Revan Racing shifter bushings vs. MGW Gen2 shifter

[Tob]

I took my stock TR6060 shifter as far as it could go. I sourced the KR bushings for Van and Dean. Tom Wenstrom made up the aluminum bushings and I verified fitment for him on each GT500 shifter iteration. That was as far as you could take the stock unit. I then designed a spherical drop in bushing to replace the factory sphere and was looking to produce a few for testing. Things were looking good....then I saw George's second generation GT500 shifter. He successfully integrated a single axis shifter that completely eliminated the factory pendulum architecture. After a thorough study of the new MGW unit I bailed on my own efforts.

George's shifter is both precise and extremely robust. Each and every component is engineered for maximum performance and without compromise. For those of you on the fence - jump off and get on the phone. Your GT500 deserves nothing but the best.

 

[avgt500]

Ive got one going in sometime in January when I get around to installing it. Did you see any significant drop in ET?

Maybe a tenth, but no more missed shifts, way more consistent, the 2 step is a waste on a gt500 but i also have my box controlling my nitrous, so far it's flawless.

 

[SCGallo2]

I received my backordered weighted stainless steel gripper shifter knob with Cobra emblem from MGW this week; install was simple. I put some miles on the car over the weekend and while the feel is very different from the OEM shifter knob and will take some time to get used to, there is nothing about the new shifter knob that I am unhappy with. I honestly only got it for appearance, and it looks sharp! My overall impression of my shifter and knob combination is the perfectly balanced feeling of being connected, precise, and dampened (no noise or vibration).

On another note, for the entire life of my car, I have experienced high rpm 5th gear lockout when shifting from 4th to 5th or 3rd to 5th between 5-6k rpms. There was no change with this shifter combination. I am still locked out nearly every time. Either the synchro is unhappy or my shift technique needs work. There is no grind... it just won't go into 5th gear. No problem whatsoever during normal driving at highway speeds. I was hopeful that this shifter would fix my issue, but wasn't banking on it. I am still very pleased with this product.

 

[william.t.abel]

I have the MGW 2 put it in last summer. It is perfect, today I drove 215 spirited miles on twisty roads with lots of shifting. Absolutely the best investment I made on my 12 Shelby.

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[HooperWest]

I run the same set up as you, including the Weighted Ball and Extended handle and the set-up is truly a revelation. My previous set-up was Ford Racing's KR Shifter, with Van/Tob's Aluminum Bushings, which was a marked improvement over stock, but not in the same orbit as MGW's perfectly engineered assembly.

 

[ShelbyGT5HUN]

On another note, for the entire life of my car, I have experienced high rpm 5th gear lockout when shifting from 4th to 5th or 3rd to 5th between 5-6k rpms. There was no change with this shifter combination. I am still locked out nearly every time. Either the synchro is unhappy or my shift technique needs work. There is no grind... it just won't go into 5th gear.

I had the same concern. However, I did some testing, and I can guarantee you that it is your technique. I have the MGW Gen 1, for the record.

Think of the shift as if you were shifting a super tight gated Ferrari. You must nail it just right, under full power, or you will tag the reverse lockout solenoid. You can't just "8 ball corner pocket" the shift. It's not like that. It's a up, and SLIGHTLY off center path, not a JAM it to the the top right corner.

The way I improved, was to practice shifting from 4th to 5th, with the car off. It is a narrow path that the shifter has to take. Try it very slow (car off) to learn to do it by feel. I was able to replicate the lockout 10:10 times at speed, and nail it correctly 10:10 times at speed. My $0.02

 

[SCGallo2]

Think of the shift as if you were shifting a super tight gated Ferrari. You must nail it just right, under full power, or you will tag the reverse lockout solenoid. You can't just "8 ball corner pocket" the shift. It's not like that. It's a up, and SLIGHTLY off center path, not a JAM it to the the top right corner.

The way I improved, was to practice shifting from 4th to 5th, with the car off. It is a narrow path that the shifter has to take. Try it very slow (car off) to learn to do it by feel. I was able to replicate the lockout 10:10 times at speed, and nail it correctly 10:10 times at speed. My $0.02

^^^That's a good analogy. I actually practiced rowing through the gears with the car off before I was able to drive it. It felt promising because the shifter never missed a beat... slipped into every gear with no problems as fast as I was able to shift. I'll keep trying during spirited driving, being more conscious of my movements. Its not a huge deal because of the speeds involved; I usually shut it down at the top of 4th gear anyway.

 

[GT Premi]

No springs in the MGW shifter.

How does it center itself?

...

On another note, for the entire life of my car, I have experienced high rpm 5th gear lockout when shifting from 4th to 5th or 3rd to 5th between 5-6k rpms. ...

It's your shift technique. Sounds like you're going for Reverse when you think you're going for 5th. (Which, to be honest, I don't think there's a difference in the gate for 5th and Reverse. I believe when the car is not moving, the Reverse solenoid opens up and blocks 5th gear. Has anybody attempted to start moving in 5th gear?) You have to remember that the engine and transmission rotate over to the left under high load, so all your gates get shifted over from their normal positions. So trying to bang gears under those conditions can be problematic. I bet some solid engine mounts or a CHE A-arm brace w/ torque limiters would solve your 5th gear problem. Either one of those is cheaper than an MGW shifter and has the added benefit of transferring more power to the tires.

That said, your review has made me more interested in upgrading from MGW's gen 1 to the gen 2 shifter.

 

[Joewee500]

Lockout of 5th is technique. I will say that I've gone from 1 to 4 under light throttle many times since the swap. Still getting used to that. Is the jam but supposed to be tightened as tightly as possible? Mine has come loose several times after installing the ball like the video. I was scared to tightened it too much.

 

[SCGallo2]

Is the jam but supposed to be tightened as tightly as possible? Mine has come loose several times after installing the ball like the video. I was scared to tightened it too much.

The version I have does not have a jam nut. The base is integrated into the shift knob and is secured with a forward-facing set screw. There appeared to be some type of thread locker on the set screw to prevent it from backing out.

 

[Joewee500]

This is the 3rd time I've tightened it. I put a decent bit of tq on it this time and so far so good. I would prefer the version you have SCGallo2.


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[barspen]

After almost 6 year of driving on the stock shifter, upgrading the bushings, installing a Hurst strait lever, removing rubber isolator and 2 trans fluid changes, I decided to pull the trigger on the MGW2 today. I was putting it off because the upgrades seemed "good enough" for what I do day-to-day - Daily Drive and road course duty.

What made me pull the trigger was driving another manual transmission car and comparing the two. Got my son a '06 Miata to learn stick and take to school. As I started driving it a few times a week, I realized a massive difference in shifting effort between the two cars. The effort it takes to get in gear and the 'roughness' on the stock GT500 shifter is pretty bad.

With so much positive feedback about the MGW2, I figured it was time to try something new. Plus, any mod that Tob has suggested or endorsed, has worked out well for me.

 

[Tob]

 

[SCGallo2]

After a little more than a year driving with my MGW Gen2 shifter, I am still very pleased with its performance. One minor tweak I had to make to the product was to drill a shallow dimple for the set screw to "bite" into to prevent the gripper shifter knob from spinning on the threaded shift lever. I had tightened the set screw as much as possible a few times, but it would still turn fairly easily during spirited driving when I had a firm grip on the shifter. The shifter knob now remains securely in place after my modification.