Gear linkage

[MHunter]

Hi guys, I'm almost finished building my Ultima, and I can't wait to experience this thing on the roads. But the gear linkage is giving me a bit of troubles. I'm running a center shift and a G50 gearbox. 5th gear is difficult to engage, the other gears aren't too bad but definitely not what I'd call easy shifting.

How much fiddling with the linkage did you guys need before engaging gears felt fine? Is the orientation of the universal joints important? The angle between linkage rods?

Thanks

[Steve_D]

I'm assuming you are not talking about difficult to shift when driving in which case they will be stiff and you need to be careful you don't break the shifter forks trying to shift at a standstill.

Unless you really feel there is a problem I would leave it until you are on the road. It never will be a silky smooth production car type shift.

Steve

[MHunter]

Thanks for the reply. Yes, I imagine I should wait until it's on the road before deciding if I need to make any modifications to the linkage.

[ezakimak]

MHunter said:

Is the orientation of the universal joints important? The angle between linkage rods?

i would think that it cant hurt to have them in line, much like Stig sudjests with the steering universal joints on his web sites.

Mark Koch - has a similar set up on his canam. something about having the last rear shaft level and inline with the input shaft.

http://www.markkoch.net/canamMain.asp
http://www.markkoch.net/canam_Time_Line_15.asp?siz...
http://www.markkoch.net/canam_Time_Line_16.asp?siz...

[MHunter]

[quote]
i would think that it cant hurt to have them in line, much like Stig sudjests with the steering universal joints on his web sites.

Mark Koch - has a similar set up on his canam. something about having the last rear shaft level and inline with the input shaft.

http://www.markkoch.net/canamMain.asp
http://www.markkoch.net/canam_Time_Line_15.asp?siz...
http://www.markkoch.net/canam_Time_Line_16.asp?siz...

[/quote]

it looks like I'm running into similar problems. My engine is dry sumped and the oil hose to the engine runs directly in the way of the gear linkage. The Factory sent me a different gearbox bracket, but Engaging gear is still almost impossible. I will look very closely at Mark's setup and notes. Thanks for the links.

[mkoch1]

In may case all the gears where hard to select. I had to re-route the linkage because of the oil pan. Our first attempt left the final section of linkage at an angle. What we discovered is the last section of the linkage has to be parallel to the input shaft on the back of the trans. Did you re-route you linkage or are you running the stock set.

mark

[MHunter]

mkoch1 said:

In may case all the gears where hard to select. I had to re-route the linkage because of the oil pan. Our first attempt left the final section of linkage at an angle. What we discovered is the last section of the linkage has to be parallel to the input shaft on the back of the trans. Did you re-route you linkage or are you running the stock set.

mark

I'm running the stock set, but with a different bracket on the trans that lowers the middle linkage rod to pass under the oil hose. the problem with this is that it makes the last linkage rod pass too close to the drive shaft and at a fairly steep angle to the selector shaft on the trans.

When you say parallel to the input shaft, do you mean the last linkage rod should be horizontal, instead of coming up to the selector shaft from an angle because the other end is near the bottom front of the trans? It's a bit hard to tell from the photos on your site.

I can post photos of my setup if it helps diagnose the problem.

Thanks for the help!
Eric

[mkoch1]

MHunter said:

When you say parallel to the input shaft, do you mean the last linkage rod should be horizontal, instead of coming up to the selector shaft from an angle because the other end is near the bottom front of the trans? It's a bit hard to tell from the photos on your site.

Thanks for the help!
Eric

best pictures I could find, but yes you are correct the last section of linkage should be as horizontal as possible. The gear selector on the back of the box moves strait forward ,back and rotates. If you last section of linkage is at an angle you end up fighting the movement of the gear selector.

For example when you move the shift knob into 4th the linkage should translate that movement into pulling the gear selector strait into the back of the box. If the last section of linkage is at an angle, comming from down near the oil pan, the movement is translated into a downward twisting pull.

[MHunter]

I've played with the gear linkage a bit tonight, trying to position the last linkage section more horizontal, and now 3rd & 4th gear are very easy to engage! But I'm not sure about changing gear planes yet. 1st & 2nd are also easy to engage, but I don't know for certain it is actually 1st & 2nd I'm engaging, or if there is a bit of play and I'm just getting 3rd & 4th again. 5th gear is still eluding me.

But that's a good deal of progress anyway, for about 1 hour of messing around.

I'll work on it more tomorrow night.

Eric