This is a review/install help guide for the Skunk2 Single bend short throw shifter.
The Review:
Install time: Good. Takes about 1-2hours for install
Price: Good. Nice decint price and well worth the money
Performance: Great. It is really better than I expected.
The throws are shorter. A night and day difference. No rattling. No moving (play) while in gear. It is nice and stiff. And smooth inbetween shifts.
Overall a must buy if you are into drag racing and what not and you are tired of the long throws that may cause you to miss gears and slower your performance at high rpms.
The Install:
This is just a brief guide, not a write up.
Tools Needed:
Half a brain. Thinking will be required if you hit a road block. I will explain later.
Jack
Jack stands
10mm and 12mm sockets and wrench
Needle nose pliers
Alittle muscle
Can of WD40
Turn the shifter knob counter clockwise to remove the knob
Jack up the car
Spray the hanger with some WD40. Let it soak some and then remove the lower portion of you exhaust from the hanger. This will make removal and install of the shift linkage easier. Loosen the two bolts that hold the shifter up (shifter bushing)
Better shot to help illustrate
Disconnect the shifter leveler from the linkage
Remove the stabilizer rod which is to the right of the shift linkage. As pictured the bolt is backed out. Remember not to get the bolts you remove confused. Keep them all sectioned off or something.
Now that all this is disconnected, wiggle the stabilizer rod and shifter out from under the car.
Old rubber bushing. I also bought a bushing kit to replace the two bushing pieces.
The new urethane bushing piece. To remove the old bushing took some muscle. The new bushing was a nice and simple install. The bushing came with new bearing also
The other bushing piece. We muscled the new piece on, due to it not being rubber and being flexible it was took some time forcing it on.
Remove the two bolts to install the new shifter. If you have difficulty like me and my buddy ran into, use needle nose pliers to hold the upper portion of the bolt. One of the bolts turned as we loosened so needle nose were in order. Mine were slightly rusted as you can see. lol
Slide the Rubber bushing off the ball joint of the shifter. Be careful not the tear it.
Comparing the old shifter with the Skunk2 single bend shifter
Bushing and Shifter plate that was just taken off
Grease the Ball joint of the Skunk2 shifter and slide the bushing on from the bottom. Bolt the two bolts and the shifter plate back to the shifter assembly. Hands were messy and finger printed everything. lol
Using the same brace from the rubber bushing I used it for the new one. Now get the shifter assembly in place and bolt it up
This is the spacer bolt that came with the shifter kit from Skunk2. Be sure to only tighten to 16-20 pounds I believe. If you over tighten it, you will not be able or it will be very hard to move the shifter due to your tightening. The connection to the shifter linkage and shifter is complete. Almost done.
Now just put and bolt the stabilizer rod back in and you are set. This took time due to the new bushing piece.
I know its not straight yet but turn the shifter knob clockwise onto the shifter. Then test it before you lower the vehicle. we were tryin to take detailed pics for ppl that all
Special Thanks to Skunk2 and My buddy Pratik on the install. pics were taken by a cell phone so don't complain. thanks