help with jhm short shift install

[sotirakis]

so i spent a few hours yesterday working on my car before enduring the exciting but disappointing monday night football game. anyway, i added on some sway bars and swapped out the stock shifter for a jhm. install was pretty much straight forward. followed the video step by step. most difficult shifter i've ever installed. so all is well and i try adjusting it to get all the gears. after 15 minutes or so i think i've got it. however when i started it up and tried to go in reverse it wasn't there. the shifter stayed pushed down while in gear so i know it didn't pop out. it was getting late so i let it go for the day and now i'm heading for work, but when i come home i wanna get it right. anything would be appreciated. oh yeah, i have the super short shift with the 40% reduction. thanks everyone.

[SOASOAS]

All I recall from folks that have done this that you have to make sure the shifter is far enough forward. I haven't done one myself so I'm not sure what this means. I think there is even some mention of this on the JHM site so I suspect that you have already looked at this.

Sorry for not being of any help but good luck and let us know how it turns out. That is my next project for when it cools down but the S4 is my daily so I can't be without it if the install is iffy - I have done a dozen Mustang and F-body shifters and never had any problem but this looks to be a bit more complex than those.

thanks
Terry

[RAudi Driver]

You have two bolts that adjust the shifter. The shaft closest to the passenger seat should be tightened first. Put your shifter in neutral, an find the midpoint. This is where the shifter goes into gears 1 & 3, and 2 & 4 with equal distance on both sides, north and south. Once you find the milddle point, tighten this bolt. You shouldn't need to mess with it anymore. If you hit an end point before the shifter fully goes into, say 2nd gear, you'll need to move the shifter upward. You get the point.

Now on the the more difficult adjustment, the left to right adjustment. Loosen the bolt just enough to move the shaft. You're either going to move it the the right or to the right depending on what gears you are not moving into smoothly. I actually forget what way you are to move the shifter when you think that you are in reverse and release the clutch to find out that you are in 1st, so just move it one way and see if you are getting closer. You get the point.

I'll check back later to see how you are doing.

[40valve]

I actually forget what way you are to move the shifter when you think that you are in reverse and release the clutch to find out that you are in 1st, so just move it one way and see if you are getting closer. You get the point.

While I was adjusting mine and was looking for reverse I would set the passenger mirror to tilt when in reverse. That helped a lot with running the car in to the work bench in the garage.

[RAudi Driver]

While I was adjusting mine and was looking for reverse I would set the passenger mirror to tilt when in reverse. That helped a lot with running the car in to the work bench in the garage.

Look at the brain on 40 Valve. That's such a great idea. I gotta rememebr to do that when I do the RS's shifter.

[sotirakis]

thanks guys. just got home from work and gonna try to get it right. overall, it's a great shifter and i'm happy with it, just a little work to get it perfect.

[sotirakis]

awsome. i got everything working. one more question. i'm changing the reverse spring and don't know which one is the medium spring. anyone know off the top of their head. gold or silver. thanks again for the help.