Currently I am running a PaceSetter short shifter. I know some people here are using these, adjusted 'till the throw is as short as it will go - I imagine it's conceivable that some might have the ball nearly off the threads, with just the set screw holding the ball.

The problem I am having is this: if I adjust the ball too far up the shaft, my shifter linkage hits the front swaybar in fifth gear. I'm not sure what's causing it. Could the shift linkage be out of spec? I looked at the swaybar bushings and they're not worn, i.e. I don't think the swaybar is any closer to the bottom of the car than it should be. There is at least 1/4" of threads showing above the ball right now, and in fifth I have about 1/8" of clearance between the linkage and swaybar.

I also had this problem with a custom short shifter I made, but that was before the PS and I assumed that I had just made the portion under the ball too long.

Any help/opinions appreciated.

TIA

One other thing: I have been considering going back to a stock shifter; I have read that SS's tend to beat up the syncros in the tranny. Is there anything to this?

when youve adjusted your shifter that much youve basically lowered the linkage bar down that far so it will hit the sway bar. im surprised that the shifter dont hit your exhaust system i.e.CAT since you have it set so high up. I found it far to hard to shift into gear when the pivot ball was at the top of the threads, now ive got mine set mid way on the threads and it much better.

I know the cause of the problem! I'm just trying to figure out why other people don't have the same problem - like I said above, right now I have about 1/4" of threads showing above the ball.

Anyone?

Thats weird. I have the SMC, and I've had it pretty damn low..to the point where I raised the ball a little over the threads, and the only thing I hit was the heat shield over the cat, which I later took out. Right now, I have the ball halfway on the threads, but I think I will raise up to stock throw for a while.

Anyone else? Or is my car just a freak?

You have something that is bent or out of place. I have one of your old shifters, "robo" now it works fine and doesn't hit anything. It was also on another car for a week with no problems.
Are you running the stock sway bar, or aftermarket?

I'm running it at the shortest throw also. If I remember right, you had problems at the longest throw.

Stock swaybar as far as I know. It was on the car when I bought it.

It's when it's the shortest throw i.e. the part of the lever under the ball (attached to linkage) is longest.

I guess the linkage might be bent, but it works fine and looks like the FSM drawings. I refuse to believe that the swaybar is bent.