Opinions on Short shifters?

[Mr nanotech]

Hi all! I've been toying with the idea of dumping in a short throw shifter into my na6, to be honest I know that the mx5's already have a pretty short throw compared to most other cars on the road and it's a pretty pleasant distance stock.
But curiosity has grabbed me lately and now I'm wondering what other people have to say about it. I've asked around my peer group and other mx5 enthusiasts in person but nobody seems to have tried it.

So in a nutshell, what do you lot think? Is it worth investing into, is it comfortable, any gains in shifting etc... Let me know because they are pretty damned cheap.

The reason I ask is because I've got a gearbox leak at the moment and I'm going to have to redo all the top seals and figured at the cost of an extra $50 or so I might as well put one of these in while I'm at it.

[goo]

hey nanotech

i had one in my car when i bought it - i liked it and the shift was EXTREMELY short.

that said, getting it into second when cold was a pita to the point where the missus wouldn't drive it because of the effort required. i (i.e. bruce) put the oem shifter in and it is a much longer shift but just as sweet (and as quick). i have a voodoo knob and it's a lovely shift now - effort free!
cheers
simon

[hejira]

I bought an NA8 with one recently and it was pure awesome. at first it seems ridiculous that you only have to move the stick a few mms to put it into a gear but it isnt long until you get used to it. overall it just makes the gearbox feel more solid, doesnt necessarily make gear changes harder I dont think. then it isnt long until you hop into another car that doesnt have one and it feels like your throwing a walking stick around a stadium when you change gears. Id definitely recommend it, however Im not sure what it takes to install one or if it has adverse affects/causes more wear & tear on the gear box.

[Novice1]

I have a short shifter on my NB8A which I got from MxMania 2nd hand. Its about as short as you can get or imagine. People either love it or hate it. Personally, its probably my favorite mod and my car has had a lot of mods.
Gear changes, no clunks, no clatters, can't ever remember missing a gear. Its been installed for about 18 months.
Had a short shifter in a honda crx, no problems there either but nowhere near as short when shifting.
Changing gears at first is a bit disconcerting as you tend to not trust your instincts as the throw is so short.
From memory I think its a IHL short shifter or something with an abbreviated name.
Cheers Novice1

[Pamex]

Hey,

I actually just changed my IL Motorsports Short Shifter back to stock and as ridiculous as it sounds, it's one of my favourite modifications so far. :-D (I bought the car with short shifter already on).

The short shifter is unnecessary and I found it actually hampered driving.

As stated above, second is an absolute bitch to get into with them. First can be as well, and reverse was randomly difficult to select.

It's really up to you though. Some people absolutely love them, and I can completely understand why. Not my thing though unfortunately.

[Pamex]

Hey,

I actually just changed my IL Motorsports Short Shifter back to stock and as ridiculous as it sounds, it's one of my favourite modifications so far. :-D (I bought the car with short shifter already on).

The short shifter is unnecessary and I found it actually hampered driving.

As stated above, second is an absolute bitch to get into with them. First can be as well, and reverse was randomly difficult to select.

It's really up to you though. Some people absolutely love them, and I can completely understand why. Not my thing though unfortunately.

Oh should have said. If you want to whack mine in at dodgy day and see if you like it, let me know. Doesn't take long to swap them over.

[pcmx5]

Josh,
you have dríven my car that has a Simpson Design short shifter fitted;ok so I have a 6speed but it has transformed the shift, no more selecting and hoping, precision instead.Not sure that this translates to a 5sp but you also need to consider what the responses you are getting are using.Are they the same shifters or are you getting a wide range of responses from people with different SS's?
I don't think i would have bothered with one in a 5sp as I always enjoyed the quality of the shift standard;6spd well that is another story!!!

Peter.

[Steampunk]

I have a short shifter on my NB8A

There are short-shifters, and there are SHORT shifters
I liked yours, and I guess the people who didn't just needed to do a few dumbell curls

I like mine, wouldn't change it back.

The cheap eBay ones' rubber bushing (on the big ball) wears out pretty quick, I think you can take it out and replace it with the OEM Nylon one.
Don't waste precious $$ buying the Beatrush Shift Lever Collar. It wears out, stick with the OEM nylon cup too.

[Benny]

I have the IL short shifter in my SP and love it.

I don't find getting into 2nd gear is any more difficult than it was stock, but then again, I have a little pause between neutral and 2nd, and it slips in perfectly every time.

The thing to watch out for is the fit of the end of the shifter and the bushing in the box.
If this is a tight fit, then the shift will be very stiff, but if you "adjust" the bush to be a perfect fit with the shifter, it is like heaven to use.
If the bush is tight, use a big drill bit to gently ream it out by hand until it fits well, but not sloppily.

I can rest my hand on the handbrake and shift gears with my fingers it's so easy, it's like a hot knife through butter.

[Novice1]

Re IHL short shifter.....think thats what mine is but could be wrong.
Installed by my son, no instructions and think one part was missing.
By chance mechanic noticed missing part had same and once fitted it went from short
to super short.
Its light enough to change gears with two fingers.
Overall it took me a few hours to adjust to and many more months to trust that it
was in the gear I had selected.
It may not feel comfortable at first, but its well worth sticking with.
Cheers Novice1

[hejira]

Benny, you may be able to help me out; I'm close to buying a 6 speed short shift kit for my NB8B. My aim is to make the throw as short and solid as possible, like it was in my previous NA (I dont know what brand SSK was in my NA unfortunately, but the throw was extremely short and it felt like a million dollars).

Narrowed down to two options,

IL motorsports from mx5parts.co.uk ($170 shipped)
or
Nielex from rev 9 ($320 shipped)

I cant find many reviews for either though, especially the nielex one.

anyone have any more experience to report on these two? could you report on the distance of the throw from 3rd to 4th from the top of the gear knob?

Also what brand is the one for $295 from mx5mania? anyone have this one?

if anyone can help me, thanks in advance.

[Benny]

I have the IL kit and have found it to be very good quality.
The shift is very short and is only a few cm from gear to gear, and you can change gears with one finger while your arm is resting on the handbrake, so it is very short indeed, and an absolute joy to use.

I've had other 5 owners drive my car, and they can't believe how short the shift is, and often have to put it into gear 3 or 4 times before they realise that the shift really is that short.

It is almost like the gearshift has been replaced with an electrical switch, but it still has a lot of mechanical "feel" in it.

Driving a normal 5 now feels like rowing a boat!

[hejira]

Sounds perfect, or, just like my NA was.

Stupid question I bet, but your SP is a 6 speed isnt it? (you havent put a 5 speed trans in it for some reason have you?)

last question, I'm only mildly mechanically inclined, with that particular kit did you find the installation to be easy or were there some modifications to parts needed to be made before the install was complete?

[Benny]

My SP is a 6 speed, but I think my comments would be same for a 5-speed box too as the shift linkage is very similar.

I didn't actually do the install, but I watched Dave from Mania install it, and it was quite easy to do.
He just removed the centre console and the top rubber boot, then pulled out the old shifter and replaced it with the new one.
However, he did go to a bit of trouble to make sure the bottom bushing was a good fit on the shifter as it was a bit too tight originally, so he reemed out the plastic bushing with a bit drill bit until it fitted perfectly, and it has been wonderful ever since.

I must say, however, that the shift was a bit stiff for the first 1,00km or so, but it loosened up nicely after that.

[hejira]

thanks, mine should arrive by next wednesday.