October 20, 2001 - Time to finally install the short shifter...
With thanks to other I-Club members, I have taken the best of other FAQs and included my photos for this moderaterly easy modification...
1. Apply the emergency brake.
2. Carefully pull up the console just in front of the armrest storage area. It should slip around the emergency brake. There are four metal clips holding the console on. Don't lose these. Before removing the console disconnect the mirror adjustment wires.
3. Now unscrew the shift knob counter clockwise and remove it from the leather around the shift stick.
4. Now pull up the console around the shift stick. There are more metal clips here.
5. This step made it easier to remove the shift linkage later butt I’ve been told you don't have to do it. There are two screws in the armrest storage compartment, one between the brake and shifter, and two just in front of the shifter. Remove these and then remove the center console base.
6. There are four brass bolts, two in front and two behind the shift stick. They hold down a metal plate and a rubber insulator on the base of the shift stick. Remove these. Remove the plate. Now if you pull back the rubber you can see daylight.
7. Block the rear tires; jack up the front of the car and place a couple of jack stands under the frame.
8. Open the box the shifter came in and look it over. This will help to id the parts while under the car.
9. From the bottom of the car find the shifter. It is just behind the transmission over the drive shaft.
10. Find the end of the shift linkage. Both linkage pieces connect to the transmission about 10 inches in front of (towards the front of the car) the shifter. Remove the nut on the 1/2,3/4/,5/R, selector. This is the large arm on the shift linkage with the round bushings and housing on the end.
11. Pry the arm off of the transmission. I used a flat edge screwdriver for this.
12. Just above the nut you just remove is a u-joint type connection for the remaining linkage. Remove the VERTICAL bolt and nut from this. I had to use a small wrench on top and a ratchet with a short handle to do this.
13. Now find and remove the two bolts just behind the shifter (towards the rear of the car) they are above the drive shaft and behind the third catalytic converter.
14. Now the shifter is loose. Remove it from the inside of the car. This required some twisting and jiggling. If you skipped the optional step you might need to do this now to get the shifter out.
15. Now reverse the process to put the shifter back in. SOA recommends 13ft/lbs of torque on all of the bolts and nuts on the underside. I could not find a spec on the bolts and screws on the top so I just snugged them up.
16. The STI Carbon Fibre Shift knob recommends using an adhesive when installing to the shiftrod. I have not done this and am not convinced it is really necessary... I'll keep you updated if I later decide to "glue" it on!
Special thanks to I-Club members that contributed and made this possible and to the people that keep I-club running!