Ratchet shifters
Discussion
Pro Ratchets return to the centre each time, so are the ones to go for if you want/need to attatch an electric or pneumatic shifter. Look quite 'racey' but can rattle a little bit, shift action best described as precise, but clunkey, needing a firm hand. To select reverse or park have to lift a small lever.
Mega Shifters return to the centre for D-3-2-1 etc (and IIRC, neutral) but has to be moved forward for reverse/park, like a std shifter.Look great IMHO but the sculpted T handle is a bugger to keep tightened and straight. Shift action as above.
Mega Shifters return to the centre for D-3-2-1 etc (and IIRC, neutral) but has to be moved forward for reverse/park, like a std shifter.Look great IMHO but the sculpted T handle is a bugger to keep tightened and straight. Shift action as above.
So would you recommend a megashifter then?
I'm really just after something that can give me more manual control than the stock shifter. The idea comes from my smart Roadster as it's a semi auto and I've quite got used to pumping a lever back and forth to change gear.
Do you know, will I be able retain the full auto mode as well? I'm planning on fitting a Transgo shift kit which should give the ability to hold rpm in 1st, 2nd and 3rd.
I'm really just after something that can give me more manual control than the stock shifter. The idea comes from my smart Roadster as it's a semi auto and I've quite got used to pumping a lever back and forth to change gear.
Do you know, will I be able retain the full auto mode as well? I'm planning on fitting a Transgo shift kit which should give the ability to hold rpm in 1st, 2nd and 3rd.
Only went for a Pro Ratchet on mine as wanted to fit an electric shifter to it.
I know for the older F bodies you could get a bespoke 'console' shifter which would fit centre console equipped models. Don't think they do one for the 4th Gen so will need to trim some bits. What shift pattern does it show next your standard shifter?
Still allows full automatic action in D as it's only restricting what range of gears it'll use. ie if shifter's in '2' - box will use 1st and 2nd, if it's 3 - box will use 1st, 2nd and 3rd. It's not like a manual valve body so will still kick down. Does your car have a 'Hold' button like some Japanese cars?
I know for the older F bodies you could get a bespoke 'console' shifter which would fit centre console equipped models. Don't think they do one for the 4th Gen so will need to trim some bits. What shift pattern does it show next your standard shifter?
Still allows full automatic action in D as it's only restricting what range of gears it'll use. ie if shifter's in '2' - box will use 1st and 2nd, if it's 3 - box will use 1st, 2nd and 3rd. It's not like a manual valve body so will still kick down. Does your car have a 'Hold' button like some Japanese cars?
No, will only shift manually, which I think would be a PITA on the road, but I'm lazy.
Only asked for shift pattern as if it was P-R-N-D-L need an extra conversion kit according B&M.
Assuming yours is a 4L60E (electronically controlled version of the clockwork TH700R4 I've got), I'd be tempted to play with one of these and get the box shifting where I want it.
http://bmracing.com/PRODUCTS/Simple-Shift-Electron...
Thing to remember with any 4 speed GM auto is not to try too much engine braking as the shaft at one end has quite a weak stop and can fail.
Only asked for shift pattern as if it was P-R-N-D-L need an extra conversion kit according B&M.
Assuming yours is a 4L60E (electronically controlled version of the clockwork TH700R4 I've got), I'd be tempted to play with one of these and get the box shifting where I want it.
http://bmracing.com/PRODUCTS/Simple-Shift-Electron...
Thing to remember with any 4 speed GM auto is not to try too much engine braking as the shaft at one end has quite a weak stop and can fail.
I've got a B&M ratchet shifter in the Dakar. I never use it. I only purchased it because i needed a shifter that would work with the 700r4 and real steel sold them.
They are really supposed to be used on boxes with manual valve bodies with a reverse shift pattern - and I have one of them in the dakar and they are a pain on the street/daily driver - drag use only really.
If your box is calibrated properly you should find yourself in the correct gear for the conditions without messing around with that. Especially as you are running the electronic box.
They are really supposed to be used on boxes with manual valve bodies with a reverse shift pattern - and I have one of them in the dakar and they are a pain on the street/daily driver - drag use only really.
If your box is calibrated properly you should find yourself in the correct gear for the conditions without messing around with that. Especially as you are running the electronic box.
In fairness I don't mind the auto. It seems to work quite well most of the time. However if powersliding it'd be nicer to have a less clunky lever to hold it in a gear. Similar on slower corners and leaving round abouts. I know I could use more throttle, but if it kicks down to first I dont want everything as it'll likely cause a spin. So again it'd be nice to just have a little more manual control.
300bhp/ton said:
In fairness I don't mind the auto. It seems to work quite well most of the time. However if powersliding it'd be nicer to have a less clunky lever to hold it in a gear. Similar on slower corners and leaving round abouts. I know I could use more throttle, but if it kicks down to first I dont want everything as it'll likely cause a spin. So again it'd be nice to just have a little more manual control.
Sort the chassis and it won't. With subframe connectors, strut brace, uprated sway bars and a Bilstein BTS kit, the car handles with vastly more stability. Not even sure the 'box will kick down to first.Best thing I had on my Z28 was a push-down knob that made detents simple and far faster but they stopped making them.
LuS1fer said:
Sort the chassis and it won't. With subframe connectors, strut brace, uprated sway bars and a Bilstein BTS kit, the car handles with vastly more stability. Not even sure the 'box will kick down to first.
Best thing I had on my Z28 was a push-down knob that made detents simple and far faster but they stopped making them.
Cheers, it's not the handling. It's difference that in a manual you'd likely be in 2nd or maybe 3rd and you'd probably use fully throttle. In an auto it's probably in 3rd or top unless you are holding it in the gears. Applying the same amount of throttle would result in a kickdown to first at WOT. WOT in 2nd without kickdown is what you really wanted but as you can't do this you end up babying it in whatever gear it's in. Best thing I had on my Z28 was a push-down knob that made detents simple and far faster but they stopped making them.
And the reason you don't went WOT is it'll probably light up the rears and cause huge stability issues. Suspension mods won't have any real affect in such a scenario.
300bhp/ton said:
Cheers, it's not the handling. It's difference that in a manual you'd likely be in 2nd or maybe 3rd and you'd probably use fully throttle. In an auto it's probably in 3rd or top unless you are holding it in the gears. Applying the same amount of throttle would result in a kickdown to first at WOT. WOT in 2nd without kickdown is what you really wanted but as you can't do this you end up babying it in whatever gear it's in.
And the reason you don't went WOT is it'll probably light up the rears and cause huge stability issues. Suspension mods won't have any real affect in such a scenario.
Well they will because when my Z28 was stock, it was easy to get the tail swinging off roundabouts when it kicked down but the suspension mods meant it stayed in control, gripped and just went.And the reason you don't went WOT is it'll probably light up the rears and cause huge stability issues. Suspension mods won't have any real affect in such a scenario.
LuS1fer said:
Well they will because when my Z28 was stock, it was easy to get the tail swinging off roundabouts when it kicked down but the suspension mods meant it stayed in control, gripped and just went.
I do agree suspension and chassis mods will improve it. But maybe I'm not explaining it correctly. Say you have a round about, you want to go straight over. Very good visibility. The round about is not huge but the island is about the diameter of the length if a coach.
To go straigt over you have to be in the right lane, so you turn left to go round the round about, then right, then left again as you exit. All smallish steering inputs. On exiting it's a up hill with a camber dipping to the right.
You would normally exit at about 28-32mph.
In a manual car you'd probably be in 2nd at I suspect 2000-2500rpm or so. You can easily go to WOT and easily modulate the throttle.
In the auto with the 2.73 gears you'll probably be in 3rd if you leave it in D or OD running just over tickover revs. So on a lighter throttle it'll feel a little flat. However push the pedal harder and youll kick down to 1st @4400rpm and PEAK torque. If you need to modulate the throttle if it slips or wheelspins it'll upshift to 2nd.
In the dry it's ok. But in the damp it would become a handful if you did this. I guess you could manually hold it in 1st as you go across the round about, but the lever is just a bit too clunky to do this all the time or if you are B road bashing.
For moat people most of the time its perfectly fine in D. It just occasionally under certain conditions that a bit more control over the gear section would be welcome.
Hope that sort of makes sense
eliot said:
My post seems to have dissappeared.
What i was saying is that having a ratchet shifter will make no diffrence to downshift/kickdown points. If you had your box in 2nd and it wants to change down to 1st - it will. Regardless of the lever posistion.
True. I guess I was thinking of if you drove it like a manual. With a easier to use shifter I'd likely have been in 1st anyhow so easy to modulate throttle. And then drive it like a manual and shift when I want too.What i was saying is that having a ratchet shifter will make no diffrence to downshift/kickdown points. If you had your box in 2nd and it wants to change down to 1st - it will. Regardless of the lever posistion.
Maybe I need to try it out with a manual valve body. If I didn't get on with it I could always change it back I guess.
chevy-stu said:
Sounds like you just need to buy a manual car... Can't see the ratchet being useable everyday.
Sadly LS1's are pretty thin on the ground with manuals 
It would also seem an expensive swap to sell my current one just for a manual. I have thought about a t56 swap, but in the UK it seems like a lot of work to get all the silly little bits I'd need to do it properly, plus a shifter is a lot cheaper.I assumed (maybe wrongly??), that having a ratchet shifter + manual valve body would allow me to change gear in the same way I do in my smart Roadster?
I had a manual VB in the dakar for a short while. It shifts exactly when you punch it - which is good, but also a problem.
First thing I really missed was kickdown - in an auto at any speed you can plant it and it will change down the required number of gears and off you go.
With a manual VB - you have to nudge it down one and then you realise that you need to go down another gear, but at the same time the revs and speed are increasing, so you have this dilemma of nudging it down one more gear and potentially severely over revving the engine.
Unlike a manual with a syncro which would put up a fight which is telling you not to do it - the manual VB will give you the gear with no hesitation.
And another thing i did once was nudge the ratchet in wrong direction (because my Daily Driver BMW's up/down direction was opposite to the dakar) - which resulted in me doing a 1-2-1 instead of a 1-2-3. Very scary.
Manual VB was removed and sold to John sleath, who wanted it for its intended purpose - namely the dragstrip.
Take my advise and avoid a manual VB for predominately road use. (Would be fine for driving to a drag strip, which is what some people do).
I suggest you get HP tuners and remap the gearbox - I can assist you with that. (Check that your ECU is supported though..)
Oh and finally, this is what the manual valve body did to my input drum:
TCI in their wisdom run the main line pressure at 250psi constantly - which smashed the end of the drum out.
First thing I really missed was kickdown - in an auto at any speed you can plant it and it will change down the required number of gears and off you go.
With a manual VB - you have to nudge it down one and then you realise that you need to go down another gear, but at the same time the revs and speed are increasing, so you have this dilemma of nudging it down one more gear and potentially severely over revving the engine.
Unlike a manual with a syncro which would put up a fight which is telling you not to do it - the manual VB will give you the gear with no hesitation.
And another thing i did once was nudge the ratchet in wrong direction (because my Daily Driver BMW's up/down direction was opposite to the dakar) - which resulted in me doing a 1-2-1 instead of a 1-2-3. Very scary.
Manual VB was removed and sold to John sleath, who wanted it for its intended purpose - namely the dragstrip.
Take my advise and avoid a manual VB for predominately road use. (Would be fine for driving to a drag strip, which is what some people do).
I suggest you get HP tuners and remap the gearbox - I can assist you with that. (Check that your ECU is supported though..)
Oh and finally, this is what the manual valve body did to my input drum:
TCI in their wisdom run the main line pressure at 250psi constantly - which smashed the end of the drum out.
Edited by eliot on Friday 1st April 23:12
Gassing Station | Yank Motors | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff