# B&M shifter & aligning cables...



## Village_Idiot (Oct 16, 2004)

Hey guys I bought a used R32/TT B&M shift rod throw reduction kit and installed it. Before this I had a Diesel Geek Stigma 6 installed up front. I had the shift cables aligned, but know it should be re-done after all the work I did on my car and if not today, I'm going to need to change the alignment someday.
How do you place the shifter into the pre-determined position with the B&M? The B&M rod doesn't have the plate welded to it with the ring that we place the thick nail through and into the hole that is now covered by the new B&M plate that holds the ball in. 
This part feels great to drive, but seems very poorly planned & executed.
Anyone with experience on this? I'm simply going to refuse to remove my exhaust and driveshaft shields then transmission case seals and swap out to my stock shift rod everytime I need to align my cables. It makes no sense at all.
TIA!


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## Qu!cks!lva (Jul 7, 2007)

What Schwing and I did with my install was to have me sit in the car and hold the shifter at what felt best for neutral while he snapped back the adjusters mounted to the tranny housing.
Row through the gears and repat until it feels best for you...
I run my B+M with a Diesel Geek race shifter and couldnt be happier with the combo


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## Village_Idiot (Oct 16, 2004)

*Re: (Qu!cks!lva)*

THx for the reply!
Oh yea the combination feels great, but to tell you the truth I had my stock shift rod cut and threaded about 2" lower than the B&M. I like the feel of the B&M but I'm getting used to the height. The B&M seems to transmit more feel to the driver and is lighter, I'm not a huge fan of the knob yet - I had the OSIR Orbit and liked the weight, do you have a different knob threaded on or know the thread pattern of the B&M rod?
So DG makes a race shifter? Is that different than the Stigma 6 that I'm running?
I put the DG S6 on awhile ago with the stock rod and at first it was VERY stiff and resistant. Then about two or three weeks later it started to feel mushier and lost that resistance I loved. I always ment to realign the cables to see if that made a difference, figuring they slipped a little, I just never did and would like to now to complete the upgrade : ) 
BTW I bought both the DG S6 & B&M used so they both were "broken in" when I first installed them I think - so the lack of resistance shouldn't be because of that.
I was thinking about picking up these 3 metal bushings that mount the shifter bracket to the transmission. I haven't had a chance to get down to the local performance shop, but looking at the bracket I don't see them doing a damned thing since the bracket just holds the cable casings in place & doesn't seem to have any effect on the shifting mechanism. If they weren't $35 and 10 miles away I wouldn't get them... Any experience with those?

I also posted in the MK4 R32 forum. I didn't realize that the neutral position was just the rod all the way to the left, I thought it was halfway into second! Is this what you found too????
*Posted by graeme86 in the R32 forum *
On the stock shifter the "nail" just holds the shift rod over to the left as far as it will go in the neutral gate.
One would presume that after you lock the transmission etc (as per adjustment procedure), you just need someone to hold the shifter in that position in the car whilst you adjust the cable ends in the engine bay.
I agree, a poor bit of design work by B&M
Modified by graeme86 at 3:09 AM 7-1-2009



_Modified by Village_Idiot at 11:01 PM 6-30-2009_


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## IndyTTom (Oct 23, 2007)

*Re: B&M shifter & aligning cables... (Village_Idiot)*

I currently have the Dieselgeek Short Shifter for about a year and a half now but I never really liked the way it shifts. The shifts are very notchy but precise. I tried adjusting the cable ends and did the adjusting procedure about 4 different times but it doesn't seem to make any difference. I was thinking about getting rid of the DG Short shifter and getting the B&M. Are the shifts smoother with the B&M then with the Diesel Geek Shifter? And how difficult is the B&M shifter to install. Plus I love my Oversized Weighted Shift Knob that I paid over 150 bucks for and I am not willing to sacrifice the shift knob for the B&M if I can't use it on the B&M. Thanks for any info on the way the transmission shifts after the B&M installation.


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## TToxic (Nov 15, 2008)

*Re: B&M shifter & aligning cables... (Village_Idiot)*

Take a pc. of lexan/trace shift ring trim pc.outside diameter only & screw holes. With stock shifter in locked position via trans pin lock drill hole in lexan for shifter stalk, your done. You may want to drill screw hold down holes afterwards, depends on what measuring devices you have handy.


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## Village_Idiot (Oct 16, 2004)

*Re: B&M shifter & aligning cables... (IndyTTom)*

IndyTom - well I personally really enjoy the notchyness of the DG and cannot give you a solid review of the combination till after I do the alignment. The B&M has noticeable shorter throws over stock, as opposed to the DG, which I felt did not. Also the B&M seems to use a different knob thread than stock, besides if it didn't use a different thread you would still have to use a B&M shift knob because the way the reverse lock-out feature works. Stock reverse lockout is push down, B&M is pull up on the rod with two fingers - like a sabb or i think sti's too. The shift rod on a B&M short shifter is thicker and slides up into the shift knob. Between the top of the thick rod covering and the knob goes a large spring that keeps reverse lockout closed with the downward force of the spring. I 100% prefer the pull up B&M lockout as opposed to the push down stock style since I always used to push down on the stock rod when changing gears, well sometimes.
Anyway... I think the B&M makes things shorter & lighter. When made lighter things are always going to be "notchier & firmer" because there isn't weight to the shifter to assist you pushing it into gear. It all depends on what you'd like to have. I like the notchy feel, but with a solid round shift knob that is a pound or two for that real "I'm definitely in this gear" feel. I'll report back after I align the cables this weekend.
Also I find the B&M doesn't reduce side to side throws too much, I'm sure it does a lot but 5th & 6th still seem really far away as opposed to 1st through 4th. I've been driving a variety of cars for the last 3-4 months - all not mine, so I'm not used to a TT yet. I can say that the last time I did drive a TT with a stock shifter was a few months ago and back to back with my car with the DG and the chopped shift rod and GOD did the stock shifter feel like I was driving a hyundai!!!! There was no resistance behind it and it was a luxury car, not a sports car. I notice that with all mods though - they take away that luxury feel - if that feel is what your after then just shorten the stock rod and either re-thread it or drill 3 holes for the hex bolts of a 3 bolt knob system and you will be happier with that then a B&M. Besides the B&M is the same height as stock as I said...

I'm a little confused by what you said there toxic??? You wanted me to make a lexan bracket for my current shift knob? Well I'm going to have a buddy help me this weekend and see what can be done. I do IT work for a company that makes valves for submaries so we have a full fledged huge machine shop... I was going to have them CNC me a bracket out. They are building me a SICK custom catch can right now out of T304 3" pipe and have that sunk into two caps, top and bottom then TIG welded. The top has 4 1/2" NPT tapped holes for my in/out and then the bottom has a 1/2" NPT tapped hole for my drain plug which I will hook a ball valve to at the end of a rubber hose extension so I can drain it everytime I change my oil without removing it. Photos to come!!!


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## TToxic (Nov 15, 2008)

*Re: B&M shifter & aligning cables... (Village_Idiot)*

No lol just a lexan template that will hold shifter in place for in the future adjustments, as opposed to someone holding it in neutral.
Catch can idea sounds very cool.


_Modified by TToxic at 12:47 PM 7-1-2009_


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## Qu!cks!lva (Jul 7, 2007)

*Re: B&M shifter & aligning cables... (TToxic)*

I have a ECS Tuning knob on my BM shifter..FWIW
Just thr right amount of weight....Matches up with the interior quite nicely


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## l88m22vette (Mar 2, 2006)

*Re: B&M shifter & aligning cables... (Qu!cks!lva)*

"I've got two words for Don Henley: Joe f**kin Walsh"


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## Village_Idiot (Oct 16, 2004)

*Re: B&M shifter & aligning cables... (l88m22vette)*

Alright guys I have a bigger issue (or related issue) to the alignment
I reinstalled my interior yesterday which I've had out for over a year. Oh my god how different it is!!! Of course I'm not quite done yet like all projects. I mounted up everything for the shifter, I have the circular housing on properly then I placed my OSIR light ring on and the OEM rubber boot, then the OEM silver trim ring. Bolted it all down and to my surprise I've found that I cannot shift into 2nd, 4th or 6th (the lower gears). What happens is the rubber bunches up and doesn't let the shifter go that far down.
I removed the rubber boot, and my two trim rings. I can shift into all gears for now but my shift rod actually hits the plastic surrounding into 2nd only. Since the sifter is notchy I cannot not hit the plastic while trying to get it in there.
Essentially my 3rd looks like the stock neutral and my neutral looks like the stock 4th. You can tell my the way the rubber goes together, or that's how I can tell. Since I put the B&M it seemed different but I couldn't tell because I had nothing to compare it to - there was nothing in the car! I kind of like it at this angle but I'd like my interior back in more!
I couldn't have installed it in reverse because the reverse lockout feature is only on one side. Could this have anything to do with the shifter alignment procedure that I didn't do yet?

Any help or input on how your B&M's operate/position themselves is useful to me!


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## IndyTTom (Oct 23, 2007)

*Re: B&M shifter & aligning cables... (Qu!cks!lva)*


_Quote, originally posted by *Qu!cks!lva* »_I have a ECS Tuning knob on my BM shifter..FWIW
Just thr right amount of weight....Matches up with the interior quite nicely









This shifter doesn't look like it has a reverse lockout function? Are there two different B&M Shifters for the TT? I have this very Cool Shift knob from that guy that custom makes it for the TT. Can't think of the name but it is weighted and billet aluminum and bigger than stock. I most definitely want to use this shift knob. So is there any way to use it with the B&M? On the B&M website they don't even show a Short Shifter for the TT. Has this shifter been discontinued?


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## IndyTTom (Oct 23, 2007)

*Re: B&M shifter & aligning cables... (Village_Idiot)*

http://www.billswebspace.com/bmttinstall.pdf
Here are installation instruction on how to install the short shifter and no where does it say anything about a reverse lockout and yes you can use the Stock Shift Knob so it must be the same threading.
Village, are you sure you have the right shifter?


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## Village_Idiot (Oct 16, 2004)

NO....
SH!T.
I bought this used and I'm going to guess I have a unit for an R32 or MK4 20th AE. It's much too tall for me and the rod isn't bent forward the inch it needs to be. Either I have to bend the rod myself, which I probably shouldn't do - or I need to buy the unit new for $200 and sell this unit for the $100 I bought it for. 
Crap. This isn't going to be a fun drive home, I'm a little mad at myself.
I wonder what style reverse lockout the TT B&M has. It looks to be about 1 or 2 inches shorter than the unit I have now and that exactly what I want. God damnit.
I'm sure that the TT B&M will shift just as well, if not a lot better since it's ment for our car. I'm going to order the proper unit and a European headlight switch when I get home since my headlight switch is sooo screwed right now. Anyone have an American unit they want to sell me? I'll take anything!


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