Stallion Motorsports
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Shifter Removal and Installation
The following assumes an aftermarket shifter installation. For this install an UPR Blu Thunder was used on a 95GT. This should take you no longer than 2-3 hours taking your time. You'll need a tube of RTV sealant and a razor blade scraper besides your socket set. You may also need a piece of 2x4 and you jack if you run into a stubborn shifter. Click on any of the images to view them larger.Good luck!
SHIFTER REMOVAL
1) Remove shifter knob by spinning it off, counterclockwise.
2) Remove shifter trim by gently prying up on the plastic trim around edge of the boot. Make sure to disconnect the acc. wiring by pulling it off the backside of the receptacle.
3) Remove the inner shifter boot by unbolting the 4 bolts. The driver's side rearmost bolt is a little tight.
4) Clean any gunk and debris from the shifter and surrounding area before removing shifter. Use compressed air or just a rag.
5) There are 4 bolts holding the shifter in place, these are fairly accessible in the 95, remove these and pull shifter out. The shifter is sealed to the transmission with RTV sealant which can make removing the shifter difficult! Since there is no room or lip to pry on to remove the shifter I came up with a solution.
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a) Find or cut a 1x2 or similar piece of wood to a length approximately 18" long.
b) Raise the car on the driver's side just behind the front wheel until the suspension is fully extended.
c) Slide under the car from the driver's side and place the wood (standing at an angle) against the side of the transmission butting up against the lip of the shifter base.
d) Keeping the driver's side door open or having another person watching, slowly lower the car so that the shifter lip is being pushed upwards by the piece of wood. As the car lowers the weight will break the seal of the shifter base to the transmission.
e) Now that the seal is broken remove the shifter and wood. Lower the car and remove the jack.
SHIFTER INSTALLATION
1) Clean the mating surface of the transmission of any old gasket/sealer until down to bare metal. Use the razor for this. Make sure not to drop anything into the transmission.
2) Trial fit the shifter base, making sure that it seals correctly. Loosely bolt it in place with the handle and make sure it shifts.
3) Remove the shifter and remove the shifter handle from the base. Coat the screws with Locktite 242 and reinstall the shifter handle to the shifter base.
4) Apply a thin bead of RTV sealant around the shifter opening on the transmission.
5) Reinstall the shifter, again making sure it is seated properly, then bolt down. Be careful not to tighten the bolts too much or they will strip in the transmission itself.
7) Set the shifter stops if applicable. For the Blu Thunder there are two threaded stops, one forward and one back.
a) Put the shifter in third and turn the stop until it touches the shifter then back off about 1/8".
b) Put the shifter in fourth and repeat as above.
c) Check all other gears for total engagement, if the shifter touches the stops then back off some more.
d) Set the locking bolts on the stops.
8) Trim inner shifter boot to fit shifter if needed. The Steeda Tri-Ax or the APR Blu Thunder advertise that you don't need to cut and they won't rip the boot.
9) Replace inner boot, bolt down.
10) Replace outer shifter boot. If installing a shorter shifter modifications may be made but aren't needed.
Now take it for a spin and FEEL the difference!
Written by: Chris Dyck
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