maverik259

Hey guys, I was j/w if anyone has put (if it even exists) a short shifter in instead of the stock 6" one? I had one in my 350z and it made a huge difference in shifting comfort and speed...

thanks,

tommy

For the initial part of the CL203's lifecycle, there was a "sport" option, the C7, which had a shortened throw on it. I'm not sure exactly how much shorter it is (I do have it, but have never driven it back-to-back with a 6-speed without it), nor am I sure if it can be transferred to a newer car.

Otherwise, there is nothing in the aftermarket. I do know that:

A) If you go with an aftermarket knob, it will PROBABLY sit lower, as the MB knob is pretty tall

B) You could cut the shaft to reduce the height that the knob sits at. Won't change the throws, obviously, and will increase the required effort to shift. Someone did a thread on it here a while ago, so if you're interested, do a search

I've got a Sparco Racing knob on my car (in smurf blue, of course) - the knob sits much lower than stock, so while I considered doing option B, it seemed overkill. Just remember that if you do go aftermarket, you'll probably have to deal with the boot not working properly, so if you're worried about cosmetics, it would be best to stick with Brabus, Carlsson, Renntech, etc.

qianlimoro

This is the C7 short throw in my coupe:

AzCamel

how do you replace the shifter? just pull up? twist?

maverik259

ya but how do you get one for the c230k?! lol

bumpnzx3

I was looking for a cheap short throw option when I was building my Focus. Wanting to spend the money on driveline and engine parts- I went cheap on the shifter. B&M made a short throw, but it was $200. I bought an aftermarket knob, but the rod with my dremel, and bolted it on. Visually- it was great, and the function was great. Only problem being, about once a week I had to tighten the set screws again. The rod was pretty hard, so the screws didn't dig in too well. I love the short throw feel but it was a bit of a pain having to keep an allen wrench in the cup holder at all times

tommy

Same with the Mercedes rod. That's why I just surrounded it with masking tape, which gives the screws that part to bite into. Has been on for years without issue.

bumpnzx3

great tip. that knob is out the door then. for some reason I never thought of that. i tried a loc-tite, but that never worked much more than a week.

my way around the shift boot, at least for my Focus was a razor blade and a black zip tie. i cut a small slit in the top of the boot, enough to get a tip tie in, pulled it up over the bottom of the knob, snaked the zip tie through, pulled it tight, and cut it off. the slit in the boot covered the connector just fine.

i would like to have a brabus knob- but i really can't justify that much money on such a small appearance mod. hell, it was hard enough for me to part with the cash for the CF lip.

AzCamel

yeah i use electrical tape to give it some bite when i had the same problem on my old car.

maverik259

lol sounds interesint though not quite sure what you guys are talking about...where are these screws going and why do you have screws? doesnt the knob just screw onto the top of the rod? unless what your saying is when you cut the rod you cut that off?!

tommy

No, the MB knob assembly is one big PITA - there is no threading on the knob. That would be too easy. That's why you need the set screws to work with anything other than a tuning company's knob that is made to expressly work with the assembly, like Brabus, Carlsson...

Rick

to clarify, the C7 shifter has a different linkage that makes it "short throw"

cutting off the shifter and re-mounting another shift knob doesn't acheive this

there was a thread about this that the OG's might remember (if we're not too senile) - it was decided that the difference between the two shifters is like the difference between stirring pudding and stirring cement

maverik259

lol ya i know cutting doesnt make it short throw, i had one in my 350z and its a huge difference...im not planning on cutting anything lol...i want an actual short throw linkage!

tommy

Mmmmm - pudding...

Maverick, if that's what you really want, you're going to have to go custom. Mercedes sure ain't encouraging anyone to work on aftermarket support for their quickly-vanishing manual-equipped options.

Midnight Koop

i've been interested in finding a short throw for a while... let me know if you find anything...

maverik259

lol how do you go custom on a short throw exactly? and that sounds expensive! lol i mean im not gonna have this car forever!

tommy

I had talked to UUC about adapting one of their kits for our cars. They were initially interested in possibly looking into it, then decided to instead work on exhausts for the new 3 series instead, since it would make money. Go figure!

But that would be probably the least stressful - seeing if a company already making them would look at yours to see if they could adapt it. But I wouldn't hold my breath. You're pretty much screwed.

maverik259

lol ya...