Is anyone familiar with that shifter "block?" Instead if a whole shifter assembly it's just a billet block that changes the fulcrum of the shifter. Last i saw the price was low and i was wondering if it was any good? anyone have experience with it?

 

Yes, it's made by Saleen. I have it on my stock shifter, reduces the throw by about 30-35%. Really easy to install and cheap (unless you get it directly from Saleen). Works pretty good, (at least for me) but I also have the shifter bushing upgrade.

 

Thanks for the reply bro. Does anyone have any pros or cons about this thing?

 

I used one for almost a year before I upgraded to my MGW shifter. At the time it was the best mod I had for under $50. Worked for me.

 

I had the saleen block on my 06 years ago and it was a great, cheap mod.

 

I had one on my 05 and liked it, but had to switch after I installed the one piece driveshaft. The block added too much length and would not fit.

 

It was because of this thread that I found this product. I can't believe I missed this all these years! Doing a google search of "saleen short throw" and you'll find a bunch of threads on various mustang forums talking about the pros/cons. I just ordered one last night from saleen for $57 shipped (link here) and I'm pretty excited to install it. After plowing through various forums on the subject, here are my takeaways:

-This is the same exact product that comes standard in their Saleen mustangs when they advertise it has a short throw shifter. It’s just the stock shifter with a short throw extender block installed.

-If you plan to put in a one piece aluminum drive shaft or already have one, you should not use this short throw block. This block hovers over the drive shaft with little clearance and the larger one piece shaft will close the gap to the point where the short throw block will not fit.

-Saleen states that it shortens the throw by 26%. One guy measured the throw before and after. He used a ruler and took the measurement from the top of the shift **** measuring the throw from first to second gear. Results: Before=4.375”. After=2.75”.

-Feel is reported to be a little stiffer with the same sloppiness factor as the stock shifter. Most state that it feels much better than the stock setup, about the same as a moderately priced full replacement shifter (those that cost around $150), but not nearly as good as a good shifter such as the MGW. And since it’s so cheap, you can always put in a full aftermarket shifter later without much pain in the wallet.

-Many suggest using steeda urethane bushing to replace the stock ford rubbery bushings to reduce the sloppiness in the shifter. However, this adds more transmission noise to the cabin and you have to practically remove the entire stock shifter to do this. So if you’re going to go this far, you might as well put in a full aftermarket short throw shifter.

-Installation should take under an hour and you do not have to lower the transmission or remove the drive shaft to install this piece.

-You will need jackstands to get access. Working space is extremely tight both under the car and around the exhaust/driveshaft. I think I saw one guy did it with ramps for the front tires only but he said it was really difficulty and wished he had jackstands.

-Use TacoBill’s installation instructions (link here) and be cautious of the saleen directions. Some have noted that the saleen directions have the pictures right but the text has you put the block in facing the wrong way. The folks who put it in facing the wrong way had trouble getting into gear if they could get into gear at all.

-It’s a must to use red loctite (two drops) on the upper bolt since the block is threaded and there is no nut. Not doing this could results in the bolt backing out and you being stuck not being able to get into gear.

-Do not over tighten the lower bolt (TacoBill recommends 1/8th turn past hand tight) as this may cause the shifting action to be stiff. Although some did tighten the bolt without problems so I’m not sure what the deal is there. One person suggested that it seemed only those that got them when they first came out had issues that perhaps saleen changed the design to fix the problem. Also, the saleen direction do not call for loctite on this lower bolt (this is the reused bolt from stock that uses a locking nut) but most recommend being generous with blue loctite anyway especially if you don’t tighten it down much. One guy had the nut fall off during his test run when he didn’t use loctite.

 

Good job! Sounds like you have done your homework here. Can't go wrong with the price if you are looking for something inexpensive.

 

I didn't know about this either. Ordering right after this post!

 

Ordered Saturday 2/5, received Thursday 2/10, and installed Sunday 2/13. The install was very easy and it feels way better than stock from someone that doesn’t race but enjoys spirited daily driving. I’m very satisfied with this relatively inexpensive mod.

Couple notes on the feel:
-My measurement of the throw from first to second was the same as I previously found; stock = 4.375”, saleen short throw block = 2.75” measured from the top of the shift ****. This was using an all stock shifter with an OEM Bullitt shift ****.
-It feels stiffer (as it would since this mod reduces the leverage). Meaning you have to pull/push a little harder to get into gear. However, it still goes into gear as easy as the stock shifter did.
-It feels more solid getting into gear than stock. When stock, you could feel the half-way-into-gear point when the syncros engaged. Now with the saleen short throw block, that point feels more like a 90% there stage rather than a 50% there stage. Going into gear is a more positive feel now.

Couple notes on the install:
-The part arrived in good condition but with no installation directions. Not a problem since installation directions can be found here.
-It took me about 2 hours from gathering tools to having the car back in the garage with the tools put away. This included getting the car up on ramps, installing the block hand tight, getting in the car to playing with the shifter, getting back under the car to tighten everything up, taking the car off the ramps for a 5 minutes test drive, putting the car back on the ramps to disassembly and reassemble with loctite, back in the car to test for binding, and finally off the ramps and in the garage to let the loctite set.
-There’s a lot more room to work with than I thought there was going to be based on how older threads read. I did not find a need to use jack stands and only used car ramps under the front tires. I also found it very easy to reach over the drive shaft to access the bolts with regular ratcheting socket wrenches.
-Past threads have said not to tighten bolts that much to avoid binding. I tightened them about as much as you would tighten an oil plug (which is pretty tight but not overly tight) and did not have any binding. I did use plenty of grease on the bushings though.
-I feel that red loctite is absolutely necessary for the top bolt as the direction suggest. This connection is all metal-to-metal with no crush washers and there is no friction when putting the bolt into the threaded block with no nut. I can easily see that bolt backing out due to vibration. Blue loctite on the lower bolt is probably not necessary since the lower bolt (stock bolt) has a locking nut. But I put some on there anyway.

All that said, I have not had it out on the road yet for extended periods. I only had it out for 5 minutes for a test run before I re-did the install with loctite. I'll check in later if anything changed.

 

thanks for the write up Spike! Thats all the info I could ever need and I think I'm gonna go ahead and order one up!

 

+1

 

No sweat guys! It's fun to try something out then then chat about it a bit!

Driven it for 4 days now and have some updates:
-It felt a little stiff the first day but loosened up by the second. I’m guessing this was the stock bushings taking shape after being inserted into the block. It’s a much tighter fit in the block than in the stock shifter.
-I also found a way to check the bolts without putting the car up on ramps again (in case you're like me and second guess how tight you put n those bolts). Just gotta stick your arm way under the passenger side of the car with a camera and snap a few pics in the general vicinity of the block. You’ll eventually get a picture of the bolts and see that they are just where you left them. Mine haven’t moved at all.

Now for the cons:
-It’s a lot of fun for spirited driving, but it definitely is harder to get into gear on those slow Sunday drives. It seems you really have to get the engine speed going with the trans for it to slip into gear.
-While the block shortened the throw when pushing forward or back, the play from side-to-side seems more noticeable than stock (although I did wonder if it was just in my head since I've never really thought to hard about the stock shifter while I had it). I haven’t quite figured out why there's more play but I was a little validated when I found this old thread. I don’t think it’s the bushing below the **** as others have suggested though. I think it’s just the different angle of the shift arm that connects to the trans. There is some play in the bushing below the **** (you can see this by taking the leather boot off and watching) but not a lot. Furthermore, you can remove the rubber boot (below the leather boot) and pinch shift block in place with a screw driver from above while checking the play on the ****. I found that the play stopped when I did this so it seems to me that it’s not the bushing but rather the transmission itself.

Even with the above cons, I still like it over stock.. just feel more sporty which why I have the car in the first place.

 

if youve got a early S197 and the shifter feels kinda rubbery, look for a later take-off shifter.
I noticed how solid the 09 felt compared to the 06 moving it around one day, I found a take-off 09 shifter on ebay for 15 bucks, night and day difference over the 06 shifter.

got a pic here somewhere- the 06 had a black 'tube' with rubber insert/roll pins holding the threaded part to the bottom part- the 09 has a huge offset turned hublike thing the **** screws onto, and the thing might as well be solid. I'll try to find a picture.

edit- found it:

 

I noticed that when I compared my shifter to TacoBill's. He's got the solid one on the right. I've got the squishy one on the left. I don’t know why they thought that’d be a good design. Vibration maybe?

But the play in the "black tube with rubber insert/roll pins" only accounts for a tiny amount of play… maybe about 1/8 to 1/16 inch. I'm talking about a good 1/4 inch of play left-to-right on top of that. I don't think it's in the shift mechanism though since I can see the shift rod that goes to the transmission move with the play as well when I remove the boots and look down at it. It might just be major play in the centering springs or something like that.

 

I was wondering about this as well, I generally like my 2009 shifter but the throws are a bit long. Wondering if I should get the new MGW one, if it's worth it at all.

 

I guess I'd put it this way: If like the 2009 shifter and just want it to have shorter throw, the saleen short throw shifter block is a cheap and easy-to-install solution. If you want a shifter that is not just a short throw but also has a customizable tight and solid feel and you don't mind a little more time consuming install, the MGW is your answer. But of course it's a bit more money.

DPHC13, did you get your yet? I'm curious to see what you think of it when you do.