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MWR Short Shifter and Solid Base Bushing Install
I found it a bit difficult to find a good thread on this so I decided to make one that is hopefully searchable.
Monkey Wrench Racing short shifter and base bushing install
Tools needed:
Philips head screw driver
Thin Flat-head screw driver
Ratchet- 12 and 14mm sockets
Spanner wrench
Hammer or rubber mallet
Thin knife
Paper towels
![]()
Optional:
Set of punches
Ratchet style screw driver
Needle nose pliers
Gloves
Extra grease
-----------------------------------
Most of this is covered in other threads so I'll just put the link I used and basically add to this.
http://www.andysautosport.com/addit...hifter-install-for-the-toyota-mr2-spyder.html
So we start by removing your shift knob. Twist is counter clockwise...
Use your Philips head screw driver to remove the 4 screws that hold the center plastic in place. There are 2 screws near the front and 2 screws near the rear.
Slide seats all the way forward to reach the rear screws.
Slide seats all the way back to reach the front screws, squish the seat bolster down.
Pull off that small plastic piece that is in front of your parking brake.
Remove there internal squeeze clips that hold the power window cables and then remove the power window plugs from the switches. The center plastic can now be removed.
In addition, removing these 2 clips from the shifter assembly will give you more room to maneuver when adding the base bushings. My fingers are pointing at the location of the clips that need to be removed. Use your flat head to squish the clip fits then pry them out with the same flat head. Second picture is of the front clip, it is actually 2 clips there just remove the one closest to the bottom.
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From there we move to the shifter assembly itself. There is a pin in the front and a bolt in towards the back that need to be removed. Take your flat head or punch use your hammer or mallet to push the front pin out. (MWR kit has an extra one of these for replacement so you don't need to save the pin if you do not want to do so, I did.) Can be seen below.
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The bolt towards the back is a bit tricky. Use your knife and then flat head to remove this "washer." The kit does not include one of these so take your time and be careful not to bend or damage it very much. Once this is removed, the bolt can be pulled out a bit. You do not need to and should probably not pull it out all the way.
![]()
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From there look underneath the shifter assembly. You will see the stock shifter attached to the shifter cable. There is a cotter type pin that holds it together down there. Use your flat head screw driver and/or pliers to remove this.
![]()
From there you can pull off the plastic cover piece and the O-ring and gasket from the stock shifter. Save these as you will need to place them onto your short shifter. Pull the stock shifter out and ready your spanner wrench.
![]()
You will need to reuse the white plastic end caps that are still attached to your stock shifter. Take your spanner wrench and clamp it onto the end cap. Be careful not to damage these pieces. Torque these caps off. I went in a clockwise direction in relation to the picture I took.
![]()
You will now end up with a bare stock shifter (right side in picture.) In comparison to the MWR shifter it is about 1" longer and the engagement point is lower.
![]()
From that point use the rubber mallet to put the white caps onto the short shifter. It takes a well placed good wack to get them to go on there. It is an all or nothing thing. You either get it on there with a good wack or you misshit it and the cap falls to the floor/ground. Save your half way assembled shifter and put it to the side.
You need to install your shifter assembly solid base bushings.
Take your ratchet and 12mm socket and remove the 4 brass colored bolts that hold the shifter assembly to the frame. There are 2 in the front and 2 in the rear which are pictured below.
![]()
There is a silver piece of metal, a bracket that holds the carpet on place. It will need to be removed so that the new bushings will fit. Use your flat head screw driver and pry the plug off. You may want to keep it and replace it after the bracket is removed or just throw away, it's up to you. It is located just above the arrow in the picture below. Use your flat head to remove the carpet plugs also. Once this is complete you can just take the bracket off.
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Remove the old rubber bushings from the shifter assembly. Push out the bottom metal piece and then squish the rubber bushings out.
![]()
Replace the old bushings with the new aluminum solid ones from the bottom. Use the supplied washers and new bolts which are 14mm in this order top to bottom, bolt, washer, shifter assembly, shifter bushing. I would suggest screwing in the bolts a few threads and leaving it loose.
Time to work backwards now.
Put your short shifter back into the assembly. Reattach the cotter pin at the bottom so your shifter is attached to the cable. Replace the O-ring and gasket over the top of the shifter, then place the hard plastic cover back onto the shifter.
Use the old or new pin in the front to secure the shifter, hammer it back into place.
Before putting the rear bolt back in make sure that spring is fitted around the black rubber bumper and the metal bracket. As seen in the picture.
![]()
![]()
Use your flat head, in a chiseling fashion to replace the washer on rear bolt of the assembly.
Use your ratchet and 14mm socket to tighten up the bolts that hold the assembly to the frame.
Run your shifter through the gears to make sure they all still engage properly.
If everything is good from there. Then reattach the power window wire clips to their respective places and then reattach the power window plugs to the center plastic and then screws and your shift knob and you are home free! Congrats!
I found it a bit difficult to find a good thread on this so I decided to make one that is hopefully searchable.
Monkey Wrench Racing short shifter and base bushing install
Tools needed:
Philips head screw driver
Thin Flat-head screw driver
Ratchet- 12 and 14mm sockets
Spanner wrench
Hammer or rubber mallet
Thin knife
Paper towels
Optional:
Set of punches
Ratchet style screw driver
Needle nose pliers
Gloves
Extra grease
-----------------------------------
Most of this is covered in other threads so I'll just put the link I used and basically add to this.
http://www.andysautosport.com/addit...hifter-install-for-the-toyota-mr2-spyder.html
So we start by removing your shift knob. Twist is counter clockwise...
Use your Philips head screw driver to remove the 4 screws that hold the center plastic in place. There are 2 screws near the front and 2 screws near the rear.
Slide seats all the way forward to reach the rear screws.
Slide seats all the way back to reach the front screws, squish the seat bolster down.
Pull off that small plastic piece that is in front of your parking brake.
Remove there internal squeeze clips that hold the power window cables and then remove the power window plugs from the switches. The center plastic can now be removed.
In addition, removing these 2 clips from the shifter assembly will give you more room to maneuver when adding the base bushings. My fingers are pointing at the location of the clips that need to be removed. Use your flat head to squish the clip fits then pry them out with the same flat head. Second picture is of the front clip, it is actually 2 clips there just remove the one closest to the bottom.
From there we move to the shifter assembly itself. There is a pin in the front and a bolt in towards the back that need to be removed. Take your flat head or punch use your hammer or mallet to push the front pin out. (MWR kit has an extra one of these for replacement so you don't need to save the pin if you do not want to do so, I did.) Can be seen below.
The bolt towards the back is a bit tricky. Use your knife and then flat head to remove this "washer." The kit does not include one of these so take your time and be careful not to bend or damage it very much. Once this is removed, the bolt can be pulled out a bit. You do not need to and should probably not pull it out all the way.
From there look underneath the shifter assembly. You will see the stock shifter attached to the shifter cable. There is a cotter type pin that holds it together down there. Use your flat head screw driver and/or pliers to remove this.
From there you can pull off the plastic cover piece and the O-ring and gasket from the stock shifter. Save these as you will need to place them onto your short shifter. Pull the stock shifter out and ready your spanner wrench.
You will need to reuse the white plastic end caps that are still attached to your stock shifter. Take your spanner wrench and clamp it onto the end cap. Be careful not to damage these pieces. Torque these caps off. I went in a clockwise direction in relation to the picture I took.
You will now end up with a bare stock shifter (right side in picture.) In comparison to the MWR shifter it is about 1" longer and the engagement point is lower.
From that point use the rubber mallet to put the white caps onto the short shifter. It takes a well placed good wack to get them to go on there. It is an all or nothing thing. You either get it on there with a good wack or you misshit it and the cap falls to the floor/ground. Save your half way assembled shifter and put it to the side.
You need to install your shifter assembly solid base bushings.
Take your ratchet and 12mm socket and remove the 4 brass colored bolts that hold the shifter assembly to the frame. There are 2 in the front and 2 in the rear which are pictured below.
There is a silver piece of metal, a bracket that holds the carpet on place. It will need to be removed so that the new bushings will fit. Use your flat head screw driver and pry the plug off. You may want to keep it and replace it after the bracket is removed or just throw away, it's up to you. It is located just above the arrow in the picture below. Use your flat head to remove the carpet plugs also. Once this is complete you can just take the bracket off.
Remove the old rubber bushings from the shifter assembly. Push out the bottom metal piece and then squish the rubber bushings out.
Replace the old bushings with the new aluminum solid ones from the bottom. Use the supplied washers and new bolts which are 14mm in this order top to bottom, bolt, washer, shifter assembly, shifter bushing. I would suggest screwing in the bolts a few threads and leaving it loose.
Time to work backwards now.
Put your short shifter back into the assembly. Reattach the cotter pin at the bottom so your shifter is attached to the cable. Replace the O-ring and gasket over the top of the shifter, then place the hard plastic cover back onto the shifter.
Use the old or new pin in the front to secure the shifter, hammer it back into place.
Before putting the rear bolt back in make sure that spring is fitted around the black rubber bumper and the metal bracket. As seen in the picture.
Use your flat head, in a chiseling fashion to replace the washer on rear bolt of the assembly.
Use your ratchet and 14mm socket to tighten up the bolts that hold the assembly to the frame.
Run your shifter through the gears to make sure they all still engage properly.
If everything is good from there. Then reattach the power window wire clips to their respective places and then reattach the power window plugs to the center plastic and then screws and your shift knob and you are home free! Congrats!
