2006 987 Schnell Short Shift Install

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Okay, I've never done this, so you'll have to bear with me..........

First off, I LOVE the shifter!!!
Second, I bought one from another forum member and he had it at least one year before selling it. I don't know if Schnell's newer kit is the same, or not, but the one I got had a major problem that was not apparent until AFTER the install was done. Minor little detail........the shift knob did not fit!!! It went onto the shaft, most of the way, but the base of the shaft was different than the OEM 987 shaft and I had to modify the inside of the base of the knob to get it on and work. It was not that big of a deal for me, but I'm in the plastics business and have tools to work with plastic that most home mechanics will not have.
So, before you buy a kit from Schnell, make sure this has been adressed because the shift knob and leather trim are ONE PIECE, so you won't be able to just go buy a 996, or similar knob.

All right, here we go.........

First step is lift the leather shift boot by pulling up on the leather itself at the front edge (toward front of car). It has snap downs at the front edge and it then moves toward the front of the car to release L shaped clips at rear edge.

Next, rotate the shift boot 90 degrees, clockwise, by gripping the leather boot right at the base of the knob. It will "click" into it's fully turned position.

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I don't know how to do multi pics, with explanation in between, so I guess I'll do a few pics per post......

Next remove shift knob by pulling straight up. Mine was VERY tight and I'm a pretty big guy and I had to pull like hell to get it off.

Next, locate the Torx T-25 screws through the holes in the carpet just in front of the two Center Consule leatherette side pads in the next two photos. The passenger side is just below the power outlet.

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All the rest of the screws after removing the carpet covers are Torx T-20.
I will also now give you a great hint for working on interiors.
Even though all the screws use the same Torx head, they are NOT all the same screws. As you take each piece out, by these instructions, take a length of masking tape, stick the screws for THAT PART to the tape, fold the tape over on the screws, with enough left to stick the tape, with the screws, on the BACK of the part. This will keep all the proper diameter and length screws with the part they go with and make sure they go back into the hole they came out of.
Remove the pads by removing the two screws at the front edge as shown in the first pic below and then pulling them straight toward the rear of the car. The top clip is the hardest to remove. Make sure you keep the pads aligned properly as you pull them out, as in don't rotate them artound that pesky top clip, it may break if you don't pull that top clip straight out. It's hard to get hold of the top, soi use some patience.
Unplug the power outlet by depressing the two release tabs and pulling the plug out, as in the second pic.

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There is one screw on each side of the front of the storage box at the base of the Center Consule - first pic. Remove both, but do not remove box yet.

The interior colored trim piece at the front of the shifter, wrapping around both sides of the Center Consule now is unclipped from the silver trim piece of the same basic shape, by popping it straight up from clips at the front and center of both side "fingers" and two clips at the rear edge (by the shifter). I did this with my thumbnail, but a PLASTIC wedge will also work. A screwdriver may scratch it, so please use something plastic. This is seen in the second pic.

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Next is the silver trim piece. It has four screws around the shifter assembly, as seen in the first pic. Remove all four screws and this piece has two lugs that go straight down into a lip on the edge of the storage box. Lift the rear of the silver trim piece up to clear these lugs and then it slides straight back from an alignment lug on both front edges of the main tunnel cover housing.

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Next, remove the Center Consule storage box. The storage box slides back, along with the next level up in the Consule. On my car this level contains the rear spoiler switch and PSM switch and slides out PART WAY with the storage box and then has a metal release clip on both sides that must both be depressed to release it. The location of the clips is seen in the first pic. Continue sliding the two parts out together. There is a small lug on top center of the upper housing that will release by slightly lowering the two units and the two units will separate as they come further out - second pic - allowing the storage box to come completely out. It's not as tedious as the description. I put the upper housing back into it's slot, to get it out of harms way, rather than unnplug the wiring.