Gerry
Well-Known Member
Hi again
Moving on to the shifter and turn signal levers. As previous pics show I left a 'gap in the bottom plate of the column to allow the shifter lever to stick out. On the other side I cut a 'slot' out of the column to allow for the lever. I plan to us a couple of micro switches for the turn signals so not a lot of strength needed here.
The fun bit now was coming up with a 'detent' for the turn signal lever. I played around with spring loaded levers and rollers but it all got very complicated and the 'feel' was not right. I ended up using a strip from a wiper blade. Inside a normal wiper blade rubber is a strip of spring stainless steel. I always take these out and save them... they come in very useful. I tried a few design but ended up with a double bend that the lever rides over as it is moved forwads and back.
The feel of this is just like a factory one plus its so simple.
The top and bottom bearing in the column was designed to be thick enough in the wall to take a couple of rods running from the top to bottom. I w as just a case of drilling a couple of holes in each to take the rods from top to bottom. The workings will be covered by the brass collar that fits at the top of the column.
As the shifter lever at the bottom is welded to the rod it meant a positive fixing at the top and I went with a square which was done by hand. Square and hole both drilled and filed.
Some adjustment to the whole set up and both worked like a dream.
OK so there is a lot of trial and error and loads of putting it together and taking it apart again but after about 125 hours of work I got what I WANTED. Its worth every hour spent and the final thing looks like its made for the car.
That just leaves the shifter gate which is the next and final post to do.
Gerry
Moving on to the shifter and turn signal levers. As previous pics show I left a 'gap in the bottom plate of the column to allow the shifter lever to stick out. On the other side I cut a 'slot' out of the column to allow for the lever. I plan to us a couple of micro switches for the turn signals so not a lot of strength needed here.
The fun bit now was coming up with a 'detent' for the turn signal lever. I played around with spring loaded levers and rollers but it all got very complicated and the 'feel' was not right. I ended up using a strip from a wiper blade. Inside a normal wiper blade rubber is a strip of spring stainless steel. I always take these out and save them... they come in very useful. I tried a few design but ended up with a double bend that the lever rides over as it is moved forwads and back.
The feel of this is just like a factory one plus its so simple.
The top and bottom bearing in the column was designed to be thick enough in the wall to take a couple of rods running from the top to bottom. I w as just a case of drilling a couple of holes in each to take the rods from top to bottom. The workings will be covered by the brass collar that fits at the top of the column.
As the shifter lever at the bottom is welded to the rod it meant a positive fixing at the top and I went with a square which was done by hand. Square and hole both drilled and filed.
Some adjustment to the whole set up and both worked like a dream.
OK so there is a lot of trial and error and loads of putting it together and taking it apart again but after about 125 hours of work I got what I WANTED. Its worth every hour spent and the final thing looks like its made for the car.
That just leaves the shifter gate which is the next and final post to do.
Gerry
