How To: Install Short Shifter

[Mick]

I just got the TWM w/ their bushing kit and had the chance to compare it to both the Kartboy and B&M on the weekend at a local meet. The general consensus was that the TWM was the best set up. The kartboy felt clunky and the B&M was really really stiff. The owner of that car said that whenever the shifter warmed up it would get super stiff and hard to shift, he was jealous of my TWM (thumb)

hope this helps.

Ive had my B&M for a year now and its not stiff at all. It was stiff for about a week then it was fine. At all engine temps. In fact, how in the hell would the engine temp make the short shifter stiff? That makes no sense at all. I think something is wrong with his tranny. Cuz a short shifter wouldnt change due to engine temp. Enging and tranny are in one place, and the short rhifter is in another. The short shifter is for the most part isolated from extreme heat differences. You got some bogus info it sounds like.

 

[Nos]

Ive had my B&M for a year now and its not stiff at all. It was stiff for about a week then it was fine. At all engine temps. In fact, how in the hell would the engine temp make the short shifter stiff? That makes no sense at all. I think something is wrong with his tranny. Cuz a short shifter wouldnt change due to engine temp. Enging and tranny are in one place, and the short rhifter is in another. The short shifter is for the most part isolated from extreme heat differences. You got some bogus info it sounds like.

LOL . What about the exhaust line that goes right under the shifter ? Of course an exhaust line is never hot ... lol

1st generation of B&M shifter had that problem . With the heat of the exhaust line the insert would expend and it would get really hard to shift .

 

[Kansei]

LOL . What about the exhaust line that goes right under the shifter ? Of course an exhaust line is never hot ... lol

1st generation of B&M shifter had that problem . With the heat of the exhaust line the insert would expend and it would get really hard to shift .

good point. Mine (TWM) is only hard to shift when it's really cold, I've never had a problem when it got hot. I have a little piece of the heat shield cut away because the resonator or whatever was there with the stock exhaust would rub if I bent the head shield down. With my Racing Beat exhaust I don't think it would even be a problem.

 

[70]

LOL . What about the exhaust line that goes right under the shifter ? Of course an exhaust line is never hot ... lol

1st generation of B&M shifter had that problem . With the heat of the exhaust line the insert would expend and it would get really hard to shift .

With or with out the heat shield, my Kartboy ran fine high or low temps...

The transmission is part of the issue in a case where it is hard to shift. If there is an issue inside the B&M, that's one thing, but the original idea that temp doesn't effect the short shifter would be correct.

Even running a turbo with no heat shield, I have zero issues and the Kartboy set up worked wonderfully for me.

 

[Phoenix5]

Can someone tell me what the retaining clip looks like since there aren't any pics to look at??Thanx!

 

[Nos]

With or with out the heat shield, my Kartboy ran fine high or low temps...

The transmission is part of the issue in a case where it is hard to shift. If there is an issue inside the B&M, that's one thing, but the original idea that temp doesn't effect the short shifter would be correct.

Even running a turbo with no heat shield, I have zero issues and the Kartboy set up worked wonderfully for me.

Yea i have a TWM aswell and i have no problem with the heat of the exhaust or whatever .

 

[o.g.sk8er]

Can someone tell me what the retaining clip looks like since there aren't any pics to look at??Thanx!

This is what it looks like. I dont have any pic of it on the shifter, but I hope this helps. When you remove the shifter knob and boot, the cir clip is right there.

 

[Phoenix5]

oh,okay!
Thanx Pat!

 

[99 Pro]

Are getting new shift bushings really that necessary? What would be the pros and cons of them?

Also, how do the SS hold up in cold weather (ie: -20 Celcius)?

 

[Phoenix5]

W/ the stock bushing,shifting seems kinda flimsy and less precise since it's made of rubber.Now as soon as I put on the Kartboy freakin' hardass polyurethane,and damn, shifting was so much better,especially since I have weighted knob.

I think it would be fine in cold weather,we really don't get really cold weather here in So Cal.We just get rain and it's fine in that weather.

 

[chronus377]

Installed my ebayed j-spec short shifter today along with kartboy brushings. I must say, I LOVE it. Feels very tight, percise, and throws are greatly reduced. It took me and my friend about an hour and a half. No problems at all thanks to all the great info on this board. I bought a retaining clip tool and tin snips from sears ($20 total), which made the job much easier.

So much fun shifting now (thumb)

 

[D-rock240]

Subbing for my install in a week or two.

 

[altspace]

 

[styme]

altspace i really like those leather boots and that metal trim you have. where did you get those, what brand are they? that metal trim is it cheap feeling? ive had fake wood trim kit in another car that was very cheap and ended up peeling and cracking after only 1 maybe 2 years.

 

[tunersteve]

That shift boot looks like one from Redline Goods, www.redlinegoods.com, they can make just about any color combo and stitching for 40$. As for the metal trim, I believe he has a p5, which has the nicer interior, similar to the ES trim. Its a faux polished aluminum trim, and its on the shifter surround, center console, and window switch bezels.

altspace i really like those leather boots and that metal trim you have. where did you get those, what brand are they? that metal trim is it cheap feeling? ive had fake wood trim kit in another car that was very cheap and ended up peeling and cracking after only 1 maybe 2 years.

 

[styme]

As for the metal trim, I believe he has a p5, which has the nicer interior, similar to the ES trim. Its a faux polished aluminum trim, and its on the shifter surround, center console, and window switch bezels.

on my es, i do have the trim on the window switch bezels, door handles, and around the stereo area but it dosnt have it on the center console or by the shifter surround. are these parts that i can order from mazda and can swap out my original with?

 

[Kansei]

on my es, i do have the trim on the window switch bezels, door handles, and around the stereo area but it dosnt have it on the center console or by the shifter surround. are these parts that i can order from mazda and can swap out my original with?

Is it just black on yours or something? There isn't a piece on the center console really, it's just that piece around the shifter and cupholders.

It's definitely a part you can order from Mazda and I can't imagine it being too expensive. Check out this new main vendor on the forums, they seem to have great prices on OEM parts. http://www.msprotege.com/forum/showthread.php?t=123631823

 

[tunersteve]

I believe so. PM Ken @ Protegegarage (Captain KRM P5) and he should be able to get ya a price on those.

on my es, i do have the trim on the window switch bezels, door handles, and around the stereo area but it dosnt have it on the center console or by the shifter surround. are these parts that i can order from mazda and can swap out my original with?

 

[styme]

Is it just black on yours or something? There isn't a piece on the center console really, it's just that piece around the shifter and cupholders.

yes around my cupholders and shifter it is all black.

 

[Rush]

.. Bumpity for this thread!

So, since I have to do some work on my shifter in a few days, and I don't remember exactly what I did to it while installing my short shifter this past summer -- does ANYONE have ANY functioning link with pictures for a short shifter install?

I could prolly get it done by just reading those instructions in the first post, but pics would be a GREAT help. I tried that 'pdf' link as well, and it's no longer working.

Thanks!