thats ok stiloboy. it's not an issue honestly. i have shortened quite a few gearlevers and never known them wear any quicker but you may have had a different case? i remember years ago putting a fiat twin cam into an fso and shortening it so far i couldn't reach it propperly with my harness on, that was a bit of a cock up on my behalf i grant you. :doh:

damn wall... just keeps letting these lot through!

what the hell do you lot think a Short Shift(er) is!?

im siding with the big man on this, and for the record, i dont like the way a forum n00b is getting flamed by some guys who really should know better... after asking a few questions to people who know and from my own thoughts.

this is bona fide 'short-shift'

short shift or, as its full name states, short throw shift is just the aftermarket modification/chopping/shortening of the gear selector above the pivot point.

you cant change box peripherals so you still have to achieve a certain amount of throw at the box mechanism. so the easiest way to do it is to keep the lower part of the gear shift ans shorten the upper part. ive driven 200SXs with THE SHORTEST SHIFT you have ever had the misfortune to use and damn its fast, but you dont half have to be in the 'drive it like you stole it' frame of mind to not end up doing a 'money shift'

Edit: 'specially for Tim

richie draper you are a legend. best bet is read my italy v's germany track day event and we can all meet up and compare knobs to see who has the shortest.Ahhhh

I think you're a load of nut cases! Getting the axe saw out and cutting the gear lever down? I'm glad it worked.

It was always going to work it's just a metal rod at the end of the say; as richy has stated, the real mechanicals of the gearshift are at the gearbox and they can't be changed, but the lever acting on them can be SHORTENED, which is all this is

Yes it's worked, now everyone with a Stilo can have this awesome modification risk-free!

well i'm glad i did it because it feels loads better. and it's given us all something to argue about rarther than moaning about the price of petrol. i love this forum it's great and diversity is not just ashley banjo throwing a freaky haired midget about, it is what makes us all different so opinions will vary.:nerner:

holy thread resurrection... just like to say i am doing this to my stilo 115 jtd multiwagon, as i got a new gear knob, but it looks daft lol, so hacksaw coming to my stilo very soon lol

Great post

To any fiat techs ,is it possible to remove the original gear knob with a proper puller or a bearing puller and spreader plate to save damaging lower edge ?
Only asking as i dont like any of the cheaper universal knobs and dont fancy paying for an original type knob.
Also if i do the mod i want to try to keep the std design with the lift collar or make a new collar maybe, anyone else kept a modified reverse collar?

This is the only special tool that's shown in eLEARN. You have to provide your own padding to avoid damaging the gear knob.
.

just to follow on I have stuck to the previously tested 2 inches or 50mm that the guys have already used.
have picked a reasonable knob, so not bothered about keeping original.
so to save time I used a bearing puller on the original knob, after removing the top cap and finding the top inner material was soft foam rubber that I cut with a knife for the tool to sit direct on the gear stick.
http://imageshack.com/a/img855/5020/7ggq.jpg
now I do want to keep the lift reverse collar as I don't fancy pulling back for 6th one day and hitting reverse !
so basically so far I have test fitted the new knob and measured where I could cut and glue reverse sleeve.
basically a cut here
http://imageshack.com/a/img703/2323/o41w.jpg
and then a cut at the other end of that section leaving a fairly big flange to glue.
also required this sleeve part inside to be removed
http://imageshack.com/a/img850/5383/ihmj.jpg
to leave a flat bottom, which I then sat a penny washer in with 10mm hole so spring sits snug. this gave enough travel of the sleeve to allow reverse and a good spring down.
but I used a product called milliput (black )to bond parts of sleeve and just checked today and it hadn't bonded at all so just redone with 2 part araldite type glue.
I have glued the faces and then assembled the knob as it will be and then lifted and slipped into reverse to hold the sleeve while it dries, also the inner tube of the knob aligns the parts while it sets, I don't think you would be able to glue off the car as the fit sleeve to knob is very close(may vary knob to knob)
if it sets ok and I use it for a week or so I will strip down again and get some more better pics for on here.

had it apart again due to the araldite must have dried off center or the knob didn't go back on exactly as it was before, and the sleeve was tight inside the knob so nothing else for it other than to sand down the extrerior part of the sleeve till it was a nice slide inside.












will see how it goes for a while before I look into sandeing more if still rubbing or enough to paint black as its gone quite gray due to the sanding.
or even if I go lower again, as looking back at some pictures at the start of this thread although ive cut 50mm off the design of the knob and that ive kept reverse sleeve mine doesn't look as short.
but ill see how it feels for now.

any guides as to how to shorten the gear reverse lifting mechanism?