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Anybody ever make a CUSTOM shifter? (not a lever)

10K views 20 replies 12 participants last post by  Scremin@ATS 
#1 · (Edited)
I've been removed from the MR2 modding game for the better part of a decade. My other sports cars are all F-R setups, and when I switch cars the MR2 shifter always disappoints.

I've had most iterations of shift levers, drop plates, Jon O bracket, brass bushings, etc. I currently have my stock 93 shifter installed, with a brand new 93+ trans and spherical bushings.

I always found the brackets and drop plates to be too notchy, and tore them out. In fact I have a 91T with an aftermarket lever/drop and the shifter hits the left cable when shifting into first. To me these are just unacceptable solutions.

I'm going to try a TRD shifter next in my 93.

But before I spend the money, Has anybody ever made a COMPLETE new SHIFTER with better quality bushings/hardware? Short of that, are there any performance hardware packages for the stock shifter, with a different/firmer main bushing for the shift lever ball? That is where the majority of my play seems to be coming from.

Appreciate any updates!
 
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#2 ·
I've seen others replace the shift ball lever and associated springs with new OEM parts that improved the shift feel. It probably comes from never greasing the moving parts as I've done while it was in bits. Getting the correct cable alignment & spacing is critical for transferring force to the trans levers.

On the trans I'd suggest the spherical bearings as they are the only bush which allows correct movement without cable torque. Like the above mechanics it makes sense to adjust the lower brackets so components are properly aligned. I've seen several cases where during the course of bush replacement bent the brackets and then the owner wonders why the shifts have not improved.

Another improvement which I found by accident was motor mounts. When I installed Kirks poly bushes on the engine my trans worked much better than before. I put this down to less engine-trans movement during hard shifts especially when I use to drag race. Just to add the bushes I removed from my gen 3 with 64k on the clock were as good as new. Many other SW20's I've seen have bushes which, dare I say are not doing much due to the worn rubber internals.

And......... as I'm sure your aware trans oil and decent gen 3 double syncros certainly make the gear selection pleasurable. This of course takes some serious internal work but most people don't address the issue until its all but failed.

Hope this helps and doesn't insult your intelligence.

jim
 
#3 ·
Hi Jim,

Appreciate the feedback. I have everything you mentioned above, sans "brand new" shifter components. I have a brand new 95 trans with spherical bushings on it, good shift cables and the VMax torque bar which should be required! Stock rubber motor mounts but I won't trade vibration for shifting, and frankly I've had poly bushings and shifter didn't improve much (torque bar OTOH was a major improvement).

Gear selection is not an issue - its the loongggg throw and loose/vague feeling in the shifter lever. Obviously easy to fix with a shorter lever or drop spacer, BUT then I've always found that the lever hits other components (cables or surround) and ruins the actual gear selection.

My complaint is 100% the shifter itself.
 
#5 · (Edited)
yesssssssssssss! I don't mind spending the money as its the only really disappointing part of my MR2 - time to treat myself.

Thank you sir!

EDIT: Dang, its like 3 ft tall and you can't run a shifter surround. Not what I expected for $700. Guess I'll try the TRD lever and new bushings first, and then maybe consider ruining my interior :(

Where did you see people using this shift box? I'd like to read their reviews. Would love to try one to see if the shift feel is improved enough to ruin the interior (not to mention drop more than I spent on my last MR2 hahaha)
 
#6 ·
Sometimes even the inside mechs inside the gearbox has some play so no matter how tight all the joints are in the shifting assembly outside, you can't remove the bit right at the end.

How many of us have experienced a brand new off the show room floor SW20 before? Hard to compare all new fittings to old worn cars if we don't know what the original car felt like from new.

I have a GEN2 shift lever, aluminium shift plate bushings, spherical bearings on the gearbox and end checked all the other parts and it feels much nicer than the GEN1 lever. It's not the nicest feeling shifter I have felt in a car, the Mazda MPS 3 and a 2000 WRX STi had the best ones. Remember this is just a FWD Toyota gearbox thrown in the back of a car. All the Corolla, Corona and Camry i have driven in manual never felt that inspiring. They do shift well but not the best thing in the world.
 
#18 · (Edited)
Replacing the OEM rubber insulated bushing on the transmission end of the cables contributes greatly to the notchy feeling. Unfortunately the brass bushing in the stock setup wears after 100k miles or so, leading to sloppy action.

IMO, best feel is new OEM cables with 93 shifter level & weighted shift knob. No drop plates or other funny business. Trouble is new cables are $200 each.

And don't forget the square metal bushing on the shift shaft.
 
#21 · (Edited)
Installed the Super-Klasse shifter (full) setup and test drove it today. Here is my preliminary review:

-Totally tightened up the shifter assembly. This was the majority of my gripe so I am happy with this aspect. I *may* have gotten the same result with a new OEM shifter bushing which twosrus sells for ~$30. I've only ever had used bushings with at least 15 years and 100k miles on them so I cannot know for sure. But this is good.

-Possibly TOO tight, neutral is definitely not as easy to identify but didn't cause any problems. Hopefully the black bushing will wear in and I will find a happy medium.

-Lever is about 1" too tall for my tastes. For 10+ years I have run the 93 OEM shifter with no other aids/bandaids and this feels about the same height. I had thrown a B&M in there for the past week and that was definitely too short. If a happy medium exists I will keep searching!

-Shifter throws are definitely shortened up, feels similar to a JonO type bracket on a 93 shifter but obviously more robust. This is logical looking dimensionally.

I have a nearly brand new 93 knob on there, I may try switching to a weighted knob, possibly shorter in height (TRDesque) to see if that helps the overall assy height.

Area I am displeased:

-Shifter plate mount bushings are made from plastic. I am really disappointed in this for $20 (on top of the $150!). I used to have brass mounting hardware (can't remember who made that?) and it was superior. I am worried about longevity and would definitely have skipped this upgrade from Super-Klasse if they stated it was plastic. I am certain these will wear out after years of abuse - they should be made of metal like OEM inserts and other aftermarket options.

EDIT: Super-Klasse contacted me and sent me a more aggressive 3/4" drop plate for FREE. Great customer service. Will update review once I've had a chance to install. Thanks Super-Klasse!
 
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