ISO experience with cableshift.com, Is this a good product or no? Options

[HalfMoon]

Anyone purchase, install and use a cable shift for the 914 transaxle from these guys?
http://cableshift.com/914/914%20page.html
What was your experience/opinion of the product?

[mepstein]

I’ve heard mixed reviews. It’s only for the side shifter. I would use it if you have a non traditional setup but I would use Chris Foley’s /Tangerine racing linkage and a jwest, rennshifter if you want the best setup on a normal four or six install on a 914 sideshifter trans.

[HalfMoon]

I’ve heard mixed reviews. It’s only for the side shifter. I would use it if you have a non traditional setup but I would use Chris Foley’s /Tangerine racing linkage and a jwest, rennshifter if you want the best setup on a normal four or six install on a 914 sideshifter trans.

Mines a sbc with a highly sorted Dr. Evil tran axle (and a blocked 1st). One of the advantages I've learned from Cableshift.com is that they have an option for the blocked 1st that puts the pattern back to what we're used too.
I've not been able to find anyone so far with direct experience though. Hate to roll the dice at 7 bills....

[mepstein]

I purchased a used one for my 915 but it will be a while before it gets used.

[HalfMoon]

Bump for more replies.
I find it hard to believe no one has used this product.

[mepstein]

Much more popular with the sand rail guys and kit car builders.

[burton73]

I spoke to the owner of Cable Shift and he made me believe that his product would do the job for me on my 930-trans. for my SBC conversation Call him and tell him your concerns. He did not rush me and listened to my concerns. In my case lots of HP sand rails have used these for racing.

Bob B

[HalfMoon]

I spoke to the owner of Cable Shift and he made me believe that his product would do the job for me on my 930-trans. for my SBC conversation Call him and tell him your concerns. He did not rush me and listened to my concerns. In my case lots of HP sand rails have used these for racing.

Bob B

Yeah I spoke with him at length too. Seems like a nice guy.
Hopefully, I can find someone who has done this to a 914 trans axle and get some driving experience feedback. While I've heard of many people using his and others products on a variety of different trans axles, as of yet I know of no one who has done it with a 914 trans axle.

[Chris914n6]

One, it's a $700 fix for a $30 bushing problem. If you are racing then RennShift.
Two, it's a bad design. Cable goes thru the stock muffler.
Three, cutting hole in the firewall for the cables.

I can't find a reason to use it.

[HalfMoon]

One, it's a $700 fix for a $30 bushing problem. If you are racing then RennShift.
Two, it's a bad design. Cable goes thru the stock muffler.
Three, cutting hole in the firewall for the cables.

I can't find a reason to use it.

I gather that the one you purchased and installed didn't work out well then, huh?

[ChrisFoley]

I have a custom shift rod for V8 option:Tangerine Shift Linkage Webpage

[VaccaRabite]

I have a custom shift rod for V8 option:Tangerine Shift Linkage Webpage

I have this on my car, mated to a Rennshift shifter.

It kicks ass, and is very precise (for a 914 shifter - its still a rod going 1/2 the length of the car). It's a bitch to get adjusted perfectly, partly due to the fact that the setup is stiff at first. But once set up, there is no stirring the bucket when shifting the car. Mine is still in break-in, but after about 50 miles, its just getting better and better.

Don't bother with a cable shift setup on a near-stock configuration.

[HalfMoon]

I have a custom shift rod for V8 option:Tangerine Shift Linkage Webpage

I have this on my car, mated to a Rennshift shifter.

It kicks ass, and is very precise (for a 914 shifter - its still a rod going 1/2 the length of the car). It's a bitch to get adjusted perfectly, partly due to the fact that the setup is stiff at first. But once set up, there is no stirring the bucket when shifting the car. Mine is still in break-in, but after about 50 miles, its just getting better and better.

Don't bother with a cable shift setup on a near-stock configuration.

My set up is about as far away from stock as it gets. Sbc, Dr. Evil 914 trans axle (btw, a 901 trans axle is aluminum and used in the 911's) with 1st blocked, 2nd 3rd flipped and an H gear.
Your comments, "It's still a rod going 1/2 the length of the car", makes me think that while Chris's set up is probably great, I'd most likely need a Rennshift to compliment it so all said and done, about a grand for both and still on a rod 1/2 the length of the car. It looks like I'm too be the sacrificial lamb for Cable-Shifts set up as I've yet to find anyone anywhere who's given it a try/review. At seven bills total it may be viable and an improvement over rowing through oatmeal .
As an aside, I could care less that I'm going to be adding a hole in the firewall as the car is already so heavily modified that one more non-stock item isn't something that remotely concerns me.
Not clear on why the poster above said the design was bad as it looks ok to me....
Maybe I'm not seeing something he saw?
See images.

[mepstein]

It looks like both cables end up turning !80 degrees from the shifter to the trans. That will introduce a lot of friction. The cables on the 915 version don't twist around like that but still feel a little stiff. I was going to remove them and lube up with some lightweight teflon grease that I use for bike derailleur and brake cables. Its some grease originally made by dupont and super slippery but more viscous than most bike lube.

Even if the 914 setup isn't an optimal design, it might still do the job for you and give you some extra flexibility that a hard shift rod doesn't. Once you have the cable setup on hand, you might be able to come up with some custom bracketry that solves the routing issues. Sometimes good is good enough.

[HalfMoon]

It looks like both cables end up turning !80 degrees from the shifter to the trans. That will introduce a lot of friction. The cables on the 915 version don't twist around like that but still feel a little stiff. I was going to remove them and lube up with some lightweight teflon grease that I use for bike derailleur and brake cables. Its some grease originally made by dupont and super slippery but more viscous than most bike lube.

Even if the 914 setup isn't an optimal design, it might still do the job for you and give you some extra flexibility that a hard shift rod doesn't. Once you have the cable setup on hand, you might be able to come up with some custom bracketry that solves the routing issues. Sometimes good is good enough.

Funny you mention that. When I spoke with Jim I told him the measurement instructions posted on his website wouldn't work for me as I no longer have a flat four. In the flat four the cables come in at the 4 o'clock position of the bell housing (as viewed from the rear).
Obviously that wouldn't work with mine as I have the small block. Sooooo, we'll route it much lower at around the 4 and 5 o'clock position (one going over the axle one below). This routing may reduce some of the friction you (and I) are thinking about if those cable were routed above (with a much sharper bend, no?). Hmmmm.
But yes...the cable that goes up and crosses the top of the unit is rather sharp....not sure if anything can be done about that with this design.

[ChrisFoley]

The Rennshift doesn't help with shifting precision as much as it adds special features - like springs to center the shift lever on the 2-3 plane, reverse lockout, and shortened throw.

[Chris914n6]

Not clear on why the poster above said the design was bad as it looks ok to me....
Maybe I'm not seeing something he saw?

What mepstein said plus I would have done a straight shot with the cables and designed the shifter to match the gear pattern.
Their problem seems to be that they used an off-the-shelf rear engine VW shifter and tried to make it work with a 'flipped' trans.

I had to bend a custom rod to clear my oil pan and I can shift it just fine with new bushings.

Rods are still used in many fwd cars so it's not an outdated design by any means.

[HalfMoon]

So, I went ahead and bought the product. I've installed it. Sadly, after 16 hours monkey screwing around (over and above the install) I've yet to make it work.
Jim, the owner of cablshift.com is trying to be helpful I can't fault him that, but at this point I'm having fairly serious doubts this can work. And so far, I've yet to hear of a single person who has installed one of cableshift.com's units on a 914 (reads 914 specifically) transaxle. A $700 dollar boat anchor? We shall see.

[SirAndy]

So, I went ahead and bought the product. I've installed it. Sadly, after 16 hours monkey screwing around (over and above the install) I've yet to make it work.
Jim, the owner of cablshift.com is trying to be helpful I can't fault him that, but at this point I'm having fairly serious doubts this can work. And so far, I've yet to hear of a single person who has installed one of cableshift.com's units on a 914 (reads 914 specifically) transaxle. A $700 dollar boat anchor? We shall see.

Care to elaborate on this a bit more? Maybe some pictures?

I'm still looking for a decent cable shift kit ...
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/idea.gif)

[HalfMoon]

So, I went ahead and bought the product. I've installed it. Sadly, after 16 hours monkey screwing around (over and above the install) I've yet to make it work.
Jim, the owner of cablshift.com is trying to be helpful I can't fault him that, but at this point I'm having fairly serious doubts this can work. And so far, I've yet to hear of a single person who has installed one of cableshift.com's units on a 914 (reads 914 specifically) transaxle. A $700 dollar boat anchor? We shall see.

Care to elaborate on this a bit more? Maybe some pictures?

I'm still looking for a decent cable shift kit ...
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/idea.gif)

The install wasn't too big of a deal. Cables easily went through the hole used for the stock shift rod, but adjusting so it will actually go through all the gears has been way to difficult. I might add, the instructions aren't very good either. The manufacturer is a decent guy and he's trying to help me get things set up, but I'm having doubts this is a viable option given the tremendous need for finicky adjustments.
Some images here-
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1naX...pCX?usp=sharing