Short Throw Shifter

[ptrudel]

ok, i know someones gonna come out and tell me i'm a retard for thinkin it but whatever, here's what i wanna know...

id really like to have a short throw shifter, but i hate the whole order from the states and pay out of my ass for brokerage fees...can i just chop the stock shifter shaft? if so, how long is the B&M?

thanks in advance :thumbsup:

[jamcllw]

Somebody correct me if I'm wrong but just cutting the shifter wont help for a shorter throw. I believe you have to move the linkage up the shifter a centimeter or 2.

[ptrudel]

probably...i'm just askin cuz couple ppl said to just the thing and it'd be the same...but they also drive honda's :rolleyes:

[jamcllw]

Most Honda people are idiots. You could probably make one yourself using your stock shifter. Take yours out and cut the joint off of the bottom of the shifter and then cut about 5-10 mm off of the bottom then weld the joint back on. I've talked to a few people that are cheap that don't like spending money on the actual thing and they informed me that this has worked. I don't know if its true or not so don't take my word on it. You'd have to check for clearance issues under the car but your shifter should stay at the same place inside the car.

[ptrudel]

screw it...gonna buy the real deal
thanks man

[quitlahok]

yeah, making your own is possible but kind of a pain. basically what you would do is remove the shifter from the car, cut the top off below the threads and cut out a short (less than an inch) section from there, then weld the part with the threads back on. you can also cut the threaded part and just re-thread it later, that's probably less work.
then for the bottom, you have to cut off the knuckle where the shifter attaches to the linkage in the tranny, and extend that lower piece and reattach the knuckle. it sucks, but it does give you a true short shifter.
odds are unless you have a welder and a grinder handy, i wouldn't even bother. if you can buy one, do it.

[b-spot]

There is no threaded part on the top, and yes if you cut it the throw is shortened. Think about it, if you have a shaft coming from a pivot, and you grab it at the end you have to move it farther to get the same angle than grabbing it from the bottom.

Plus chopping the stock shifter looks much better than the long ass truck sized shift they come with. If the throw is still to long for you after this, then yah, order up the B & M.

[ptrudel]

so b-spot, ur sayin that if i cut the bunnyer it is gonna shorten the throw?

i just might try that...even if i don't gain much out of it it'll still look better...but that means i need a new boot...hmm..

[b-spot]

^ yup, you can cut it and the throw will be a little shorter. And like I say, if its not short enough, who cares it was free.

And the same boot actually still worked just fine for me, although I think one day i'll get a momo knob and boot, and on those the boot joins right up to the knob. Lotsa $$ though, and I just dumped enough on my ebrake.

[ptrudel]

you sayin you cut yours? could u maybe take a pic of it and measurment and all that good stuff for me? i'd really appreciate it...and maybe if u remember what size of thread u had to make to adapt the knob..thanks man :thumbsup:

[b-spot]

Hey man, check the showcase and you should see a pic of my shift in there I think (in the thread I put up on friday). It is decieving cuz the style of knob i have sits ontop a bit more than normal, but i probably cut a good inch or inch and a half off of there. I just put some plastic down too keep the metal filings out of the important stuff ;)

And as for the knob, there are alot out there that have screws in the side that tap right into the shaft, and then a ring that screws over them to hide 'em. They come with several rubber adapters so you pick which one fits over the shaft perfectly, and then shove yer knob on. In like an hour i will have a couple more pics for you probably.

[b-spot]

as promised...

[b-spot]

This is to show the ring that comes down where the screws are to fasten it.

[Cyber Knight]

I see you have an bill for being bad in the cubby hole, what did ya do?

[b-spot]

There is actually 2 in there, one is parking too close to an intersection, and the other is for hanging out of a car drunk with no seatbelt on 17th ave after a game. So mad about the second one, I guess the people running up and down the street naked don't get seatbelt tickets...

[ptrudel]

cool, thanks b-spot, u made up my mind, gona do it tonite...definately need another boot tho, looks a lil odd all bunched up

[b-spot]

You could actually pull the slack down a bit, but i'm not gonna bother since i'll be replacing it anyways. Have fun :D

[ptrudel]

oh i will...oh, one more thing, did u just use a hacksaw?

[b-spot]

Yes, but I HIGHLY reccomend a dremel if you can get your hands on one. It'll be way faster, especially cuz you don't wanna put tonnes of force on there with the hack.

[ptrudel]

wouldn't the dremel throw shards everywhere?

[b-spot]

yup, but the hack actually makes quite the mess too. What I would do is take a big plastic bag, poke a whole through the bottom with the shifter, and then cut inside (if using the dremel).

If you are using a hack, just use a big plastic sheet and do the same thing, cuz you'll need more room for your arm and the saw. Pretty tough not to make a bit of a mess though..have the vacuum handy ;)

[sympley]

Hello alero lovers, first thing that I did to my alero was to cut that long stick. First time I cut about an inch and then I cut it again 1/2 inch. I used a hand metal saw and it was pretty hard to do but I was able to do it. Ofcourse I covered the hole so that there was no filings going into the linkages. If you have a good grinder with the proper disc use that it will save you a huge amount of time. Then I fitted it with a Momo shifter, and the momo blue shift boot. The boot screws on the shifter and it has a very nice OEM look. IT is a pain in the a.. to put it on but well worth it. It is not a true short shifter but the shifts are shorter, and definitely looks much better.

I got a question regarding the e-brake in the picture it is an aftermarket one? How difficult was it to put it on. It looks really good. I would like to do it on my car because my original e-brake boot is all torn up. Any help and suggestions will be very helpful. Where can I buy the e-brake boot?

[b-spot]

Its a momo ebrake boot that you can get the same place you got your shifter/shift boot from. The install is a little tricky to get the button operating correctly, cuz our ebrakes are a big long curve. There are instructions somewhere on here on how to change the shift boot, and its even easier with the momo ones cuz they come with a sticky velcro strip to hold in the bottom end. Then you just take a sharp knive, cut a slit in the stock handle, pull it off, and fiddle with the momo one to get it to sit right. Just so you know, it pretty much has to be momo to be fat enough to pull this off.