rboineau

Well, except for the ****, which is much nicer feeling (and looking. Wish someone made or adapted these for the C5 stalk).

I mean, come on. These shifters, C5 or C6, are just pivots with a stick. Not like you are putting an old Hurst Competition Plus shifter in a 1966 Street Hemi, where you replaced the shifter box, shifter-to-trans rods, lever, etc. and achieved improvements in all areas.

In fact, with the C6 shifter's shorter throw, you are getting LESS mechanical advantage and God knows you need more leverage to help overcome the heavy, balky shifting on the C5. I bet shifting would improve if you could fit a longer lever--if it didn't smash your hand into the dash going for 3rd or 5th.

I wonder if a really sharp trans man couldn't examine the transmission internals and find ways to smooth and make more precise the shifting by inside modifications.

Now--I'm bent over and smiling, ready to accept your reamings. I'd appreciate more some comments without sarcasm and insults.

Eric D

The BIGGEST single change to improve shift quality is to install new fresh trans fluid. The fluid goes bad in less than 5 years. How long since your car's had the fluid replaced?

Black04Z06

I agree with this.

However, I am pleased with my MGW and I'm not saying that to justify my purchase.

vettenuts

If you want a crappy shifter (IMO), try the Hurst for the C5

I went from C5 to Hurst to C5 to C6. C6 shifter wins. Mine shifts very easily. I would try a fluid change as recommended.

oh1vette

^^^^^

I agree also, installed an MGW, which is known to be a bit stiffer, but changing the trans fluid made a huge difference for me....I used AMSOIL.....

Bob Chapman

I have changed transmission fluid, added a C6 shifter and neither of those mods made any siginificant difference in shifting my 02 C5. But I just installed a MGW shifter and that made a HUGE improvement. The throw is much shorter. The different gears are easy to find. The shifting effort is a little more but much smoother. THe MGW was not cheap but it is worth every dollar dollar IMO.

VETTEGUY1977

I found an 06 Z06 shifter and box on eBay for $35.00. I cut it down 1", threaded the shaft, and topped it off with the Gripper **** from MGW. Granted its not as short of a throw as the aftermarket shifter but it feels much better than the stock C5 set up and I am more than pleased. More positive shifts, 20% shorter throws, and not having my elbow digging into the console cover makes it a winner in my book!

GM Fan

Might try either the new MGW w/ adjustable shaft length (shut up...) or get a used previous design and buy the longer shaft they make for it. Probably the best of all worlds if you want precision with less effort too.

I just put in the MGW w/ the shaft for the C6 **** (replaced my B&M Sport shifter) and it a pretty dang sweet shifter IMO. Just so precise feeling in comparison. Definitely more effort/stiffer with the shorter height though. The longer threaded shaft might be your thing.

spdislife

If I went with an aftermarket shifter it would be MGW. That being said the stock shifter works well enough. Before I would consider changing it, I would make sure I could heel and toe shift very well first.

mcm95403

I tried an MGW and it was so tight it unusable. It came right back out without even putting the console back together. I tried a C6Z shifter and it was OK, but only slightly better than the stocker. I ended up getting a Hurst which feels "good to very good" but not anything I would brag about or say that it's "great".

I think for the way the car is set up it's as good as it's going to get though.

neutron82

i too have an mgw... at first i didn't like the stiffness of it but after a little driving it has softened up a bit and i've also gotten used to it and am pleased with it now... it is leaps and bounds over the factory c5 shifter... i also have fresh amsoil fluid in the tranny but that didn't make much of a difference in my situation... you could also try the "antivenom" mod to help loosen the shifts up a bit... do a search and you can learn all about that... i was considering doing that if my mgw didn't change, but it has so i don't have a reason to do the antivenom mod now

Black04Z06

A lot of people have this issue until it breaks in and the driver has to re-learn the car a little.

ztheusa

The stock shifter is just fine. Get an auto if you have so much trouble shifting!

mcm95403

Maybe so, but mine was already a used unit.

Black04Z06

Hmm, weird. You must have had a bad one and that's why it was used? This is my third one on different cars.

JETninja

Don't have my Vette yet, so I don't know the Shifter, but an old trick on old M3's like mine with a SSK is to wrap solder around the selector rod (then wrap electrical tape around that) can smooth out the shifts, the idea being the added Mass helps it move into the new position.

cruisemon

Sounds to me like you should take that thing out and put the stock shifter back in. I'm feeling good today so I'll swap my stock C5 for that POS C6 shifter and pay the shipping on both. I know, I know - I'm a patsy for a brother that needs help.

Charlie

81c3

No, the stock shifter is garbage

baxsom

You have to be the first person that has ever not liked the C6 shifter. I switched my hurst out for a shortened one and love it.

corvettebob1

All of you guys complaining about shift effort on your C5's need to learn what actually causes the problem.
It's really not much to do with the shifter itself, sure you can change the feel some by using different ratio shifters but that isn't the real problem.
The real issue is the reflected inertia of the clutch disc, if you replace the single disc with a smaller diameter dual disc you will find a world of difference.