I installed my B&M megashifter recently and I have to say I am very pleased with the overall results! I read a few posts on here about the shifter and heard people complaining about this and that with the shifter! I had very little troubles with the shifter! I used the cable included with the shifter and had no problems with the cable... don't know why people are complaining about that!! Also, I heard people complaining about the handle coming off or stripping! When put on correctly with Loc-Tite as suggested by B&M, the handle stays on just fine.... I've had mine installed for a little over a month with hard shifting and have had ZERO problems with the handle moving! The shifter is a little difficult to shift out of park but it's getting easier with more use! Patience works wonders!

The ONLY things negative I have to say about the whole installation is #1. The template included for cutting the console SUCKS... didn't line up with ANYTHING on my 86TA... and #2. after 1 month, the little orange plastic gear indicator broke!

 

That's great. I didn't have any problems with mine except the orange sticker got old and lost it's glue so it came off after a year. I just stuck a piece of red tape on in it's place. Also the shifter lifted the console before I shaved the front corner. It wasn't actually MADE for F-bodies, they just put in a black console plate and template and called it that. The universal shifter is exactly the same thing except it's a chrome console plate and doesn't come with a custome "template". I've installed the universal in a G-body (which also went in and fit flawlessly, and actually doesn't have the problem shifting out of park that the F-body shifters all seem to have).

Glad you like it. I'm very happy with mine, but I'm thinking about trying some other shifters, now, just for the heck of it. The dual/gate looks pretty cool except the shaft is WAY too long IMO.

 

Actually, I think the universal one is a taller shifter. The console one is more of a short shifter, which I like alot better.

 

I agree.... the universal also doesn't have the front and rear brackets that come with the one for the firebird that's needed to make it fit properly!

 

Just consider yourself lucky, that's all. My cable sheath was split right out of the box! My whole console lifts up when I downshift because the linkage bumps the console, and my handle is crap. Like everybody elses, mine loosened up. So, I put a little loc tite in and tightened the nut a tad more. It stripped the threads. So, I bought a longer nut, used a TON of loc tite and tightened it up the other night. Last night it came free again.

Junk, junk, junk.

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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

 

Sounds like you just got some ****ty luck there!! Personally, I wasn't going to use the B&M cable but I broke my stock one while changing the transmission so I had no choice! But I was pleasantly suprised that the cable wasn't as big a POS as I thought it would be! My console lifts just a little when I down shift but that's because I lost that little bolt that goes in underneath the ash tray... I'm sure with that bolt in place I would have no problems! Sorry to hear about your handle dilema.... you're not the only one that's had that problem from what I've seen! I guess I just got a good one!



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1986 Trans AM
305 TPI
Well over 200,000+ miles (speedo/odometer non-funtional! Odometer reads 142,000)
4 Wheel Discs
9 bolt Borg Warner Rear (2.77's....oh joy) :P
Completely Stock
Current Project: upgrade to a 355 TPI, 6" rods, 9.5:1 Compression, Stock TPI ported, 24#/hr LTI injectors, Hedman Shorty Headers, SBC Stock Casting heads pocket ported, Comp Cams XE262-14 TPI Cam, Ed Wright Fast Chip, Holley AFPR, TPIS airfoil, MSD wires, MSD 6-AL Box, Hypertech hot coil!!

 

How did you fix the indicator? Mine broke and im guessing you need a shorter cable for it.

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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.

 

no probs with mine. it did have a split shifter cable out of the box though. i went back to the speed shop where i bought it and they gave me a beefier cable to replace it for free.

 

To fix the indicator, you need to see if the cable is binding up. Once the cable goes bad there is no turning back, you have to order a new one. I'm on my second one too.. The part number is 80815 from B&M and usually runs about $20. I got mine from summit. Replacing it is a piece of cake too and took me no more than 15 minutes...

 

i love my Megashifter. got it in with no problems in about 2 hours. looks great and manual shifting is fun as hell. had it in for over a year and still no problems. the 2 front bolts for the bracket came loose cause i didnt loctight them the first time but after i joeyed them up, no problems. Now that i have the shifter handle with the super happy speed button on it i love the shifter even more

 

Well, I still haven't fixed my indicator yet! I don't really care about it ... I know what gear I'm in! I installed the white face gauges on my car awhile back and installed the Xenon Blue lights as well.. I had an extra bulb left over from that and put it in the shifter indicator instead of the white one ... it looks GOOD! I've have my shifter about 1 month now and no problems yet! The only think I loctited on mine was the handle and it still hasn't budged an inch! I did notice though that the rubber boot at the VERY top is starting to get very small cracks in it! I have used any cleaner of it or anything either because they say that will destroy the boot!

 

I have never had any problems with the boot cracking and I have never used any kind of cleaner or protectant on it. I changed the shifter cable to the shorter HD one to get rid of the hard to get out of park feel. It's still there a little but much better then with the factory supplied cable. If you want it even easier to shift you can always bend the metal piece that rides on the detents on the shifter. You probably could even remove it but I think it would feel too loose. I never tried that b/c I got mine how I like it with the shorter HD cable.

My only annoyance is the small bushing that the trigger pin goes through. It never stays in the hole.

[This message has been edited by ryn28 (edited August 12, 2001).]

 

i really like mine!! its worked great! my handle doesnt come loose either! guess its just luck of the draw with some things!!!!! this is the only perf. shifter i've used, but i guess it wouldnt be a bad choice to try others, even though i like this one!!!! anyone see what im getting at with all the !!'s? sorry, i was just admiring the mind-numbing amount (24, if i counted right) of !!'s used by transam.. heh, no flame or argument intended, but i had to say something about it

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83 Z28--not a pretty site, sold thank goodness

74 Z28-- 383/400, green on black. pretty clean. FOR SALE!!!

 

I love my megashifter, looks great IMO. I shaved off the little tab that was lifting the console and have not had a problem since.


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Jay

350 is finally in!!!

black 85 Z28, t-tops, 350 4-bolt main w/ Edelbrock Performer RPM intake, Holley 600cfm carb, Edelbrock shorty headers, bunch of chrome, and some other stuff that isn't worth mentioning here, flowmaster 80 series muffler w/ custom tips (hollowed out cat), MacEwan white face gauges, Infinity 4" 2 way plate speakers, Infinity 3-way 6x9s, 12" JL Audio W3-D4 (custom box so my t's still fit back there), Alpine V12 MRV-T501 amp, Alpine CDA-7863 head unitJay's Website
No car with 4 doors is a sports car! this goes back to my friend comparing his Maxima to a Camaro

 

Thanks for noticing!! There's always someone that's got to say something about it! However, I don't care ... as you can see! I use !!! when I type everything here on thirdgen! I even use !!! when I'm typing emails to my friends!