TWM Short-Shifter Install Tip. Important.
01-04-2013, 11:01 PM
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Join Date: 03-11-2012
Location: Western WI
Posts: 181
TWM Short-Shifter Install Tip. Important.
If you plan on installing the TWM short-shifter don't be stingy with the grinding and cutting.
Just a few miles after installing the TWM my shifter went limp. I was pulling out onto a busy 4 lane city road and from 1st to 2nd gear I heard a single loud plastic snap sound. After that all my shifter would do was freely flip forward and back engaging nothing. Thankfully gear was stuck in 2nd and I turned on a side road to further inspect. Eventually, from moving the shifter around checking things out, it stuck near the 1st gear position like it was welded there. It still stayed in 2nd so I drove it that way to my buddy's garage hoping he was there, he was.
Pulled her apart and saw the grey cable clip had come off. After looking closely for a bit shifting the gears around I figured out that the tab area that I ground down(as per the instructions) was not ground down enough. The clip had disengaged from when I shifted from 1st to 2nd, only when shifting into 2nd, 4th and R does the clip move forward over the tab area, and that's where cable clip would catch onto the tab area. Only a matter of time before that action opened up the cable clip which then disengages the shifter and causes complete shifter failure.
So, we took her all apart and I ground and cut out all I could on the shift assembly housing as seen in pic. I even ground and cut around the white clip which is specifically for the reverse gear just to be safe. Took her out and did some hard driving, well, as hard as I could with the stock 2.4. All better now.
The TWM Short-Shifter is amazing. I can't imagine driving my HHR without it now, and I can't wait until my 2.4 is fully blown and modded out so I can really appreciate it.
Just for specs I ordered the shift kit with the basic M1 Abrams aluminum knob that comes with it, and the optional aluminum bushings. The basic knob is more then heavy enough. TWM has many different designs to chose from but unless you are looking for something specific I see no need to spend another 75+ for any other knob. I also grabbed a shifter extension thinking I would need it being in pics it looked as if the knob was way too low for me, but during install I realized the removable thread piece that threads the knob onto the shifter is height adjustable about 1 inch either way. I'm hoping TWM will give me a break and not charge me the 20% restocking fee for returning it.
Anyway, I'm very happy with the TWM Short-Shifter. Big positive difference over the stock one. Shifting is so much quicker and it just feels right.
Just a few miles after installing the TWM my shifter went limp. I was pulling out onto a busy 4 lane city road and from 1st to 2nd gear I heard a single loud plastic snap sound. After that all my shifter would do was freely flip forward and back engaging nothing. Thankfully gear was stuck in 2nd and I turned on a side road to further inspect. Eventually, from moving the shifter around checking things out, it stuck near the 1st gear position like it was welded there. It still stayed in 2nd so I drove it that way to my buddy's garage hoping he was there, he was.
Pulled her apart and saw the grey cable clip had come off. After looking closely for a bit shifting the gears around I figured out that the tab area that I ground down(as per the instructions) was not ground down enough. The clip had disengaged from when I shifted from 1st to 2nd, only when shifting into 2nd, 4th and R does the clip move forward over the tab area, and that's where cable clip would catch onto the tab area. Only a matter of time before that action opened up the cable clip which then disengages the shifter and causes complete shifter failure.
So, we took her all apart and I ground and cut out all I could on the shift assembly housing as seen in pic. I even ground and cut around the white clip which is specifically for the reverse gear just to be safe. Took her out and did some hard driving, well, as hard as I could with the stock 2.4. All better now.
The TWM Short-Shifter is amazing. I can't imagine driving my HHR without it now, and I can't wait until my 2.4 is fully blown and modded out so I can really appreciate it.
Just for specs I ordered the shift kit with the basic M1 Abrams aluminum knob that comes with it, and the optional aluminum bushings. The basic knob is more then heavy enough. TWM has many different designs to chose from but unless you are looking for something specific I see no need to spend another 75+ for any other knob. I also grabbed a shifter extension thinking I would need it being in pics it looked as if the knob was way too low for me, but during install I realized the removable thread piece that threads the knob onto the shifter is height adjustable about 1 inch either way. I'm hoping TWM will give me a break and not charge me the 20% restocking fee for returning it.
Anyway, I'm very happy with the TWM Short-Shifter. Big positive difference over the stock one. Shifting is so much quicker and it just feels right.
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