Topic: B W Shifter
in Forum: C3 Driveline Components
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Is it worth repairing the shifter or buying a new Hurst or a new BW shifter.
Any comments woiuld be welcome?
The shifter I have is sloppy and a corvette buddy here in town recommending I do one of the above as he feels the shifter is worn out. He was actually leaning to one version, but I want your opinions.
Thanks,
Rick
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Go with the Hurst..........big bucks, but better........
corvette440hp
Lifetime MemberModerator
Duncanville, TX - USA
Joined: 11/8/2003
Posts: 20218
Vette(s): #1-1974 L-48 4spd Cp Med Red Metallic/Black deluxe int w/AC/tilt/tele./p/w-p/b/
Am-Fm/map light National/Regional/Chapter NCRS "Top Flight"
#2-1985 Bright Red/Carmine Cp.L-98/auto
Member: NCRS, NCRS Texas, Corvette Legends of Texas
The factory shifters were "Micky Mouse" at best. After a few years, they do tend to wear out. Is it worth rebuilding? Depends...for an NCRS/Bloomington car, yeah. For a car that you drive fairly often, and will never have judged, prolly not.
Go with the Hurst CP...you'll like it much better.
Go with the Hurst CP...you'll like it much better.
Joel Adams
C3VR Lifetime Member #56 
My Link 
(click for Texas-sized view!) NCRS
"Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comforting to cry in a CORVETTE than in a Kia"
That's what I have been hearing about the shifters. Are the original GM shifters that bad where they hang up, get caught up in the gears etc. or just not that friendly shifting?
What the shop manual refers to as an alignment hole is actually an alignment slot that is very wide on this dude where the hurst is a hole. I had to cut a hacksaw blade and stick it in there to try to keep the levers in neutral. Even then it was not totally in neutral on a bench vise.
Were they like that from the factory?
Lifetime MemberModerator
Duncanville, TX - USA
Joined: 11/8/2003
Posts: 20218
Vette(s): #1-1974 L-48 4spd Cp Med Red Metallic/Black deluxe int w/AC/tilt/tele./p/w-p/b/
Am-Fm/map light National/Regional/Chapter NCRS "Top Flight"
#2-1985 Bright Red/Carmine Cp.L-98/auto
Member: NCRS, NCRS Texas, Corvette Legends of Texas
No...not from the factory. They just wear out. GM didn't put a lot of $$$ into ancillary components. "Do ya want better gear ratios, leather interior, A/C, OR....do ya want a good shifter that will survive? " GM figured most self-shifting fanatics would replace the shifter(on their own dime) anyway, so....why bother?
The original shifter WILL wear to the point of hanging up in 2 gears at the same time. It's fairly easy to get one that's worn just enough to stick the trans in REV., but the shifter will still move to the forward gears, resulting in a "locked in gear" trans.
It ain't JUST the Shark cars, either...ALL of the standard trans Corvettes from '57 up to the '89 cars will eventually have (factory)shifter issues.
The original shifter WILL wear to the point of hanging up in 2 gears at the same time. It's fairly easy to get one that's worn just enough to stick the trans in REV., but the shifter will still move to the forward gears, resulting in a "locked in gear" trans.
It ain't JUST the Shark cars, either...ALL of the standard trans Corvettes from '57 up to the '89 cars will eventually have (factory)shifter issues.
Joel Adams
C3VR Lifetime Member #56
My Link
(click for Texas-sized view!) NCRS
"Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comforting to cry in a CORVETTE than in a Kia"
in Forum: C3 Driveline Components
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