kartboy short shifter and rear shifter bushing install and review. FR-S

[UMB FR-S]

I Know there is already a good write up on this by @F1point4 (http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=31340) but I wanted to do a write up with a few extra tidbits that could make the install a little easier. Also i wanted to add in the install of the rear shifter bushing that is included with the kit.

well lets dive right in.

to start the install tools you are going to need would be:

ratchet, with 10mm, 12mm and 14mm sockets.
phillips tip and flat head screwdrivers.
allen key set.
A flashlight wouldn't hurt!


First thing is to remove the panels on the sides of your center console. Try prying slowly at the end closest to the seat and work your way forward.



once both sides are done its time to take out the USB/AUXILIARY input. like the other DIY says its easiest to push from the inside of the dash to get it out. I found that looking inside with a flashlight was helpful as it was tough to locate it by feel. once its out disconnect it and put it in your cup holder.



Next up i took off the hand brake boot. To take this off start at the rear of the boot and pry away and up with your hand and it should come loose pretty easy. Move your way to the front and repeat. they slide the boot over the handle to remove.




Now the shifter boot can come off. Start with your shifter knob. then take your flat screwdriver and pry upwards at the plastic surround of the shifter boot. start at the rear of the circle and work your way around to the other side. once it is loose there is a rear tab that you will have to shimmy to get out. disconnect the traction electronics.



Then there is the small cubby at the bottom of the console. I found it difficult to remove following the other threads instructions. The easiest way that i was able to get it out was to reach in the usb/aux hole and tug at it with a bit of pressure.



here is a picture of the tabs that you are trying to release.



now you can take off the tranny tunnel panel cover. to do this you will remove your cup holder and the mat under it to expose the two bolts. keep the cup holder close as its handy to put all your parts in! there are 6 bolts total 2 where the cup holder sits, 2 at the rear of your exposed shifter and 2 at the bottom of the exposed center console. after lifting the panel the 12v outlet needs to be unplugged. pull back with steady pressure and it should come loose. If its really stuck on a little wiggle will help.





the next few parts should be pretty easy

with the shifter now fully exposed you will have a foam piece that is held on by 2 plastic caps. you can remove them by either pulling on them or if that is giving you grief they should thread off easily.



next there will be a plate help on by four 12mm bolts. there is also a wire clip attached to that piece on the passenger side. remove all and take off the piece. you can then also remove the rubber boot by pulling it over your shifter



now at the bottom of the shifter there is a rubber boot that will need to be removed. To do so pull at the top of boot near the collar on the driver side and move out and down with it trying to slide it around the pin that sits underneath. It should not require too much effort to slide it off.




next you can remove the 4 bolts that hold your shifter on. They are 10mm bolts. In the image they are allen key bolts as i had already replaced my shifter.



next come a part that can be tricky. The removal of the pin at the bottom of the shifter. I found it easiest to turn the pin sideways then slide it backwards. see the little video to see me do it. Also don't forget the washer beneath it.

[ame]http://youtu.be/i0Pd6U_1rgY[/ame]



at this point you can now take out the old shifter! It's now time to put in the rear shifter bushing. For this you will need to get under the car. Under the car you will find 2 bolts where your rear shifter bushing is mounted. It is in an awkward spot behind your exhaust and drive shaft. To remove it you will need at short 12mm socket.





once the 2 bolts are removed you don't have enough clearance to free the bushing off the back of the mount. to get the extra clearance i found it easiest to drop the drive shaft at the knuckle a little further back. it will require a short 14mm socket or a long extension. Once the drive shaft is dropped you should be able slide the old one off and switch on the new one. slap the new bolts on and put it all back together.




once back in the car start by greasing up the ball. then slap it into place. grease up the shaft that slides into the bottom of the shifter and slide it in. put the washer on then its time for the clip. You can put the clip back in reverse but this might cause more trouble trying to slide the dust boot over. To put the clip in the same way do it the same way as you took it out. slide it in sideways and then turn it into its position.

[ame]http://youtu.be/rRXl_Y9Pw08[/ame]

next slide the dust boot back on. this can be done pretty easily by pulling it over the knuckle on the passenger side first then stretching it over the pin into place.


And now the main reason for the write up... when screwing down the shifter be careful with the position of the reverse lockout plate. in the other write up he was able to have it sit all the way to the driver side. In my experience this was not ideal as the shifter would not move smoothly through the gears as the shifter would catch the other side of the gate in that position. Very slight adjustments will make allot of difference in your clearances. test how the shifter moves through all the gates before tightening and closing everything back up.





close everything up in the reverse order as you took it out and you should be all good! One thing to note would be that you don't forget to reattach the 12v outlet and your traction control plug in adapters.

well hopefully this helps out a little. not quite as in depth as the other thread but just a few notes that might ease some frustration!

[UMB FR-S]

OK so as for a review of the product itself and the materials used everything is up to par. everything feels solid enough. the one thing that i would have preferred would the be the pull up lever to go into reverse is plastic and if it was metal it would have been a bit of a nicer feel. other then that there isn't much to complain about.

now as far as function goes, if your looking for shorter shifts you will be happy. Shifts are significantly reduced in travel and it is noticeable. It will probably take a little to get used to the change in speed. It is also a bit stiffer and shifts are more labored. At this point some of the gates still feel a little notchy especially coming into 6th but i am assuming that things will loosen up with a bit of wear. With the reverse plate adjusted shifts into 1st/2nd are quite smooth now as well as 3rd/4th. in the end the product is quite good if you are looking for that shorter shift feel. with a bit of time i am positive the shifter will feel more at home and seamless shifts will ensue!

[UMB FR-S]

reserved for a latter review

[Acree]

Great post. No idea why no one has replied to it. I bought the rear shifter stay bushing and this write up gave me good insight for what it involved in installation.

Thank you!

[UMB FR-S]

No worries I'm glad it helped!

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 4

[alderaan34]

Thanks for the write-up, I installed mine yesterday. One question though, I couldn't get to the rear shifter bushing at the time. Will I have to remove everything again to take that off or can that be done with everything already installed?

[UMB FR-S]

Originally Posted by alderaan34

Thanks for the write-up, I installed mine yesterday. One question though, I couldn't get to the rear shifter bushing at the time. Will I have to remove everything again to take that off or can that be done with everything already installed?

Ya you will need to take it all apart again

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk

[alderaan34]

Originally Posted by UMB FR-S

Ya you will need to take it all apart again

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk

Thanks for the quick reply, I'll just wait until I have more items to install underneath. Shouldn't mess anything up right?

[UMB FR-S]

Nope

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk

[Frost]

How much does the short shifter reduce the throws by? Anyone measure this?

[UMB FR-S]

Originally Posted by Frost

How much does the short shifter reduce the throws by? Anyone measure this?

The diy that I have linked at the top I believe has some measures. All I can say it that it reduces the throw significantly. It also stiffens up the shifter quite a bit.

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk

[SirBrass]

Originally Posted by UMB FR-S

The diy that I have linked at the top I believe has some measures. All I can say it that it reduces the throw significantly. It also stiffens up the shifter quite a bit.

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk

Heavy knob goes a long way to counteracting the stiffness.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk

[2k14frs]

Just installed mine. Has anyone had a little bit of a rattle to theirs?

[UMB FR-S]

Nope never had any issues with noise out of mine. It's been on the car for 15k kms. Maybe you didn't tighten something?