5 Short Shifter install by OLD, ten thumbs wanna-be mechanic Posted by George Felder on 3rd May 2015

Set aside a Saturday to install the Boomba short throw shifter and shifter base bushings (made sense to do them together!) As usual for me, left side panel would not come off--phillips screw just spun, but removing the back half and undoing the electrical connections still enabled me to continue. The WORST part for me was getting that spring clip off the shift pin! I finally used my newest needle nose pliers (purchased to get the clip off the sound symposer to install the Boomba delete kit) and bent the tail ends of the pin together and THEN could push it up enough to put a small screwdrived under it! Reinstalling was easy--I used a grinder to chanfer the end of the pin, and made it pretty small! The shifter didn't work too smoothly, and I realized that my now "relocated" pin ends that resulted from me "closing them" to get the pin out added some length--just enough to contact the polymer base of the shifter. Using my new needle nose pliers, I bent those ends back outward and all worked as it should have. Last thing to stump ME was the reverse collar that needed a corner cut off! I was so ignorant that it took a while for me to discover it was INSIDE the shift boot! After that, Boomba's instructions made it all clear. Before this, I had installed the shifter solid bushings, and, as one would expect, they fell out as I attempted to install the shifter--mainly because the shifter needs to be oriented on some horizontal "bosses" that locate the rear end. Were I Boomba, I'd make all those bushings that fit together a TIGHT fit so they would stay in place while installing various components! Fortunately, some Cyanoacrylate did the trick! Now, the throws are REALLY shortened--Boomba installed the lever in the shortest throw position, and, while I do not have the firewall transmission shift plate installed, the throws are SATISFYINGLY shorter, especially reverse, which I initially thought wouldn't engage until I let the clutch out!. First and 5th are nicely shortened, while 3rd seems a hair longer--and the additional 30 deg. bend Boomba added to the lever is just GREAT! Shift ball falls readily to hand, and, as other reviewers noted, the action is very deliberate and mechanical. My initial fears were that, since we are dealing with mechanics and there is NO FREE LUNCH, shortening shift lever mechanics SHOULD result in additional EFFORT! However, at this point--with just the short shifter installed--all feels the same as stock without the "SLOP." More like a real race car! GREAT PRODUCT, Boomba!