Short is Sweet. The Short Shift From Acuity
Remember the old rod style linkage on THE older B-series? RECALL the feedback and feel you got from them?
Practically every new FWD manual transmission car from the factory (which isn’t many now, R.I.P. manual) comes with cable style shifters that connect the bottom of the shifter assembly to the top of the trans-axle. While they have flexibility in design and allow for much tighter and compact packages they do not offer the same kind of direct feel you will get with a hard linkage setup. Take a RWD car for instance. The shifter is on the tail end of the transmission and you get a solid mechanical feel. From an enthusiast and racing perspective this is something we want as it allows us to be more connected to the car.
Since swapping to a hard linkage is not something that is feasible we looked to the next best thinG. upgrade THE OEM SETUP. The team here at 27WON actually had intentions of making our own bolt-on pieces for a short shifter but after checking out the amazing work from the guys at Acuity Instruments we opted to roll with their pieces.
We got in contact with Russ at Acuity who actually took the time to understand what we were doing with the SI and our goals for the project.
Notice we had same quality interaction with the guys at Whiteline. This is something we really put a lot of value on and is a point of pride for us with our customers. When a brand/company takes the time to listen and understand your goals rather than just pawn parts off we have more respect and appreciate the extra effort it takes.
We ended up going with their full catalog all the way down to the pedal spacer (before the short shifter was released).
PART BREAKDOWN
Manufacture: Acuity Instruments
Part #: see below
Components: reference above
Specs:
6061-T6 aluminum bushings
20% increase in spring force for shifter spring
24% reduction in gear throw from short throw adapter
11% reduction in gate spacing from rocker upgrade
Individually these parts build up to a more refined and crisp shift. We, however, installed them all at once and wow what a change! The upgraded bushings took out the flex from the base of our shifter. The centering spring and rocker arm help command a much sportier feel and the adapter help make everything happen a little quicker.
To round out the package we drained the OEM transaxle fluid and dropped in some fresh Motul fluid. We opted to use Motul Gear 300 LS 75W-90. THIS was the icing on CAKE TO GET cleaner and smoother engagement OF OUR GEARS.
The install of the parts was very easy. They have a whole series of YouTube videos on each 10th gen part they make to guide you through the install. The packing and service were great. All in all we are very happy with the upgrades. We’ve got a more direct connection to the car. Paired these upgrades with our rear engine mount and you can actually feel the car talk to you.
27WON PRO TIP: Working on the interior of your car always requires a little more diligence then under the hood to make sure you don’t damage the delicate plastics that must be removed when installing these parts. We strongly suggest picking up a interior trim removal tool set. Most kits can be had for under $20 and are the difference between an easy install and a damaged interior.