TKO shifter hole in center of tunnel or not??

[Grubby]

I am finishing up the swap from Toploader to TKO in 755. The centerline of the shift handle is offset about 1" to the right. I think there is enough room in the boot to shift the boot left and center the 4" hole in the middle of the tunnel.

On a factory built ERA is the hole in the center of the tunnel or is it offset 1" to the right.

I think it might look better in the center. Just curios how the pros in CT do things.

John

[strictlypersonl]

On an early car we've got in the shop right now, the shift lever is offset quite a bit toward the passenger's side.

[SSSammy]

Originally Posted by strictlypersonl

On an early car we've got in the shop right now, the shift lever is offset quite a bit toward the passenger's side.

Exactly, for the toploader. The Tremec hole, if it is symmetrical around the shifter, will be more toward the center of the tunnel and a bit forward. When I did this conversion, I just blanked the original hole off with a riveted aluminum plate. Then set the tunnel down on the Tremec stub (in neutral) and tap with a mallet to mark the center of the new hole.

If you do the blanking plate from underneath and fill with a little Bondo on top, you can't tell once the carpet is laid. Of course a perfectionist would fabricate a new top panel for the tunnel. It's just a flat sheet of alum.

Sam

[Dangerous Doug]

I centered the shift hole on my ERA FIA (just looked better to me). I used two 1/2" offset spacers to center the shifter in the hole. I have a TKO-600.

Incidentally, the rubber boot supplied with the shifter would pull my shifter out of gear when decelerating (okay, for the purists: "during negative acceleration"). I removed it and replaced it with a leather boot from JC Whitney. Problem solved.

The shifter looks better to me centered and with the leather boot---but hey, what do I know, I'm the guy that put 427 wheels on my FIA 'cause I liked the look better.

Cobra Purism: Yes, there is a cure.

DD

[Grubby]

I must be a perfectionist. Peter sold me a new top plate for my tunnel. I want to make sure the hole is in the correct place before I cut.

The offset of the shifter hole looks funny. Thats why I ask how ERA does it.

I could put a spacer between the shifter and stub to center things up or maybe just cut the hole offset to the left from the centerline of the shifter to center things up better.

The 4" hole seems to leave plenty of room to offset 1/2" or so to the left of the shifter center. That would come close to putting the hole in the center of the tunnel.

John

[LMH]

For those looking for dead-on accuracy (as in originality), wouldn't the hole be shifted to the drivers side?
Larry

[SSSammy]

Originally Posted by LMH

For those looking for dead-on accuracy (as in originality), wouldn't the hole be shifted to the drivers side?
Larry

Absolutely .. those people need to run a toploader as per original. The TL shifter comes up from the side of the case, not out of the top like a Tremec. And reverse is waaay back to the left ... I had to enlarge that corner of the hole.

Grubby, best to center the hole over the shifter because of the comment by DD that the rubber accordion boot can bunch up and act like a spring and pop you out of 3rd or 4th whenever you lift the throttle. I went around and around with this and ended up with the leather boot. But ... I recall patrickt has a fix for this. You turn the top of the accordion inside and put a ty-wrap on it so it will stay extended.

Sam

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by Grubby

On a factory built ERA is the hole in the center of the tunnel or is it offset 1" to the right.

I think it might look better in the center. Just curios how the pros in CT do things.

They do it like this:

[lemans24]

I put mine towards the right so it would line up and gives just a bit more room for shifting. It looks fine. I spliced(welded) the stock tko shift piece(the nub that comes with it) with an original style top loader shifter so it would look right coming out of the boot.

[Grubby]

Thanks guys. I will do it like Patrick - not the dual roll bars. Just kidding on the roll bars.

John

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by Grubby

Thanks guys. I will do it like Patrick - not the dual roll bars. Just kidding on the roll bars.

Ahhhh, man. And here I am "Johnny-on-the-Spot" with pics and everything....

[Albie]

Originally Posted by LMH

For those looking for dead-on accuracy (as in originality), wouldn't the hole be shifted to the drivers side?
Larry

Has anyone used a Tremec offset shifter? The part number is 30-17-2X. It looks like it might do the trick, but I'm not sure how well it will work.

[Grubby]

I initially put a 3/4" spacer between my shifter and shift handle so it would come out the center of the boot. There was some resistance felt when going into 5th or reverse. Obvious contact to the boot on the left side.

Within the last 60 days, I cut the shifter and welded it offset 3/4" to the left. Now the shift handle is centered in the hole and I have no shifter boot contact.

A free fix is better than a $300 shifter. Worst case, pay a weld shop $50 to cut and weld.

The shifter R&R was a snap. Remove boot in the car, then the rubber boot that is over the shifter nub. Then just the two allen screws need removed and the stub pulls straight out. No need to remove the tunnel. Then drive out the pin that holds the plastic ball on the stub. Cut & weld and then reassemble. It can all be done in less than 1 hour.

John

[patrickt]

John, any chance of a few pics on what you did?

[Grubby]

Patrick,
I put my car in the zip lock bag for the Winter. No pictures until Spring.

The shifter mod is easy.

The attached picture gave me the idea.

Pull the rubber boot from your stub shifter and it looks mostly like the one show. Remove the two allen head fasteners (arrows) and the stub shifter lifts right out. You can see a white plastic ball that comes out with the shifter. You will need to drive the pin out that holds it in place. I assumed welding the shifter would melt it.

Then I cut the stub in two about the same place as shown in the picture (arrow). The two stepped down portions were obviously not there. I just cut a piece of mild steel to weld the two pieces together. The stub needed off set 3/4" to the left to center in the tunnel.

I hope this is clear.
John

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by Grubby

I put my car in the zip lock bag for the Winter. No pictures until Spring.

That's perfectly understandable. I had to buy a new bag for this year. When I opened her up earlier this spring, all the clutch fluid had leaked out from a loose fitting and there was a considerable puddle in the bag.

[xb-60]

Apologies for off-topic, but why do you guys put your cars in zip-lock bags for the winter? Do you have a problem with squirrels house-hunting, or what?
Cheers,
Glen

[Grubby]

The bag keeps hummidity to a minimum and keeps out unwanted field mice - which are a problem.

John

[patrickt]

... and while we call it a "Zip-Lok" bag, it's much more robust than that. It's a serious, heavy duty "sleeping bag" in which you insert hand-sized bags of desiccant to keep your car's habitat bone dry. My Cobra sits in there from Thanksgiving to Easter. The only other "winterizing" I do to it is fill the tank, pour a bottle of StaBil in it, drive it a bit, pump the tires up to 35 lbs each and, since my Moto-Lita wheel is on a quick release hub, I take the wheel and put it in the closet. A few years ago I went to the trouble of taking hi-def pics of the brake rotors both before going in the bag, and then five months later when it came out. There wasn't even a spot of surface rust on them. Now, just so you know, even with the car in the bag it still must be in a garage. It's not like it can sit out in your back yard. Here is the bag that I use; it's going to cost you about $250: Carbag - Protective jackets for your car or motorcycle

EDIT -- And I disconnect the battery too, since it has a quick disconnect on it as well.

[xb-60]

Thanks G and P. Your winters are different to ours I think.
Back to the OP
Cheers,
Glen