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Difficulty of Short Shifter Install?

etrips

Ready to race!
Location
Virginia
Car(s)
Golfffff Rrrrrr
Hey all!

I'm heavily contemplating on installing a DG short shifter. I looked at the install instructions on their website and it didn't look *too* bad, but looks can also be deceiving! On a scale of 0-10, how hard would this job be for someone who's only experience on working on cars is just oil changes?

Guess I need to find me some tools while I am at it...


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Reggie Enchilada

Autocross Newbie
Location
nowhere
Car(s)
yes
Get ready to fight the shifter lever to get it off. And be extremely careful to not over-torque the retaining nut when installing the new shifter lever. The stud is very easy to snap, and then you'll need a new shifter shaft for $350.
 

lokerola

Ready to race!
Location
Alexandria VA
I would rate it at about a 4. It's not that hard, but you need to be prepared to take some time. I installed the BFI knob and reused the stock boot. Getting the stock boot off the stock shifter without tearing or breaking the boot is sort of maddening. Have a few pairs of pliers and pack your patience.

The BFI knob has these TINY little screws to attach it to the shifter. You need to be CAREFUL not to drop these down the shift tunnel, or you'll never see them again And I didn't use locktite on the little bastards the first time, so of course it came loose after a few days and I had to pull it apart and re-install it with locktite.

I love it now, but it took a about 1.5 hour and half to do right. Buy locktite, maybe put down a rag around the tunnel to catch dropped screws, and you'll get it done!

Also, you have to break the stock boot to stock shift knob connection in order to re-use the boot with a new knob. There will be no re-install of the stock knob if you want to go back to stock. You'll need to order a replacement shift knob/boot combo to get back to stock.

EDIT: I assumed you were talking about a shift knob. If you're doing a short shift adapter on the manual transmission that goes under the hood, these are pretty easy. I installed the Boomba short shift adapter in about 15 minutes. Easy-peasy.
 

etrips

Ready to race!
Location
Virginia
Car(s)
Golfffff Rrrrrr
EDIT: I assumed you were talking about a shift knob. If you're doing a short shift adapter on the manual transmission that goes under the hood, these are pretty easy. I installed the Boomba short shift adapter in about 15 minutes. Easy-peasy.

I was actually talking about the actual short shifter. Was looking at the Dieselgeek, and I would be throwing in a new shift knob at the same time.
 

methnen

Passed Driver's Ed
Location
PDX
I was actually talking about the actual short shifter. Was looking at the Dieselgeek, and I would be throwing in a new shift knob at the same time.

I did a diesel geek shifter on my own MK7 I am EXTREMELY happy with how it works.

The install has some tougher parts and it did take awhile but their directions were very good and by following them carefully I was able to do the entire install with no real problems and it installed and functions perfectly.
 

zimmie2652

Ready to race!
Location
Frederick, MD
Takes 15-20 mins tops, adjusting it is another story. I didn't have the proper tools to adjust the little set screws in the shifter and it took me forever to adjust it properly. Get yourself a nice small ratchet and you should be good to go!
 

Rubadub1

Passed Driver's Ed
Location
Atlanta
I have a dieselgeek shifter and it is absolutely amazing...granted the install took about 4 hours. It is a pretty involved install and it is very difficult to match what the instructions say to what is actually happening when you are working in a confined space. Regardless, I fully recommend a dieselgeek.
 

jay745

What Would Glenn Danzig Do
Location
Slightly Outside Chicago
Car(s)
Mk6 racecar, Tacoma
I have a dieselgeek shifter and it is absolutely amazing...granted the install took about 4 hours. It is a pretty involved install and it is very difficult to match what the instructions say to what is actually happening when you are working in a confined space. Regardless, I fully recommend a dieselgeek.

4 hours?!?!?! yeeowww. What kind of confined space? After you remove the intake the shifter assembly is right there and you have all the room in the world. I've installed a clutch on a gti in that time.
 

zimmie2652

Ready to race!
Location
Frederick, MD
I have a dieselgeek shifter and it is absolutely amazing...granted the install took about 4 hours. It is a pretty involved install and it is very difficult to match what the instructions say to what is actually happening when you are working in a confined space. Regardless, I fully recommend a dieselgeek.

4 hours? That's gotta be a joke to scare someone right?

No mechanical experience here other than oil changes and I had it changed in 20 mins. I swore to myself I'd learn to work on my cars better once I got the VW because I would probably need it down the road somewhere along the line in a VW. The sigma 6 was the first part I ever installed on a vehicle myself.

Here's a link to a great pic heavy DIY on here as well. http://www.golfmk7.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15620

Adjustment was the time consuming factor because I would adjust, go test, adjust, go test adjust. All said and done actual install of shifter pieces was 20 mins. Adjusting was a half hour. I was also trying to adjust with a multi flip out Allen head wrench that was too clunky to make it a smooth operation because it's all I could find in my moving boxes since we didn't have all our tools accessible yet due to just moving into our new place.

I found it much easier actually adjusting the shifter without having the stick locked in 2nd like DG recommended. Whenever I locked it in 2nd it didn't want to access the other gears afterwards. Left it in neutral and it found all 6 gears immediately.
 
Last edited:

etrips

Ready to race!
Location
Virginia
Car(s)
Golfffff Rrrrrr
4 hours? That's gotta be a joke to scare someone right?

No mechanical experience here other than oil changes and I had it changed in 20 mins. I swore to myself I'd learn to work on my cars better once I got the VW because I would probably need it down the road somewhere along the line in a VW. The sigma 6 was the first part I ever installed on a vehicle myself.

Here's a link to a great pic heavy DIY on here as well. http://www.golfmk7.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15620

Adjustment was the time consuming factor because I would adjust, go test, adjust, go test adjust. All said and done actual install of shifter pieces was 20 mins. Adjusting was a half hour. I was also trying to adjust with a multi flip out Allen head wrench that was too clunky to make it a smooth operation because it's all I could find in my moving boxes since we didn't have all our tools accessible yet due to just moving into our new place.

I found it much easier actually adjusting the shifter without having the stick locked in 2nd like DG recommended. Whenever I locked it in 2nd it didn't want to access the other gears afterwards. Left it in neutral and it found all 6 gears immediately.



Interesting! Other than the tools that they have listed on their install guide, did you find that you needed anything else? Is the gear puller necessary?


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Rubadub1

Passed Driver's Ed
Location
Atlanta
The install took long because my stock shifter was stuck on hard on the splines of the shaft. In addition I was super anal about the adjustment so I sat in the car and played around with it until it was perfect. Because I was dirty from the install I had to take off my gloves every time I went in the car. These minor things added to the overall time for me.


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zimmie2652

Ready to race!
Location
Frederick, MD
Interesting! Other than the tools that they have listed on their install guide, did you find that you needed anything else? Is the gear puller necessary?


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Gear puller was not necessary. a super small 90 degree Allen head wrench to make adjusting easy would help. The tool I used because I had on hand was one of those Allen Head sets that are locked together and flip out. Didn't work very well.
 

zimmie2652

Ready to race!
Location
Frederick, MD
The install took long because my stock shifter was stuck on hard on the splines of the shaft. In addition I was super anal about the adjustment so I sat in the car and played around with it until it was perfect. Because I was dirty from the install I had to take off my gloves every time I went in the car. These minor things added to the overall time for me.


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Ah that makes more sense then.
 

DubbinDude

Passed Driver's Ed
Location
Lancaster,PA
Installed a forge shifter last night took 25minutes. Used a flat head screwdriver and a 13mm socket most time was spent wiggling the stock shifter out. Ended up pushing and pulling up and down and that worked best! Shifting is so much shorter and tighter! It’s awesome!
 
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