Max_Gator

You'll probably only understand this if you've taken apart the shifter mechanism but . . . The shifter ball on my pacesetter is too big for the housing to fit around it properly. As a result, the housing can't fit correctly into the assembly that attaches to the car.

Talk about an aggravating waste of time.

The housing only goes in about 2/3 of the way. I even tried getting the housing into the assembly with a hammer and it wouldn't go. I'd bet this is the reason for some of the comments about the shifter "loosening" up over time and being "stiff" when first installed.

Has anyone else experienced this? Any suggestions before I send the thing back to custommaxima?

Green_2

Grease the housing...it might help

Max_Gator

It was greased. No more grease would help.

Guest

Since the delrin ball of the PaceSetter STS resides inside the "nylon" collar(Nissan Part w/ rubber gasket), grease is not the key, but using a rag and channel lock pliers to evenly push the assembly in.

My HOW-TO was deleted, so I'll explain it as best I can, and a hint or two.

Once the "nylon" collar and shifter are in, once everything is bolted up. Go inside the cabin, and push down a bit on the shifter, the ball usually compresses inside the "nylon" collar during install, and this will further quicken the time of break-in.

-Good Luck.

RussMaxManiac

No one has this problem, I can gurantee it. You are obviously doing something wrong installing it. It took me 15 min to install with help of a friend as well.

Max_Gator

I am not doing anything wrong. Don't you think I put the stock one together to compare? The nylon collar pieces were facing each other correctly and correctly seated in the rubber collar. I know you are the god of all things to do with Maximas but give me a freaking break.

The only question I have is whether it is SUPPOSED to be that way and whether I am supposed to force it in - and how much force I'm supposed to use.

If it is supposed to be that way - as Hogan seems to be saying - fine, just say so and I'll consider myself educated. And if that's the case, pacesetter ought to state that on the directions.

By the way, why can't you respond constructively instead of being such an ***? It really is tiresome.

Max_Gator

Thanks for the help. I guess it is supposed to be that tight. I actually looked for your how-to before I started but couldn't find it.

RussMaxManiac

I don't see me being a *** at all. Your the one coming back all ****y.

y2kse

iTrader: (1)

All right, ladies. Calm down before a Moderator locks this thread!

K Pazzo 6

iTrader: (6)

fight...fight

190hpKiLLA

iTrader: (11)

I had the same problem. I pushed in with pliers. Yes the ball is bigger and needs to break in. But the shifter is so darn good when it breaks in.

e28fixer

I tried the channel lock squeeze play with little success. Even with the assembly pressed part-way into the "cup", the movement of the shifter was way too tight to suit me. It seemed to me that the cup wasn't as big at the bottom as it was at its opening. I ended up cutting part of the rubber ring off that surrounds the nylon collar - maybe 1/3 of it on the side that first slides into the cup. That did it. The problem is that the PaceSetter ball is simply bigger than the stock ball. This really should be addressed by PaceSetter.

One other thing... Anybody else have trouble getting the ball over the "threads" part-way down the shaft from the top? I believe these "threads" are there to hold the shift boot up. The problem is that the "threads" aren't threads like the threads the ball screws on at the base of the shifter. They're parallel threads but there is no "pitch" to them. That means they don't allow the ball to thread past them. It took me quite awhile to get the ball past them, and I was concerned that the difficulty may have ruined the threads on the ball. It didn't.

Scott Buchanan
2K SE M/T

Max_Gator

You could not have had such a problem.

e28fixer

Not sure what you mean. I can assure you I did. I have far more important things to do with my time than describe an imaginary event to a forum innundated with posts about racing other cars and doing top-speed runs on crowded highways.

Max_Gator

I was giving russ flak for his comment to me above that he guranteed [sic] no one else had this problem.

I'm sure you had the problem since I did too. I may even adopt your solution.

thanks.

e28fixer

Gotcha. That guy's an idiot without peer.

sepitrol

I had the same problem you did. I read on someone's website to shave the ball down some. I sanded the ball until it fit a little tighter than the stock one.

That worked for me.

MaxRU

I had the opposite problem-it took forever to get the stock ball out, but the pacesetter one just slid in...

Guest

Russ, I would honestly be amazed that you can do the STS install in 15 minutes. Its alot of labor, just look at what comes w/ the kit.
It's like saying someone can do the UDP in 20 minutes including jacking the car up, and taking the wheel off.

Gator, I did notice the SMC(I installed) vs Pacesetter install, were different in ball size, but after I worked in 190hpKilla's shifter, it worked fine, like Toylet902s car. Every post of yo_its_ok was deleted, except the ones in locked threads, including How-To.

E28, worked for me just fine. As for getting the delrin ball around that bend, yeah I understand that part, but once it was down, took the set screw out and threaded the ball up and down the STS til it was nice and smooth. After cleaning off the shavings w/ a rag, sprayed some brake cleaner to clean the surface some more.
Lube the ball, lube and wrap the nylon collar around it. Get it started, once it is started, then it did become difficult to get in, wrap the collar in a rag, and using I believe 12" Channel Locks, I was able to move around the nylon collar about 3 times and it went down flush, it was very hard to move, but once installed, and all retaining hardware and spring are installed, I got in the cabin, and hit the shifter, not too hard but enough that it took some pressure off the ball. 190hpkilla was amazed when I hit the shifter down and threw the shifter around a few times, and he is very satisfied w/ the product.

sepitrol, its a good idea, but you may get some unwanted "play" later down the road.

Hint:
MaxRU, use a flat head from the top of the assembly, wedge it into a corner get it started and go all around, 2-3 rounds and the assembly comes out no problem.

190hpKiLLA

iTrader: (11)

Not so fast Hogan. When cars is cold the shifter is amazing but still a little hard but when the car warms up the shifter is sooooo tight again I hate it when it warms up. I really hope the ball will break in.

Does playing with shifter a lot and hard switching harm the tranny???

Guest

Better than before

Give it time man, better than being stiff all the time.

Took Toylets car a week to really break in.

Don't go too crazy w/ the shifter...I broke my civic's STS...right where the thread starts on the shift ****.

Beyond that, drive hard, play hard, and stay alive.

190hpKiLLA

iTrader: (11)

I meant if the shifter is hardly moving is that bad for tranny and jerking it all the time?

Guest

jerking, meaning ??? Anyhow as long as you don't go crazy like I do, then your tranny should be fine.

Max_Gator

Well, I installed the pace setter with a little force.

I love the shorter throw.

BUT - the shifter is way too stiff - doesn't snap back to the middle position. I banged on it some and that helped - so now it snaps back to the middle from the 1st gear side sometimes. It is also a bit too restrictive for my tastes in moving into gear.

IMO, the size of the ball is a problem. The rest of the shifter is high quality.

For those of you with this shifter, does this problem get better?

I may have to bite the bullett and get the Stillen if it doesn't loosen up quickly. Right now, I'm pretty sure I can't even get the ball assembly out of the bracket if I wanted to.

maxman00

iTrader: (1)

I installed mine a couple days ago and notice most of these problems both during and after the install. To somewhat remedy the shifter ball problem, I shaved it down a little. I wish I took a little more off, but it seems to be getting better, with easier shifting and more rebound into neutral. Another thing I noticed was that the shifter was not bent to the degree of the stock shifter. My guess is that if they bent it anymore there would be little chance of banging the Delran ball over the bend. To remedy this, I put it in a press and angled it slightly. Overall this is the best mod for the money!

Guest

Gator, give it some time, it'll loosen up, worse comes to worse, you might have to loosen the retaining nuts around the shifter assembly 1/4 turn. I used Permatex Brand Teflon Grease, and it broke in a lot quicker. Shifts are quick, and solid. The shift pattern like maxman00 stated has changed, but honestly I know the shifter was designed for a Honda, and since it was adjustable, Pacesetter was able to manipulate some market share by experimenting w/ different cars as well. Give it a week and it will loosen up nicely. Very solid feeling, you can feel the gear slide in, and it does inspire confidence when shifting.
Would be nice to have a 5spd of my own, but I'll keep running Toylet's 5spd.