95jersey

This is one cheap mod I overlooked in my modding frenzy the past couple years. I have never used an aftermarket shifter on a Corvette. I am thinking the shorter and more precise throws would be huge benefit for us roadracer types, but before I assumed they are better for our application, I figured I would confer with the experts. I have never seen them talked about in this section.

Who has them?
What kind?
How do they perform on a road course (vs drag race)?
Any gotcha's?

90pololt4

I have a Hurst shifter in the C4 and never had a problem. Never missed a shift with it. Had one in my 65 vette as well. I have a new Hurst for the Z06, but I have not installed it.

BrianCunningham

I've got Hurst on my C4 as well.

Love it.

Feels like I'm chambering a rifle

Jason

Hurst in my C5.

VetteDrmr

Talk about cheap, I just shortened my stock shifter and got rid of the rubber isolater. Hardest part was finding the tap/die to thread the two pieces and screw them together. 10mm IIRC.

Got rid of the floppiness (not really that bad to begin with), shortened it about 1.25", which got rid of the arcing sensation I always had with the stock shifter, and didn't add any vibration to speak of.

CF member Chuckster is the man responsible for this mod, so props go his way!

Have a good one,
Mike

Jim 47

Matt: I've been using a B&M Ripper Shifter in my C5's back to 1999. It presently is in my '04 Z06. Other than taking a bit more effort to move the shifter about, I've never had any problems with it. By now I'm so used to it that it doesn't seem like a short throw shifter, but the throws are short and very precise. I've never had a problem with missed shifts or selecting the wrong gear. Hope this helps.

Jim

Wicked Weasel

I have had in my car stock, hurst and C6Z. I have also driven a car with the MGW shifter.

In my car I kept the hurst. I installed the C6Z shifter for a while, but didnt like the loose feeling of it and maybe that is because I came from a hurst. The hurst is from the Drag Strip days and I just love that you can beat the snot out of it and it continues to work. I love that it find center on its own and I never miss a shift with it.

Keeping that in mind I did drive a car with the MGW shifter. I think that is a very nice shifter too. I didnt think it was good enough to change from the hurst that I was already use too, but I think if I was buying a new one I would elan towards the MGW.

Gray Ghost GS

I also tried the C6 and Hurst shifters in my C5 - and can honestly say the MGW 15% short shifter performed the best for me. The 30% is ideal for drag racing - George (VP of MGW) agreed the 15% was probably a better option for road racing, but your mileage may vary.

dvandentop

mgw never had any issues with shifts

0Randy@DRM

I still like the Kirbans. They have been rock solid for us over the years. They are very friendly to the roadracer. Add a hardbar (longer) stick and it's just about prefect for me.

Randy

Hazman

I favor the MGW. George makes a great equipment and this one has been track refined!

trackboss

I simply cut the large barrel with the rubber off the stock upper portion and welded the stud to the bottom. Works great.

JohnD60

B&M shifter with a short alum shift ****. I love it!

Forgot it was even there until recently when a friend with a stock C5Z drove my car and commented on how short the throw was.

BEZ06

I had a B&M in my '05 C6 and when I got my C6 Z06 I moved it over because it was one of the mods I enjoyed the most.

I'm in the process of selling the C6 to my b-in-law and after driving the Z with the B&M in it he wanted a short-throw shifter in the C6. So, I put the B&M back in the C6 and bought a MGW for my Z06.

I think they are both pretty similar, but I really like the MGW - it is really nicely designed/engineered/built and I recommend it.

At a recent HPDE at Daytona I had a pro driver (Chip Herr) drive the car. He was well familiar with the C6Z but before we went out I briefed him on what I had (CAI, tune, Hoosiers, DTC-70 pads, high-temp fluid) but I didn't mention the MGW. As soon as he shifted it into gear he asked if I had a different shifter in it. He seemed to like it. Here's a video of him driving the car for a couple laps and you can see he shifts very quickly and it gives him short and very positive shifts:

http://vimeo.com/2511570


Bob

EvilBoffin

FYI Bob -

As good as the current MGW shifter is, George is currently finalizing another redesign of his shifter to try and finally address the common rattle issues encountered when using the stock shift ****.

This rattle really is not his product's fault - replacing a rubber-mounted flopper like GM uses with a much more precise design like the MGW just seems to amplify the vibrations.

George told me the C6Z06 is especially susceptible to the rattle, because it is the only C5-C6 model that uses brass shifter mounting bushings instead of rubber as standard.

Not everyone with a short shifter seems to have these rattle issues - it varies from car to car. Do you notice it in your Z06, Bob?

BTW - George owns a Z06 himself, and is VERY determined to find the design needed to offer the absolute FINEST shifter possible, without caveats. Keep an eye on the C6 General & Technical forums for an announcement about his new model very soon...

And YES, Mike - he still recommends the 15% reduction model for road racing... that's what I want!
.

Hardcorvette

Looks like Chip had a blast with your Z06! He is local guy from my area (Lititz, PA). He definitely has a bright career ahead of him.
Back to the topic...I had a B&M in my C5 Z06 for about 1 year, finally got rid of it...just too notchy for my tastes. I'm debating on going with a C6 Z06 shifter or holding out for the latest MGW release.

RAFTRACER

I maybe just a dumb 'ole northern hillbilly, but the shift **** is not what causes the rattle with the MGW shifter, it has to do with the elyptical (sp?) bushing on the lower pivot of the shift that forms the ball and socket in the lower shifter housing. Most aftermarket shifters use the factory snap on bushing. The clearance of the bushing/ball and socket pivot in the lower shifter housing and other factors inside the manual transmission cause the shifter rattle. The 01-04 Z06's additionally had this solid brass bushed lower shifter housing to torque tube mounting. The 08 and later shifter is a different part # than the previous and there were bulletins pertaining to shifter rattle......all part #'s I believe superceed to the current one.......

I just had a customer with an '08 z51 car come in with a weird rattling noise only when he was on the throttle.......It was his shifter......an MGW. The MGW does not retain the factory bushing, and the elyptical bushing to socket clearance was excessive causing the rattle. The shifter was brand new. The gentleman that owns the car is a machinst, so he is going to build a new bushing on the end of the shifter of the correct dimensions.....I installed a stock shifter back into his car with the factory snap on bushing and his car was quiet as a church mouse on the way home.......


One of my cars has a Hurst, one has a B&M, both with Hardbar delrin "chubby" ***** and I like both....no problems.

Bill Dearborn

I prefer the stock shifter. It is easy to move, centers well when not aimed by the driver, and doesn't rattle. I had a BPP shifter for a couple of years. With the lightest springs the shifting from the center 3-4 gate was very hard. Thus downshifting into second the few times I ran on a track that required shifting to second or shifting to 5th going up the back straight at Watkins Glen was very hard and increased the likelihood of missing the shift. With the stock shifter I just toss the stick into 5th. Th BPP shifter rattled so badly I could hear it at speeds over 100 mph on my videos at WOT with the windows open at over 100mph. That is a loud rattle.

Bill

EvilBoffin

Danny -

You are quite right - the **** is not the source of the problem. That's not what I was trying to say. But the stock **** is lightweight, hollow and plastic, so all the vibration that is transmitted up thru the shift rods, socket & short shifter when the car is under load will make this wobble/rattle more noticeable with the stock **** then with heavier, more solid *****.George is painfully aware that changes to the bottom of the shifter is the challenge, and that's what he is redesigning right now. If he re-introduces a bunch of rubber into it or increases the clearances too much in an attempt to address the rattle, then the level of precision that everyone loves will be sacrificed. This is not an easy fix...

I don't have any short shifter installed on my '08. But I have watched the discussions about this 'MGW rattle' issue on the C6 Tech & Z06 forums for months, and the potential workarounds. I was just trying to pass on the current status of the situation, so please don't shoot the messenger.
.

Wicked Weasel

There use to be a pvc mod around that fixed the rattle with the hurst shifter. I will see if I can find it but that solution showed where the problem was.