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Potential Very Cheap DIY Short Shifter *UPDATED* - 6G Celicas Forums

Topic #18569 98 posts Started by Coomer
If it stops snowing, maybe I can do it today. It's still freezing and my garage is filled with cars though. >frown.gif>

New Toyota project coming soon...
OK,
I just tested this out, and I'm almost completely positive that it'll work. I didn't want to take out my TRD Quickshifter though, so I'm not sure how short the throw will be. I know it will be shorter than stock though, and the lever is also quite a bit shorter.

Someone should order this and put it in their car and see how it improves shifting. >smile.gif>

That's the exact one I ordered, and it's constructed well and comes with a shift knob that screws on and off.

New Toyota project coming soon...
Well, I just ordered it, well bought it, and will tear mine apart and instal when it get here, thank commer for spend you time figureing thi out for us, and if it dont work im gunna track u down an kick ur arse.. >biggrin.gif>




j/k
-Digndoug+Jan 9, 2005 - 2:23 PM
QUOTE(Digndoug @ Jan 9, 2005 - 2:23 PM)
Well, I just ordered it, well bought it, and will tear mine apart and instal when it get here, thank commer for spend you time figureing thi out for us, and if it dont work im gunna track u down an kick ur arse..  >biggrin.gif




j/k
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If it doesn't work you can sell it to a fourth gen. guy, or a EVO/Eclipse/Lancer owner. >smile.gif>

New Toyota project coming soon...
-Dickster223+Jan 13, 2005 - 3:44 PM
QUOTE(Dickster223 @ Jan 13, 2005 - 3:44 PM)
Did it fit?
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Digndoug ordered the short shifter and will be test fitting it in his car. >smile.gif>

New Toyota project coming soon...
-Coomer+Jan 14, 2005 - 12:20 AM
QUOTE(Coomer @ Jan 14, 2005 - 12:20 AM)
-Dickster223+Jan 13, 2005 - 3:44 PM
QUOTE(Dickster223 @ Jan 13, 2005 - 3:44 PM)
Did it fit?
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Digndoug ordered the short shifter and will be test fitting it in his car. >smile.gif>
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Well Ik havnt got it yet, and the ups tracking says it wont be here till the 18th, Which kinda sucks, becuase that means i wont be ablke to pull apart my shifter assemble till that weekend cause thats when classes start. But il tyr to do it once i get it and let ya'll know.
I know this hasnt totally been tested yet, but when it is installed on your celica, please give us a step by step (or as best you can given any time constraints you have) on how to put this in I need one of these big time. I cannot as well as most of us cannot stand our yard stick long throw.


Thanks,



Matt
Ok Ok. here it is, It dosnt work..
Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Dammit I wish there were a way to fit a cheap short throw.


Thanks guys,


Peace,

Matt
Ok I was just kidding. I got it in today, the stupidist time i coudla did it, but wanted to let people know soon as posbile if it would work.

Good news: It works. I havnt driving my car aroun yet, cause the batt died on me. So Im not sure how it feels, but it feels nice in mny car just sitting there.

Bad news: It took a while but i think they all do. The "How to" Is pretty much the same instructions as coomers shifter install in how to's. But you have to pop to pins to pull the old ****er out of the plastic assemble. Then to have the other one fit in, The two plastic knobs that sit on the two ends need to be pulled and added to the new lancer one. This is were the problem is, Your going to have to take it to a granding wheel or dremle it. I had a wheel so it work for me. There too big so they will need to be shaved down to properly fit. (that was the biggist problem i ran into) Then re-install it into the shifter then to have it fit in right, ytou need to get 4 new bolts, and washers. I used i think 9 washers on each bolt underneth to raise it. One thing is, I need to fix is, i could get one bolt in right, i think i screwed them all in on an angle or somthing. Im not sure. but its still in an dosnt hit anything.

Over all, I think its worth it if u really want a shorter shifter. I personally never thought out shift was that bad, compared to all other cars iv driving with stock shifters. I probley wouldnt do it againl, becuase i have a feeling somthing might go wrong when i go out driving tomorrow. Overal cost was $27.95 for shifter then another $10 at the hard ware store for bolts and washers. soo ended up being $37.95

If u have any more questions pm me, il try to help the best i can.
Can you take pictures of exactly what needed grinding? Are you talking about the plastic end caps on the ball ends of the shifter?

Also, the bolts should have gone in fairly easily...I hope you didn't cross thread them, as that wouldn't be safe probably.

New Toyota project coming soon...
-Coomer+Jan 19, 2005 - 6:39 AM
QUOTE(Coomer @ Jan 19, 2005 - 6:39 AM)
Can you take pictures of exactly what needed grinding? Are you talking about the plastic end caps on the ball ends of the shifter?

Also, the bolts should have gone in fairly easily...I hope you didn't cross thread them, as that wouldn't be safe probably.
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My cameras being tarded, il try using my buddies camera tomorrow. The peaces that needign grinding down are the balls that connect to teh shift linkage.

ALso I hope i didnt cross thread too. I dont think i did, but seems like i some how got the bolts going in odd. Tomorrow if i get time before class i will pull them back out and try again.
Ok, More good news, Just went out for atest drive in the snow, and it seems like i would say 60% shorter, and sits about 2-1/2 inchs lower then stock. Its still a little stiff and dosnt like reside in the middle of netrual. Like u have to know where ur gears are, and u need to use a lot more force to put into gear.

Il try and get some pics up in a lil when i find my camera, which will show what u have to cut and un-bolt and the final look, maybe commer can help make it a nice how-to, cause in know its hard enough for people to understand what i type let alone follow my instructioins.
What about Honda short shifters? Those are like 10 bucks >biggrin.gif> Also I am a lil confused is it a good idea to do this or too much work?
Ok Commer, if u wanna fix these, or somehow make an how-to for these, here are some pics with what needs to be done, after following your how-to for ur shifter install.

Also somew things that were not to clear in the first how-to.
The pin underneth needs to be undone slide to eathier sides to drop the linkage off.
user posted image

Also another pin, this needs to be pulled out for the other shifter linkage.
user posted image

First, once u have the whole plastgic shifte assemble out, theres a cap on the one end, that jsut needs to be pried off. Take a flat head and go from side to side and pop it off
user posted image

Then on the other side, the pin inside, just take some small/big enough to go inside and hit the pin then hammer it out, i used an allen key cause it was right next to me.
user posted image

As you can see comparing the balls, one is biger then the other. The right/bigger one, is the new shifter. Your going to need to grind it down and still keep it in a ball form to fit in the plastic caps that your taking off the stock shifter.
user posted image

Once that is done, then place it back in your plastic assemble. then reverse to put back togeather and it.
When your putting the shifter assemble back in, ur going to need 4 new bolts, I went to the hard ware store and got 1.25 pitch bolts that were about 1 inch longer that worked, and used 9 washers underneth then oneon top of the assemble.

once u have those bolt them in and then ur done.
Heres some quick picks i took of it in, I lost my boot, not sure when or where, but im makeing a new consol, once the weather warms up.
user posted image

user posted image

user posted image

-Vibe+Jan 19, 2005 - 6:05 PM
QUOTE(Vibe @ Jan 19, 2005 - 6:05 PM)
What about Honda short shifters? Those are like 10 bucks  >biggrin.gif>  Also I am a lil confused is it a good idea to do this or too much work?
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A HONDA will NOT Work. Also now that I just went for a drive, its a good idea, just make sure u have enough time patiance and grinder of some sort , a dremle with the right bits will work.
Is there anyway you can get the measurments of the ball after its grinded? So I can take it somewhere and have it cut to the right size before I have to pull out my stock one? Thanks, I plan on doing this soon, also do you reccomond taking out the entire plastic peice or is there an easyer way of doing it?
-Vibe+Jan 19, 2005 - 6:29 PM
QUOTE(Vibe @ Jan 19, 2005 - 6:29 PM)
Is there anyway you can get the measurments of the ball after its grinded? So I can take it somewhere and have it cut to the right size before I have to pull out my stock one? Thanks, I plan on doing this soon, also do you reccomond taking out the entire plastic peice or is there an easyer way of doing it?
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Theres no exact demensions. I wopuld sugest going to home-depot and finding a cheap dremle of the sort, my buddie got a black and decker one for $20, and then just get a sander bit and metal bristle bit. if you look closly theres only a slight bit of a dif so it dosnt fit. I just kept grinding it all the way around till it fit.

And about removing it, yes your going to want to remove it, its already a pain working on what u have to while its in there, and wil be to hard leaving it in.
Good info. I'll see if I can work on a how-to at some point. >smile.gif>

So is the throw a huge difference from stock? Is it too hard to shift gears on a daily basis?

New Toyota project coming soon...
-Coomer+Jan 19, 2005 - 9:15 PM
QUOTE(Coomer @ Jan 19, 2005 - 9:15 PM)
Good info. I'll see if I can work on a how-to at some point. >smile.gif>

So is the throw a huge difference from stock? Is it too hard to shift gears on a daily basis?
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I would say the throw is probley reduced around 60%, so yeah a good amount, i noticed when i went on a back road earlier, i was saying in higher rpms when i was shifting.. so I think its def nicer. I wouldnt say its to hard to shift for nomr driving but it is stiff. Its a lil stiffer then my brothers civic short shifter. Im not sure if its because i put grease alla round the ball and its gumming up from the cold or what. but im hoping some more driving will loosing it up, it already felt a lil looser when driving it home this morn compared to last night, so we'll see.

But to most I am def glad I did it. and worth the money
So are you saying buy one or just save and get the real deal?
Too bad i dont have a grinder or dremel. Will any dremel work? I guess what im asking is, Will my cheap dremel be able to handle such grinding or is the metal maleable enought to file into shape?
-LatinKraze+Jan 21, 2005 - 1:01 AM
QUOTE(LatinKraze @ Jan 21, 2005 - 1:01 AM)
Too bad i dont have a grinder or dremel. Will any dremel work? I guess what im asking is, Will my cheap  dremel be able to handle such grinding or is the metal maleable enought to file into shape?
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yeah it should, just get a nice bit, and make sure u keep it round. u might even be able to use a metal file.


I would say its worth it, cause I dont think any shifter is worth $170
Why not just use a shor shifter from a 7th gen?
-Rjb23+Jan 21, 2005 - 3:44 AM
QUOTE(Rjb23 @ Jan 21, 2005 - 3:44 AM)
Why not just use a shor shifter from a 7th gen?
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Dont think they will work, and they are also just as expensive.
Nah you can get the same type of shifter as the lancer, eclipse one for $30 off of ebay. I figure it would be easier to get it to fit since it is for a celica. I just ordered one I'll let you know how it fits.
-Rjb23+Jan 21, 2005 - 11:32 AM
QUOTE(Rjb23 @ Jan 21, 2005 - 11:32 AM)
Nah you can get the same type of shifter as the lancer, eclipse one for $30 off of ebay. I figure it would be easier to get it to fit since it is for a celica. I just ordered one I'll let you know how it fits.
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well, the only onces I found were already $47 shipped, thats more then i paid total. But it also seems it comes with some washers/spacers that might work. good luck with it.
Awesome idea about the 7thgen shifter, let us know if its easyer cause I don't have a dremel =(
Yea they are $47 shipped but it already has new bolts and spacers so I thought it may work better and easier than the other one.