rpms) /80- 90mph and becomes more difficult to slide into gear (down, up or reverse) thereafter.
I suspect clutch or pressure plate; but would also consider inspecting/replacing these plastic bushings as well.
How difficult is it to gain access to this shift weight assembly?
There's a seller in Belarus that offers the bushings by themselves for a little under $40, there may be other sources but just came across this the other day and put it on my ebay watchlist because I've never seen them available separately before...
Wow, good find @Oldboy Speedwell ! I wish I'd kept my old weight, as I could buy this, and then pull off the weights to see if I liked it.
Removing the airbox/ECU holder gives you good access. You'll need some different wrenches and sockets to get all the bolts from the top, but it's not hard.
Removing the airbox/ECU holder gives you good access. You'll need some different wrenches and sockets to get all the bolts from the top, but it's not hard.
So has anyone managed this yet? I’m going to be replacing my shifter box, cables, weights, and brackets for new next weekend. Might give this a shot with my old counterweight before I put the new one in.
Well I didn't go full Monty as pertaining to the shift weight "delete" mod.
However, I did just finish R&Ring the shift weight bushings as mentioned above with the bushing kit from Belarus.
I had posted a write-up in the R53 Stock Problems forum "R53 hard sometimes impossible to shift into any gears" thread.
If anyone is interested.
BTW: I would be remiss by not thanking @Oldboy Speedwell for his insight and contributions.
The shift weight assembly is held in by one 13mm bolt. It can be hard to spot from above but you can see it and feel around a bit.
It can be removed with a deep well 13mm socket on a pivot head ratchet. Although, I highly recommend getting/using a stubby 1.5 extension and a standard 1.5" 13mm socket which made it easier to control and leverage.
That bolt is lock threaded on theresuper tightfrom the factory! Take your time and wrench it back and forth a little at a time. It might be difficult and slow but it will come. Be patient.
A better view sourced from Detroit Tuned's web site shows the location (circled in red) of the central pivot shift weight bushing bolt location.
A view from the top as mounted to the transmission in the car. Indicated by the red arrow: The bolt is located just behind and below the main selector shaft.
You can't see the bolt in the image. but you can access the bolt head between the two shifter cable bushings.
The rag is just there to prevent the bolt from falling into the subframe after it's been loosened/while removing.
After the bushing bolt has been loosened/removed the whole shift weight assembly comes right off with ease. There is nothing else holding it in place.
Best of luck!
Sorry for reviving an old thread.
I wonder if this repair kit ever worked for you?
Yes...and...No.
When I pulled my original shift weight I discovered that the bushings were severely worn.
After replacing the bushings with the new kit as described above; I found it to have made a significant improvement in providing smoother and more precise shifting.
Unfortunately the real shifting problem was internal to my transmission = a bent or broken gear carrier fork. The transmission had to be replaced.
You can read my post with regards to replacing the shift weight bushings in this thread.
Yes...and...No.
When I pulled my original shift weight I discovered that the bushings were severely worn.
After replacing the bushings with the new kit as described above; I found it to have made a significant improvement in providing smoother and more precise shifting.
Unfortunately the real shifting problem was internal to my transmission = a bent or broken gear carrier fork. The transmission had to be replaced.
You can read my post with regards to replacing the shift weight bushings in this thread.
