[Rich Z]

Well I took a short drive with the new MTI shifter. Shifting is definitely easier then with the Hurst, but I'm not sure how much of that may be from the taller shifter knob I had to use. So it makes a direct comparisons rather difficult. The taller knob would make shifting easier on any shifter with the increased leverage. Shifting does seem very firm and positive, and the gears seem very easy to find with no hunt and peck shifting. Getting into reverse is even what I would call "easy" after struggling with the Hurst.

As for the Hurst shifter, I would not recommend anyone just taking out the springs like I did. Lateral play even while in gear was substantial. When I had the shifter out on the work table I noticed that there are some lower spring support disks that were all cockeyed. I would imagine that if you had those set screws in at the right depth, it would be possible for those disks to be on edge and could get jammed up between those lateral arms on the shifter and screw, which would keep you from making lateral motion with the shifter in that direction. For instance, if it happened on the left side of the shifter, you would not be able to move the shifter far enough to the right to be able to get into reverse. I guess I am just lucky that didn't happen to me, but I think there is a very real possibility of that happening.

All in all, I still think the Hurst shifter looks like a very high class piece of equipment, but the spring arrangement just is not suitable for my kind of driving. Maybe hopped up on adrenalin at the track it wouldn't matter a whit, but for just pleasure cruising, it made shifting just much more of a chore then it should be, in my opinion. Maybe a taller knob would have fixed that problem for me. But in any event, the MTI is in there now, and feels real good with the knob on it, so that's the way it will likely stay unless I find a reason to get into the console area again and have to remove that knob. It does make the shift length a little bit longer, but all things considered, I would rather have the effortless shifting over the shorter shifting.

Oh, btw, I contacted the guy I got that C6 shifter knob from and he told me to send it back to him and he would replace the plastic threaded insert with a metal one for me. He said that would fix the problem I had with it. I will probably do that, but in reality, I think that any knob with a shifting diagram on it, or otherwise position sensitive, it really needs a locking nut so you can position it exactly where you want it. With the ones that just thread on till tight, you have to just hope that you can tighten it at the place where it needs to be, and it won't loosen up over time. Because if it loosens, all you can do is to turn it another full turn to get it tight again. A few times doing that, and sure as heck you are eventually going to bottom it out and you are then out of luck.