SweetS10v8

I know B&M says the console shifter wont fit the Formula, but I know some people have made it fit.

Can anyone tell me what all is involved?

SLOWTBI

please do not buy this shifter...many, many, many people have had problems with this item, including myself. believe me, with all the shoddy design and compromises, it's just not worth the hassal of screaming obsenities at a beautiful car all day and night and day..:nono:

SweetS10v8

what problems have you had? I have had this shifter in my last 3 cars without problem...

what do you suggest because the stock shifter is TERRIBLE! I need something with positive shifts that wont move up more than one gear at a time...

Cruzin Kaz

Please don't take this to heart when I say this as I mean no disrespect, but your what 17 year old?? How much experience do you really have with these shifters?? I happen to run one in my 85 SS, I love it to death, and no problems at all, other then it was a bit stiff at first, but has broken in well now ( it was brand new). I have had this same shifter in two other cars too, and again... I loved it. Everyone has their own expereinces mind you , but unless you are porviding facts as why not to buy on or use one, then your message is not clear, or it is based on hearsay. Again not trying to flame you, but this had to be made clear. Oh and BTW I'm 30.

Zepher

iTrader: (1)

My friend has one and no problems with his.

SweetS10v8

I also have one in my 86 Z28......

but who has experience fitting them to a Formula??

Cruzin Kaz

Actually one the other owner co- founder of SOGM has a 88 Formula 350 in mint condition, it too has a B&M shifter like these. What he did was instead of mounting the B&M shifter with the brackets that are provided he did the same as I did and moved the mounting holes about 2" forward, allowing the shifter to mount flush, and this way it doesn't sit up so high either, here are some pics of my install to give you a bit of an idea, mind you this is a Monte SS, but they are actuall quite similar when it comes to the tranny hump, and Shifter mounts.

See how it is a bout 2" forward of the factory mount. This works great, adn being that yours is a Firebird it uses the vynl boot right, so you want hav eto worry about hacking up your center counsel to get it to shift well.

Cruzin Kaz

One more to show you it's stacne. If I would have used the mounting brackets that come with it, it would have sat about 2" higher up, and set back more requireingcutting my Shifter plate cover.

Cruzin Kaz

One last one to stick within the rules.

SweetS10v8

Thanks, Exactly the info i was looking for


:hail:

Cruzin Kaz

Glad to have helped! Let me know if you run into any snags, I can help you out if you need via "de Intranet" LOL I love spelling it that way!

SLOWTBI

ok, i know it wasn't a flame, but a rejoinder is certainly worth it here...

i have been restoring automobiles, (mostly Chevrolets) for the past six years. these are ground up restorations involving cutting and welding the entire body back together since i choose to restore junk yard basket-cases to keep them from being crushed into little cubes. i do my own engine work (minus machining), all rear end and drive-train work, as well as custom fab for suspension pieces and roll bars...

to make a long story short, i have more expierience with mechanics than a lot of persons on this board...the beefs that i have with the B&M console megashifter is that the research and developement with this product could have been done more thouroughly (read: use the stock shifter cable, as the Hurst dual/gate does)...all is all i have had problems everytime i have installed a B&M shifter in my project vehicles...manual and auto...maybe i just have bad luck, but every few years, whent he time comes to install a shifter, i think "hmm...maybe the workmanship is better" and i try them again only to have a bad experience and go with the hurst....

white91formula

iTrader: (4)

so all that is required to install the megashifter into a formula is to move the mounting holes on the brackets provided with the shifter ?

HamSpiced

can i give this a try? seems fun.....

and btw, take it whatever way you want cause i may disrespect, but not intentionally flame....

[rant]
im not 30 and im not 17 i dont claim to be cocky and i dont claim to be experienced. First off DONT tell someone not to get somethnig just because youve had bad luck with it....Tell him your beef with it, where you ****ed up and how he can avoid it....im 19, i installed it in my camaro with no problems(aside from a friend breaking my trans but that isnt the shifter's fault), i personally love the style, the way it shifts, and sinc ei replaced the handle with the Hammar shifter handle...i love it!

i dont care how many cars someone has worked on, i know someone that has worked on cars for 10 years and hes only 17, and honestly hes the worst ****ing mechanic ive ever met and will never let him touch my car cause hes so ****ing dumb. Just cause youve been working on cars for a while doesnt mean you are THAT experienced....especially if you cant install a simple shifter...

The shifter i have in my camaro has been in a firebird as well and there was NO problems installing it. The directions are awesome and if you have patientce you shouldnt have any problem.

If you like the way it looks go for it, its personal decision, but dont let one persons occurance sway you.

[/rant]

sorry if i got out of hand...

Twilightoptics

Are we in the aftermarket product review?

ontogenesis

i love mine to death, if i had to go back to the stock shifter, i'd sell the car

Twilightoptics

I can't wait to use my first one on a trans that shifts when you tell it to! (TH350)

CAMp3RO

i'm running one right now on my th350 and love it. yes, there were some issues installing it (still have a slight issue with one of the safety switches, nothing big though), but with anything thats not stock, you have to expect some work. there is no real "plug and play" for cars. i'm very pleased with mine overall.

Twilightoptics

My friend with an '87 Formula says he didn't have to mount it forward 2" or anything. Apparently is only like 89 or so when the Formulas changed consoles, otherwise they are just like the TAs

TomP

Wow. All day and night? Took me about 2 hours to install mine. I installed it correctly, the first time, and never had any problems with it.

Well, okay, I had one. After using it for 5 years, the shifter cable sheath wore out. I put a new one in, and it's been trouble-free again.

So I doubt 100% your claims of "shoddy design and compromises". And I hope you didn't work day and night on it!

The "issue" with it not fitting a formula is just B&M's careful way of saying "Yes it'll work with your transmission, electronics, and console, but since you have to cut the console lid, and we can't assume anybody can cut a console lid perfectly, we're denying any lawsuit you try to sue us for."

Here's the deal. It won't "fit" in any post-84 Firebird. 82-92 Camaros and 82-84 Firebirds have consoles with "torx-screw" multi-piece console caps. The shifter plate from these can be unbolted separately from the console. The sides of the console are a hard plastic. The console is "one-piece", as the radio console is part of it.

85-92 Firebirds (Formula or not) have a single-piece console cap, and the sides of the console are vinyl-covered. The console is made up of two pieces; the center console is separate from the radio console. The shift plate can not be removed separately from the console cap. So this means the console cap must be cut to allow the new B&M plate to fit.

I cut my console top with a cutting tip on a soldering gun. I measured 8 times and cut once.

The big problem people have with the B&M shifter? They don't follow the directions for adjusting the shift linkage. It's an easy job, but a "pain" to do. You put the shifter in gear, then climb under the car, and check the linkage alignment. Then you climb back into the car, move the shifter to the next gear, and crawl back under the car to check. When you're done with each gear, you re-check each gear again! And to be sure, I tell people to re-check it a third time. So this is a lot of "get into the car" and "get out of the car" work, and people rush the job.

The second biggest problem is that people don't follow the directions for wiring up the electrical portion. They don't buy the relay that B&M says to. They take guesses at how it should be wired, and then wonder why the car only starts in reverse.

So if you follow the directions, and cut your console top carefully, you'll be fine. You can see the "edge" of my B&M Console Megashifter in the picture I've attached.

[edit] Oh, and I installed the shifter back in 1997... so I'm pretty sure it's designed well. No flames intended, but there's no way you can say the shifter's junk!

HamSpiced

well my only problem was removing the shift plate conencted to the Manual **** Shaft.

My friend (posbird87) was wrenching the nut off and out of some weird hit of luck snapped the shaft At the base of the transmission....

So what was expected to be a 2 hour job lasted 6 days...

took a day to drop the pan and clean the oil out of ourselves, take the old shaft out along with the seal.

another day to go to the dealer and order the parts

3 days to wait for the parts....

and then a final day to put all the **** in and play with 2-3 gaskets for the Trans pan...

aside from that i had absolutly no problems installing the shifter... it wasnt the shifters fault... it was the old rusted shaft....

heres a pic of how i saw my car for 6 days!~!!~!~!

thirdgen88

The B&M Megashifter is a great piece. I've had it in my '88 bird for the last two years. If you follow the directions and be careful as TomP suggests, the installation should go fairly smoothly.. Just be careful and measure 8-10 times before you cut your console piece.. If you don't like measuring that many times, at least just start with a small section to cut out, then test fit, and cut more as necessary. The best way to get it adjusted and verify it is working correctly is have someone who knows how to shift the bloody thing shift it with the cable disconnected at the trans while you are underneath. Make sure the cable end is aligned with the bracket in each gear (by having your friend shift to neutral, then you shift the trans to neutral, then confirm everything is lined up and so on for each one).

I love the shifter, it makes driving a lot more fun when you want to manually shift (and a lot less scarier )..

DJsyclone

What does everyone think of the Hurst Dual/Gate? Mine comes in tommorrow and I've searched for information on here. Have any of you had experience with it?

MIDNITERIDER

As Cruisin Kaz stated; I have a B&M shifter in my 1988 Formula 350. What I did was to take the base plate off the old shifter and use this as a mount for the B&M. The reason for this was that I could use the "eyelet" that holds the GM cable. I was able to use the GM cable and the shifter was moved 2" ahead and about 1" lower. The only drawback was I could not use the B&M rubber boot. Fabricated a leather boot in its place. You have to slot into the ashtray compartment due to shifter being forward 2";but once the ashtray itself is put back into the compartment; it covers it up.You MUST get the relay switch from Radio Shack that B&M recomends to have all the electrical work.
1988 Formula 350
13.93@99.32mph

MshBks

slowTBI where in oak lawn are you from, or better yet whats your name.