Stillen adjustable short shifter DIY

Nissan 350z / Nissan 370z general community discussion forum
NISTECH
Posts: 12270
Joined: Sun May 25, 2003 4:17 am

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This shifter is very easy to install. So easy a write up probably isn't necessary but oh well its content.

Tools needed:

Channel locks, Medium size. 10mm 1/4 inch drive socket 3inch 1/4 drive extension Ratchet 1/4 drive 12mm 1/4 inch drive socket. Small pocket screw driver.

Removal of stock shifter: First you need to remove your shift knob[hardest part of the job here as it is practically welded on]. If you intend to reuse this knob you need to double a rag over and wrap it around the shifter to protect the finish on it. At the base of the knob grab it with a pair of channel locks and start unscrewing it [remember lefty loosy, righty tighty..lol] Once you have it removed you need to pull the shift boot bezel off. Place your fingers at the back of the back of the boot in the center near the ebrake lever. Garb a hold of the lip where the boot meets the bezel and pull up sharply. This will pop the whole shift boot bezel assembly free. This piece also contains the A/C controls so you need to unplug that to move the bezel out of the way. Use your pocket screw driver to press the lock tab in the center of the connector and it will slide right out. Lift you shift boot bezel off the shifter and place it out of the way.

Now you need to remove the cloth sock over the rubber boot it slides right off. Note which side is up when you do this. Now you need to remove the body boot. You will see 4 10mm bolts one the ,metal ring surrounding the rubber boot. Remove those 4 bolts. Carefully lift the ring off the boot and set it aside. Now work the boot off the shift lever. This will expose the lower trans joint boot. It merely peels off at the edges. Lift it from the shift lever.

You now see 3 more 10 mm bolts in a gold plate. The gold plate is adjustable so note the marks on it for where the screws were cinched down. You will need to position it exactly like that when you go back together or you may have difficulty getting into 1st,2nd,or reverse.

Now you have a choice at this point and it will depend on your hand size. There is a rubber boot under where the shift lever goes through the trans shifter mount. You need to pull that off the mount so it hangs from the shift rod going into the trans. This will expose a 12 mm pivot bolt going in from the drivers side. If you have small enough hands you can reach through the whole and loosen it, If you don't then you will need to get under the car to remove pull the boot and loosen it.

You should now be able to lift the shift lever out. The spring under it can remain in the mount hole.

Installation of short shifter: Grab your new mad tite stillen adjustable short shifter and drop it in the hole being sure the reverse tab is on the passenger side. Install your 12mm pivot bolt. Reattach the pivot boot. set you shifter to its highest point [how to do this below]. now install the gold plate with the 3 10mm gold bolts. Take note of the old bolt impressions for proper base alignment. once this is tight check your shift pattern. make sure you can get it in all gears and that the reverse tab catches under the guide in the plate when in reverse and not in 6th. If it is not correct some slight adjustment may be necessary. It was in the factory position for me.

When the shift pattern is right its time to drop on the mount boot. slide it over the shaft you will need to stretch it over the adjuster release. Not on the adjuster release at the bottom there are 2 sections divided by a raised line in the middle. The lower section is for the top of the mount boot. It fits within that section. Pop the boot around the edge of the mount plate and align it in the mentioned section of the shifter. Now time to drop on the body boot. It will also stretch over the adjuster. Its neck sits, you guessed it, in the section of the adjuster above the mount boot. Now drop the ring in and install the 4 green 10mm bolts. Drop the cloth cover on in the position it was in.

Grab your shift boot bezel assembly. Plug in your A/C controller. Note: if when you get done the A/C is blowing full blast with the key on its because you forgot to plug this in. Align the bezel at the base of the radio bezel and pivot it down into place. Push down on it to snap it in. Its also easier to remove and install this bezel if you shift to an even gear. This will give you the forward clearance you need. Install your knob and you have successfully completed the Stillen short shifter install.

Adjusting the shifter:

At the base of the shifter there is a black collar. If you hold the top of the shifter firmly you can slide this collar up. This releases the lock and the top of the shifter will slide up and down. Positions are as follows; fully up position 1 is 20% longer then stock position 2 is stock height position 3 is 20% shorter then stock position 4 full down position is 40% shorter then stock. Pick you passion.

Characteristic review of shifter and knob recommendations:

I do not recommend using any shift knob that contains plastic. this includes the factory shift knob. The factory shift knob would be the worst for amplifying engine vibration. Any plastic knob will amplify vibration from the engine due to its location and its amplifying characteristics. If you go short shifter[ and this applies to any short shifter] go with a solid metal shifter, doesn't matter what type of metal just as long as its metal. Here is the reason most short shifter rattle and there is nothing different from what the factory one does. It has to do with the construction of the shifter verses how the factory one is constructed. Think about how your engine and trans is connected to the car. You have soft rubber mounts. The rubber mounts used to prevent engine and trans vibration from transmitting into the body of the car. This is for comfort not performance. The only place you can feel this vibration is from the shifter since it is directly connected to the transmission. So the manufacturer had to find a way to dampen some of that undesirable vibration when you grab the shifter . How they do that is to make the shifter a 2 piece unit with a rubber dampener between the pieces. Your short shifters don't have rubber dampeners. they are basically a direct link to the trans. Therefore you feel all the engine and trans vibration during operation. having a hard plastic ball at the end of that lever is like shaking a baby rattle. The owner of the car got a quarter of a mile down the road, turned around and came back asking how much the nismo shift knob was.

The shift pattern feels real good, a bit stiffer then stock but feels good. Couldn't really do any speed shifting to test the quickness as I had just installed a Nismo clutch.You know Break in period . If he returns after 500 miles I may give a better review of the shifter. Until then this is all I can really give.


PoetGunslinger
Posts: 1
Joined: Wed Oct 16, 2019 5:52 pm
Car: 2008 Infiniti G37S 6MT
Stillen Short-Throw Shifter

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This is a good description of the Stillen Short Throw Shifter. I bought one for my 2008 G37S about three years ago and didn't install it until today. Unfortunately, there is a loud spinning noise that sounds like a metal bearing spinning as I drive. Has anyone else experienced this?

Sugeray
Posts: 1
Joined: Tue Oct 26, 2021 5:17 pm
Car: 1990 Nissan Turbo
1991 Nissan 2+2

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Any update on your Stillen shifter rattle? I just installed one and it’s rattling too!!


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