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    Short shifter question

    I went to drool at an STi at the local Subaru dealership the other day, and sat in the car for a while seeing how it felt. I was really impressed with the shifter... it was about as tall as the stock Protege shifter but couldn't have move more than three inches between first and second gear. I wanted to find a way to do this to my car. I looked on Corksport and found the Pacesetter QuickShift which seems like it would do what I want, but I wasn't sure. Has anyone used this, or know enough about it to tell me if it's what I'm looking for?

    #2
    I really haven't heard anything about the Pacesetter ss. From my own experiences I would recommend the Kartboy ss. I have gotten used to the shorter throw now but at first the throw felt ridiculously short.

    Comment


      #3
      The Pacesetter is adjustable but overall mediocre at best from what I've heard. Look into a B&M or a Kartboy as suggested above. An mp3/msp shifter would also be a cheap solution to getting a shorter shifter
      -------------------------
      '91 LX
      '03 Mazdaspeed Protege #235
      -------------------------

      Originally posted by pigeon
      well if you're a fan of inaccuracy and uncertainty.... then by all means, go set your timing by feel and sound

      while you're out there, you might as well adjust your air/fuel ratio by smell... and your tire pressure by ride height

      Comment


        #4
        So it actually reduces the throw distance as well as the stick height? How does that work, or is that getting too technical?

        Comment


          #5
          Basically the entire rod is shorter. I don't exactly know the technical aspects of it. But it has less distance to travel in each shift.

          Comment


            #6
            I'm just having a hard time imagining exactly how that would work, but sounds good to me. It felt really nice in the STi.

            Comment


              #7
              Originally posted by jnorion
              I'm just having a hard time imagining exactly how that would work, but sounds good to me. It felt really nice in the STi.
              The "throw" of a shifter is determined by the length of the lever below the fulcrum point. A short shifter is longer below the fulcrum point than a stock shifter, so that the part of the lever above the fulcrum need only be moved a shorter distance to change gears as compared with an OEM shifter. This is the principle used by short shifters such as Kartboy, B&M and TWM Performance.

              Shortening the shifter above the fulcrum point only does not change the throw of the shifter but your hand will move through a shorter arc when shifting as compared with a stock height shifter. The MP3 and MSD shifters are the same length below the fulcrum as the 3rd gen sedans and P5's but they are about one inch shorter above so using them would reduce hand movement to some extent without actually shortening the throw.

              Whatever shifter you decide to use, including the stock one, I strongly advise you to install the Kartboy shifter bushings as they will eliminate excess play and give a nice, tight, precision feel to your shifts.
              02 DX Millenium Red - The Penultimate Driving Machine
              MP3 Strut Tower Bar kit; Cusco Front Lower Arm Tie Bar
              MSP Springs, Struts, Stabilizer Bars, Trailing Links, #3 Engine Mount
              Kartboy Stabilizer Bar Bushings; Nyloil Shifter Bushings; Red Line MT-90 Gear Oil
              MP3 Shifter, Knob and Aluminum Pedal Set
              Suvlights HD Wiring Harness; Osram Night Breaker H4 Bulbs; Exide Edge AGM Battery
              Summer: 5Zigen FN01R-C 16 x 7" Wheels; Yoko S.drive 205/45-16s
              Winter: Enkei OR52 16 x 7" Wheels; Falken Ziex ZE-912 205/45-16s
              Modified OEM Air Intake; Racing Beat Exhaust System; Techna-Fit SS Clutch Line
              Denso SKJ16CR-L11 Extended Tip Spark Plugs; Magnecor Wires
              Power Slot Front Brake Rotors; Techna-Fit SS Brake Lines; Hawk HPS Pads
              Red Line Synthetic Engine Oil; C/S Aluminum Oil Cap
              Cyberdyne Digital Gauges: Tach; Ambient Air Temp; Voltmeter

              Comment


                #8
                Sorry for my ignorance, I know absolutely nothing about the mechanics inside the transmission. What are the shifter bushings and why would the Kartboy ones be better?

                Comment


                  #9
                  Originally posted by jnorion
                  Sorry for my ignorance, I know absolutely nothing about the mechanics inside the transmission. What are the shifter bushings and why would the Kartboy ones be better?
                  The Kartboy shifter bushings are made of polyurethane and they replace the OEM rubber bushing. Consequently, they are much more rigid than the factory bushing and eliminate much of the play. They are not located inside the transmission nor on the shift lever but on the shift linkage itself. They are very easy to change and are completely independent of the shift lever.

                  Go to the Kartboy website and you will find installation instructions and ordering information.

                  02 DX Millenium Red
                  02 DX Millenium Red - The Penultimate Driving Machine
                  MP3 Strut Tower Bar kit; Cusco Front Lower Arm Tie Bar
                  MSP Springs, Struts, Stabilizer Bars, Trailing Links, #3 Engine Mount
                  Kartboy Stabilizer Bar Bushings; Nyloil Shifter Bushings; Red Line MT-90 Gear Oil
                  MP3 Shifter, Knob and Aluminum Pedal Set
                  Suvlights HD Wiring Harness; Osram Night Breaker H4 Bulbs; Exide Edge AGM Battery
                  Summer: 5Zigen FN01R-C 16 x 7" Wheels; Yoko S.drive 205/45-16s
                  Winter: Enkei OR52 16 x 7" Wheels; Falken Ziex ZE-912 205/45-16s
                  Modified OEM Air Intake; Racing Beat Exhaust System; Techna-Fit SS Clutch Line
                  Denso SKJ16CR-L11 Extended Tip Spark Plugs; Magnecor Wires
                  Power Slot Front Brake Rotors; Techna-Fit SS Brake Lines; Hawk HPS Pads
                  Red Line Synthetic Engine Oil; C/S Aluminum Oil Cap
                  Cyberdyne Digital Gauges: Tach; Ambient Air Temp; Voltmeter

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Cool, thanks

                    Comment


                      #11
                      OK, one more question...

                      "This replacement shift lever provides a reduce height and throw for the Mazda Protege5 and MP3 including the 2003 MY. The height is reduced about 2" on the Protege5, and 1" on the MP3. Accordingly, the throw is reduced 35% for the Protege5 and 20% for the MP3."

                      I'm assuming this will work on my car, just not necessarily have the same measurements?

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Originally posted by jnorion
                        OK, one more question...

                        "This replacement shift lever provides a reduce height and throw for the Mazda Protege5 and MP3 including the 2003 MY. The height is reduced about 2" on the Protege5, and 1" on the MP3. Accordingly, the throw is reduced 35% for the Protege5 and 20% for the MP3."

                        I'm assuming this will work on my car, just not necessarily have the same measurements?
                        Yes, this shifter will be fine on your car. Since the sedan and the P5 have the same shift lever, it will fit and operate as stated for the Protege 5 as listed above.

                        Good luck with your install.

                        02 DX Millenium Red
                        02 DX Millenium Red - The Penultimate Driving Machine
                        MP3 Strut Tower Bar kit; Cusco Front Lower Arm Tie Bar
                        MSP Springs, Struts, Stabilizer Bars, Trailing Links, #3 Engine Mount
                        Kartboy Stabilizer Bar Bushings; Nyloil Shifter Bushings; Red Line MT-90 Gear Oil
                        MP3 Shifter, Knob and Aluminum Pedal Set
                        Suvlights HD Wiring Harness; Osram Night Breaker H4 Bulbs; Exide Edge AGM Battery
                        Summer: 5Zigen FN01R-C 16 x 7" Wheels; Yoko S.drive 205/45-16s
                        Winter: Enkei OR52 16 x 7" Wheels; Falken Ziex ZE-912 205/45-16s
                        Modified OEM Air Intake; Racing Beat Exhaust System; Techna-Fit SS Clutch Line
                        Denso SKJ16CR-L11 Extended Tip Spark Plugs; Magnecor Wires
                        Power Slot Front Brake Rotors; Techna-Fit SS Brake Lines; Hawk HPS Pads
                        Red Line Synthetic Engine Oil; C/S Aluminum Oil Cap
                        Cyberdyne Digital Gauges: Tach; Ambient Air Temp; Voltmeter

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Heh, it'll be a while... no money right now, and I think a new gauge cluster with working temp and gas gauges should be first priority.

                          Comment


                            #14
                            You can buy them used on msprotege.com for around 50-60 bucks. I'd check them out. Ebay has a few too if you want to save some money.

                            <marquee>'97 Tan LX 5-speed-Clear corners, "poor mans" grill, 15in. Gunmetal/Polished Konig Holes covered with Dunlop GT Qualifiers, B&M short shifter installed and lovin it, custom leather black leather boot, MazdaSpeed Shift knob, Eibach Pro-Kit, Custom cold air intake Head Unit-Pioneer DEH-3500MP Speakers-Sony Xplod XS-V1621(3-way)6.5s(Front Doors) Infinity 652i(2-way)6.5s(Rear Doors) Pioneer TS-A6990R(5-way)6x9s(Rear Deck) Amps-Kenwood KAC-7201/Pioneer GM-X352 Subs-2-JL 12 W3s in Dual box, redone LED 3rd brake light(doesn't look like crap anymore). More I.C.E. on the way.</marquee>
                            Formerly '90 White Miata w/ 2 8" Laser Blue stripes
                            I hate the short nose crankshaft. It took my car away from me.

                            Comment


                              #15
                              You can also find some at TWMperformance.com.They actually have 2 versions.I bought the 2nd generation one for my car,but have yet to install it. I also have a question along the same lines for anyone out there.When I put my new shifter on would it be a good idea to put the kartboy bushings in while doing the short shifter?
                              2002.5 Sunlight silver ES.TWM short shifter,Sparco knob,Kartboy shifter bushings,modified airbox,K&N filter,Altezza tails,Toyo Proxes 4 tires and plenty more to come.Newest addition is a 2000 Ducati 750 SS with carbon fiber exhaust

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