Big thanks to all here on this very helpful thread! My son & I installed the
@GRP short-throw the other day, and it would have been a bear without all these community tips! We installed it in the factory (longest) throw position, and the tips on marking the original position of the linkage and taping off the shifter in the original neutral position so neutral stays where it should were really helpful.
Having put 60 miles on it on some backroads now, I'm not sure if I like it. It's
different, but I can't say it's overall
better.
The good: the "slop" in the shifts is almost gone. In other words, the gear positions seem to be in the same place every time, which is a nice improvement and the kind of thing you should expect in a shifter from the factory. I think this is due to the GRP not having that rubber bushing that allows it to wander.
The bad: the shift throw lengths are now hugely "unbalanced". The shift kit seems to have only shortened North-South shifting, while the East-West throws are exactly the same. The effect of this is Neutral to 3rd or N->4 is a tiny, tiny movement. 4th to N, over to 5th = tiny move up, longer move right, tiny move up. The shift to 3rd used to be my favorite, (somewhat because 1-2 felt like stirring rocks in a bucket) and that move up into 3rd was satisfying. Now 3rd & 4th feel almost like pressing a button instead of moving a lever because the movement is SO short. Short to the point of unsatisfying, as you barely felt like you've shifted except for the notching in. If this is the longest shift, I can't imagine what the shortest throw position would be like! I double-checked a couple sources to make sure the factory (closest to the "fat" part of the black aluminum swivel) was really the longest throw.
I've heard mentions of being able to adjust the East-West throws as well in the linkage under the sifter itself, but I haven't been able to find a thread that actually shows how to do this. Anyone know where that is? Maybe "evening up" the throws would make it feel more balanced.
Here's a pic of my install (before we put the cotter pin in). Holler if you see anything obviously wrong with it.
Honestly, if
@GRP just made a "regular throw shift kit" that just replaced the sloppy rubber bushing with their much better metal one, I'd buy that!
Having done this mod and seeing how relatively painless it was, I think I need to feed my GRP addiction that cold air intake upgrade as well...
...and the weak factory battery in this hollered it was going to shut down the screens at the end of this mod as evidently an hour with the trunk and doors open is all it takes... so I should probably bite the bullet and get that Antigravity lithium as well. Ka-ching!
the chances of nut fumbling and nut loss increase. I dunno, guess it will depend on the weather and how I'm feeling that day. I'll figure it out. As you have pointed out, the important thing is to make sure your stalk stands proud before reinstalling the cotter pin.
