Interior Exterior
Q:
Just installed my Sector 111 SUMOball yesterday - what a difference in shifting feel. MUCH smoother, easier effort. Very nice, I'm sure it's like buttah with the B&M lever.
A:
I had some interest in this as well until I read of some more shifter failures.
Any concerns about the effect of the extra leverage on the shift lever?
A:
I don't think a few extra ounces in the shifter is going to make much of a difference as far as the shifter breaking. I think it's more a matter of people muscling them around. It's possible that this SUMOball will actually help prevent that because it allows you to use less force from your arm to get the same result. But I'm not an expert.
A:
I had some interest in this as well until I read of some more shifter failures.
Any concerns about the effect of the extra leverage on the shift lever?
The shifters wouldn't fail because of a heavier shift knob but because of people shifting too hard... besides if you have an older model car and you break the shifter, it is a warranty item, they replace it with the newer much better made shifter.
And if you still don't feel comfortable I would buy the B&M kit...
Neil
A:
Yup, you are able to shift with less muscle, thereby reducing the chance of snapping the shifter. Shift like you know where it goes, don't jam it into gear and you probably won't break the linkage.
Another benefit - the stainless steel has different thermal properties and doesn't seem to feel as hot as the aluminum did after sitting in the sun.
A:
******The shifters wouldn't fail because of a heavier shift knob but because of people shifting too hard... ******
My lever failure showed slow, progressive metal fatigue failure over an extended time period. It took many, many back and forth shift cycles for the failure to occur. If you study the photo I posted, you can see that the cross section gradually decreased until it was much lower than when it started. It starts out about as thick as a pencil in the middle of the shift lever...above and below the middle it is much thicker. As fatigue failure occurs the lever becomes vulnerable to a fast shift...since the cross section of the lever is much lower in the trouble spot on the lever. Yet the fast shift itself was NOT actually the root cause for the failure - it was simplyu the straw that broke the camel's back. My shifter was not abused or gorilla shifted. It just has many street miles, about 19,000 over nearly a year when it finally snapped. And lots of autocrosses with one 1-2 shift, often a short shift. The shifter has always been able to hit every gate with low required effort. Some Elises apparently need some adjustment...for example I've driven two samples which are much, much harder to get into 3rd gear. Very noticeable - this can be adjusted out I am told. Such cars would tend to go through the early shift levers more quickly than the light shifting cars. More effort is needed simply to get it into a given gear.
I should have a new factory shifter with the new stronger lever and possibly improved action later this week. I'll post pictures when I get it. I think any car with a set screw shift know has the new shifter.
A:
How diffficult is it to remove the stock shifter ball?
A:
How diffficult is it to remove the stock shifter ball?
Well it depends, if you have one of the earlier cars, you are going to need to use some muscle. If you have one of the newer cars it is as simple as unscrewing the allen screw on the side of the shift knob and removing the shift knob.
Neil
A:
How diffficult is it to remove the stock shifter ball?
The Ball? Very easy, just unscrew it. Mine is a little too easy right now. I need to put some blue loctite on it. Newer cars also require loosening an Allen Set Screw.
A:
I think the early balls are loctited on...I'd imagine that heating it with a heat gun might help if you can protect nearby stuff. This softens the loctite so that less torque (on that spidery thing shift lever shaft!) is needed.
A:
Took a 2.5mm allen wrench and then the old ball just spins off - did it at noon here in FL and the heat of the day was enough...there was some sort of dried red thread lock goo on the stick itself. New one spins on easily.
A:
I think the early balls are loctited on...I'd imagine that heating it with a heat gun might help if you can protect nearby stuff. This softens the loctite so that less torque (on that spidery thing shift lever shaft!) is needed.
What he said. Don
A:
I've just installed the Sumoball and think it's great. I wouldn't not have thought that the knob would improve the feel of shifting, but this seems to. I got the knob mainly because I did not like the feel of the screw on the backside of the stock knob--it just felt cheap. I like the Sumo's greater size, weight and the way it fits the palm of my hand. Good job, Sector 111.