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

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- - Installed B&M 45163 short shift kit in 370Z yesterday... (http://www.the370z.com/engine-drivetrain/4001-installed-b-m-45163-short-shift-kit-370z-yesterday.html)

Thanks to everyone for all the info in this thread. Installing mine tomorrow.

It's installed. It's definitely nice. I'm not sure if I filed enough material away to help with the reverse engagement. I am able to get into reverse but it's a little difficult at times. Maybe I will take a look at it again next weekend though I really don't want to... it was a pain in the ***.

I ended up destroying the stock shifter which sucks because I'm not too happy with the one I bought to replace it. With my gf holding vice grips on the shift lever I was able to turn the knob about 1.5 times with my bare hands before I couldn't do it anymore which was kind of interesting... I thought it'd be easy once I broke the lock. Ended up getting pissed and just took the vice grips to it and got the knob off.

I'm happy with the shifter, just not so happy with what I did to the stock knob and the feel of my replacement. I might swing by the dealership to see if I can order a stock knob.

Glad to hear another one happy with the shifter, my only two issues so far have been 2nd gear is hard to shift into than any other and I miss 5th sometimes because I do not have the lock out wall so I go over to far.

Yeah, the shifts definitely require a little more effort now, but the throws are considerably shorter and the feel is a lot better.

here is what mine looks like right now. I don't like it. I need to get something like the GTM knob (don't want to spend the $100 on it, though) or get another factory knob.

Quote:

Originally Posted by miguez (Post 85300)

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?

Yes.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phimosis (Post 85761)

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

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k3...outlockout.jpg

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:

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k3...thloackout.jpg

your lockout will work.

-Phim

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.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phimosis (Post 85762)

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:

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k3.../Shiftknob.jpg

-Phim

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.

Any idea how much a new knob will run?