Miata Short Shifter Install

Tools Req'd For My Install
Philips screwdriver
10mm Socket
Pocket Knife
Metric Allen Key Set
Replacement Upper and Lower Shift Boot

1. Remove shift knob.

2. Remote center console piece (5 Philips screws).

3. Remove insulation material around shifter, if present (sort of like carpet underlay).

4. Remove white plastic split-ring retaining collar from top of large rubber boot, if present.

5. Remove primary shift boot assembly (4 10mm bolts) and lift off shifter.

6. Remove existing shifter assembly (3 10mm bolts) and lift carefully out of shift turret. Don't drip transmission oil in the car!

7. Verify presence of tranny oil in shift turret -- if it's missing, dirty, or low, drain and replace it. This is a good time to replace/change the shift turret oil.

8. *Carefully* remove white plastic collar from inside shift turret -- you don't want to damage the walls of the turret or the collar, though the collar itself is not re-used.

8.5 Note: there may be a thin metal ring (or pieces of it) under and/or attached to the plastic collar -- remove it/them, too, and discard.

9. *Carefully* remove the plastic locating piece from the main fulcrum ball of the OEM shift lever. You can pry it out with a small flat-head screwdriver. Note its orientation, it is slightly asymetrical. Put it on the new shift lever in the same place with the same orientation.

9.5 *Carefully* remove the upper white plastic collar/wavy spring washer combination from between the ball and inner boot of the OEM shift lever/inner boot assembly, and save for later reinstallation.(When assembly was installed, this collar/spring was sitting on top of the shift ball, with spring side *up*, against inside of inner rubber boot.) Note: if wavy spring washer shows signs of wear or cracks, replace it at this point (part # M505-17-482; an extra was not included in my kit).

10. *VERY carefully* remove the nylon bushing from the ball end of the OEM shift lever -- this is the piece that actually moves stuff around inside the gearbox, don't damage it. It is very snug and will require some careful force to get it off the shifter. Attach it to the ball end of the new shift lever by placing it on a hard surface, locate the new shifter on top, and tap the top of the new shifter gently with a small hammer. Cover the top of the new shifter with a towel or other soft thing. (the next several steps address assembling the new parts supplied with the KG Works kit)

11. Locate the pair of concentric metal rings -- you will notice the inner ring has a notch machined into it which is slipped over the protruding pin on the inside of the larger ring. Slip the inner ring over the pin protruding from the wall of the shift turret.

12. Using one of the new thin-ring washers, place it atop the ring inserted in the turret in step 11.

13. Position the paper three-hole gasket atop the holes on top of the shift turret.

13.5. Position the metal spacer atop the shift turret/paper three-hole gasket.

14. Attach the wavy spring washer to the white nylon bushing -- the three small arms on the spring washer correspond to notches in the sides of the bushing.

14.5 Reinstall the plastic collar/wavy spring combo saved from step 9.5 by slipping it over the top of the new shift lever, with wavy spring side up.

14.6 Take the other of the two new thin-ring washers and slip it over the top of the new shift lever, on top of the wavy spring.

15. Dab your little finger in the gearbox oil in the turret and rub the inner neck of the replacement small shift boot.

16. Slip the replacement shift boot over the top of the new shift lever. Push the lever most of the way through the boot. Rotate the lever so that the plastic locating piece is facing the front of the car while the holes on the boot line up with those of the turret.

17. Orient the outer concentric collar (with the inner protruding pin) such that the pin is located further from your face (as you look into the collar piece). Slide the collar up the bottom side of the shifter so that its inner pin slots into the plastic locating piece on the shifter's fulcrum.

18. Take the combined collar/spring washer assmebly and slide it up the bottom of the shifter such that the small round notch mates with the protruding pin -- i.e. so that the spring washer is facing away from the fulcrum.

19. Insert the whole combined assembly into the turret. Make sure that the nylon collar on the bottom of the shifter slots into the gates in the gearbox -- jiggle it gently until it drops into place.

20. Secure the shifter with the supplied allen bolts, washers, and lock washers. My kit used the metric 5 Allen Key.

21. Temporarily replace your shift knob and verify that you can successfully engage every gear. Shift effort will be higher, this is normal.

22. Remove the knob again.

23. Take the two-tiered machined aluminum collar and insert it on the inside of the large rubber shift boot. Its smaller tier will be facing upwards and is held in place by the tension of the rubber boot itself -- you will need to stretch the boot very slightly to get the collar in place.

24. Replace the large shift boot piece, ensuring that the machined aluminum collar slips completely down the shift lever.

25. Replace the plastic center console assembly and your shift knob.

Installation instructions were used from
http://www.miata.net/products/perform/kgshortshift.html
I added my pictures to give additional visual help.
PerformanceBuyersClub