FABbot short-shifter install for Aisin AR5 transmissions

The FABbot AR5 short shifter installed.

If you recall, in late 2021, in one of the rare one-and-done success stories with my 1982 Camaro during this whole LS swap ordeal, I had an Aisin AR5 transmission installed. This is the two-wheel-drive version of the transmission that was found in 2004-2012 Chevy Colorados and GMC Canyons (also in Pontiac Solstices and Saturn Skyes, but they are slightly different and aren't as easy to fit in LS-swapped cars).

Instead of paying $$$$ for some flavor of Tremec TKX TKO T56 whatever, these Aisin AR5s can be found for dirt cheap at junk yards. I got mine for $900 with 11,000 miles at a local yard -- it was even already out of the vehicle sitting there waiting for a new home.

Even though the AR5 is in a low-horsepower light-duty trucks, people have been mating them with LS engines and even Toyota 2JZs, most commonly found in the drifting community.

A company by the name of FABbot offers a kit for putting AR5s behind LS engines -- bellhousing, clutch, flywheel, throwout bearing and stainless steel hydraulic lines.

The stock Colorado/Canyon AR5 shifter.

When I got my kit in November 2021, I opted to have the transmission installed with the stock shifter that came with the transmission. Either FABbot had just started offering a short shifter or it wasn't available at the time, I can't remember. 

After successfully dyno-tuning my car a few weeks ago, I was browsing their website and saw the short shifter kit was on sale for $189, $160 off the normal price, and I ordered one up.

I installed the kit yesterday, and it took about 20 minutes. All that was needed was a 1/4-inch ratchet (I cheated with a cordless ratchet), extension and 12mm socket to remove the four bolts from the stock shifter, and a 9/32nd hex socket to install the new bolts that came with the kit. A 3/16th hex bit was needed to snug the lever to the shifter. Included in the kit was a Dum Dum lollipop, and I finished that off about five minutes before the shifter was completely installed.

Along with a 1/4-inch ratchet, these are all that
was needed to install the shifter.

The only issue was one of the dowel pins from the original shifter remaining in the transmissions, but that was easily jostled loose with a center punch.

The generic shift knob I got from Amazon happened to have the required m12X1.75 thread pitch, although FABbot offers their own.

Check out the short video I put together about the install:

Some pics of the FABbot clutch and flywheel when I was installing 5.3 v2.0:
 

The FABbot clutch and flywheel that comes
with their LS kit.