BodyGeneral body information and techniques for repairing, restoring, and modifying your car.
Sponsored by ThirdGen Ranch
Welcome to ThirdGen.org!
Welcome to ThirdGen.org.
You are currently viewing our forum as a guest, which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our community, at no cost, you will have access to post topics, communicate privately with other members (PM), respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is free, fast and simple, join the ThirdGen.org community today!
Okay, I know there are kits and such for manual trannys to shorten the throws between shifts. That makes perfect sense to me.
But whats the deal with the mega shifter on automatics?? Ive seen quite a few cars on here and specifically a co-worker's son just got one and had questions about putting it in his 88 camaro.
My question is, whats the point in the mega shifter for the automatic transmission?? I thought is just a matter of putting the car in "D" and hitting the gas.
Gan you manualy shift the Mega shifter or something....I guess that makes a little more sense to me. Too me I guess it seems like a "visual" mod more than anything.
Is there a specific kit I could look into for my t5 tranny? What short throw kit is best? It seems like a mile between shifts in my 84 Firebird.
Later,
bill
This ad is not displayed to registered members. Register your free account today and become a member on ThirdGen!
__________________ I NEED HELP...I'm missing 4 cylinders! billsfirebird 1984 Firebird - 2.5L IRON DUKE - 5 speed manual
WS6 sway bar and rims - 94 Firebird buckets seats My Cardomain Site!
John 3:16
Sponsored Links
Registered users do not see this ad. Click here to register for free!
The mega shifter reverses the shift throw, instead of pushing up, you pull down. If you pull all the way down untill it wont go any further than let go you just on gear up, where as if you push the stock shifter up all the way your in neutral. So in that respect it helps in manualy shifting the car. Doing that allows you to reach a high RPM instead if the Auto forcing a shift.
If you want a kick *** shifter for your T-5, look no further than Hurst Competition Plus shifter. That thing is rock solid and the throws are short and it looks great. Rachet shifters for automatics are great for engine longevity. If you race an auto, you want to shift it manually. that is why you can pull the shifter clear down to 1st, and when bangin the gears, it is quite possible to push it past drive (or overdrive) and hit neutral. Since you don't lift your foot to shift with an auto, all of a sudden the tach needle swings past 5000 when you hit neutral and that is bad. With a rachet shifter, you can whack it as hard as you want, and you ain't going into neutral.
Originally posted by SuperchargedRS The mega shifter reverses the shift throw, instead of pushing up, you pull down. If you pull all the way down untill it wont go any further than let go you just on gear up, where as if you push the stock shifter up all the way your in neutral. So in that respect it helps in manualy shifting the car. Doing that allows you to reach a high RPM instead if the Auto forcing a shift.
Could you explain this a little bit better, I'm a bit confused.
I too thought the B&M was more of a visual mod than anything.
The mega shifter does not reverse any shift pattern, at all! That would be called a reverse manual valve body. You shift the same, 1st is all the way towards the rear of the car and OD is still next to N. You still shift "up" towards the front of the car from 1st-2nd-3rd-OD. Basically it is suppossed to be more durable than the stock unit and it has a lock out switch meaning you can not shift into another gear, including Nuetral by accident. That is what the lever is for in front of the shifter handle. Sure to some it looks good but it does serve a purpose.
Yeah, and most aftermarket shifters (rachet) for auto won't let you over shift either between gears. My friend a quarterstick type on his th-350 and he bump it into 2nd gear then had to squeeze the trigger then bump it again so he could go to third. That way you can't shift from 1st to 3rd by accident, which would make you lose most of your revs probably.
The big advantage to the megashifter is that when you want to shift on your own (as opposed to just keeping it in Drive), it allows you to do so without worry of going too far. With the stock shifter, you could easily shift from 1st right to Drive, or even worse, into neutral. With the megashifter it ratchets so you push it forward, and it shifts. You push it forward again, it shifts again. It will only go 1 gear at a time. If its adaptation to make it a "bolt-in" wasn't such an under-engineered piece of sh*t, it would be a really good shifter. Plenty of people around here think it's great, but I was very disappointed with the quality of the components necessary to put it into a thirdgen. If I didn't convert to a 5 speed, I would have removed it.
now i know! Hey, learn something new everyday I suppose.
What about the 5 speed shift kit...is it hard to instal. My guess is to unbolt the shifter lever from the tranny and bolt the new on on? Do they give you a whole new stick or do you have to fab something up?
Im considering a kit to get shorter throws out of my five speed.....couldn't I just shorten the stick on my stock shifter? Is that possible?
Originally posted by Jim85IROC The big advantage to the megashifter is that when you want to shift on your own (as opposed to just keeping it in Drive), it allows you to do so without worry of going too far. With the stock shifter, you could easily shift from 1st right to Drive, or even worse, into neutral. With the megashifter it ratchets so you push it forward, and it shifts. You push it forward again, it shifts again. It will only go 1 gear at a time. If its adaptation to make it a "bolt-in" wasn't such an under-engineered piece of sh*t, it would be a really good shifter. Plenty of people around here think it's great, but I was very disappointed with the quality of the components necessary to put it into a thirdgen. If I didn't convert to a 5 speed, I would have removed it.
Originally posted by billsfirebird now i know! Hey, learn something new everyday I suppose.
What about the 5 speed shift kit...is it hard to instal. My guess is to unbolt the shifter lever from the tranny and bolt the new on on? Do they give you a whole new stick or do you have to fab something up?
Im considering a kit to get shorter throws out of my five speed.....couldn't I just shorten the stick on my stock shifter? Is that possible?
The Hurst shifter is a bolt on unit, and takes all of about 15 minutes to get on. It has adjustable throws (stops) that require a little bit of fine tuning, but it is a complete unit and it is great.
You can shorten the stick in your car, but that doesn't do quite the same thing. If all you want is shorter throws, do that. If you want a better shifter w/ shorter throws get the Hurst. The nice thing about the hurst is the stops, you can rip that bitch into gears and not add wear to the gears in the tranny, and since you have a T-5, the less wear you cause, the better.
With the stock auto shifter, when you push the button you can shift to any gear PRND321. The megashifter allows you to go one gear at a time from 1-2-3-4-N without lift the lockout handle. But cannot go into R or P from N321--even if you try to pull the lockout handle. You must be in D and pull the handle to move to R or P. It has a real reverse lock-out. So I guess, the point is that I manual shift mine when I want to go fast, and I don't run the risk of overshifting(I just bang it forward to shift)or shifting into reverse. It wasn't a true bolt-in in my 82, I had to drill some holes.
__________________ Recent stuff:
ground effects removed
spohn LCA's
'glass cowl hood
taurus electric fan
keyless entry
It's just for oohs and aahs and fun driving. Honestly, if you kept your thumb off the button on a stock shifter you couldn't go into reverse either and there's nothing hard about moving the lever one click at a time in a straight line race.
That's kinda true JZA, BUT, if you've ever looked at a stock shifter, the detents that keep you from shifting into reverse are plastic. I don't trust them to keep me out of reverse if I slam the shifter. You make the point of it not being hard to just shift one "click" at a time. I agree, but if your car is set up to drag, you're gonna be shifting a lot quicker than our "street" cars shift. That's when the shifter comes into it's element.
I do agree that for most of us, it's just for looks. I happen to think it's kinda ugly too. Cool shifter, but not in our cars.
I have a friend that drags a 6 second (1/8)mile Ford Falcon, and he swears by his megashifter.
ok, gpt a question here, someone a few post up said somethig refering to it being PRND321..now ive owned 4 camaros and i have never had one with a 3rd gear on the shifter...does your camaro have a third on the shifter? now for another question, with the b&m megashifter can u shift it into every gear 1 2 3 and 4? or just 1 2 and drive??
For a T-5 I'd reccomend the Hurst Billet/Plus. I have it on my car, and I love it. Much shorter throws than stock, and it doesn't have much play in it, unlike the stock one which was horrible. I would reccomend that you drill another hoel in the bottom of the stick so that you can mount it about an inch lower. That's what I did with mine. I love it, I'll always have hurst shifters on my car.
Hey wishmaster, don't get me wrong, I think it looks Completely bad a$$, I just don't like it in our cars so much. But then, you know me, I'm a stock nazi.
As far as 3 or 4 gears? Every 700r4 has four gears. Most all of our autos are 700r4. Some of the early thirdgens were....well, I'm not sure, but I'd say just about all of us have 700r4's and they have 4 gears. The pattern reads (D) D 2 1. OR IN OTHER WORDS 4 3 2 1.
As far as the gears selection available, the shifter works in 2 ways. You can use it in plain jane "stock" mode, were it works just like every other stock shifter, or you can use "super ultra B&M Megashifter ratchet mode, in which you can only shift from 1 to 2 to 3 to 4.
Actually, I don't know, can you shift back "DOWN"??? -without the button? I don't think that would be needed really.
HOLD UP!!! go in your stock camaro, put in in 1 than shift to two, your hand went form in a direction towards the front of the car. Now go into a Mega shifter equipted car, put it in 1 than shift to two you pulled the shifter towards the back of the car. Now typicaly when a transtion from back to front, to front to back is called reverse. and since you are talking about shifting , and shifting a car conformes to a pattern YOU HAVE REV. YOUR SHIFT PATTERN. I know about the valve body and I dont ever recall this guy asking about those. 86IROCNJ do you have one a Mega shifter????????
No, it doesnt reverse the shift pattern. Shifting from 1st to 2nd, you push forward (toward the front of the car) just like the stock one. I do have a B&M Megashifter.
I think the megashifter is one bitchin' shifter. On Our 10 sec 67 Camaro i wouldnt go for anything else. As to the pulling the stick back and hitting second from 1st. That would be in the valve body. All my friends that run megashifters have 1-2-3 by pushing it forward.
(my $.02)
__________________ Jay
1983 Camaro Z28
1976 Vega GT
I have one but it is not installed. My freind had one and loved it, never shifted in a reverse motion though. I know for a fact that it does not do that. Was not flaming you, just getting the facts out. If you shift the opposite than everyone else with a stock 700-r4/beefed up ones with same valve body, then you have a reverse manual valve body. Trust me, i think you would be able to tell if you were "cruising" around in 1st gear at 65mph, which i do not even think is possible to do in our cars. So, if you really truely drive around in OD which is back to the bottom of the shift pattern for you, well than your tranny has been worked on or it is not a 700-r4, and i do not even know what other trannies this shifter is made for, never looked if they are available for 400s and th-350s. Even then you would have to reverse the valve body. Well, on the th-350, not sure about the 400. The shifter alone would not reverse it, it is in the tranny itself the shift pattern. Sorry man, was not flaming, just telling the truth from what i understand and know, just like you were!. Later
Huh, well mine I pulled down to up shift. Anyway still better than the stockshifter for performance app. and as far as the looks go that's personal perfrance.
I love the Megashifter. I installed the one in my old IROC for my brother, it's very cool. The ratchet action is what I like. Once engaged you can bump it down to shift down, and it ratchets back to the base position, bump it down or up again and it shifts again, ratcheting back to that base position. Very cool. Only think was I had to break out the dremel to grind down a bit of the topside of thing so it didn't bump the underside of the console everytime you ratchet it down... Not a big deal but you'd think it would fit outta the box since it's sold for the car...
__________________ Ray87Z
-87 Z28 w/ a Vortec headed 350.
R.I.P. - Just totaled by a 16 year old girl in a 94 Mustang, go figure....
-New ride, 94 Z28 - LT1, A4 w/ 3.23s
new mods: Edelbrock headers, gutted cat, magnaflow catback, Moroso CAI
Originally posted by 89cmrodriver ok, gpt a question here, someone a few post up said somethig refering to it being PRND321..now ive owned 4 camaros and i have never had one with a 3rd gear on the shifter...does your camaro have a third on the shifter? now for another question, with the b&m megashifter can u shift it into every gear 1 2 3 and 4? or just 1 2 and drive??
thanks
mike
Here's a little useless info that nobody asked for:
Some of the real early 4 speed Camaros had console inserts that read " D 3 2 1" or "OD 3 2 1" unlike the majority that are "OD D 2 1". Told you it was useless info.
I have some questions about the megashifter- 1) Do you have to pull that lever each time you shift/downshift or is it just when you put it in reverse or park? If that's the case, going from park or reverse to say 3rd gear, do I have to use the lever? 2) Can you down shift with this shifter? 3) If I don't feel like manually shifting with it, can I just use it as my stock shifter and just leave it in 3rd gear the whole time on the street? (It will automatically go back to 2nd then to 1st as I slow down?? Or do I have to manually downshift?) Thanks all! 89IRO
You have to pull up the "lever" anytime to go from park/reverse to any of the drive gears and vice versa. Unless you put in a manual valve body in the tranny the tranny still shifts itself and every thing like normal. You just have the option of using the ratchet action if you want.
__________________ Ray87Z
-87 Z28 w/ a Vortec headed 350.
R.I.P. - Just totaled by a 16 year old girl in a 94 Mustang, go figure....
-New ride, 94 Z28 - LT1, A4 w/ 3.23s
new mods: Edelbrock headers, gutted cat, magnaflow catback, Moroso CAI
Assuming you have a 700r4 and I refer to D as 4th gear....
Quote:
I have some questions about the megashifter- 1) Do you have to pull that lever each time you shift/downshift or is it just when you put it in reverse or park?
--Not each time. You must pull the lever to get it out of park, keeping the lever pulled you can go to RND only. Then again from D to PR
If that's the case, going from park or reverse to say 3rd gear, do I have to use the lever?
--P or R to third gear: Pull the lever up, shift to D, let go of the lever(now it rachet mode). Slam it back once and you have 3rd gear.
2) Can you down shift with this shifter?
--slam the shifter back
3) If I don't feel like manually shifting with it, can I just use it as my stock shifter and just leave it in 3rd gear the whole time on the street? (It will automatically go back to 2nd then to 1st as I slow down?? Or do I have to manually downshift?)
--The transmission works the same as with the stock shifter.
I might be able to make a 'megashifter video' if you still don't understand it.
__________________ Recent stuff:
ground effects removed
spohn LCA's
'glass cowl hood
taurus electric fan
keyless entry
Originally posted by Abubaca That's kinda true JZA, BUT, if you've ever looked at a stock shifter, the detents that keep you from shifting into reverse are plastic. I don't trust them to keep me out of reverse if I slam the shifter. You make the point of it not being hard to just shift one "click" at a time. I agree, but if your car is set up to drag, you're gonna be shifting a lot quicker than our "street" cars shift. That's when the shifter comes into it's element.
I see what you're saying.. it's just that even if I drag race I don't "slam" the shifter around. It doesn't make it move that half inch any faster and even if it did there's still that automatic shift delay... hehe.
But... nevertheless.. I do have one installed in my RS. Whatever the reason or season, it does add a bit of spice to driving an automatic. But, like some spices, it's not much to look at.
Or for the 82s the pattern is PRND21...*** I love my TH-350
__________________ (No Longer SLOW or FIVEOH)
82 Z28 Iroc Clone 355,TH350 Soo much more. TONS of Mods (5 year Project) SOLD..Will be missed
94 Toyota Truck Shaved and Bagged
88 S10 Blazer Rat Rod Beater
Goochland VA !!! I've got some crazy gun totin' turkey huntin' stories about Goochland!!! hehehe.....But that's for another day.:rockon:
I think that most people either understand that this shifter can be a normal shifter, or a ratchet shifter, but some people don't realize it can be BOTH!!! or rather it IS both, depending on how you use it. I've always liked the action that it has, but more often than not, people always talk about the shoddy craftsmanship. The only 2 I've ever used worked great, but that seems to be the minority opinion here.
I with there were more options for us thirdgenners.
Originally posted by Jza I see what you're saying.. it's just that even if I drag race I don't "slam" the shifter around. It doesn't make it move that half inch any faster and even if it did there's still that automatic shift delay... hehe.
Ya' you don't 'have' to slam it around, I usually don't. But you can and it will only go one gear at a time no matter how hard you hit it.
__________________ Recent stuff:
ground effects removed
spohn LCA's
'glass cowl hood
taurus electric fan
keyless entry
When you guys say it will only let you go through one gear at a time (which is good and all), how does the shifter know when it will let you go to the next gear? Is there some kind of sensor that tells it it is OK to let it be shifted again or what? -89IRO
Originally posted by billsfirebird Im considering a kit to get shorter throws out of my five speed.....couldn't I just shorten the stick on my stock shifter? Is that possible?
Completely possible, I took roughly 2" off mine. What is doesn't do though is change the pivot point (also helping make for quicker shifts) but, just having a shifter handle closer to the console improves the shift feel/comfort greatly. If this weather ever quits it crap, I'll be doing the same to the camaro.
__________________ "It may look like I'm doing nothing, but I'm actively waiting for my problems to go away."
- '87 Formula Firebird - never ending project
- '91 RS Camaro - beater
- '93 Z28 - donor
- '71 Camaro LT - as if I need another project.....
Originally posted by Jim85IROC Here's a little useless info that nobody asked for:
Some of the real early 4 speed Camaros had console inserts that read " D 3 2 1" or "OD 3 2 1" unlike the majority that are "OD D 2 1". Told you it was useless info.
Useless yet cool and interesting do you happen to have any pics of these i was gonna make onr that went D321 but they if they have a stock one that'd be cool
Originally posted by 89IRO When you guys say it will only let you go through one gear at a time (which is good and all), how does the shifter know when it will let you go to the next gear? Is there some kind of sensor that tells it it is OK to let it be shifted again or what? -89IRO
That is the rachet part of it. Suppose it's in 1st gear. Push the shifter forward and you get second gear. If you just keep pushing forward it won't let you get the next gear--you have to release the forward pressure. After you release the forward pressure you have on the shifter it goes back into it's original position and 'clicks'(still in 2nd gear). Now you can shift to 3rd gear, let back on the shifter and then get 4th gear.
__________________ Recent stuff:
ground effects removed
spohn LCA's
'glass cowl hood
taurus electric fan
keyless entry
Originally posted by deadbird Completely possible, I took roughly 2" off mine. What is doesn't do though is change the pivot point (also helping make for quicker shifts) but, just having a shifter handle closer to the console improves the shift feel/comfort greatly. If this weather ever quits it crap, I'll be doing the same to the camaro.
so from the picture it looks as if you "chopped" it and welded it back? I may go to the junk yard and grab a spare stick and do the same. Would be cheaper than the hurst one...obviously not the same deal but it would possibly give me a little better feel than the "mile" shifts in the original one.
Oh and I didn't think my post here would cause so much confusion.
ya damn stock freak! 
