Hey Chas - another trivial project - shifter boot

[DanEC]

Here is the new Sunbeam Specialties boot installed. You can see that it naturally rides lower.



Here is the original boot. It's thicker and more rigid and wants to sit higher.

[LMH]

Looks good!
Larry

[davids2toys]

Looks great Larry, thanks. You must be very happy because I remember how pissed I used to get when my Unique did the pop out thing.
I wish I knew exactly why your shifter is so low. I love the look. It would also be more comfortable driving mine like that because between it being so high and me having to sit more forward, I am doing the Pterodactyl arm thing.
Dave

[DanEC]

Originally Posted by davids2toys

Looks great Larry, thanks. You must be very happy because I remember how pissed I used to get when my Unique did the pop out thing.
I wish I knew exactly why your shifter is so low. I love the look. It would also be more comfortable driving mine like that because between it being so high and me having to sit more forward, I am doing the Pterodactyl arm thing.
Dave

Dave - do you have the Hurst shifter and ERA lever? I can still adjust my transmission mount plate up about 1/4 inch or so. I may do so as I'm not sensing any driveline vibration so far. It won't make much difference in appearance but another 1/4" room between the ring and lever may make a bit of difference.

[davids2toys]

I think it would make a big difference, I would do it

Yes, I have the Hurst but don't know what you mean by ERA lever?.

[rub35]

This is mine in third gear. Quite a difference. I've seen several that look like Dan's and several that look like mine. Why so different? Is it the trans or the shifter set up?

[DanEC]

Originally Posted by davids2toys

I think it would make a big difference, I would do it

Yes, I have the Hurst but don't know what you mean by ERA lever?.

My shift lever was fabricated by ERA. To make sure John sent me a tracing of a lever in stock and it matched mine perfectly. I think I will go ahead and raise the mount plate up the rest of the way. A 1/4 inch or so might make a small difference. So far with the new rubber boot I'm not having any problems. It seems to be staying locked solidly in gear when in 3rd.

Originally Posted by rub35

This is mine in third gear. Quite a difference. I've seen several that look like Dan's and several that look like mine. Why so different? Is it the trans or the shifter set up?
Attachment 24323

That's a puzzle to me also (I assume you have a toploader and Hurst shifter). I'm wondering if there might be a couple different mount plates used over time that mount the shifter unit at different heights. I also think I remember (hope it's not a figment of my imagination) that somewhere along the line, ERA raised their transmission tunnel height a little to better fit 5 and 6 speed transmission with top mount shifters. But, our cars all seem to be fairly recent models so I would thnk the transmission tunnels would be the same.

[rub35]

Originally Posted by DanEC

That's a puzzle to me also (I assume you have a toploader and Hurst shifter). I'm wondering if there might be a couple different mount plates used over time that mount the shifter unit at different heights. I also think I remember (hope it's not a figment of my imagination) that somewhere along the line, ERA raised their transmission tunnel height a little to better fit 5 and 6 speed transmission with top mount shifters. But, our cars all seem to be fairly recent models so I would thnk the transmission tunnels would be the same.

Sorry if I misled Dan, mine is a T-5 modified by G-Force. I could take some under car shots if interested.

[rub35]

Originally Posted by rub35

Sorry if I misled Dan, mine is a T-5 modified by G-Force. I could take some under car shots if interested.

Also, shifter is a Steeda Tri-Ax with a shifter handle from Finish line p/n SH427

[DanEC]

Yeah - different trans and shifter would account for the difference.

[davids2toys]

Yeah, huge difference! Well, there goes that hope out the window!!!

[cscobra]

Originally Posted by Rick Parker

I read these threads from time to time regarding this subject and wonder how little tension the shifter, and sliding syncro hubs have on the newer style 5 & 6 spd transmissions such as T5, T56, etc. They all have internal shift rods, and shift smoother and easier but with the OEM Toploader or BW T10 with external shift rods and control box this it would take much more than the effort exerted by the rubber shift boot on the lever to kick it out of gear. It's really hard to comprehend how the shift boot could really be causing this??

It really does happen--when I simply unscrewed the ERA shift boot from the transmission tunnel (and left it "floating" on the gear lever), the problem went away. Reinstalling the ERA shift boot brought the problem back. Replacing the ERA shift boot with the Sunbeam Tiger shift boot solved the problem completely--no more kicking out of gear in over 1000 miles with the new boot.

I move that ERA supply the Sunbeam Tiger shift boot from now on. Any seconds?

[DanEC]

Originally Posted by cscobra

I move that ERA supply the Sunbeam Tiger shift boot from now on. Any seconds?

I'll second - much nicer product and obviously better function. If good enough for Kirkham it should be fine for ERA.