john-e-boy

I know there are people out there that have the B & M megashifter installed, Is there anyone who found out how to get it to shift easy.

I adjusted it for two hours everywhich way and its the easiest I can get it but it is still somewhat hard to shift.

What is the trick to getting it easy. I am already not impressed with the set up. I didn't like having to cut up the original shifter cover and I didn't like how it illiminated the steering wheel lock. It also drove me nuts that I had to drill the tranny tunnel, you would think they could have made the attaching plate holes the same as the original.

You would think that for a company that specializes in this stuff they could have made a direct replacement with a better system for installing.

82camaro

They don't shift easy. Buy a junkyard cover. I didn't drill through the tunnel on mine. Very few things are actually a bolt in direct replacement. If you don't like it, take it back.

Flyersman29

i agree it could be more "bolt in friendly" but i got mine in without too much trouble... could have been worse i guess. to help solve your problem... you can try moving the shiftercable they give you around. try to maybe get it lined up under the car with the shifter... and make sure you don't have any sharp bends. and also how long have you had it? it does take a few weeks to a month to get the shifter broken in... mine still shift a little hard out of park sometimes... but it's a lot better than it was before

StreetRCR

I love mine and it does take a while to losen up. I also didn't have to drill anything?? Do a search, awhile ago someone posted a step by step pictorial installation. Might not be a bad idea to look it over. As for operation.....At the dragstrip my car is idiot proof. You see the light shift, see the light shift, and you are done....

five7kid

iTrader: (14)

I don't have the console version - LT, actually - but it was never hard to shift. It's stayed pretty much the same over the last two seasons it's been in.

Skatepunk60

I got it and its stiff as a **** but installation was easy. the holes aint really a biggie they were on the adaptor plates not on the tunnel itself and the wiring was wicked easy. I still like it though because i do shift it manually when i get bored and its a lot more fun to shift with this then the sloppy stock one where a neutral drop is a slip away. If its really stiff maybe try some more grease or maybe some of that white lithium and just wear it in.

Good luck

82camaro

Part of the reason why it's stiff is that it's just a normal megashifter with a shorter handle(and some extra brackets and console cover). The shorter handle reduces how far you have to move the shifter, but at the same time increases effort.

87Formula4bbl

I think this is the key idea to getting the thing to shift easily. With mine, I 'averaged out the curves' making every curve the same radius, or close to it, so there were no sharper bends than any other bend in the cable.

Heres a little diagram of how I routed my cable. If you cant understand it, too bad, because I only spent about 2 minutes on it haha. The cable comes down through the hole in the trans. tunnel, loops around on top of the trans, comes around and underneath the transmission crossmember and back up between the crossmember to the trans. mount for the cable.

TA5LiterHO

Did you wrap the cable over the top of the transmission correctly? Wrapping the loop too tight can cause the cable to bind. I had the Megashifter for 2 years and loved it. Changed to amnual though so it's in my closet now. It was tight when i first installed it (which took 30 minutes), but when I fixed the way the cable was looped it worked great.

fireturd350

iTrader: (8)

I love my megashifter. I used the OEM cable cause I didn't want to cut up my stock console (doesn't fit 88-92 formulas)... yeah right I had around 11 hours total in job and that was counting making the new leather shifter boot.

I need to take it back apart though, cause when I downshift the shifter hits the trim hard enough to knock it around... I can fix that with a die grinder pretty easy though.

I didn't use the brackets that it came with. I drilled holes and mounted it. I also didn't use the b&m style cable I hacksaw'd that off and hacksaw'd the OEM shifter cable mount off... slotted the holes in it so I could adjust it. Mounted it on the new shifter. That way I can always just keep on using the GM cable.

I had to hacksaw off part of my ash tray plastic liner but once you put the metal tray back in it covers it completely and you can't see it.

Hardest part was setting the cable. It's still not prefect but it hits all the shifts right and it's not hard to shift either.
Click here to see Megashifter installed with no cutting to trim plate

25THRSS

so you can't lock the steering wheel with the megashifter?

fireturd350

iTrader: (8)

Nope that's a function that isn't included in the megashifter. Your steering wheel should still lock and not turn but the shifter itself can be pulled out of gear with the key in lock position. They recommend you simply tape up extra cable and hide under the dash. I have yet to have someone load my formula on a trailer and steal it since the doors or normally always locked... it weighs a good 3k+ lbs and they can't turn the steering wheel.

88Camaro350

Anyway you can elaborate on the shifter install? Im interested in knowing how you used the stock cable. I picked up a used megashifter from a guy on here. Everything should be modded already. It came out of a bird so Im not sure what the plate is gonna look like yet. I wouldn't mind using a stock cable if possible.

fireturd350

iTrader: (8)

Sure not problem. Like I stated the megashifter has a bracket on it for attaching the bm shift cable. It's different type than stock. I simply hacksaw'd the mount off the shifter base (at the angle where it meets). Then I cut the one off the OEM shifter. Make sure you leave some extra material it will be need'd so you can slot out the new bracket to adjust the cable.

Once that was done I took a die grinder and slotted out the holes on the new bracket that way when I bolt it down to the shifter it has plenty of room to move it and tighten it up so I can adjust for the new shifter.

Then I put the megashifter in and tested it with the console trim plate (not a big deal for you since you can just use the bm trim plate). I wanted to keep mine stock trim and not use the new boot. So you would just follow the instructions from there on out.

You will need the brackets and the trim plate for the console type install look everyone does. The brackets bolt to the old OEM shifter bolt holes on the floorpan and then you bolt the megashifter to the brackets there a U shape. The front bracket is just a little bit raised but it also lets you take advantage of the stock OEM holes.

After you get it mounted hook up the cable adjust the bracket by sliding it as necessary and tighten it back down firmly. If it's off by a lot you'll need to adjust the shifter cable on the transmission. (I adjusted mine)

Main thing is to test it out several times while the car isn't on just to make sure it hits all the shifts right.

Any questions?

Daishi

The biggest thing I would say to remember is the cable is super long, it needs nice smooth bends.. or else....

fireturd350

iTrader: (8)

It's not super long. It's pretty darn short. He said he wants to use the stock cable.

88Camaro350

So you drilled the hole in the plate instead of the car? Looks like the left hole on the front plate. Looks like either the car or the plate has to be drilled for the plate or fit.

I cannot tell for sure if my shifter is working or not. It will rachet in 1 , 2, 3 I cant get it in N or pull the lever...BUT I have not mounted it...I may just need it held down so I can put some muscle into it. Ill have to see tomorrow.

Daishi

I meant the cable that comes with it, I wouldn't call This:



Long at all

This is my crappy attempt at the install

http://www.cardomain.com/memberpage/443548/9

It works mind you, but i just meant my instructions blow... But you get what you pay for i suppose

fireturd350

iTrader: (8)

I drilled my holes in the actual floorpan cause I wanted to get it just right so I didn't have to cut up my stock trim plate. Mine was pretty abused and stiff too. I used a little WD-40 on it and worked it moving from gear to gear for about 10 minutes adding more WD-40 as need'd. I eventually put a some White Lith. Grease which I had left over from a hatch motor rebuild on it and it's been working good ever since. The shifter gets a little hard to shift in the mornings but after I put it in OD it works fine.

Another thing You might have to drill out the stock cable end to get it to fit over the little peg on the shifter. I had to for mine. I also tired using the stock cotter pin to hold it. Don't even mess with it! It only stay'd the shifter for about a day or so before it popped off go to auto parts store and buy an assortment of E-clips. You can just press one on and it won't come back off till you take a pair of needle noses and a screw driver and pry it off.

88Camaro350

I don't even have instructions with mine. I looked at this on b&m's website and disregarded them completely. Maybe its just me but this is very easy to do. I just cut the hole in my top console cover...with no template. No big deal. After I get home from school ~2pm I am gonna finish the install. Shouldn't take me very long at all.

MSRed91Camaro

iTrader: (2)

I know its an old post Im just saving it for the info