B&M *knock-off* shifter review

SON240sx Automotive
1

http://i24.ebayimg.com/03/i/03/12/96/ef_1_b.JPG
i put mine in tonite and drove around for a bit.

several people on this board, all niagara-boys, have felt the shifter in jesse’s car but his is not on the road right now.

so i decided to put mine in.

Install:

not as easy as the shifters that are a simple rod. you have to remove the whole shifter plate from the tranny and that required getting under the car.

the only hard part is getting the car high enough to do this comfortably, once you get under there there is enough room to get a 12mm wrench up there and crack the 2 bolts loose.

the rest is a piece of cake. took less than an hour, half of that was getting the car up safely.

Feel:

feels like sex, well not quite, but just as stiff…lol

i have felt other B&M’s and this feels identical. VERY metallic nad sharp. the shifts are short and precise.

Driving:

the myth is true, this style shifter is loud. The B&M is said to make alot of noise and this one makes a little bit as well.

it isnt the shifter that is making the noise though, it is the fact that the stock shifter plate is made from solid cast steel and this piece is just an aluminum plate.

what you hear is the noises in the tranny that arent dampened by the aluminum plate. the B&M is the same way.

that is my hunch anyways, if i am wrong then let me know.

so as a heads up, if you want a quiet shifter go buy another one. if you want the B&M for less than half the price i will be bringing more in in less than a month.

when driving this thing rocks…

everytime to shift into 2nd and fourth it just feels tooooo cool.

very ‘notchy’ is what i have heard it described as.

i will have it in my car at the meet tomorrow for people to feel.

The Jist:

-install is a bit more complex than regular shifter, but doable with a 12mm wrench, 12mm ratchet w/ extension and philips head screw driver

-less than an hour install.

-feels awesome, just like B&M

-noisey

2

i had the pleasure of wathcing bing install this in -19 deg weather

then got to drive it after

this has to be the best shifter on teh market

time will tell

3

Sounds cool and the price is right…

However, I’m not sure if I just got lucky but my B&M has never made any noise…no rattle…nothing…ever.

4

You’re alone on this one, I hated my B&M… after a while it really starts getting on your nerves… ZZZzzZZzZZZZZzzZZZzzZZzZz constantly.

However, to each his own, but I have to say that B&M was the best shifter for the feel.

5

will this shifter stand the test of time tho?

thats the real test, let us know how it is in a month.

if its still solid i’ll take one for sure.

6

…I don’t quite get this…it’s a metal stick and a plate. Will the metal stick shatter under the strain of Bing’s huge sexy biceps?? :twisted:

7

I don’t get it either, that’s pretty much the dumbest thing I’ve heard today so far.

8

omg we get to feel bing’s stick? ill be waiting.

9

I don’t get it either, that’s pretty much the dumbest thing I’ve heard today so far.

[/quote]
what i mean is, will the shauty taiwanese components snap, wear, crack, etc. after being used for a little while.

example, im sure a hyundai accent works perfectly off the lot, but since its a shitty cheap car it will eventually work like a shitty cheap car.

right now the shifter is “fresh off the lot”… thats all i mean, will it break or anything once its been worked in and abused.

10

bing i want one!!@!!@@

11

me 3!

12

I would understand what you mean if you were talking about suspension pieces or anything that is under high stress. A shifter assembly is not something that breaks. I have never heard of one breaking it. The only 2 things that could go with this is bushings wearing out… 1 little one on the bottom - $3.95 at your local nissan. and the main one, however the main one really can’t wear out from the shifter movement, therefore this is a good unit.

13

People have snapped the shifter rod off in a Murcielago. It’s fuckn tall.

14

im worried about it engauging the gears 100% ive heard rumors about the b&m and obx killing 4th gear syncros

15

I don’t get it either, that’s pretty much the dumbest thing I’ve heard today so far.

[/quote]
what i mean is, will the shauty taiwanese components snap, wear, crack, etc. after being used for a little while.

example, im sure a hyundai accent works perfectly off the lot, but since its a shitty cheap car it will eventually work like a shitty cheap car.

right now the shifter is “fresh off the lot”… thats all i mean, will it break or anything once its been worked in and abused.[/quote]

These aren’t plastic compounds, they’re forged or CNCed 6061…

Tolerances are the generally the only problem found with metal items made by cheaper factories. It seems this isn’t the case according to Bing…

16

ive seen people snap rods in civics before

17

Regardless, it probably would have happened with a more expensive brand anyway…

Unless the physical attributes of the cheaper piece are smalled then one of the more expensive brands, I can’t see this influencing it’s usability.

18

True, It happened to me, when i put in my obx. Then i sold it for a megan, which turned out to be just a bit better…

19

True, It happened to me, when i put in my obx. Then i sold it for a megan, which turned out to be just a bit better…[/quote]

Im putting in an OBX when my car comes out of hibernation, so Im wondering what it is exactly that can cause this? At least if i know i can try to avoid it. Also, how long after the shifter was installed did this start happening?

20

these are the kind of things i mean. i’d rather have a stock throw and a mint tranny than wreck my syncros or anything like that.
im sure these are nice shifters, and i’ll probably end up getting one. just want to wait on it. u never know.