DIY: CAE shifter install

So I want to start off by saying that it was easier to install my ESS supercharger kit than this beautifully built shifter, mostly because I had to do everything by myself. I am by no means an expert or certified in any way. DO THIS AT YOUR OWN RISK. I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR EXTRA PARTS, BROKEN PARTS, OR BROKEN FEELINGS.
I love learning so I decided to knock this out solo, and share my experience with you guys. The lack of DIYs for this install was what stopped me from purchasing one of these a long time ago. I finally took the plunge and I couldn't be happier. I am also installing a DSSR instead of the OEM linkage, I didn't test it but I'm positive the OEM linkage will fit.

The "Before"


HERE WE GO
Big BIG thanks to: wrh3 his DIY for a UUC SSK helped me a lot to get down to the shifter carrier. Link to his DIY http://www.billswebspace.com/M3UUCEvo3DIY.htm

You can follow majority of his steps all the way until he takes apart the shifter from the shifter carrier. He used two screwdrivers, spinning the locking mechanism clockwise. BUTTT remove your exhaust and heat shields, you are going to want all the space to do this.
All the foam and rubber shift boots will be discarded. You will also need to trim the foam that is in the car, and cut some of the plastic off. I used a cordless dremel to do the cutting and sanding. I'll show what I did in later posts.

For this install you will have to remove the center console cover (the instructions call for the removal of the whole center console but I couldn't find a DIY, and couldn't figure it out, so I left it on. Which to me it turned out for the better because it eliminated the guessing when it came to the cutting and trimming.
The cover is held on by a few pressure clips so it just pulls straight up with some pressure. I started from the front and moved back.


There's also two bolts I decided to remove that holds the center console down. it gives a little bit of extra "leg room" to work with.


Back to the bottom of the car; first you have to support the transmission with a transmission jack if you have one. I didn't, so I used a piece of wood with my regular jack. Once supported you will need to remove the transmission cross member and exhaust hanger that is bolted to the transmission with torx bolts.


Transmission cross member


Two bolts on the right bolted to the frame


Two bolts on the left bolted to the frame


One nut on each side bolted to the transmission itself. At this point I recommended replacing your transmission mounts, the cross member is out and it's the easiest at this point to replace them. I did not know I was going to be in this deep and it didn't cross my mind... and again there is no DIYs for it... NOT perfect but I'll be the guinea pig for us all.



Once the cross member has been taken out, next you want to remove the exhaust hanger that is bolted to the transmission, you want to do this purely to have more space to work with.


Removing the two clips there's a locking mechanism. I slid a small flat tip screw driver in the flat spot on the side of them and then they swing up once unlocked.



Next removing the carrier from rubber grommet (back) and two pins (front). once you remove the two pins you have to release pressure on the jack, and let the transmission go down. The carrier can only go up over the transmission and then slide down on either side of it. you will have to push up on the carrier and pull down a bit on the transmission at the same time to make it slide out, it didn't take much.



How it will look like from the bottom and top with the carrier removed.



Initial mock up of how it will look.... still more to go after this point.



Now it's time for the part where most people start second guessing this purchase. I for one plan on keeping this car till it can't drive anymore, and even then I'll rebuild. So cutting and drilling wasn't an issue for me.
This pic is so you guys can get a basic idea of the cutting and trimming that needs to be done.


This is what it looked like after it was all said in done. I had to cut and mock it up a few times till I found a perfect position for the shifter. It doesn't look pretty but that is fine there is a plate provided by CAE that will cover this all up.


The plate mentioned above.
Bottom


Top


Almost done... Next it's the drilling of four holes to bolt the shifter down. Like I said its not pretty... I messed up the first set of holes. Again the plate covers this all up. Exhibit A


So once you drilled the four holes IN THE RIGHT PLACE Bolt the shifter down. Hardware is provided you can use either nuts and washers, or a bar the comes with threads welded on. I used the bar on one side and nuts on the other. At this point you have to do a few things; connect the DSSR to the transmission and then shifter, or OEM rod if you didn't upgrade, then bolt the transmission cross member back on (There's other steps you have to follow provided by CAE)


One of those steps is attaching the little dust boot provided by them.. which actually is a lot harder than it seems... I have big hands so it took me a while to figure it out. I used a small pry bar to hold one side down while I pulled as much as I could on the other side, working it little by little all the way around.


Once that lil F!@#!# is done you're on the home stretch!!!!! Here it is all bolted down where it's supposed to be.


Next and third to final step, trimming of the center console cover... you will have to remove your ash tray (mine) or any other accessory you may have in that upper spot. To mark it: place it where it supposed to be see where it hits the shifter and cut that piece... All done in this picture.


And cover reinstalled



Second to final step: is trimming the shift boot, I'm using the OEM one for now till I can have something custom made for the boot and the front part where the accessory was.


FINAL STEP!!!! is fine tuning the shifter. Step by step on how to tune the shifter are provided.



BBBUUTTT BEFORE YOU GO DRIVING heat shields need to be bolted back on, exhaust mounted back on with its hangers, do one more check everything is tight! and finally lower the car and then go drive it like you stole it!

Thanks for looking. If anybody has any questions I'll answer them at the best of my ability!
I made a few short video clips for Instagram check them out @luis.1sl0m3

Awesome, awesome work! When I had my 6MT I dreamed of installing one of these shifters. Since you've incorporated the factory boot, I might suggest that you roll the top portion under, use a low-profile zip-tie and you can eliminate the raw edge of the boot showing on the shift selector.

sterile stork wrote  

Awesome, awesome work! When I had my 6MT I dreamed of installing one of these shifters. Since you've incorporated the factory boot, I might suggest that you roll the top portion under, use a low-profile zip-tie and you can eliminate the raw edge of the boot showing on the shift selector.

Thank you!!! Me too I wanted one for the longest but was always afraid of the install! I'm so glad I finally got it done!!
And believe or not I actually tried that method buy it kept sliding off so I left it off for now. I want to get a tri stitch cover and a CF plate on the front eventually so not to worried on how it looks now.

Hey guys anyone have experience with this one ?

http://www.billswebspace.com/M3UUCEvo3DIY.htm

the uucevo3 shifter it looks to be easier to install then tha CAE:help:

UUC and Auto Solutions and Rogue and other stock design aftermarket replacement shifters are very different from the CAE, Samsona, RTK and other bolt in spring loaded shifters. The bolt in shifters work best with stiffer engine and trans mounts since there are no longer rubber bushings locating the shifter that can move a little as the motor and trans move a little.

People love the CAE, Samsona, RTK and similar bolt in spring loaded shifters on the track. For purely street driving, they get mixed reviews.

You can buy an extension for a stock style shifter for more leverage. You can also make a stock style shifter perform better under load by using solid or very stiff motor and trans mounts, but very stiff trans and motor mounts make these cars miserable to street drive due to the vibration.

CIFUM3 wrote

I am also installing a DSSR instead of the OEM linkage,

Hi, great write up, I'll be sure to use this when I install my CAE. Quick question though, which DSSR did you install?

Cheers

Very nice and detailed write up. The pictures are key!

how do these work with a 6mt? what exactly does it do? i'm completely ignorant to these things. sure, its faster, but how does it work?

roastbeef wrote

how do these work with a 6mt? what exactly does it do? i'm completely ignorant to these things. sure, its faster, but how does it work?

I have one as well, it completely eliminates slop, throws are very short and the shifter handle location is literally at steering wheel height and super close, so you don't have to find the lever when gear change comes up, rather just move your right hand slightly right and shift.

Great install Luis! I did this on my DCT and i can shift way faster now!

CIFUM3 do you still have this collection of pictures anywhere? if so could I possibly get a copy of them? Photobucket has ruined so many good posts like this one. Thanks

hamletl wrote

CIFUM3 do you still have this collection of pictures anywhere? if so could I possibly get a copy of them? Photobucket has ruined so many good posts like this one. Thanks

I did the CAE on my Z4MC
it was difficult as the shifter had to be modified to install 180° from the way it normally goes.

hamletl wrote

CIFUM3 do you still have this collection of pictures anywhere? if so could I possibly get a copy of them? Photobucket has ruined so many good posts like this one. Thanks

I wrote them cursing them out for being bastards and literally said I hoped they would rot in hell and in response they extended my paid membership until 2019... so my DIY's still work but only for now

It's incredible how much damage a single company has made.

it really is incredible how many great sites they have ruined... It was the worst thing they could have done as a business in terms of customer relations but I guess they are making more money now. But back on topic, thank you inTgr8r for your DIY. Hopefully CIFUM3 might still have the pics but if not your DIY is a fantastic resource.

hamletl wrote

it really is incredible how many great sites they have ruined... It was the worst thing they could have done as a business in terms of customer relations but I guess they are making more money now. But back on topic, thank you inTgr8r for your DIY. Hopefully CIFUM3 might still have the pics but if not your DIY is a fantastic resource.

I can't see how they can be making more business. Some DIY guys like myself bothered to pay $30/year to have their stuff hosted properly in Photobucket.
There is no way a DIY guy who is not getting paid will pay $400/year to host their pics. It's just impossible. No one wants to help others THAT badly


How could no one at Photobucket think that they should limit the $30/year plan to, say, 500 pics? Friggin dumbasses

^WHS!!!!!
They PO'd a LOT of people

inTgr8r wrote

^WHS!!!!!
They PO'd a LOT of people

hamletl wrote

CIFUM3 do you still have this collection of pictures anywhere? if so could I possibly get a copy of them? Photobucket has ruined so many good posts like this one. Thanks

SYT_Shadow wrote

hamletl wrote

CIFUM3 do you still have this collection of pictures anywhere? if so could I possibly get a copy of them? Photobucket has ruined so many good posts like this one. Thanks

I wrote them cursing them out for being bastards and literally said I hoped they would rot in hell and in response they extended my paid membership until 2019... so my DIY's still work but only for now

It's incredible how much damage a single company has made.

hamletl wrote

it really is incredible how many great sites they have ruined... It was the worst thing they could have done as a business in terms of customer relations but I guess they are making more money now. But back on topic, thank you inTgr8r for your DIY. Hopefully CIFUM3 might still have the pics but if not your DIY is a fantastic resource.

Damn sorry guys didn't know they blocked the pics. I still have them I'll edit the post and re add them a different way. If I can't edit the post I'll add them numerically from start to finish. Give me a day or two

CIFUM3 wrote

Damn sorry guys didn't know they blocked the pics. I still have them I'll edit the post and re add them a different way. If I can't edit the post I'll add them numerically from start to finish. Give me a day or two

There is a solution now for Chrome and Firefox users.
There are add-ins that bring the pics back.
I've been adding this to the top of all my DIY threads.


"If you're using Google Chrome, go to the three dots on the right side of the screen and click them. A drop down should appear. Hover your mouse over "More Tools," and when the next drop down appears, click on extensions. Go to the link towards the bottom that says "Get more extensions." In the search box, type "Photobucket Fix," and hit enter. Click the install button and once it's done, you should be able to see photobucket pictures again.

For FireFox users, click on the three bars on the right side of the screen, then click on add ons. Click search for "photobucket hotlink" and click install. Same result."

I'll be looking to try an RTD shifter when spring comes around, on a different car though. That may be a similar solution that doesn't require cutting the center console to fit.

inTgr8r wrote

There is a solution now for Chrome and Firefox users.
There are add-ins that bring the pics back.
I've been adding this to the top of all my DIY threads.

!!! Completely off-topic, but stumbled here and didn't know this existed. The plugin is available and works for Opera as well.

inTgr8r wrote

There is a solution now for Chrome and Firefox users.
There are add-ins that bring the pics back.
I've been adding this to the top of all my DIY threads.


"If you're using Google Chrome, go to the three dots on the right side of the screen and click them. A drop down should appear. Hover your mouse over "More Tools," and when the next drop down appears, click on extensions. Go to the link towards the bottom that says "Get more extensions." In the search box, type "Photobucket Fix," and hit enter. Click the install button and once it's done, you should be able to see photobucket pictures again.

For FireFox users, click on the three bars on the right side of the screen, then click on add ons. Click search for "photobucket hotlink" and click install. Same result."

Thank you! Wish there was one for Safari.

CIFUM3 thank you for your response! Your guide even without pictures was incredibly helpful and made my install very easy! I just saw inTgr8r post and it fixed it so now I can see your pictures anyways!

Sorted the pictures for those that can't use the Photobucket fix on their browser.

CIFUM3 wrote

So I want to start off by saying that it was easier to install my ESS supercharger kit than this beautifully built shifter, mostly because I had to do everything by myself. I am by no means an expert or certified in any way. DO THIS AT YOUR OWN RISK. I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR EXTRA PARTS, BROKEN PARTS, OR BROKEN FEELINGS.
I love learning so I decided to knock this out solo, and share my experience with you guys. The lack of DIYs for this install was what stopped me from purchasing one of these a long time ago. I finally took the plunge and I couldn't be happier. I am also installing a DSSR instead of the OEM linkage, I didn't test it but I'm positive the OEM linkage will fit.

The "Before"


HERE WE GO
Big BIG thanks to: wrh3 his DIY for a UUC SSK helped me a lot to get down to the shifter carrier. Link to his DIY http://www.billswebspace.com/M3UUCEvo3DIY.htm

You can follow majority of his steps all the way until he takes apart the shifter from the shifter carrier. He used two screwdrivers, spinning the locking mechanism clockwise. BUTTT remove your exhaust and heat shields, you are going to want all the space to do this.
All the foam and rubber shift boots will be discarded. You will also need to trim the foam that is in the car, and cut some of the plastic off. I used a cordless dremel to do the cutting and sanding. I'll show what I did in later posts.

For this install you will have to remove the center console cover (the instructions call for the removal of the whole center console but I couldn't find a DIY, and couldn't figure it out, so I left it on. Which to me it turned out for the better because it eliminated the guessing when it came to the cutting and trimming.
The cover is held on by a few pressure clips so it just pulls straight up with some pressure. I started from the front and moved back.


There's also two bolts I decided to remove that holds the center console down. it gives a little bit of extra "leg room" to work with.


Back to the bottom of the car; first you have to support the transmission with a transmission jack if you have one. I didn't, so I used a piece of wood with my regular jack. Once supported you will need to remove the transmission cross member and exhaust hanger that is bolted to the transmission with torx bolts.


Transmission cross member


Two bolts on the right bolted to the frame


Two bolts on the left bolted to the frame


One nut on each side bolted to the transmission itself. At this point I recommended replacing your transmission mounts, the cross member is out and it's the easiest at this point to replace them. I did not know I was going to be in this deep and it didn't cross my mind... and again there is no DIYs for it... NOT perfect but I'll be the guinea pig for us all.



Once the cross member has been taken out, next you want to remove the exhaust hanger that is bolted to the transmission, you want to do this purely to have more space to work with.


Removing the two clips there's a locking mechanism. I slid a small flat tip screw driver in the flat spot on the side of them and then they swing up once unlocked.



Next removing the carrier from rubber grommet (back) and two pins (front). once you remove the two pins you have to release pressure on the jack, and let the transmission go down. The carrier can only go up over the transmission and then slide down on either side of it. you will have to push up on the carrier and pull down a bit on the transmission at the same time to make it slide out, it didn't take much.



How it will look like from the bottom and top with the carrier removed.



Initial mock up of how it will look.... still more to go after this point.



Now it's time for the part where most people start second guessing this purchase. I for one plan on keeping this car till it can't drive anymore, and even then I'll rebuild. So cutting and drilling wasn't an issue for me.
This pic is so you guys can get a basic idea of the cutting and trimming that needs to be done.


This is what it looked like after it was all said in done. I had to cut and mock it up a few times till I found a perfect position for the shifter. It doesn't look pretty but that is fine there is a plate provided by CAE that will cover this all up.


The plate mentioned above.
Bottom


Top


Almost done... Next it's the drilling of four holes to bolt the shifter down. Like I said its not pretty... I messed up the first set of holes. Again the plate covers this all up. Exhibit A


So once you drilled the four holes IN THE RIGHT PLACE Bolt the shifter down. Hardware is provided you can use either nuts and washers, or a bar the comes with threads welded on. I used the bar on one side and nuts on the other. At this point you have to do a few things; connect the DSSR to the transmission and then shifter, or OEM rod if you didn't upgrade, then bolt the transmission cross member back on (There's other steps you have to follow provided by CAE)


One of those steps is attaching the little dust boot provided by them.. which actually is a lot harder than it seems... I have big hands so it took me a while to figure it out. I used a small pry bar to hold one side down while I pulled as much as I could on the other side, working it little by little all the way around.


Once that lil F!@#!# is done you're on the home stretch!!!!! Here it is all bolted down where it's supposed to be.


Next and third to final step, trimming of the center console cover... you will have to remove your ash tray (mine) or any other accessory you may have in that upper spot. To mark it: place it where it supposed to be see where it hits the shifter and cut that piece... All done in this picture.


And cover reinstalled



Second to final step: is trimming the shift boot, I'm using the OEM one for now till I can have something custom made for the boot and the front part where the accessory was.


FINAL STEP!!!! is fine tuning the shifter. Step by step on how to tune the shifter are provided.



BBBUUTTT BEFORE YOU GO DRIVING heat shields need to be bolted back on, exhaust mounted back on with its hangers, do one more check everything is tight! and finally lower the car and then go drive it like you stole it!

Thanks for looking. If anybody has any questions I'll answer them at the best of my ability!
I made a few short video clips for Instagram check them out @luis.1sl0m3