MTEC shifter spring install issue
 

I received the MTEC shifter spring kit recently and decided to have a crack at installing it today. i was able to get the first spring in pretty easily (the one behind the 10mm hex bolt), but the detent won't come out for anything. torque rating is 29ft/lb, and i couldn't get it off with a breaker. i was actually afraid to break it and quit as the sun was going down. i'll try again in the daylight tomorrow.

did anyone else have issues getting that out? i fear mine may have been cross-threaded on at the factory or something.

Gotta love locktite. It will come loose it's just a bitch

finally got it out of there, it was pretty rough but totally worth it. the shifter feels amazing now. definitely the best mod i've done for the price ($30 or so).

Describe the differences qualitatively please.

i might pick up a set of these springs soon as well. @jamesm do you have any other transmission bushings/inserts installed? i was thinking maybe the springs and a kartboy transmission mount insert

It feels like it allows the shifter to return to neutral zone faster and more precisely without much user input. So shifts from 2nd to 3rd are easier, along with 4th to 5th, and for the reverse order. I've always found myself not shifting fast enough from 4th to 5th especially with flat foot shifting, but these springs help out immensely. Smooth! I hope that was a qualitative enough explanation. But if someone your neighborhood or area has one of these installed, you can test it out. If I was there, I'd let you test it out. :burnrubber:

As for quantitative, I think MTEC has a video on their website that describes how the spring tension does something something something to the shifter. lol.

Hope this all helps.

@markmatley has it pretty much spot-on. i'll just add that it feels much, much tighter as well, in that there is a lot less slop in the shifter. it also made actually going into gear much smoother and more like a 'click' than a 'crunch'.

i actually didn't expect these springs to do much for $30, i just did them because they were cheap and i was doing a fluid change. the difference is pretty shocking.

I can echo this being one of my favorite cheap mods as well. It's been pretty well described for sure just feels tighter and more direct.

Thanks. I'd seen the install video on the MTEC site, but wanted to know what it felt like.

I wonder how these would work with a Kartboy
shifter? Anybody combine the two?

I'm installing this next week....relatively cheap mod so I figured what the heck I'll give it a try.

I've got the Kartboy shifter, MTEC springs, and Whiteline "positive shift kit" all sitting in boxes at home, waiting for me to install next month. I'm going to do them all at once, so I won't be able to describe the difference of each one, but I expect it to be a night and day difference with all that.

Although I may hold off on the Whiteline part. I've heard talk about it being potentially harmful on your motor mounts and stuff if you don't replace all that type of stuff at once.

i don't have the kartboy shifter, i almost bought it but decided o see how just the springs and fluid would make it feel. i would imagine that both would be awesome.

What fluid did you go with?

motul gear 300. havent put it in yet though.

was thinking if the fluid helped the new feeling

no i havent added it yet... going to do that when i get some more free time. all that's been done so far are the springs.

I've already got the Kartboy shifter, Perrin rear shifter bushing, Kartboy transmission mount insert, and Pentosin in the trans. Hopefully this will make it even better. Just ordered, so maybe by next week I'll have them installed.

For those worried about fluids, theres a plethora of info and benefits on this forum, using either Motul 300, or personally coming from the BMW market, Pentozin MTF2.

I've got the MTF2 in and now the only noises from my tranny is the thud from shifting into gear at a stop. No gear chatter (over the sounds of my headerback) and its smooth as butter to shift (this was before I installed the mtec springs). Hope any of this helps, if not, check out the technical topics on fluids.

OK, I installed the MTEC springs. As a recap, I have the Kartboy shifter, Kartboy trams mount insert, Perrin rear shifter bushing, and Pentosin MTF2 fluid. The springs are definitely worth the $30 or so dollars. They tightened up the 2-3 & 4-5 shifts. Shifting feels like a well oiled bolt action rifle now. Kind of a pain to get to, even on a lift, and it takes a bit of force to break the Loctite loose. Impossible to get a torque wrench on the drivers side, at least it was for me. The passenger's side was accessible with a 1/2-3/8 adapter on a 1 1/16 socket and a universal joint. All in all, much recommended.

I installed the springs after all the possible trans upgrade you could think of. The springs are a good product.

Holy crap... Did anyone have a ton of trouble getting the Detent (passenger side) back in?

I - Cannot - for the life of me - get that bitch threaded and back in. I see no way to get force on the spring to let the threads catch.

Any advice? Driving me nuts.

Also - i'm just working on the garage floor, car on jacks. No lift for me.

I used a rag and isopropyl alcohol to clean the threads off a bit before I tried to put it back in. After that it threaded and went in with no problems.

Did you leave the exhaust on when you did the install? It is SO in the way - can get no force lol.

Did it with a 3" front pipe in place, only issue was the locative in 27mm bolt hole.

After struggling in my back for an hour with rags, steel wool, cleaner, etc. Eventually took a right angle pick and scraped out enough loctite to make it work.

Till that point I was ready to smash everything in the garage with the fury of 10,000 suns.

I left the exhaust on for mine and it worked just fine. The order of parts went: 27mm socket, 1/2" u-joint, 1/2"-3/8" adapter, 2 3/8"x6" extensions, torque wrench. You have to put the socket and small pieces on first, then feed the extensions in on the passenger side of the exhaust pipe. It was easy and it got the torque wrench and ratchet down below the car where I could turn them.

lol. I ended up taking off the front pipe and using a small flathead to scrape out the crap. Then i finally got a good enough angle to clean more out and get er screwed in.

This was my afternoon. Sad.

I would always just take off the front pipe, it takes about 30 seconds and opens things up quite a bit.

I agree. It was also very helpful in getting the Perrin Transmission mount support and the Perrin Shifter rod bushing installed. Took about everything I had to get the two nuts of the header bolts though. Those suckers were on there good. can't imagine how hard it could have been if I drove my car in the winters here... salt and whatnot.

I 'm pretty sure i f-$& ed the transmision threads...the .detent threads are intact....ill post pic later...

I stripped mine .... Detent is intact... Talked to shop for tap...
I cleaned trans threads thorough....was very careful by hand..but...i think i used to much force.... Have to go to the shop anyways, for ss brakelines and pads

What can i use to cover the hole of the stripped threads in the trans????...i live in a apt building and i need to get the car to the street to be lifted and taken to the shop.

Results
 

Fixed by shop taking rear trans holding point enough for tap...used tape to cover detent hole on trans...

Got ns400s and ss brake lines!! Everything was meant to be!

Did you take the entire car or just the transmission?

I am having the same issue. Working under jack stands and trying to get up there it felt like it was aligned and then it wasn't.

Detent bolt is fine, but the threads on my transmission are jacked.

How much did it cost you to have it fixed?

well..after just doing this yesterday...I taped my trans "hole" with "grey" colored tape and drove the car to shop... another forum member didn't even cover the "hole" and drove car to shop...fiebruz motorsports (the best on ft86 platform here in PR) lowered rear trans mount and then had room for a new tap on stripped trans thread... no trans drop...my "fuck up" labor was of 30 bucks worth...mtec industry just recoxmended "tape" on a email ... no more costumer service other than an email saying "tape it and take to shop"... so they suck...trying to sell a product with a youtube vid making it look easy when there is a lot of other details involved for a proper install...they sell a product saying to just unbolt, change spring and rebolt when it is more complicated than that...bullshit...like many things in the aftermarket car industry...you have to take detent very carefully the last turns when removing, then take all the old locktite off...i mean all...use alcohol, carb cleaner, a pick, whatever...to remove all old locktite...its a bitch...for me it was...and try to thread by hand the detent bolt first before even trying to actually rebolt detent with mtec spring..patience is the key...but you already stripped thr thread...price?...comunicate with shop and let them know that tap on your stripped thread on trans can be done without taking trans out...no biggie...worth it thought...mtec springs do make shifter feel stiffer...why did mtec create a spring better than stock for aggressive shifting without proper diy instructions is the bullshit...they just want to.make it look easy to sell it....same shit as other aftemarket products do to sell...lesson learned on my part...my recomendation...tape it good so no trans oil spills upon taking it to a trustworthy shop and tap...then check once in a while that the shop did their job well cheking that no trans fluid slippage from their job...so take the stress off.your shoulders and follow my recomendations...again evaluate well doing a diy from a company who just wants to sell a product....PM me if you want have questions!!!
Dont worry!!! You'll have your car running good in no time.

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I messed up my threads also. Getting them re tapped..

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dont worry
 

use the strongest tape you have available, you have a lot of time moving the car, depending how long the trans takes temperature and use.

my shop just lowered the back trans support and had sufficient space to retap... try to make sure the retap is done by a professional, don't let the newbie of the shop do it.

its not a big deal!! its part of your whole flat four, rear wheel drive machine that saved the average joe car enthusiasts scene.

so inspiring....gonna wash mine right now :bellyroll:

Thanks

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