OEM Sti SHORT SHIFT for GT Spec B 6 MT

[jp928]

Your pic seems to have more removed than I have so far, but I have the top all undone now. I had the rear console off, but there was a piece of the air tubes to the rear attached to the top of the big metal piece(with the 4 bolts upwards) with a plastic screw, and I had to get that out (PITA) before I could pull that back, and then I was able to wangle the plate out. I have managed to loosen all the fixings of the centre exhaust pipe, so I will pull that in the morning, and then the heat shield might come out.
For the second time now (in 122k kms) the first rubber boot under the top gear lever boot has a hole in it. From the look of the edges, and all the rubber dust in the area, its been rubbed to death by something on the lever.
Also, to remove the top boot from the lever I had to drive out the roll pin at the top, on the reverse lockout bezel - this doesnt appear in any of the notes? There is also nothing about moving the top boot to the new lever..?? I undid 2 small screws fixing a collar to the lever under the boot, but it didnt seem to do anything useful?

Re the centre exhaust pipe - I see 2 nuts at the front connecting the pipe to a downcoming catalyst (I think), 1 bolt steadying pipe to the gearbox, and two bolts/nuts (with springs under the bolt heads)towards the rear - is that what you saw? The workshop manual I have shows the exhaust pipe in unit with the turbo dump pipe..???

thanks
jp 08 gtb 6mt wagon

[tom_kauf]

Ah ok. Regarding the rubber boot getting a hole, I remember that square plate had quite sharp edges on mine. So maybe it wears through. Oh but u mean the cone shaped boot. That's weird.
I also removed the roll pin but I'm pretty sure I didn't have to. Because I didn't have to remove the roll pin on the new one. Try not to remove the roll pin on the new one unless u absolutely have to (forum posts I've read say getting the revere lockout cablecable back in is a HUGE PITA. And yes, I remember the screws that weren't useful at undoing anything important. Although I thought it was only 1 screw, but u might be wrong. I finished this swap between about 10pm and 2am, about 5 months ago. So I don't recall every step. But I know I discarded the official STi instructions since they were obviously in Japanese, and much less helpful than the forum links. I'll find them and post them in a minute - they may help.

[tom_kauf]

And regarding the exhaust, I couldn't undo a single bolt so I have no idea how it comes undone sorry.

This link was helpful, but it's only for an aftermarket unit, so the bottom linkage stays the same. Not much help for the steps we had to do under the car, but good for everything else.

http://www.iwsti.com/forums/diy-mods-an ... l-diy.html

This process is what I read somewhere for the STi unit. It's a basic description but not bad.
- you have to remove the centre console
- remove the centre section of the exhaust
- remove the heat sheild that sits just under the shifter about where the join from the dump pipe to the cat back is
- pull out 1 clip for the reverse leaver cable
- disconnect the two linkages from the shifter to the box
- few nuts from the cabin side
- two bolts on the rear holding a mount for the shifter
- and pull out and start all over again .

[GONEWALKABOUT]

And regarding the exhaust, I couldn't undo a single bolt so I have no idea how it comes undone sorry.

DW-40, socket set and a breaker bar makes an easy job

[jp928]

So if you didnt pull the roll pin out of the new lever, how did you get the top most boot over the reverse lockout slide (goes up n down)???
tks
jp

[GONEWALKABOUT]

So if you didnt pull the roll pin out of the new lever, how did you get the top most boot over the reverse lockout slide (goes up n down)???
tks
jp

Pretty sure you have to knock the pin out, atleast thats the easiest way.

The 2 little screws you undid hold the boot to the shifter but the boot wont come off before you remove the knob and collar above it.

You will most likely have to remove or unbolt and push aside your dump pipe or center mufflers depending on length of each segment

[tom_kauf]

So if you didnt pull the roll pin out of the new lever, how did you get the top most boot over the reverse lockout slide (goes up n down)???
tks
jp

I popped out the ball joint that links the upper and lower halves of the linkage. I may not have a breaker bar, but I have speciality tools like Circlip pliers lol (that's what holds the ball joint in place). Then I slid the boot up from underneath. I mainly did that coz without removing the exhaust, there wasn't enough room to get the linkage in position in one piece. I wouldn't recommend it, coz it's a pain. But it might actually be easier than getting the split pin out and fitting the reverse lockout cable.

[tom_kauf]

In the iwsti.com link above, you can see pictures on how to do it. Although in that case, the aftermarket (non STi) shifter had to be joined to the OEM lower linkage. Since we have a full STi assembly, if you prefer to install it in one piece, that'll work too. I mangled my old shifter trying to get the split pin out. I really wish the STi assembly came with a split pin removal tool like some aftermarket shifters. I really struggled with that split pin. So doing the circlip was much easier for me.

[GONEWALKABOUT]

i had a wood punch on me but the right size allen key/ very small screwdriver, hammer and patience is adequate

[tom_kauf]

i had a wood punch on me but the right size allen key/ very small screwdriver, hammer and patience is adequate

Yeah that's good advice. A drill bit worked for me in the end. But I tried to replicate a pin-screw-in tool that comes with one of the aftermarket shifters I saw on Youtube (basically a screw clamp which slowly pushes the pin through). But despite using a wood block to protect the shifter, it got pretty damaged. So whichever method you choose, make sure you have the right tools lol.

[jp928]

You are all getting a bit discouraging now! So the pin engages in the end of the reverse cable inside the lever ? Since I have the boot off the old lever already I will try fitting the boot to the new lever while its off the car, on the bench. Then there is the question of the rubber boot thats under the top boot - that can probably be fitted over the lever with then reverse lock slide in place....another experiment. Will come back when I have tried a couple of things.

If I get the boots fitted, will I be able to fit the sound insulating layer over the top of them ? maybe not.....

After another look at the top boot, I think it will pry off the old plastic ferrule (fitted to the lever with the two small screws), and go onto the new one with a bit of lubrication...will advise later.

Thanks all

jp

[tom_kauf]

I wish there was a better set of instructions, but because you're doing it totally different and not posting pictures, there's only so much I can help. There are many ways to do anything, so it's just a matter of working it out for the method you're doing.
I didn't do the reverse lockout, so I don't know.
Yeah, fitting the top boot while it's out of the car is a good idea. Yes, you'll find the bottom boot stretches enough to go over the top, so that can go either way. And the sound insulation was on top of everything else on my car (big square cut-out, so just fits over the top iirc).

[jp928]

Tom,
How am I doing it differently? Do you mean I should split the assembly at the ball joint as you did ?

I have the exhaust centre and heat shield out. The reverse lockout just needs an R clip pulled out - easy.

As Phat Gt said - 'disconnect the two linkages from shifter to the box' - easier said than done as far as I can see!
There is a vertical bolt first on the top link - no room to pull out the top as far as I can see. In front of that is a horizontal bolt which may have room to get out, but access is poor. Is this the bolt noted as COMPL in the notes?

As for the big stay bush on the lower link - wont this need the box moved sideways or lowered some to get this bolt out ?? Can the box be moved sideways enough without removing some of the crossmembers? Does it just require some leverage applied?

Do you know which part changed from std to short shift?

thanks for being patient with me here. Hard to believe you did this with the exhaust and heat shield in there!

jp

[jp928]

Progress. Got the big bush free - didnt see the slot at first. Now stuck on the horizontal bolt into the selector coupling. Not enough room to get it out against the tunnel side . Even with some sideways movement I cant get it free. What am I doing wrong here Please? Am I correct in thinking the vertical bolt wont clear the body as its head is at the top, or is that possible ? Do I have to jack the box and remove gearbox mounts ?
Half a mind to cut this bolt in half and replace it from the other side, which seems to have plenty of room.

The top boot will slip off the plastic ferrule screwed to the lever , so that part is going to work.

jp

[tom_kauf]

Maybe I'm the one that did it differently, but I didn't drop the exhaust or remove the split pin, or install the linkage as a whole unit (I split the linkage in two and installed the top and bottom halves separately).
You can split the linkage if you like - whatever works for you. You will need Circlip pliers though, otherwise I doubt you can get the Circlip out or back in. I don't think that you have to split the linkage in your case, since you managed to get the exhaust off. But I know I definitely had to.

Sorry mate, without pictures I don't know which one you're talking about. I remember all I had were hand tools (ratchet and open ended spanner). And a second pair of hands at one stage for that bolt with the very flat head towards the tranny. Yes, access is extremely tight. I don't have the instructions anymore, so please post on here if you would like help with something on there.

I didn't compare the old and new linkage, but I think the whole arm and pivot point will be different, and I assume firmer bushes (although the ones separate from the STi supplied part seem to be the same as normal GTBs).