Thread: Curing short shifter rattles

The stock shifter throw is too far... I feel like I'm driving a old truck or something.. I first drove a s13 and the shifter was about half stock b13... I then drove a civic and it was still about half... Then a eclipse and it was the shortest... Stock b13 shifter you have to move like a foot just to go into the next gear...

It can cause that but it was not the real cause of it. The fifth gear ring input teeth were shit and got chewed up so it would not stay in.

More info here.

Since the ball and socket are both metal on the B&M(the ball is brass)thats where the rattle starts.Over time the ball will start to wear and get some play in it.I actually had one so old,that it moved up and down 1/16th of an inch



I have tried almost every shortshifter out there...here is my input.
-There are different types of"ebay knockoffs"
One is like the stock shifter,and you reuse your pivot,etc.They are real cheap and some are aluminum,some are steel.These are the ones I have heard about breaking off.However,I would thoinkn you would have to be abusing it or slam shifting to hurt one
-The other "ebay knockoff" is a damn good copy of the B&M/Fidanza style.It comes complete with the ball and socket,etc.The best way to tell the B&M from the knockoff id the shifter itself is chrome on the knockoff ,while the B&M is stainless(not shiny chrome)
-Pacesetter looks like a stock shifter,except chrome and has a threaded shaft with a nylon pivot ball to adjust the height and throw at the same time.

I am currently running a stock shifter with the ball moived up to shorten the throw,while the height is only slightly lower than stock.
I like this setup the best and it was FREE.

I have the urethane bushing in the front and rear of the linkage and it still rattles. I have an official b&m in my car. You guys gotta remember the key word though, short "throw" shifter. Hacking the stocky won't help like a real unit.

I've read that using a heavier shift knob like the Z32 or the AMS hammer can help with the rattle too.

when will you fools learn....move the ball up on the stock shifter..

I have a twm short shifter and I have no complaints the throw isnt too short and the height isnt to short either imo its just right. Im sure if I did the sway bar bushing mod it would feel even better.

I think I am going to go with the free mod.. Move the ball up and maybe cut 0.75" off the top.

Thanks for the input guys. Will look at that ES shifter bush then.

I think I've read somewhere before that some guys apply a thick grease to the section where the shaft pivots in the housing. That section is my main concern I think.

My knockoff B&M used to rattle. I'm on my second short shifter because the first one rattled too and I thought it was because it was a crappy knock off. I decided to buy another one ($20 on Ebay) but after a few weeks it started to rattle too. One day I had the car on the lift and saw exactly WHY it was rattling!

There is too much space between the shifter ball and the shifter fork itself (basically where that long bolt/spacers pass thru the shifter ball and mount to the shifter fork). So the solution was to put a lock washer between the ball and the shifter fork. BOOM! Problem solved and no more rattling.

Added a pic..I know it sounds confusing. The red box is where the lock washer is..