gear lever

[SouthhamsChris]

The thread on the end of my gear lever is worn making the knob loose.

I have an extension on my type 9 to pull the lever back from the dash as many do. 

Westfield only sell a lever with a crank and its about 6 inches long

I'm  after a straight lever as per the original at 6 ish inches,  everywhere I tried only has a long lever at 11 inches - rallye design, burtons etc

I don't really want to buy a new part and then have to take a hack saw to it and get a new thread cut.

Any suggestions to where I can try most welcome.

 

[Kingster]

The knob that I use is one that bolts on with 3 grub screws. As long as you threadlock them it works fine, so no need to worry about the thread. I bought it as I had cut down my gearstick and thus lost the thread.

Its the one you get off the westfield shop with the westfield logo on it, but im sure there’s plenty of others that use the same fixing mechanism.

[Jonk179]

I used the Westfield one with the 3 grub screws. I just put a small flat where the grub screws fit with a grinder, dab of thread lock and job done. Been fine for 3 years.

[6carjon]

Mine is cut down with no thread and the same with just two grub screws.  Momo gearknobs have this fixing and probably some others. 

[BenD]

not familiar with the extension so i cant comment on fitment but if you know the threads sizes i can make you one at whatever length you require

[SouthhamsChris]

On 27/06/2018 at 22:52, Chris King - Webmaster and Joint North East AO said:

The knob that I use is one that bolts on with 3 grub screws. As long as you threadlock them it works fine, so no need to worry about the thread. I bought it as I had cut down my gearstick and thus lost the thread.

Its the one you get off the westfield shop with the westfield logo on it, but im sure there’s plenty of others that use the same fixing mechanism.

Hi Chris, was your lever straight before you cut it down? I spoke to the lad in westfield parts dept, he said their cranked lever was 18mm diameter and the hole in the gear knob was 20mm, but that seems huge, as the end of my lever has a 10mm thread.

[Kingster]

23 hours ago, Chrishubbs said:

Hi Chris, was your lever straight before you cut it down? I spoke to the lad in westfield parts dept, he said their cranked lever was 18mm diameter and the hole in the gear knob was 20mm, but that seems huge, as the end of my lever has a 10mm thread.

Yes. It was a straight lever that I bent and shortened myself. 

[BenD]

@Chris King - Webmaster and Joint North East AO does the bent part of the type 9 lever screw out of the peice with the sping collar under it if you get what i mean

[Kingster]

2 hours ago, Ben (bunje) said:

@Chris King - Webmaster and Joint North East AO does the bent part of the type 9 lever screw out of the peice with the sping collar under it if you get what i mean

No. It is held in by a circlip from memory. Certainly not screwed in. 

[Greenstreak-Andy D]

I found putting 2 bends in so the gear knob remains vertical rather than at a 45 deg angle. With 2 bends no cutttig down was required. 

Net result, approx 90mm rearward shift in gear stick vertical axis. 

Andy

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

3 hours ago, Greenstreak-Andy D said:

I found putting 2 bends in so the gear knob remains vertical rather than at a 45 deg angle. With 2 bends no cutttig down was required. 

Net result, approx 90mm rearward shift in gear stick vertical axis. 

Andy

Andy’s setup works really well too, in fact the only time I suspect you’d notice, is the smallest of extra effort being needed to press down when selecting reverse. But for those not liking the cranked over, angled gear levers, it’s spot on. 

[Trevor Little (Trevturtle) - Treasurer]

On 01/07/2018 at 16:59, Chrishubbs said:

Hi Chris, was your lever straight before you cut it down? I spoke to the lad in westfield parts dept, he said their cranked lever was 18mm diameter and the hole in the gear knob was 20mm, but that seems huge, as the end of my lever has a 10mm thread.

 Sizes are correct   I made an internally  threaded sleeve and glued it in the gear lever..it works fine 

 

 

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

Sizes, as Trev said are correct. Don’t forget, it’s a semi universal gear knob, and many of the gear levers used on Westfields are of a tapered design; they might be M10 threaded in their original Ford lengths, but when cut down for Westfield use, they’re often larger.

The stock knob has to accommodate all these variations. Which after a fashion, it does. But it’s true, if you can make some kind of a spacer up, to reduce the gap, it does work better.

[tc3nitro]

On 02/07/2018 at 21:19, Greenstreak-Andy D said:

I found putting 2 bends in so the gear knob remains vertical rather than at a 45 deg angle. With 2 bends no cutttig down was required. 

Net result, approx 90mm rearward shift in gear stick vertical axis. 

Andy

This looks great, I’m keen to try this on mine. Did your u use the original shaft or purchase something different ? What did you use to make the bends ? 

Thanks in advance 

Mark 

[Greenstreak-Andy D]

21 minutes ago, tc3nitro said:

This looks great, I’m keen to try this on mine. Did your u use the original shaft or purchase something different ? What did you use to make the bends ? 

Thanks in advance 

Mark 

Hi Mark,

This is the quick shift I bought...

http://www.mattlewisracing.co.uk/product.php/976/16/mlr_5_speed_type_9_gearbox_rose_jointed_quickshift_gear_lever

The bends were done by careful local heating with Oxy acetylene and then bend in vice. Be careful as the foot that goes into the selector on the gearbox fits one way! 

I drew up a template to check the position, viewed across the car, if that makes sense. Then I could check the bend angle.

Don’t do two 90degree bends, as when in 2nd or 4th the stick needs to clear the tunnel top plate!

Hope that helps

Andy