More Positive Shifting: Let's get to the nitty gritty

[Marco]

You guys are so lucky, saying all these mods have improved the shifting. I have thrown everything at this car and it still shifts like shit, even if it was semi-smooth, I'd be happy. But, it's the shits of life!

My old car's shifter (classic mini) is connected directly to the transmission, not to the body, and shifts with rose-jointed links. Nothing rubber in there; shifts like a dream. But with the way the FiST/FoST is designed, I try to be reasonable when I say these shifter mods helped improve the FoST shift feel, however far from perfect (to me) it really is.

What are you looking for anyway? more precise? Quicker? my 1.5 lb knob definitely made it smoother if that's what you're looking for. You just sorta start the motion and the weight of the knob shifts itself https://anarchy-motive.myshopify.com/products/6-speed-mammoth
I prefer notchy so I removed it pretty quickly.

The only FWD shifter I felt was superior to the FIST is from a honda.

The stock FiST felt very similar to my friends stock CRX in shift feel actually. Very sloppy. haha

 

[WeTheNorth]

My old car's shifter (classic mini) is connected directly to the transmission, not to the body, and shifts with rose-jointed links. Nothing rubber in there; shifts like a dream. But with the way the FiST/FoST is designed, I try to be reasonable when I say these shifter mods helped improve the FoST shift feel, however far from perfect (to me) it really is.

What are you looking for anyway? more precise? Quicker? my 1.5 lb knob definitely made it smoother if that's what you're looking for. You just sorta start the motion and the weight of the knob shifts itself https://anarchy-motive.myshopify.com/products/6-speed-mammoth
I prefer notchy so I removed it pretty quickly.



The stock FiST felt very similar to my friends stock CRX in shift feel actually. Very sloppy. haha

I had a JBR shift knob before and it made it shift worse and I removed it. I just want it to shift smooth, that it. It doesn't feel direct and it's not smooth. That's a terrible combo????


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[Waterfan]

I have the FSWerks plate adapter (25% redux setting) installed and aluminum trans bushings still in my toolbox because: lazy.

The adapter plate makes the throw perfect for me but it is even more notchy than stock. I suspect solid trans bushings and solid linkage bushings would alleviate much of the notchyness. I'm used to it (but mostly just lazy )

 

[Manta Ray]

best fix... ready? buy a different car. lol

 

[A7xogg]

Just to be clear, you CAN'T change anything in the shifter or linkage in the SCCA Street classes. Also, the same applies to the RMM... I have a CPE RMM and the Mountune shit adapter plate waiting for the chance to get bolted on, but they will be off the car when my car gets autocrossed in street classes.

Just clarifying for anyone who may want to autocross after doing these to their car. Your car would be classes in STX instead of HS.

which makes no sense because in autox 99% of the time you shift once into second gear for the whole run and changing tires dont affect class but they add multiple seconds.

 

[M-Sport fan]

which makes no sense because in autox 99% of the time you shift once into second gear for the whole run and changing tires dont affect class but they add multiple seconds.

^^^MY thoughts EXACTLY!!!!

Also WHY I refuse to do SCCA autocrossing, with their pathetically draconian rules which go against what most 'enthusiasts' will do to their cars anyway, even if autocrossing did not exist!

The biggest joke was back when they allowed < 80 tread wear, gumball full race slicks on STOCK class cars, but did not allow; spring changes, 2 sway bar changes, or any motor mounts, etc., so ONLY those who could afford to run those 2-3 event lasting stickies were the ones winning EVERYTHING.
Their goes their claim of trying to keep it 'affordable' right down the toilet, and I'm guessing WHY they changed the rule, even though the current >200 tread wear requirements are not all that much cheaper, but do at least last a little longer.

 

[WeTheNorth]

A little update:

I recently swapped in my Cpe Rmm and removed the Cobb (which sold the next day) and I'm starting to think that the rmm was too soft or something (weird)

On a brighter note, the cpe rmm has made the shifts A Lot better:--)
Will chime back once I get to drive more, been a little messy as of late around here

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[Chris G]

Oh goodie. I just ordered a CPE mount to replace my Mountune one in hopes of it being a little bit better. Glad to hear it is...

 

[WeTheNorth]

Oh goodie. I just ordered a CPE mount to replace my Mountune one in hopes of it being a little bit better. Glad to hear it is...

Yup, I was very skeptical but it was worth the buy. Also, the Rattles have decreased*_* that's surprising! Let us know how it works for you.


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[awwwww_shift]

which makes no sense because in autox 99% of the time you shift once into second gear for the whole run and changing tires dont affect class but they add multiple seconds.

I fully agree, but for some vehicles a shifter modification would be a performance advantage(DC2 ITR, AP1 S2k....) and so it goes. Also, if you give up one additional modification to the class where you should be able to compete with a vehicle off the showroom floor after tossing some tires on, it's a slippery slope of what else would be contested to be allowed for modifications for that class. And then you'd have to really build a car for the class, vs being able to toss some tires and shocks at a car, show up to nats and be competitive....

JMO....

 

[kivnul]

Oh goodie. I just ordered a CPE mount to replace my Mountune one in hopes of it being a little bit better. Glad to hear it is...

Please let us know how the change feels. I too am running the Mountune mount and am wondering if the CPE would help shifter feel.

 

[A7xogg]

I fully agree, but for some vehicles a shifter modification would be a performance advantage(DC2 ITR, AP1 S2k....) and so it goes. Also, if you give up one additional modification to the class where you should be able to compete with a vehicle off the showroom floor after tossing some tires on, it's a slippery slope of what else would be contested to be allowed for modifications for that class. And then you'd have to really build a car for the class, vs being able to toss some tires and shocks at a car, show up to nats and be competitive....

JMO....

I know what your saying and I get the idea of trying to not give a car an advantage but we're talking about a shifter at autox. A circuit track yeah I can see that putting you in a different class because you would be shifting alot, but at autox I just don't see why one shift is gonna throw a car on a different class.

 

[awwwww_shift]

I know what your saying and I get the idea of trying to not give a car an advantage but we're talking about a shifter at autox. A circuit track yeah I can see that putting you in a different class because you would be shifting alot, but at autox I just don't see why one shift is gonna throw a car on a different class.

Also, some nationals courses, you shift to 3rd a lot. So that would be another performance advantage for our cars....

 

[M-Sport fan]

Please let us know how the change feels. I too am running the Mountune mount and am wondering if the CPE would help shifter feel.

This is ALL subjective (as far as each owner's shift 'feel' preferences go), but, I have the cp-e RMM, Mountune shifter 'plate' (STILL don't know WHAT to call these things, as a "short shifter" to me implies a new shift HANDLE mechanism, like the boomba one for our cars), the Ford ST 'carbon fiber look' knob, and the boomba under hood cable bracket solid bushings.

Except for the throw STILL being a little too long for MY 'tastes', it is almost perfect right now, and I am afraid of it getting to be too 'notchy'/recalcitrant (due to cable angle 'bind') by adding the boomba console handle short shifter assembly (but I may experiment with that in the spring anyway.

 

[Chris G]

The only reason I never went with the Boomba assembly is because I was too lazy to install it.

cp-e mount should be here later this week. I'll be lucky if I have a couple minutes to put it on next weekend, but we'll see.

 

[neeqness]

I also have no plans to make significant modifications to my FiST. For me, I was happy with just switching the transmission fluid to Motul 300 which helped smooth the shift changes out. Not perfect, but a definite improvement which made the shifting experience comfortable enough that I didn't feel the NEED to make further modifications.

 

[Kazz]

From what's been posted here so far, it would seem rmm, underhood bushings, shift "adapter" (plate?) at the trans, and trans fluid are the front runners for POTENTIALLY helping to achieve more positive shifting and gear engagement. Again, I'm not considering throw distance for this topic. The only thing autocross legal is the fluid change, so I will be looking into that shortly.

Again, what's got me asking this is that it seems almost impossible to have a consistent feel to the shifter. Landing in the appropriate gear sometimes seems like a bit of an adventure. Sure, I find the gear, but the location and effort needed seem just a bit variable. The rev hang is a huge impediment. And more than once now I've been almost locked out shifting to third from second when trying to be somewhat rapid and in the 4000-4500 rpm range in second going to third. I would like to find a solution to that as the way I do it is very natural to me. And this is at least my eighth manual transmission vehicle. So I don't think it's me. Thankfully, where I autocross, it's usually a single shift from 1st to 2nd and that's it.

Thanks for the input, and if anyone has something to add or has an issue with what I've tried to summarize here, please post up!

 

[Hijinx]

From what's been posted here so far, it would seem rmm, underhood bushings, shift "adapter" (plate?) at the trans, and trans fluid are the front runners for POTENTIALLY helping to achieve more positive shifting and gear engagement. Again, I'm not considering throw distance for this topic. The only thing autocross legal is the fluid change, so I will be looking into that shortly.

Again, what's got me asking this is that it seems almost impossible to have a consistent feel to the shifter. Landing in the appropriate gear sometimes seems like a bit of an adventure. Sure, I find the gear, but the location and effort needed seem just a bit variable. The rev hang is a huge impediment. And more than once now I've been almost locked out shifting to third from second when trying to be somewhat rapid and in the 4000-4500 rpm range in second going to third. I would like to find a solution to that as the way I do it is very natural to me. And this is at least my eighth manual transmission vehicle. So I don't think it's me. Thankfully, where I autocross, it's usually a single shift from 1st to 2nd and that's it.

Thanks for the input, and if anyone has something to add or has an issue with what I've tried to summarize here, please post up!

Another subjective opinion to add:

I have Mountune's Quickshift, Boombas transmission cable brackets, OE gear fluid, shift knob, Cobb RMM, and Frankies engine mounts. For me, shifter feel is crisp, and never vague. There's always a distinct, buttery feel of "click click" when going into a gear. Even before the engine mounts it was this way with the other mods. I believe I can still count on one hand how many times I've missed a gear while racing, and I've never been locked out of any gear.

 

[Kazz]

I want to be clear here, [MENTION=759]Hijinx[/MENTION], when you say Mountune's Quickshift, that's the plate that goes on the trans, yes? And by Boomba's transmission cable brackets you mean the bushings, yes?

Thanks!

 

[Hijinx]

I want to be clear here, [MENTION=759]Hijinx[/MENTION], when you say Mountune's Quickshift, that's the plate that goes on the trans, yes? And by Boomba's transmission cable brackets you mean the bushings, yes?

Thanks!

Correct, and correct.


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