C5 Manual? Throw away your shifter!!!!
Discussion
Wow. Here's a mod you just HAVE to do. I took the Z06 on a tour round Wales over Easter and the one bugbear I had with the car was the lurching gearchange which made a Victorian signal box seem like a Formula 1 electronic gearbox. The problem with the stock shifter is the long throw which means dislocating your shoulder to pull the lever back, especially into 6th. Now I wanted to experience the stock gearbox for a while before I swopped over to an aftermarket shifter so i could properly appreciate the improvement.
Well, I needn't have bothered. Having fitted the Breathless shifter, all I can say is ORDER ONE! You'll turn your Vette from a truck into a sports car again.
This shifter is night and day compared to the stock railway sleeper. It is a million times better. Having fitted it, I went for a drive with things loosely bolted up and to be honest, the only rattles I got were from the securing ring I hadn't tightened up and holding that stopped the rattle. I ended up fitting the shifter dog-leg forward to push the shifter further away from me so that pulling it into the 2-4-6 gear position meant the stick stayed more vertical. I also angled it towards me, not that that makes much difference.
Now instead of the yawning chasm between the 1-3-5 plane and the 2-4-6 plane, there's a pleasant metallic snick-snack shift with very short, definite movements. There are no problems getting either 6th or reverse and I used the softest springs in the pack. Overall, forget any other mod - this is the one you MUST have.
The two tips I would give anyone undertaking this mod are firstly, forget any notion of saving the original gearknob. The locking pin won't come out and a hacksaw was the tool of choice I used to remove the portion of the knob behind the pin so it could be knocked out.
Secondly, I noticed that when I bolted the lever up, there was still movement. It's important to remember that the shaft is threaded and you have to tighten the bolts right up BEFORE fitting the locking nuts.
Overall, the noise level is no worse and this shifter ROCKS! (as the Americans are wont to say).
Well, I needn't have bothered. Having fitted the Breathless shifter, all I can say is ORDER ONE! You'll turn your Vette from a truck into a sports car again.
This shifter is night and day compared to the stock railway sleeper. It is a million times better. Having fitted it, I went for a drive with things loosely bolted up and to be honest, the only rattles I got were from the securing ring I hadn't tightened up and holding that stopped the rattle. I ended up fitting the shifter dog-leg forward to push the shifter further away from me so that pulling it into the 2-4-6 gear position meant the stick stayed more vertical. I also angled it towards me, not that that makes much difference.
Now instead of the yawning chasm between the 1-3-5 plane and the 2-4-6 plane, there's a pleasant metallic snick-snack shift with very short, definite movements. There are no problems getting either 6th or reverse and I used the softest springs in the pack. Overall, forget any other mod - this is the one you MUST have.
The two tips I would give anyone undertaking this mod are firstly, forget any notion of saving the original gearknob. The locking pin won't come out and a hacksaw was the tool of choice I used to remove the portion of the knob behind the pin so it could be knocked out.
Secondly, I noticed that when I bolted the lever up, there was still movement. It's important to remember that the shaft is threaded and you have to tighten the bolts right up BEFORE fitting the locking nuts.
Overall, the noise level is no worse and this shifter ROCKS! (as the Americans are wont to say).
Sounds like you're as pleased with your new shifter as I am with my new tyres. The Michelins give so much more confidence in the car which now emphasises the tendency of the auto to shift gears mid corner. Beemers don't do it so why does the Vette? - it's crazy. Similarly the ferocity of kickdown to 2nd. Just emphasises the need to manually select 3rd and 2nd if you want to press on. C5 is one quick car!
Here's the Install weblink for those who like pictures not words.
www.cardomain.com/memberpage/627465/7
I don't mind you being smug, I'm just glad you were right! So many mods that are praised to high heaven turn out to be owners trying to justify their own expenditure and kidding themselves they've made a difference. He he.
www.cardomain.com/memberpage/627465/7
I don't mind you being smug, I'm just glad you were right! So many mods that are praised to high heaven turn out to be owners trying to justify their own expenditure and kidding themselves they've made a difference. He he.
Wayne - nice pictures, looks like a fairly straightforward job.
Anybody done this on a C4? Similar process - or a pain?
The C4's 1-2 shift is alright (easier to pull it down 1-2 quickly), but 2-3 is just that bit too far - takes that split-second more to think about it than I'd like...
Anybody done this on a C4? Similar process - or a pain?
The C4's 1-2 shift is alright (easier to pull it down 1-2 quickly), but 2-3 is just that bit too far - takes that split-second more to think about it than I'd like...
<pricks ears>
Hmm... I like the sound of that....
BUT
I am a mechanical disaster - I never have enough time to do a job properly or the inclination to take things very slowly and steadily.. should I get someone else to fit it or is it REALLY easy?
Roughly how much will this set me back?
Thanks,
Chris
Hmm... I like the sound of that....
BUT
I am a mechanical disaster - I never have enough time to do a job properly or the inclination to take things very slowly and steadily.. should I get someone else to fit it or is it REALLY easy?
Roughly how much will this set me back?
Thanks,
Chris
How easy do you want? It's literally removing some bolts and some torx screws, pulling one lever out and slotting in another and bolting it all together. The ONLY hard part is getting the original knob off so order a new knob with the shifter. It's about as difficult as Meccano and not as easy as Lego.
Price. I got mine from www.madvet.com. They are good as they charge shipping direct to your credit card and the Customs charge is therefore only applied to the cost of the item but for some reason the customs charge doesn't get levied from this supplier for some reason according to at least two people who've had stuff from them.
Price. I got mine from www.madvet.com. They are good as they charge shipping direct to your credit card and the Customs charge is therefore only applied to the cost of the item but for some reason the customs charge doesn't get levied from this supplier for some reason according to at least two people who've had stuff from them.
c4koh said:
Wayne - nice pictures, looks like a fairly straightforward job.
Anybody done this on a C4? Similar process - or a pain?
The C4's 1-2 shift is alright (easier to pull it down 1-2 quickly), but 2-3 is just that bit too far - takes that split-second more to think about it than I'd like...
Ive got a Hurst short shifter sitting on the shelf,it wont be long till i fit it(i can feel it in my bones),i will let you know how it goes for an average DIY mechanic like myself.
Ive heard that this is a must!and one of the best mods you can do to a Z.
ZR1cliff said:Sounds like you're planning a few long shots through the neighbours upstairs windows but at least with a digital camera you won't have to go to Boots to pick up the prints! (Best not take it into PC world if it goes wrong though.)
You will probably get photos of next doors cat,roof,etc. hehe
c4koh said:
Cheers Cliff - I'll be interested to see how you get on with it!
Ive just purchased some Beam plates and expect them to be here in a week or 2,i have the short shifter parts spread over a coffee table with the instructions,gearbox oil and new seals at the ready aswell.
All i need to do now is practise posting photo's straight on the forum and i will get going.
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