Playing around with Pro E during my lunch hour. Designed a short throw shifter for my ITA first gen race car.

Accomplishes two things:
1.) Moves shifter ball up by two inches
2.) Shortens shifter throw (at the center of the ball) to 80mm (3-1/8")



What do you guys think? I should be able to get the necessary parts machined for a reasonable price.

Greg

 

You're not the first, but that's still slick.

 

how much?

 

Before you start asking the price there are a couple of things I need to mention about this design.

#1.) The shifter rod is not bent. It is straight, unlike the stock shifter.
#2.) The shifter rod is not fixed in the z direction. It can spin continueously around the rods axis.
#3.) I do not know if I can get the smaller shifter boot to seal. The shifter mechanism has a significant amount of grease on it where it actuates the transmission.

All three issues can be resolved easily, But I wasn't worried about those issues because the shifter was going to be used in my personal race car. However, I will post prices once I am done talking to the local machinist. If anyone wants a short throw I will be glad to sell it to you through eBay. I will post more information once I get it. You will have to tell me if you want the shifter fixed, sealed, and/or bent to perform like the stock shifter would. I can customize the throw to any movement desired at the desired shift rod length.

Basically, I'll get back yo ya.

 

I wonder if this design will eliminate the vibration and rattling issues of previous short throw designs.

 

Probably not, if anything it will be as bad as previous designs. Like I said, this is a racing application shifter. If I change the two ***** at the bottom end to some type of polymer (teflon, delrin, urethane, etc), it may help.

The rattle is inherent to the design of the first gen shifter system. If you ever pull your shifter assembly, you will notice that the shifter lever is actually THREE parts. The double ball, a stiff rubber insert, and the shiny chrome part that you see on top. The rubber insert acts as a dampner for vibrations from the tranny.

Now, if a person were to send in their stock shifter as a core, I may be able to pull the shifter apart and reuse the chrome part, with my aluminum double ball. That SHOULD take care of the noise problem. I would have to do some basic research.

The other option is to use Jorx's design, which is a spacer and the stock lever, cut and rewelded for shorter throw.

 

Pretty slick, but the stock shifter is straight isnt it? Unless its an SA trans? And I dont think thats IT legal, but thats an arguement you can take up over on the IT forums.

 

Whatever happened to the Jorx short shifter? OR feedback on them?

 

mazdatrix has short shifters that would work for our cars and there is a also a how-to in the second gen section that allows for use of a mazda shifter...

 

The stock shifter is not straight. It's bent just abouble the double ball.

I have been duking it out about the legality of short throws in IT for a few days now. It's not legal, so I will have to ask SCCA if they can make it legal. Personally, I see no difference between changing the diameter of the steering wheel (scca legal) and changing the shifter position/throw (scca illegal).

 

192 for a short shifter a bit to high from mazdatrix

 

Shifters are not illegal if you just keep your mouth shut... If you go around bragging the car has a short throw shifter...ya...someone is going to protest you... however I have never had someone lean in my car and say.... ummm...let me shift your transmission...! True it is going to look different...however anyone that has seen my gear slector will say...thats not stock..and you know what...thats right... I am short as hell and I have had to modify it to make it work!

And somehow I do not belive that having a short throw is going to help you win races... its not THAT big of difference!

 

yeah what did happen to jorx.. i really want one of his shifters.

 

True.

I could have kept my mouth shut and just put it in there. But if everyone in the IT class would prefer to modify their shifter throw to suit their needs, why not just ask the SCCA to add a line in the rules to allow short throw shifters?

 

He had a bunch made and suddenly everyone who REALLY wanted one of his shifters....ran out of money.

 

well i want one and i have money in my hand..

 

ah here's the post that's made me get mad pm's

I have enough to put together 2-3 kits which are already accounted for.

I don't think i'm going to have another round at it at this point, it took a lot of capital to get 25 done and then months to sell them all. Getting core shifters was a pain too.
As stated above everyone was in until it came time to pay

I was thinking about getting deposits in form of core shifters and doing a group buy this spring if there is enough interest.

 

well i am in whenever... so let me know.,. and add me to the list.. thanks

 

Mazdatrix is too expensive yada yada yada... Why do you think I mentioned the miata method in the second gen forum. For those of you who did not look here is the thread: https://www.rx7club.com/showthread.p...ighlight=miata

BTW for the Miata short shifter mod you looking at between $50 and $80 with the new gaskets needed and the shifter assembly.

Laters
Toxic_d

 

toxic.. would that work on a 79 SA though?

 

no. I got a miata shifter. It is similar to pre-81 but the rod with the ball at the end is shorter. I was going to use it in my RX-3 but didnt work. I have tried it on FB tranny.

 

thats what i figured.. there is no hope for the 79.... man that throw is long as hell