BPP shifter mod (reduced vibration)
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 19,304
Likes: 85
From: San Diego CA
BPP shifter mod (reduced vibration)
I guess you can say that I modded a mod for enhanced performance. Here's what I did:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/showthread.php?t=978426
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/showthread.php?t=978426
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 19,304
Likes: 85
From: San Diego CA
Originally Posted by Dope
Nice idea. I didn't notice any addition noise or vibration with my BPP but then again maybe I am more resiliant to it. How was the difference before/after the modification?
Dope
Dope
Good grief! That has to rate as one of the most highly-engineered mods I've ever seen. Very nifty.
Great job Dave...I've been waiting to hear about this mod since you told me about it. It looks awesome as well!
The other things I did to slow down the vibes were using RTV under the shifter base and using the plastic wedge inbetween the shifter arm and the lower shaft.
Last edited by Dave68; Dec 28, 2004 at 10:28 AM.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,207
Likes: 27
From: Sun Diego CA
Dave, you simply have too much free time! 
Nice job on the shifter.
I don't suppose you did a before/after to see if it actually did anything? When we last talked, we discussed weight changing the resonant frequencies of the shifter. I agree this is most likely the key to quieting the shifter.
I have a Hurst and it is as quiet as stock, however I have the MGW **** and I think that is effectively dampening any vibration.
I hate the way my car shifts. I can't blame the Hurst, the tranny is really notchy and unrefined. I can feel the syncro then the gear on every shift. Even with the stock setup, sometimes I had to rock the car forward to get into reverse. I believe my car now shifts slower than stock, unless I am willing to jam that sucker to shift.
A friend has a Boxter, what a difference shifting his car. He cannot drive mine due to the shifter. He can't get it into reverse, then never can find the right gear.
I think we really put up with allot with the crappy tranny in the Vette. I cannot remember driving a worse shifting car.
That said, the Hurst has made it better, but I'm still not happy.
Thanks for letting me rant.
Nice job on the shifter.
I don't suppose you did a before/after to see if it actually did anything? When we last talked, we discussed weight changing the resonant frequencies of the shifter. I agree this is most likely the key to quieting the shifter.
I have a Hurst and it is as quiet as stock, however I have the MGW **** and I think that is effectively dampening any vibration.
I hate the way my car shifts. I can't blame the Hurst, the tranny is really notchy and unrefined. I can feel the syncro then the gear on every shift. Even with the stock setup, sometimes I had to rock the car forward to get into reverse. I believe my car now shifts slower than stock, unless I am willing to jam that sucker to shift.
A friend has a Boxter, what a difference shifting his car. He cannot drive mine due to the shifter. He can't get it into reverse, then never can find the right gear.
I think we really put up with allot with the crappy tranny in the Vette. I cannot remember driving a worse shifting car.
That said, the Hurst has made it better, but I'm still not happy.
Thanks for letting me rant.
Last edited by unstressed; Dec 29, 2004 at 01:00 AM.
Resident moron
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 4,746
Likes: 20
From: Assachusetts
Interesting impressions. Personally my C5 is the best shifting car I've ever tried. My local car buddies (various car loyalties) agree with me. I use a BPP.
I do admit that 1st and 2nd can be notchy sometimes. You just gotta use a little muscle.
Dope
I do admit that 1st and 2nd can be notchy sometimes. You just gotta use a little muscle.
Dope
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Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 19,304
Likes: 85
From: San Diego CA
Originally Posted by unstressed
Dave, you simply have too much free time!
Nice job on the shifter.
I don't suppose you did a before/after to see if it actually did anything? When we last talked, we discussed weight changing the resonant frequencies of the shifter. I agree this is most likely the key to quieting the shifter.
I have a Hurst and it is as quiet as stock, however I have the MGW **** and I think that is effectively dampening any vibration.
I hate the way my car shifts. I can't blame the Hurst, the tranny is really notchy and unrefined. I can feel the syncro then the gear on every shift. Even with the stock setup, sometimes I had to rock the car forward to get into reverse. I believe my car now shifts slower than stock, unless I am willing to jam that sucker to shift.
A friend has a Boxter, what a difference shifting his car. He cannot drive mine due to the shifter. He can't get it into reverse, then never can find the right gear.
I think we really put up with allot with the crappy tranny in the Vette. I cannot remember driving a worse shifting car.
That said, the Hurst has made it better, but I'm still not happy.
Thanks for letting me rant.
Nice job on the shifter.
I don't suppose you did a before/after to see if it actually did anything? When we last talked, we discussed weight changing the resonant frequencies of the shifter. I agree this is most likely the key to quieting the shifter.
I have a Hurst and it is as quiet as stock, however I have the MGW **** and I think that is effectively dampening any vibration.
I hate the way my car shifts. I can't blame the Hurst, the tranny is really notchy and unrefined. I can feel the syncro then the gear on every shift. Even with the stock setup, sometimes I had to rock the car forward to get into reverse. I believe my car now shifts slower than stock, unless I am willing to jam that sucker to shift.
A friend has a Boxter, what a difference shifting his car. He cannot drive mine due to the shifter. He can't get it into reverse, then never can find the right gear.
I think we really put up with allot with the crappy tranny in the Vette. I cannot remember driving a worse shifting car.
That said, the Hurst has made it better, but I'm still not happy.
Thanks for letting me rant.
I agree that the perfect shifter/tranny would allow short throws with little effort. With our C5s, we get long, mushy throws that are easy as slicing through butter, or short, somewhat precise throws with purposeful effort. Stock, our cars can be driven by any weakling, but with the short-throws, only real men like em!
Weighting the shift **** is another option when reducing vibration, but a metallic **** has its deficiencies as well. Hot in Summer and ice-cold in Winter is something I put up with in my 68 with the chrome ball shifter. I decided that I wouldn't go back to a metallic shifter, so weighting the shifter itself was my second option and it seems to work well.
Dope, the Hurst and BPP are similar in feel, but the BPP is adjustable to the driver's ergonomic requirements, whereas the Hurst is a "What you see is what you get" style.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 816
Likes: 0
From: peabody ma
i just installed the hurst shifter and so far its as quiet as the stock one was...right now i have the stock **** on without the pin and have it really jammed on so theres no looseness from it,,,my new mtb **** is on the way and hopefully it will not rattle..i also used the stops in it cause i can be hard on the shifter and used loctite on the threads and some clear rtv on the top of the boltheads so that it wont loosed up....so far i love it, firm but not insane and quick sharp shifts....
Drifting
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 1,822
Likes: 2
From: San Clemente CA
Dave, did you consider leading (e.g. soldering) the handle, versus using the shot and epoxy? I would think this might accomplish the same result with less effort. Just wondered if you had considered that option.
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 19,944
Likes: 6,745
From: Bonneville Salt Flats
Great job... emphasis on the JOB! But, those using one of the round shaft shifters have a much easier go of it. All they have to do is add 4 or 5 steel shaft collars under the boot, which also holds the boot tight against the ****, much as the BPP must.
All the best.
All the best.
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 19,304
Likes: 85
From: San Diego CA
Originally Posted by THEDVS1
Dave, did you consider leading (e.g. soldering) the handle, versus using the shot and epoxy? I would think this might accomplish the same result with less effort. Just wondered if you had considered that option.
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 19,304
Likes: 85
From: San Diego CA
Originally Posted by Avanti
Great job... emphasis on the JOB! But, those using one of the round shaft shifters have a much easier go of it. All they have to do is add 4 or 5 steel shaft collars under the boot, which also holds the boot tight against the ****, much as the BPP must.
All the best.
All the best.
The steel collars would certainly reduce vibration as well by simply increasing the mass of the shifter arm. A heavy **** is an added bonus if it doesn't have loose-fitting thread adapter inserts within it.
As you can see, there is more than one way to skin this cat! However, the geometry of the BPP shifter that makes it so very customizable, also make it a bit more difficult to calm down (so to speak). Needless-to-say, I like the many different ways that I can configure it to match my anatomy - well worth the anti-vibration efforts, IMO.
