Well, since I'm a cheap SOB and don't have the pennies for an nice Aftermarket shifter, I decided to mod my OEM shifter myself.
The results where nothing less that ASTOUNDING to say the least!
I can now bang gears with confidence and have NO MORE slop or rubbery feeling from the OEM shifter. I have NO shifter noise OR vibration ! The shift gate is Positive and Firm.
This is how I did it....
Removed the shifter boot, bezel and the (2) bolts that hold the shifter
handle.
Next, I simply removed the worn out POS rubber insulators AND the insulator bracket.
I then made a run to my local hardware store and picked up (4) hard round rubber grommets and (4) washers. The rubber grommets were tight enough to install in the (2) bolt holes of the shifter handle.
Next I removed the (2) metal bushings that are located inside the rubber insulator that is attached to the shifter handle.
Since the (2) bushings are now (minus the rubber insulators and bracket) are now much longer than needed, I decided to cut (1) of the bushings in HALF.
I then used the (2) half's of the metal bushing and inserted each of them into the rubber grommets of the shifter handle.
Ok first of all, you should put a nut on that bolt, it will be coming loose in no time from the transmission shake and shifter movements.
Second, I dont really see what you accomplished. The point in the aftermarket shifter is the bumpstops and the better positioned/better designed handle. If you try shifting now, you will seriously screw up your transmission from overshifting it.
Bump stops are what save your transmission and make your shifts faster.
It seems like you just took off that rubber part and installed some washers.
Originally posted by GhostDog 5.0 Ok first of all, you should put a nut on that bolt, it will be coming loose in no time from the transmission shake and shifter movements.
There was NO nut to begin with. The shifter itself is threaded.
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Second, I dont really see what you accomplished. The point in the aftermarket shifter is the bumpstops and the better positioned/better designed handle. If you try shifting now, you will seriously screw up your transmission from overshifting it.
If you study my pics of the Insulators, you will see that I removed the OUTER insulators. These insulators are what gives the OEM shifter that sloppy, rubbery feeling.
There is a HUGE difference in the before and after. NO comparison!
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Bump stops are what save your transmission and make your shifts faster.
So how do bump stops make your shifts faster. Please explain your Logic on this point.
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It seems like you just took off that rubber part and installed some washers.
Study the pictures and you will see MORE than what you are thinking...
bump stops keep you from overshifting...therefore you dont have to guess where the shift spot is, you just ram it until it stops. That is what GhostDog5.0 is talkin about.
So how do bump stops make your shifts faster. Please explain your Logic on this point.
If you put a bumpstop at the shortest part of the shift throw and the transmission is "in gear", youve saved yourself a lot of time wondering if it is shifted into the gear or not. This helps the situation with the stock shifter where you would throw it as hard as possible to know it is in gear. With bump stops you can that without any regrets. With your modifications, I'd granny it until you get a new shifter.
Overshifting damages your transmission greatly. Bumpstops cuts down the time of moving the shifter into gear more than is needed because you now know that it is in gear enough and you can let go of the clutch and begin pressing the gas.
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Originally posted by Katmandu Study the pictures and you will see MORE than what you are thinking...
All you did was change how the shifting feels right ? Less mushy ? There is still not any transmission protection and that your handle throw is still longer than an aftermarket shifter.
I second that.. The only thing you have done is given it more vibration. If you really wanted to, you could buy a short throw handle on ebay for around $15. This would shorten your throw but doesnt have anything to do with pretecting your shifting from going hard into the shift forks. I would be a little extra nice to the tranny with that setup.
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13.4@106mph (on old 302, no ET's on stroker yet)
'94 GT 347 Stroker, TFS stage 2 cam (.542 lift), AFR 185 heads, Edelbrock Performer RPM intake, 30 lb injectors, 77mm Pro-M, Fox Accufab 75mm Throttle Body, 255lph fuel pump, Mac fox style Long Tube headers, Tremec TKO, aluminum driveshaft, 3.73 gears , Flowmaster 2 chamber, chrome Cobra R 17x9's, Steeda radiator, Eibach Sportline springs, Tweecer RT
It appears that he didn't mod the shifter. He modded the shifter handle attachment point. I think Steeda sells aluminum bushings for this when you use the stock handle.
As far as I can tell from his pictures. All he did was remove the handle insulator.
It will work, but save some money and get the aftermarket shifter. You will be very pleased. Especially when you start slamming gears. Because then you will need the quality shift/bump stops or you will be buying a new gear or two or three......
MK
Oh yeah. An aftermarket shifter can be quieted down by placing a bead of silicon between the shift handle and shifter flanges. Not a silent fix though.
Originally posted by GhostDog 5.0 If you put a bumpstop at the shortest part of the shift throw and the transmission is "in gear", youve saved yourself a lot of time wondering if it is shifted into the gear or not. This helps the situation with the stock shifter where you would throw it as hard as possible to know it is in gear. With bump stops you can that without any regrets. With your modifications, I'd granny it until you get a new shifter.
I can understand that.
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All you did was change how the shifting feels right ? Less mushy ?
NO Mushiness what-so-ever. VERY firm, positive shifting now.
Kinda funny your talking about shifters, Mine was bent after the previous owner wasn't so kind to the LX .(he hit a concrete bridge abutment) He wasnt wearing his seat belt and his hip slammed into the shifter an broke it off the tranny and bending it. In taking the more economical route I kinda left the shifter alone and didnt replace it.Geez its been such a long time now, I cant't remember if it was heated and bent. It is however a touch different in postion than a original configuration Mine is stock with rubber isolators but I never miss 3rd gear at all. I use the palm of my hand on it and push it forward very positively and hard. I dont know ifi ts the slightly bent shifter that helps or what?
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89 ' LX 5.0L coupe ex-crash victim.5 sp., 100% stock except for Dynomax Super Turbo mufflers. 2-1/2" tailpipes, airbag in right rear, K&N filter, 4.10's,subframe conn. A plain LX . 14.06 in the quarter .@95.75 mph / 1.79 60' No front sway bar. M/T slicks 3500 rpm launch, 11 psi on 89 octane, timing in the 14-16 degree range Done on a 70 degree day. Best 60' to date 1.77, best e.t. to date 14.01 by my brother.
I just replaced a broken shift fork on a T-5 for a fella with a stock shifter. Evidently, he missed third gear once, fairly hard. Without stops, it broke the fork completely off.
A $200 shifter would have ended up saving him $110, in the long run!
Good luck!
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After building Porsches, I now realize how elementary American cars really are!
No Need for Aftermarket Shifter after this Mod !! 
Please explain your Logic on this point. 
