Cadillac Owners Forum banner
6K views 35 replies 19 participants last post by  thebigjimsho 
#1 ·
OK part of the thrill was I was able to do it myself. Been a long time since I took on anything like this. The instructions and pictures from B&M are excellent, but you must read and follow them closely. There were some difficult moments that I attribute to my own ignorance, but I was able to deal with it. It just took longer than expected. Let me know if you're interested in more detail. I'll do a write up and see if Reed will post on FAQ. Experienced mechanincs will have a good laugh.

The results... WOW! See the other recent B&M install threads. I echo all those positive comments. Sharp, precise, solid shifting. Noise? Yes, a little at the shift points when you can hear the sychros disengage-engage. I consider this a plus. It's only momentary and could help diagnose a synchro problem. You can hear other gear sounds more clearly but they are only slightly raised above the stock shifter level. All the noise issues are minor, minor, minor compared to the benefit.

And I must give credit to Cadillac engineers. Inspecting and comparing the two units I understand why they designed the stock shifter as they did and what they accomlished with it. It is not a POS. It simply traded the more positive, mechanical (almost aggressively so) feel of the B&M design, for an ultra quiet, easy operation that "every driver" would find acceptable, even "fun". I'll let the "Market-eers" argue whether "every driver" is a demographic that would consider a V at all. As for me, combined with the StealthV CAGS Emlininator, this is exactly the way I want my car to shift.
 
See less See more
#2 ·
Good Job Cali.. sounds awesome... Im going to change my flywheel soon, when i decide for certain which 1 out of the three i have dwindled down too, i will do the shifter at that time as well... Since they have to bust the tranny loose to do the FW, that will be the right time for me... I am also looking at the B&M, i have had B&M parts on other cars i have owned, & i can say they where outstanding, & lasting a long time..
Thanx for the heads up on that write up.. that helped me alot...

have fun shifting ;)
later blitzer
 
G
#3 ·
I just installed mine yesterday as well. I have now found a new love for my car! OK well just more love. It now reminds me of my Porsche that I had. mine does have the noise as well. I thought I had installed it wrong till I checked all of the threads. It only make the noise from 1st to 2nd. But I think it is a must do mod. Anyone in Dallas that want's to try it out first just let me know.
 
G
#7 ·
Ok do not laugh at me! I worked on this thing for four hours! I had to get a friend come over and finish. There is a reason I have a desk job! Mike I will even let you drive it so you can see if you like it. As far as a picture goes I used the factory shifter and boot so it will just look the same to you.
 
#10 ·
04CTSVFLA said:
what exactly does the B&M do? And what exactly is it. Sorry for the dumb questions.
B&M is a company that makes performance and racing shifters for cars. They are talking about an aftermarket shifter for the V made by B&M.
 
#11 ·
04CTSVFLA said:
what exactly does the B&M do? And what exactly is it. Sorry for the dumb questions.
B&M is a short shifter - it shortens the length of your 'throws' so that you can shift from gear to gear much quicker. (it does not shorten the height of your shifter in your car - just the length of getting the shifter into gear).

There are NO dumb questions. :tisk:
 
#12 ·
Based upon the positive reviews I've read here on the forum, I ordered a B&M shifter yesterday ... it's being shipped today, so I should have it installed before this weekend. :thumbsup: I can't wait. :suspense: The price was right, too ... < 2 bills to my door. :yup:
 
#14 ·
I've see in other threads that the noise is so bad that they pulled the B&M out and replaced it with a UUC. I'm presently in the market for a short shifter and If I can save $200 and go with the B&M I will. Can somone elaborate on the noise? It's really a concern for me.

Thanks!!!!
 
#15 ·
you can hear the winding noise of the transmission. I just put dynomat on the shaft and it seemed to have minimized the noise enough to where it doesn't bother me anymore. There is still some noise, but definitely tolerable where as when I initially installed it, I thought I did something wrong and was not happy with it cuz IMO I thought it made the car sound cheap. But, like I said - dynomat and now I'm happy :D!
 
#18 ·
rand49er said:
Based upon the positive reviews I've read here on the forum, I ordered a B&M shifter yesterday ... it's being shipped today, so I should have it installed before this weekend. :thumbsup: I can't wait. :suspense: The price was right, too ... < 2 bills to my door. :yup:
Who did you order it from? Do you have a contact over there?
 
#19 ·
3rdstreet said:
B&M is a short shifter - it shortens the length of your 'throws' so that you can shift from gear to gear much quicker. (it does not shorten the height of your shifter in your car - just the length of getting the shifter into gear).

There are NO dumb questions. :tisk:
Just for my info...

Is B&Ms shifter shorten the throw close to what the UUC shifter does? Just curious is all. :cool2:
 
#21 ·
Mikes V: If you do search on this forum, there are a couple of threads that sorta compare UUC and B&M shifters. In there, someone (can't remember who at the moment due to laziness, primarily) says to go on e-bay ... well, sure enough, if you enter "b&m shifter cts-v", up it comes along with several others. Randy
 
#22 ·
BowenCT said:
calicadi and TXSilverV,

What kind of labor time are we looking at for do-it-yourselfers? How about for an experienced shop with a lift? Thanks Boys.

-MB
Mine was between 4 and 5 hours (including the 20 minute test drive). Also why have a desk job. Where the extra time went: a) Horsin' around with ramps then baggin' it and just using jack stands. b) There's a cover plate and dust boot under the boot you see. It's held in by 4 nuts on long studs and two bolts. Two of the nuts are tucked up under the console, you can't get to 'em with normal deep socket and rachet. If I had a ratcheting 10mm box end it would have saved a half hour or more, easy. Oh, and all the studs had thread sealer on 'em for extra aggrevation. c) Drilling out the rivets that hold the stock shift rod to the adapter plate took time. If you have a reversible drill, make sure it's going in the right direction (go ahead and laugh, I did, too! Doh!) d) Getting the new shift rod aligned in the yoke and the pivot assembly lined up with the adapter plate took time and that's where I needed another pair of hands. You're working blind trying to do it by yourself from the top (inside the car). Goes much faster if someone (my fabulous wife in my case) jiggles things from the top (get you minds out of the gutter!) while you lie in wait beneath and pounce when the holes line up (again with the gutter!). Watch out for all the metal shavings from the rivet drilling when you crawl back under and look up (good thing I wear glasses!)

I'll bet I could do another one in the two hours the B&M instructions estimates. Lift doesn't matter. Experience rules! Oh, and I have the Corsa exhaust. Don't know if that makes movement more resticted or not, I suspect more. The shifter is directly above the Corsa resonators. But I'm blessed with hands like a lady (5'10"/170) and can get in pretty tight places (don't go there!). If you're a big fella with hands to match, find a partner in crime.
 
#23 ·
Staxxin said:
I've see in other threads that the noise is so bad that they pulled the B&M out and replaced it with a UUC. I'm presently in the market for a short shifter and If I can save $200 and go with the B&M I will. Can somone elaborate on the noise? It's really a concern for me.

Thanks!!!!
Noise-wise, mine just passed the ultimate test... fabulous wife and I went for a ride, her first since the install. I specifically told her what to listen for. First we drove around town between crawl and 35 MPH, on asphalt in generally good shape and lots of up and down shifting for stop-n-go. Then a jog down the expressway up to 6th gear, cruise for a while, then the return loop. In both the town and expressway segments, ran portions with radio and A-C on (normally how we cruise), and in “tomb mode” with the radio and A/C off. Both modes were with windows up. Her verdict… “No big deal”. That’s like heaps of praise from her. The Corsa exhaust and tire noise are more invasive than the gears. Looks like I won’t need the Dynamat. :D
 
#24 ·
Great test, Thanks!!!

I’m wondering for my own sanity, if I go with the B&M just have it installed with the Dynamat. I found small pack on Crutchfield for $14 so I’d still be saving money over the UUC. Does anyone have any pictures or instructions for installing the Dynamat on the B&M?

Thanks!!!!!
 
#26 ·
Ross Racing said:
I want one. You sold me. Do you guys have a contact number?
I got mine from Racerwheel.com. List was $214. They had a special in July, $20 off. That covered the shipping, so with tax, bottm line was $230.33. Check around the web. eBay, etc, you may find a better deal. Part number is 45067. Good luck!
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top