Tap it on with a brass hammer. You'll hear when it is seated all the way on the shifter. It can be a snug fit... and don't forget the dab of loctite on the set screw.
Oh, we tried that. I think there's a small difference between the R56 and late R53 shifter, we couldn't get the set screw to even begin threading in with the shifter extension fully seated on the shifter lever. So we took a little material off the side of the stock shifter ball this morning to allow the set screw to thread in, and we cinched it down and buttoned it up. I just wasn't in my right mind last night trying to deal with 2 different customers and work on my own car at the same time. All done.
Spoke with Eric @ Helix this morning - he's never seen the issue before, but his thoughts are solid. Might have pulled the very last bit of thread out of the shifter extension trying to get it to thread in, which left me with nothing for the set screw to grab once I slid the extension over the stock shifter. I'm going to swing down to Helix next week and just buy a new short shifter for peace of mind. I don't want to be stuck with a dead in the water situation in the middle of no-man's land on my way to MOTD. Cheap insurance against a lot of potential agita.
Or... just tack-weld the SS adapter you currently have and call it a day. Ask Dave.0. Pretty sure that's what holds his on.
And IIRC..... Eric is the one who tacked it on there for him... at MOTD.... because of a "whoopsie" while driving.
We might just be tacking on another one. I never really liked the single set-screw idea anyway, especially since getting to that part is next to impossible on the side of the road (and with a hot exhaust, hell no).
** Not at MOTD Eric fixed mine at the Helix shop in Philly. Mendra broke his shifter "in half" at MOTD on Hellbender thank god he was stuck in 2nd gear so we could limp back to Fontana. We found a used one and Eric replaced the whole thing at the Helix tent. Back on the Dragon in a few hours.
Wha? Wait, wat? I don't recall tacking anything. It's not necessary if the part is installed correctly. The set screw, with a dab of Loctite, is more than enough to do the job. Without seeing what Mr. Zillion got or how it installed, I can't comment. He bought a used shifter that may have had some of the threads ripped out of the body. I'll have a look at it when it rolls into the shop, but I won't be breaking out the welder.
Making the trip to Helix on Tuesday. Will be doing a little more than just fixing the short shifter. :ihih: Also, brakes, coilovers, rear sway, and headlight bulbs are here... just need to pick up some caliper paint and start wrenching into the wee hours.
Took it out for a photo date before the crappy weather rolled in this afternoon. I will say... this car photographs very well for being a little rough.