Thread: Making a short shifter out of the stock one?

I've read somewhere on here that it's possible to make a short shifter out of the stock shifter.

How?

Anyone actually done this?

Sure would be a lot cheaper if it works!

Update: answer is found in post #18. Thanks Eggman.

Only way to make the stock shifter into a short shifter is to change the fulcrum point since this is not possible it can't be done. What you can do is cut the shifter stem height for cosmetic reasons. This would make it a little bit difficult to shift though. It looks real nice though.

It can be done.

Some folks have put the shifter in a vise, with the ball resting on the vise jaws but the vise not gripping too tightly, and taken a hammer to the lever. If you hit it hard enough you can move the ball up the lever a bit. I can't remember but they may have used a heat gun to soften the ball ever so slightly - it's Delrin or something similar, so it won't melt easily. Can't go too far or the throw becomes too short, the effort becomes too much, and the bottom of the lever starts to hit the heat shield over the catalytic convertor - though this last is an issue with many short shifters.

Search on the old forum, that's where this info would be found.

Back when I had my Sentras, I tried a number of different short shifters, and came to the conclusion that the stock shifter was best, paired with an ES shifter bushing. YMMV.

I was the one who told him about the stock shifter idea. Vadim, would you please chime in? I know you've done it.

I took a hack saw to mine. I cut it off just below the stock shift knob. I wrapped the metal with some gorrilla tape (electrical tape works pretty good too), then I put a new shift knob on and screwed it down until the screws went into the tape. I did this about 3 years ago and it is still working to this day.

It took about 2" or so off the throw at least, and took about 2" off the height also. And it shifts perfectly. I can hit every gate with perfect precision, and the shifter bushing just made it even better!

I can go get some pics if you want.

Doesn't the shifter pivot ball have to be moved though? To actually shorten the length of the shift?

I thought you had to change the geometry of the lever action.

This is what I did, added an aftermarket shiftknob and called it a day.

Best bang for the buck.

So, just heat it up, and then give it a good whack? That's it?

I'm actually in the middle of trying to get the shifter out of the car right now...it's more of a PITA than I thought it would be.

It shortens the throw by reducing the length of the lever. Imagine a see-saw where both sides are the same lenght, and they both move the same total distance. But remove some length off of one side, then it moves less in comparison to the other side. You don't change the pivot point, but you move the fulcrum closer to your fist, which is what the short-throw will do anyway.

And for the record, my shifter is not hard to shift at all, and I can make split-second shifts buttery-smooth.