A Short Throw to Quick Shifts

Unscrew the shift knob, then remove the forward portion of the console by lifting up slightly on the rear and pulling it straight back. This will disengage the holding clips, where it joins the dash. Now that the clips are disengaged, lift the whole assembly up over the shifter lever.

Use the 10mm socket to remove the rear bolts of the boot. To get out the front plastic rivets, push in on the center plug, which should allow you to just pull them out. Now, the boot is free and ready to remove. Take note that its direction is marked on the right front for reassembly. When you reinstall the rivets later, pull the center of the rivet out, and then once inserted back into position, push the center into place to lock it.

With a 12mm socket, remove the four bolts that hold the shifter assembly to the transmission.

Using brute strength or a hammer and drift, tap it from the side on the lower portion to unseal the RTV and release the shifter assembly from the transmission. Once it's loose, pull the whole assembly from the transmission and out of the vehicle. Note the orientation of the dowel pins on the tranny and shifter. Both of the dowel pins should come out with the shifter assembly. If one or both of them stick in the transmission, pull the dowel pins out of the transmission with needle-nose pliers and insert them into the enlarged holes on the URD spacer plate.

Using a hook tool or your thumbs to push it off, remove the plastic bushing from the shifter tip ball; it's on there pretty good, so eat your Wheaties. It is common for the bushing take off like a champagne cork, so keep and eye on where it goes. Take care not to damage it, since it will be reused later.

Place the two clam-shell spacers around the tapered portion of the shaft above the tip ball. Note the taper, because they will only fit in one direction.

Slide the URD Short Shifter extension over the tip of the stock shifter and make sure it is seated all the way down on the ball of the stock shifter.

Use red Loctite on the set screws and snugly tighten them down.

Use a center punch to stake the set screws. This can be done by placing the shifter extension flat in a vice or on an anvil, and tap the metal just outside of the threaded hole that the set screw goes into. This will peen the opening over and permanently lock the set screws into the shifter, so they cannot back out from vibration.

Grease the ball of the URD shifter ball, and pop the plastic bushing onto the ball.

Test-fit the spacer plate to the transmission. When the spacer plate is installed on the transmission, both of the enlarged holes should be facing upward with one of them in the front right position. This will allow the dowel pins to line up with the shifter assembly when it is installed onto the spacer plate. Once you are sure you have the alignment proper, clean all the old RTV silicone material and oil from the spacer plate, transmission surface, and shifter assembly. Put a light layer of RTV on each side of the spacer plate, use a very light coat--more is not better here.

Install the shifter assembly on the transmission, carefully inserting the tip bushing into the socket of the shift quadrant.

Install the four supplied bolts with the 6mm Allen wrench. Test the shifter and make certain that you can properly engage all gears, including Reverse. Reinstall the rubber shifter boot and console parts in the reverse order of removal. Again, test the shifter, making certain that all gears can be properly engaged before driving the vehicle.

Here's the throw on the stock shifter setup.

With the URD extension installation, there is a noticeable reduction in throw. As an added bonus, the shifter is also a little more positive, giving us even more confidence to slam this sucker into gear without missing a beat.