Recently heard of a mod that is to make the manual shifter be smoother.
To my disguest I find the guy sells for 60 dollars a 1 buck bolt

It turns out they are simply removing the detent rod out of the trannie and putting a plug in to rid this function which is there to inform you when going into or through the neutral gate. For some that makes the shifter not smoth moving.

This detent which is a bolt at one end and it is hollow where a spring and a ball bearing is at the end which presses up against the guide plate in trannie.
When you shift and guide plate notch is even with this bearing it being held by the spring pressure then bearing snaps into guide plate.

For one do not pay some jerk $60 for a bolt and do not rid the detent function but what you can do for about 20 cents is use a washer with the right thickness and reduce the pressure for detent which will make the shifter much smoother but still be functional.

Keep in mind the trannie case is aluminum and the detent bolt is located up high on the right back end of trannie so not easy to get to and if your not careful you will cross thread and be in big trouble so take you time . Detent bolt location :



Make sure you use the image below to see that the detent part of the bolt only moves about 4 mm and if you use too thick of a washer then there will only be about 4 threads left to screw into trannie case and over time come out.
You also need to use a sealer on threads when re installing and do not over tighten



I spent a whole day looking at the function, installing the shim (washer) and testing.

It will make the shifts smoother and less effort but also will now rely more on you where neutral gate is.

You might want to test it and then simply remove the shim if its not to your liking but in no case remove the detent pin and replace with a short bolt that is nothing more then to plug the whole in case with zero detent

JR What torque should we use in reinstalling the bolt?

Due to where its located you cannot get good sight or angle and because the trannie case is alumimum I would not use more then maybe 20 ft/lbs. Use a threadlocker to prevent it getting loose.

Washer insert completed and torqued to 18lbs. to be safe. This makes the downshifting much easier, especially for racing. Thanks JR.

By the way, could you turn on my teamates section
Gordon McCann
06-468

Yes without the neutral gate feel you may find when going for a gear like 1st that your not sure your in that gear.
I'd say test drive for about 1 week and see if you get used to the feel and see if any issue on downshift for I found sometimes going for 6th shifter was really headed for 4th.

Teammate section was turned back on for you.

JR, do you know if the T56 installed in the F-Bodies are the same?
I'll receive my new transmission in about one week and I'd prefer to make this modofication before the installation.
Or is it better to first see how it feels? I actually have an A4 and I don't know how hard is shifting with the stock tranny.

Stefano

This would be a T56 issue and not a model
I would assume on F-body it may be easier since on the C5 the MN6 is in the rear and doing this on a floor jack and laying under the car the blood rating is a 3 ( how many areas on my hand that draws blood) and a pissmeoff factor of a 5.

On the C5 being you cannot see the dentent bolt or get a light up there the hardest part is re-installing the bolt for you do NOT want to cross thread or you'd be in big trouble so getting bolt hand started is a must and a bitch.

I would do this without a doubt while trannie is out for then its a 3 minute task.