This is a story about my Helix Short Shifter Install.

My morning began at 7AM, waking up and going to my tax accounting class. On my way to class, I had already resolved to skip my World Literature class in order to install my Helix SS Kit and H-Sport Rear Sway Bar.

When I got home from my morning class, I got out the installation instructions for both parts and headed to home depot to round up the parts. I was able to round up everything except this one thing called an E12 Torx bit or wrench. I finally gave up in frustration after asking several employees and called Hotchkis. They told me I could get it at my local Sears so I headed over to Sears. Same thing so I called them again. This time they put me on hold and when they finally come back they tell me that it's needed to remove the steering rack. Steering Rack. WAIT A SECOND. Why would I need to remove a steering rack for a rear sway bar? That's when the kind gentleman told I wouldn't... That ends the first part of my story and probably foreshadowed the rest of the day.

I finally got home and decided I would start on the SS install. It was around 12 or 1 so I figured I'd be able to finish the SS install and move right onto the sway bar... 1 hour is the estimated time of installation. It took me 3 to 4 hours. The instructions for the Helix SS kit fit on less than a page and it looked so simple. Boy, was I wrong.

1) Remove the exhaust from the header... Holy ****, Superman must've gone over to the Oxford Plant and welded the nuts to the screws because it took me at least half an hour, probably more, and a pulled tendon in my tricep to finally loosen the nuts.

2) Remove the plastic cover, it simply pops off... ********. It pops off like Kevin Federline would willfully leave Britney Spears. I was able to pop off one side, but the other sides were impossible. I ended up having to use the clawside of the hammer to pull off the plastic cover. After being able to pull off some, I went back to delicately trying to remove it. After probably over another half hour, I finally removed it. Then I read that I will never need that piece of crap again... You better believe I took my frustration out on that little piece of plastic.

3) Remove the ball from the shifter. I was expecting this to be hard since everybody had mentioned it. But let me tell you, no amount of reading or preparing helped. It took forever. I finally get the genius idea to clamp the wrench onto the shift lever and use the clawside of the hammer to pry the ball off. I try this a couple of times and finally all hell breaks loose and I lose hold of the hammer and it's flying and monkeys are flying out of the transmission's rear. In the aftermath, I get a chance to look. The socket is off. Hooray. Then I look to the right and laying right next to my head is the claw-side of the hammer... :impatient One inch and I could've been eyeless of even lifeless.

4) I admit that this was my fault. I got in the car and started it up to take a test drive. The second I start it up, I hear the loudest Morgan has ever been. Holy Crap, it's loud. Then I remember that I forgot to tighten the nuts on the exhaust-header bolts. I imagine that the people that run open headers to go to the shop to do the obx header must really have it loud. I went up to our apartment and I ask my fiance if she heard it. She said that not only did she hear it, but the whole floor of the apartment was shaking.


That's my very long story of the SS install. I ended up finishing around 4:00PM. This is my question for you guys, will the sway bar install be harder or just a longer process?

 

That's funny...I was messing around racing my buddy and when I dropped into 2nd, my shifter came off. Why was yours so hard? Straddle the shifter and pull up into your stomach (not your face).

You got instructions for the front sway bar. I just did both of mine. Download for the rear: http://www.h-sport.com/bin/instructions/22800-22810.pdf . The E12 is a socket and you don't have to worry about that. The install for me was pretty simple. It helps if you have a partner to lift the subframe back into place. I did it by myself. I only remove the left strut instead of both. Everything else is straight-forward if you can loosen/tighten bolts. The only thing I have noticed is that the mounts are a lot bigger than OEM and they rub on the excess sheetmetal from the floor pan. If yours does this I suggest you take care of the rubbing issue now instead of later like I have to. My rear squeeks like a biotch! It took me 2 hours for the rear with me taking my time and doing it right. The front was a different story.

 

The sway bar should not be that difficult. I did it with help from another guy at work that had plenty of tools for it. I believe the h-sport instructions have some other weird thing for removing the sway bar end links. There is a flat between the pieces of rubber if I remember right and you can just use a wrench on that, instead of a socket or allen wrench or something they suggest. It is a little confusing when you first look at it and they tell you that you will need all these tools, but they have both front and rear instructions in the same packet. The hardest part is prying the subframe down and snaking the sway bar in and out. You will need a pry bar for sure. Installing the h-sport bushings is kind of a PITA too. I don't think you will have as much trouble as the short shifter though.

 

The rear pulls down real easy. The front you will need a prybar fo sho!

 

Oh goodness! Hahaha That story cured my thoughts of installing the Helix SS myself!

 

Forgive me, but your rendition was one of the funniest things I've read in a long time. I do sympthaize with what you went through and, I assure you, have my own tales of horror when tackling supposedly "easy" jobs, one of which ended when my pants caught fire. Oh yeah, and the Triumph rear axle that landed on my chest and left a flange imprint on my chest which lasted a week. The joys of ownership.

 

well, we all have to start somewhere, right?

 

Well, I got a friend that will help me with the rear sway bar install. I figure if it was supposed to take 1 hour for the SS install and 2-3 hours for the sway bar install, it'll probably take 8-12 hours for the sway bar.

If it's just ratcheting and whatnot, I think I'll be fine unless it's a repeat of the exhaust header and exhaust pipes... Oh well, I can always hope. Speaking of the sway bar, is the furthest notch from the bar, the lightest setting? It seems intuitive... but so did the SS install.

| | <==== Furthest notch
| |
| |
---------------------------- <===== bar

Worst Drawing Ever by Miniotaple

My first impressions of the Short Shifter is that the effort needed to shift has been increased dramatically and obviously, the throws have been reduced dramatically. My fiance is going to have a hell of a time learning manual in Morgan.

 

yep, closer to the bend, the stiffer the setting.

goodluck with your swaybar install.

 

Start with the setting closest to the bar (softest) and watch out when you take turns the first couple of times. I have mine at full stiff (fr/rr) and I almost put it into a wall at 80 MPH. Major understeer.....which I like.....but unexpected.

 

you mean furthest from the bar?

 

Oh yeah........that's what I meant All this talk is confusing my brain:impatient

 

CLAW HAMMER !?!?!?
Jim

 

i can be of no help at all, but i have to thank you for making me laugh with the way you wrote that.

now the office thinks i'm crazy because i'm sitting here giggling all alone in my officle!

 

1) for the rear bar, you may have to get creative getting the rear subframe back up!

2) Monkeys?!?!? I didn't know they were standard equipment on our cars...

I did the rear bar myself, and if I can do it, Stevie Wonder can do it.

Matt

 

I feel your pain re: the Helix SS. I wish you had read my recent post at https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ix+short+shift before you started. I included a tip on getting the ball joint off the shifter that didn't provoke or annoy a single monkey. Obviously, this was all karma for skipping your class

I'm impressed that you got the exhaust bolts loose in only a couple of hours. I don't blame you for leaving them loose after all thr trouble you went to getting them off.

The rear sway bar was going to be my next project, so I'm curious about how it goes.

 

When I tackled my B&M SS kit I actually downloaded ALL the SS install directions I could get my hands on (B&M, Helix, Alta, and some others) and used the combined information to do the job... didn't help that much though.

The header bolts soaked in Liquid Wrench for 1 hour while I got ready, and I STILL smashed my knuckle getting them off.

The plastic-plate you were lamenting turned out to be easy (er) when I randomly found a flat-heat screw driver with a TIGHT 90 degree bend near each end... I think you can get it at sears. It was JUST right to sneak in behind each clip and undo them without breaking them.

I smashed my face when pulling off the cables from the shifter.

By the time I got to re-installing the heat shield I was down to smashing it with a mallet ...

Anyway, I am also installing a R. swaybar this spring, so post your experience when you get it!

RM2k5

 

As far as the sway bar goes, be very careful with the shock tower bolts. It is best to replace them, but if you want to reuse (lots of people have done) make sure not to go above 50-55 ft-lbs. IF you try to go 80 like the book says, you might just need to drill one out like I did. That is a good way to add an hour or 2 to the install.

 

Well, I am basically incompetent and I was able to install the rear sway bar on my cabrio in 5 hours. But that includes at least an hour on and off the phone spent convincing the folks at Hotchkis that there really is another frame bolt on the cabrio that is not detailed in their instructions. The extra frame bolt on the cabrio complicated the removal of the old sway bar (by about another hour) too since there was an extra frame connector in the middle that required me to loosen the gas tank to make enough room for the bar to get around (also not in the instructions).

If you have an MCS, I think 2 to 3 hours should be enough.

(P.S. you can use a floor jack to help you raise and position the subframe when you reattach)

 

Sure, but will YOU ever be able to play the piano?!

Hmmm. Mine was quite easy - just used a floor jack and it snugged right up.
Note - the lower shock bolt is TIGHT. Spare your tricep and use a cheater bar.

 

i don't remember having to have to remove the lower shock bolt to do
the swaybar...

 

If you want alot of fun try installing the H-Sport rear sway bar on a cabrio

 

Removing the whole shock assembly on one side helps . The bottom bolt is 110 lbft torque so it's very tight.

 

Lowering the shock on one sdie makes it so much easier.
I installed everything on my car (look at my sig) including the SS and sway. By far the hardest thing was the SS.

 

i see. i didn't have to drop the shock... oh well.

you think 110lbs/ft is tight? try doing struts on a WRX.
now those are TIGHT.