Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications Transaxle Short throw install help!!

Call me an idiot, whatever, but this is bugging the crap out of me. I received my Fidanza short throw shifter today in the mail and tried installing it immediately. Wow, after cursing a bunch and giving up, I have no idea what I'm doing wrong. First of all, there is a plastic encasement around the stock shifter's "ball" that doesn't come off and there isn't a corresponding one for the fidanza, so the shifter isn't secure within whatever the metal thing is around the shfiter (I know I'm being vague with some of the descriptions, I can take pictures if necessary). Secondly, in this picture of the items that come with the shifter, what the heck are the 2 smaller objects for? Image

Wow this is incredibly frustrating. I can usually figure out how to get something to work but I am stumped right now.

ok
1.the plastic around the stocker has a rubber boot all round it. black and very rubbery. Remove it carefully.
2. now you will find 2 halves of white nylon plastic around the "ball" section of the stocker. Separate them off the ball. it will be alittle bit difficult because they are slippery.

3. now install the plastic halves onto the steeda, then the rubber boot.

i hope thats what you are asking about, really vague questions.

have you removed the stocker yet? i assume yes? i can help a little bit i did mine to a B&M and somethings are the same.

Yeah the stocker is off, I'm looking at it right now. I'll try and remove the boot and halves now. But since you have the B&M I'm sure you can't answer what the 2 pieces are for. Thanks for the help though, much appreciated.

The pin looks like the guide for the reverse lockout. Cant really tell what the other piece is, a collar, washer?

Yeah, you're right about the pin but it was too big for the hole in the shifter. I tried to collapse it a bit but ended up damaging it beyond repair, oh well.

It is drivable now however, but the shifting is very stiff and labored. Should I get some grease and put it where the ball of the shifter is? There was a lot on the stocker and not too much on the new one when I put it in.

Anyways, thanks for the help.

check that spring (2 metal pron type things sticking out of the right side of the shifter tower.. try and wiggle them around.. i had a REALLY hard time with mine.. i then went to pry at them and then all of a sudden they popped into place and it was easy shifting

Yeah, thats too bad the fidanze didnt come with any grease because you are supposed grease it before re-installation. B&M and Steeda both should come with grease.

Here is the how to I wrote for the Steeda GB (just for kicks). Skip the parts about the plates and longer screws.

Originally posted by ME:

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edit: this is for cars with the small plate

well i found the right size bolts so i decided to just sack up and start taking things apart. its really not a hard install. took me about 30-40 min max and i didnt have instructions. here is a brief overview:

1. remove the shift knob, reverse lock out, and shift boot.

2. remove the center console.

3. using a flat head screwdriver, pry off the shift linkage on the right hand side of the tower. dont pry on the whole thing, just try to pop loose the little center section. when you get in there you will see what im talking about.

4. remove the 4 screws that hold the shift tower on.

5. pry off the shift linkage on the bottom.

6. slide the shift lever out of the housing. the shift ball will be covered in a rubber thing with two plastic halves covering the ball in the rubber. again, when you see it you will know what im talking about.

7. take that rubber sheild off of the top half of the plastic on the inside and slide that plastic half off of the shifter.

8. remove the bottom half of that plastic sheild (i just left the rubber cover on it as opposed to taking it off)

9. grease up the main ball on the shifter (use lots). the grease is uber sticky and messy. i didnt wear gloves and it takes lots and lots of paper towels to get off. also go ahead and dab some grease on the shift linkages

10. put the top half of that plastic piece you just removed on the new shifter.

11. put the bottom half and rubber cover back on stretch that rubber cover back over the top half.

12. i removed the centering spring. one, i like it without it and two, it looked like a major [censored] to notch the tower. if you need to notch the tower, when you put everything back, you will see on the right hand side where the spring hits. its covered in a little rubber coating.

to remove the spring:

a. take off the c clip on the end of the pin that the spring is attached to (right behind the elbow on the right hand side shift linkage).
b. pull off the elbow (dont lose the washer under the carpet like me! i had to find a new one). c. remove the spring and put the elbow, washers, and clip back on.

13. insert your spacer in between the bottom of the shift tower.

14. slide the top half of the shifter back through the top piece of the shift tower.

15. work the bottom half of the shifter back through the bottom.

note: it may be kinda tricky to get the covered shifter ball back in the top half of the tower but once you do everything should fall into place

16. with your new bolts, start bolting everything back down.

17. reconnect the side and bottom shift linkages

18. put the center console back in

19. attach the shift boot to the new reverse lock out

20. slide the two rubber o rings onto the shifter and position them in their groves.

21. slide the reverse lock out back on the shifter (the flat side goes in back) and line the slot in the reverse lock out up with the hole in the side of the shifter.

22. insert the pin into the hole. it will take a little persuasion (sp?) but just bang it in, it will go

22. re-attach the shift boot to the console

23. put the spring from under the shift konb back on top of the new reverse lock out

24. screw the shift knob back on

25. enjoy your new shifter. ITS SICK!!!

this was just a quick write up so if i forgot something, let me know. hope this helps.

also, if you cant find the bolts anywhere, let me know. i would be willing to go buy you some, if you cant get them anywhere else. i just called around to some hardware stores and found some.

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Yes, definitely grease the hell out of the pivot "ball".

Mark

Man, I'm glad that I went with the B&M. Simple instructions, easy install and all of the necassary parts.

Well to defend Fidanza, about $100 cheaper and seems to do the same job. Yeah it was a little frustrating but it's in there now and all I have to do is spend a few bucks on some grease. As far as that goes, I'm kind of at a loss as to where to buy the grease, would, say, Autozone carry someting along those lines? Never really had to purchase anything of this nature before.