Author Topic: home made tube shifter  (Read 17640 times)

Offline mfp-66

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 38
    • View Profile
  • Your Engine: stock 68 cadillac 472
home made tube shifter
« on: November 24, 2013, 01:15:12 PM »
came up my own version of a tube type shifter out of scrap i had lying about the garage.

used a section of 80's mustang column to provide the outer and inner parts

used the double d section as well as it matching outer section


on the inner section i welded a small section of square bar. this will be the reverse lock out


i cut a corresponding slot in the outer tube for the square bar to slide in to


welded on an end plate that mounts a spring loaded lever


the lever stops the shifter pulling into reverse


slotted the end to fit a ball joint. welded it to the column bracket on the top of the axle case


using tube to connect shifter to bracket on the box with ball joints at either end


the cockpit end will have a shift knob fitted


still not completely finished but it seems to work OK. does require both hands to select reverse but i can live with that

Offline wideopen231

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1911
    • View Profile
  • Your Best Time: 1/8 3.70@ 198 1/4 5.78@245
  • Your Engine: Hemi 526 ci alcohol
  • Your Track: Piedmont
  • Your Vehicle: 225 CMC FED
  • General Location: NORTH CAROLINA
Re: home made tube shifter
« Reply #1 on: November 25, 2013, 06:44:56 AM »
Built one myself using two pieces of moly tubing and seems to work great weighs less than lb.Well until I added the shift solenoid.
Relecting obama is like shooting right foot because it did not hurt enough when you shot left foot

Offline George

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 515
    • View Profile
  • Your Vehicle: 1964 Mercury Comet Super Stock/ M automatic
  • General Location: Midwest USA
Re: home made tube shifter
« Reply #2 on: November 25, 2013, 08:21:30 AM »
How is the neutral safety switch installed?

dreracecar

  • Guest
Re: home made tube shifter
« Reply #3 on: November 25, 2013, 08:57:56 AM »
What prevents the shifler from going from low  to neutral?   The detents inside the trans are not enuff because one does not have the same FEELING wearing gloves and the excitment of the race itself.
  I think it is great that people want to build things and show inginuity, I prefer to use a B&M ratchet shifter mounted to the trans and the control levers mounted to the housing. By being a ratchet the control lever is always at the same possission and no mater how hard one hits or pulls it --it will only move one section at a time so one does not have to think about detent possission.

Offline Van

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 116
    • View Profile
  • Your Best Time: 7.11 @ 189 with this car
  • Your Engine: Lincoln blown alky 534
  • Your Track: Bakersfield Ca.
  • Your Vehicle: Dragster
  • General Location: west coast
Re: home made tube shifter
« Reply #4 on: November 25, 2013, 09:05:03 AM »
How is the neutral safety switch installed?

 Mount the switch at the trans end, like Ford style.

Offline mfp-66

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 38
    • View Profile
  • Your Engine: stock 68 cadillac 472
Re: home made tube shifter
« Reply #5 on: November 25, 2013, 10:23:26 AM »
I was thinking of mounting the neutral switch on the side with a hole in the outer sleeve, the inner will have a dimple when the shifter is in the neutral position

The only shift during the race is 1st to 2nd which is just a simple push on the knob

Neutral to 1st will be done when I need to pull up to the tree so should have time to make sure it's in the right gear. If I do have an issue I can fit a spring detent ball.

Hope this makes sense ( it did in my head before I tried to write it)

dreracecar

  • Guest
Re: home made tube shifter
« Reply #6 on: November 25, 2013, 11:35:40 AM »
So your shift pattern is   P--R-N-1(low)-2(high) and not  P--R-N-2(high)-1(low)

Offline mfp-66

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 38
    • View Profile
  • Your Engine: stock 68 cadillac 472
Re: home made tube shifter
« Reply #7 on: November 25, 2013, 01:46:17 PM »
P-R-N-1-2

Offline wideopen231

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1911
    • View Profile
  • Your Best Time: 1/8 3.70@ 198 1/4 5.78@245
  • Your Engine: Hemi 526 ci alcohol
  • Your Track: Piedmont
  • Your Vehicle: 225 CMC FED
  • General Location: NORTH CAROLINA
Re: home made tube shifter
« Reply #8 on: November 25, 2013, 04:06:53 PM »
On mine you have to twist it to go to netural 1st to second is just straight slot.Twist and push forward for netural,twist again push forward for reverse twist oppisite and push while using foot assist that mount on trans for park.If I have to I can add flip lever for lockout.Not cocerned about neutral safety switch never had one and never been asked by tech about it.
Relecting obama is like shooting right foot because it did not hurt enough when you shot left foot

dreracecar

  • Guest
Re: home made tube shifter
« Reply #9 on: November 25, 2013, 04:09:36 PM »
With my car I do the burn out in High gear and then as it comes down I kick it into "N" and roll out the rest of the way. Hit the lockout and then put it into reverse, back up and then bring it into low gear. Your way you will either have to burn out in low gear to get it into "N" after the BO or pass thru low after a high gear BO to get it into "N". About every car out here  runs L-H-N-R  pattern, but what ever way you are most comfortable with.

Offline wideopen231

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1911
    • View Profile
  • Your Best Time: 1/8 3.70@ 198 1/4 5.78@245
  • Your Engine: Hemi 526 ci alcohol
  • Your Track: Piedmont
  • Your Vehicle: 225 CMC FED
  • General Location: NORTH CAROLINA
Re: home made tube shifter
« Reply #10 on: November 25, 2013, 04:19:43 PM »
with mine you can have p-r-n 1-2 or p-r-n-2-1  the pattern is determined by valve body and trans linkage not shifter inn this case. Mine will be p r n 2 1 so I caN USE SHIFT SOLENOD  for 1-2 shift. For burn out Ill just push it into 2nd and hammer it,stop tist push twist push and will be in reverse.
Relecting obama is like shooting right foot because it did not hurt enough when you shot left foot

Offline Van

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 116
    • View Profile
  • Your Best Time: 7.11 @ 189 with this car
  • Your Engine: Lincoln blown alky 534
  • Your Track: Bakersfield Ca.
  • Your Vehicle: Dragster
  • General Location: west coast
Re: home made tube shifter
« Reply #11 on: November 25, 2013, 05:54:03 PM »
I run a T400 with reverse pattern  P R N 1 2 3  We don't even try to hit  N  till after the car is stopped. Burnout's are in 3 or high gear, never an issue.

Offline dragster_john

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 19
  • DRAGSTER_JOHN
    • View Profile
  • Your Best Time: 8.66 E.T. @ 159.92 MPH 1/4 mile so far
  • Your Engine: 398 c.i. sbc injected on alky
  • Your Track: samoa dragstrip
  • Your Vehicle: 1967 jim davis front engine dragster
Re: home made tube shifter
« Reply #12 on: November 25, 2013, 09:01:36 PM »
here my shifter, a perry shifter, powerglide, i just bump it and shift up...  and its all alum, 
if its easy, it is not worth doing.

Offline slingshot383

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 143
    • View Profile
  • Your Best Time: 1/4 mi. 7.95 @ 168
  • Your Engine: Chrysler, alcohol, 528 cu.in.
  • Your Track: Gateway Motorsports Park (the Swamp)
  • Your Vehicle: Undercover Chassis 23T altered
Re: home made tube shifter
« Reply #13 on: November 28, 2013, 05:51:45 AM »
Neil and Parks makes a real neat inline shifter that can even be shifted by a button.
Undercover 23T Altered, big block Mopar
Member of the Torque and Recoil Club

Offline George

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 515
    • View Profile
  • Your Vehicle: 1964 Mercury Comet Super Stock/ M automatic
  • General Location: Midwest USA
Re: home made tube shifter
« Reply #14 on: November 28, 2013, 07:12:37 AM »
« Last Edit: November 28, 2013, 11:53:59 AM by GlennLever »