Engine stabiliser bar / quick shifters

[GSE]

An engine stabiliser bar. Anybody know if such a thing is available? Something that could bolt between the strut brace and engine block? I'm sure I've seen some sophisticated ones with dampers in them too, they are threaded to adjust and get the length right. Want to reduce the amount the engine twists over when developing high torque The exhaust still knocks ..... occasionally .... when it's pulling really hard. But I think the rip shifter housing may be touching the transmission tunnel opening as well. Rip shifter is too noisy anyway .... ruins the refinement inside the car with all the buzzing. I'm going to fit an alternative quickshift (from LSV) the one which uses the stock gear box cover (with the noise dampers) and the damped actuation arm, but has a higher pivot point on the gearlever.

[pomona]

Modified my original myself by drilling hole 15mm higher.Still not as good as the Ripshifter for quick positive changes that I fitted as the 1st in Uk.Have you tried sound deadening around base of gearlever.
Boat manufacturer engine sound deadening material is excellent.1" thick with a lead layer moulded into foam.

[roger440]

Paul. Was your Ripshifter quiet when first fitted? Mine was but now has a very slight rattle under load, engine load that is. Still much less rattling than the factory stick though. I think you changed yours before it started to rattle or have the improved factory version!

Pomona. I looked at moving the pivot point too. Was it succesful at improving the shift over stock? Its no surprise it rattles with a steel pin throght a steel bar. Quite frankly its crap and it don't even look cheap to produce!!

I though about modifying it with some poly/nylon bushes to eliminate all metal to metal contact. Is this what the latest factory one has done to overcome the rattle? Anyone???

At the risk of boring everyone, ive just been lokking at the factory shifter. I cant see a reason a ripshifter style stick couldn't be grafted onto the factory pivot bar (sorry, not got a digi cam!!) and do away with the secondary linkage.

Only downside to this against the ripshifter is that there are no "stopbolts" to prevent excessive load on the gearbox syncros during violent changes. This of course is no different to the factory set up. I suspect that in normal street use this is not a problem.

Anyone else tinkered or am i the only one mad enough????

[GSE]

pomona said:

Modified my original myself by drilling hole 15mm higher.Still not as good as the Ripshifter for quick positive changes that I fitted as the 1st in Uk.Have you tried sound deadening around base of gearlever. Boat manufacturer engine sound deadening material is excellent.1" thick with a lead layer moulded into foam.

Only tried some foam around the base of the (ripshifter) lever so far. Made no difference at all

When you look at the stock item, it's quite obvious how much damping is built in - the mounting bushes - the actuation lever etc.. so I guess the vibration/niose issue is a big problem to overcome at the box is so agricultural.

roger440 said:

Paul. Was your Ripshifter quiet when first fitted? Mine was but now has a very slight rattle under load, engine load that is. Still much less rattling than the factory stick though. I think you changed yours before it started to rattle or have the improved factory version!

Ripshifter has rattled/buzzed like mad ever since it was fitted. There are two noises it makes - a kind of grinding noise which I guess are the gears in the box (lack of noise insulation system on the ripshifter doesn't help..) plus this buzzing noise that I can only stop by pressing hard down on the gearlever. It's much less noisy for the first mile or so after cold startup though - when the oil in the box is cold. Also, i have a lot of extra forward and reverse free play travel, on my lever, once you are in each gear. It's only ever popped out of 1st gear during a hard launch once. It's definately far more precise than the stock change though..

Roger 440 - I have my old (stock) gearchanger in bits and yes I like tinkering with stuff too - I'll try and post some pics tomorrow - there has got to be a solution








>> Edited by GSE on Tuesday 16th November 22:24

>> Edited by GSE on Tuesday 16th November 22:25

[island boy hsv]

GSE I would send an email to GM Motorsport and see what they say before changing to another shift. I have not heard of any one with your severity of problems but there has been talk of a "rubber mod" that GM Motorsport might be working.

Sorry if you have already got in touch with Phonsey but the guy's in Australia rave about how good he is at technical help.

From Australian LS1 and Holden forum.

Phonsey Mullan
" ....Were Happy to Help you on any related shift problems.

For any technical advise please call us on 0418 562 057
or 03 0746 6656"

[roger440]

I've tried contacting Phonsey, but so far without success.

Paul. Any chance of posting a close up of the original shifter? It should be different from mine as prior to your car being built, a recall was issued for the shifter on mine, Sadly holden wanted nearly $700 to supply, hence i bough the ripshifter. As i understand it, it is still hopelessly woolly but doesn't rattle. I suspect you have one of these.

Currently, an idea for modification is forming in my head that would give the accuracy of the ripshift, but with no noise transmission.

[GSE]

This pic shows the standard changer, but with a different gear lever fitted - the pivot point is moved higher to reduce the forward/rear throw of the standard lever. There are several damping points - the 4 black rubber bushes in the cast housing itself, in the beige nylon triangular ball holder (the new shortshift kit I have includes a alloy replacement for it shown below) a 'plastic' strip running along the centre of the actuation bar, and in the bushes for the pins that are pressed into the pivots. There is also springing at the ball of base of the gear lever. The standard gear lever is shown to the left. I believe that there is also damping where the gear knob attaches to the lever as well, but I can't see how the knob detaches from the lever. This may actually be where the 'buzzing' noise that I mention, may be coming from. Note also the white plastic cup cover that sits over the complete mechanism to reduce noise. The whole lot adds up to a very vague change, but no noise/vibration.

Rip shifter is just a bent rod straight into the box!

Great change with the ripshifter, but too much noise. The thing is, I can't really see how the rip shifter can be improved (in noise terms) as there is no damping on it whatsoever. The only 'adjustment' are the stop bolts for the fore and aft lever movement.

So what can you do roger?





Damper in the centre of the actuation bar.



>> Edited by GSE on Wednesday 17th November 11:25

[roger440]

Well, my current thinking is to fit a "bent rod" as per ripshift, to the top of the primary lever that goes into the box as per a ripshifter, and to use the spring loaded rear shaft to do the self centering via a link similar to the existing one. This then retains the factory ball/bearing arrangement.

Obviously, this time there would be bushes to prevent any metal/metal contact in the linkage.

In addition, if the top of the factory stick was used, then further nylon/poly bushes could be fitted to the bolted joint to reduce noise/vibes through the knob.

Hope that make sense?

I suspect that the plactic plate will need to be replaced with a metal one to resist the forces which it would then see as per your photo.

The knob itself just pulls off and has a rubber insert that grips the shaft. DO NOT rotate it. It has a locating tounge which will break off if you twist it.

You wouldn't think it could all be so complicated!!!


Alternatively, maybe it is easier to look at inserting a poly/nylon liner into the ripshifter mechanisim to remove the metal/metal contact within the ball arrangement. Sadly i cant look at this at the moment - cos its in the car!!!

[GSE]

I've heard that fitting a ripshifter (or actually removing the stock item) is a bit of a !! to do - it needs 2 people? But I might have a go next week and try re fitting my modified stock unit ... for the time being.

roger440 said:

The knob itself just pulls off and has a rubber insert that grips the shaft. DO NOT rotate it. It has a locating tounge which will break off if you twist it.

I'm sure that a lot of the noise is coming from the gear lever / gear knob mounting. If I can get the two apart I will try to attach them together more securely. Don't car about the vibration, it's just the noise I want to eliminate.

So the knob comes off by just pulling it upwards ... hard ... but not twisting it?

>> Edited by GSE on Wednesday 17th November 21:37

[roger440]

Yep, just pulls it off. I'm not sure thats where the noise is coming from due to its rubber insert though.

It can be done as a 1 man job.Took about three hours all in.

Do you have the fitting instructions for your ripshift? Or for your trim removal? Can sort you out a copy of either if required?

You will also need a ball drive allen key for the securing bolts.

[GSE]

So nobody knows of a stabiliser bar?

Actually - by accident - I've found a partial solution to the problem. Since I fitted the carbon fibre big bore maf/throttle body pipe - as there is no flexible 'concertina' part in it - it has the added bonus of holding the engine firmer and stopping it from rotating under load - so my exhaust hardly knocks now!

I still think the engine needs a stabiliser bar - one with a damper in it. Mounting points seem quite easy - on the strut brace, and down to the bolts on the exhaust manifolds. Can anybody make one?

[caspy]

Please excuse my simplistic view to this.

But if the exhaust knocks under load, surely that is a fitting/manufacture issue that should be addressed by the company that fitted. It should not be for you to start sourcing parts to overcome a problem that they have created.

IMHO

[GSE]

caspy said:

Please excuse my simplistic view to this. But if the exhaust knocks under load, surely that is a fitting/manufacture issue that should be addressed by the company that fitted. It should not be for you to start sourcing parts to overcome a problem that they have created. IMHO

In an ideal world, yes I agree. But it depends on how much faith you have in the supplier....

Problem with the exhaust seems to be too little clearance between the header pipes and the o/s/f chassis rail, compounded by the fact that the engine does seem to move around alot, as if the engine mounts are too soft. So the solution would be to fit a different o/s header with slightly shorter pipes, but all the CAPA manifolds look the same! 'Harder' HSV engine mounts have also been suggested. But do they actually exist...? So basically, I don't have a lot of confidence that going back to the supplier is going to fix the problem.

The carbon maf pipe that I fitted seems to hold the engine a bit firmer and has pretty much stopped the knocking - thats why I thought a stabiliser bar would be a good idea. And I still think it could be the ripshifter housing ... I've yet to get underneath and have a good look.

The expression 'if you want a job done properly, do it yourself' comes to mind. Thats why I re fitted the misaligned exhaust tail box, and fitted the AP Brakes myself

[tiler]

Where did you get apbrakes from.

[motomk]

www.hsv.org.uk/topic.asp?t=129075&f=69&h=28

[GSE]

tiler said:

Where did you get apbrakes from.

Could not find a UK supplier, so I got them from JHP in Australia: www.jhp.com.au/

Not cheap, but still a lot less than some companies charge. I've added some pics of the install on the end of the above thread. The brakes have bedded in nicely now and are superb - much much better pedal feel, stopping power, and no fade!