4R70W, Manual Valve Body - Which Shifter?

[BlackVert]

I have decided to go to a full manual valve body. That will definately get me on the road. And it should make you manual guys happy because I'll still be shifting manually, just without having to use my left foot.

It is what they call a "forward pattern" valve body, which means that it goes "P-R-N-3-2-1" with a switch for OD and another switch to lock up the torque converter.

So this ratcheting B&M shifter has got to go. Why? Because in order to go from Park into 1st gear, I wil need to pull the shifter 5 times, letting it go back to the middle after each pull. I am sure that will quickly get old.

What I would realiy like is a shifter with a "T" lever I can squeeze to unlock the gate, so that I can go from Park to 1st in one easy motion. I looked at the Hurst Quarter Shifter, and it looked pretty cool, but the handle moves really far from Park to 1st, and I'm not sure there is enough room.

So I need you guys to school me on shifters and sell me on which one I should get. For now, I'll use the B&M, but I fully expect to be wanting to change the shifter before long. Hopefully there is one with 2 switches that I can use for the OD and TC lockup. Or maybe I could put the switches on the steering wheel near the cruise control or something.

 

[BlackVert]

By the way, maybe a stock automatic shifter is an option. Don't they have an OD button built into them? I bet I could get one really cheap too ....

What do you think?

 

[rebelleader]

I would go with a stock one.

 

[reddy351]

You gonna sell that B&M one? I might be interested, if so. Got pics?

The OE one has a button on the side, to disengage the "Park" mechanism. Also won't let you move from park, until your foot is on the brake. The OD button is down to the right of the shifter handle. If you want to control the lockup, another identical button could be added to it. Or just add a button on the dash.

 

[juiced_94gt]

get a shifter from a 99+ they have the OD switch right were your left thumb can easily reach it.

 

[stprorolla49]

My dad has the B&M version of the Hurst Quarter stick in the Nova, and had the same in the Chevelle when it was an automatic. It is a great shifter, and i highly recommend it. What I've seen done was made some sort of a custom cover plate to go over the stock shifter location. Then take the ash tray door off, remove the metal ash tray, and cut out the plastic that holds the metal tray in. Then mount the shifter to the floor and have the handle come through that hole. If you try and mount the shifter in the stock location, it will bang into the radio and HVAC controls before you even get to "Park". With the shifter mounted in the ash tray location, it gives more "swinging" room for the throw of the shifter, and you dont have to cut any holes in the console. I saw it done in some guys '96 GT a few years back at FFW at Englishtown. He made a nice delete plate where the stock shifter was, and mounted his G-tech Pro on it, and had a little custom leather boot made for the Quarter Stick to make it look sano. You could mount your wideband (IIRC you have one) where the stock shifter was. I have also seen it in a foxbody done the same way, and it looked very nice. Good luck!

 

[StinkinLincoln]

i have the aode and the OD "delete" which is OD lockout/override is on the right side of the shifter, im thinking of the manual vb and im sure i would use the stock shifter. if you practice enough, u can get almost like a ratchet effect, from first to second you move the shifter forward then pull back and it will go to second and just push foward again and it wont go past drive.

 

[BlackVert]

i think i like the stock 99+ option. so it would be like this, right?

1 = first
2 = second
D = third
OD button (on shifter) = fourth/Overdrive
TC button (new on steering wheel) = converter lockup

 

[blksn955.o]

I used the hurst quarter stick years ago and wanted to use it after seeing one on a reverse body trans. Mine was not reverse but the action was nice either way and the gates helped not going into other gears. You can order it reverse or buy diff. plates for use with dif. style patterns. You could get one of those knob's with a button on the top and if anything zip tie another to the side of the stick (have seen it done and it does not look bad really).

BTW- juiced_94 nice sig pic...the cobra in that pic was a local board member and taken at a casino with a F-body club...that pic has gotten around. Still a classic pic.

 

[toyman]

get a shifter from a 99+ they have the OD switch right were your left thumb can easily reach it.

Left thumb??

 

[urban96]

Left thumb??

right toe

 

[BlackVert]

Left thumb??

i think he means it is on the left side of the shifter where you can easily get to it with your thumb

 

[juiced_94gt]

Left thumb??

LOL i was thinking too fast for my typing skills

 

[urban96]

i have my stock shifter left over from the 5 speed swap

 

[BlackVert]

Thanks Urban96, but I think i'm going to try to source a 99+ shifter first, one with the OD button integrated into the handle of the shifter.