mbonanni1856

Well I just installed my 350EVO short shifter today and I am pretty impressed. The install was very easy, with one exception...the shifter "cup." My advise to anyone putting in a short shifter, order a new shifter "cup" while you are at it. You can get them from Performance Nissan or 350EVO for about $10. I am writing these instructions from memory so hopefully they are right. Here are my install instructions...

TOOLS NEEDED:
Floor jack and jack stands (or lift)
Adjustable wrench
Towel or shop rag
10mm socket
Socket wrench
Socket extension
Rubber Mallet
12mm socket
Lithium based grease
Thread lock

STEP 1:
Wrap the towel or shop rag around the shifter and use the adjustable wrench on the flat part of the **** to loosen it. It is on there really tight so don't be alarmed.

STEP 2:
Take your hand and reach under the plastic piece where the shift boot ends and pull up. This should pop the plastic piece out with the AC controls and the shift boot. When this is done release the white ribbon connector from the back of the AC controls.

STEP 3:
Remove the white insulation.

STEP 4:
Use your 10mm socket and extension to undo the four bolts that hold the next rubber boot in place. Once these bolts are removed, pull out that rubber boot.

STEP 5:
Another rubber boot! Pull this one from the bottom and remove it uncovering three more bolts and a gold bracket.

STEP 6:
Use your 10mm socket and extension again to undo these three bolts and remove the bracket.

STEP 7:
Now you must jack up all four corners of the car and put it on jack stands so all four tires are off the ground and you have enough room to slide under the car. Make sure that you do this on a flat surface so the car does not fall off of the jack stands. Also make sure that you are using the right jacking points.

STEP 8:
Slide under the car and find where the shifter connects to the shift linkage. It is located above the driveshaft.

Step 9:
Take your 12mm socket with no extension and remove the bolt connecting the shifter to the linkage.

Step 10:
Get out from under the car and pull the new shifter out and remove the spring.

Step 11:
Now comes the hard part. There is a white plastic "cup" that goes around a ball on the shifter. You need to remove this and put it on the new shifter. I recommend that you order a new "cup" to install on the new shifter because it is very hard to get off without breaking it. To remove the one from the stock shifter, take an exra jack stand (or replace one from your car with the floor jack temporarily) and remove the piece that holds the car up. Put the shifter in the hole where the piece of the jackstand went and bang on the end of it with the rubber mallet. This, hopefully will seperate the shifter from the "cup" without breaking it.

STEP 12:
Install the "cup" on the new shifter the same way you removed it and put the jack stand back under the car.

STEP 13:
Put the spring back in and drop the new shifter in place making sure that the little tab on the shifter is pointing towards the passenger side.

STEP 14:
Re-Install the gold bracket with the three 10mm bolts. Make sure that the side with the slot is on the passenger side. Check to make sure that the tab on the shifter hits the gold bracet if pushed towards the passenger side. Also make sure that if you push down on the shifter, the tab will slide underneath the gold bracket. This is your reverse lock out.

STEP 15:
Get back under the car and re-install the shifter to the linkage with the 12mm bolt. Make sure you put thread lock on the end of the 12mm bolt because you cannot tighten it very much. Get back in the car and check to make sure that the shifter goes into each gear and that you have to push down to get it into reverse still. If the shifter is too hard to move, get back under the car and loosen the 12mm bolt a little until you get the smoothness that you want.

STEP 16:
Re-Install the rubber boot and then install the second rubber boot with the four 10mm bolts followed by the white insulation.

STEP 17:
Re-install the white ribbon wire to the back of the AC controls and put that plastic piece back in place.

STEP 18:
Take the car off of the jack stands and put on the ground.

STEP 19:
Re-Install the shift **** and make sure that the shifter goes through all of the gears smoothly.

STEP 20:
Go drive the car and enjoy your new short shifter!

NOW HERE IS MY REVIEW...

As far as the shifter goes, it is not as smooth as stock, but the shorter throws make up for that. I noticed no vibration through the RPM range, but I did notice a rattling sound at high RPMs. Also it is a little harder to get into gear, especially when the car is cold, but maybe loosening the bolt that connects the shifter to the linkage will cure some of that. Other than that it is a really smooth and enjoyable shifter. I would definately recomend this mod to anybody.

dwnshift

iTrader: (1)

NIce review!
Thank you!
Back that bolt off and use some red thread locker on it.
I would TQ that bolt to only about 5 ft lbs or.......finger tight as much as possible and then about a half turn after that with a wrench. You will notice a huge differnece in smoothness.
Cheers
BJ@350EVO.com

mbonanni1856

I put the red thread locker on it, but I didn't leave it that loose. I will try that. Thanks! I love it the way it is, I can't wait to feel it if it gets smoother.