02-13-2006, 06:35 AM
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Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Sweden
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short shift on my 105
My first post!
I have a 1973 2000.
In order to get my knees away from the steering wheel I'm moving the shifter closer to me. I'm mounting a second shift lever just in front of the handbrake and replacing the original shifter with a shorter one. Between the two a linkage. Has anyone done this? I've made a prototype and it seems to work fine. I have only tried it parked in the garage and man did that feel good....  I'm also putting in a better and smaller steering wheel and mooving it closer to me.
Christian
Last edited by DOHC; 02-13-2006 at 06:38 AM.
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02-13-2006, 06:11 PM
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Variations on a theme. Cannot recall where I found this pic, sorry!
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02-13-2006, 08:54 PM
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Location: NYC and Delaware County, NY. USA
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I think that's Wes Ingrams car...
N
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Alfa Romeo GTV 1750 '69 | Alfa Romeo GTV6 '84 | Range Rover Classic '95 | SAABaru '06 | Rotax 125 '05 | Emmick KT100 '03 |
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02-13-2006, 09:05 PM
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Location: Sydney Australia
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 Quote:
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Originally Posted by Alex
Variations on a theme. Cannot recall where I found this pic, sorry!
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I've never understood the point of this modification. If you look at where the gear knob is, it would only be around 2 inches from where the original was anyway (but closer to the steering wheel, thanks to the way the gear level bends back at an angle).
I prefer my gear lever to be close to the steering wheel so you do not have to take your hand of it for as long. With this design you would have to remove your hand for ages to find the gear lever ...
I guess if your knees cannot fit you have to do something ... but it will not speed up gear changes.
The whole equation for gear change speed is:
Remove hand from steering wheel + find lever + move lever + move hand back to steering wheel = total time to change gear.
Thus on 3 out of 4 parts of the equation you are adding time ...
Pete
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ps: Remember it's all just opinions 
'71 1750 Series 2 GTV: http://www.alfabb.com/bb/forums/showthread.php?p=208078
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02-14-2006, 01:39 AM
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Thanks for the pictures!
My problem has been:
1. In order to reach 5'th gear (strapped in to a 4-p harness) I would sit to close to the original steering wheel.
2. The distance between the gears,whith the original lever, was about 3 ft 
In my case, the lever is now 2 inches closer to the new steering wheel. And I'm also leaning it to the left (LHD). If I extend it even more (it's 1ft) it would touch the steering wheel. But the biggest difference is the distance between the gears. I can adjust this down to maybe 2 inches.
Christian
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02-14-2006, 07:43 AM
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by PSk
I've never understood the point of this modification.
Remove hand from steering wheel + find lever + move lever + move hand back to steering wheel = total time to change gear.
Pete
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The point of the mod in the photo is to reduce the total lever throw. With this gear lever, the motion from R to 5 is barely 12 inches, and can be made even shorter. Of course you also give up mechanical leverage, so it takes quite some force to change gears. Race-only crash gear boxes or dog boxes often use this configuration.
Another important point of the longer throw of the stock lever is that it does slow down the gear change a bit - a critical part of keeping the touchy syncro teeth from grinding off. Crash shifting with a short lever will destroy the stock syncro dogs PDQ. Lots of ham-fisted alfa drivers have no second gear syncro already.
Your second "equation" I think is nonsense. Gettting a hand to or from the steering wheel has nothing to do with shifting. I've driven hard spiral corners like Sears Point where I shift into and use three different gears during the turn and never put a second hand on the wheel; both feet and both hands and at least three eyes very busy! Wanted a third or fourth hand at times if I forgot to change the brake bias lever before the turn.
When I was learning to fly, my instructor would whack my right hand if I put it as a second hand on the steering wheel-like yoke. "That's for other things - throttle, radios, trim tabs. Learn to do more than one thing at a time or you'll crash."
R
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02-14-2006, 11:09 AM
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Location: Oosterbeek, The Netherlands
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I will make this mod too, because in a racer, with the seat mounted lower and backward for a good position in relation to pedals and steering (the steering colum will be mounted lower also) you just won`t be able to reach the gearlever. I looked at the one mounted in Wes Ingrams car, and had kontakt with the person who made the shifter, but it`s very expensive i.m.o.
So we will make our own version.
In a streetcar it will not really be a problem.
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02-14-2006, 06:21 PM
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by 60sRacer
Your second "equation" I think is nonsense. Gettting a hand to or from the steering wheel has nothing to do with shifting. I've driven hard spiral corners like Sears Point where I shift into and use three different gears during the turn and never put a second hand on the wheel; both feet and both hands and at least three eyes very busy! Wanted a third or fourth hand at times if I forgot to change the brake bias lever before the turn.
When I was learning to fly, my instructor would whack my right hand if I put it as a second hand on the steering wheel-like yoke. "That's for other things - throttle, radios, trim tabs. Learn to do more than one thing at a time or you'll crash."
R
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BTW: We are not flying ... which is heaps easier than driving a car (I've a mate who is a commerical pilot, and he sncks as a car driver ... and admits that controlling a plane is heaps easier than driving).
I understand your point and yes I have done races where I have had to hold my failing gearboxes gear level in while driving ... but most of the time proper driving requires 2 hands on the steering wheel.
I can see if you move the seat back for better weight distribution that you would need this ... but I do not really think it makes the gear changes any faster. You don't see old (pre-steering wheel levers) F1 cars with the gear levers miles away from the steering wheel. They put them right beside for a reason ... and they could have put them anywhere. Thus if I was going to relocate my gear level, I would lift it up so that you could just move your hand horizontal and there is the lever ... thus you would get the best of both worlds (and heck maybe that is what you are doing ).
When I used to race my fathers 2002 BMW I hated the gear level location ... and it was a short(er) shift and down low (probably lower than in a GTV as you sit quite high in a 2002) ... it was so low that it was outside my periferial (sp?) vision. You did get used to it ...
Anyway best of luck with this conversion.
Pete
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ps: Remember it's all just opinions
'71 1750 Series 2 GTV: http://www.alfabb.com/bb/forums/showthread.php?p=208078
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02-14-2006, 07:44 PM
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I was referring to the "time to make a gear shift". I'd call that the time from power on to power on. When the hands get back to the wheel have little to do with that.
I'm starting to sound like a grumpy old goat lately;( Not ment to be as bad spirited as it sounds.
Sorry. R
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02-14-2006, 08:23 PM
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by 60sRacer
I was referring to the "time to make a gear shift". I'd call that the time from power on to power on. When the hands get back to the wheel have little to do with that.
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Yes ofcourse you are right!. There are 2 different issues here, and yours is the more important (I guess).
I stand (er, write) corrected.
Pete
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ps: Remember it's all just opinions
'71 1750 Series 2 GTV: http://www.alfabb.com/bb/forums/showthread.php?p=208078
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