Rennshift Installation (long), My experience in a 3.6 with a 915 Options

[PRS914-6]

My 915 has been shifting pretty good with a WEVO conversion kit. However, I am short and I have to reach for 3rd and 5th and I wanted a spring centered shifter. After reading for hours about WEVO shifters and the Rennshift and talking to both Hayden at WEVO and James at JWest I decided on the Rennshift.

The decision was arrived at by features. I liked the adjustability of the Rennshift. The main issues were the throw (20 or 30%), the moveable shift arm that can be moved to your liking and the adjustable motion stops. I think a 30% reduction is too much for a 915 since any reduction results in more effort to shift and the Rennshift is one of the few that allow less reduction. More isn't always better here.

I ordered the shifter from James and it arrived 2 days later (good service). I yanked my old shifter out and installed the new. I had to massage my clutch tube a little that collided with the shift mechanism but that may have been due to the custom shift shaft.

It's rather tricky to get the adjustments perfect but once done it worked pretty good. Unfortunately there is less bend in the Rennshift arm than a stock 915 shifter. The results were that the shift knob position in 3rd and 5th were in about the same position as the old unit despite the shorter throw. You long armed people shouldn't have issue with that.

I decided to move the entire shifter rearward and re-drilled the holes 1 3/4" back and shortened my linkage rod. This was a lot of work but worth the effort. The shifter is now in the perfect spot, no reaching at all. BIG improvement.

I struggled with the reverse lockout. I suspect that the WEVO kit may not use as much movement as a stock 915 in reverse. I gave up and added shims to increase centering action of the 3-4 plane. This worked great and I took the auto-reverse lockout completely out since I really didn't need it. As you down shift, it pops right in to the 3-4 plane anyway.

Driving.....
The feel is excellent and detailed. When shifting from 2nd to 3rd (not to be confused with a 901 pattern) one only needs to put the palm of the hand on the shifter and push straight forward. The springs guides it perfectly to the next gear. When you hit the stop it feels solid and you KNOW you are fully in gear. I like it.

The motion is firmer but not terrible. It's what you sacrifice to gain a shorter shift throw. The gears are easy to find and you never wonder what gear you are in. Almost like a modern day car (except it's a 915)

I felt the unit is well made and well thought out. The only negative I have is a lack of warning that the shifter shaft is .010 larger. I was told that the stock 915 knob and sleeve and boot would work. I didn't bother to measure it and when installing the ball, it split due to the larger size. A cherry 915 ball is like gold and cost a fortune (if you can find one) so I was upset about that so be careful in that area.

It's an expensive upgrade at $510.00 but adds a more modern feel to an antique design. Not a bad investment.