B&M SSK - Whining Noise from front of vehicle

[rogerjohnsen]

I recently had a B&M SSK installed on my car. I've had it sitting around for a long while but just recently had it put in. It's the model that bolts on under the car directly to the transmission replacing the plate that anchors two cables coming from the front of the car. Since having it installed, I've noticed a whining noise coming from the front portion of the car. I can't really tell where but somewhere forward of the dash. It's pretty consistent and doesn't change pitch with RPMs - just a steady high-pitched whine. I'm assuming this is being caused by the SSK and searched around but didn't see anyone else having the same problem.

Anyone have any ideas? Although I wish I would have had this SSK installed a long time ago, I'm thinking about having it removed if I can't figure out the noise problem.

Another thing I noticed is the car's acceleration was "bogging down" when the turbo hit .4 boost. It's almost like the engine was trying to shut down and reminded me of the way a redline rev limiter works. The RPM's were only around 3-4K when this occured though. I think that might be the MAF so perhaps another problem. I don't drive the car that much so maybe that had something to do with it as well.

[Silver_TT]

Obviously if you installed the short shift kit and the noise started immediately after that, it should be safe to assume it probably has something to do with that.

For what it's worth, I've talked to Stan at Gbox on a number of occasions and he explicitly told me two very important things about these Getrag gearboxes: 1) always use OEM fluids and nothing but OEM fluids, no exceptions and 2) do not install aftermarket short shifters. Stan's one of the leading experts on these gearboxes having seen tons of them come through his shop, so I tend to put a lot more stock in what he says.

[JFP in PA]

I recently had a B&M SSK installed on my car. I've had it sitting around for a long while but just recently had it put in. It's the model that bolts on under the car directly to the transmission replacing the plate that anchors two cables coming from the front of the car. Since having it installed, I've noticed a whining noise coming from the front portion of the car. I can't really tell where but somewhere forward of the dash. It's pretty consistent and doesn't change pitch with RPMs - just a steady high-pitched whine. I'm assuming this is being caused by the SSK and searched around but didn't see anyone else having the same problem.

Anyone have any ideas? Although I wish I would have had this SSK installed a long time ago, I'm thinking about having it removed if I can't figure out the noise problem.

Another thing I noticed is the car's acceleration was "bogging down" when the turbo hit .4 boost. It's almost like the engine was trying to shut down and reminded me of the way a redline rev limiter works. The RPM's were only around 3-4K when this occured though. I think that might be the MAF so perhaps another problem. I don't drive the car that much so maybe that had something to do with it as well.

You would really have to be creative to get a shift kit that is installed in the rear of the car to cause a whine to come from the front of the car. It sounds more like you have an issue with a possible vacuum leak in the fuel tank/EVAP system area, which is up front. I would start with a quick check of the fuel delivery system for pressure and delivery rates simply to eliminate the fuel pump. I would then spend some time with a stethoscope, listening for the source of the sound. I would also scan the car, checking for any pending codes and also look at the fuel trims.

And just in passing, the old style B&M kit that mounts on the side of the gear box was discontinued for a reason, it was the most problem plagued design they tried for these cars before going back to the short shifter that sits in place of the OEM shifter in the console. If you got it in and it is working, fine; but if you start having issues with it, get rid of it.

[rogerjohnsen]

Hard to say - the car was sits a lot but I didn't notice any noises before dropping it off to get the kit installed. It is an older kit - I think it's at least 5-6 years old. I guess I'll start by doing a little more research. If nothing comes up I'll get the SSK uninstalled to see if the issues persist and then go from there. The fact nobody else has seen this behavior is what I was really looking for I guess. I've seen rave reviews over the rear installed SSK vs. the console replacement option initially and haven't really seen any problems noted for the rear under mount. JFP - when you say problem plagued design - do you know of any handy references? I guess I'd just like to see what the list of problems are. Of course I tried to call the phone number for B&M listed on the paperwork and it was disconnected - I'm assuming they are still around - just with a new number so will try to call them as well.

Regarding the obvious problem being the SSK - I'm not entirely sure. Like I said, I don't drive the car very much as it sits up on a lift I have to move a lot of cars to get it down. I know I've seen a lot of posts over the years about people having aftermarket SSK and don't recall seeing any real problems except for notchy feel. Could just be coincidence so not trying to throw B&M under the bus or anything.

Anyway - thanks for the replies.

[JFP in PA]

Hard to say - the car was sits a lot but I didn't notice any noises before dropping it off to get the kit installed. It is an older kit - I think it's at least 5-6 years old. I guess I'll start by doing a little more research. If nothing comes up I'll get the SSK uninstalled to see if the issues persist and then go from there. The fact nobody else has seen this behavior is what I was really looking for I guess. I've seen rave reviews over the rear installed SSK vs. the console replacement option initially and haven't really seen any problems noted for the rear under mount. JFP - when you say problem plagued design - do you know of any handy references? I guess I'd just like to see what the list of problems are. Of course I tried to call the phone number for B&M listed on the paperwork and it was disconnected - I'm assuming they are still around - just with a new number so will try to call them as well.

Regarding the obvious problem being the SSK - I'm not entirely sure. Like I said, I don't drive the car very much as it sits up on a lift I have to move a lot of cars to get it down. I know I've seen a lot of posts over the years about people having aftermarket SSK and don't recall seeing any real problems except for notchy feel. Could just be coincidence so not trying to throw B&M under the bus or anything.

Anyway - thanks for the replies.

The trans mounted B&M kit suffers from two known issues: First, it is very adjustable, so it ends up having one correct configuration, and an infinite number of wrong ones. Second, they are sometimes very hard to keep in the correct adjustment. These problems resulted in B&M stopping production of the trans mount design for the DIY market and going to the console replacement style, which is both durable and tends to hold its adjustments. The console mounted B&M shifter is the one most people comment about its notchy feel, and it is a simple install with a few hand tools without getting under the car.