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Short Shifter and Shifter base bushings Reivew

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rodmoe

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#1
Well got my ShortShifter and Bushings from BOOMBA yesterday and got after installing them today.. The Quick and Dirty of it is WOW the car shifter like a rifle bolt action now solid short and quicker than before. (Note I have the M brand short shift adapter on the trans as well as Boomba Racing Trans cable mount bushings) I set the Shifter at MAX short throw after trying all positions I ended up at that just for max gain(less shifter travel smidge more effort but not noticable) and liked the solid feel..


Tools and Parts Required per the instuctions
Here is a link to a larger picture version thanks to WestcoastST for making it readable to us older folks:) Linky to Instuctions
I added the plastic tools for taking the dash apart as i have had problems with pointy things scratching the plastic dash panels in the past..
think I got these off Ebay or Amazon some time ago..



Note: Where the Instructions said to file the pin I opted for my bench grinder to speed things up file will work just fine though..


Taking this part off was the hardest for me as in made some really ugly plastic noises while I pried it out and then I heard that dreaded sound of little plastic parts falling deep inside the bowels of the car.. I lost Two plastic clips as I pulled the console face plate out.





Missing clips from here



After fishing around I found to Two errant clips



They popped right back on.. moving on to the next white bit of plastic I will have issues with.. LOL

Following the Directions was easy and very well laid out if I only would have followed them.
When it came to removing the White shifter bushings (step 22 in the instuctions good pic in step 24) on the factory shifter instead of tapping them out I tried to pry on the little plastic tabs and one snapped off almost instantly.. had to glue it back together but it held ok during reassembly but BE careful and follow the directions and do not pry on anything
Here is the tab reinstalled in the new shifter but there are better pics in the instructions..



Here is is all back together added note you will need to remove the clip that holds the shifter pin in as the instuctions say I tried to get the pin out with the clip just lifted up it was a no go.. again follow the instructions and it will work..



As long as I had it all apart I was lucky enough to have a set of Boomba Shifter Base bushings to install at the same time. If you are even thinking of doing these and the shifter do them at the same time as it saves wear and tear on the little plastic parts that hold the dash together and the more you take them apart the more chance of breakage or worse a squeak when you are done
..


Slide or push the metal insert out of the factory bushing and the just work the rubber bushing out. (I used a flat screw driver to push one side of the rubber through the hole and onto itself then pressed it out with my thumb. Be careful you don't slip and poke yourself with the screw driver..


Bushings sitting in shifter base in car ready to install the shifter on top of them. Not hard just takes a lil time to keep them in place while you work the shifter back on to the holding pins in the car







Installed and the shifter is in neutral





With a little more rear tilt and that makes it very easy to shift into 1-3-5 gears with the base of the palm of my hand and pulling it back into 2-4-6 is very short and solid feeling .
The one thing of note i will get used to is now when i release the reverse lockout collar it makes a "thunk" type sound as the collar drives the ock out back home. didn't notice it while in the car with it running so no biggy in my book.. only hear it when car is off and I was making sure it worked ok. Which it work just fine infact it worked AWESOME .. Very Happy .. Thanks Boomba :) Well Done...



After posting this I got a call from the Guys and Boomba for a follow up and They say the "thunk" sound is normal because of the mechanical nature of the shifter as the FoST SS kit does the same.. Great Customer Service BTW and even a couple of NFL Cheeseheads in the bunch .. LOL
 


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rodmoe

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Thread Starter #4
how did you get the other bushings so fast?
I only broke one ear off and used my wifes jewelry glue to bind it as my super krazy glue had the cap glued on syndrome. Let it set and popped the glued piece back in with a gentle hand this time. not sure it will hold forever but it was not a real wear part of the bushing so it should be fine. I felt so much like a Jeremy Clarkson at that moment too I was afraid to touch the camera for fear of breaking it too.. LOL Sorry my bad on no pics of it..
 


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rodmoe

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Thread Starter #6
Sorry I meant base bushings, didnt they just come out? Thanks for the writeup.
Ahhh Yes they at Boomba were kind enough to send along at set the day they posted they were for sale and as close as they are to me it was one day shipping cept on weekends..
 


westcoaST

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#7
I hate those plastic clips! And the ones that attach the headlights to the front cowl, and then fall down behind the IC, and waste time. Thanks for the pics. Helps to know where I'm going to pry. I notice that the instructions require white Lithium grease, but do not say where to use it. I imagine any of the surfaces where the pin contacts the three tabbed shifter inserts is where you'd want to lube to reduce friction.
 


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rodmoe

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Thread Starter #8
I hate those plastic clips! And the ones that attach the headlights to the front cowl, and then fall down behind the IC, and waste time. Thanks for the pics. Helps to know where I'm going to pry. I notice that the instructions require white Lithium grease, but do not say where to use it. I imagine any of the surfaces where the pin contacts the three tabbed shifter inserts is where you'd want to lube to reduce friction.
Glad to help and yes I greased all parts that were greased from the factory and a few extras for luck .. now i kind wish I had given a light coat to the shifter where the rev lockout collar makes contact but i was worried about it getting dirt in and gumming up.. oh well next time.. lol I did adjust the shifter setting and i did not mention it but I used a 5/32 allen wrench to turn the cap bolts that hold the cable ball in place on the main cable ..
 


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#9
ahh thanks rodmoe, I'll pass this onto the installers when i take my car in, hopefulyl the center console and clips stay in decent condtion, and i broke down and ordered the base bushings, the lever is still on the way.
 


JPGC

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#11
Man, I want to do the bushings at the same time, but I also want to install the shifter this weekend. Oh well....unless Boomba was to send me a set of free bushings over night :), lol
 


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#13
I've been thinking about the short shift option lately. Does anyone know how much of a difference it is between using just the adapter versus the whole shifter assembly as well? Boomba u can chime in!
 


Kip2MyLou

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#14
I have just the adapter and love it. Even though it's only 20 percent I can definitely feel the difference. Now that combined with this bent shifter I would assume would be amazing.

I would like to try this shifter before I installed it though, just in case I didn't like the bent feeling.
 


Boomba Racing

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#16
I've been thinking about the short shift option lately. Does anyone know how much of a difference it is between using just the adapter versus the whole shifter assembly as well? Boomba u can chime in!
I'm putting a picture below to show the different possible combinations when pairing our shifting adapter with the actual short shifter.



In our shop car we've got the both pieces set to the shortest setting as well as the bushings and it is such a night and day difference over the standard shifter. It is a great, precise feel and really feels like the way the vehicle should've come from the factory.

I have just the adapter and love it. Even though it's only 20 percent I can definitely feel the difference. Now that combined with this bent shifter I would assume would be amazing.

I would like to try this shifter before I installed it though, just in case I didn't like the bent feeling.
Anyone that's tested it out, including myself, feels that the bend is just the right amount. We tested a few configurations and we went with the 30 degree bend because of the perfect feel it gives without being too extreme. If you were closer I'd say to swing on by the shop and check ours out. LOL
 


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#17
Thanks guys for your info and especially the images. I think I've got the info I need...now I just need the money to order the bracket and all bushings :-( Anyone wanna help a broke mofo out...crowd funding is popular these days lol
 


Sourskittle

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#18
When I took the first test drive of the fist, my only compliant was the shifter was too far away for me. Glad you guys have fixed that issue !! Happy 3rd and 5th gear engagement awaits.

Really drove me crazy ford dropped the ball on that. Not that the feel was unbearable, just.... How do you build a car this awesome and forget to make a shifter reach the driver, lol.
 


westcoaST

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#19
I also ordered a redline shift boot, so I don't have to tear everything up several times when I install the shifter base bushings and the short shift lever. I'll probably install everything week after next. Also waiting on my 6pt and 2pt braces from Pierce. Lots of fun while I wait for my mustang.
 


JPGC

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#20
I just got finished with my Boomba short shifter and shifter base bushings install as well as a test drive. I now have the Boomba short shifter, shifter base bushings, trans linkage bushings and the mountune trans adapter. All I can say is wow!!! The shifter now feels like it is actually attached to the transmission. The angle of this new shifter is perfect for me. I set it to the middle/ #2 position for now because I didn't like the stress that the #3 position was putting on the main shifter linkage. I actually like the middle position as it feels just right with the mountune trans adapter. My shifts are quicker and I don't have to reach for 5th and 6th anymore. This is now one of my favorite mods on this car. Thanks Boomba for getting this out on the market. Attached is a short video of the throw.https://vimeo.com/110018563
 




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