Custom Shifters?

[DirtRatsSpeedShop]

well you could always just weld on a piece of round bar cut to the length you want...

 

[RuninWolfe]

Yep.. Round bar, chain, reBar, there are all sorts of things to fabricate the shifter arm from the shift knob to the guts of the shifter. My question is about the shifter itself. I mean the mechanism that you dont see.. That thing under the floor that has all the linkage.. I would call it the mounting bracket.
I went out to Genie and looked at what they call a mounting bracket kit. Say for a 700r4 (Part Number 1023-7). They have something for $57.95. I could buy that and then add my own shifter arm and knob... Is there something simpler and cheaper though? What do you guys use?

 

[hillbilly4008]

i made my own. Its simple. All you need is a pivot point the shifter mounts to, then a bar with 3/8 heim joints, running to a bracket at the stock tranny shifter. i used the original bracket from my TH400. Unbolt that U shaped bracket from your transmission, and cut the wings off. All you need is that square hole in the center. Then take a piece of flat stock(1/2x1/8, or similar) about 3 inches long and weld it to the original bracket on one of the sides that you didnt cut. Then drill a 3/8 hole at the end of the flat stock. Bolt it all back togeather and pray everything clears, and you dont have any rub issues. The hardest part is having the linkage long enough so that it can shift through all the gears. Alot of trial and error. Mine didnt cost me a dime. I used scrap steel for the levers, and an old polaris snowmobile drag link for the arm connecting the two.

 

[RuninWolfe]

Now we're talking. I wish I had pictures. I might just take those from Genie and this description and try it out. Did you figure out how to keep it out of reverse and to lock it in Park etc? That would be a little embarrassing to put it in Reverse going like crazy off of an off ramp....

 

[hillbilly4008]

ya know, i never thought of that. Your golden untill somebody bumps the shifter. lol. maybe you could use a hand brake from something.

 

[RuninWolfe]

I am ruined.. Been a pilot for over 238 years and always have to have a way out you know. That and I saw a 69 Camaro flip 2 or 4 times after the driver pushed it up into R at the end of the quarter back in 1970. That image stuck dude.. There has to be a way....

 

[hillbilly4008]

Heres what i came up with so far:

Do you know what a "shift slot" is? I tried my best to find a picture for ya, no luck. They use them on Older automatic John Deere farm tractors, riding lawn mowers, and self propelled snowblowers with automatic transmissions. Its the shifter that some lawn tractors have on the fender. It uses slots to hold the shift lever in gear, to shift through the gears you pull the lever to the side then push forward and back.

You could also check the local u-pull-it yard for cars with floor shifters. I know that '80s automatic trans ams and camaros used slot shifters. Those work off of a button on the shifter knob. Push the button and it releases the lock that sits in a groove between P-R- and the forward gears.

Hope this helps

 

[Thunder1]

Yep.. Round bar, chain, reBar, there are all sorts of things to fabricate the shifter arm from the shift knob to the guts of the shifter. My question is about the shifter itself. I mean the mechanism that you dont see.. That thing under the floor that has all the linkage.. I would call it the mounting bracket.
I went out to Genie and looked at what they call a mounting bracket kit. Say for a 700r4 (Part Number 1023-7). They have something for $57.95. I could buy that and then add my own shifter arm and knob... Is there something simpler and cheaper though? What do you guys use?

Thanks for bringing this up RuninWolfe! I've had the same exact question on my mind for a long time too. I have a great idea for a very unusual shifter lever but there's no way I'm spending $250 for a new Lokar or Gennie shifter just to hack it all up to just use the linkages/shifter mechanism! I'm still not totally clear on what all has been said here but at least we have some dialog on the issue. Pictures would be a great help to illustrate how to make one.

Thunder

 

[hillbilly4008]

New thread started in Tech section. Dont wanna get too off topic in a good picture thread.

Joe

 

[Sam_Fear]

Back on topic:

Mine's along the line of Hillbilly's - white porcelan door knob. It's comfy.

 

[hillbilly4008]

Back on topic:

Mine's along the line of Hillbilly's - white porcelan door knob. It's comfy.

lol, i also have one of these. Its up for sale if anyone is in the market. 3/8 coarse thread nut

 

[RuninWolfe]

Where did the new thread go in the Tech Section? I got lost somewhere

Dont laugh.. Im old

 

[gamracer3]

Mine does double duty shift knob and security 44 British Bulldog

 

[chasingadream]

can anybody put up a list of websites where *unusual* shift knobs cab be bought, I know ebay (read: feebay) has them, but I refuse to do anymore businnes with them. Where else can I get one?

 

[Gastrick]

can anybody put up a list of websites where *unusual* shift knobs cab be bought?

Have you checked out the Gennie Shifter site? They probably have the best selection of knobs anywhere.

http://www2.gennieshifter.com/knobs-home.php

 

[Gearhead71]

Well after 6 months of off and on again. This is the shifter that I came up with. I'm selling it though for $500. Solid aluminium 14.75" and handmade, hope y'all enjoy it.

 

[Gearhead71]

 

[Gearhead71]

 

[Gearhead71]

Come on guys, no comments?

Jason

 

[FlameBroiled]

I went BWwwaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAA BBBBWWWWWWWWWaaaaaaaaaaaaaa and made shifter movements. LOOKS GOOD