This install should be performed after the front-to-back short
shift parts have been installed. The side to side pieces can be installed at a
different time from when the front to back parts are
installed. If you choose not to install the side to side reduction pin
when you install the front/back parts then you must still perform the
adjustment procedure at the bottom of this guide.
Following these directions closely is crucial to
your satisfaction with the short shift kit.
1. Park the car on level ground, place the car
in neutral, set the emergency brake, and open the hood. It is best to work on a
car which is not hot.
2. Locate the
transmission's shift linkage mechanism. It is left, behind, and
slightly below the battery on Corrados and Passats, and all A3 cars.
3. The only change to be made here is the
side-to-side shift linkage which uses the uppermost cable. This cable has the
smallest end (round) of roughly 5/8ths of an inch in diameter.
4. Reach down into the engine bay and detach
the side-to-side cable from the plastic retainer by lifting up on the
cable retainer's end stop. A handy thumb grip was provided by our
friends at VW for this task. Push the cable
toward the driver side of the car. The cable end will slide off toward the
driver's side of the car. Please note that 1990-1992 Corrado G60 and B3 Passat
16V's are a little different as the cable is held to the shaft with a special
cotter pin and the complete side to side bracket on the transmission is metal. On these cars the complete metal
bracket is changed with the dieselgeek.com Short Shift kit. The remaining steps
in this install manual do not apply to the 1990-early 1992 G60 Corrado or 16V
Passat.
5. Loosen the 13mm
nut on the side-to-side cable adjustment. Back the nut off by
several turns but do
not unthread it completely. At this point you might consider
temporarily removing the cast iron shift weight attached to the front-to-back
shift linkage piece if your car has one. It is attached with a single 13mm bolt
or nut and is best removed with a 13mm socket on a 12" extension, driven
with a 3/8 inch ratchet. This will give you some room to make the install
procedure a little easier but is not mandatory. Reinstall the counterweight
after the side-to-side pin is in place and adjusted.
6. Squeeze the 13mm nut against the plastic
cable end retainer with either your fingers or a pair of channel-lock pliers
like this
to dislodge the stud.
7. Unthread the 13mm
nut and remove the stud from the plastic cable end retainer. Do not
lose the nut. You DO NOT have to remove the plastic cable retainer to remove
the stud! This step can easily be performed while the part is installed in the
car. After removal, the stud will not be used again. (We also don't need it
back for the core return.) At this time you should inspect the plastic shift cable
holder for damage by age or battery acid as this item is prone to
cracking/failure and will leave you stranded if it breaks. The VW part number
is 1J0 711 256.
8. Remove the e-clip from
the dieselgeek.com side-to-side
reduction pin with your fingers. If it is too difficult for you to
remove the e-clip with your fingers, a small screwdriver makes a handy pry
tool. If you do use a screwdriver, you
must wear eye protection and do not lose the clip as it may fly off of the
pin!
9. Put the dieselgeek.com
side-to-side reduction pin into the hole previously occupied by the
original Volkswagen stud and 13mm nut you removed previously in step #7. Make
not that the 17mm hex section of the side to side pins are a tight fit into the
plastic cable holders. Take your time getting it in. It will look like this when it is
installed.
10. Thread the 13mm nut
onto the new side to side reduction pin.
11. Lightly grease the
dieselgeek.com pin with your favorite grease.
12. Slide the factory shift
cable onto the new dieselgeek.com shift reduction pin.
13. Install the e-clip onto
the reduction pins groove.
Adjustment! This is
the MOST critical step in shifter satisfaction.
Please call toll-free (210) 852-4819 if you
have problems here. The adjustment is pretty straightforward so problems should
be few, if any. PLEASE do not seek adjustment advice from anyone other than JIM ROYSTON
which includes posting anything to any online forums! Please consult me first. That
said, of course when you reduce the available leverage by installing ANY short
shift kit there with be a degree of higher effort and this will be perceived as
"notchiness" by some. However, most "notchiness" is simply
the shifter adjustment being off by a small amount. I have gone to every
possible length to ensure that this kit is the most accurate and smoothest kit
you can buy. Again, following these directions closely is crucial to your satisfaction
with the short shift kit. Please discuss any issues you might have with the
dieselgeek.com shifter with me first. The world will be a better
place if you do. Let's get started.
1. Tighten the 13mm nut
for the dieselgeek.com side-to-side reduction pin with the pin being roughly
behind the center position in the adjustment slot (slightly toward the driver).
Tighten to 5 or so foot pounds which is not very
tight. You are clamping plastic so intense torqueing will only distort the
side-to-side cable retainer.
2. Go back inside the car and run through the
gears to see if first and second gear engages without notchiness. Also, check
engagement of reverse. Both first and second gear should engage without
significant resistance! If there is too much resistance, start the engine and
try to engage first and second gears since everything will be smoother when the
engine is running and the transmission's main shaft is spinning. This is
critical.
3. If there is notchiness or if you cannot get
first and second gears, readjust the 13mm reduction pin by loosening it and
sliding it rearward (toward the driver) by 2mm and retightening it. Recheck
engagement of first and second gears. If they engage smoothly, then drive the
car to double check the smoothness of first/second gear engagement as well as
reverse gear engagement. If there is still notchiness, play around with this adjustment
by moving the reduction pin in 2mm increments until the first/second gear
engagement is smooth.
4. Drive the car slowly to double check
everything.
5. Enjoy the new shifter and do not forget to
mention it to your VW buddies that you have the dieselgeek.com shifter!
