MGB & GT Forum

Justin 51982 posted in Feb. 2011 about this but no real good answers. A short shift kit is not cutting the stem lower. I consist of raising the fulcrum point with an extension to shorten the travel between gears. I have this on my Porsche 911 and love it. Now my question is since 2011 has anyone produced a short shift kit for the MGB or made one. It is very similar to my porsche shifter and I want to make one if I can't buy it.
Does anyone have any advise on why NOT to do this ? Since I joined this group I have gotten lots of EXPERT advise. I'm sure someone here is way smarter than me and can school me on what I should do. I hate to waste my time on something that will not work or cause a problem.

I don't know of one. Have to ask why...just like the feel of the shifts better?

I am curious as to how you would make one. That seems like it'd be a tall order...

---

1973 MGB: Blow through supercharged, intercooled, 10psi boost. VP12 cam, aluminum flywheel, 8.9:1 compression. Black label OD, Saab 15” minilites. Goes a lot better than it looks.

Yea, you need to change the pivot point and because the distance between the pivot point and the shift rod that the shift lever hooks too, I do not see how this can be done without a whole new redesign of the shifter and the part that it's pivot ball fits into. The casting that the shift lever fits into would have to be changed to raise the pivot point as well and the location of the ball on the shift lever itself. Nothing is impossible, though, I just wonder about the cost/benefit ratio of this mod.

Sounds about as complicated as I thought...new shift tower and lever.

OP, have you tried a shortened lever? The difference in feel is incredible...

---

1973 MGB: Blow through supercharged, intercooled, 10psi boost. VP12 cam, aluminum flywheel, 8.9:1 compression. Black label OD, Saab 15” minilites. Goes a lot better than it looks.

"Does anyone have any advise on why NOT to do this ?"

I have a pro built short shift that came with the car on my 1992 300ZX and it is very difficult to shift into first gear.

I too have a Porsche that will shift fast but, the MGB will not - not for very long before a synchro ring snaps.

---

Be safe out there.
Kenny

I'd bet someone with aluminum welding could use two shift towers and make one with a higher shift point and cut the shift lever and weld in an extension below the ball. 1/2 inch might give you what you want?

Right Gerry, I can build it. Imay compare it to my Porsche kit. I would shorten the stem anyway, but I was wondering if raising the fulcrum point would make a shorter throw between gears worth it. I just don't want to damage my tranny by doing this. I'm not a mechanic but I have suicidal tendencies ! LOL



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014-09-17 03:20 PM by lifecycles.

Just cut the stock shifter 1.5 inches. It will fall better to you hand,shorten throw enough without complication. Cheap,simple,works with the long gated wide ratio MGB transmission.

---

LNDRVR4X4.COM
Home of Project "INCARN8'


1957 Series 1 Land Rover electric VEHICLE CONVERSION

FIXITUPCHAP.COM
FIXITUPCHAP INCORPORATED

RD3 Radar/ Electronic Warfare Technician
VIETNAM 1969-1972

There is a MGE member who sells the shortened shift, who is it?

Jeff at advanced distributor
for those that can't do it at home or have a local shop.

---

LNDRVR4X4.COM
Home of Project "INCARN8'


1957 Series 1 Land Rover electric VEHICLE CONVERSION

FIXITUPCHAP.COM
FIXITUPCHAP INCORPORATED

RD3 Radar/ Electronic Warfare Technician
VIETNAM 1969-1972

Dale,

Raising the fulcrum is the way most short shifters today are made. Porsche, VW, Mustang- all on the same principle, and a darn site easier to do on them then on an MG, thanks to the design of the shifter, and tight quarters. An aluminum block (1/2"?) used as a spacer and machined to accept the shifter pivot, with the shifter's lower half extended by the same amount, might be pretty simple. But it's still a tight fit.

Don't discount shortening the shift lever. A shorter lever means less arc of movement, I.E. a short shifter, just a different way about it. I donl't know how much, but it's definitely shorter. I've modified the shifter on every MG I've owned. Mabel, my 74 B-GT has the shifter shortened so that the base of the knob is barely above the shift boot. I agree with Rob C, I also like that the knob seems to fall to hand better with your arm on the console. Cutting down the shifter is cheap too! BTW, Jeff's at Advanced Distributor is a stock shifter cut down by 1.5". It's only $40 with no core, but it's not available with the hollow core for 77-80.

My son drove the car the other day, he's not familiar with MGs, but his comment was, "Nice short shift."

If you do the math on just shortening the lever, the change in throw is negligible. Less than a tenth of an inch. But the feeling is very different, and takes an hour to achieve as opposed to however long it'd take to whip up a real short shift kit.

---

1973 MGB: Blow through supercharged, intercooled, 10psi boost. VP12 cam, aluminum flywheel, 8.9:1 compression. Black label OD, Saab 15” minilites. Goes a lot better than it looks.

Just cut it off and get an aftermarket steel/chrome knob.
I'm using 111465 shown here.
http://www.speco.com.au/accgearknobs.html

It was cheap and the weight of it gives a very nice feel

My GT came with a chromed, short shifter stem. I love the feel of it, and can't imagine that the improvements discussed above would be worth the trouble. It ain't an F1 car, after all.

On the other hand, I'd love to find a source for another short, chromed stem for my roadster!

---

Dave

Here is a source Dave: http://www.thebriton.com/shifters.htm and he does an excellent job! The home page is
http://www.thebriton.com/ Jim is a site member here. There are several ways to shorten it- Jim takes a section out of the lower end of the stalk and no rethreading is required. The welded and shortened area is hidden by the rubber shifter gaitor, so no modification is apparent. I discuss how it is done using this method in several locations on the site and include some photographs below for illustration so it is basically all here. If measured correctly the knob height is parallel with the height of the arm rest in your 1978 Roadster and you basically do not have to flex your elbow at all to shift. You are removing around two inches of shifter stalk length. Less arc of movement as Dave explains above. It is just easier, and far more comfortable to shift. As Rob says, the knob falls to the hand better by far with your arm on the console. This method does nothing to alter the fulcrum point, so if you do not like it, just yank it out and replace it with the original. Email or call Jim- it will be the BEST money you have ever spent on your car! God Bless! Tony Brown RN mgbbrown

---

Always drink upstream from the herd. Will Rogers