These instructions might seem
lengthy but they are thorough and most people appreciate that. This install
should take about an hour to perform. Also, these instructions ONLY apply to
the dieselgeek.com Sigma Shifter that went on sale in November, 2005. These
instructions will not work on any other shifter in existence and are COPYWRITED
material and pictures!
Tools needed:
3/8 drive ratchet
10mm and 13mm (1/2 inch will
usually work) socket in 3/8 drive size
5mm Allen wrench or socket
Channel lock pliers or special
hose clamp pliers for MAF clamp (TDI)
3/8 box end wrench (10mm will
work)
#2 Phillips screw driver (normal
size)
All-purpose lubricant such as
WD-40 or equivalent
Magnetic retrieval probe may be
helpful but is not required
1. Always work on a cool car.
These engines get hot! You will burn yourself otherwise.
2. Park car on level ground, set
hand brake. Daylight really works best for seeing what you are doing. Pull hood
latch and open hood.
3. You need to remove the battery tray, battery and air box to do this install. First
remove the battery cover and loosen both of the battery cable clamps. Next, remove
the battery hold down bolt and battery.
4. To remove the air box cover,
unscrew the eight Phillips head screws from the air box cover. Next, remove the
spring hose clamp holding the flexible air pipe to the mass air
flow sensor (MAF) with a pair of channel lock pliers or specialized hose clamp pliers. Unplug the mass airflow sensor electrical plug. There
is a catch in the middle that must be pressed
upwards to release the plug. Leave the small rubber passenger (engine) side
vacuum hose (TDI) attached to the air box cover and set the cover on top of the
engine out of the way.
5. Remove the battery tray end cover. Next,
remove the air filter and louvered tray that sits under the air filter and set
aside. Remove the flexible duct from the aluminum tube coming
from the turbo area.
6. Pop off the air box snorkel
cover by lifting up on all three catches. Make a mental
note on which groove the snorkel sits in. You may also
mark the groove with magic marker or liquid paper to make reinstallation
easier.
7. The lower air box is held in
by one 5mm Allen screw and two rubber and plastic quick-release barbed mounts. After the 5mm Allen screw
is removed the air box comes out by carefully pulling it straight up. After the
lower air box is free from its mounts, you must snake its snorkel underneath
the upper radiator hose.
8. The battery tray is held down
by three 6mm bolts with 10mm hex heads. Remove them and
lift out the battery tray.
9. Looking down to the left hand
corner of the battery at the bottom you will see the shift linkage with two shift cables running
back towards the center of the car. You can look at the new dieselgeek.com
short shift parts and visualize how the new parts go in place.
10. Detach both of the shift
cable ends from the shift cables by pulling their knurled plastic rings toward you and against
the coil spring and turning it clockwise (or counter-clockwise depending how
you look at it) against its stop to unlock the cable ends. This will allow you to
slide the cable ends off of the threaded cables after you remove the shiny metal clip holding them to
the stock front to back shift bracket.
11. Models up to 2008: On
the left-most shift bracket (the small, dull silver), undo the shiny metal clip with
your fingernail that secures its pivoting shaft to the transmission housing.
Try not to lose this clip. We have included an extra clip in case you lose the
clip. On 2008
models which use black plastic side to side brackets, unhook the plastic catch that keeps the long
pivot pin secured to the transmission.
12.
Slide this smaller
sheetmetal bracket towards the engine to remove it. There are two round white plastic pivot bushings
on this bracket. Make sure that the round white plastic bushing on the
passenger side (LHD) stays in the
aluminum bracket/tube that is attached to the transmission. Remove the
round white plastic bushing from the stock flat silver shift bracket and
replace it in the aluminum tube if it happens to come out with the shift
bracket. The shifter will not work properly without both of these bushings
being in place! The factory part number for these bushings is 1J0 711 067L if you happen to lose
one. The 2008 models will not have these bushings from the factory but new ones
will be provided for you in the shift kit if you specified that you have a 2008
model during the order process. The empty tube on the transmission will look like this on 2008 models. The tube
will look like this after you install the 1J0 711 067L bushings
on the 2008 models. These bushings must be in place on all models to allow the
shifter to work.
13. Using a 13mm socket and ratchet (plus 12"-18"
worth of extension bars if you have them), remove the 13mm nut holding the
chrome Klingon warship-shaped chrome
shift bracket to the transmission. The shift mechanism will rotate
counter-clockwise into gear as you loosen this nut. This is not a problem.
After you remove it, place the 13mm nut in a safe place as it is
reused.
14. Use leather
gloves for this step! After the 13mm nut has been removed, you will need to put
the selector shaft in the middle position (neutral) where it is free to move up
and down. Place both hands on the chrome bracket so you can
pull up evenly or wiggle the bracket side to side while pulling upwards. Use
some control since you might hurt yourself when the bracket does finally come
free of its shaft. For really new cars, some people have used a battery terminal puller to remove
the chrome bracket from the selector shaft. This can be sourced from most auto
parts stores for around $4.00. I've never needed one myself. This step
generates the most tech help calls for us. All I can say is that on stubborn
brackets (10%), the piece will come off! If the splines are new and tight and
it will take a few minutes to get the bracket off.
15. Put both stock brackets with
cable ends in a box and store them in a safe place in case you ever need to
reinstall them.
1. While holding the shift parts in your hands, use the supplied L-shaped Allen wrench and a 3/8 inch box end wrench (10mm will work usually) to tighten all ten of the Allen screws of the two aluminum cable ends until they are almost snug (very slightly loose). This will make the install easier. Be careful though, if you over tighten them you will not be able to insert the threaded shift cables into them.
2. Back in the engine bay; pull back both shift cables rubber boots and plastic rings to expose all threads of the cables. After the clear plastic rings have been broken loose, slide them toward the rear of the car to expose all of the threads and smooth cable. Reattach the black rubber cable boots to the clear plastic cable rings.
3. Start with the bronze colored front/back bracket first (the one with dieselgeek.com engraved on it). First slide the front/back bracket aluminum cable end onto the lubricated and partially threaded shift cable until there are about 5mm or 3/16 inch of threads of the shift cable still showing (the thickness of three U.S. Quarters).
4. At this point it is extremely important to note that there is a "key" on the splined shaft on the transmission. The correct corresponding keyway to use on the bronze front to back shift lever is a large, rounded key way with an engraved arrow denoting its position. You cannot easily push the bronze shift bracket onto the transmission's selector shaft without these two elements lining up. It is very important that you don't install the bronze front to back bracket in the wrong position. Once lined up, however, the shift bracket will push pretty easily onto the selector shaft.
5. Place the supplied large 1/2 inch metal washer (there is a 1/2 inch hole in it) on top of the bronze shift lever, centering it on the threaded selector shaft that rises straight out of the transmission. Then thread the 13mm nut by hand onto the shaft and tighten it but don't go crazy with it (The Bentley service manual says tighten to 18 foot pounds but this accuracy is hard to achieve since the extensions alter the torque wrench reading). While you are tightening the 13mm nut, the selector shaft will rotate clockwise before the nut gets tight. After the nut has been tightened, rotate the shift bracket counter-clockwise to the neutral position. In the neutral position the bronze shift bracket can be moved up and down.
6. Next, make sure that both of the round white plastic bushings are in the aluminum pivot hole in the transmission. The factory part number for these bushings is 1J0 711 067L if you have lost one. The shifter will not work correctly unless both of them are in place.
7. Next, spray the remaining shift cable with WD-40 or similar lubricant. Then take the remaining silver dieselgeek side to side shift bracket and engage the lubricated shift cable with the aluminum cable end. Make sure that the shift cable slides freely in and out of the aluminum cable end by cycling it several times in and out of the aluminum cable end (This will remove any burrs inside the aluminum cable end if present.) This free movement is crucial to the proper adjustment of the shifter as described below. Also make sure that the shift cable boot has been pulled back to expose the smooth part of the shift cable as shown here.
8. Next, slide the silver side to side shift lever's longer pivot shaft through the hole on the transmission meant for it (from engine side). As you are slowly pushing the silver bracket to the right, push its aluminum cable end slowly onto the threaded section of the cable. This is little bit of a ballet act and under no circumstance should you force anything. You just feed the bracket toward the right and rotate it backwards onto the cable at the same time slowly and carefully. As you are sliding the long 10mm silver bracket pin through the hole, the white plastic slider should engage the horizontal slot in the bronze front/back shift bracket. The white plastic slider should be slightly left of the center of the gold front/back bracket.
9. After the silver shift bracket is fully engaged into the pivot hole, replace the small shiny metal clip on the silver brackets pivot shaft. Here is a top view of what the shifter should look like if you have installed everything correctly.
Adjustment: This is the most important part. This
procedure must be followed exactly! Please
call (210) 852-4819 if you have problems here. Make note that all
shifters will feel better when given a week or so to break in as there are
friction surfaces that will be polished with several days
worth of driving. The adjustment procedure
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. Just give it a few days to a week
for the sliding parts to break in before you call us.
1. Lock the transmission into its "Home" position. Right
now, your transmissions black L-shaped locking lever is in the normal
operating position and should point to the rear of the car. In the engine bay,
make sure that the transmission is in
neutral (in neutral
the bronze front/back shift bracket is free to move up and down). With
your right thumb, push
down on the crescent-shaped part of the bronze lever approximately 1/3 of
an inch and then with your forefinger turn the small black L-shaped locking
lever on the transmission's shift tower clockwise while pushing it in. The tip
of this black locking lever will end up pointing straight up when the shift mechanism
is successfully placed in the locked or home position. You
will also not be able to move the bronze front/back lever up and down if the
transmission is locked into the home position.
2. Expose the shift linkage inside the car. On Golf and Jetta, while
working inside of the car, put both hands into the rear of the shift boot
and lift up the rear of the frame of the shift boot. It will unsnap from the center console.
Then lift the rubber sound deadening boot from the shifter aperture. Lift
up the shift boot but don't remove it.
3. Lock the mechanism inside the car into its Home position. Do this
by inserting the expensive and rare special tool we supplied with the kit
into the hole at the lower left of the shift lever and push it
through and into the corresponding hole in the shifter base until it
bottoms out. This will give the appearance that
the shifter is in second gear which
is exactly correct. Also, the shift lever inside the car WILL NOT MOVE if you
have successfully put the nail through both holes. If you do not have
the nail tool we provide with our kits, the special tool was made from a 4 inch
long, 20d Bright Common nail with a 5 mm or .195 inch shank diameter and a 30
degree bend 2.5 inches from the tip of the nail to clear the shift knob.
4. Once you have locked the transmission into its Home position (Step 1) and also installed the adjustment nail through both holes inside the car (Step 3), you are ready to tighten the Allen screws that clamp both of the aluminum cable ends to the shift cables. This IS the adjustment for the short shift kit! Where you clamp the cables has everything to do with the proper adjustment of the shifter. If you did not follow all of the preceding steps exactly then do not tighten the Allen screws until you do. If you have followed the directions, tighten only the middle Allen screw (shown outside of car) of each of the aluminum cable ends with the supplied L-shaped Allen wrench and a box end 10mm or 3/8 inch wrench to hold the lock nuts. They need to be pretty tight. Tighten the middle Allen screws until each aluminum cable end will barely allow either a credit card or two playing cards to fit in the gap. This is pretty tight.
(If you have previously
installed a Sigma shifter on another type of VW/Audi you should note that the
proper adjustment MKV Sigma 5 short shifter is slightly different than all
other versions of the Sigma shifters. On the MKV Sigma 5, some threads of the
cable (approximately 5mm or .200 of an inch) will be showing adjacent to the
front/back cable end but no threads are likely to be showing adjacent to the
side to side cable end. This is opposite of all other versions of the Sigma
shifter.)
5. Slide the shift cable boots
back toward the aluminum shift cable ends like this.
6. Unlock the transmission from its Home position. While pushing down
slightly on the bronze front/back bracket, pull the transmission L-shaped
locking pin to the left and rotate it counter-clockwise until it comes back out
to its rest position stop. It will move toward the right side (engine side) of
the car by approximately 1/2 inch. (You are not removing the pin completely.) It
is very important that you pull this pin back to the normal 10:00 O clock rest position since your shifter
will not work with the pin pushed into the transmission Home position! Furthermore,
you will permanently damage the pin if you forcefully try to shift the
mechanism with the pin pushed in! Please do not forget to release the pin after
adjustment. The mechanism will still function if you damage the plastic pin but
you will have to replace the pin for any future adjustments. The part number for the
locking pin is 02J 301 358C and is available at your dealer for about $5.00. It
is a pain to install, however.
7. Unlock the mechanism inside the car from its Home position. Go back
inside the car and remove completely the special bent nail tool from the
shifter mechanism.
8. Check the shifter action by gently cycling through the gears
(remember, you only have tightened one of the five Allen screws clamping the
cables). Make sure that first and second gear engage smoothly without too much
effort. Also, make sure that reverse gear is easy to engage. If first and
second gear are not where they are supposed to be,
loosen the middle Allen screws of both brackets and do the adjustment procedure
over again starting at step #2 in this adjustment section. (Make note that the
shifter will always work its best with the engine running and the clutch pushed
in.)
9. If all gears are easy to
engage, tighten all of the remaining Allen screws. Tighten the Allen screws
until the slit in the side of the aluminum cable end will barely allow either a
credit card or two
playing cards to fit in the gap. Once the ten Allen screws are
tight, the shift levers have been properly installed and adjusted. They should never
need to be readjusted unless the procedure was done incorrectly.
10. Reinstall the sound
deadening boot and shift boot into the shifter aperture inside the car. Both of
them simply snap into place.
11. Reinstall the battery tray. The
battery tray is held down by three 6mm bolts with 10mm hex heads.
12. Reinstall the lower air box.
The lower air box is held in by one 5mm Allen screw and two rubber and plastic quick-release barbed
mounts. To install, snake the air box snorkel under the upper radiator hose and
align the lower air box with the two rubber mounts. The air box simply pushes
onto the plastic pins mounted on the battery tray. After the pins protrude through
the lower air box rubber mounts you can screw in the 5mm Allen screw. Replace the
louvered plate into the lower air box and then replace the air filter.
13. Make sure that the air box
snorkel is sitting in its original groove (TDI only). Replace the cover for this air snorkel.
14. On the TDI Jetta, reattach
the flexible duct on the rear of the lower air box
to the metal tube in the turbo area.
15. Next, on TDI models, replace
the air box cover by screwing in the eight Phillips head screws . Next,
replace the spring hose clamp holding the flexible air pipe to the mass air
flow sensor (MAF) with a pair of channel lock pliers or specialized hose clamp pliers. Plug in the mass airflow sensor electrical plug. It
simply pushes on. Make sure that the small rubber passenger (engine) side
vacuum hose (TDI) is still attached to the air box cover.
16. Replace the battery and its hold down bracket and 8mm bolt. Reattach
the two battery cables. Next, replace the battery tray end cover.
Once you are sure all of the battery covers are in place, replace the
top cover for the battery.
17. Start the engine and go for
a ride. You are finished with the install.
18. Enjoy and tell your friends
about how much you love your dieselgeek.com MKV Sigma 5 Short Shifter!
Hey,
If you see anything in this install manual that is unclear or if
you could make anything easier to understand I am all ears. Please email me at jim@dieselgeek.com
with suggestions or edits that would improve these instructions. Sometimes when
you have done an operation a bunch of times you lose sight of how it must be to
be doing it for the first time and having input from first timers would be
great. Also letting me know what you think of the Sigma shifter itself would be
super groovy...
Thanks,
Jim
Last revision 4-10-06
