Installed B&M 45163 short shift kit in 370Z yesterday...

miguez

KillerBee, which bugs exactly, and how were they worked out?

travisjb

I have one installed c/o DDM, and I'd definitely recommend it if you prefer a shorter throw. You definitely feel the gears more and it has less compliance so you always know where you are at and never any second guessing about which gear you are in when you put your hand on the shifter. The trade-off is that some may describe it as to notchy.

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2009 370Z #104
*For Sale*

DIGItonium

I thought in the past short shift kits for the 350Z increased the likelihood of gearbox damage. This is why I hesitate to get a short shifter. I've tried it on my friend's WRX, and got hooked! That's if the short shifter doesn't worsen the notchiness. Any of you guys switched gearbox fluid as well?

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travisjb

I haven't yet, but believe maybe socal or semtex has, to good effect... will get to mine later

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2009 370Z #104
*For Sale*

theDreamer

Installed mine last night and so far enjoying it so much. I had an aftermarket shift knob but it sucks so I have returned to the stock shift knob, which I am enjoying more now. And yes, we did not have to destroy my stock shift knob to get it off, took a good amount of effort not to destroy it.

For those who have changed shift knobs, what have you ordered?

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CBRich

Hold the phone. DIY?

Phimosis

to avoid detroying your knob, try using a towel over the knob, then grab it with a clamp or a monkey wrench, rather than using channel locks. You'll exert much less force on the knob. Then you rely on the elliptical shape of the knob to get your traction for turning it. My knob got a few scuffs, but is not ruined:





-Phim

The HACK

Yes.

Yes. However the top plate may move far enough to the right for the lock-out feature to not work. Hence the recommendation was to get serrated lock washers to prevent the top plate from moving around due to use.

That is about as good as I've seen it done. I've done this shifter in several 350Zs and saw Killer Bee's shifter installed, and frankly it is IMPOSSIBLE to get the knob off without at least some sort of minor marks on it. Even the picture posted with the knob in the clamp after the assembly was removed, left small indentations in the knob. On my 350Z I ended up just buying a new knob from Nissan.

m4a1mustang

Any idea how much a new knob will run?

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theDreamer

I followed this, DIY: B&M 45163 short shift kit in 370Z, and there are instructions (pictures are 350Z though) that come with the shifter which are about the same.

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The HACK

If you guys received the shifter in the group buy, make sure to call B&M and talk to one of the service representatives and ask for the lock washers in place of the OEM flat washers when you install. Or go to a local auto hardware store and buy 3 serrated lock washers for like $.30 ea. The serrated lock washers prevent the OEM plate from loosening up and moving around, which causes the "rattle" noises that plagues 350Z shifters. Sometimes the top plate will move far enough where you'll lose the reverse lock-out.

If the B&M service reps don't know what you're talking about, ask them to speak to their VP of Engineering to clarify.

miguez

Sounds like sound advice, Hack, I'll get some lock washers.

I wonder if that's what happened to Killer Bee, making him lose the reverser lockout?

Phimosis

I haven't heard his story, but if you install the shifter like this:



you'll lose the lockout. it needs to have the stock aluminum plate over the top of the blue anodized B&M plate in order for the lockout to work. If you do it like this:



your lockout will work.

-Phim

theDreamer

You referring to the plate on right in the picture? We did not use this with the B&M shifter, we just used the supplied blue plate.

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CBRich

Now that you mention it a nice C clamp may very well be the best option to remove the knob. I'll have to try that.