# DIY Short Shifter Part I



## JudgeTredd77 (Jun 6, 2003)

I'm sure I'm not the first to notice that the long shifter control arm on our Sentra's or 200SX's is ridiculously long. 

So here I am looking at the prices for short shifters for my '99 Sentra XE and you can get a pretty good deal if you look properly:

http://www.autosupermart.com/shop/pace00028.html
http://www.spiderautomotive.com/pacshif.html

But I live in Canada, and shipping really kills any deal that I find. So I decided to make a short shifter myself. I picked up a spare arm at a local junkyard so I wouldn't foul mine up. But before I decided to cut it up, I thought it might be nice to try something else. So after removing the knob (which was hell), I took my hacksaw to the arm, cut about 1 inch off the length of it, and welded the two pieces together again.

Now I know all of you are saying that this does not make a short shifter. And I agree. It does, however, look 200% better, since the arm doesn't stick out like a sore thumb. Since the change, I've noticed shifting is much quicker and more precise. Not bad for the price of a hacksaw blister!

I still have another option that involves actually adding some throw to the shifter, which will either cost you a new arm or removing your existing arm. Also for free.

And later, I replaced the knob and made a custom leather shift boot to replace the rubber accordian-style boot from Nissan. It looks even better than the SE!!! 

Let me know if you want to here the rest of the story!
JudgeTredd


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## sfhellwig (Feb 4, 2003)

Did you do the cutting/welding in the car? I have been planning something like this for a long time but I don't have time to put the car up, undo the exhaust and pull the shifter out. If you search the sr20deforum.com there is a fellow who moved the shift ball to actually get a shorter throw. As you did, I would try nothing until I have a spare shifter around though.


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## JudgeTredd77 (Jun 6, 2003)

Yes, I did the cutting and welding both in the car. There are a few precautions to take, however:

1) As mentionned, make sure you have a backup stock or aftermarket shifter arm if you're not sure about this (it works great though!!!)
2) If you do the cutting in the car, without removing the arm, you may have some trouble cutting straight, because of the interior configuration of the car. And also, it's very tiresome. I suggest using a jigsaw with a metal cutting blade or carefully using the hacksaw and cutting straight. Note: if you do cut it crooked, it's not the end of the world, you can always file or grind it down.
3) If you plan to weld in the car, such as I did, it is at your own risk!!! Most people find this pretty stupid, actually, but hey, I paid nothing. Remove the center console (both parts) and drop a wet blanket in the car with a hole in it for the shifter arm. You should be ok with this, but please be careful!!!

I just checked out the sr20deforum and found a similar article. You might want to check it out as well. I tried the copper pipe idea, but I just welded over it. 1/2" pipe is excellent for the job and costs about 50 cents for a 1' piece.

As for moving the shift ball, I do not at all recommend this!!! I tried it and believe me, if you thought taking off the knob was hard, you ain't seen nothing yet. The ball is glued on very tight, and I wasn't even able to move it with a propane torch on the arm for about 5 minutes. That is with the spare part, in a vice, so I wouldn't waste my time. And the epoxy is an option worth considering, but in my opinion will not hold on hard shifts.


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## dry (Oct 21, 2002)

so you got a spare arm eh??? how much did you pay for it at the junkyard and how much would you sell it to me for, pre shortened  since I dont know how to weld?


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## sprayin200sx (Dec 3, 2002)

hey do this on ebay they have correct short throws that work for 16.95 buy now...get it install it and cut the shifter down with a hacksaw...then thread the top of the shifter and wah lah u got a real short shifter i did mine this is the way i did it..good luck


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## Katana200sx (May 13, 2002)

dont buy an ebay s/s. i bought one and about 4 or 5 month after installing it, it broke completely off right above the ball. i thought my shifter was just loose again.if you are gonna buy one buy the pacesetter from nopi for $70


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## JudgeTredd77 (Jun 6, 2003)

DryBoy:

Sorry, but I still need both shift arms for now. I got it at the junkyard for 15 bucks.

I you're feeling queesy about hacking your existing shift arm, I would say just go ahead. If you don't want to weld, the copper pipe idea is really great, plus it adds some weight to the arm to compensate for what you cut.


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