SAAB 900 Short Shift Kit

This is an upgrade your Classic SAAB 900 needs! It's a low-effort, high-reward project to swap out your tired old shift lever assembly for a precision machined version made by Jordan Pagano at Modern Classic Saab. More on this slick short shift kit here: www.modernclassicsaab.com/pro...

[@BadBoyJam]

Amazing, perfect, simple video! Step-by-step exactly what you need to know.

[@TokyoChopSquad]

Jordan does great work! He made me a Wildwood brake adapter kit for my 900.

[@jadenhampton1103]

Awesome, awesome video! Been searching forever for good content featuring shifter disassembly and reassembly with a good short shifter!

[@LeeKelso]

Glad it was helpful. A great update to my Saab.

[@spandaubilly]

Fitting a Jamsaab short shifter to my C900 T16 dramatically transformed the car and it’s easily the best modification I’ve done on it so far.

[@mrchestwell]

Me too! Bless Martin

[@dexburwell]

Sweet ! Thanks for posting this awesome step by step gem !

[@CourtneyCoulson]

Excellent! This is the exact problem I have with my 96 900. I just bought it and the shifter almost immediately died on me. I'm glad to hear I can put a short shifter in this car, I prefer them.

[@ryanlarosa6074]

Great video Lee! I have actually been thinking about doing this to my 900 as well. My shifter seems to be a little vague, and I was actually looking at this short throw shifter a little while ago. This video is super helpful and will definitely help me out, whenever I get my hands on it. Thanks!

[@richardjcasey4798]

Great Video Lee. Thank you for providing the video content for your Saab 900 5-speed conversion. Extremely helpful! Rich C.

[@LeeKelso]

Glad it was helpful! A 5-speed makes such a huge difference in being able to use what the engine can produce.

[@cauleygreene1843]

I really appreciate your work! Thank you for this-- I would love to make this upgrade happen for mine!

[@LeeKelso]

Now that I've driven with it for a few days, it's even better than I imagined. The throw is clearly shorter and it feels so much more precise .

[@TerjeNormann]

Ohhh... now you made me want one of those. Moust of the sloppy fealing is because of the nylon ball is warn out. So just to replace that nylon ball should fix moust of the sloppy fealing. The nylon ball should be greased with some nylon friendly long fibered grease...

[@Thehunter85]

Great video Lee. Can you advise me on 9-5 instruction 1999?

[@RetrocarStyle]

My old SAAB need this really bad...my shifter is all over the place though it still shifts but looks like this should add some precision to the shifts.

[@LeeKelso]

It will indeed. Highly recommend making this change, and Jordan's work is top-notch.

[@RetrocarStyle]

@@LeeKelso Ordering soon!!

[@vel0city96]

So, what exactly is "short" about this short shifter? Shorter throws? Or is it a naming thing that somebody once said and it sort of stuck even though nothing's "shorter" about it compared to stock?

[@LeeKelso]

Great question. The throw is indeed shorter because the ball at the bottom of the shifter is a bit lower. That change allows the shift linkage to move the same distance even though there's reduced distance traveled at the shift knob. We'll explain this in greater detail on the 4.29.21 SAAB Talk LIVE! webcast. Hope you can join us at 8pm EDT or look for the recording here.

[@jaynegron4482]

Hey Lee, 1st of all great video. I just received the product and I'm very excited to get it install. My question is upon removing the OEM shifter on my 89 900 turbo Conv It has a spring just above the shift ball with a top and bottom plastic pieces almost encapsulating it. I notice your OEM didn't have it. Should I not use the spring with the new shift kit?

[@LeeKelso]

I'm having trouble picturing what you've described. There was just the spring on top of the reverse lockout pin on mine, so don't know why yours would have an extra element? Maybe shoot a message to Jordan at Modern Classic Saab for his input?

[@edwardchung3576]

Great video. I have an off topic question. I have an 88 900 turbo and can't shift into 5th gear. All other gears are okay. Any ideas? Thank you

[@LeeKelso]

Thanks! I'm really enjoying the difference it make in my car. Three things come to mind about your 5th gear issue: 1) Check that the linkage is properly aligned. townsendimports.com/Web/transmission_folder/shiftadj.htm 2) Check the coupler between the shaft on the transmission and the cabin linkage is not failing. The rubber in these gives up over time and exposure to oil. 3) There is a bushing where the linkage passes through the firewall. When these fail, I'm told it can result in similar problems but I've not seen this first-hand.

[@TheRumata23]

I ordered and installed this one. It is very hard to push into 5th gear and doesn't move back to neutral either. Reverse works, but hard to jam into. The first 4 gears feel good and precise. Tried to adjust the lockout pin, no luck. Any idea?

[@LeeKelso]

I assume these problems did not exist before? Jordan is excellent at supporting his products so I suggest you message him. It could be that your shift linkage is simply out of adjustment. It's a fairly simple process to fix if that's the problem. Put the car in third and you'll find a small hole in the linkage going forward from the shifter. Put a small rod through this hole to hold it in place. Beneath the car where the shift linkage comes through the firewall you'll find a clamp with a 13mm nut. Loosen this, and then look for a small hole in that lines up with a slot cast into the back of the trans. Put a stiff wire or similar rod through this hole to ensure the trans is in third gear. Tighten the clamp and you should have things back into alignment if they were askew. Kind of hard to visualize, but when you see the parts it will make sense. Please let me know how things work out.

[@TheRumata23]

@@LeeKelso yeah, there was no problem with the gears before (except for the spinning knob and vague shifting feel). Now my original stick has a mechanism with a big ass spring in it, and I suspect that moves it back to N from 5th? I messaged Jordan already, but in the meantime I'll try the adjustment you described. Thanks!

[@garrettoneil3864]

Hopefully y'all can help me with a question my shift rod just pulled out completely with nothing on it but the rodI I got mine into second gear and now I can't get it out of second gear I can get the rod back in and slide it through all of those things but it won't move it's stiff and stuck

[@LeeKelso]

So, the shifter rod came out of it's mounting without the ball attached?

[@garrettoneil3864]

That is correct

[@garrettoneil3864]

@@LeeKelso yes sir it did