Fig06

Thanks for the write up. My shifter should be here Monday and want to install it next Friday night. Have a ton of metric crap in work ( machine parts) so I'll dig around this week and be prepared.
I plan on just using jack stands , did you have a lift ?

Blueeyes

No problem-glad to be contributing!!

I wish I had the lift. Nope, I use a floor jack and a mechanics dolly (for me to roll around on). Just lifted one side and stuck a HD jackstand in there for safety.

When I was done with the rework while cleaning up, felt a tickle on my neck and found two ticks! Ugh I hate ticks. What the f*** were ticks doing in the middle of my driveway?? Must like mustangs too!

I just went out and checked the new boot on shaft position because I actually did it in the dark on my test drive.

On that lower shifter boot, I originally slid the bottom of it down between the first and second bolts that mount the chrome shift handle to the shifter shaft. The new position is below the second bolt, basically smooshed down as far a possible. But it didn't seem to work because my boot was sitting about 1/2" above the tunnel hole all the way around. I didn't hear a buzz since the test drive, but I wasn't romping on it this week either. There is a small "under lip" that you need to get under the chassis, while a larger "over lip" stays above the chassis. Essentially you're trying to sandwich the sheet metal between the two rubber lips. But since the under lip is a lot smaller than the over lip, it doesn't stay in place. This must be due to the difference in shape between the shifters. It feels like I just got it positioned as good as I can and it's staying in place in the driveway. But I think I'm going to lightly RTV around the top of the chassis hole next anyways to glue it in place. I know that will work and I'll be done with it.

0to60

Blueeyes, that sounds like a lot of work! I wouldn't mind putting in the hours, but I wonder if I have the know-how to do the install myself. I've never replaced a shifter before -- do you think I ought to have a mechanic do it?

How's the shifting with the Hurst? I know you said it feels smoother -- is that compared to before you fixed the sleeve problem or compared to stock? I occasionally miss 3rd (even 2nd) on the stock one -- how does the Hurst compare in that regard? Does the pathway (for lack of a better term) between gears feel more direct?

Fig, keep us posted on your install! I'm definitely excited about this mod. Just gotta get my lowering springs on first (trying desperately to stick to the rule I set for myself: don't purchase the next mod until the current one is on the car).

-Tim

Blueeyes

Tim-
I don't know your mechanical expertice to judge if you can do it, but I would rate the difficulty a 2 out of 10. You need a couple of metric wrenches, a deep 10 mm socket with a long extension to speed up the rear mount nuts, a flat blade screwdriver, maybe some lube and a band-aid or two. It's not mechanically complicated, and the instructions were clear enough to me. You're not opening the transmission or anything. The hardest part is coaxing the stock shifter out through the hole. You have to push it as far forward and to the right as it will go, with the shifter ball housing under the chassis sheet metal. The shifter handle will be in second gear position, in contact with the edge of the hole. It's kind of obvious when you're doing it. This is to enable you to yank the rear of the shifter out of the hole. I don't know how much manufacturing variance there is in hole size, but mine didn't look like it was going to fit. Having someone under the car to help position the front of the shifter might have helped, and having them push up on the shifter definitely would have helped because leverage was tough. Doing it alone was a 1 knuckle buster. I had to kneel on the drivers seat to get the leverage to yank it out. I bent the sheet metal slightly, so it was slightly bigger than the hole in my car.

The only tool required on the bench is something to pry the sleeves out of the stock bushings. If you have to, you can lube the front mount sleeve to ease the install into the poly bushing of the Hurst (remember-from the left side sho the sleeve shoulder is between the shifter and transmission).

Total time was 45 min from jack up to test drive, including the band-aid. Rework took 10 minutes which included mic-ing the 12mm bolt and rifling through my washer variety bin.

GIDDEUP

LOL you need to get yourself a pair of Mechanix gloves. They have saved me from many a bloody knuckle.

hazestang

thanx a million blueeyes, I will be installing mine wednesday or thursday, and this will be a big help for sure. After my dual exhaust fiasco, I need all the extra help I can get

whatdaproblemis0

sooo if im mechanically challenged what kind of shop could i have install this?

Fig06

Put it in this morning. If you guys don't get a Hurst. your crazy. I love it ! Install is fairly easy. Took me more time to get all my crap togheter than the work. One thing I will add is the stock shifter removal. It has three notches at the back end ( 06). When I got it to the floor plan it needed just a bit of persuasion from a flet tip screwdrive. Came right out. When I put the Hurst in , it was easier to drop the whole assembly , shifter stem and all . down through the console then back up. Just rest it on the drive shaft and get back underneath. Besides it lookin cool as hell it's smooth as Sh*t. Why the hell they don't do it in the first place is beyond me.
I love it.

flapjack

I want to get this shifter, but I don't want the ****. I've seen it w/o the **** somewhere.... I just can't seem to find it now.

I'm assuming if I get the one without the Hurst ****, I can still use the stock shift ****, right?

GIDDEUP

If I can figure out what I did with my stock **** I'll see if it fits on the new shifter.