tattu

I was just wondering if B&M would shift a little bit smoother than Kartboy since it comes with its own bearings.
Any comments would be appreciated.

njaremka

i see the b&m being a bit more clunky because it uses it's own bearings. and i see the kartboy shifting a little smoother and quiter because it uses the stock bushings.

of course, i haven't seen or used either, so i could be talking out my ***.

arl240

you are talking out of your ***. The B&M shifter's bushings are metal but the tolerancing compared to plastic oem one is beyond comparison. The shifter is dead quiet, and about a thousand times smoother. I am presuming that the kartboy shifter just changes the geometry of the shift, not the feel of it.

njaremka

thanks man.

Sil_Pro5

I would think that that the B&M would fell less sloppy and more direct thant he Kartboy shifter. The stock bushings are one of the reasons why the shifter (stock) feels like crap. I would go w/ the B&M myself. But then again, I havent even seen or messed w/ either.

arl240

sil pro is one the money. Once you have a look at the shifter's build quality...... .......so good.............

WShade

B & M for sure !!!!!!!!!!

Makaveli

what about just getting the Kartboy bushings??? 20$, how can you go wrong? hehe

I'll try it out very soon

Sir Nuke

I HAVE the B&M shifter....its sooooooooooooooo nice...and if you look at the way its made vs the others....the quality is hands down far and above....I don't think you could EVER hurt this thing.

and as far as the Kartboy bushings....I think they are a good thing....and I am going to be getting me a set....they will only compliment the B&M shifter.

slikpro

I currently have the kartboy short shifter with bushings. So far no problems, I really doubt any, cause the quality of the shifter is solid and perfectly welded. Since I live in San Diego I actually picked up my shifter at Kartboy and met Tom (President). I know he stands behind his product cause he does not hide. The shifter has a flat black chip resistant finish. The knuckle is stainless steel with no paint residue. Compared to the stock shifter, no comparison. The stock shifter feels hollow and cheap, plus the knuckle is painted with cheap glossy paint that is peeling and degrading the stock knuckle plastic bushings. The kartboy is solid and thick. I cannot dis the B&M since I have not seen it. But for the price and quality, go kartboy, but if you have money and want to pay for the brand go B&M.

Just my 2 cents
________
SageMontana

sandman

Sounds like both shifters are pretty much on par with each other.

Can anybody take pics of theirs so we can see a comparison - looks wise?

Sil_Pro5

are you sure that the bushings are not made out of a nylon composite? It would look like plastic but in reality it would be made of nylon. Nylon is far cheaper than teflon (or PTFE) and more durable. Teflon would only be used to 'coat' the bushing in order to decrease friction.

And yes even if it were made of full-teflon, it would still suck! The bushings would and do not allow for any feel while shifting. It does have one feel though-mushy!

arl240

The main bushings look a lot like teflon, and they have the same feel to them. If I was designing bushings for it (and I have designed bushings) I would go with teflon, which is not that expensive for those sizes and quantities. I think the mazda boys would not want any stiction or seizing from being left in place too long.

njaremka

the bushings are teflon. quote from mazdausa.com:

5-speed manual transmission
A slick-shifting 5-speed stick is standard on all Protegé models. Teflon® bushings contribute to the smooth action, making shifting fun.

arl240

Slick research Nik. Damn I am good. On another note, that frickin paint crap on the shifter was gross. Flakes everwhere......ugh, I can feel the wear. Thank goodness for self-lubricating bronze.....ah the miracle of ancient science.