Raceseng Reverse Lockout - Disappointed
 

I recently picked up a Raceseng Ashiko in Orange/Mirror and a black Reverse Lockout.

Nice gear - I mean it is very well done. I like the weight on the Ashiko - it's almost too heavy. The mirror orange finish is a nice splash of accent in the car.

I did battle with the reverse lockout and by using the right tool and a good old thumping with a hammer - I did the install in about 15 minutes. Most of that was spent trying to get the friggin jpm coachwork boot back up onto the shifter. Ended up taking off the shifter boot ring and working it up from underneath.

Anyway! I was ready to go. Grabbed my ring to go into reverse and POW there it was. The feeling of sharp aluminum under my fingers.

The culprit? On the stock reverse lockout which is plastic - they have drilled a tiny hole all the way through so you can place the pin in place. You hardly feel this hole under your fingers.

On the Raceseng - they have machined out a channel. Why? No idea. The result = your fingertips are constantly touching this sharp metal and it doesn't feel good. It's like getting teeth during oral.

Why? Why would Raceseng do this? I am really sick of vendors ALMOST getting things right. I love the knob - pure sex. Smooth, feels great in the hand. I touch the reverse lockout ring a lot when I shift. My little finger tends to rest there. It is not only during a pull up to go into reverse that you will run into this rough spot.

Anyway - I am really disappointed that they did not think this through. When I drive, I interact with my car through the steering wheel and the stick. (Plus the pedals but they are usually with my feet :)) My hands want a nice steering wheel and a nice smooth stick. Nothing abrasive.

So - Raceseng - please go back to the drawing board on this and get an engineering change - your product is so high quality - it deserves to feel nice in the hand. For the money - we deserve nothing but the best.

They don't post pictures of the back of this thing for a good reason. I will post a picture when I get a minute.

I have a red Raceseng reverse lockout and it works perfectly fine. Along with no funky edges or anything

Well - here is the back - look at that rough cutout.

It works fine, it feels like shit.

http://i.imgur.com/8AbRzjW.jpg

They don't show this in any of their photos - do they?

Uggh. That's awful. At least cover to clip over it. Something...

Yep - I emailed them and sent a picture asking if I received some sort of test piece. I will post here when I hear back.

I'm not surprised. Most of the RaceEng products I've seen keep the engineering to a minimum. Bling bling shiny orange Yo! They could probably get you a cracked pulley or a do nothing replacement for your stock front braces that cost a whole lot for pretty much no benefit.

Mine has the same thing. I don't like it, but I don't go into reverse so often that it's bothersome.

No thanks. I think the stock plastic RL is a little cheap feeling and I wanted it to feel better - not worse. Guess I will check out Perrin...

I keep finding it even when shifting in 1-5 with my fingers hanging down there. I can see how some people might not even notice it but it really doesn't fit my driving style or expectation of quality. I often shift grabbing the stick like a joystick with my thumb on top as well.

I got the Beatrush one and it works and feels great. They have a small pinhole just like the OEM one.

Send that shit back and get a refund.

You paid good money (way more than its worth IMO) for that piece and it should not have shitty craftsmanship like that.

I have the same on mine, but rarely touch it. I would hardly consider it "shitty craftsmanship" - raceseng produces high quality stuff. It is just an oversight by them

Could you take a picture further back? I'm interested in seeing the combo you chose.

It's not shitty craftsmanship. It's not "just" an oversight. It's a glaring oversight that has a direct impact on the usability. It's a ridiculously simple part with a straightforward function. Leaving a raw counterbore with sharp edges would be ok under the hood but this is an ergonomic issue.

fail.

I know they make good stuff, I have their 86'er knob in black on my car right now.

After seeing the picture IMO that is shitty craftsmanship especially compared to my 86'er knob.

Poor placement, rough edge cut, no paint over the raw metal after cut.
IMO Shitty.

never even realized this... been over a year lol.

meh. still satisfied.

Update:

Jarrett at Raceseng has let me know that there has been an engineering mod. He said the next batch will be different.

I asked if he would replace mine with a new one when they are produced and I would just make due for the moment. He replied that he does not know when they will run a new batch - that is dependent on how long it takes to sell current inventory.

I am going to seek a refund and go the Perrin route since they are in my town here in PDX.

Why not just get some sandpaper out....??

Isn't going to work. That should be a smooth part of the system IMO. Nothing on my car from the AVO turbo to the Perrin exhaust is troublesome. I spend too much time with my hands on that part of the car to compromise.

It doesn't feel right with a gaping hole there. Raceseng has recognized this with a future mod. It's all good.

I will just see if they want to refund my money and leave me as a satisfied customer (Love the Ashiko) or end up in the unsatisfied bucket. I am confident that they stand behind their goal of quality.

Raceseng did the right thing and have agreed to RMA my piece. I love companies that stand by their product.

The Ashiko is beautiful and I am proud to have it in my car.
The RLO could use a little work and they recognized this and have an engineering change set for the next batch.

Happy ending. I am just a little bummed that it didn't work for me because it is a very nice piece. You might not even notice it but it just didn't work for me.

Props to Raceseng for being stand-up folks.

Very happy for you and am impressed with Raceseng's candor. Props x2!

Why the hate? Their front license plate mount is engineered very well and doesn't suffer from the issues other adjustable mounts have...

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showp...9&postcount=42


Here is my interior as it stands today
http://i.imgur.com/d7fXTqs.jpg