Ive had mine in for a while now and although I am pleased with the appearance and the operation, Ive found a few things which future owners should look out for.

1.) The optional radio shack relay
I hate this thing! We took the thing out and just wired my neutral safety switch direct. I cant count on both hands how many times ive gotten in the car to startt it and it wouldnt because one of the wires slid off the connector of the relay. In hindsite, B & M should have made a plug in adapter from the shifter to the relay (which you must purchase if you want back up lights and neutral safety to work). I am not even using it now.

2.) shifter cable attachment under the car
I had this screw up on me at the track this weekend. It wouldnt shift into park when I got back to the pits. I wasnt sure what was going on but it was still shifting gears on me so I didnt mess with it since I didnt have time between then and the next round. Got out onto track and would not shift out of first gear. I looked at it after I got it home, and the bracket that holds the cabel under the car, had come loose. You have to unbolt two tranny pan bolts and bolt the supplied bracket and spacers in to hodl the cable. Well, one of my bolts came out completely and the other took only 1/4 turn and it came out! YIKES! I tightened it down better this time around but I tend to think that overtime, the shifting will work the bolts loose little by little. Something to keep an eye on.

Other than those points, Im pleased with how it works. It allows me to shift the car where I want (6500 rpms) manually right on the nose. And it looks good too!

Down the road I may ditch it for a turbo action CHEETAH but not till I switch to TH400.

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-86 IROC
11.31 @ 120.2 mph
-=ICON Motorsports=-

 

Should of used the stock cable, that's what I did, never had to get under the car and works great.

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'86 IROC
T-TOPS, TINTED WINDOWS, BRAKE LIGHT BLACKOUTS
GM GOODWRENCH 350
EDELBROCK TES HEADERS
FLOWMASTER, NO CAT
EDELBROCK 600CFM CARB.
KN AIRFILTER
ACCEL HEI DISTRIBUTOR
160* Stat
2:73 GEARS
Rebuilt 700R4, with manual valve body
B&M Megashifter
Soon to be installed
3:73 Richmond Gears and 3" Hooker Aero Chamber
Corvette Servo & .500 boost valve
15.61@ 95.2mph G-Teched, 1-2 shift slippage
"There is nothing more addicting than speed"

 

Mark, did you have to modify anything to make the stock cable work? Mine's waiting to be installed any day now, maybe I'll try to use the stock cable.

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'87 Formula WS6 - ZZ4 Crate TPI, ported heads, LT4 hot cam, 1.6RR, Accel runners, Accel lower, ported plenum, Edelbrock 58mm TB, pulleys, SLP cold air, headers and full exhaust, gutted cat, Walbro 255, Koni yellows, aftermarket panhard & LCA's.

 

i wanna know about hte stock cable dillio as well...

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91 FireBird 305 V-8
Edelbrock Catback, Fourth Gen Console. i have six cupholders. all for starbucks!
ghetto rigged cold air intake,
GheTTo Riggers INC.
We Make Mcgyver look Like Crap
God Created The Earth, And Then Turned Up The Bass
F-Body Meeting, Naperville IL, Chicago Ave and Washington. July 27, 8:00ish.

Part Search, I NEED A Harness For A Radiator fan, THANX

 

Yes, you have to cut the bracket on the shifter off and cut the bracket off the old shifter. Then you have to drill and put a bolt on the 2 brackets since they are separate. Make sure your cable doesn't rub against the new bracket, I had to do a little readjust.

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'86 IROC
T-TOPS, TINTED WINDOWS, BRAKE LIGHT BLACKOUTS
GM GOODWRENCH 350
EDELBROCK TES HEADERS
FLOWMASTER, NO CAT
EDELBROCK 600CFM CARB.
KN AIRFILTER
ACCEL HEI DISTRIBUTOR
160* Stat
2:73 GEARS
Rebuilt 700R4, with manual valve body
B&M Megashifter
Soon to be installed
3:73 Richmond Gears and 3" Hooker Aero Chamber
Corvette Servo & .500 boost valve
15.61@ 95.2mph G-Teched, 1-2 shift slippage
"There is nothing more addicting than speed"

 

There are two very easy fixes here:

1. Solder
2. Use a relay base with screw terminals

-just fyi..

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-=1987 Formula 350=-

Member Greater Cincinnati F-Body Association

 

I am pleased with my megashifter, except for the shifter cable. I don't understand why it is so long. I have the thing wrapped in a loop just to make it work right. I wish that I had used the stock cable, also.

 

I like mine, except the indicator cable doesnt work. I think it's to long and not catching. Is there anything i can do about that?

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Chris
-91' firebird V8, 305
-Flowmasters with stainless steel pipes
-B&m megashifter
-JVC cd player
-Clarion speakers
-K&n filter with homemade intake.

 

i've got mine in the car now. but no trans or motor in it.
one strange thing i noticed.. the directions on mine wanted you to bore the wrong size bolts into the floor.... which i did and kicked myself for.

as far as the relay goes, i had a working relay around so i just used that.. think it went to a fan or something. in any sense it should work

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It's always SOMETHING

 

I used the B&M cable; no problems... and the Radio Shack relay's doing good, too. (I soldered mine...)


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-Tom P (Hot rodded 1986 Firebird 2.8l) from http://www.f-body.net/mailbag/3rd/3rd_mailbag.html message boards
---Think your car could be pic of the week? Visit http://www.f-body.net for details!

 

I don't remember the details because I installed my MegaShifter over 3 years ago. I also did the large loop under the truck thing, which the directions tell you to do.

The only problem I had for a while was the shifter indicator cable. It would kink most of the time no matter how I tried to adjust it. Finally, after a brainstorm, I removed one end and twisted it one-half turn tighter, readjusted it, and it's worked fine since.



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_ ___ _
SMasterson

 

I've posted this someplace before but on my megashifter I used their heavy-duty 3ft. cable. I would check the length again first b/c it was awhile ago that I did this. The cable is in a pretty tight flexed backward kinda "S" shape but it works great. The shifter is easier to use, especially to get out of park.

 

Oh good point Ponykiller. I remember drilling the holes too and there were no bolts to tighten it to the floor.


I ended up drilling oversized holes in the floor and putting my own bolts in it and putting a nut and lockwasher on the exterior (underside) of the car to get it to mount solid. That was on the front of the shifter mount.

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-86 IROC
11.31 @ 120.2 mph
-=ICON Motorsports=-

 

I hate my megashifter. I hate everything about it.

1. The cable sheath was split when it was brand new in the box. Since installing it on my car, the sheath has pulled back 1/2" to show the outer cords.

2. Relay wiring diagram was crap. I'm a frieking electrical engineer and it took me forever to figure out what they were trying to accomplish.

3. Modifying the original harness is stupid. I built an adapter so that I did not have to cut my stock harness. This is what B&M should have done.

4. My whole console lifts up when I shift because there's a big piece of metal from the shifter linkage that bumps it. Made to fit and it doesn't fit.

5. I had to cut up my console to install it.

6. It should come with a rubber boot for where it goes through the floor. I had to cut my old one off the original cable and glue it onto this one.

7. That f**king handle is crap and won't stay tight no matter how much threadlock I use, and when I tried to tighten the nut, it stripped the base!

What a huge waste of money. I'll never own anothe B&M product again. Between their reputation for crap rebuilt transmissions and an apparently similar quality for their shifters, I'll go elsewhere for my transmission needs.

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The IROC Homepage
<A HREF="http://www.rit.edu/~jli4307/camaro" TARGET=_blank>
View the restoration of an 85 IROC</A>
"I didn't know a bored out Ford could go so slow" -Shenandoah

 

I havent had any other problems like i said except the shift indicator and im gonna try what you said about twisting the cable cause mine bends up also.I dont understand why they dont just have the indicator directly connected to the shifter instead of having a cable go all the way around the stupid thing. The stock shifter i though suxed compared to the b&m for one form looks, and to its fun to use some force and have a stronger sound when you shift.

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Chris
-91' firebird V8, 305
-Flowmasters with stainless steel pipes
-B&m megashifter
-JVC cd player
-Clarion speakers
-K&n filter with homemade intake.

 

The only reason I got the B & M and not a cheetah or hurst was because it was the cheapest and i didnt feel like spending a lot of money on a shifter for my 700R4 when I was going to swap to a TH400 this winter anyway. I AM going to end up wiht a Chettah shifter eventually but this one works for the time being.