Sandmann120

iTrader: (1)

I just got off the phone with my tranny guy, and he just got finished assessing the damage from this weekend. Saturday night I lost second gear, without warning, and limped it home on first and third gear. Anyway, he said that the bracket that came with the shifter was drilled wrong, and the shifter could not be adjusted properly. He claimed that in the event of a downshift, the trans would be stuck between first and second, because of the geometry of the shifter. This resulted in a broken sprag. He claims that he has seen this at leaswt 3 times before with B&M shifters. Has anybody else heard of this? Sucks because now my car is down, and I gotta buy another shifter. Looks like I won't be on the road for another week or so.

12secSS

iTrader: (30)

Who installed the shifter? What shifter is it? How long has it been installed? Is this an RMVB TH400? If installed properly, the shifter will not cause that at all. The design has plenty of room for adjustment in the cable, if you follow the directions properly. We use it in our race car and have no such problems ... as do many racers.

jxaxsxoxn

iTrader: (2)

Well seeing how when a shifter or anything else for that matter gets installed it needs to be set up properly. I never heard of a shifter causing sprag damage.

I know of a truck with a stock column shifter thats broken two sprags, automatic shift th400.
I'd tell the guy he's full of ****, but thats just me.

Sandmann120

iTrader: (1)

I installed it, it is a Pro Ratchet. It has only been in a few days, since Friday. And yes, it is a RMVB. He claims that he has seen this more than once, and only from B&M shifters. I have had a few B&M shifters in the past, and haven't had this problem, so I don't know. I've also known this tranny guy for a long time, and trust what he has to say.

Sandmann120

iTrader: (1)

He claimed that the holes were not drilled properly on the shift arm that attaches to the trans itself.

Sandmann120

iTrader: (1)

Just got off the phone with B&M Customer Service. I gotta say that I do not recommend dealing with them. I have never had such shitty service from a company. My attorney has been contacted, and I guess I will have to settle it that way.

oxidizr

iTrader: (4)

is your tranny guy a reputable source for evaluating his own work? If someone could blame a shifter and not have to pay for a warranty claim I could see some things getting skewed. I don't know enough to judge but even if your tranny man has seen this on only BM parts two or three times I still cant see how this is proving causation by any means. You should really have it looked at by another reputable source before condeming the shifter. I too have been a B&M ratchet shifter th400 RMVB owner with no problems. I have used several of their shifters in the past as well with no issues.

Sandmann120

iTrader: (1)

Well, like I said, and before anybody takes anything the wrong way, I am NOT trying to be shitty towards anyone on this forum, this guy has only seen this particular problem with B&M shifters, and it hasn't been with EVERY B&M shifter. He beleives that it is basically **** quality control. He is very well known in my area for his work, and his list of references is a mile long. Wehn somehting of his breaks, and between my dad and I we have broken plenty of stuff, he has always stood behind his work. I think that between the crappy customer service, and obvious quality control issues, that I will neever again purchase a B&M product again.

Toecutter

Hate to say it, but it's installer error. All shifters are the same from the base down. If you do not adjust the cable properly, then you will get the tranny stuck in between gears and hurt something. I know, I've done it myself and I did kill a tranny within' a few miles of driving the car. As for calling your attorney....it's a sad world we live in. Taco Bell makes me fart, I'm calling my attorney

jxaxsxoxn

iTrader: (2)

I agree it's installer error. If it has enough of a problem to cause that much trans damage it would be very obvious during the installation.

No offense to you at all..I expect you to read this and think how well did you set it up, was there anything not right about it.

Just my opinion,,,you set it up right, your trans guy is looking for excuses (don't we all in some way with our individual line of work) and B&M products are ****.

I just remembered I too use a RMVB with a B&M quick sliver.

Sandmann120

iTrader: (1)

Well, after being out almost $1600 right now on this setup, and having nothing to show for it, and nobody willing to take the blame, I feel justified in contacting my attorney. That is not what this is about. The tranny guy confirmed that the shifter was installed correctly, but he is claiming that the selector arm was manufactured incorrectly. It's like I'm on the playgroung listening to two kids fighting, both saying the other started it. Only difference, I'm out $1600. You'd be pissed too.

SUX2BU

iTrader: (14)

If it was getting stuck between gears then it was NOT installed correctly. No offense but if the arm was somehow made wrong you would have noticed it when you installed it. You are supposed to put the shifter and tranny in every matching gear, make sure they match up and the little peg thingy slides in and out of the hole with no binding. You cant just pick a hole on the arm and trust all goes well.

Maggie

No offence to you or your tranny guy but I've put dozens of B&M ratchet shifters in TH400 cars and never had any issues whatsoever and I have never seen one that would go "between gears" because of the shifter when it was installed correctly.

john kilgore

you did not spend enough money and the builder gave you what fit your budget. you broke the roller clutch in second gear because you wanted a very hard shift to second and the roller could not handle your power. remember " there is no such thing as a free lunch" l feel bad for your tranny builder

Bryan @ Speed Inc.

iTrader: (19)

ugly thread... i have a rmvb th400 goin in my car... also w/ a b&m pro ratchet... i hope everything works out okay!!! i'm a tad nervous. but i'm having the work done by a good shop. they have done the exact install one of their cars and it has been working trouble free for two years. hopefully everything goes okay.

Villain281H

iTrader: (5)

I've had a B & M pro ratchet shifter in my Nova for the last 7 years, and have nothing but great things to say about it. Between myself and our group that races at Gainesville Raceway every week, we have 8 autos, all with the SAME shifter. 4 TH400, 3 TH350 and 1 powerglide, and I think the shifter cable not being adjusted correctly or the transmission not being built correctly is the problem here. Just my $.02 FWIW.

Derek

Sandmann120

iTrader: (1)

Well, I know that the shifter was installed and adjusted properly. I just wish I knew what I was looking at inside of an auto trans to be able to tell exactly what happened. Not exactly my area of expertise. I have used and installed plenty of shifters over the years, and this one wasn't anything special as far as adjustment. And to make matters even better, he says he won't stand behind it, because he is still standing by the claim that it was all the shifter. And he claims that it will be another $800 to $1,000 out of pocket to get it fixed. So what do I do now?

Sandmann120

iTrader: (1)

Anybody want to trade my TH400 stuff for a T-56? Tired of autos, I'm more comfortable with a manual anyway.

jxaxsxoxn

iTrader: (2)

Ask your trans builder if it had a sprag type or roller intermediate clutch.
Roller types break in stock vehicles.

I disagree. What if you go in for new wheels and you say you can only afford eight lug nuts.
Is a professional going to send the car down the road with two on each wheel?
Not me.
I'm no pro trans builder, people who know what I've built come to me all the time, if they don't want to spend the money where it needs to be spent they get sent down the road with a pat on the shoulder and a good luck wish.

Sandmann120

iTrader: (1)

I didn't go to my trans builder with a budget in mind. I told him what I wanted, and he named his price. It was quite a bit cheaper for me than it would have been for the average joe because my family has done quite a bit of business with him over the years.

It was a sprag type intermediate, or so I'm told. I literally know nothing about the internals of an auto tranny. Never been inside of one besides just installing a shift kit. This one was a RMVB with a brake. He uses mostly Transmission Specialties parts, that much I know.