B&M Shifter Help

[Suliman]

Ok, I installed the B&M shifter and Kartboy bushings today.

Everything was fine, until I noticed after driving the car for a while, there was a droning noise (car off and parked) comming from the sifter when I would move it from side to side in neutral. Went on a LONG walk through the park, came back, no more noise.

When I got home, it was making the same noise again, so I popped the car back up and melted myself under the cat to see what's up. The heat shield is cool, no rubs there.

The sound seems to be comming from the shifter itself. I checked the linkages, all signs point to the shifter asyembly. Is this normal?
I pulled the console up and I could see the bearing grease in the shifter bearings had heated up a bit and a small bit was settled on the blue ring above the bearings.

Other than that, holy crap, does the shifter feel so precise now. It was like driving a truck before with that tall shifter on there compared to this one.

[Suliman]

I also just noticed something else, the snap ring doesn't look to be seating completely under the retainer lip. I popped it off, pushed like hell on the shifter (not on the shaft) and it just wouldn't seat anymore, looks to be down all the way. Reinstalled the snap ring, same deal, holds in place, but doesn't seem to be sompletely seated under the retainer lip.

I pray I don't need to pull it out. It fits so damn tight, I dunno if I'll be able to get it back out at all.

[uclap5]

you have a droning when the car is off? thats interesting. im guessing droning is a bad word choice. can you describe it better?

[Suliman]

I guess take a droning noise and a grinding noise, have them do the hokey pokey together, and what they'll have is the noise I have. It's almost like a very low pitched, slowly moved, squeaky door.

Yep, the car cooled down and I just checked, noise went away. It's just so odd.

I wonder if this will go away with a few heat cycles.

Here's the pic of the clip....
http://sportbikeguy.com/scans/bandm_ring.jpg

[tom@kartboy.com]

looks liek you didnt lube the shifter before installing it.
Tom

[Matthew]

i have the same thing with mine. its the urethane bushings i believe. tell me, is it when you move the shifter around you get like a dry humming sort of noise that kinda is the low sound equivalent of nails on a chalk board? im trying to think of the best way to describe it, almost like a low pitched creak/grind?

anyways, im about 99 percent sure thats what it is. i think its the bushings, and no its not due to lube cause i lubed the hell outta mine after i figured out i installed the snap ring wrong and it came out in the middle of a race (hand). anyways, it may not be the bushings, it may be something with the shifter, but i dont think so. also ive considered it possibly being from tightening the fuck outta the bolts.

[Matthew]

oh, on a sidenote, i hacked another inch off my b&m shifter with a hacksaw and bought a momo carbon fiber knob. its incredibly lower and even MORE fun.

[Suliman]

Nope, I also lubed the piss out of it.

[StuttersC]

The B&M's have been notrious for tight fitting and not going in all the way. You have to push the shifter in more to get the snap ring in completely.

That might help.

[MikeBlueP5]

i used a pair of needle nose pliers, put one side on one side of the housing and the other on the other, and hit ever so slightly on the pliers with a hammer, it worked. I couldt get the snap ring in all the way either.

[tom@kartboy.com]

hmm guess you shoulda gotten a kartboy :)

tom

[FrigginGLI]

Kart boy all the way ! (2thumbs)

[StuttersC]

Originally posted by tom@kartboy.com
hmm guess you shoulda gotten a kartboy :)

tom


That's right...:D

[MikeBlueP5]

i just liked the b&m for the aluminum housing and no plastic bushings, i had them in my ranger, and after a few thousand miles of shifting they eventually wear, i had to replace them several times, then i made one out of metal.

[Glauconite]

got a pic of how low it seats?? hehe


Originally posted by Matthew
oh, on a sidenote, i hacked another inch off my b&m shifter with a hacksaw and bought a momo carbon fiber knob. its incredibly lower and even MORE fun.

[Matthew]

yea lemme search around

[Matthew]

http://www.protege5.com/vbb230/showthread.php?s=&threadid=31977&highlight=momo+cf+shift+knob+installed

[tigerbunch]

I also have the B&M and once the car heats up, I get the same squeaking noise. It cools down and goes away. I tried to take the shifter out, but it is such a tight fit I couldn't get it out. As for your snap ring, you need to push like a son of bitch to get the shifter all the way in. Agree, I Should have gotten the Kartboy, but thought it was too short. Now I can't even get the B&M out to change back to stock. I think I will call B&M today and post their response.

[Suliman]

lemme know what they say. Maybe because of the tight fit, when the heat expands it all, the sfiter rubs the bearings a bit more or something.

[Glauconite]

Originally posted by Matthew
http://www.protege5.com/vbb230/showthread.php?s=&threadid=31977&highlight=momo+cf+shift+knob+installed

damn looks like a kartboy now... haha makes me wanna cut mine too...

[Matthew]

worth it...plus the b&m is strong as hell so if you like to race shifting doesnt feel so flexible

[tigerbunch]

Had a voicemail message from them today but only got to leave a message for them to call me back. Suliman, that's exactly what I think. It's such a tight fit to begin that after it heats up, it expands. Will let you know what they say.

[Suliman]

Great, thanks for taking some time and looking into this.
I would have called them, but between work, studying, and everything else, I'm lucky enough to have time to take a leak!

[SleekDJ]

Had a voicemail message from them today but only got to leave a message for them to call me back. Suliman, that's exactly what I think. It's such a tight fit to begin that after it heats up, it expands. Will let you know what they say.

hey tigerbunch, so what did the B&M people say? I have the same problem with my $50 B&M-lookalike eBay short shifter. In fact, I didn't even manage to get the thing in enough so I didn't even put the snap ring back in. I just left it without the ring.

Anyone know if that will damage anything?