For those with B&M ripper shifter

BRIAN WALTER

Registered User
The current one in my 5 speed feels different then the one I had a couple years ago. (both were used)
When you go from center neutral position to the 1/2 neutral position it is not tight at all. 5/R neutral position is very tight like I remember
Main question: Is there a spring of sorts that keeps the "gates" in the shifter tight? Has anyone else experienced this?
THanks
 
The sping is not on the shifter, in the on the lower shifter portion of the trans. To go right has always been harder then to go left. Not sure if thats to preven accidental reverse shiftin.
 
The sping is not on the shifter, in the on the lower shifter portion of the trans. To go right has always been harder then to go left. Not sure if thats to preven accidental reverse shiftin.

That spring keeps the shifter from being sloppy.
 
Well, it possible that spring isn't in properly, done that myself.

Otherwise, probly just the shifter. Might loosen up after time, or you'll get stronger and not notice it as much
 
My B&M Ripper has a spring inside it's housing - in addition to the stock one down in the transmission. I remember well, because I had wondered how it would feel with both on there...pretty snug. Brian - my Ripper feels like what you're describing, but I don't have anything to compare it to besides the stock one.

They didn't have multiple designs of the Ripper did they?
 
I believe there are some springs in the shifter body as well. But what the OP is commenting on sounds like the spring on the lower part of the shifter may be installed on the transmission shaft in a way that isn't putting full tension.

That spring can be installed a couple ways and one way takes a bit more effort but also puts some tension into the lever so it's not too lose going from 2 to 3, or over to reverse.
 
Yes, there were at least a couple of designs, but I don't know the specifics. I think the early models had adustable stops.

Early was with stops and no machining on the bottom plate for clearance. Later was stops with machining on the bottom plate where the trans shift rail would hit and wear a spot through the anodizing. Final was no more shift stops and machining on the bottom of the plate.

Now... no longer in production, only used or SCP may still have some in stock for lots of $$$
 
The one that came with the car (tranny was toast) had a small scrape into the anodizing. Also, the tranny shift rail was bent from a close inspection. New tranny has been installed when I first got it but the shifter seems like there is a spring missing on the inside of the shifter itself. I may remove the shifter and disassemble it and see if I can find a replacement spring for it.
 
Early was with stops and no machining on the bottom plate for clearance. Later was stops with machining on the bottom plate where the trans shift rail would hit and wear a spot through the anodizing. Final was no more shift stops and machining on the bottom of the plate.

Yeah, that jogged my memory. What do the "shift stops" look like? I may have the latest version...
 
Yeah, that jogged my memory. What do the "shift stops" look like? I may have the latest version...

If there are any studs with nuts on them sticking out the body of the shifter, then you have shift stops. The purpose is to have the shifter limit movement of the shift rail rather than counting on limits within the transmission. So if you are banging away with the shifter you won't be banging internal transmission parts into their limits.
 
If there are any studs with nuts on them sticking out the body of the shifter, then you have shift stops. The purpose is to have the shifter limit movement of the shift rail rather than counting on limits within the transmission. So if you are banging away with the shifter you won't be banging internal transmission parts into their limits.

That's what I pictured...mine doesn't have anything like that. But it is springy!
 
There are two springs inside the shifter. One to push tension from the 1/2 side to neutral....the other to push tension from the 5/R side to neutral. I had both an early and a late model and had problems with the 5/R side spring in the early one. It would get caught sideways in it's bore and then I would lose ALL tension from the 5/R side to neutral. In each case I would have to pull the console, remove the shifter, take a few pieces off, set the spring, etc.... It was a real pitabread because it happened 3 or 4 times before I had B&M send me another one.
 
There are two springs inside the shifter. One to push tension from the 1/2 side to neutral....the other to push tension from the 5/R side to neutral. I had both an early and a late model and had problems with the 5/R side spring in the early one. It would get caught sideways in it's bore and then I would lose ALL tension from the 5/R side to neutral. In each case I would have to pull the console, remove the shifter, take a few pieces off, set the spring, etc.... It was a real pitabread because it happened 3 or 4 times before I had B&M send me another one.

There's the answer. :)
 
Doesn't the stock shifter feel the same way? As in hard to put it in line to shift into 5/R but 1/2 and 3/4 are really easy?
 
There are two springs inside the shifter. One to push tension from the 1/2 side to neutral....the other to push tension from the 5/R side to neutral. I had both an early and a late model and had problems with the 5/R side spring in the early one. It would get caught sideways in it's bore and then I would lose ALL tension from the 5/R side to neutral. In each case I would have to pull the console, remove the shifter, take a few pieces off, set the spring, etc.... It was a real pitabread because it happened 3 or 4 times before I had B&M send me another one.

Excellent! I guess mine just happened in the 1/2 gate
THanks guys
 
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