Need help to soften my shifter!

[Nordattack]

I just bought a brand new 2016 ST.
After only driving it home from the dealer and to and from work once, my right elbow and forearm is in intense pain!
The clunky metallic engagement of the shifter going into gear has caused an old injury to flare up.
My tendons in my right arm were damaged from using graphite rackets during my competitive tennis years.
They were permanently damaged and now any kind of shock vibration will cause them to flare up with great pain.
If I pop a soda can open the shock wave of the pop will cause the tendons to flare up.
Pushing buttons that have a distinct click will also cause a shock wave that will cause them to flare up.
Now the shifter on the ST is doing the same thing!
Funny thing is I have driven a Ford Escort ZX2 manual for 16 years and the shifter has never hurt me.
I never would have thought a shifter could cause so much pain so fast since I have been driving my ZX2 without the slightest pain for so long.
If I can't find a way to take out the metallic engagement shock of the shifter on the ST then I will have to sell my brand new car for a big loss.
It only has 200 miles on it (The dealer drove it to San Diego from L.A.) and has been sitting in the garage since I bought it.
I bought a Boomba Oval Heavy Shifter knob with the hope it might absorb some of the shock and make shifting easier and I am wearing a padded weight lifting glove for extra protection.
But once I installed the Knob and shifted a bit in the garage, it seems that the shock was not eliminated at all.
This metallic shock is what is killing me.
What can I do to get rid of it and make the shifting smooth and soft?
Help!

 

[haste]

buy a right hand drive 2-door. problem solved.

 

[konatodd]

Interesting. Was your last car a manual? Perhaps this car has a different position from your last car and it's not necessarily the shifter but a change in position. I have tendonitis and arthritis in both arms, all joints, and run into this whenever I change bicycles and component positions. Usually some stretching and strengthening exercises help.

Just a thought.

 

[TyphoonFiST]

Why did you buy a manual ....knowing this was a possibility? I'm just curious. ..

 

[Izzy]

Get yourself the Boomba shift bushing kits and their short shift plate then change tranny fluid with Motul Multi DCTF...that should slick things up for you.

 

[boombots]

I have the motul dctf. No smoother with that. Maybe the bushings as others said?

 

[Nordattack]

To the others that asked questions why I bought a manual:
1. No, I did not think this would cause pain because as I said in my post, "I drive a manual shift now and have so for 16 years with no pain."

So you really think bushings would help smooth and soften it out?

Also I measured and the Fist shifter is 5 inches tall and 5 inches to the right of the right seat edge and kinda far forward.
My Escort ZX2 is 9 inches tall and only 3 inches to the right of the right seat edge and much further back.
Also the ZX2 shifting is very soft and smooth.

 

[Izzy]

I found the shifter to be far away as well. My remedy was a DHM angled extender so I could move it closer to me and a heavy knob to facilitate shifting. Weighted knobs have always done wonders for me.

 

[70sstrat08]

I found the shifter to be far away as well. My remedy was a DHM angled extender so I could move it closer to me and a heavy knob to facilitate shifting. Weighted knobs have always done wonders for me.

This^^
In your case the extra leverage would help smooth things out and bring the shifter closer to the position you had before. I would also hope this would increase the effect of the weighted knob because it's higher up.

Also yes the bushings can help smooth things out but I'm not sure if it would help your case. The trans mount bushings help even out engagement and makes things less "rubbery". However, I'm not sure how this would effect the "shock" you're talking about. So I think it reduces resistance not shock if that makes sense.

 

[Nordattack]

How is the Deadhook shifter extender installed?
Does it just screw into the normal shifter rod with no need for adapters and then you just screw the heavy knob into it?

 

[70sstrat08]

How is the Deadhook shifter extender installed?
Does it just screw into the normal shifter rod with no need for adapters and then you just screw the heavy knob into it?

Yep. It's made so the reverse lock out will pull up around it. All threads are the same.

 

[TrickSTer]

In Jalopnik's review of the Fiesta ST, they state "it's superb", "throws are light and crisp, though maybe they could stand to be a bit shorter"and "it's a supremely easy manual transmission to operate".

This is pretty typical of most reviews.

The Boomba short-shifter would offer you shorter shifts; it also angles back, bringing it a little closer to you. Might help you.

I also offer you the obvious: try changing the way you shift.

You can "palm" the knob, with your fingers and thumb wrapping down over the knob or you can "pistol-grip" it, wrapping your fingers around the knob with your thumb on top. You might want to use either of these if you're being somewhat aggressive.

Day-to-day driving, I usually shift with two or three fingers, with just the end of my fingers/thumb touching the top of the knob. This would seem to minimize any "mechanical" transfer to your arm.

Might help!

 

[Nordattack]

I called Deadhook but they never return my calls or answer. If I order one online will they flake on me? How fast do they ship once you order?

 

[Nordattack]

I also offer you the obvious: try changing the way you shift.

You can "palm" the knob, with your fingers and thumb wrapping down over the knob or you can "pistol-grip" it, wrapping your fingers around the knob with your thumb on top. You might want to use either of these if you're being somewhat aggressive.

Might help!

It is actually the shock vibration of the engagement that causes an almost instantaneous flare up in my forearm tendon. I drove to work yesterday. I was wearing a padded weight lifting glove and had the Boomba Knob on. By the time I got to work my arm was in pretty bad pain. 8 hours later it had calmed down. Driving home I slid a neoprene hood over the shifter knob and wore the glove. By the time I got home my arm seemed ok. It had only slight irritation that went away in an hour. It seems the neoprene isolated the shock vibration and prevented it from running up my arm tendon and playing it like a violin string. So I ordered a Vibration isolating glove that workers use on jack hammers. Maybe this will do the trick.
My friend at work (who has a challenger) hates my ST and calls it the Fister. He says he will not sit in those crappy Recaro seats because they hurt his back and shoulders. He says I should sell the piece of crap before it injures me worse.
He says it is cursed. That is the kind of sympathy I am getting for this issue.

 

[70sstrat08]

It is actually the shock vibration of the engagement that causes an almost instantaneous flare up in my forearm tendon. I drove to work yesterday. I was wearing a padded weight lifting glove and had the Boomba Knob on. By the time I got to work my arm was in pretty bad pain. 8 hours later it had calmed down. Driving home I slid a neoprene hood over the shifter knob and wore the glove. By the time I got home my arm seemed ok. It had only slight irritation that went away in an hour. It seems the neoprene isolated the shock vibration and prevented it from running up my arm tendon and playing it like a violin string. So I ordered a Vibration isolating glove that workers use on jack hammers. Maybe this will do the trick.
My friend at work (who has a challenger) hates my ST and calls it the Fister. He says he will not sit in those crappy Recaro seats because they hurt his back and shoulders. He says I should sell the piece of crap before it injures me worse.
He says it is cursed. That is the kind of sympathy I am getting for this issue.

I like challengers a lot, good looking super comfy cruisers. However that sounds like a typical challenger owner. Is he also a little too cough* voluptuous* cough for the seats as well? That's usually the bigger issue. Sorry your friends are less then supportive, certainly less then your recaros