How Do I Shorten The Gearstick ?

[Guest TerryBarry]

Can anyone explain what is the purpose of the resilient lump in the middle of the gearstick.

I want to shorten the stick and possibly end up with it a bit straighter.

How do I get the thing apart - I'm not too interested in converting it into a quickshift. It's just that it sticks up too high out of the tunnel top.

I'm thinking it involves a vice and a large hammer - but the stick works nicely and the rubber spring seems in good condition so I'd rather not wreck it and end up hunting down the local scrappy.

Thanks Terry

Here's a pic of the thing :-

[geoff shep]

Just chop the top off - but then you won't have a threaded end - or chop it above and below the rubber shock absorber and weld back together, at the angle you need.

 

(That effectively makes a quick(er) shift as the top is now shorter and bottom the same)

[Joel]

Terry,

 

I think the lump is some kind of anti-vibration thing.

 

I shortened mine by just chopping the top off at a point about an inch above the 'lump'. The only downside is you won't be able to re-use the screw on Sierra gear knob, unless you can put a thread back on the shaft. I used a new knob which is held on which grub screws.

[Joel]

Doh! Geoff beat me by a second

[geoff shep]

Soz!

[Joel]

[Guest TerryBarry]

Thanks Gentlemen

I've managed to extend the thread down the shaft and then cut the top 35mm off and replaced the original knob. If necessary I'll do it again at a later date.

Cheers,

Terry

[ibrooks]

I actually used the vice and hammer method as the rubber bit had gone sloppy. I took a cold chisel to the outer metal sleeve of the damper to separate the two parts of the stick. I then used a sharp blade to clean the remains of the rubber off the bottom and drilled a hole down the end of the resulting bit (the metal is thicker inside the rubber than the rest of the stick). I cut the sleeve off the top part and turned it down a little to fit the afore-mentioned hole. I then inserted the top into the bottom and when I was happy with the length drilled a hole across the two for a small bolt. As a final paranoia step I filled the hole with epoxy before I fastened it all together for the final time. The stick now feels like a single seater racer and it has a slightly shorter throw.

 

I did have a spare stick lying in the wings in case I bolloxed it all up though (am I a man or a mouse? - pass the cheese and I'll squeek the answer to you).

 

If someone want's the spare stick to have a go give me a shout.

 

Iain

[Guest neil gale]

I chopped the gearstick in half, then managed to tap a few turns of thread onto the stump. It was a bit awkward cos the rubber just twisted round as you tried to tap the thread, but i got enough turns to get a the gearstick to bite into.

The ones with the plastic inserts that you grub screw to the knob are good, cos the shortened stump is 12mm and so has a 12mm thread on it (unless you have the time or the energy to turn down the end to 10mm), unlike the original thread which was 10mm for the sierra gearnob.

A few turns of thread seems to hold my gearstick fine, after all its not like you try to pull it upwards!

 

This pic shows it at half the original length, but i may shorten it further after the sva test.

[Jon Bradbury]

Does anyone know the best way of tackling the stick on the MT75 gearbox? It has a sliding outer shaft that you use to engage reverse.