OHSIXX

Got it in today! Gears are much closer together. Everything is pretty stiff. Difficult to get into reserve and first gear, but doable.

Assuming this is normal and everything will eventually loosen up. If you have the Hurst Shifter please post your experience.

Alwyn678

A buddie and I put one in his 74 and it was pretty tight........but not difficult to get into any gear or reverse.........

45ACP

I hated mine. After two days of use of my brand-new shifter, I decided to remove it and go back to the stock shifter. I was delayed in getting it out and so lived with it for two weeks. It was an unhappy two weeks.

1. The shift lever was too long for my taste, 2-3 inches longer than stock.
2. The throws were no shorter than the stock shifter in the "short throw" mode.
3. The lack of a lock-out for reverse was very annoying. It was impossible to do a hard, fast shift from 4-1 or 3-1 without overshooting into reverse. Only very deliberate downshifts were possible.
4. Because of the direct mounting to the tranny (as opposed to the crossmember), it transmitted more noise and vibration, though this is a very minor complaint.
5. It felt no more "precise" to me than the stock unit.

I believe there may be something to be said for the ruggedness of the unit and the use of the shift stops in drag-race only applications, but I found it to be a waste of time and $'s for what I wanted.

I should probably mention that I have a perfect or near-perfect stock shifter in my car. It is not that way by accident - when I bought the car years ago it was one of the first things I tore apart and tweaked. An untouched and worn stock arrangement would likely not have faired as well in a comparison.

I hope you are more satisfied with yours than I was with mine.


[Modified by 45ACP, 5:28 PM 11/26/2002]

yellow 72

If "stiff" and "tight" translate to precise yep :yesnod: that's the way a Competion Plus feels. If it is difficult to find or gears hard to engage them, something is missajusted or worn elsewhere. If one can find no improvement over the stock shifter I would start over with the installation...and this time follow the instuctions :cheers:

OHSIXX

I did not use the shift lever that came with the Hurst, but a stock "look alike" that is the same length as the stock lever. So, there is not a noticable appearance change.

The throws are much shorter and very crisp; you can hear it snap into gear. I think it is just logical the shifts will loosen up over time. My biggest concern is getting it into reserve which I am able to do in a matter of seconds, but it does take a little effort and does not just snap into it.

It feels like a new part that needs "breaking-in."

rafox77

If the shifter is installed properly with the neutral gates lined up right, you should have no problem finding reverse. Mine was perfect from day 1, and thankfully has not loosened up at all.

Just curious, who downshifts hard from 4th to 1st, and why would you want to?

OHSIXX

Sorta feeling a little better about the shifter. It is such a dramatic difference maybe it just takes a little getting use to since my stock shifter was loose as a goose.

Did a little practice shifting and am now becoming more comfortable with it. Reverse does take an extra second or two, but I think the Hurst is going to be a big improvement over the stock. :)


[Modified by OHSIXX, 7:56 PM 11/26/2002]

Gordonm

Reverse just takes a little getting used to. this shifter is so much better tha nthe stock shifter. Never miss a gear with the Hurst. If yours is not shifting better than the stock unit something is wrong or misadjusted. The Hurst is way better than the stock. Shorter throws and smoother shifting. It will loosen up a little as you drive it more.

MikeC

My hurst is great, I'd never go back to stock. as for the 4-1 shift, I've never had a problem with putting it into reverse accidentally. The throws are a little longer than I'd like but that isn't hard to change.

AFter two years, mine is still tighter than ever.

OHSIXX

One of my e-mail buddies who has the Hurst on two vettes told me the reverse is meant to be that way to prevent mistakes. Also, it takes it longer to loosen up because it is used less frequently.

Makes sense to me!

chuck d

Hi OHSIXX:

I have a Hurst Competion Plus with a Look-Stock lever and found it a marked improvement over the stock shifter setup. Reverse is stiff on purpose, to keep you from selecting reverse by mistake. Also Hurst makes many different levers for thse shifters (short,long curved etc.). I think you did the right thing if you are ever going to drive your car hard.

Chuck D

fauxrs

As noted by others - difficulty getting into reverse is intentional. while there is no lockout, unless something is wrong with the shifter I can see no possible way to accidentally shift into reverse. It takes a concerted effort to get through the reverse gate on my shifter.

Everything else is very precise with nice "snick - snick" sounds during shifts. Definitly a more robust unit. I still have the shifter arm that came with the shifter and it is a tad long - I may go over to the look alike shifter arm if it is that much shorter.

79 Midnight Blue L82

45ACP

Do you still have your Hurst shifter that you really did not like? If so, would you like to sell it? I might be interested as I really despise my worn out OEM shifter.

L82-JWS

I recently installed the Hurst Comp Plus also in my 79. What a difference. The
stock shifter was much more loose, where as the hurst is tight and crisp. Reverse is a tad difficult, but as stated earlier, its by design. enjoy! :)

SmokedTires

I was very happy with that shifter on my old 4spd :yesnod: . Enjoy :cheers: !

OHSIXX

After a full day of driving and shifting gears, I am wondering why I waited so long to get this thing on.

It is at least a thousand percent improvement. :)

Bob in Dallas

The reason it is "difficult" to get into reverse is the spring which must be overcome to reach reverse. This helps prevent accidental moves to reverse when downshifting. Proper allignment of the neutral gate (read the instructions on installing a pin and adjusting shift lever length) make the shifting quick and precise. After missing a shift on a new Z-28 in '68, and watching the tach hit 8000, the next stop was to buy a C-Plus shifter. Problem cured.