[s-cars] 2 new short shift options for S-cars

[Postupack, Jeff]

Earlier GregJ and Emre wrote about the Short shift kits noted below.

I installed the Euro-price Beta test unit in my 1993 S4. My son helped
me on one warm Saturday. 
I didn't want to spend a lot of bucks on this, however my old shifter
needed improvement. The  original 12 year shifter was rubbery and loose.
It felt really bad. 

When it comes to interior trim removal, be patient and slow. As there
are hidden screws and tabs to care for if you want to reassemble to OEM
stock look. The Bentley was valuable for me. 

The center console is two parts, rear and front with a split just behind
the shifter boot. 
I removed only the rear console and was able to extract the original
unit. 
I lifted the car. (Be careful S4/S6's are really heavy, consult your
expert mechanic for instructions and jackstands) 

I removed the two 13mm bolts on the shift rod and rear torque rod
(Bentley terms). Access from the front under the trans. 
I have a Stromung exhaust and did NOT need to remove it. Once those 13mm
bolts are out, went  back into the driver seat to remove the assembly. 

I'll write a separate install procedure as I am most interested in
writing about the results. 

You will need a helper to set the position of the Euro-price shift rods
on the mating transmission rods. Make sure you can reach Reverse and all
5 gears. The Bentley DOES have an adjustment procedure which I followed
loosely. 

Driving Impressions= Excellent in a word! 


I installed the Euro-price SS kit, set to 15% reduction and no added
lead weight (yet). 

The shifter tightened up considerably. All the previous slop was gone.
The 15% reduction made shifting positive, direct and short. Really
Sweet. 

My son and I both enjoyed the drive as the 5 speed felt tight, just like
the suspension! 

Could it be more exciting at 23%? Maybe. 

I am the tester who discovered the interfering bracket that prevented me
from using the 23% setting. After a week I may have Alex modify the
bracket that limited the shift rod setting at 23%. He has a solution
already to get both settings. 

Weight: I plan to experiment with weighting by adding lead shot to the
top rod, This can be accomplished from the cockpit because a small hole
is visible in the forward shift rod, near the attachment point. 

If weight is an improvement and not a hindrance, I'll have to remove the
top rod again and melt the lead shot in place. TBD 

All in all, I think the Euro Price SS unit is a great value for 95
bucks. It installs easily and will not require the user to grind, bend
or flail in any way. 
End to end, this shade tree mechanic installer did it in 3 hours. 
Jeff Posto


Emre,

Let us know what you find out.  Inquiring minds want to know!

Greg J

>Emre Washburn wrote:

>S-heads,

>Not only has Billzcat1/Richard Hoffman finished development of a new
>Short Shift kit for the S-cars, Alex at Europrice
<http://www.audifans.com/mailman/listinfo/s-car-list> 
>(www.euro-audi-parts.com) is almost done with his.

>Here is a link to view Alex's kit:
><http://forums.audiworld.com/s4s6/msgs/53042.phtml>

>Here is a link to view Richard hoffmans kit:
><http://billzcat1.com/Shifter/urs46.html>
>BTW - that is my car Richard used in the link.

>Both seem like very good options, and are from two very well known
>Audi enthusiasts. Take a look!

>Personally I will be getting the EuroPrice kit since Alex is a short
>ferry ride across Lake Champlain away from me, and has offered to
>install the kit for me. And I'll be getting one of the BillzCat1
>unit's for a fellow S-car friend of mine who has helped me a
>tremendous amount with with my UrS4. As an added benefit, I can see
> how each kit feels ;-)

>Happy motoring!