Too short or not to short, Short Shift Kit - which one? Options

[tracks914]

My tranny has been redone. (syncos, gaskets and syncro hubs cleaned up)
My bushings have all been redone.
My shafts have been rebuilt.
But I'm still not happy with my shift pattern. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/mad.gif)
I have not replaced my reverse lock out springs ...yet and when the tranny is cold, on the first shift, I sometimes still nick reverse.
When the tranny is warm, sometimes I hit 3rd instead of 1st. (too often, although I did it in my brothers Jetta too this week)
I am thinking of putting in a short shift kit (along with Wieltmiester reverse lockout springs) and see different models for sale.
Has anyone used the different models?
Is it worth almost twice the price for the one peice over the weld in the socket type?
Any thoughs????

[tat2dphreak]

1 word: Rennshifter!

2 word phrases:
avoid weltmeister,
gated feel,
spring loaded,
selectable throw,
reverse lockout,
looks sweet!
Can't wait!

[Aaron Cox]

i got me a rennshifter on its way.....

dying to try it...

[tracks914]

Do you have a link to rennshifter?
Cost?

[carr914]

If you have the money, get the RennShift. I have the new version and really like it. If you have your mind set on a Weltmeister, I'll sell you mine for $25 plus shipping.

T.C.

[tracks914]

QUOTE (carr914 @ Jun 26 2005, 07:16 AM)

If you have the money, get the RennShift. I have the new version and really like it. If you have your mind set on a Weltmeister, I'll sell you mine for $25 plus shipping. T.C.

I have a 72. Yours is for a 73 and upward. Thanks anyway.

[tat2dphreak]

QUOTE (tracks914 @ Jun 26 2005, 08:42 PM)

QUOTE (carr914 @ Jun 26 2005, 07:16 AM) If you have the money, get the RennShift. I have the new version and really like it. If you have your mind set on a Weltmeister, I'll sell you mine for $25 plus shipping. T.C. I have a 72. Yours is for a 73 and upward. Thanks anyway.

hold the phone... you still have a tailshifter?! think about getting a side-shifter...

[xsboost90]

just got a welt, love that thing! one thing to check before you go switching things out though. I put my welt shifter in,and it wasnt adjusted right. Everytime instead of second i would get fourth. I stuck the car in third-in the middle- loosened the bolt and the linkage popped into proper position. Then it shifts fine. You have to line the linkage up right or youll always knick the wrong gear.

[Long Prong]

i hear thats the hip thing to do these days...nobody is cool with a rear-end shifter anymore...it's so like thirty years ago

[tat2dphreak]

QUOTE (Long Prong @ Jun 26 2005, 09:10 PM)

i hear thats the hip thing to do these days...nobody is cool with a rear-end shifter anymore...it's so like thirty years ago

he changed bushings and tightened things up and he's not happy with the shifting... isn't a side-shifter a little better in the shifting dept.?

[CptTripps]

I have a weltmeister and really dig it. I agree with Dan, it can be a PITA if it's not set up right.

[Long Prong]

QUOTE (tat2dphreak @ Jun 26 2005, 06:14 PM)

QUOTE (Long Prong @ Jun 26 2005, 09:10 PM) i hear thats the hip thing to do these days...nobody is cool with a rear-end shifter anymore...it's so like thirty years ago he changed bushings and tightened things up and he's not happy with the shifting... isn't a side-shifter a little better in the shifting dept.?

from what i have heard, yup. havent driven a tail-shifter tho. I hear its good, and it makes sense....closer to front= less linkage= less deviation in unwanted movement=better feeling shifts.

[mrihop]

I test drove a V8 car a while back that had a short shift kit and a tail shifter. I don't know who built it. I couldn't find any of the gears I wanted, but I think that it's all in the adjustment. I had to fight springs and line things up just right to get it to 2nd and 3rd. On top of that, the car seemed to have less power than a poorly tuned Fiat 500, so going from 1st to 4th during just about every take off just wasn't cutting it.

[Aaron Cox]

QUOTE (mrihop @ Jun 26 2005, 08:21 PM)

I test drove a V8 car a while back that had a short shift kit and a tail shifter. I don't know who built it. I couldn't find any of the gears I wanted, but I think that it's all in the adjustment. I had to fight springs and line things up just right to get it to 2nd and 3rd. On top of that, the car seemed to have less power than a poorly tuned Fiat 500, so going from 1st to 4th during just about every take off just wasn't cutting it.

white V8 in chino???

AA

[Long Prong]

it's all in the shifting (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/laugh.gif) what use is a V8 914 if you kill the tranny crunching gears....

[mrihop]

QUOTE (Aaron Cox @ Jun 26 2005, 07:26 PM)

white V8 in chino??? AA

Yes...Ran it through carbon canyon...had to get in my car and do the same drive to feel better. I don't have the problem of needing 1st gear in my car (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif)

[mrihop]

QUOTE (Long Prong @ Jun 26 2005, 07:37 PM)

it's all in the shifting (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/laugh.gif) what use is a V8 914 if you kill the tranny crunching gears....

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/agree.gif)

Any kind of car with crunching gears is no good!

At least in a V8 car you have the option to put it in high gear and drive it like an auto! New clutch every 1k miles anyone? (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/blink.gif)

[lapuwali]

Sigh.

A tailshifter with NEW bushings that's been properly adjusted really does work. If you're nicking reverse, you don't have the shifter adjusted properly. I had a Weltmeister short-shifter in my car, and pulled it out. It will only make adjustment problems worse, and it dramatically increases the effort required to move the shifter across the R/1 spring (way too much, like sprained wrist too much).

Adjusting the shifter is tedious and time-consuming, but once it's done, the car will shift fairly nicely. Adjusting while you still have shot bushings, however, is a complete waste of time. So, just after you replace them, do this:

Put the shifter in second. At the coupler under the plate between the seats (near the firewall), loosen the clamp. Pull the forward shift rod out of the coupler, so now the shift lever is loose. Rest the shift lever against the lockout plate (to the left), and insert the shift rod back into the coupler. Tighten the clamp. This is easy to describe, and hard to actually do. You find that the coupler will move a great deal while you're trying to get the shift rod back in. I found using a large (22-24mm) open end wrench as a brace will hold the coupler in place. This really requires three hands, but there it is.

With the shifter so adjusted, the 2/3 gate has the shift lever touching the lockout plate. Doing a 5th to 2nd downshift is just a matter of lightly holding the lever, pushing forward, and moving left until it's lightly touching the lockout plate, not compressing the spring, then push forward. You should have to push hard quite a ways against the lockout spring to get into the R/1 gate. Doing the 1-2 shift is just a matter of pushing forward on the lever, which will pop right into the 2/3 gate automatically. You'll only go into reverse when you want to go into reverse.

The chief problem with tailshifters is there are 2x as many nylon bushings to wear out in the linkage, so it wears out quite a bit faster, and gets even sloppier when it is worn out. Once they are worn out, no amount of adjustment is going to cure it, nor will a Rennshift.

[Cap'n Krusty]

Before throwing money at it, pull the shifter and look at the plate and the side of the shift lever. KNOWN problem area. The plate is probably still available from the dealer for a reasonable price, and you can either find a used shifter or weld/grind yours back to standard. In fact, I've welded the plates, too, but the new ones are cheap enough that I wouldn't bother. The side that rubs against the shift lever should be STRAIGHT! If it's not, it's bad. Forget the springs. I've never seen them be the problem. The Cap'n

[JmuRiz]

QUOTE (tat2dphreak @ Jun 26 2005, 06:05 PM)

QUOTE (tracks914 @ Jun 26 2005, 08:42 PM) QUOTE (carr914 @ Jun 26 2005, 07:16 AM) If you have the money, get the RennShift. I have the new version and really like it. If you have your mind set on a Weltmeister, I'll sell you mine for $25 plus shipping. T.C. I have a 72. Yours is for a 73 and upward. Thanks anyway. hold the phone... you still have a tailshifter?! think about getting a side-shifter...

I thought a properly bushed tailshifter with a rennshift was the best out there, even better than a sideshift? Check out some of the testamonials on the rennshift site.