full ratchet shifter that fits stock console and overlay

[11secondgs]

Guys this is close to transmission talk so thats why i posted it here.

I need a ratchet shifter to use with my transbrake. I want to keep the console stock as well as the overlay plate.

What full ratchet shifter can I buy that will allow for a stock install. I don't mind working with the underside of plate and shifter, but I just don't want to cut up the stock over lay.

STOCK APPEARING is the ticket here.

Any pics or stories would be great.

thanks,
JP

[11secondgs]

B&M Street Bandit Automatic Shifters

Thinking of going to a street bandit and hide the whole thing under the stock console?

Anybody do that yet?

[11secondgs]

anybody have any comments?

what about the quicksilver console for the 81 camaro?

[RUQWKNF]

In my old Grey car, I ran a B&M Universal Quick Silver under the factory console and factory console overlay. I did have a TH400 trans, but they make one specific for use with the TH200-4R as well.

Here is what I had to do to make it work.

Remove the console completely. Disconnect factory shifter cable and using a chissel and hammer, chissel/break the 4 spot welds that hold the factory shifter to the floor. Once the shifter is out of the way, you will see a floor pan seam. This seam is very important when it comes to mounting the Quick Silver in the proper spot so that the console will line up and the shifter will function properly. Now, either use a dremel tool with a cut off wheel, or tin snips and carefully trim the inner framing away on the underneath inside of the center console. This is required in order for the console to sit flush and clear the Quick Silvers linkage mechanism. Use caution when trimming as the plastic is old and will easily break. Don't drop the console on the floor either as it will shatter into a million pieces as well. Once you've trimmed enough material, it's time to for a test fit.

Remember that floor pan seam I was talking about? Remove the shifter knob and put the shifter into the middle or neutral position. On a Quick Silver shifter, you pull up and back to drop it into it's shifting spot. It will drop down when it's in the middle. With the shifter centered or as close to centered as possible, push the shifter so that the rear of the mounting base butts up against that floor pan seam. Now, place the console over down over the shifter making sure that none of the internal framing of the center console hits the shifter at any point. If it hits the shifter anywhere, you need to do some more trimming. Once it clears all around and the console is in the proper position so that it will bolt up, and the shifters base is butted up against that floor pan seam, take the overlay cover and place it over the shifter and down into position while holding onto the shifter. We don't want the shifter to move until you have the cover in place. Once you have the console cover in place you need to make sure the shifter is centered in the console slot and that the shifter is also in it's middle position. Once you are happy with the position of the shifter, carefully remove the cover trying not to disturb the shifter. Carefully remove the console and check the position of the shifter. The rear lower base should be butted up against that seam. If you pull this off and the shifter was not moved, you can now mark your 4 holes with a marker and drill them. The reason why getting the shifter centered and making sure the shifter doesn't move when you are fitting it up is because the Quick Silver shifter has a lot of travel and if the shifter is not properly spaced, it will hit the console cover when you put it in park. After you drill the holes, install the supplied bolts down through the top. You will get under the car and install the washers and nuts. Don't worry about the cable just yet as we need to verify that the shifter is in the proper position now. With the shifter bolted down, install the console completely with the two screws and all. Install the console cover, bolt it down, and install the shifter knob. Now, run through the ratcheting function of the shifter and make sure it clears the console covers slot, both front and rear. If it hits, you will need to reposition the shifter and re-drill your holes. This is why it is so important to make sure the shifter clears the slot earlier. It's no big deal if you do have to re-drill more holes, epoxy will fill the bad holes.

At this point, if everything is perfectly aligned and the shifter doesn't hit the console cover and you are satisfied with the fit and operation, remove the knob, console cover and console. Route your cable down through the floor pan and loop it around to hook up to the trans. With the shifter put back in park, hook the cable to the shifter and to the trans. You will need to adjust the cable as these types of shifters are definitely a plug and play deal, but it's no big deal. When you have someone in the car putting the shifter in gear, you need to watch the trans linkage yourself to make sure it makes full contact each time the shifter is moved. If when the shifter is moved the linkage does not fully engage the gear selector on the trans, you will need to adjust the cable so that it does. Once this is done, you will need to hook up your neutral safety switch. Put it all back together and enjoy your new shifter. Make sure you run it through all the gears before you pull out of the driveway cause there is nothing more frustrating that to be stranded on the side of the road because something wasn't right.
I will search my computer tonight and see if I have some pics of my old grey cars shifter. The Quick Silver looks OE when installed with the factory console and cover. I really enjoyed mine. You also need to make sure that if you choose the Quick Silver, that you get the one that is made for the 200-4R trans.

Part number 80683.

BMRacing
http://www.bmracing.com/media/products/pdf/11.pdf

Wish I had pics right now and hope some of this helps.

Patrick

[11secondgs]

thats awesome, thanks for the response. see if you cant get a picture.

Thanks again man.

[11secondgs]

also, was it a gate or ratchet shifter?

I want to slam 1stfrom my trans brake, then hit 2nd, then finish in 3rd/OD

[RUQWKNF]

It is a ratchet style. You would be able to slam 1st to 2nd without fear of missing 2nd gear.
Working on finding the pictures tonight.

Patrick

[54Rich]

Originally Posted by 11secondgs

Guys this is close to transmission talk so thats why i posted it here.

I need a ratchet shifter to use with my transbrake. I want to keep the console stock as well as the overlay plate.

What full ratchet shifter can I buy that will allow for a stock install. I don't mind working with the underside of plate and shifter, but I just don't want to cut up the stock over lay.

STOCK APPEARING is the ticket here.

Any pics or stories would be great.

thanks,
JP

I'm new here and have recently aquired a WE4. This is the shifter that's in it now. Is this what your looking for? I'm going the other way and want it back to stock. I'm waiting on a OEM and should have that secured in the next few days. So this will be for sale shortly. As it sits it shifts hard, but the car has been sitting for a long time, just starting to go through things, however, this will just get pulled out. I think it's a B&M Megashifter. I'm over in Hudson, so it's close.

Rich

Rich

[11secondgs]

rich thanks but I am doing exactly what you want to do.

I want a shifter that looks stock but the innerds are race.

[RUQWKNF]

Here's a pic of my old car with the B&M Quick Silver shifter mounted in the stock center console.



HTH

Patrick

[TurboBob]

Originally Posted by RUQWKNF

Here's a pic of my old car with the B&M Quick Silver shifter mounted in the stock center console.



HTH

Patrick

Dang, clean install! Could you have cut the B&M stick off and welded the stocker on?

[RUQWKNF]

I think it would be very hard to get a factory handle to work properly on any of the B&M shifters, especially the Quick Silver and here's why. The QS shifter needs to be pulled straight up and back for it to drop into it's shifting slot. Unless you found a way to very firmly secure the handle with the small insert clip onto the lever without coming apart, it wouldn't work. I pondered trying to make a stock handle work on it when I first did it, but no dice. I got really used to the function of the QS shifter and really liked it. Might do it again some day.
HTH

Patrick

[Louie L.]

I had the quick silver in my car and loved it. Installed a few in over the years.

I think it looks best and fits in the console with minor trimming. You can use the optional BM T handle and it can almost be invissible.

[lhbarrett]

Great Thread...

Will the use of a Quick Silver shifter still retain the factory column activated neutral safety switch? Does that entire assembly need to be removed when you use the B&M linkage arm? Can you use the factory linkage arm or a welded combination to retain the factory neutral safety switch?

Is there a different factory shifter D-tent to give you an OD and neutral lockout?

Thanks

[TurboDave]

Originally Posted by 54Rich

I'm new here and have recently aquired a WE4. This is the shifter that's in it now. Is this what your looking for? I'm going the other way and want it back to stock. I'm waiting on a OEM and should have that secured in the next few days. So this will be for sale shortly. As it sits it shifts hard, but the car has been sitting for a long time, just starting to go through things, however, this will just get pulled out. I think it's a B&M Megashifter. I'm over in Hudson, so it's close.

Rich

Rich

You've got the Mega Shifter. Same one that's in my 84 Z28. Personally, I dislike it....for the same reason, very hard to shift. I went to the trouble to pull the plate off, and disconnect the cable at the shifter. The shifter then shifts easilly and smoothly, also moved the cable in and out by hand, it also moves easilly through the gears. Fasten the two together and it's hard to move again.

[54Rich]

Originally Posted by TurboDave

You've got the Mega Shifter. Same one that's in my 84 Z28. Personally, I dislike it....for the same reason, very hard to shift. I went to the trouble to pull the plate off, and disconnect the cable at the shifter. The shifter then shifts easilly and smoothly, also moved the cable in and out by hand, it also moves easilly through the gears. Fasten the two together and it's hard to move again.

It's got to be the angle at which it's trying to shift Does not matter to me, it's out of there as soon as the correct shifter gets here.

Rich

[TurboDave]

Originally Posted by 54Rich

It's got to be the angle at which it's trying to shift Does not matter to me, it's out of there as soon as the correct shifter gets here.

Rich

I've never been able to figure it out. It's not like there's adjustments in there that are out of whack.