vlo421

I've been reading so many great reviews about how smooth shifting is with the short shifter and cable shift bushings from Corsport for my 07 TL-S and finally had a chance to have it installed while getting some bodywork done.

I'm not sure what to expect, but I'm finding it extremely difficult to pull/push in/out of gear now that it's becoming quite the workout. I also had the shop install the base bushings since they had to do the short shifter. I didn't have time to ask the shop about the install and can't go back until the end of the week.

Has anyone had this experience? Does this need to be broken in perhaps?

rooster415

i have the comptech short shifter. it is a bit harder to get in and out of gear compared to stock. but after about a week its gotten better . i actually like the feeling of putting it in and out of gear when it was harder. but yes it does get a little easier after a while but then again i dont have the bushings just the ss

JoeTL'81

I had the Comptech SS for about 3 years now and my shifter cut 1” shorter as well as a low sitting shifter knob and GM Synchromesh. I don’t really remember cause it’s been over 3 years but yea it is probably harder to shift than stock. Especially putting it in 2nd its sometimes a bit more difficult. (but NOT a workout) This weekend I installed the Hybrid Racing bushings(http://www.hybrid-racing.com/product...fter-bushings/) ….. WOW what a difference … so much smoother. I still feel 2nd gear to be a bit more difficult than all the other, but overall huge improvement. I wish I have done this lone time ago.

To answer your question … I never really noticed any wear/breaking in period

vlo421

Thanks for the feedback guys....I can tell that it would be enjoyable to shift with the SS if only it didn't feel like the gear didn't want to let it go or that I didn't have to ram it in there in the first place -_- Almost like I'm playing tug of war with it.

I can't imagine that an incorrect install of the SS and base bushings might cause this (I read that the base bushings do almost next to nothing), so I suspect the fault might be with the shifter cable bushing itself.

Sonnick

I thought our bushings were from Corsport?

My stepbrothers and I managed to install these yesterday as well. I noticed the throw almost feels shorter than before? Seems a bit strange. However, with the exception of 2nd gear, every other gear has a "mushy" feel to it, especially 3rd. Not really sure why. I thought this was supposed to make shifting more precise and crisp, it did neither. Not only that, but my shifter still moves a good inch and a half in any direction while in gear; every gear. It did this before and after driving a TL Type S with the bushings, it felt very crisp with barely any movement in gear. I had thought my experiences would be similar, but they are far from it. I'm a little disappointed to say the least.

anthracite_ftw

Having a short-shifter = less leverage and more effort on your part to change gears. If your synchros are worn and working too hard, you'll definitely feel it a bit more with the SS.
The Corsport aluminum bushings had little to no effect in my opinion.

Have you changed your transmission fluid recently? Are you running GM Synchromesh?

vlo421

GM fluid 8 months ago. I've read a lot of people say base bushings don't do anything, so I'm guessing it's the install of the cable shifter bushings.

I agree that it would take more effort with SS and have noticed the required effort related to shorter throws, but like Sonnick, I guess the best way to describe it going in/out of gear is "mushy". I suppose the level of mush I experience is comparable to that of rubber cement (glue) which doesn't seem to want to let go once in gear.

Going out of any gear to neutral, I noticed shifter would just sit in between being out of gear and N on the vertical track unless I push it all the way into the N (or at least to the left and right of N on the horizontal track when going from 1,2,5,6,R). Maybe I'm wrong about this, but I generally expect that it would naturally move back towards center without any effort if my shifter was somewhere in between being out of 4 and N while clutch is depressed for example.

Reminds me of when I used to work at an ice cream shop and a customer would ask for the hardest-to-scoop flavor we have.



Sonnick - I'm not sure if this describes the mush feeling you have.

jwr0ng626

iTrader: (1)

have you considered a countersunk shift knob?

https://acurazine.com/forums/1g-tsx-performance-parts-modifications-126/short-shifter-plus-aftermarket-shift-knob-advantages-705184/

anthracite_ftw

I was referring to the Corsport shifter cable bushings not doing much. I have no experience with the base bushings, but my shifter housing doesn't really move at all, so I can't imagine those would do anything either.
I can't speak for the innovative bushings, it sounds like they might relieve some of the effort though.

That's bizarre that it won't return to to the middle in neutral. Sounds like something is wrong there. Maybe the cables somehow got messed up when installing the bushings under the hood?

Getting a weighted shift knob would definitely decrease effort going into gear. I like the sensation of more momentum and less effort going into the gate, combined with the higher effort/shorter travel of the shortshifter.
It will cut down further on feedback though, meaning you have to be careful not to rush shifts and mess up your synchros.

anthracite_ftw

If the shifter worked normally (returns automatically to the middle in neutral) before installing these mods and now it doesn't, I would definitely take it back to that shop ASAP. Sounds like they messed something up.

Sonnick

Yea that's weird it doesn't go back into the middle of Neutral.

And yes, we both agree on the mushy feeling. 3rd is especially mushy, and it's not a good feeling. There are other aftermarket bushings as well? I followed the link to the Hybrid Racing bushings and they look pretty beefy as well. I felt the difference between the stock and Corsport and the Corsports were obviously more solid, being aluminum. But I was under the impression that it would eliminate the play in my shifter while in gear. I'm disappointed it made no difference in that respect and especially disappointed that most of the gear changes now feel mushy. It's as if I were walking and expected to step on a hard, dirt road yet after putting my foot down, I realized it was mud.

vlo421

Can't get back to the shop for another few days. I'll just have to be really careful not to misshift. There's almost no feedback with this mush...except perhaps 4th gear.

vlo421

I read a few forums outside of Acurazine that mentioned that some play is always going to be expected. I suppose this hasn't bothered as much. There's some play, but I can barely move it in general. I think my hand's about to fall apart driving regularly like this lol

rockstar143

iTrader: (6)

After install of the short shift kit, I would highly recommend you DON'T lower the shifter knob position. Pretty basic physics (same applies with why a pipe on a breaker bar gets you more torque)...leverage. I use a 1 pound weighted tall mishimoto shifter and it allows the leverage you need to confidently and accurately put it into each gear, every time. I admit it's a bit harder when the fluids are cold. When warm though, the car is a fkn dream to drive.

It's been 30K since my last GM sycnromesh change so I'm doing it again next week in addition to installing some "Torque Solution" Delrin shifter bushings. I was intrigued by the ones on Heeltoe and Hybrid racing but the ebay seller accepted 22 bucks for the ones I just ordered. I'll test out shifter feel before reinstalling everything in case I hate it. I'll report back.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rockstar143/8397308844/http://www.flickr.com/photos/rockstar143/8397308844/ by http://www.flickr.com/people/rockstar143/, on Flickr

EvilVirus

iTrader: (8)

^ like the emblem on your steering wheel

rockstar143

iTrader: (6)

that's oem!

MrHeeltoe

iTrader: (1)

We have a specific shifter kit that serves as a complete shifter kit solution.

We know short shifters are popular because people like the short throw and seemingly faster shifting. However the increased effort is undeniable, and this flies directly in the face of the faster shifting claim. Therefore we add the Hybrid Racing bushings and a Maven Countersunk shift knob. These items will increase the smoothness taken away by the short shifter, and increase the momentum of the throw dramatically decreasing the effort needed. The HTSpec Shifter kit is a complete solution!

https://www.heeltoeauto.com/ht-spec-...-01-03-cl.html




Shown in the image are Corsport bushings which we changed to HBR bushings for, as described in this link:

Here are the Hybrid Racing ones:http://www.heeltoeauto.com/pitboard/?p=912

rockstar143

iTrader: (6)

Got up at 8am today after going to bed at 230pm and I washed and waxed Betty's SRX. Polished exhaust tips too. She has the Dupont treatment done to it, but I read up on it and it felt like it could use a coat of polymer protection.

After that, I opted to install the ebay delrin shifter bushings I bought. I didn't research enough prior to buying and only paid $22 shipped...install was not hard, but I made it harder by opting to do a bunch of other things while I was in there removing everything. I rewired some things and rerouted some wiring...just cleaned up the rat's nest, in general. Also, since I removed the throttle body, I cleaned it out too...

Now, the bushings I bought, true to ebay form, didn't fit properly. The small one did, but the bit one, the center hole was too small (yeah buddy!)...not a big deal, I drilled out the center little by little with a smaller bit until I was barely able to squeeze it into place. I did write to seller to complain though. If I had to do it over, I'd pay Marcus the $65 for his hybrid racing ones.

Impression after install...although it's not night and day, I don't regret it at all...I do feel something different...just seems easier to pop into whatever gear you're selecting, like your hand doesn't have to fish around the gate looking for the opening. I'd recommend this mod to anyone.

For install, what worked for me was to soak both oem bushings in PB Blaster for 15 minutes...I DID unbolt the 2 10MM bolts holding the wiring harness above the smaller one to move it around for access. After soaking, I was able to lift the bushing off the center stud and then I moved it up or down a little (toward or away from car) to put the stud UNDER the rubber part of the bushing instead of the center hole and I used the stud to press the bushing out upward. Worked easy on the big one, and after getting one hand on either side of the wiring and on the smaller one, it popped off first try too. Easy as heck.

Had I not cleaned up the wiring and brushed off and painted my corroding battery tray and dropped 1 bolt and had to install and uninstall and put the "c clip" under the new bushings...this would have taken me all of 30 minutes.

UGLY!

Here they are

OEM off

this stuff made it easy...after 9 years, those bushings didn't want to budge

Installed, but I flipped them over after this to mimmick how another member installed

Dang it was bad!

and here it is after install and cleaned and high temp painted the tray

and here it is all buttoned up!