Short Throw Shift Kit on Ebay

[machster]

I bought and installed the Azrinc Blue short throw kit found on Ebay for 55.00. Made a huge improvement to my 2001 Boxster. After installation the shift knob was way left from center. I think the manufacturer installed the lever backwards. I unscrewed the 1/2" nut and bolt and flipped the lever around. Now the Shifter is perfectly straight. Maybe they do this on purpose so they don't get sued by B&M for knock offs. I would recommend this for any stock shift kit upgrade. Installation took about 1 1/2 hours.

[Tool Pants]

Is this the one or like the one you bought?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAP...s_promot_widget

[machster]

Is this the one or like the one you bought?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAP...s_promot_widget

That is the one.

[jmatta]

Looks like the B&M I installed in my '02 S. Is this a Chinese knock-off or what?

[Cassiebox]

Machster, Is it really notchy & metallic in the shift, or is it smooth w/ just a much shorter throw. I've been contemplating one of these for a while, but don't want to make the plunge w/out being sure. Let m eknow. Thanks!

[machster]

Machster, Is it really notchy & metallic in the shift, or is it smooth w/ just a much shorter throw. I've been contemplating one of these for a while, but don't want to make the plunge w/out being sure. Let m eknow. Thanks!

I installed it yesterday and drove it last night. Both my wife and I like the change. I think it is a little notchy if you drive it hard. It does smooth shift though. It feels a little heavier but with a little time I will get used to it. It is totally different than stock. We used to have to make sure it was in gear before letting off the clutch. Now it goes in immediatly.

[Cassiebox]

Thanks. Sure wish someone near me w/ a 986 had one installed so I could try it out. Oh well, think I'm in as I've been contemplating for a while. Appreciate the insight.

[Tool Pants]

Machster solved my mystery.

We have put in many short shifts over the years at our local work on cars days. When the Schnell version came out their ad said: "The shift rod has been designed with a 10 degree angle to retain the original position of the shifter when installed, unlike our competitor’s shifters that leave your hand in an awkward shifting position. Trust us, it makes a HUGE difference."

What Schnell hype I thought. The B&M version and oem shift levers both have a bend to the right so that the shift lever points straight up when in neutral.

But it looks like the B&M clone on ebay has the bend to the left. I can see it in the picture.

Machster simply removed the nut and bolt, removed the lever from the blue housing, rotated the lever 180 degrees, and put it back together so that the bend is to the right where is should be. A simple fix for a screw up at the factory.

I have not seen the ebay clone in person. But it looks identical to the B&M unit (except for the lever issue). For $55 I do not know how you can go wrong. It has 2 set screws, while B&M has 1, so use just 1.

There are other people on Ebay selling the clone. Here are slightly better pictures which shows that the shift lever is 180 degrees reversed in the blue housing. You can see that the lever is bent towards you, when the bend should face the other way.

[Tool Pants]

I bought and just received the blue knock-off from ebay. The bidding starts at $55, or you can buy it now for $60. Shipping is $9.

The shift lever is in fact 180 degrees reversed in the blue housing. It is the first thing you notice when you pull it out of the box, after having seen and installed a number of B&Ms.

I do not like the fit of one of the plastic inserts.

I am trying to borrow an uninstalled B&M still in the box so that I can put them side-by-side for a comparison.

[Loren]

So they are all put together backwards?

[Tool Pants]

I just looked at several clones on ebay from different sellers, and with one exception the lever is backwards.

On the ebay pic clone below the bend of the lever is correct, to the right. The rest of the ebay pictures from the other sellers were backwards.

Alex said I could borrow an uninstalled B&M for the comparison, but he has not called me back.

[jpcolin]

I'm really looking forward to read your comparaison!

the price of this kit is very attractive!

btw what do you mean whith: "I do not like the fit of one of the plastic inserts." and "On this clone the bend of the lever is correct, to the right."

regards

[Tool Pants]

Need to wait until I get my hands on a B&M. I don't want to compare the 2 products until both are in my possession.

So far I have not been able to talk to Alex for the original B&M. If there is a local owner with an uninstalled B&M then contact me so I can take pictures and measurements.

In the meantime, I did a review over 3 years ago of the B&M and the Porsche clone that you can review. The Porsche clone is in the below pic.

[boggtown]

I was one of the first people to buy the ebay one from a2rinc. Its a fine shifter and I did a write up of it somewhere. Basically its a B&M but not name brand. Kinda like the sams choice cola, good, but generic.

[blue2000s]

Toolpants, do you have the Porsche unit? I'd be interested to know if the lever arm length is the same between it and the ebay knock off. I assume the B&M and Porsche parts are identical save for the anodizing color?

As I stated in my review of the ebay part, everything looks to be of nice quality but the plastic bushings, which are of an inferior nylon as compared to a delrin or teflon.

[Tool Pants]

The Porsche short shift in the picture above was installed in a local 996 over 3 years ago, so I cannot compare it to the ebay special. The Porsche flavor is the same as B&M except for the color.

Blue2000s had bushings made for the ebay special. http://www.986forum.com/forums/showthread....ighlight=delrin

I do not like the sloppy fit of one of the bushings in the ebay clone. In the post above I called it an insert. I guess the proper name is cup bushing. Might have some cup bushings made like you did.

[blue2000s]

The Porsche short shift in the picture above was installed in a local 996 over 3 years ago, so I cannot compare it to the ebay special. The Porsche flavor is the same as B&M except for the color.

Blue2000s had bushings made for the ebay special. http://www.986forum.com/forums/showthread....ighlight=delrin

I do not like the sloppy fit of one of the bushings in the ebay clone. In the post above I called it an insert. I guess the proper name is cup bushing. Might have some cup bushings made like you did.

The car's been in storage since I installed it (there's about 2 feet of snow on the ground and I haven't seen the tarmac of my cul-du-sac in a month) but the bushings did feel pretty smooth before I hooked up the links. Really low friction.

On a separate note, marking the shift link position before installation made no difference for me. I had to readjust anyway after the new shifter was in.

[Paul Fraser]

How much did the bushings cost and did you get any extras? I think I know the answer to the latter part of the question but I thought I'd ask anyway...!

[blue2000s]

How much did the bushings cost and did you get any extras? I think I know the answer to the latter part of the question but I thought I'd ask anyway...!

I didn't actually have to buy mine, but you should be able to find a local machine shop that can source the material for you. If anybody needs a 3d model for machining, send me a PM. No extras, sorry.

Edited January 16, 2007 by blue2000s

[Tool Pants]

Blue2000s.

On the 986forum you said the the teflon bushing (that you had made) is on the right, the stock on the left. Did you reverse them in you post?

The reason I ask is that the bushings on my clone looks just like the bushing on the right in your picture - down to the machining marks inside the bushing at the bottom of the bushing. Also, the color of the material of my clone bushings is the same as the bushing on the right in your picture. My bushings are sort of yellow, not bright white.

[blue2000s]

Blue2000s.

On the 986forum you said the the teflon bushing (that you had made) is on the right, the stock on the left. Did you reverse them in you post?

The reason I ask is that the bushings on my clone looks just like the bushing on the right in your picture - down to the machining marks inside the bushing at the bottom of the bushing. Also, the color of the material of my clone bushings is the same as the bushing on the right in your picture. My bushings are sort of yellow, not bright white.

I must be a closet dyslexic, sorry. The Teflon part is the white one, the nylon is yellow.

[Tool Pants]

That is ok. I thought they were reversed due to the color and machining marks.

Right now, I have a problem with doing a comparison. The diameter of the 2 cup bushings are not the same on the ebay special....

[Cassiebox]

That is ok. I thought they were reversed due to the color and machining marks.

Right now, I have a problem with doing a comparison. The diameter of the 2 cup bushings are not the same on the ebay special....

TP-

Can you confirm the measurements are 15.7 and 16.2 (appears to be a reflection on one)? Did you measure the pivot arms of the shifter too? Curious to those #s. If not, do you think the .5mm difference will affect function all that much? The variance between them is just under 3.2% so I suspect not, but then again I have no idea what the tolerance should be on this item. Did anyone measure the shifter bushing on the stock shifter they took out?

I'm curious b/c I too bought this shifter from ebay. I haven't installed it yet, but mine seems pretty tight. Let me know your thoughts.

[blue2000s]

The grooves in the machined plastic in the ebay part are indicative of a either a very poor machine or a ver poor machinist or both. A 0.5 mm difference between just 2 parts is a really bad sign. A variation of a machined part like this should be +/- 0.1 mm at the most.

I'm away from home right now, but when I get back next week I'll let you know the dimension that I used. I based it on the diameter of the copper post and the dimension for a slip fit based on the Machinist's Handbook. The fit between the bushing and the aluminum housing is a bit more of a tight fit as I dimensioned it. I neglected any expansion from temperature increase when I spec'd the dimensions. I decided that it's probably pretty close the the temperature of the cabin so expansion wouldn't be an issue.

[Tool Pants]

This is a problem. The inside diameter of one of the cup bushings is too large. The other bushing is ok, a snug fit like it should be. Strange that they are not both machined the same. If I was to put the shift in a car with that bushing the way it is the lever would rock.