Thread: VW shifter to MSA box.

Gents,

Can anyone shed light on the model of the VW shifter pictured comes from?

Screenshot 2024-01-26 211547.jpg

GH010188. VW shifter to Isuzu MSA - YouTube

Cheers,

Jason

Originally Posted by Don 130

I looked into that same thing some years ago when planning an engine swap for my 130. I think it's this one
Bear in mind Ancient Mariner, who appears to no longer be on here is a machinist/inventor par excellance. He may have made alterations to that shifter, so it doesn't now look the same as what you might be able to buy. If you look him up in here you'll see what he did with his Defender. Bloody amazing.
I've recently got my 130 back from a mechanic who's done for me what I couldn't. I now have a tweaked turbo 4BD1in front of a Tremec TR 4050 gearbox. It pulls hard.😀
Don

Originally Posted by Fubar

Gents,Can anyone shed light on the model of the VW shifter pictured comes from?Cheers,Jason

Not sure when people refer to the VW shifter - whether it was based on pushing and pulling wires - or was solid links as per the picture? Can't remember for sure, but in that photo I think Ancient Mariner adapted an already existing cast gear stick housing (VW?). In the picture you are seeing one of two required push pull systems. From memory Sheldon made something identical to what you see in the picture on this side of the box, but was not attempting to marry in a prior casting that holds a gear stick. From memory Sheldon's design was more 'skeletal' in terms of what could be achieved with flat bar etc. On the other side of the box, from memory, Sheldon used a connecting rod with rose joint ends. One push pull system moves between gear clusters ie 1st/2nd cluster, 3rd/4th cluster, and 5th - at the same time the second push pull system selects with in the cluster, so 1st to 2nd, or 3rd to 4th depending on which cluster it finds itself in. I also made a similar 'skeletal' system, no precast components, for an MSA box, identical to the side you see in the picture. I did not use a rose jointed rod on the other side as it tends to cause the gear stick to swing in an arc while moving the gear stick back and forth - all to do with a rod that is too big at times to fit into the geometrically changing space in which you would like it to operate. I worked the gear stick swing issue out of the equation through a sliding mechanism attached to the bottom of the gear stick. See my thread on the Range Rover - very old now. Of course I made one mistake, pointed out by Vernon, that I based my design on Sheldon's design for the Defender and not for the Range Rover spacing - in other words my system worked but was too close to the dash and caused the gear stick to hit the dash - nothing a bent gear stick could not solve. However, I have grown not to like the Range Rover, difficult to fit the engine, no head room, seat belts that have all anchors fixed to the seat etc - and the rust!! - many weeks of cutting and patching!! If I finish the project it will be in a D1/D2/Series or Defender.

And I miss Ancient Mariner's photo examples of machining, but not his somewhat scant descriptions of how he achieved these machined works of art for his vehicle - but probably expecting too much on a site really devoted to brand Rover - but hey, hold on, we now have a section devoted to 3D printing, not to mention jokes, your work shop, dogs, aircraft, photography...