two words: get it! The RE shifter is fantastic. One other piece of advice: order a new Control Socket from Nissan as well (pn 32870) instead of trying to crank the old one off once you pull the stock shift rod out of the car. Trust me on this. I had a shop near me (RacingZone) install mine and since the Control Socket is plastic, there is always the chance that one of the tabs will break off while trying to remove the old shift rod.

Also, there is a DIY on the RE site that will walk you completely thru this if you want to try it yourself (you will need a helper though when putting the shift linkage bolt back in as someone will need to push the shifter down from inside the car).

 

I wish I would have thought about buying a replacement socket. It kicked my ***.

I ended up opening a vice up enough to let the shifter sit down inside the jaws and rest on the control socket. Then I placed a piece of wood on top of the shifter and gave it a few taps until it popped out. Worked fairly well. The instructions say 'some force may be required' and they arn't joking. At all.

Also, if you the the RE shifter it should arrive with a twisty tie thing through the bolt opening. Leave this in there or else you will be looking for the bushings for EVER like I did when I lost them. I installed the thing completely by myself with no problems, I did not need someone moving the shifter down for me. I also installed mine using only a floor jack and the stock jack (the floor jack won't fit under my G so I had to jack it up with the stock jack to get my jack under it). Install would take just over an hour if you don't lose the bushings and about an hour and a half if you do lose the bushings

After the install I didn't really notice the gates being easier to find or more solid or antyhing like that. It still felt like the stock shifter to me, but the shift difference is noticably different. Also, I didn't notice that it was higher then factory. Seemed about the same to me!



Kevin
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04 Diamond Graphite Coupe - FULLY loaded
Windows up with OEM Remote

 

Where would I be able to get the Control Socket Nissan pn 32870? I did a quick google with no luck

Thanks

 

Purchase the control socket at your local Nissan/Infiniti dealer parts dept. I'm sure they will have to special order it. Not a common part for a parts dept. to have on hand. My suggestion is this: No matter what shifter you purchase, you need the control socket attached. Order socket & shifter. When you get the socket, bring your shifter & have a Nissan/Infiniti mechanic use a press and install the socket for you. Don't forget the grease. Other than the control socket being a bitch, the install is easy.

'03c6mt/Blk/Premium/Sport/Aero
Eibach's/Hyper-Ground/Ztube+JWT/Injen SES
Rogue/Momo/Sparco

 

actually, there is one thing you should ask them as well. I have heard this, but am not sure if it is true or not. Supposedly there is to be a new Control Socket that has (2) O rings wrapped around grooves in the sides of the socket. The thinking is that this will negate some of the "wobbling" that the shifter does when you have it in gear (the wobbling will never completely go away due to rear wheel drive and direct linkage). The RE shifter does have a much smoother feel to it and it does not "wobble" anywhere near as much as the stock shifter does.

 

I am getting the B and M shifter any day now i. i ordered it off eaby $200. i will let you know how it is after i install it.

Does anyone know if i will need a new control socket when installing my B and M? and how much should it cost?
thanx

 

As stated in the previous posts, no you don't need a new one. It is "very" difficult to remove from your stock shifter. Also, someone said that Nissan/Infiniti might have a new design out. Call your parts dept and get a price.

I haven't seen any posts of someone who has installed a B&M shifter. Post your thoughts after your install. I'm curious how it works for you. Good Luck!

'03c6mt/Blk/Premium/Sport/Aero
Eibach's/Hyper-Ground/Ztube+JWT/Injen SES
Rogue/Momo/Sparco

 

I put my B and M Short thorw shifter in yesterday. one thing i did not like, was when you are installing it you have to gring part of the transmission. HOw much you grind determins how far right your shift know goes. the instructions said grind 1/8 of an inch, it was hard to get it right!
The disctance between gears is shorter but they it is harder to get it into gears. There is a notch inbetween gears making it longer and harder to shift. I do not like the new shifter. i would recommend staying with stock. I hope this helps anyone deciding to buy.

 

You don't have to "grind the transmission". Once you remove the oem shifter/control socket, you are left looking down into the empty pivot cup. At the bottom, of course, is the square hole thru which the bushing end of the shifter passes to attach to the linkage under the car. The instructions say to remove 0.125" from approximately the 8:00-12:00pm position of the square hole. You simply need to enlarge a small section of the opening a tiny bit, and there is nothing particularly hard about doing this with a small flat file.

Unlike the RE shifter, the B&M comes with it's own sealed control socket which, IMO, is a huge plus over re-using the oem control socket. The B&M control socket simply slips into the empty pivot cup. When I took the shifter out of the box and played around with it, I was very impressed with the heft, build quality and incredibly smooth operation of the control socket. It's going in this weekend, and I am excited to see what 33% shorter thows on an already pretty short throw shifter feels like!

To the previous poster - of all the install reviews I have read, yours is the only one with such comments which leads me to wonder if your install went correctly. Just a thought, there is a recommended torque for the bolt connecting the shifter to the shifter linkage under the car. If over tightened, it would cause a need for excessive effort. You might try backing it off slightly to see if it loosens things up some.

2004 | 6MTs | Diamond Graphite/Graphite
Upstate NY

 

Mine was the exact same way, word for word. Maybe I will try and loosen that bolt, but as of now it is much stiffer than stock. I could shift my stock shifter much faster than the new B&M.

 

dholly, let us know how your install goes. from a few posts, b&m doesnt very sound.

 

A few comments about my B&M short shifter install can be found HERE

2004 | 6MTs | Diamond Graphite/Graphite
Upstate NY