Which Short Shift Kit

[Dannyh1980 3 1 Cars]

Hi guys, I'm onto my second 205 and loving it! Bought a cherry red 1.9 with a mi16 fitted.

I'm currently getting suspension and brakes sorted out for her the now and was looking for a short shift kit to get while at it.

So have any of you got ones fitted? Any one you would recommend?

Cheers

[harryskid 193]

Constella make them, i beleive some guys on here have got some in their cars !

[Miles 331 1 Cars]

I never bother as making the shift to quite can make the box Bulk, I've taken more off than fitted to give you an example but if you need to you can make a free one by shortening the 'L'/Quadrant on the short side with cutting and welding or using a new Ball.

 

Basically if all the linkage is in good condition the change will be good

[Greggbladen 0]

I have one on mine from rally design works very well

[welshpug 1,657]

I just replaced the two sets of top hat bushes and the linkages for some of Miles's ones and don't feel that the shift needs to be any shorter whatsoever, still a little play somewhere annoyingly but certainly short enough.

[cRaig 273 1 Cars]

Ive just fitted new bushes at the gearstick end,in the L linkage and fitted a set of Miles' gear rods, and to be honest Im considering putting my shorted 'quick shift' L bracket back to standard as the change is just too short! The shortened L bracket was good at covering up the slop elsewhere in the linkage, but as others have said now thats all cured it really is not needed!

 

The last thing i need to change are the two plastic bush blocks which support the main gear rod, as the slop in them is now very apperent as the gearstick can wobble up and down annoyingly!

[welshpug 1,657]

yup, got those pair to replace on mine, that's all that is left bar the ball pivot on the subframe which is NFP.

[cRaig 273 1 Cars]

Yeah, i was quite impressed when I ordered the bush blocks last week and they were still available, I thought I might have to live the annoying rattle thought the gearstick forever! Do the ball pivots wear much? Mine seemed like it was in good enough nick, the rod is certainly nice and tight.

[engine killer 6]

Instead of shortening the 'L'/Quadrant on the short side, I prefer lengthening the 'L'/Quadrant on the long side by welding an extension with a few holes to give adjustability. By shortening it you only get one shot/chance, but lengthening it you can always go back to original as you wish.

[GLPoomobile 958]

By shortening it you only get one shot/chance,

 

Nope. I shortened mine by drilling out the original ball on the short side, drilling a new hole a few mm inboard of the original, and then fitting a new ball supplied by Miles. I can then easily revert back to standard by just moving the ball back it's original hole.

 

I'm another one who prefers the standard throw, though. If everything else is in perfect condition, standard throw feels much nicer IMO. I find the shortended throw feels a little unnatural - not vague, just feels a little disconcerting, as if you've not slotted the gear all the way home when you change. Probably just a personal thing.

[Dannyh1980 3 1 Cars]

Thanks for the reply guys, I may just order new bushes,gear rods.

If you guys have noticed a difference with renewing these then I will try it out. After all I'm sure there is some wear and tear from the years they have been there

[GLPoomobile 958]

Bushes and gear rods will probably make a massive difference unless they were replaced in recent years.

 

Get some upgraded rods from Miles at Pug Racing (search for his ebay store). They have clips in the ball joint cups that secure the rods in place. With standard rods, over time the cups get loose on the ball joints and it's only a matter of time before a rod pops off mid-change. Trying to pop them back on with your arm next to a red hot exhaust manifold isn't much fun.

 

For the bushes, I've heard that just normal OE replacement plastic bushes make a big difference if yours are worn. Then you've got the brass versions (I've got some from AB Motorsport) but I'm not keen on them as they can be a bugger to get right and sometimes need griding down otherwise the shouldered bolt clamps down too far and stops the bracket from moving (meaning you have to back off the bolt a little bit, but then it can work loose and pop off). Mine needed quite a bit taken off them and still aren't perfect. I'm pretty sure there's another type that use a bearing and fit better.

 

If I was doing it all again, I'd just go with a standard shift, OE bushes, and Miles' gear rods.

Edited January 9, 2012 by GLPoomobile

[Anthony 1,003]

Using a quick shift to mask the poor quality shift from a typical 205 setup these days I agree is the wrong way to go about things, as then all you end up with is a shorter but still vague and inprecise shift.

 

I guess that the quickshift thing is down to personal preference, but I'm firmly of the belief that a mildly quickened shift does make a substancial improvement. I say "mild" though as like with so many other things, too many people seem to think that more is better (or should that be less in this case?) and over-do it, often making it stuborn to get into gear, especially when cold.

 

I'm not sure if he ever got around to making another batch, but the bronze bushes that GTI6BOY sold last year were fantastic - absolutely zero play/slop but none of the binding or ill-fitting problems that some similar products on the market suffer from. Those, coupled with some decent gear rods (in my case, a mix of Miles and the original Griffith Engineering ones) and a mild quickshift is lovely - despite my extended lever setup (that would exacerbate any vagueness) it's precise and a joy to use, and people that have driven my car have been amazed by it.

 

I'd probably go as far as to say that it's as good as the MX5 shift, which is some praise indeed compared to the usual soup-stirring affair that most people consider to be as designed on a 205...

 

That said, I'd love to try one of Colin Satchell's setups.

[allye 530 3 Cars]

I'm having a extended gear lever made at the moment to the specification fo Anthony's, just ordered some OE bushes for the lever, with my Mile's rods and bronze L bracket bush it should be lovely

 

Edit: That was odd, posted that before Anthony's post came up!

Edited January 9, 2012 by allye

[harryskid 193]

I had thought of having it on my rally car but i'am glad i took Miles advice and used his linkages. O and also that nut on the sub frame was loose. Got a nice change now.