These mods are considered 101 for this platform, but I'm super excited regardless! The gearbox is great from the factory, but there are some small improvements to be made. Many thanks to Speed Factory for the quick delivery.
MTEC Shifter Springs
I'm hoping this will guide 3rd->2nd and 4th->5th a bit more cleanly. I don't have any consistent problems with those shifts right now, but these will hopefully tighten up the travel and make those shifts a bit more fluid. 3rd->2nd is far and away the hardest shift to nail on the BRZ, and is met with the most resistance. I find 5th->4th very fluid and natural, but 3rd-2nd can put up a fight. Here's hoping this takes some of the edge off.
Its very easy to botch this install--still undecided if I will have my shop fit these or not.
Perrin Rear Shifter Bushing
More of the same here. Hoping to reduce any play/sloppiness in the stock setup. This one will also be a pain to install, but certainly easier than the shifter springs. Bought as part of the Positive Shift Kit with the Transmission insert below.
Whiteline Transmission Mount Insert
This one went straight on the car--I didn't even pause for a picture. Spoiler: It is a piece of black urethane! Whiteline no longer appears to make their products in yellow.
Installation thoughts
Although most walkthroughs have you remove the front pipe and the entire crossmember to install this, there is a less involved approach that saved us having to buy new gaskets and drop the pipe.
We put the car on stands, removed the engine & transmission covers, and supported the transmission on a jack. I supported the front pipe with a wood block, and removed the FP hanger. Removed the 17mm center bolt on the transmission mount, and raised the transmission ever so slightly.
From there, all that was required was greasing up the insert, having my buddy hold up the center bolt, and the insert went right in. I cleaned up the grease, threaded the 17mm bolt back on, then the exhaust hangers, then the engine/trans covers. Job done.
I'm sure someone will come along and tell me I should't have raised the transmission. It was probably only 1cm--I'd imagine it sees much more movement just driving around. I wasn't worried about it.
The install took us a few hours. More experienced owners will be able to do this in much less time.
Driving impressions
I fired up the car and immediately noticed an increase in both vibration and exhaust volume. There's much more noticeable high-frequency vibration, and because the FP is hung from the transmission, it seems to resonate through the car much moreso than stock.
Backing the car out of the driveway was enough to tell me that this was going to be a great addition. Even small amounts of throttle send great feedback through the whole car. You feel the car beneath you with much greater fidelity.
Now comes the good part. 1st/2nd/3rd pulls. Two words: gearbox whine. Glorious gearbox whine. It honestly sounds bit like a subtle sequential gearbox. Its VERY noticeable in 1st and 2nd, and starts to trail off around the end of 3rd gear. I don't notice it much in 5th. Cruising in 6th at 2500-3000 will bring back some of the whine as well. I LOVE it. The best way I can describe it is that it sounds as if you are hearing the transmission through your shifter assembly/dash. Its just there. You instantly feel so much more connected to the drivetrain. The whole car comes alive, and feels more raw and authentic. This may be a subtle mod, but it made a huge difference to me.
After a day of hard driving, I can confirm that it does its job where it needs to. Under heavy load, shifts feels more crisp and connected. Shifts are less upset by bumpy surfaces, and overall it removes some of the slop. If you haven't done so already, buy it. You won't be disappointed.
I do have my concerns about stiffening only this section of the transmission. I'll likely get some engine mounts as well as I start to drive the car harder.
