Callaway Shifter
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,969
Likes: 8
From: NJ
Callaway Shifter
I know this has been beaten to death, but I wanted to say I was very impressed with the Callaway shifter. Its pricey but it really is a nice piece of work. I got one with the ball, which is a good hunk of aluminum and really makes the throws solid. I love the stops and it is much less "buzzy" than other brands I have tried. Takes a bit of effort to get it in R but that I can live with. There was a question about the shifter coming with the aluminum collar if you order the ball. It does. All in all, over priced, but like I said, after installing it I'm not hating myself for buying it. Looks pimp and shifts slick. Very good piece of engineering.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 904
Likes: 2
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 1,746
Likes: 0
From: Upper St. Clair PA
St. Jude Donor '06-'07-'09
Just got the Callaway yesterday and I am looking forward to getting it on the BlueCoupe. The directions seem fairly straight forward, but I would be interested in any tips or other recommendations experienced owners might offer. Never put on a short-shifter before. Thanks.
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Advanced
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 95
Likes: 0
From: Orange County CA
Good call!
Just got the Callaway yesterday and I am looking forward to getting it on the BlueCoupe. The directions seem fairly straight forward, but I would be interested in any tips or other recommendations experienced owners might offer. Never put on a short-shifter before. Thanks. As for additional installation tips, there's only one that comes to mind since my installation. As others have experienced, my beauty is a little tight getting into reverse, but not bad at all. What I recommend is that you complete the stifter installation without buttoning up the console. Start your car, and shift the trans into each gear, including reverse. If it won't go into reverse, or is too difficult, loosen the mounting bolts slightly to shift the base a bit. Although there's little tollerance between the bolts and the holes, this could make the difference if there's any issue. Once your done, THEN adjust your shifter stops. When I installed mine, it was getting pretty late, so I didn't want to start it the car and wake the dead. Without starting it, the shifter went easily into the 6 forward gears, but wouldn't go into reverse (probably just synchro alignment while parked). Upon starting it the next morning, the trans went into reverse, just a little tight. All is well, and I'm as stoked as can be. It's just that this product is such a precision piece, I couldn't help but wonder if a slight adjustment in the base position wouldn't have made it a bit easier. Sorry for the long response. You probably won't need to apply any of it, but I felt you might appreciate the info just in case.
Enjoy!
Spark
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 1,746
Likes: 0
From: Upper St. Clair PA
St. Jude Donor '06-'07-'09
Hey Blue Coupe, I'm glad to hear you made the move. Did you get the model that uses Callaway's ****, or the stock one? Either way, you made a great decision. Many members have commented how the Callaway is considerably more expensive than other brands. I work as hard as anyone to earn a living, and absolutely hate to overpay for anything, but there are times we all know that you get what you pay for. IMO, Callaway's shifter (and Honker intake) absolutely fall into this category.
As for additional installation tips, there's only one that comes to mind since my installation. As others have experienced, my beauty is a little tight getting into reverse, but not bad at all. What I recommend is that you complete the stifter installation without buttoning up the console. Start your car, and shift the trans into each gear, including reverse. If it won't go into reverse, or is too difficult, loosen the mounting bolts slightly to shift the base a bit. Although there's little tollerance between the bolts and the holes, this could make the difference if there's any issue. Once your done, THEN adjust your shifter stops. When I installed mine, it was getting pretty late, so I didn't want to start it the car and wake the dead. Without starting it, the shifter went easily into the 6 forward gears, but wouldn't go into reverse (probably just synchro alignment while parked). Upon starting it the next morning, the trans went into reverse, just a little tight. All is well, and I'm as stoked as can be. It's just that this product is such a precision piece, I couldn't help but wonder if a slight adjustment in the base position wouldn't have made it a bit easier. Sorry for the long response. You probably won't need to apply any of it, but I felt you might appreciate the info just in case.
Enjoy!
Spark
As for additional installation tips, there's only one that comes to mind since my installation. As others have experienced, my beauty is a little tight getting into reverse, but not bad at all. What I recommend is that you complete the stifter installation without buttoning up the console. Start your car, and shift the trans into each gear, including reverse. If it won't go into reverse, or is too difficult, loosen the mounting bolts slightly to shift the base a bit. Although there's little tollerance between the bolts and the holes, this could make the difference if there's any issue. Once your done, THEN adjust your shifter stops. When I installed mine, it was getting pretty late, so I didn't want to start it the car and wake the dead. Without starting it, the shifter went easily into the 6 forward gears, but wouldn't go into reverse (probably just synchro alignment while parked). Upon starting it the next morning, the trans went into reverse, just a little tight. All is well, and I'm as stoked as can be. It's just that this product is such a precision piece, I couldn't help but wonder if a slight adjustment in the base position wouldn't have made it a bit easier. Sorry for the long response. You probably won't need to apply any of it, but I felt you might appreciate the info just in case.
Enjoy!
Spark
Thanks for the info.
I got the aluminum Callayway ****, although it added to the cost. Love the look! I've considered the Honker, a spacer, and porting the TB & intake. Can't decide.
Advanced
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 95
Likes: 0
From: Orange County CA
Awesome. I liked the stock **** enough that I really wanted to keep it, but I think you went the right direction. The increased weight of that nice looking shifter ball you bought should make that puppy shift even nicer.
Be sure to let us know how the install goes! Spark
Be sure to let us know how the install goes! Spark
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,969
Likes: 8
From: NJ
This coming from a man with half his intestines.....
I had beed reading in some eeekkk, ricer forums and saw that one of the ways those guys make the car feel less like a toy when shifting was to add a weighted shift ball. I figuerd a solid piece might feel a little better than the factory one. I'm happy!
I had beed reading in some eeekkk, ricer forums and saw that one of the ways those guys make the car feel less like a toy when shifting was to add a weighted shift ball. I figuerd a solid piece might feel a little better than the factory one. I'm happy!
Tech Contributor
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 12,094
Likes: 197
From: Colorado Springs, CO
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 1,746
Likes: 0
From: Upper St. Clair PA
St. Jude Donor '06-'07-'09
Racer
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 302
Likes: 22
From: CAPE CORAL , FL
Hey Blue Coupe, I'm glad to hear you made the move. Did you get the model that uses Callaway's ****, or the stock one? Either way, you made a great decision. Many members have commented how the Callaway is considerably more expensive than other brands. I work as hard as anyone to earn a living, and absolutely hate to overpay for anything, but there are times we all know that you get what you pay for. IMO, Callaway's shifter (and Honker intake) absolutely fall into this category.
As for additional installation tips, there's only one that comes to mind since my installation. As others have experienced, my beauty is a little tight getting into reverse, but not bad at all. What I recommend is that you complete the stifter installation without buttoning up the console. Start your car, and shift the trans into each gear, including reverse. If it won't go into reverse, or is too difficult, loosen the mounting bolts slightly to shift the base a bit. Although there's little tollerance between the bolts and the holes, this could make the difference if there's any issue. Once your done, THEN adjust your shifter stops. When I installed mine, it was getting pretty late, so I didn't want to start it the car and wake the dead. Without starting it, the shifter went easily into the 6 forward gears, but wouldn't go into reverse (probably just synchro alignment while parked). Upon starting it the next morning, the trans went into reverse, just a little tight. All is well, and I'm as stoked as can be. It's just that this product is such a precision piece, I couldn't help but wonder if a slight adjustment in the base position wouldn't have made it a bit easier. Sorry for the long response. You probably won't need to apply any of it, but I felt you might appreciate the info just in case.
Enjoy!
Spark
As for additional installation tips, there's only one that comes to mind since my installation. As others have experienced, my beauty is a little tight getting into reverse, but not bad at all. What I recommend is that you complete the stifter installation without buttoning up the console. Start your car, and shift the trans into each gear, including reverse. If it won't go into reverse, or is too difficult, loosen the mounting bolts slightly to shift the base a bit. Although there's little tollerance between the bolts and the holes, this could make the difference if there's any issue. Once your done, THEN adjust your shifter stops. When I installed mine, it was getting pretty late, so I didn't want to start it the car and wake the dead. Without starting it, the shifter went easily into the 6 forward gears, but wouldn't go into reverse (probably just synchro alignment while parked). Upon starting it the next morning, the trans went into reverse, just a little tight. All is well, and I'm as stoked as can be. It's just that this product is such a precision piece, I couldn't help but wonder if a slight adjustment in the base position wouldn't have made it a bit easier. Sorry for the long response. You probably won't need to apply any of it, but I felt you might appreciate the info just in case.
Enjoy!
Spark
Tech Contributor
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 12,094
Likes: 197
From: Colorado Springs, CO
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11
FAST....Do it.....better than headers in the midband.
As for why....here is a reprint of one of my prior posts with some info from LG:
The surgery is minor and the power difference is documented by LG:
In the above graph the only difference was the manifolds. 9rwhp and 17rwtq is the difference if you mistakenly reduce the numbers to what is at peak. The power differences in the midband are staggering by comparrison to peak numbers. The top line is the FAST and LG headers with a tune and the botom is a ported LS2 with no other changes. The cost is roughly 80-90 bucks per HP so H/C guys looking for more will opt to say that the difference is worth it. If you are doing only a few mods and dont care about getting to the best attainable than I guess the values you hold to will be evaluated differently. Money aside there is a difference.
Keep in mind as posted about previously, peak power doesnt tell the story about the FAST manifold. The gains in the midband are much more impressive but still the difference for the uninformed customer will still unfortunatly be the peak only numbers. They will still say the difference is "only 9hp" when in reality the above graph tells a very different story at 5000rpms being more than 20rwhp over the LS2. A ported LS2 is an accountant's choice, a ported FAST is a mechanic's choice.
In the above graph the only difference was the manifolds. 9rwhp and 17rwtq is the difference if you mistakenly reduce the numbers to what is at peak. The power differences in the midband are staggering by comparrison to peak numbers. The top line is the FAST and LG headers with a tune and the botom is a ported LS2 with no other changes. The cost is roughly 80-90 bucks per HP so H/C guys looking for more will opt to say that the difference is worth it. If you are doing only a few mods and dont care about getting to the best attainable than I guess the values you hold to will be evaluated differently. Money aside there is a difference.
Keep in mind as posted about previously, peak power doesnt tell the story about the FAST manifold. The gains in the midband are much more impressive but still the difference for the uninformed customer will still unfortunatly be the peak only numbers. They will still say the difference is "only 9hp" when in reality the above graph tells a very different story at 5000rpms being more than 20rwhp over the LS2. A ported LS2 is an accountant's choice, a ported FAST is a mechanic's choice.
Last edited by SpinMonster; Mar 16, 2007 at 10:37 PM.
