UrS4 Frequently Asked Questions

Nothing to me was more aggrevating when doing the clutch in my car then getting the shifter
re-situated where it need to be. I figured in since while searching, I found very little on shifter adjustment, that I’d write something up based on my experiences with it. If you already know this crap, then great – if you don’t, then maybe people will search back to this silly post and learn something. Anyways…here goes.

If both shifter linkages in your car are not adjusted properly, the shifter will not only be tough to put into gear, if not impossible, but the position of the gate (reverse push-down function) may be skewed in the sense that it might be necessary to push down the shifter to get the shifter over into 1st gear, 2nd gear, and up and out into 3rd gear.

First….the necessary tools for adjusting the shifter are easy, just a 3/8 ratchet with a 13mm socket, universal joint, and about 10-12 inches of extension.

Next, jack the car up and support it with jackstands like a good responsible mechanic. You’ll need them pretty high in order to get situated directly under the transmission. Look on the passenger side and find the location where the exhaust pipe meets the cat with a flange. Look right above that, and you’ll see your two shifter rods to adjust. I’m assuming if you’ve already done the clutch, you’ll know this…but if you’re just installing a short shifter or want to adjust…here you go…

Just for future note…the blue arrow is the shift rod that controls the shifting fuction going into the transmission itself. It’s what makes you go into 1st gear, 2nd, etc.etc. (I’m trying to make this very basic). The other rod, which might at first appear useless (orange arrow), stabilizes the shifter’s relative position and gate position inside the car…so…if this adjustment is off, your gate position could be off, meaning, you might have to press down to get the car into 1st, etc.etc.

Now, for those kiddies who want to know how the shifter works up top, in case you’ve never been in there…. lookie here at this hacked and stolen picture I found (mad props to stolen picture guy for your short shift install).

The little arrow is the gate tab that keeps the shifter from accidently going into reverse when you don’t mean it. When pulling the shifter to the left, this tab hits up against the big arrow, making it impossible to go any further unless you push it down. If your tab breaks (like Alvin’s did) this function is gone. If that second rod (orange arrow, from underneith pic) is not adjusted properly, the tab may be too close to the big arrow to properly get the car into 1st gear without pushing down. Now, onto adjustment.

Loosen the two 13mm bolts. They shouldn’t be too tight, but make sure you have a firm plant on them, as the wobbly extension and universal joint can slip and make bloody knuckles in a hurry, or worse, skin you with that deep gash that never stops bleeding. I hate those. Once the bolts are loose (Please, don’t remove them or you’re in for a life of hell) just simply get them loose…get inside the car and position the shifter dead center left to right. Wobble the shifter around just a bit to make sure the two rods have broke loose and are freely moving. Like I said, position it dead center…but here’s the trick.. dead center in terms of the front and back from the car can get you in trouble if the shifter is too far forward. If doing your clutch, you probably don’t remember exactly where “dead center” is. But here’s a good reference…

This shifter is actually pretty damn close to dead center. Look too far back? Wrong. Try moving it farther forward and watch what happens. Make sure you don’t make the mistake of thinking “dead center” is strait up and down. It’s not…just a touch to the back. Look at this pic. This shifter is way too far forward, and in this position, the gate was way off.

Once you’ve got the shifter where you think you want it. Have a friend keep a finger on it while you tighten the nuts from underneith. Now, feel the shifter. As long as it’s smooth going into all the gears, you’re half way there. Now, check the gate position. 1st gear should go in nice and smooth and be all the way to the left. You shouldn’t have to push down at all to get it into first. You can try adjusting the gate slightly by doing the following…loosen just the orange arrow nut and have a friend very slightly move the shiter forward just a touch, or backward just a touch, and retighten. This will move the shifters relative position just a bit. After doing this, try out all the gears and you should be good to go. If things still don’t feel right. Loosen both nuts up again and try the process again.

Word to the wise – when doing a clutch, always mark your shifter spots with a grease marker or something of the sort. It makes this process alot easier because the shifter should go back, for the most part, where it was. However, if your shifter was broke, or you changed trannies, or whatever, a different adjustment might be necessary. Just be patient with the adjustment and make sure all the gears are smooth, and you’re good to go.