Hot temperature + new B&M short shifter = bad

E

evilpanda

Member
Since I've installed my B&M short shifter on my 2001 protege ES, when I've been driving for around 20 minutes in hot temperatures like 20 degres celcius and more the shifter becomes sticky and slugish. The gears seem to be engaging as usual but the stick movement is more slugish and sticky. In neutral I can push the stick left between gear 1 and 2 or right between 5 and R and it stays there!

What could be the problem? It wasn't doing this before with the stock shifter. Could it be the bushings that connect the shifter with the rod? The bolt? I also makes a little bit of sound when moving the shifter like a rubber sound.

Any help will be greatly appreciated!
 
mine does that too. it's normal. actually the heat thing was happening. did you have to cut the heatshield or just bend it? i cut mine and the heat from the exhaust pipe was causing the metal shifter to expand. that's the problem you are mentioning. But..I "accidentally" fixed my problem when i got my ceramic coated header and now everything runs cooler on the exhaust side. no more sticky issues.

The squeak is still there though. i got used to it already. i dont' mind it.
 
Yeah the guy at the garage cut a small piece of the heat shield around the shifter so that it doesn't hit it. I've heard people completely remove the heat shield or just bend it.

I also think that the heat from the exhaust pipe is doing the damage, I can feel the heat coming out of the shifter boot. So I guess the only way to fix it is to put some kind of thermal wrap around the pipe ?
 
Put some better grease on the pivot bushing/ball on the shifter - white lithium sucks ass under a hot environment...; I used some Valvoline Durablend stuff and it's made all the difference. I get very little sticking issues and often get confused when I see these types of posts...

Other than that, try the above suggestions regarding your heatsheild issue...
 
i get it too, i freaking hate it, makes me feel like my tranny is fallin apart
 
but the weird thing is that i know an mp3 that also has the b&m, his s*** has never stiffened, ever, and he drives A LOT
 
mine use to squeaks as well after about 20 mins of driving..

I tried greasing up the bushing that connects the shifter stick to the shifter linkage... now if feels much better.. the squeaking seems to be gone too.
 
i plan to grease mine soon, it started squeeking after the salty winter.
it does seem kinda rough going into gears but i assume that's normal
 
Wanting a Short Shifter

I'm looking at getting a short-shift kit for my 03 Pro5, either B&M or Kartboy. Any suggestions as to which to go with? Any difference? Also, how hard was the install for those that did it themselves? Anything I should know before tackling the task on my own? Also, I have a shift knob off a 05 Mazda 3 on the stock shifter. Will a stock knob fit the B&M and/or Kartboy shifter or will I have to get another knob to fit?
 
run a search for which shifter to get..it's all preference.

as for the knob..the 3 knob will fit since the B&M and Kartboy can use the stock protege5 knobs. thread pitch is the same
 
I think whoever said above that the exhaust heat is causing it is right because I just recently installed my header and the weather down here is already around 100+ deg F is not helping at all. My shifter for the first time a couple days ago got really sticky and sluggish. Didn't happen until after I installed my header. Thinking about thermal wrapping my header. BTW, where do we get that stuff?
 
what about the midpipe, could i wrap that as well? or would it get damaged by water hitting it?
 
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