Hi.
I am looking for input on short shifters.
What a SS really is?
Does a SS mean that the arm above the pivot point is shorter than the stock variant?
If it is so, why not just cut off a few inches off the stick shifter and have a SS withouth the hassle tu dissasemble the shifter housing. Since in the MCS the linkage betveen the shifter arm and the gearshifter itself is by cables, then the actual arm design should not matter in goving a different feel.
If all the above is true then what is the most appropriate length to cut off?
Sincerely: Denes

 

use the search function to find NUMEROUS posts on this topic.

 

Although some ss are physically shorter, it has more to do with the added length at the other end.

I don't think cutting it will make much of a difference and the **** would end up really low. You'll end up having to take it all apart to weld it back together anyway. I have wasted lots of time and money doing things myself just because I could, but when I think about this project, why?

 

I bought my MINI used and was unimpressed by the big-knobbed and relatively sloppy feel of the stock shifter. I saw that there were a lot of short shifter kits on the market and knew that I would go that route. I remembered from my days of driving a 58 VW Van that minor change in the throw below the pivot did make a lot of difference in how precise the shifting felt at the handle end.

I did not know anything about the relative amount of tightening-up I wanted and between the B&M, Helix, and Alta models available, I went with the Alta as it was adjustable. The pivot ball can be slid into one of three positions and fixed in that location with a set screw. Helix was the least expensive and probably the easiest to install. B & W has a great name but was set at one fixed height (this could imply that there are fewer things to go wrong).

The install was relatively easy but requires putting the car up in the air, dropping the exhaust, removing the heat shield, opening up the shifter linkage box. My biggest surprise was finding that a lot of the components in this part of the car were plastic. Of the three possible Alta settings, two require that you remove the bottom dust cover of the shift linkage box completely. I was skeptical of doing this (fear of dust, water, small furry animals) so I went with the shortest setting. Even at this setting I had to take a Dremel and cut the interior webbing down in the vicinity where the linkage would swing. The webbing is less than 1/8" anyway and I only needed to remove a few inches in any direction below the center of the shifter so I doubt that the structural integrity of the cover was compromised.

The hardest part of the operation was the removal of the shifting cable ball joint from the ball at the end of the shifter. This snaps on and off but is a very tight fit (as it should be). The problem is that there is no way to get good leverage when you are on your back on a creeper under a car that is on Rhino Ramps and only 24" above you. Using a lift would give you more positions from which to gain leverage. It finally came off and it went on a whole lot easier.

The second hardest part of the entire swap out came in the removal and re-installation of the bushing in which the pivot ball sits (remember, everything is plastic and can break). The fit is tight and there is a real tendency to want to force things that need to be finessed. Take your time. I thougth of putting the entire shifter and bushing into my freezer to see if the cold would shrink it enough to make it fit. It finally went into place so I never explored this option.

I did not achieve any radical "toggle switch-like precision" in the shifter but it is a damn sight better than that stock monstrosity. I topped it with very simple black leather Momo **** and am very happy. The only remaining issue is that the absence of a shift pattern causes problems with Valets and Car Wash personnel who have no idea where reverse is.

So there is my perspective. Install a SS kit and if you use the Alta then you have options regarding how radical you choose to get. And no, I am not on Alta's payroll.

K. F. Duke