It's here! It's here!!



Comes with:
-Complete Instructions with Lots of Pictures
-Cooper/Cooper S Short Shifter Adapter
-Three Stainless Steel Set Screws
-One 2mm Allen Hex Key
-2" of Heat Shrink Tubing

Tossed this puppy on tonight and I'm MIGHTY impressed! The throw is so quick now. Feels like my old 2001 Miata 6 speed now. Complete flick-of-the-wrist shifting. So nice. So cheap. So easy!

Here's what you'll need:

4 jack stands
Jack
15mm socket (deep is preferable)
10mm socket
8mm socket
Hair Dryer
Pliers (channel lock preferable)
Light source (hey, it's dark under there )

1-Get the car up on jackstands. I like to start by jacking up the driver's side rear, then placing a jackstand under the driver's side front. Then jack just to the left of the jack-point enough to slide in a jackstand. Now do opposite on other side, jack up the front first.

2-Remove the 2 15mm nuts holding the exhaust to the header. Leave it connected after you remove the nuts.

3-Remove the 6 10mm nuts from the black, square exhaust pipe support bracket. The exhaust pipe will now hang out of your way.

4-Remove the 6 10mm flat nuts from the middle section of heat shielding.

5-Remove the 1 8mm bolt from behind the cat on the header.

6-Remove the middle section of heat shielding by pushing the shielding towards the rear (after removing it from the mounted bolts) to clear the cat. Set aside.

7-You now have access to the shifter box. The cover just pops right off to reveal where we'll do our work. :smile: You can see the lower part of the shifter where it attaches to the cable linkage in the top right area of the picture.



8-There are two spongey washers around the base of the shift lever where it connects with the cable linkage. I found it helpful to push them up onto the shift lever to get them out of the way.

9-Now here's the fun part. Removing the cable linkage from the shift lever takes some force. I won't kid you. I used some channel lock pliers and grabbed the ball socket (round part on bottom) and twisted/pivoted it, then tugged hard. It snapped right out.



10-Make sure none of the three set screws are protruding into the open cavity of the short shift adapter.

11-Slide the shifter adapter onto the exposed end of the factory shift lever until it stops. Tighten each set screw evenly until snug.

12-Slide on the heat shrink tubing onto the end of the adapter, ensuring that they completely cover the set screws. Heat with hairdryer to shrink tubing onto the adapter.

13-Place the ball socket on the end of the adapter, holding it in place. Press firmly or give a quick tap with a socket wrench or the like (don't use anything heavy).



14-You will not be reinstalling the bottom shifter assembly cover. So at this point you can now jump in your MINI and test out the new feel. Don't start the car.

15-Once satisfied (and I KNOW you will be!) with gear engagement, reinstall the aluminum exhaust heat shield. I found it helpful to do all the 10mm flat nuts first, working my way front rear to front, then installing the 8mm bolt last.

16-Reconnect the exhaust to the header. Don't forget the gasket!

17-Drop the car down off the jackstands and go for a fun drive! Woo hoo, you're done!

Now that wasn't so hard, was it? Kit will retail for a STEAL! It's late and I'm happy to share the info, but I can't remember the exact price on this. Really want to say $60. Will be sure to get that info for you asap. Let me know if you have any questions.

R

 

Thanks for the info

 

Does it really make a diffrerence?
$60 is a lot to me...lol...

 

I went through the install pretty easily. and I love the way the car drives now.

 

Davebret wrote:

Thanks for the how-to. Doesn't this leave the shifter mechanism vulnerable to contamination from road grime / dirt / salt / etc. ?

 

I've had a short shifter on the car for some time now - and it doesn't get any grime up there at all (I just pulled it all down and checked it out before I started offering the kit). The heat shield for the exhaust keeps any grime from getting up there. We use the replacement shifter, but it works under the same principle as far as the cover goes.

You got lucky with the shift ball just popping off - it is a real bear!

Thanks for the pics - nicely done.

Randy

 

I'd be nervous about getting dust/grime up there - here in the Northeast, there is all kinds of crap on the roads (salt, manure, mud, etc.). I guess it shouldn't be too difficult to fab a guard out of sheet aluminum. Any idea of the percentage reduction? Looks cheap enough to give it a try.

 

As Randy says, the heat shield TOTALLY covers the area and leaves it next to impossible for contaminants to get up in there.

As for removing the shift lever from the ball socket, one thing I noticed when I put it back on after heating the lever up to get the heat shrink to set, was that when hot it went on like a breeze. Might want to heat it up before trying to remove it, as that may make things simpler. Worth a try if it's being a biznatch on you.

R

 

If there is any air space, then dust WILL get in there, period. I had a booth at Waterfest a few years ago when they held it at Island Dragway in NJ. There were dusty fields all around the site that appeared to be composed of powered cow manure. That manure got into every imaginable crevice in the car and had a noticeable effect on moving parts of the car, after only one day of exposure. How much clearance is there between the lengthened rod/ball and the exhaust shield?

 

I did notice that it goes back on much easier than it comes off.

Andy - I don't know about the Madness reduction, but the Alta is adjustable - it goes so low if you want it to that it's even tough to get into reverse! I have mine about mid-way on the adjustment, and I really like the feel of it. The drawback to this system is that it is $199 (which still isn't a fortune) becasue it replaces the entire shifter unit. I'll be giving the Madness a try shortly - I just gotta get one here.

It is straightforward to make a shield out of aluminum - I tried it - but after the last snow storm with all the mag-chloride and sand, not a bit was in there without any shield other than the exhaust shield. I wouldn't worry about it.

Randy

 

is there any chance of the set screws backing out?

 

I heard from George that given the space/depth the set-screws are going into, and the shrink wrap as an added cover, backing-out is very likely...

 

You've got me interested! But I don't see this item under Madness's site. They only show a complete shifter under development for arount $89. More info please?

Thanks

 

>>is there any chance of the set screws backing out?
froggert,
I'm going to use a liberal coating of JB Weld on the inside of the extention, and Red Loctite on the set screws.It will probably never be able to return to stock, but I don't think I'll want to anyway. Happy "Speed Shifting!" Itzamazn

 

The screws come with red locktite already. That combined with the heat shrink, there is NO way it's going to come off/screws back out.

The JB weld is a bit extreme, but each to their own.

The set screws are not pushing into anything. They keep the ball on the end of the stock shift lever from being able to move. So once they are in, and the heat shrink is on, there is just nowhere for them to go.

The image on the site is purely to show a shifter, not the actual product. The actual product is what I've shown as my first picture. George is out of town this weekend, but I'll be sure to get the pricing specifics asap. To my knowledge, the $89 was what the price was going to be, but I do believe it's going to be closer to $60 something now. Way cool!

R

 

Does the set screws lock in behind the original ball joint? Is that how it keeps from coming loose?

Thanks

 

>>Does the set screws lock in behind the original ball joint? Is that how it keeps from coming loose?
>>
>>Thanks

R

 

Thanks. When will we be order from their web site?

 

Hmm ... looks pretty similar to this:


http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...tem=2422603632

 

Looks similar, but appears to only have one set screw that I can see. Perhaps it's a used Mini-Mania one?

R

 

Bingo! I think you're right:



http://new.minimania.com/web/Item/NMD1020/InvDetail.cfm

 

Confirmed: $60.00

R

 

Sweet! Loctite red, eh? No chance of returning that to stock then? Do you have a % reduction?

_________________



1/4 Mile Database

 

20%, but it feels a bit more than that if you ask me. More like 25-30%, but I've never been good at judging measurements.

R

 

Perhaps a small wheel puller would make the disassembly a little smoother?