Kartboy SS

[TrickyDik]

Ok I feel stupid because I've never had a problem putting in a short shifter before (albeit on different cars then a subaru) however I'm having some difficulty in a pretty important part of the process.

Basicly trying to get the center console out so I can access the Shifter is giving me problems. I take out the two screws in the top portion of my center console container thing which lets me take then start to peel the center console up but unfortunately it seems it's connected all the way through up to the Auxilary port area.

Is it just clips holding that in? I tried to use a slight amount of force but it felt pretty tight and didn't want to break it off.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

EDIT: It's a 2007 WRX by the way.

[Murphy2012]

You dont ahve to take the 2 screws out. Its the silver trim aroudn the shifter, you lift up there. I tried the same thing, but realized it was different then the directions on scoobymods.com. Pop out the trim right around the shifter. It Goes around your lighter/ashtray as well. I do have a TR so it might be different, but I dont think so. If that wasnt clear, call me. 603-738-2464 Ill talk you through it. Name is Terry by the way.

Its a totally different piece than the one you are trying to take off. Its small and only goes around the shifter and lighter/ashtray. Feel free to call me if you want, at least in the next half hour, going to the doctors shortly.

[TrickyDik]

You dont ahve to take the 2 screws out. Its the silver trim aroudn the shifter, you lift up there. I tried the same thing, but realized it was different then the directions on scoobymods.com. Pop out the trim right around the shifter. It Goes around your lighter/ashtray as well. I do have a TR so it might be different, but I dont think so. If that wasnt clear, call me. 603-738-2464 Ill talk you through it. Name is Terry by the way.

Its a totally different piece than the one you are trying to take off. Its small and only goes around the shifter and lighter/ashtray. Feel free to call me if you want, at least in the next half hour, going to the doctors shortly.

Well I'm at work right now up in South Portland. I'm sleeping up here at the barracks tonight so won't be home until tomorrow evening. I'll probably be giving it a go on Friday before I head to work if I have time, if not then Sunday afternoon.

I'll see if I can understand what you're saying. If not I'll try giving you a call when I'm working on it. My name is Nick.

[Jon]

Yea the silver trim around the shifter is the only thing that should need to come off. Just get your fingers under it and it'll pop off. It'll also take out the ask tray, i believe, so you'll have to unplug that once you get the trim off.

[TrickyDik]

Yea the silver trim around the shifter is the only thing that should need to come off. Just get your fingers under it and it'll pop off. It'll also take out the ask tray, i believe, so you'll have to unplug that once you get the trim off.

Ok, I'll give that a try, is it the same if you have the Aux port instead of the ash tray?

[TrickyDik]

So I'm having more difficulty. I got the shifter out with out a problem. Now I can't get the Kartboy SS in. I've tried the hammer it in thing and no go.

Any tricks I don't know about? Or perhaps someone can come over tomorrow and help me out because I need to leave for work at about 4pm tomorrow and currently I'm fubared without my car.

[TrickyDik]

Nate is coming to my rescue. Hopefully with his heavy duty mallets we can get 'er done.

[mdungelman]

Put the shift knob back on the SS. The position it right and whack it with a rubber mallet. Either that or the palm of your hand. If you're a man it should fit. Git'r'done.

[Jon]

I used a 5 pound rock and piece of wood on the shifter. It still took a couple good whacks to get it seated. If it doesn't sound like your going to break it, your not hitting it hard enough!!

[Jon]

Also have the linkage hooked up too. it help keep it from bouncing around when your hitting it.

[TrickyDik]

Well it's in thanks to nates big mallet...um yea...

Big thank you to Nate for driving down here to Kittery and giving the dam thing a good swing. Poor guy is getting over being sick, has to get up in the morning for work and still came down here to give me a hand. My dam claw hammer was just not cutting it. I really need to have the rest of my tools shipped up from Virginia ASAP.

This reminds me of something my father said when I was younger:

"No matter how many times you do the same project, something can always pop up and go wrong."

I swear I've done SS's in probably 5 or 6 cars and yet my first time doing it in a Subaru was the only one that gave me some problems.

I can't thanks enough to Nate but there it is again.

[jonny-rockets]

The KartBoy SS may be one of my early mods too. Looks like i'll be asking for some help, seems a little bit difficult.

Damn i need to get paid.

[TrickyDik]

It's not difficult. I just didn't have the right hammer.

[2mprzya]

i think i'm the only one who doesn't like a ss.

[method]

NAh, I'm gonna just put in shifter bushings to stiffen it up, no SS for me.

[jonny-rockets]

i think the stock rex shifts pretty quick. do you really notice a big difference with the SS in?

[Murphy2012]

SS makes a HUGE difference. Shifts so much quicker and you actually feel like youre going into gear unlike stock. IMO, my 1990 jeep wrangler felt better shifting than any stock rex I have driven (every year). Huge, huge difference especially when racing or spirited driving. One of the best mods you can do for "more fun" driving IMO.

[jonny-rockets]

hmm good to know. looks like this will be one of the first mods then since i can't quite afford an AP yet

[jonny-rockets]

after the Kartboy SS is installed, is the thread pitch at the top of the shift rod the same as OEM?

(would the OEM shifter fit on it right?)

i have gone through a lot of shift knobs in other cars, and want to avoid the hex-bolt-pincher style ones if i can.

[TrickyDik]

For my '07 the stock "fighter jet" style knob fit on just fine, however I traded my out because the stock knob adds a good amount of length for the overall shifter.

[jonny-rockets]

is this fighter jet style?
http://www.patrickaccessories.com/Admin/ProductImages/leather%20shift%20knob_thumb.jpg

[mdungelman]

Don't forget, paying ~$30 for some shifter bushings makes an even bigger difference and is well worth the money.

[jonny-rockets]

Does the shifter assembly get installed from in the car, and then you need to get under the car just to install the bushings?

Never installed one before....

[mdungelman]

Yes, the shifter swaps out from inside the car. It is easier if you have a lift for changing the bushings, but I did mine on a set of ramps in the garage. If you need a hand I'd be happy to help. Wouldn't even take a half hour.

[jonny-rockets]

ok i have the shifter/bushing combo it came in.

strange though, i am looking at it, and its not exactly what I expected. perhaps i am wrong though.

i had thought that the WRX shift linkage was straight, like in the picture here:

http://www.oakos.com/Merchant2/graphics/00000001/KB002.jpg


the one i received, is not straight it has an offset like the STi ones i've seen online like this:

http://www.rallysportdirect.com/shop/images/kartboystissandbushingscombo.jpg

anyone who has a WRX wanna chime in on this? i am confused :(

[kgj996]

I think that changing the tranny fluid to a nice synthetic makes the most difference in shifting speed. That was one of my first mods, changing all the drive line fluids to Royal Purple. The shifts were silky smooth and a lot faster. The only way to shift faster in our cars is to get the crappy stock syncros spinning faster. I have 80k+ on the tranny with no grinding or signs of syncro wear, even with 5000rpm LC....:devil:

[method]

ok i have the shifter/bushing combo it came in.

strange though, i am looking at it, and its not exactly what I expected. perhaps i am wrong though.

i had thought that the WRX shift linkage was straight, like in the picture here:

http://www.oakos.com/Merchant2/graphics/00000001/KB002.jpg


the one i received, is not straight it has an offset like the STi ones i've seen online like this:

http://www.rallysportdirect.com/shop/images/kartboystissandbushingscombo.jpg

anyone who has a WRX wanna chime in on this? i am confused :(


The one on the bottom is the 6-speed one.

[jonny-rockets]

crap.. i'll have to PM the OAKOS rep and see what he thinks about all of this.

[OAKOS Automotive]

crap.. i'll have to PM the OAKOS rep and see what he thinks about all of this.

Sorry about the mix up. That is indeed an STi shifter. We will send out the correct shifter today. I apoloigize for the inconvenience. Let me know if there is anything else i can help you with.

Mike
OAKOS Automotive

[jonny-rockets]

alright, i have the correct SS now.

i am thinking of just dropping the new shift linkage in today, and doing the bushings later since i don't have a lift.

how difficult is it to do the actual shift rod install?

terry mentioned something earlier about grinding something down... is that where 1st gear rubs sometimes?

perhaps this is a good time to break out my rotozip...

[method]

You don't need a lift to do the bushings as far as I know. I have seen several bushing installs on scoobymods without using a lift.

[jonny-rockets]

i've heard its much easier with a lift.. i don't really have a good place to do work with a jack either..

my newmarket apartment parking spot has motorcycles on one side, and a car on the other....

this is the scoobymods posting i am following right now...
http://www.scoobymods.com/forums/showthread.php?t=205&highlight=kartboy+short+shifter

i might try the plate flip instead of the grinding..

[jonny-rockets]

my shift linkage didn't even rub!

i wonder if the new design for kartboy fixes this.. my shift rod was silver, not the black I expected/was pictured.

install took literally about 7 minutes. took a 10 minute break from work, grabbed some tools, and bam.

will have to do bushings later.

[Nate8409]

Sounds sweet. Upgrade!

[Murphy2012]

I put the silver one in Jamies car and hers rubbed. Yours didnt rub in 1st at all?

[jonny-rockets]

i can't feel it at all when i shift into first. after i installed it i grabbed the rod and shifted into first and it looks like it may touch the tinest bit, but doesn't grind or rub even medium/hard.

I should be concerned still you think?

[TrickyDik]

You don't want the shift linkage to rub at all preferably, or touch for the matter. If you need to, turn the plate around, that's what I did. Also you can take the plate out and just shave it down, or cut a peice out to make sure it doesn't touch.

[jonny-rockets]

ahh yeah i was reading about flipping the plate around, i was planning on doing that if I felt any rub.

i'll have to take a closer look at it tonight to make sure that its not rubbing at all.

[FreakBurrito]

Just did my SS install last night and it was rubbing a little bit. I managed to make a shiny spot on the linkage testing it. I losened up the plate to move it, but I don't think it went far enough. I'll try to flip it around this weekend.